Annual Ministry Theme: Unity
October Ministry Theme: Conversation
"…if we want to change the conversation, we have to change who's in the conversation."
-Margaret Wheatley
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Sunday Worship
"Exchange as a Pathway to Change"
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Reverend Rebecca will be preaching on the art and science of conversation. Her reflection will incorporate a combination of Buddhist approaches and techniques from the Harvard Negotiation Project, along with practical experiences in the challenging yet essential skill of conversation. Join us as we explore the question: Can conversation offer hope of change?
The service will be in-person and livestreamed on YouTube.
To watch the livestream online click here.
Please note: Registration is no longer required to attend worship services in person.
In-person attendance is limited to 200 people, with assigned, distanced seating.
Masks are required in worship, and inside church buildings at all times.
Sunday Afternoon Sermon Talkbacks
Over the next few months Reverend Rebecca will host online gatherings for people who would like to connect and discuss the Sunday worship sermons. During this hour, Reverend Rebecca will re-read the sermon and invite people to join in a discussion. No need to sign up and everyone is welcome!
When: Sundays, October 10 and 17 from 4:30-5:30pm
Subsequent dates TBD
This Sunday, October 10th, the sermon discussion will be on "You're Invited."
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 950 1827 2974
Passcode: 000263
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,95018272974# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,95018272974# US (Chicago)
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30-Minute Fellowship Following Sunday Worship Service
Join us on the brick area in front of the church following the service (weather permitting) for a beverage and in-person fellowship.
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Photography at Church
Please know that from time to time FRS will take photos and video to capture in-person events to share on our website and in social media or in an FRS publication.
If you have concerns or do not wish to be in a photograph, please contact Cynthia Walsh at cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.
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UPDATE: Lower Meetinghouse Public Area Weekday Availability
The Lower Meetinghouse Public Area is now available for weekday meetings beginning at noon. On the Thursdays when there is a Worship Planning meeting, the space will be available beginning at 1pm. To check space availability, view the church calendar HERE.
Based on 6-foot distancing, the Lower Meetinghouse can accommodate meetings in the following configurations:
- 8 people at tables arranged in a rectangle (one person per table)
- 14 people seated in a large circle
- 16 people in 4 rows of 4 people
When filling out the reservation form, please let us know which setup configuration you will need. Information about capacity limits in other church spaces can be found on the reservation form.
Reserve a space for your meeting HERE.
Masks must be worn at all times inside church buildings.
If you have questions, contact Diane Carroll, Office Administrator, at diane.carroll@frsuu.org or 978-465-0602 ext. 401.
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Saturday, October 30, 4-6pm, outside FRS
Let's gather and celebrate all that we love about fall! This family-friendly event will be full of fun and fellowship. Stop by and enjoy some hot mulled cider and yummy cider donuts.
What do you enjoy most about fall? Let us know!
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Upcoming Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration Programming |
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The Spectrum of Awareness
In this eight-week virtual program participants will meet once a week for one hour to explore and reinforce a daily practice of both formal mindfulness meditation and mindfulness in the activities of our daily life.
Our manual for this program will be a book written by Diane Winston who is the Director of Mindfulness Education at the UCLA Center for Mindfulness Research – The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness. (Having the book is highly recommended, but not required.)
While each of us is our own teacher, a community of learners supports us as we continue to deepen our understanding and practice of mindfulness meditation. Both new and experienced meditators are welcome.
If you have questions about this program, please contact David Turner, a longtime student and practitioner of mindfulness meditation, who will be the group facilitator: davidyturner@comcast.net or 617-669-1950.
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Your Journey of Faith—In-person and Zoom options!
Wednesdays in person 7-8:30pm, October 13-November 17
OR Fridays on Zoom, 9:30-11am, October 15-November 19
Want to explore your spiritual journey? Take a look at how your spiritual beliefs and practices have evolved over your life? What events, people, places have informed your faith and your growth? Want to discover patterns, articulate what gives your life meaning, share your story with others? If so, we hope you can join us for this virtual five-session workshop series—whether you hope to eventually share your Journey of Faith with the congregation or not. This will prepare you to do so, but producing such a piece is an option, not a requirement.
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Spirit Groups: Coming in October
Spirit Groups is a congregation-wide program we're starting this fall. A Spirit Group is a group of four or five people that comes together virtually for one hour each week to delve into an array of issues relating to the spirit. The purpose of the Spirit Group is to deepen connections among FRS parishioners as you explore your own beliefs and values.
Spirit Groups will be randomly assigned. Once the group is formed, members will determine a day and time to meet regularly. (Groups may determine on their own if they'd prefer to meet safely in-person.)
Each week, all Spirit Group participants will receive a prompt, something on a spiritual or philosophical theme. This might be a provocative quotation, or a link to a brief article or video. Themes/questions might include:
- Do science and spirituality complement or contradict one another?
- Are humans innately good?
- What role has fate played in your life?
- Is one born with an innate purpose in life, or does one create it?
- Where does evil come from?
- Is your perception of reality the same as mine?
- Is suffering a necessary part of the human condition?
- Is there life after death?
- What is the purpose of prayer?
One person in each Group will serve as facilitator—to ensure that all members are heard, and to keep things running smoothly. Each weekly conversation will last for an hour and will include a chalice lighting and brief reading, personal check-in, reflections on the theme, discussion, and closing.
These are, of course, big questions, and not meant to be "covered" in the span of an hour. The time spent with your Spirit Group is intended to expose you to different ideas and to give you food for thought and further reflection.
Spirit Groups will run for 10 weeks, after which time the group may choose to continue. If the whole group does not wish to continue together, individual members might choose to join a new Group. The first session will be spent on extended introductions, icebreaker questions, and reviewing/amending a group covenant.
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Request Your FRS Name Tag Here!
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A family-friendly gathering, open to all neighboring communities!
Our goal is to respectfully honor the history of the Indigenous Peoples of this Dawnland region, including the Algonquin, Wabanaki, and Pawtucket-Pennacook people and to lift our voices and spirits in support of cultural reparation and a permanent shift to sole recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day at the city, state, and national level.
This event will include an opening circle led by Indigenous people, a land acknowledgment, local history, music, stories and reflection - we hope you can join us!
Speakers/Presenters include:
Red Dawn, John Price, Melanie Currier & small turtle
Mara Flynn, Director of Children's Ministry
Mayor Donna Holaday
Reverend Rebecca Bryan
Erin, Sophie, Maggie, and Charlie Himmel
Edward Speck, Theater in the Open
Betsy Hazen
River Valley Charter School
With musical performances by:
Kristine Malpica from Imagine Studios, Lynne Taylor and Meg Rayne
Kristin Miller and Pheonix Merrill
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Lecture and Book Signing with Jon Kolkin
Inner Harmony: Living in Balance
Monday, October 18 at 7pm
Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport
Sponsored by FRS and the Firehouse Center for the Arts
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EXPLORING ELDERHOOD TOGETHER
ACCESSIBLE HAPPINESS
Thursday, October 21 from 1-2pm
Whether you’ve participated before or are new to Exploring Elderhood Together, please join us as we reconnect and recharge for the year ahead.
We all need recharging as we live through the heart-breaking pandemic and witness tumult in the world. But behavioral scientists tell us that living through disruptive times can help us create new opportunities and see new possibilities. We’ve also learned that a perhaps essential antidote to disruptive times is lightheartedness, happiness, and even joy.
With that in mind, we’ll explore the topic of Accessible Happiness. Not hokey happy, but a way to discover some genuine joys of your own which you may be overlooking. Doing so can un-fray your nerves and lift your mood.
We'll meet on Zoom, the technology that served us so well last year, and through which we learned that despite looking at each other through the ether, our hearts and minds can still connect.
Come, bring your open, playful heart, join others, and have some fun.
No registration is required. This is a live presentation via Zoom and will include small-group breakout sessions.
Join by Zoom:
Meeting ID: 966 8876 5086
Passcode: 517079
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 966 8876 5086
Exploring Elderhood Together brings people over 60 together to reflect on topics related to what it means to grow older in the 2020s, and through sharing from our own lived experiences, to build a greater sense of belonging within our community.
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Please check out the "Latest News" section on our website to view the full calendar of events taking place within our congregation.
Click on the yellow button below:
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Thank a UU
Take a moment to thank a fellow parishioner. Once a month, The Steeple will publish a list of thank you's highlighting brief messages expressing thanks to someone who made a difference in your day! Send your "Thank a UU" submission to cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.
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Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Affiliate Minister–Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Helen Murgida; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Director of Church Operations–vacant; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh; Sexton–Donny Rogers. 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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