FINANCIAL TIMES OF FIRST U
|
|
This time - with a working link!
|
|
Forgiveness Comes With Understanding
THEME: FORGIVENESS
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 10:30 am
Rev. Frieda Gillespie
|
|
PROGRAM SCHEDULES FOR THIS SUNDAY
10:30 am -
Children's Chapel (begin in Sanctuary)
10:30 am -
Nursery Care (Nursery)
1:00 pm -
7th-9th grade OWL (Common Room)
Please note that there is no junior or senior youth group happening this Sunday, October 13. Both groups will meet again on October 20.
|
|
FIRST U'S SENIOR YOUTH GROUP PRESENTS...
HYGGE DINNER & TRIVIA NIGHT
Saturday, November 9, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Come for a calm, comfortable time spent in good company with warm, comfort food and a fun group trivia night. Nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options all available. Your attendance supports the projects of our senior youth group, including this year's service mission trip.
Tickets will be sold at the door. $15/adults, $10/children and students, children under five are free. All are welcome!
|
|
JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP IS COLLECTING CLOTHING DONATIONS
This Sunday, October 13 OR during office hours, M & Th. 9 am - 4:30 pm
Our junior youth group (middle schoolers, 5th - 8th grade), will be going to Portland's free clothing closet on Sunday, October 20 to help sort, fold, and organize clothes for New Mainers, homeless, and low income folks who come to ‘shop’ the free store. We can also bring donations with us to contribute, so
please bring any seasonally appropriate clothing you'd like to donate this Sunday, October 13 (or this coming week during church office hours). Please send warm, clean, and intact clothes for Fall/Winter. Thank you!
|
|
FAITHFUL JOURNEY IN CHILDREN'S CHAPEL
For the next few weeks In Children’s Chapel, we’ll be focusing on our shared value that
each and every person is important. To continue the discussion with your family, take a look at the suggestions in
Taking It Home.
|
|
REGISTER FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMS ONLINE
This year, there is the option to
register online for children and youth programs! There will also be paper copies available at the church. Please register your children soon to participate in church programs.
|
|
WE-B-SEEKERS; WE-B-LEADERS WEEKEND
Acknowledging our interconnected and interdependent web of church life,
We-B-Seekers; We-B-Leaders Weekend
is your chance to explore, embrace, and engage the world as a spiritual seeker and a spiritual leader.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop (in the Sanctuary)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm, facilitated by UUA Trainer, Rev. Jane Dwinell
THINK OF A MINISTER. DON’T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT. Chances are, you thought of both. Perhaps you thought of distinct images?
In terms of a minister, what came to mind - a particular gender, race, or age? As humans, we might have particular biases that color how we see things. In our efforts to mitigate this, with the end goal being to find the minister who is our best match, our congregation is hosting a Beyond Categorical Thinking (BCT) workshop and worship service.
BCT is a program designed to promote inclusive thinking and decrease unfair biases. It is a very important step in a congregation’s search for a minister, helping us explore our hopes and concerns for a new minister and understand how we can prevent our own history (both personal and congregational) from interfering with our efforts in this search.
Lunch (in the Gathering Room)
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm
Tasty soups, salads and bread, yum!
Leadership Retreat (in the Sanctuary)
1:15 pm – 3:45 pm, facilitated by the Leadership Development Committee
Who me, a leader? Don’t be afraid! We’re all about leading from the heart. This retreat will help us to begin practicing the concept of Spiritual Leadership. The afternoon will include:
- A centering, guided meditation
- Sharing by committees and councils to illustrate how we are all interconnected in what we do here at First Universalist
- An interactive exercise to help us judge our congregational readiness for our next minister and identify where we still need to work
- Reflections on what we learned, about ourselves and our congregation, throughout the day
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
Sunday Worship Service (in the Sanctuary)
10:30 – 11:30 am with
UUA Trainer, Rev. Jane Dwinell
Read a sample of a sermon from Rev. Jane Dwinell
here
.
*To help us prepare, please RSVP by
Saturday, October 26
to Joanna Landsman
jslandsman@gmail.com
or Steve Thomas
scrx@aol.com
or sign up on the sheets posted in the Gathering Room. We invite you to sign up for one or both!
Childcare will be provided – please let us know by
Sunday, Oct. 20
if it is needed.
|
|
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOLIDAY FAIR
Items to auction, crafts, handmade jewelry, birch logs, volunteer time, baking cookies, donating holly, making soup, etc. Let us know what you would like to do to contribute to the Holiday Fair. Contact Janice Tooker, Dorothy McAloney, Phyllis Jones, Cheryl McGilvery with ideas, questions, or to volunteer (contact info. can be found in the church directory).
|
|
TRANSITION TEAM NEWS: LISTENING CIRCLES
Sunday, Nov. 3 at 4 pm, in the Sanctuary
Rev. Frieda and your Transition Team will be hosting another Listening Circles (formerly known as Healing Circles) in November. Any and all are welcome to come and share past or present hurts or concerns. You are also welcome if you simply want to listen and understand your fellow First Uers better.
|
|
YOGA CONTINUES ON SATURDAYS
Saturdays, 10:00 - 11:15 am, in the Sanctuary
This is a multi-level yoga class. You can modify or stop at any time. Newcomers welcome. Ten dollars donation suggested per class. Half the funds go to a charity agreed with the class and half to the Church. Any questions contact the instructor, Lois Howlett, at
loishowlett2@gmail.com or tel 847-3055.
|
|
THE NEXT FIRST TUESDAY
Join in next month on
November 5 by volunteering at
Preble Street Soup Kitchen with your UU friends (adults and teens 14+, 3:30 - 6:30 pm) or by coming to
First Universalist (all ages, drop in any time between 3:00 - 7:00 pm) and working on justice-making activities.
More information to come!
|
|
OUR HALF-PLATE
Each Sunday, we donate half of our collection plate directly to projects and organizations that live and promote our shared values. For October, our half plates are dedicated to our UU Partner Church relationships. This week, we support the musicians and dancers of the
Keresztur Unitarian High School in Transylvania, where some of our Gyepes students have attended. They will be sharing their passion for keeping ethnic Hungarian music and dance traditions alive. You can see them perform on October 28 at First Parish in Portland, or on October 29 at Ferry Beach.
|
|
TRANSYLVANIAN DANCE TROUPE & BAND TO VISIT MAINE
Monday, October 28 & Tuesday, October 29
For two days in late October, 15 young dancers and musicians, and 10 adult companions from Romania will visit Southern Maine. The travelers, all ethnic Hungarians, are from the Transylvanian region of Romania. The dancers and musicians are members of two performance groups, the
Vadrózsák Néptánccsoport
(Wild Roses folk dance group) and the
Lelkes Zenekar
(Enthusiastic Band). The groups were founded by two teachers at the Unitarian School in Székelykeresztúr, Romania who are passionate about keeping their ethnic Hungarian folk music and dance traditions alive.
Monday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 pm: Traditional Hungarian Dance Performance
at First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist, 425 Congress Street, Portland
These Transylvanian Youth Dancers and Musicians, all ethnic Hungarians from the Transylvanian region of Romania, are touring New England for two weeks. Their performance will be followed by an invitation to learn some simple Hungarian dances. $10 at the door. FMI: Contact Laurie at
laurie@maine.rr.com
Tuesday, Oct. 29: Traditional Hungarian Dance Performance, Workshops and Community Dance Party
at Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center, Rowland Hall, 5 Morris Avenue, Saco, ME
Come to beautiful Ferry Beach for an exciting afternoon and evening of cultural exchange. These Transylvanian Youth Dancers and Musicians, all ethnic Hungarians from the Transylvanian region of Romania, are touring New England for two weeks.
1:30 pm
Music for Folk Dance: Workshop/Jam Session for musicians, singers and dancers.
3:30 pm
Transylvanian Dance Workshop (beyond the basics) Led by the visiting dancers, $15 at the door.
6:00 pm
Dinner at Ferry Beach (available by advance reservations only, before 10/15, $20)
7:30 pm
Performance and Community Dance (a dance party for everyone featuring simple dances (all will be taught) from Transylvania, USA, Canada, England, France, Israel or others. Suggested donation $10 - $25.
The performances and workshops are fundraisers to help finance the group’s visit to New England. Your participation is important in welcoming the visitors to Maine, to continuing our Partner Church work, as well as in helping to support the costs of the tour and to ensure similar opportunities in the future. Come meet these talented youth and experience the rich culture of Transylvanian Hungarians. For more info contact Marie Wendt,
mwendt@maine.rr.com
, or 207-688-2293.
|
|
INTERFAITH FILM SERIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE, Oct. 13 & Oct. 20
The film
From Paris to Pittsburgh will be shown at St. Luke's on October 13, 2:45 - 5:00 pm. The film
Tomorrow will be shown at St. Ansgar's on October 20, 2:45 - 5:30 pm. For more information, contact Sarah Braik at
sbraik642@gmail.com.
|
|
CANDLELIGHT CONCERT, Oct. 19, 7 pm
UUnited in Words and Song is the title of a candlelight concert to be performed in the Sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford, 60 School St., Saco, on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7:00 p.m. Featuring the words and songs of talented, creative church members, this concert will bring together soloists and ensemble singers, poets, musicians, and storytellers. Suggested donation at the door $10-‐$20; $5 for children; $30 max for family.
|
|
THE GREAT PUMPKIN BALL, Oct. 26, 7 pm - 1 am
The Great Pumpkin Ball, hosted by Equality Maine, returns to the State Theatre in Portland! Get ready for their largest event of the year... and the biggest Halloween dance party in Maine! Last year's event had over 1000 attendees and this year promises to be even bigger, don't miss your chance for early bird ticket pricing! They'll have dancing and entertainment all night, a costume contest with killer prizes, live performances and special guest performances by Peppermint, the Season 9 Runner-up on RuPaul's Drag Race. Hosted by Blake and Eva from Coast 93.1. Ages 18+. Tickets can be purchased
here.
|
|
UU JOURNEY TO PERU, April 2020
As a service and not a business, the UU congregation of Toronto offers one pilgrimage a year to a sacred site on the earth. Since 2006 they have traveled with a small group (15-20) fellow UU’s to; India, Vietnam, Peru, Turkey, Belize, Romania, Italy, Portugal, Cambodia and New Mexico. The pilgrimages are led by Rev. Wayne Walder, a full time minister in Toronto Ontario with his partner Joan Walder. They call them Mindful Journeys and each day they meditate and reflect in the presence of beauty.
The UU congregation of Toronto invites you to travel with them in April 2020 to Peru and the wonders of Machu Picchu. Over the years Rev. Walder has developed friendships with several of the Shamans in the area. This gives us a unique and often private access to some of the most beautiful places on the planet. These journeys are fully insured and guaranteed by Worldwide Quest, a Toronto licensed travel agent For information and a full itinerary contact Joan Walder at:
walderj358@gmail.com.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
