HAPPENING NOW
All church announcements, changes, updates, and programs impacted by COVID-19 will now be housed on one place on our website. Visit: https://uuyarmouth.org/covid-19-updates/.
WORSHIP AT HOME
CALLING
Sunday, March 22, 2020 - delivered via email
Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
Sam Chandler, Music Director
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
COFFEE HOUR IS LIVE THIS WEEK!
Sunday, March 22, 12:00 pm
Please join us for a virtual coffee hour hosted on Zoom! (New to Zoom? Check out this informative guide .) 

You can join:
  • Online (this includes audio and optional video capabilities)
  • By landline or cell phone by calling: +1 929-205-6099 and then entering the Meeting ID: 379 697 489.
MULTIGENERATIONAL CHURCH PEN PALS
Let us help match you with a church pen pal! In particular, we're hoping to match children and youth with older adult pen pals during this time of social distancing. Email Gwen Matthews at gwenatfirstu@gmail.com to be matched with a pen pal.
UPDATE FROM THE SEARCH COMMITTEE
Despite the Corona Virus your Search Committee is still at work. You may have noticed that your Search Committee has been missing from church lately. We spent 4 weekends hosting ministerial candidates, eating meals with them, conducting lengthy interviews, showing them the church and surrounding area, plus experiencing their preaching at a southern Maine UU church. These weekends were enjoyable and fruitful, and we were blessed to navigate those weekends without challenges from illness or weather.

The committee continues to meet. We are sorting through a significant amount of information, checking references, rank ordering the candidates, and following UUA procedures. We expect to contact the best match candidate in early April.

Once we choose the top candidate and if the candidate chooses us we shall invite the candidate to come to Candidating week with us. We can not announce the name of the candidate until the candidate has negotiated specifics of their contract, authorized a criminal background check and notified their congregation. At this point we can release the name of the candidate.
 
With the church, state and country suggesting social distancing and small gatherings Candidating Week may need to be conducted differently than we have been planning. The UUA may have creative suggestions as to how to do Candidating Week. Please stay tuned while we figure out how to best introduce the candidate to the congregation.
yoga
FREE YOGA FROM HOME
Yoga teacher Marni Price is hosting live video yoga classes. The next one will be happening this Saturday at 10 am. Anyone interested can email Marni to get on the mailing list for when she'll be holding classes and video details: marniprince@gmail.com. Marni is not charging anything for the classes as of now, she just wants to offer some relief and connectedness. Might as well do some yoga if we can't leave the house!
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
Spirituality can still be a part of your family's life. We'll be offering ideas for something to do every day to RE-inspire your week. These offline activities will help you and your family stay connected to your values, our planet, and each other.
VIRTUAL YOUTH GROUPS
Both junior and senior youth groups will be having short video meetings this week online. You can download the Zoom app in advance to your smart phone, tablet, or laptop. You will need to create a free account with Zoom.

Junior Youth Group will meet from 11 - 11:30 am this Sunday, March 22.
To join the meeting online click here.
Meeting ID: 114 713 905
Password: 007359

Senior Youth Group will meet from 4 - 4:30 pm this Sunday, March 22.
To join the meeting online click here.
Meeting ID: 873 942 312
Password: 014885
PEACE & JUSTICE WORK
VOLUNTEER AT PREBLE STREET
First Tuesdays of each month, 3:30 - 6:30 pm
Preble Street is experiencing a high need for volunteers. Please consider signing up for a shift this coming First Tuesday and/or other dates if you are in a less vulnerable pool. Please also remember to contact Ruth even if you sign up directly with Preble Street so that we can ensure we have enough volunteers attending to meet our commitment to Preble Street—thank you! 

First U has a standing commitment to staffing Preble Street Soup Kitchen for their dinner service as they feed homeless and low-income people who rely on Preble Street for a hot meal. Help prep and serve dinner with your fellow UUs from 3:30—6:30 pm on this coming first Tuesday of the month, April 7. Sign up in advance by contacting Ruth White at rwhite7@maine.rr.com.
FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE
The Church Office is Closed, But Minister and Staff Are Still Working!
Rev. Frieda, Gwen, Sam, and Andrea all continue to work from home to support the church community. You can reach them via email, call and leave a voicemail at the church office (messages are checked on Monday & Thursday), or call Rev. Frieda on her cell phone: 508-207-7566.
Pastoral Emergencies
If you have a pastoral emergency, you can contact Rev. Frieda Gillespie on her cell phone at 508-207-7566. Please note that most weeks she will be in Yarmouth Sunday - Tuesday and working from her home office in MA Wednesday - Friday. Saturdays are typically her day off, but she will answer calls for pastoral emergencies.
Submit Your Announcement
To have your church or community event included in this newsletter or in print on Sundays please email the information to Gwen Matthews, Program Assistant, at gwenatfirstu@gmail.com by Wednesday at 12 pm to have it included in that Friday's edition of Channels or the Sunday Morning News.
  First Universalist Church of Yarmouth | 207-846-4148 | office@uuyarmouth.org | www.uuyarmouth.org