TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Sunday Worship Service
- FRS Annual Meeting: RSVP Today!
- FRS Spring Auction & Gala
- Pandemic-Era Support with the Pastoral Care Associates
- Vestibule Project
- Join FRS's Reproductive Rights Working Group
- A May Message from CAP: "No-Mow-May"
- Ways to Connect and Engage
- FRS & North Shore Pride
- Forest Walk and Meditation
- UU Wellspring is Coming to the FRS
- Upcoming Events
- Exploring Elderhood Together
- FRS Community Art Project and Reception
- Beyond Our Doors:
- Congregation Ahavas Achim Celebrates 125 Years of Jewish Community in Newburyport
- FRS's Weekly Wellness Programming
- FRS in the Community: Donate a Book to Our Little Free Diverse Library
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Annual Ministry Theme: Unity
May Ministry Theme: World Religions
"Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something unique to teach us."
-Karen Armstrong
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Sunday Worship Service
at Atkinson Common
May 22, 2022
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Sunday, May 22, 2022
Young Church Sunday
**Outdoors at Atkinson Common**
396 High Street, Newburyport
10:30am, at Atkinson Common, livestream on YouTube
Join us this weekend for Young Church Sunday, the annual service when Young Church children and families lead most of the elements of our service. A Blessing Ceremony for our graduating seniors will be led by Julie Parker Amery and Reverend Rebecca.
This year we are exploring themes of shining our light, with several reflections and an original poem written by our Young Church children. We hope you can join us!
**Please note that the church building will be closed this Sunday. Sunday worship will resume at church on May 29th.**
"Nothing can dim the light that shines within."
- Maya Angelou
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FRS Annual Meeting Sunday, June 12th: RSVP Today! |
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The Annual Meeting of the First Religious Society will be in the afternoon on Sunday, June 12. Members will be voting on bylaw amendments to create a new Stewardship Committee, better align governing documents with current operations, alter the use of pronouns, as well as elect officers, approve a budget, and decide on items relating to our facility maintenance. The 2021-2022 Annual Report and official Annual Meeting Warrant will be shared by the end of May. We still need a member to step up and serve as Chair of the Finance Committee. Please consider giving your time and talents.
We are asking members to please register in advance for this year’s Annual Meeting. It is critical that we have an in-person quorum physically present for the first vote to allow electronic meeting participation. Contingent on that bylaw change, we can then include the virtual participants. Please attend in person if you are able.
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Join Us for Fellowship and Fundraising
at the 2022 FRS Spring Gala and Auction!
Friday, June 10, 6-9pm
Newburyport Senior Center/Community Center
331 High Street, Newburyport
Tickets will be on sale starting Sunday
$35/person in advance, $45/person at the door
Please join us for an evening of joyous reconnection, great food, music, and the opportunity to support our beloved church. This is our biggest fellowship event, and a great opportunity to shake off the COVID cobwebs while enjoying each other’s company. This year’s theme is Tipping our Hats to Love. We invite you to wear your favorite, finest, or most festive hat to the Gala/Auction.
Some auction items to ponder:
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4 Red Sox vs. NY Yankees Tickets, July 9, first base side looking right down the third base line. Donated by Jim Supple.
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Evening of Cuban Tapas & Beverages (Mojitos & Sangria), date to be determined by winners. Donated by Walter & Ann Power.
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4 Hours Interior or Exterior Painting. Donated by Don Rogers.
Are you interested in volunteering the night of the auction? Volunteer roles include decorating, live auction "runner," food setup and breakdown, silent auction setup and close, and general help. Please sign up here! https://bit.ly/VolunteerSignup-Auction
We are still accepting donations of experiences and services for both the Silent and Live Auctions. Enter your donation here:
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Pandemic-Era Support with the Pastoral Care Associates
Ongoing Support Group Meetings
When: Second Thursday of the Month, noon-1pm in the Lower Meetinghouse
The COVID pandemic and concurrent world events have left many of us with continuing feelings of fear, anxiety, and loss—to name just a few of the many emotions that swirl through us on a daily basis. The Pastoral Care Associates invite you to gather with others to talk about the challenges we live with at this time. What has helped you through the pandemic? How are you doing now? Being in community with others to share experiences can forge healing connections.
The sessions are offered on a drop-in basis. Please join when you feel that a supportive community is what you need. Come to one or many. There is no strict agenda; simply listening and sharing.
The first session will meet on June 9, from noon-1pm, in the Lower Meetinghouse.
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The Vestibule Project
The vestibule to our sanctuary is in need of some TLC and this summer we are hoping to make some helpful modifications, which would include a fresh coat of paint and better lighting. As an entry point to our beloved church, the vestibule is a busy space, especially before and after worship or during other events that take place at FRS. For curious passers-by the vestibule provides the first glance into our church and often a first exposure to Unitarian Universalism.
As we begin to think about the vestibule and how we might better organize and use this space, we want to hear from you! If you are interested in learning more about this project and have some ideas for how we might be able to create a welcoming space that reflects Unitarianism, please email Cynthia Walsh at cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org or call 978-465-0602.
We will temporarily relocate some of the historical paintings that are currently hanging on the vestibule walls to the upstairs Hayward Room, the former choir room located behind the organ.
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Join FRS's Reproductive Rights Working Group
Since well before Roe v. Wade, Unitarian Universalists have declared unequivocally that we support every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies and reproductive health, including the choice to seek abortion care. To read the full statement click here!
If you are interested in getting involved in this issue, we invite you to join a newly formed working group to discuss next steps. Please sign up here!
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A May Message from Climate Action Project (CAP) |
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NO-MOW-MAY: In case you may have been wondering if your neighbors’ lawn mowers are broken or if the neighbors are just ignoring their lawns, here’s to tell you that they are probably observing “NO-MOW-MAY,” a national movement to let our lawns to grow natural throughout the month of May. This allows pollinators, other insects, wild flowers, and other creatures to get a solid spring head start in life, and it does our little part in ameliorating climate change. Not mowing in May doubles our helpful contribution to slowing climate change: it saves gas/carbon footprint by not using our mowers three-four times, and it fosters the health and growth of natural organisms that are key parts of a healthy ecosystem. Let’s see how many of us we can get to NOT MOW in MAY!
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Ways to Connect and Engage |
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FRSUU & North Shore Pride
Planning for North Shore Pride celebrations are underway, and FRS has been invited to participate in planning the interfaith service for Thursday, June 23rd at 7pm which will be held this year at Tabernacle Church in Salem. If you would like to assist in planning the interfaith service as a representative of FRS please contact Christine Doherty at christine.doherty@comcast.net. Meetings will be a combination of Zoom, email correspondence, and a minimal number in person. These volunteers would also be expected to attend the service. Christine will connect you to the committee’s contact person.
Additionally, mark your calendars for the primary North Shore Pride daytime celebration — a parade and activities in Salem, MA on Saturday, June 25th. The Welcoming Committee, in collaboration with the FRS Intergenerational GSA, will be coordinating a group of FRS members to attend Pride events that day. We hope to travel together or meet up there, have fun, and represent FRSUU and Unitarian Universalist principles in action. More information will be available soon, but if you’d like to express your interest, please contact Christine at christine.doherty@comcast.net.
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Forest Walk and Meditation
When: Friday, May 27, from 9-10:30am
Maudslay State Park, Newburyport
Much research in recent years has brought to light the benefits of being in nature mindfully, using all the senses, giving rise to practices such as Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) in Japan and Scandinavia. Join us for four such walks, experiencing the emergence of spring. The walk will be silent and will include a number of mindfulness practices, and will be followed by tea and conversation.
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UU Wellspring is Coming to the FRS
UU Wellspring is a 10-month spiritual deepening course for Unitarian Universalists, used in congregations across the continent since its development in 2005. The program runs from September until June, meeting twice a month. Participants experience deep listening and spiritual reflection in small groups of about ten, inspiring personal and community transformation. Participants read, view, and respond to pre-session assignments that are focused on spiritual topics and UU Theology.
In addition to the meetings, participants engage in a spiritual practice of their choosing, and find a spiritual companion to meet with outside of the sessions.
Some of the themes explored in this first offering of Wellspring include: Everyday Theology, Your Own Prophetic Voice: Vulnerability and Courage, Nature as Spiritual Guide, Good Without God, and UU Perspectives on Death and the Afterlife. To learn more about the Wellspring program, you can check out the website here: https://uuwellspring.org/.
This program will be offered in person and will begin in the fall. If you’re interested, please fill out a form here: https://bit.ly/WellSpringInterest. By doing so, you are in no way committing to the program, or even registering for it. It will simply guarantee that you receive communications as our plans develop. It will also help us with our plans if we have an idea of how many people are interested. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me: julie.amery@frsuu.org.
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Exploring Elderhood Together
When: Thursday, May 19 from 1-3 pm on Zoom only
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Presenters: All of Us
Please join us to celebrate our Exploring Elderhood Together community and help generate ideas for its future.
We have a lot to talk about. We’re now a few years into this Elderhood exploration and as we look ahead, we invite you to join not only in celebrating EET, but in brainstorming together about EET’s future. Whether you’ve been active in EET or not, we want to hear from you and welcome your open hearts and minds, and your ideas.
Some questions to ponder --
What’s best about Exploring Elderhood?
What could we do better?
What about growing older interests you?
What suggestions do you have for programming topics and structure?
This is sure to be an interesting, even thought-provoking, meeting.
Please note this will be our LAST MEETING UNTIL FALL.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Exploring Elderhood Together provides FRSers, age 60 and older, with an opportunity to explore what it means to age in the 2020s. Our mission is to reflect on and discuss topics of interest and, through sharing from our own lived experience, to build a greater sense of belonging within our community.
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FRS Community Art Project and Reception
Reception: June 5, 11:30am, Lower Meetinghouse
“Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?” That’s the theme of the spring FRS Community Art Project, now exhibited in the Tiny Gallery in the lower meeting house. Be sure to stop by and take in the artwork of many media—photos, collage, poetry, painting, fiber arts, and more! It’s an amazing collection! Many thanks to Bettina Turner and Rochelle Perry-Platine for the care they took with the installation.
An informal “Meet the Artists” reception is planned for June 5, after church, in the Lower Meetinghouse. We hope you can stop by!
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FRS's Weekly Wellness Programming |
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Congregation Ahavas Achim Celebrates 125 Years of Jewish Community in Newburyport
When: Sunday, May 25 from 4-6pm at Congregation Ahavas Achim, Newburyport
Click here to download the flyer!
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Give the Gift of a Book to FRS's Little Free Diverse Library (LFDL)
Help us amplify and empower diverse voices and stories in our community by donating a book to our Little Free Diverse Library on Pleasant Street.
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THANK A UU!
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–Rev. Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Rev. 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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