4 p.m. – All are welcome to this family-centered service in the Sanctuary, featuring a No-Rehearsal Nativity Pageant and candlelighting. This service will also be livestreamed.
6 p.m. & 8 p.m. – Traditional Christmas Eve services for all ages, ending in candlelight. Come celebrate the beauty of Christmas through stories, scripture and music both traditional and new. Join us in the Sanctuary at 6 or 8 p.m. The 6 p.m. service will also be livestreamed. Childcare will be available in the nursery during the 6 p.m. service.
Masking: On Christmas Eve, masks will be required for the congregation; worship leaders will be unmasked while speaking.
Please click here for additional important information about Christmas Eve at FUUSB!
Childcare on Christmas Eve
Margo Whitcomb, Faith Development Assistant
The Society will be providing childcare for infants and all ages in the nursery during the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. Feel free to drop off your kiddoes with Margo and son (Orlando) while you enjoy the service.
Christmas Eve Candlelighters
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
We are still in need of Candlelighters/Ushers for the 4 p.m. service on Christmas Eve.
Candlelighters/Ushers will hand out candles as people come into the Sanctuary, pass the baskets during the collection, and light the candles during Silent Night. Please find a full job description and sign up at: signup.com/go/vMPcrMi. Or contact Christina at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Calling All Angels, Wise People, Shepherds, & Animals!
Margo Whitcomb, Faith Development Assistant
Come be a part of the “No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant.” Anyone can don a costume and take part! You do not need to sign up for a role in advance, but you can (contact [email protected]). Come join us as we celebrate the sacredness and wonder of this special tale!
Upcoming Sunday Worship Services
Sunday, December 25 at 10 a.m.
Rev. Patricia Hart & FUUSB Staff
“Elijah’s Angel”
Again this year, the staff has pre-recorded a gift to you! Please join us for a dramatic reading of Elijah’s Angel: A Story for Chanukah and Christmas. The story features Elijah Pierce, a 20th-century African American woodcarver, and his young friend Michael. Elijah is a devout Christian and loves Christmas; Michael and his family are Jewish, and celebrate Chanukah. How can they celebrate different holidays, together?
There will be no in-person service in the Sanctuary on December 25. The video link will be shared on our website at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship, and on our YouTube channel.
Sunday, January 1 at 10:30 a.m. - Happy New Year!
While the staff are taking a holiday break, we are inviting you to visit All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC for their special Kwanzaa Service with Rev. Bill Sinkford. You can find the Zoom link on their website. There will be no FUUSB service on January 1.
Sunday, January 8 at 10 a.m. - “Finding Balance”
Rev. Patricia Hart with Judy Brook
Join us for worship on January 8 in person in the Sanctuary, or online. The livestream link and order of service will be shared at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship, or visit our YouTube channel.
Christmas Breakfast for COTS:
Update & Gratitude
Lisa Lax
THANK YOU to everyone who has donated food and/or new warm clothing items for the Christmas Breakfast at COTS. We’ve had an AMAZING response from our members and now have what we need in the way of pledges. Our dedicated delivery team will be at the Meeting House on Christmas morning and will deliver the breakfast and warm clothing items to folks at the COTS Day Station in Burlington.
If you haven’t signed up and would like to contribute something, new warm clothing items such as gloves, hats, and scarves would still be very much appreciated. We can’t have too many of these.
If you’ve signed up to contribute, please bring food or warm clothing items to the Meeting House on either Christmas Eve between 3-6 p.m. or on Christmas morning between 7-8:30 a.m.
If you need to review what you’ve signed up for: The online sign-up page for the COTS Christmas Breakfast is at signup.com/go/oBNVSDk.
Socially Responsible Santa Update
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
As of Friday, December 16, we've collected just over $2,000 for Socially Responsible Santa. In an effort to get some of the money into the hands of those who need it by Christmas, we handed out that money to 10 families on Monday. But it's not too late to contribute! We are still collecting for Socially Responsible Santa for the entire month of December. We will make a second distribution after the New Year. Click here to help families during the holidays. I'll send out a final report after the New Year. Thank you!
'Tis the Season for Giving
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
This is the time of year when many of you are considering your charitable contributions for the year. While many of you give regularly to FUUSB by fulfilling your annual pledge, there are also other ways to share your treasure through the Society.
Socially Responsible Santa - Gifts to this fund are distributed by amazing UU elves to members of our larger community in the form of cash gifts. This allows people the dignity of purchasing their own gifts for their families.
Discretionary Fund - Gifts to this fund help members of our congregation and greater Burlington community throughout the year with things such as utility bills, uncovered medical expenses, and other unexpected financial emergencies.
Share the Plate - Each month our Share the Plate collections are split between FUUSB and a local non-profit. In December our collections are going to our Socially Responsible Santa program.
Gift to FUUSB - One-time gifts can be made to FUUSB to help us fulfill our mission.
Angel Fund - We often have members who are unable to meet their pledge due to unforeseen circumstances. Since the pandemic, this is happening even more often. The Angel Fund helps to replace that lost pledge income.
Gifts can be made by sending a check to the Meeting House with the fund you'd like to give to written in the memo line, donation of stock (please let Christina know if you've donated stock to FUUSB), or a charitable distribution from your retirement account (please contact your tax advisor for more information about this option). You may also make a contribution to FUUSB by clicking on this link: Donate Now!
If you have any questions, please contact Christina Fulton at [email protected]. Thank you!
An "Act for Justice" Request from
the Immigration Justice Team
Bernie Carver
The members of the Immigration Justice Team respectfully ask that you take a moment to ask your members of Congress to support the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bipartisan measure that will grant permanent status to vetted allies who fled to the United States. By visiting UUSJ.org, you can quickly gather more information about this, and send an email to all three members of our congressional delegation.
Highlight Burlington at FUUSB:
Volunteers Needed
David McFeeters, Facilities Manager
The First UU Society is pleased to be a Highlight Burlington event site this New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31st! Events at the Meeting House will begin at 2:00 p.m. The schedule of events can be found at highlight.community.
We are again recruiting volunteers to help with this event. Each volunteer will receive a Highlight button that can be used to attend events across Burlington before or after their shift. This year there are three shifts available: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Each shift can accommodate three volunteers.
There is a volunteer sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Meeting House. Please contact David McFeeters at [email protected] or call (802) 862-5630 ext. 2300 with questions or to put your name on the list. Those who sign up can pick up their Highlight button starting at 12:00 noon on Saturday, December 31, at the Meeting House office.
FUUSB's Holiday Break
Please note that the Society offices will be closed from December 25 through January 2, while the staff takes a long winter's nap!
There will be no eNews on December 29.
Best wishes for this holiday season and the new year!
