Sunday, October 15 at 10 a.m.

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Warren Baker, Worship Associate

"Scheme After Scheme: Sustaining Congregational Life"

Can you imagine having to rent or purchase the pew you sit in when you attend on Sundays? There was a time when that was THE way to pay for church life. Once public financial support (taxes) of religion was ended, it has been one scheme after another to figure out how to sustain important religious institutions like our beloved FUUSB. In addition to a curiously interesting sermon on the history of this topic (our theme this month is HERITAGE), the board will demonstrate a new-fangled scheme (it promises to be fun), inviting all to participate in raising funds to benefit this shared spiritual home. Folks can participate by donating or by cheering on the efforts. Rev. Karen is in the pulpit.

Join us for worship 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.

Following the service, all are welcome to Coffee Hour, either outside in front of the Meeting House or in the Community Room, depending on weather.

While at the Meeting House, anyone is welcome to wear a mask. In the spirit of caring for each other, please stay home if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Thank you.

Children & Youth This Sunday!

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Sunday, October 15

Families will begin in the Sanctuary together. After the Reflection for All Ages, children and their guides will be sung out for all-ages funday activities! If your children are not yet registered, please escort them and fill out a new family form. 

The Nursery will be closed today for infants and toddlers due to lack of provider availability. Please see our note below if you'd like to join our Nursery staff team! All children 3 and over are welcome for Funday activities!

Seeking Adult Nursery/Childcare Staff

(Paid Position)

Rowan Van Ness, Director of Youth & Emerging Adult Ministries



We are looking for responsible adults to help staff our Nursery (ages 0-3) on Sunday mornings and occasionally provide childcare at other times. Must be able to provide safe and warm care for the youngest amongst us and support our high school youth who also provide nursery and childcare. We try to maintain a robust list, so that we can cover all of our needs. Please be in touch with Rowan at rowan@uusociety.org for more information and to apply.

Sunday Service Timing

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Several people have asked Rev. Karen what time they can expect a typical Sunday service to be over. The content of our Sunday services fills 70 minutes, so we ask that all FUUSBers anticipate that most services will conclude around 11:10. We have coordinated this with Faith Development classes, which aim to end at 11:20 - Parents are much appreciated in holding off on picking up their kiddos until that time.

Online Joys & Sorrows & Gratitudes Form

If you would like to share a joy, sorrow, or gratitude, we invite you to fill out our online Joys, Sorrows, & Gratitudes form, available at this link and in each week's eNews.

Joys, Sorrows, & Gratitudes are shared in Sunday worship services as much as possible. Since our live-streamed services are available publicly on the FUUSB YouTube channel, we will not read full names or personal details.

Thank you!

Here is the text for this past Sunday's sermon, as a blog post in Rev. Karen's blog. In the post, you will find links to the Braver/Wiser meditation by Mike Adams and a link to more information on how you can support the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act. The full version of the poem, "Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet," by former US Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, can be found here (as our reading, we used an excerpt of this longer piece).

Here is the video link for last Sunday's service: Oct. 8, 2023 FUUSB Worship Service

Join Our Youth Group!

Rowan Van Ness, Director of Youth & Emerging Adult Ministries

Calling all high school youth! Come join us for fun, community, pizza, and a place to explore bigger questions. We meet on Tuesday nights from 6-8 p.m. and monthly on a Sunday afternoon. October 22 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., we'll be carving pumpkins and engaging in other Halloween fun - Let Rowan know if you can come! (rowan@uusociety.org)

From the Climate Justice Team

Mary Andrews, FUUSB Climate Justice Team

Presentation on Proposed Expansion of the McNeil Wood-Burning Plant

The McNeil Generating Station, located in the Burlington Intervale, produces electricity by burning wood chips from our forests. It has been operating for about 39 years and currently provides about a third of Burlington’s electricity. Burlington Electric Department is proposing an expansion of the power plant to pipe steam heat to UVM Medical Center. Burlington City Council will need to approve an expansion. 

The Climate Justice Team (CJT) is sponsoring a presentation Sunday, October 22 at 11:30 a.m. on potential impacts of expansion, including impacts on health, economy, forests, and climate. Burning wood releases more greenhouse gases than fuel oil or gas.

The CJT believes UVM should prioritize our health and climate, using a networked geothermal heat pump system for a local solution to our statewide clean heat goals. 

Please join us to learn more about this issue and how you can take action, whether you live in Burlington or beyond. 

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Please join us for our annual Service of Loss & Remembrance on Wednesday, November 1 from 7 – 8 p.m. You can attend in person in the Sanctuary or virtually via Zoom. If attending in person, you are invited to bring a photo of any loved one to place on the high chancel. If attending by Zoom, you will be able to enter the names of loved ones in the chat so that we can include them as well. This is a service to give space and shape to all kinds of grief – when someone in our life dies, when there is a change we are struggling with, when someone needs a sacred space to experience communal comfort. Our choir will be singing. This service is open to the wider community (don’t we all have a need to grieve?), so please feel free to invite those whom you think might benefit from this.

Service of Loss & Remembrance Zoom link:

https://bit.ly/3Qa5U1Q

Rev. Karen on Study Leave

Rev. Karen will be away on study leave October 16 - 22. Study leave is one of the ways our Senior Minister replenishes and recharges. While on study leave, should a pastoral emergency arise, please reach out to Christina.

Erika's & Rowan's Schedules

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister



Both Rowan and Erika are working on behalf of the FUUSB faith development program, yet will be doing so away from FUUSB. Erika is attending the fall conference for professional religious educators and will be gone October 11 - 18, not responding to emails until her return (and even then, give her a little time to catch up). Rowan will be away with FUUSB congregants at the Silver Bay UU Retreat this coming weekend, and then away at a ministerial retreat next week. Both will be back on Sunday, October 22.

Seeking an Hourglass

Does anyone have a large hourglass, the kind with sand inside that keeps time? Rev. Karen would like to borrow it as a prop for a service at the end of October. The bigger the better. Please email her if you have one to lend. RevKaren@uusociety.org

Solaris Vocal Ensemble Concert with FUUSB's Director of Music!

Our FUUSB Director of Music, James Stewart, is part of the Solaris Vocal Ensemble, and they will be holding their 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert at the FUUSB Meeting House on Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Solaris 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert

with Choral Guests and Joe’s Big Band

This 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert will feature Solaris and 7 invited choirs (including Bella Voce, Counterpoint, Aurora, plus the UVM Catamount Singers and 3 church choirs), each performing one of their favorite pieces, and all 120+ singers joining together to sing Mack Wilberg’s robust arrangement of Bound for the Promised Land and James Stewart’s exciting new arrangement of May the Circle Be Unbroken. Joe’s Big Band, a dynamic 17-piece jazz band, will perform in the second half of the concert. Join us for a jubilant night of musical celebration!

Freewill Donations at the door. Come on out and support your Vermont neighbors!

solarisensemble.org

Job Openings at JUMP