fall back
It's Time To Fall Back.

Daylight Saving Time Ends November 7th.
 
Turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday night, November 6th.
November 3, 2021
Annual Ministry Theme: Unity

November Ministry Theme: Learning

I am still learning.
- Michelangelo
 
Sunday Worship:
AIM to Be Inclusive
"Diversity Series" by Dadu Shin
Sunday, November 7, 2021
AIM to Be Inclusive

“Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each person as they see themself, each person as the other person sees them, and each person as they really are.”
 
– William James (with gender-neutral modification)

We all go in and out of disability at some points in our lives. Our November theme is "Learning," and this service will investigate current perspectives on disability awareness, accessibility, and inclusion. Rev. Helen Murgida will share insights about ableist microaggressions toward people with disabilities and how this may happen at FRS and will describe the process of receiving AIM (Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry) Certification from the UUA.

The service will be in-person and on YouTube at 10:30am. 
To watch the livestream online click here

In-person attendance is limited to 200 people, with assigned, distanced seating.

Masks are required in worship, and inside church buildings at all times. 
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 to say hello. Good company and great conversation!
Sermon Discussion: Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry (AIM)
November 7, 2021, 4:30-5:30pm, on Zoom

Rev. Helen Murgida will facilitate the discussion of her "Aim to Be Inclusive" sermon. Questions for discussion:

  • What is your current state of disability? Or for someone you are caring for?
  • What is your definition of disability?
  • What is your perspective on accessibility at FRS?
  • How can we become a more inclusive congregation?
  • Discuss microaggressions from a personal perspective as the target, the micro-aggressor, the witness, or the confidante.
  • Can you participate in committee work to work toward AIM - Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry Certification from UUA? If so, in what capacity?

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 934 5919 5157
Passcode: 914945

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Printable Sermon Transcripts on the FRS Website!

If you've ever wished you could print a copy of a sermon at home, now you can! On each sermon page there is now a button you can click to open a printable version of that sermon. (Please note that printable versions are only available for the sermons beginning with Opening Sunday this church year.)

View and print sermons here: https://www.frsuu.org/worship-sermons/

If you have any questions, contact Diane Carroll, diane.carroll@frsuu.org.
Join us in remembering Reverend Bertrand Steeves, FRS Minister Emeritus
Saturday, November 20th, 2pm 
The service will be in-person and on Zoom

We are looking for members who were parishioners of Bert’s to light the chalice. Please email Rev. Rebecca at RevRebecca.Bryan@frsuu.org if you would like to participate.
Photos from Sunday's Fall Festival at First Religious Society
Animal friends welcomed!
Individual Cheese & Cracker Cups
Laughter and Fellowship
Enjoying our Courtyard
Painting Pumpkins
Special thanks to the Fall Festival set up crew: Julie Menin, Michelle Kimball, Nancy and Jay McCarthy, Vern Ellis, and the Russell Family for their generous gift of cider and fresh cider donuts from Russell Orchards, Ipswich, MA.
Events This Week
Don't miss Jazz Vespers on Wednesday, November 3 at 8pm featuring featuring saxophonist Danny Harrington. The vespers service will be both in-person and online. For more information, contact Lark Madden, larkmadden@gmail.com.
Each week at FRS there are a variety of wellness activities offered for parishioners by parishioners. Click on the buttons below to learn more and check out "The Latest News" button to learn more about upcoming events!
Church News
Request Your FRS Name Tag Here!
Beyond Our Doors
Community Read - This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman

This year, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day and the 400th Anniversary of the First Thanksgiving, the FRS is partnering with Theater in the Open, the Museum of Old Newbury, the Newburyport Public Library, and Jabberwocky Bookshop in a Community Read of This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman. The book is an Indigenous-centered history of the years leading up to 1621, and the painful and bloody dissolution of ties between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. By reading this book, we hope to better understand our history and how the marginalized community of the Wampanoag were affected, and continue to be affected, by the colonization of Massachusetts.
 
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The five partnering organizations have come together to provide copies of This Land is Their Land in Little Free Libraries around Greater Newburyport—including our own in front of the Parish Hall. Starting on October 11th, which is now officially Indigenous Peoples Day in the City of Newburyport, you can pick up a copy from a Free Little Library, from the Newburyport Public Library, or purchase your own copy at Jabberwocky. You can also explore the additional resources that we've compiled here:
 
While the Community Read for this year is geared toward a more adult audience, we want everyone in our community to be able to participate in these conversations in a meaningful way. History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner and illustrated by Dylan Meconis will be our Youth Community Read—for young readers to begin to learn the real history of the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and the First Thanksgiving. Ideal for readers aged 7 to 12.
 
A discussion for FRS members and friends will be held on Thursday, December 2 at 7pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/FRSThisLandIsTheirLand. Contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, with any questions: julie.amery@frsuu.org.

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.


Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Ministerial InternDavid Livingstone; Affiliate MinisterStan Barrett; Affiliate MinisterHelen Murgida; Minister EmeritusThe Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church OperationsRob Authier; Office AdministratorDiane Carroll; Audio-Visual CoordinatorRob Close; Director of Children's MinistryMara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini;Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual ExplorationJulie Parker Amery; SextonDonny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Holly Cashman; Vice Chair–Tina Benik; Finance Chair–Tim Fountain; Governance ChairJuliana Beauvais; Endowment TreasurerKim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Micah Donahue; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Tina Benik, Vern Ellis, Minnie Flanagan, Michelle Kimball, Lucy Litwin, Annie Maurer, Jim Supple, Renée Wolf Foster.
First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950
978-465-0602 | frsuu.org