November 15, 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Sunday Worship Service
• November 26 Thanksgiving Worship Service
• Transgender Day of Remembrance
• Looking Toward the 4th Century
• The Family is Moving!
• UU Wellspring Program Beginning in January
• FRS Fall Auction
• Yellow Iris Bulbs from the FRS Garden Available
• The 2024 Daily Muse is Ready for Sale
• Save the Date: Cookie Walk & Historic Church Tours; Special Pop-Up Music Concert
• 1619 Project: A Discussion Series
• Special Event Hosted by the Green Team
• Snapshots from last week at the FRS
• Newbury Food Pantry Donations
• Joy of Giving is Back
• Fellowship Programming
• Download the FRS November Worship and Events Calendars
• Thank a UU
• Call on Parish Friends
• Beyond Our Doors: Last Chance to Save the Pink House; Newburyport Choral Society Holiday Concert

Annual Ministry Theme: Interconnectedness

November Ministry Theme: Diversity

Sunday, November 19, 2023

10:30am, in person and streamed on YouTube

Ek Onkar “One Om” “One God or Creator”: A look into the religion of Sikhism

Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world and still misunderstood by many people. Since 9/11, Sikhs in America have been targeted with increased acts of violence and hate crimes. This is on the rise again with current world events. Reverend Rebecca will explore the core beliefs of this religion, including some of its practices. The more we learn the better we can support the diversity of religious beliefs and practice

“When we learn to see the humanity in those who seem most different from us, then we can learn to see the humanity in everyone we encounter.”

-Simran Jeet Singh

Attend on YouTube: http://bit.ly/FRSyoutube

November Shared Collection Partner – Essex County Habitat for Humanity

Large print Orders of Service, hymnals, and earphones for sound amplification are available. Please ask ushers to provide them.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Thanksgiving Worship Service

In person and on YouTube

First Congregational Society Unitarian Church

143 Exeter Road

Hampton Falls, NH

Please join Reverend Rebecca, Justin Murphy-Mancini, and choir members as we gather at the historic First Congregational Society Unitarian Church in Hampton Falls to celebrate autumn, gratitude, and beauty.

Since 2013, the Human Rights Campaign has tracked incidents of fatal transgender violence. These victims, like all of us, are loving partners, parents, family members, friends, and community members.

They worked, went to school, and attended houses of worship. They were real people—people who did not deserve to have their lives taken from them.

In 2023, there have been at least 25 transgender and gender non-conforming people whose lives have been tragically taken through violent means.

On Sunday, December 19th, following worship service, you are invited to join the silent march to Market Square where the names of these individuals will be read.

Song and poetry will be shared. Please gather outside of the church on Sunday and we will march together.

All ages welcome!

The Congregational Insight Team will host a series of workshops to hear your ideas and together develop strategies to realize your dreams and wishes for our beloved community.

Please plan to attend one of the following workshops:

Sunday, November 19 from 2-4pm (Zoom only)

Wednesday, December 6 from 6-8pm

Sunday, January 21 from 12-2pm

Wednesday, January 24 from 6-8pm

Sunday, January 28 from 12-2pm

Click on the black button below to register.

The Family Is Moving!

After almost two years, our Afghan friends will be moving in the next two weeks! Thanks to support from volunteers and the community, their new rental residence in Newburyport is currently being repainted, an additional shower will be installed soon, and necessary final repairs and updates are underway.

They have visited their new house, which is half of an older three-story duplex in a close little neighborhood. Last week, the whole family and some volunteers attended a “Newcomers’ Welcome Party” on their new street. They met their neighbors while gathering around a fire pit. The children played and found out who else is on their school bus, Mohammad met some of the other men, and all chatted over food and made connections. The neighborhood community welcomed them with open arms and made generous offers of help!

In the meantime, the family is deciding how to furnish their new house. They will be able to take some furnishings with them from the Parish Hall, but others won’t be a good fit for the smaller rooms of the new house or are plain worn out. They are purchasing some things, such as loft beds and new kitchen items. 

In addition, we are looking for donation of two small-size desks with a chair each for the older children to do their homework, and a tall, shallow pantry cabinet to keep cans and spices and such. The family would also like a small love seat. If you have one of these items to donate, please contact Kathy Straubel at newkatie3@comcast.net. All items need to be in good or excellent condition. We cannot handle or take other furniture donation offers at this point.

The family is understandably excited and apprehensive in equal measure! They will have continued volunteer support from FRSUU as they are becoming more independent. Our hope is to see them not just survive but thrive in this country, and they are well on the way! They will always be part of our extended family.

UU Wellspring Program Beginning in January

When: First and Third Tuesdays, 9-11am; begins January 16

Lower Meetinghouse

UU Wellspring is a spiritual deepening course for Unitarian Universalists. It is a program that explores how the foundations of our faith support us throughout our life. It offers an opportunity to connect deeply to your UU values and suggests techniques to ground your social action in spiritual practice. It provides a group of supportive seekers to share in your journey.

The UU Wellspring program has five components:

1. Daily spiritual practice
2. Small group connections
3. Connection with a spiritual companion
4. Deeper knowledge of UU history and theology through reading and responding to pre-session assignments
5. Reflection and commitment to living our values in the world

The first program in the series is Our UU Sources. This is the prerequisite for all other years of UU Wellspring. Sources offers participants an opportunity for reflection around two key areas: Unitarian Universalist history and theology, and the “big questions” that are central to our Unitarian Universalist faith, including human nature, death, joy, and forgiveness.

The Sources program will be running for the 2024 calendar year, with a break in July and August. We begin on January 16. Register by January 2 by clicking on the blue button below.

Questions? Contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, at julie.amery@frsuu.org.

GRATEFUL GATHERING, THE FRS AUCTION 

November 17 at 6pm

Newburyport Community Center, 331 High Street, Newburyport

Tickets are $45 per person ($55 at the door)

Some items available to bid on are:



Sledding & Hot Chocolate

donated by Betsy and Doug Latham

Fall Vegetarian Dinner for 10

donated by Rev. Rebecca Bryan and Bart Bracken

5 days/4 nights at a Rangeley Camp 

on Lake Mooselookmeguntic 

donated by Susan Stone & Vern Ellis

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

By credit card: scan the QR code below or click on the blue button.

By check: stop by the auction table after worship service or mail the check to the office and provide your email address and we will send you the ticket(s) via email.

If you would like to attend and cannot afford the ticket price, please contact either Vern Ellis at vellis@ellisdesign.net or Rev. Rebecca at revrebecca.bryan@frsuu.org about financial assistance.

TO VIEW THE AUCTION ITEMS 

frsuu.org/grateful-gathering-auction/ 

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

for a fun and festive time.

https://bit.ly/VolunteerSignup-Auction

If you would like to participate in the planning the auction, our meetings are on Zoom, Tuesdays at 6:30pm, https://bit.ly/FUUNTeamZoomMeeting

The “Daily Muse” Is Ready for Purchase!



Just in time for the holidays, the “Daily Muse” is a perfect gift for a loved one or yourself. A book of daily quotes, the Muse sits on a window ledge, shelf, or desk, where you will see it throughout the day for a regular dose of inspiration. This year’s edition includes quotes by Frederick Douglass, Harvey Milk, Maya Lin, Hafez, Maya Angelou, and hundreds more!

Each Daily Muse costs $20 and will be available for purchase by cash, check, or credit card after church beginning November 19. 

You may also purchase them in the church office, by check or cash only, from Diane Carroll, Monday-Friday, from 9am-1pm, or Julie Parker Amery, Tuesday-Wednesday, 9am-3pm.

1619 Project: A Discussion Series

Members of the FRS Anti-Racism Initiative invite you to join us for the fifth episode of the 1619 Project documentary series, titled “Fear.” This episode explores the cycle of U.S. policies, policing practices, and organized violence over the last three centuries in response to a enduring fear of Black people, Black protest, and Black freedom. The episode investigates systemic surveillance and control of Black people as a legacy of slavery, specifically a legacy of slave patrols and slave codes implemented out of fear that enslaved people would self-emancipate and/or rebel. 

Some questions you might consider before viewing:

• What is a stereotype? How can stereotypes be harmful? What harmful stereotypes exist about people who share your identities or live in your community? What harmful stereotypes might people in your community hold about others?

• Fear is a strong emotional response that can influence our actions and decisions and even the ways we interact with others. Some of our fears are connected to data, experience, and other evidence of danger around us, and some are tied to our own anxieties and assumptions that are removed from real threat. What tools can we use to distinguish between these two types of fear for ourselves? How can we better understand the fears of others?

• Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

If you’d like to watch the episode at FRS, you can come to the Lower Meetinghouse for a viewing either Thursday, November 16 from 5-6:15 pm or Friday, November 17 from noon-1:15 pm. You can also opt to watch the episodes at home (they are available on Hulu). Please let us know if you cannot make either of the church viewings and do not have access to Hulu and we’ll see what we can do to help. 

A Zoom discussion will be held for this “Fear” episode on Monday, November 20 from 7-8 pm. Please click here to register for the discussion, or contact Julie Parker Amery at julie.amery@frsuu.org to receive the Zoom link. 

Please note that you can join any or all sessions. Registering will simply allow you to receive the Zoom link for any discussions you wish to attend. We hope that you’ll join us to learn about the 1619 Project and how it may inform our own spiritual growth and understanding of systemic racism and social policies in the United States. For further information please see: https://1619education.org

When: November 29, 6-9 pm, Lower Meetinghouse    

Please join us for a vegetarian or vegan inspired potluck and social time from 6-7pm, followed by a presentation on Native Plants for Every Yard…and Why it is Vital to Plant Them. Our presenter, Carol Decker, is steeped in this topic and is an engaging and informative presenter. Carol was previously the Director of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary and is an extraordinary naturalist and leader of Audubon bird walks. Carol is now deeply involved with West Newbury Wild and Native or WNWN.

WNWN’s mission is to encourage public and private landowners to adopt practices that promote sustainable landscapes, one yard at a time. This can be done by favoring native plantings, protecting pollinators, avoiding pesticides, and controlling invasives among many other measures. As the days shorten, it’s not too soon to think about next year’s gardens, no matter whether small or large. Please join us and prepare to be inspired!

Please register for the potluck here: https://bit.ly/GreenTeamPotluck

The presentation will be available to watch on Zoom at 7pm:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92258351919?pwd=cFFEbG5WRkwyQ2NNMEpJZG1RUm5qUT09

Meeting ID: 922 5835 1919

Passcode: 770908

This past Sunday, during our monthly Justice Sunday with Soup & Salad, a brief presentation on the FRS's Pine Ridge Youth Trip was shared by youth who participated in this service learning trip.

Newbury Food Pantry Food Drive for November

The Community Outreach Group of FRS is sponsoring a food drive to benefit the Newbury Food Pantry during the month of November. Donations can be left on the right shelf at the back of the church as you exit. While the number of guests has increased significantly at the food pantry, the Greater Boston Food Bank has reduced their delivery by 20%. Your donations are gratefully appreciated especially at this time of need. Their wish list includes: hearty soups, rice and pasta sides, instant coffee, quick bread and baking mixes, hot and cold cereals, peanut butter, jelly, gluten free products, and toilet paper. Any questions, please contact Linda Buddenhagen at 978-463-0882.

The Joy of Giving

Get your donations ready! Again this year we will be collecting new/unused gifts so the children of Kelleher Gardens can holiday “shop” for the important adults in their life. Do you have lotions, gloves, decorations, tools, hats, jewelry, etc. that you’ve been given and never used? Can you pick up one or two small items while out holiday shopping? We also can use gift bags of all sizes (no gift wrap, please). 

Throughout November, please leave donations at the back of the sanctuary.

Please contact Nancy Crochiere at ncrochiere@comcast.net with questions.

Download the FRS October Worship and Events Calendars

Click on the gray buttons below:

Call on Parish Friends!

Do you know of anyone in our church community who could use a helping hand or an encouraging word? If so, please reach out to the FRS Parish Friends. For example, a member may need a ride to an appointment or appreciate a card to let them know we hold them in our thoughts. Or any other temporary support such as a family with a new baby who may welcome a meal! If so, please contact Susan Ricker at parishfriends@frsuu.org. You may also reach out to the church office at info@frsuu.org or call 978-465-0602.

Last Chance to Save the Pink House

After years of volunteer efforts to save the Plum Island Pink House from demolition, the non-profit organization Support the Pink House was recently notified by the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge that they intend on tearing it down, SOON.

Before they do, they are accepting public comments until November 30.

The meeting, November 20, at 10:30am, at PITA Hall on Plum Island, will be our last chance to speak loudly and say NO, to prevent the house from being demolished and gone forever. Please come and tell others – your voice will make a difference. 

Our children, grandchildren, and their children will thank us some day. It is history that should be restored and preserved. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Helen Murgida; Affiliate Minister-Rev. Jane Tuohy; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church Operations–Rob Authier; Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Church Music Emerita–Barbara Owen; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Sexton–Donny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Jim Supple; Vice Chair–Tina Benik; Finance Chair–Renée Wolf Foster; Governance Chair–Tom Himmel; Endowment Treasurer–Kim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Bob Higgins; Stewardship Chair–Vern Ellis; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Lori Clark, Caitlin Creps, Laurie Evans-Daly, Minnie Flanagan, Liss Larsen, Annie Maurer.

First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950

978-465-0602 | frsuu.org