THIS SUNDAY'S SERVICE

“Stillness In Tempo”

The Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson, Minister of Religious Education

Alissa Rhode, Lead Music Director

Amy Wilbourne, Worship Associate

Stillness has a relationship with movement, just as the notes of a piece of jazz are punctuated by silence. As opposed to silence, stillness can be a frame for music, creativity, and teeming life. Stillness can serve as the ground for creativity, the rest that creates the next thing. Join us for this worship service that explores stillness as creative ground.

JOIN THE SERVICE LIVE ON FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY YOUTUBE HERE.

ZOOM COFFEE HOUR AT 11:00. Once you enter the Zoom meeting, Lynne will coordinate smaller groups of five or six for conversation. Members, guests, visitors are all welcome! Bring your own coffee. Link to Join HERE.

SANCTUARY REFLECTIONS AT 11:00. Feel moved by the Sunday worship service? Want to spend time reflecting with others? Come to Sanctuary Reflections every Sunday. We reflect on three questions and share our experiences with each other. Joyful, enriching, connecting. Just drop in. Join on Zoom HERE.

SUNDAY MORNING FORUM AT 11:00 A.M.  

“Wisconsin Humane Society & Social Justice,” presented by Anne Reed, President & CEO.

The Wisconsin Humane Society has social justice built into its history. A current program, “Pets for Life,” helps residents in two ZIP codes of Milwaukee adopt pets, or care for existing pets, through support from volunteers and free Humane Society veterinary service. On Zoom & YouTube Live HERE. 

PICK UP YOUR CHRISTMAS EVE KIT. We want you to have everything you need to celebrate First Church-style during our online 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Come pick up your Christmas Kit from the church porch, and receive a blessing from one of our ministers, at these times:

Your Christmas Kit will include as many Christmas Eve candles as there are members of your household, a photo of the beautiful church sanctuary, and other First Church Christmas Eve essentials. If coming to church is not physically accessible to you, contact Shari Wright at shari.wright@uumilwaukee.org by 11:00 p.m. on December 13 requesting a Pastoral Care Provider deliver a Christmas Kit to you. More details on the website.

FOUR WAYS TO PAY YOUR PLEDGE, EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC. Staff continues to pick up mail and process your pledge payments per normal. As 2020 draws to a close, support First Church by making your pledge payments with these secure and easy methods:

JOIN THE HOLIDAY PAGEANT MENAGERIE! Any children or youth who would like to be in the holiday pageant still have the opportunity to be animals in the manger scene. Put on a costume and make a one-minute video where you act like an animal. Then, upload the video to the holiday pageant folder, or email it to Rev. Kimberlee at kimberlee.carlson@uumilwaukee.org. All animals welcome, from aardvarks to zebras! Videos due by Sunday, December 13. Contact Lillian Schley for more information at re.admin@uumilwaukee.org.

DECEMBER 19 GUEST HOUSE MEAL FOOD DONATIONS NEEDED. First Church is providing the Guest House Meal on December 19 for 70 people. Menu is meatloaf (beef only), cheesy pots, steamed veggies, and cupcakes. The Guest House needs 2 people for meatloaf & 3 for veggies, 10 servings each. Food will be collected at 2 locations for transport to the Guest House. Deliver to either Molly Zillig at 730 East Burleigh, Milwaukee or Betty Schroeder at 4860 N Cumberland Blvd, Whitefish Bay. Please bring your food to one of these locations, ready to serve, by 4:45 on Dec 19. All food must be delivered in disposable containers. If you are able to help out with a food donation email bettycarboneschroeder@gmail.com.

POETRY OPEN MIC. Friday, December 18, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Bring your own poem or bring a favorite or just come listen! For Zoom link, click here.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN IS OUR DECEMBER SHARE THE PLATE RECIPIENT. Planned Parenthood has many clinics in the Milwaukee area, as well as national offices and international partners. Planned Parenthood reflects the diverse needs of our communities. It currently provides affordable quality and confidential health care to 60,000 people each year in their 22 health centers across Wisconsin. As stated on their website: “Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide. For nearly 100 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.” To make a donation directly to Planned Parenthood, please visit their website at: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-wisconsin.

GIVE THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY: ART SUPPLY DONATION DRIVE. This year, our RE program is committed to giving back to the community, especially children whose needs have become invisible during the pandemic. Milwaukee Center for Children and Youth has asked us to create art kits to distribute to the children they work with for school and self-expression. We are collecting donations by using an Amazon wish list of curated new art items. To donate to MCCY art kits, visit our Amazon Wishlist:https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/32WKWAWWV28B7?ref_=wl_share. Choose an item to purchase and ship to our collection point.

MCCY's programming addresses gaps in services for under-served and impoverished populations in Milwaukee. The organization offers advocacy services, as well as educational, life-skills, and art-based groups, and much more. Learn about the organization at www.mccy.org.

FIND EVENTS ON OUR WEBSITE. Check out our website events pages uumilwaukee.org for several drop-in, online activities for friends and members. Click "Join Us" on the specific event page, enter your name and email address, and you will immediately receive an email with the Zoom link. It's easy and secure to click on the "Join Us" button anytime you need the link. Here are some of the events;

HOME GRIEF KITS AVAILABLE. We now have “Home Grief Kits” available to support congregation members who are grieving a death in this time of physical distancing during pandemic. It’s a simple bag of supplies and instructions to create a sacred space at home to remember your loved one. Special thanks to First Church members Elizabeth Martorell and Katy Phillips who assembled the kits, and to Rev. Leah Ongiri from Fox Valley UU Fellowship who shared her idea.

If you would like a home grief kit, please contact Rev. Dena at dena.mcphetres@uumilwaukee.org and she will arrange a time to deliver one to your home while following COVID-19 precautions.

COVID CANDLE ON SUNDAYS. Because of the ways our lives are touched by loss and grief during the global pandemic, we have a simple ritual during Sunday worship called the “COVID Candle” when it is needed. During this unique time, when people cannot gather with their family and community to mourn, we offer to light the COVID Candle for any death of a loved one of one of our members. If you have had a loved one die from COVID-19, or any other cause of death, and would like the COVID Candle lit in their honor during Sunday worship, please contact Rev. Dena.

Religious Education Information Newsletter

WATCH SUNDAY SERVICES ONLINE AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS! You can watch Sunday Services live on Facebook or view a recorded version at any time. We will livestream this Sunday service at 10:00 a.m.

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel and Like our Facebook page!

SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES & ANNOUNCEMENTS. Please use these helpful forms which will ensure receipt by the correct staff and a confirmation email to you. If you have questions about the forms, please contact Shari Wright at shari.wright@uumilwaukee.org. Also find links to these forms on the church website under the Members tab.

For weekly Announcements and the monthly Chanticleer, use our forms:

Announcements: https://uumilwaukee.org/announcement-submissions/

Chanticleer: https://uumilwaukee.org/chanticleer-submission/

For Facebook or website posts, please contact: jean.johnson@uumilwaukee.org.