A New Mythology + News from First Parish

We Commit Ourselves and Our Resources to

Nurture the Spirit, Grow in Community, and Help Heal the World.

ONLINE Worship Service:

Sunday

February 28, 2021

10:00 am

A New Mythology

Mary Gelfand

Order of Service

Join Worship Services Here

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89506075636

(This link will work for all upcoming online services.)

Meeting ID: 895 0607 5636

One tap mobile

+19294362866,,89506075636# US (New York)

Call in as early as 9:30 am

to say hello to other First Parish friends.

Or watch the livestream service on our Facebook page.

Upcoming Online Worship Services

March 7 | 10am

Stewardship

Rev. Christina Sillari

March 14 | 10am

Overly Committed

Rev. Christina Sillari

March 21 | 10am

What Is Ministry?

Rev. Christina Sillari

WORSHIP SERVICE RECORDINGS

CALENDAR

WEBSITE & DONATE

Welcome,

Mary Gelfand

Feb 28 Guest Speaker

Mary Gelfand is an Interfaith Minister ordained by the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (CHIME). She has served in both local and national leadership roles, including five years as national board president of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans. A practicing Pagan, her spiritual life is rooted in the seasons of the natural world. She teaches about feminist theology, the Great Goddess, mysticism, and the mysteries of Tarot. As a fiber artist, she enjoys weaving tapestry and knitting.

Pastoral Care

Breakout Room

Sunday Mornings after Worship

All are welcome to join a confidential pastoral care breakout room each Sunday after worship. Please send a chat message to the worship tech person during the service if you would like to join. A member of the Pastoral Care Team will be present with an open heart. Any questions or concerns please contact team leader Judy Micoleau: judymicoleau299@gmail.com.

First Parish

Book Group

March 4 | 6-7pm | online

Pop in to share about a book you are reading or have read and to hear about books others are reading!

This group meets on the first Thursday of every month.

Members free; $5 non-members

To register and receive the Zoom link, contact Betsy Garnett:

ekgarnett@yahoo.com

Sponsored jointly by the Library and Membership Teams

Prayers for the People

Sunday Worship | March 7th

Once a month, Reverend Christina will share "Prayers for the People" during Sunday service. If you would like her to share your prayer of joy or sorrow with the congregation please contact her at minister@firstparishportland.org or 207-773-5747. Reminder that she is on break and will not respond to emails until after March 1st.

A Time To Mourn

An Interfaith Memorial Service to Honor Losses of Covid-19

March 12 | 7—8:30pm | online

Join Mary Gelfand, Craig Werth and Lori Whittemore for an evening of music, prayer, sharing & healing.

Presented by the Abbey of Hope in collaboration with Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (CHIME), United Religions Initiative (URI), and Nottingham Community Church.

Pre-Registration is required here. More information can be found here.

Stewardship 2021 -

Be a Sustainer!

Your packet of materials for the 2021 Stewardship pledge drive will be mailed to you next week. We ask you to review the materials and consider how you will Be a Sustainer of First Parish over the coming year. Pledges of any size are welcome. Online pledging is encouraged, and, new this year, you can make a continuous pledge that will keep on supporting First Parish and its mission.

For more information, contact Stewardship chair Susan Cook at susan.conant.cook@gmail.com.

With thanks for your upcoming pledge support,

The Stewardship Team

Stewardship Highlight:

Barbara Brown

I was asked to write about why I support First Parish each year and what First Parish means to me. The first thing that brought me here and keeps me here is community. The second thing that's important to me about First Parish - it makes me think. Finally, our church offers me opportunities to serve.

Members of First Parish for over 300 years have ensured this church is here for me today for community, spiritual growth, and service. Knowing that I can never repay these ancestors, the best thing I can do is pay it forward to future generations so they also have the support and opportunities at First Parish when they need them.

Read Barbara’s full story here.

It's the Last Week to Join the Wabanaki REACH Workshop!

Wabanaki REACH will hold a three session Zoom workshop, Decolonization and the Role of Faith Communities, in collaboration with First Parish on Feb 28, March 14, and March 28 from 1-2:30 PM.

The workshop is limited to 30 people with a registration fee of $20 that covers all three sessions. Further information can be found here. We hope you can join us!

Wayside Pulpit

Laurie Hasty

Membership Coordinator

Welcome, Hannah!

The New First Parish Office Administrator

After a highly competitive interview process, First Parish is delighted to announce that Hannah Gilman will begin work as our new Congregational Administrator, starting the last week of February. Hannah brings strong organizational, management, communications, marketing, social media, team building and customer service skills. Please welcome Hannah to our First Parish community.

Hello everyone! I’m originally from China, Maine, but have lived in Portland for three years now.

I love to travel, read, go for walks in nature, and journal in my free time. I volunteer for a nonprofit called Humanity and Hope United, and we create sustainable change in remote villages in Honduras. I also co-lead their Book Club, and we are always welcoming new members! I have a passion for serving others, and I am so grateful to be transitioning to a job that is aligned with that passion.

My favorite role that I get to play is Auntie; I have four nieces and a nephew that I adore.

I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you!

Art Auction Update

Bill Adams, Art Auction Chair

We have not been able to gain the needed traction and support for the Art Auction. Therefore, we have been forced to cancel this project. We will examine alternate fund-raising ideas to see if we can come up with something more acceptable to the congregation.

Have You Completed the COVID Survey?

We hope you received an email invitation from Reverend Christina to complete our church-wide survey of your experiences over the last year during this "time of COVID." We urge you to take the five minutes required to fill it out--it will help Reverend Christina and all First Parish leadership to better meet the needs of the entire congregation in this difficult time. This is the last week to complete the survey. You can access the survey here.

We Are Looking For..

We are looking for a mini fridge for the second floor of the church. Do you have one that has been sitting in storage or is rarely used?

Send an email to Hannah at office@firstparishportland.org if you can help.

Many thanks in advance!

Church for EveryBody Project Update

Marge Stockford, CFE Project Manager

Let there be light!! We are so excited that the new windows and doors to the church's new entrance have been installed! You can see the oversized first floor window to the right, which will be visible from the Parish Hall, and to the left is our new view of Portland High. In addition, the Community Room kitchen floor has been installed (picture at left). Just the elevator completion and a few more odds and ends and the project will be finished. Stay tuned! And please check out an update on the overall project here. Photos by Moe Blanchard.

Peaceful Harbor Sangha

Sundays | 6:30-8:00 pm | online

Peaceful Harbor Sangha meets weekly for shared Buddhist practice. Meetings include sitting meditation, walking meditation, dharma reading and discussion. Come experience the calm in the storm! Meetings are now held on Zoom, and all are welcome; donations are gratefully accepted but not required. To receive the Zoom link contact Susannah Ristine at ristinesusannah@gmail.com.

Hope for Spring 2021

Rev. Christina Sillari

The Unitarian Universalist Association recommends that we do not return to in-person Sunday worship until May 2021. I feel this is very wise. The great state of Maine has one of the lowest rates of COVID cases in the country, but these cases are on the rise. We have also seen serious outbreaks from a few religious gatherings. As a faith community with social values, it is important that we not only consider ourselves during these times, but all of our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable among us. We will soon share with you how we determine the most responsible pathway forward during these unprecedented times.

Committee on Ministry

The Committee on Ministry (COM) assists the minister and the congregation in promoting the well-being of the congregation’s ministry. Should a member have an inquiry or feedback pertaining to The Reverend’s ministry at First Parish, please contact a member of the COM team: Andrew Bloom (ABLOOM@maine.rr.com), Jen Caswell (hfcjdc@gmail.com), Bruce Carver (brucedcarver@gmail.com), and/or Tom Rogers (trogers1@me.com).

COVID + Construction:

Getting in Touch with First Parish

With the combined challenges of COVID and the CFE construction project, business is anything but normal at First Parish! It may take a few days to return phone messages; email is the best way to reach all First Parish staff. Please keep in mind that Scott, Toben and Laurie work part-time, and will return messages when they are able. Thank you for your patience and understanding!