Annual Ministry Theme: Unity
March Ministry Theme: Giving
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead
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Table of Contents
- Sunday Worship
- Information on Sunday's 30-Minute Social Following Worship
- Annual Giving Campaign 2022-23
- What FRS Means to Sue Creed
- Annual Campaign Update
- Connect and Engage
- Welcoming Congregation Workshops
- UUA Trans and Non-Binary Ally Webinar
- Help Us Plan the FRS Auction!
- Jazz Vespers Service
- Foundations of UUism Series
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Seeing White Spring Session
- Upcoming Events
- An Evening of Folk Music
- An Evening of Theater and Poetry to Benefit Ukraine
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Dawnland Film Screening and Discussion
- "From Housing to Home": Afghan Resettlement online discussion
- Weekly Wellness Programming
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Sunday Worship
March 27, 2022
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"To the Point"
10:30am in-person and streamed on YouTube
Join us for our final Giving Sunday as Reverend Rebecca shares her story, which is a Journey of Faith. She unfolds for us a story that includes being raised in the Methodist church, being ordained in the Unitarian Universalist ministry, and coming to the FRS in 2018. She will offer an insider’s view of her path, some of its vicissitudes and gifts, and the role of faith in it.
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Attend service in person or join on YouTube:
To attend services, you must be vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated are welcome to attend the service online. Children may attend the service as well and will, after the service gets be invited to go down to the Lower Meetinghouse for Young Church.
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30-Minute Fellowship Following Sunday Worship Service
Join us in person (weather permitting) and on Zoom
Meeting ID: 936 5374 9041
Passcode: 729630
One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,93653749041# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,93653749041# US (Chicago)
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Annual Giving Campaign 2022-23 |
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What FRS Means to Sue Creed
My name is Sue Ellen Tattersall Creed, and I have attended here for over 64 years. I have stories to tell that I don't have the time to tell this morning, but would be glad to share later, upon request, over a beverage.
In the past, I could name everyone who was here on a Sunday morning, but to my delight, the congregation has grown so much that that is now impossible. Happily, it means that the legacy of this place, as a standard for right action and as a moral compass in the community, is going strong.
Three quarters or more of you don't really know who I am, or that my mother was secretary here for 25 years, or that my father's name is on a plaque in the foyer, or that my daughter was part of the first teen choir. But that is not important. What is important is that we were a small family of proud "liberal snowflakes" in an avalanche of the ongoing fellowship that has been the driving force here for nearly 300 years.
My parents, Roy and Sylvia Tattersall, joined the FRS in 1957. They had heard Bert Steeves at a community ecumenical service and were sold. Finally, they had found someone who made theological sense and had a moral compass.
From then on, the primary source of social activity for my whole family was here, and our participation has been extensive in committees, groups, and in annual and special events.
My family and I remained steadfast when people left this church over such things as the removal of the the American and Massachusetts state flags from the pulpit, the adoption of the the gray hymnals, two stints of interim ministers, and when the "Our Father" was dropped from the liturgy.
Over 64 years, the changes in worship, the polity of the church, the buildings, and ministry have happened after some sometimes pretty vehement dissent. Hard to believe, now that the changes have come to pass, that anyone previously objected to any of it. There was a time when the maintenance of these buildings was overwhelming. There was a time when one parishioner made up the dollar difference when the canvas fell short of the operating budget, but only under the condition that certain topics NOT be preached from the pulpit. But now because of the stewardship of this generous congregation, friends of the FRS, and the community at large, we have the means to be responsible caretakers of this historic, landmark meeting house, as well as provide ministry and outreach.
I look out and I am happy that you have all come to the place I consider my spiritual and religious home. I hope you all come to know what I know: that there is a steady moral compass to be embraced here while having a really good time amidst, sometimes, heated debate with really smart and generous people. And though your personal legacy, like mine, will likely go individually unrecognized, it will be felt for years because you, my fellow snowflakes, are part of the avalanche of service and giving that is our common legacy.
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Annual Pledge Campaign 2022-23 Update
As our FRS Annual Giving Campaign 2022-23 continues, please consider pledging if you have not done so already. The pledge you make today propels us forward into our next fiscal year and helps us to work together to achieve the common goals that we have outlined in our Values, Mission and Ends (VME). Every pledge matters!
Read the Campaign brochure:
Learn more about pledging:
Review our VME:
One of the benefits of working collectively towards our campaign goal is meeting new people, building connections, and having fun together!
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Opportunities to Connect and Engage |
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Welcoming Congregation Workshops
Preemptive Radical Inclusion – March 24, 6-8pm
Inclusion is frequently misunderstood as an outcome, a destination, a goal. CB frames Inclusion as a process that calls upon us to preemptively and radically create the conditions for inclusion. The successful outcome of this process is increased equity and then justice. This interactive workshop will offer opportunities to listen, share, and reflect.
Constellations of Gender – April 24, 12:30-2:30pm
This interactive workshop will explore varieties of how people experience gender. We will use the framework of Preemptive Radical Inclusion as a way for individuals and congregations to be present, bear witness, and identify actions that will embody love.
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UUA Supports Trans Children and Offers Ally Training Webinar
When: Thursday, March 31, 8pm
The UUA has recently denounced policy and legislative efforts underway in Texas which seek to deny gender-affirming medical care to trans and non-binary youth. As these challenges mount, this week we recognize National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week (March 21-25), which encourages us to recognize the unique medical and mental health issues facing LGBTQ+ people.
The UUA invites progressive congregational leaders to speak up against hateful anti-trans legislation around the country and is offering a Spokesperson Training on March 31st to learn how to speak in support of trans and non-binary people.
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Help Us Plan the FRS Auction!
It will be our first major social gathering in over two years.
Help us make this the event of the year! For the event, we need help collecting donations (dinner parties, vacation homes, tickets to events, services of all sorts), help with publicity, and help with general set-up for the event.
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Jazz Vespers Service - Cuppa Joe
When: Wednesday, April 6, 8pm, Sanctuary
Join us at the next Jazz Verspers service which will feature Cuppa Joe, a jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll quartet from Newburyport, MA. The group performs a selection of classic jazz from the Great American Songbook, Beale Street Blues, and rhythm and blues rock 'n' roll of the 1950s and 1960s. While respecting tradition, the band creates an entertaining finger-snapping backdrop of swing and groove for audiences of all ages. Cuppa Joe celebrates the great American art form of jazz at every performance. "This music moves ya, dig!"
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Foundations of UUism
When: Mondays, April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 7-7:45pm
Whether you're a newcomer considering membership, or someone who's been around awhile, this series will help guide you toward a greater understanding of Unitarian Universalism, or fill in some gaps in your knowledge. Come to as many as you'd like. Each session will be at least partially interactive to keep things moving.
Session One—The Roots of Our Faith (April 4): Basics of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist history.
Session Two—Faith Without a Creed (April 11): How can a faith without a unifying creed be considered a religion? Is it true that UUs can believe anything they want? What are some basic beliefs about God, evil, an afterlife? Aren't the Seven UU Principles a creed?
Session Three—The Sources of Our Faith (April 18): An exploration of the Six Sources to which UUs look for wisdom.
Session Four—Q&A (April 25): What lingering questions do you have? Just ask!
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Seeing White Spring Session
When: Mondays and Thursdays, Monday, April 11 through Thursday, May 26, 5-6pm on Zoom
When and why did the concept of race begin? What does it mean to be white in the United States? Where do we, as "good white people" fit into the national reckoning on race? Join us for a discussion of the podcast series Seeing White, which examines race by turning the lens onto white people. We'll discuss one episode at each meeting, beginning with how and why race was created, and ending with actions to take to dismantle white supremacy. Join the over seventy other FRS members and friends who have been moved by the experience of Seeing White!
"My eyes were opened, by many episodes of Seeing White, to the history I never learned about in school. It's a compelling and engaging series. The meetings provided a safe space to share our own experiences, feeling and thoughts, and gave participants an opportunity to really get to know each other. I would really recommend taking part!" –Ann Haaser (Seeing White participant, spring 2020)
For more information, watch this video: https://bit.ly/SeeingWhite2020Video
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An Evening of Folk Music with "The Last Optimist and Susan Levine"
When: Friday, March 25 at 7:30pm in the Sanctuary and streamed on YouTube
Just a couple of days ago, the White House outlined the direness of our mental health crisis, reporting that two out of five adults now report symptoms of anxiety or depression coupled with disproportionate undertreatment among our black and brown communities. The trauma and isolation of these past two years is taking its toll.
This show does not shy away from mental health, and instead takes it head-on with an exploration of sadness, anxiousness, trauma, shame, and panic. It is music about struggle and courage, community and connection, resilience and light. The goal is to expand our circle of empathetic allies for those struggling with mental health, for we all keep one another afloat.
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An Evening of Theater & Poetry to Benefit UKRAINE
When: Sunday, March 27, 7pm, Firehouse Center for the Arts
Congregant Edward Speck and Mara Flynn, our Director of Children's Ministry will be performing in a staged reading with other local artists as part of a benefit for Ukraine this Sunday at 7pm at the Firehouse Center for the Arts! All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Razom for Ukraine, a charitable organization delivering humanitarian aid. Readings will include the work of Ukraine's most acclaimed playwright-director Natal’ya Vorozhbit and poems by Ukrainian American poet Ilya Kaminsky.
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Dawnland Film Screening and Discussion
When: Wednesday, March 30 from 7:30-9pm via Zoom webinar with in-person viewing in the Lower Meetinghouse
For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to save them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official “truth and reconciliation commission” in the United States begins a historic investigation. Dawnland goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations. Dawnland is the winner of the 2019 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Research."
Following the screening, reflections from Rev. Rebecca will lead us into a live Q&A with panelists:
Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy): senior advisor for Dawnland, Director of Education at the Akomawt Educational Initiative and author of the recent book If You Lived During the First Thanksgiving
Dawn Neptune Adams (Penobscot): featured participant in Dawnland, participant in the Maine Truth and Reconciliation Commission, filmmaker, co-director of the short documentary Bounty, journalist, and environmental activist
Mishy Lesser, Ed.D.: Emmy® Award-winning researcher, Learning Director for the Upstander Project, co-director of Upstander Academy, and Education Fellow at the Dodd Human Rights Impact at the University of Connecticut.
This screening will held on Zoom webinar and we will have limited spaces for in-person viewing in the Lower Meetinghouse.
To view on your own device, please register for the webinar via this link:
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Weekly Wellness Programming |
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Click on the boxes below to learn more about these wellness programs! |
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Thank Our UUs
Once a month we will publish a list of thanks to all who help to make our day a little brighter and our community stronger!
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Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Ministerial Intern–David Livingstone; Affiliate Minister–Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Helen Murgida; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church Operations–Rob Authier; Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Audio-Visual Engineer–Rob Close; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Sexton–Donny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Holly Cashman; Vice Chair–Tina Benik; Finance Chair–Tim Fountain; Governance Chair–Juliana Beauvais; Endowment Treasurer–Kim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Micah Donahue; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Vern Ellis, Minnie Flanagan, Michelle Kimball, Lucy Litwin, Annie Maurer, Jim Supple, Renée Wolf Foster.
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First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950
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