MARCH 18-19, 2023 - 10 Lyons Plains Road Westport, CT 06880 - Phone: 203.227.7205

CLICK HERE for 2 week calendar PDF. CLICK HERE for past issues of SOUNDINGS.

Get your pledge in now to make the list! Those who have pledged by no later than 5:00 PM Saturday evening will be listed in the Order of Service this Sunday morning. You can pledge HERE or on Realm. And please consider stepping up, as Rev. John wrote in his letter.

Saturday 12-4 PM and Sunday 9:30 -9:50 AM: Brown bag lunch donations to support John Street Outreach. Sign up HERE; click HERE for instructions. Contact David Vita.

Appreciative Inquiry is an opportunity to reshape the culture and spirit of our congregation, heal past hurts, and increase our resilience. Don’t miss it this Saturday. This is an important step in our moving “forward together.” Please RSVP your intentions on our website or by clicking HERE. If you cannot attend on the 18th and would like to be interviewed. please email Jim at jimfrancek25@gmail.com.

Join us for a potluck dinner at 5:00 PM followed at 6:00 PM by “Free Renty,” a documentary about Tamara Lanier who has sued Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, Renty, and daughter Delia, enslaved in South Carolina. For more background on Lanier's (winning!) quest, click HERE for a quick article that announced last year's Stone Memorial Lecture. Bring friends - this is open to the public. Questions? Contact Nate Pawelek or David Vita.

Click HERE for the Order of Service. The service will be in person and virtual; attendance guidelines are HERE. Broadcast of the service is available at uuwestport.org/livestream.

Offering can be made on VENMO ("The Unitarian Church in Westport"), on vop.tucw.org, or feel free to mail in cash or check.

Arguably, Stephen Sondheim was the greatest composer of musical theater in the twentieth century; certainly one of the very best! Our choir and invited guests will offer a presentation on Sondheim's music through singing several of his works. His unique characterizations offers us an opportunity to look at our own lives and see how we are doing with relationships: the poignant, the sweet, the dull, the unsavory, and everything in between. Come and hear why it is dramatic, relevant, touching and meaningful. Chris Beaurline, Mike Costantino, Marcella Calabi will be our guest singers in addition to the voices in the choir.

March 19 after service (11:30-ish)

Please click HERE to find out more about our Faith Formation programs, or contact Nate Pawelek. All are always welcome to be with us. Nursery care is available for babies and toddlers at 9:45 AM.

The K-2nd and 3-5th graders will be learning that to hope is a form of being vulnerable.

The Witness Stones Project class for middle schoolers will begin their study of John C Wally (known as Lazarus by his enslaver). Using records and documents from the late 18th century from the Wilton Historical Society and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where Wally worshipped, we will piece together what we can of Mr. Wally’s life, ultimately laying a memorial stone where he lived.

The High School Youth Group will welcome Susan Diachisn from Andover, MA to talk to the youth about perspective taking. Too often, our initial assumptions about people and places are not accurate.

You are invited to join an informal "Meet the Minister" gathering directly after the service this Sunday, March 19 in Rev. John's office. This will be a casual conversation: a time to ask questions and to get to know each other more personally, outside of the Sunday AM post-worship rush! RSVP to Rob Zuckerman or Beth Cliff.  See you then!

In this online skill-up training, you will practice ways to bring debrief culture and loving feedback to your own context. We need to be able to speak directly and frankly to each other about what we want and need from each other, what we think could be done differently, as well as celebrating our successes. Every time we love one another enough to offer debrief and appreciation, we deepen our relationships and the power of our collective. We can create groups and communities grounded in relationship and trust. Thus, we can meet the justice work of the moment powerfully and nimbly. Click HERE to attend. Questions? Contact Janet Luongo

Temple visit on Saturday, March 25th to the DNKL Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace at 30 Putnam Park Rd, Redding, CT at 10:00 AM. The center will be celebrating their Once in a year Monlam Prayer Festival aka (THOUSAND BUDDHA PRAYER (PUJA) OFFERING) that day. Should be very exciting with many visiting monks and lay visitors participating. For additional info about the prayer event and to register CLICK HERE. Note: the festival is from 10:00-3:00 but our group visit will officially end at lunch time. You can leave or stay longer as you desire.

Our Reflection Session is Sunday, March 26th at 11:30 after the service in the library. For further information please contact Ravi Sankar at 203 241 5400 or Jamie Forbes.

You are invited to come - and bring your friends! -- to enjoy UU Westport's HS Youth Group’s 2nd Annual Benefit Variety Show! Our youth group will embark on a week-long volunteer service trip in April; they have been busy since the fall raising money to fund this trip. Ticket sales and silent auction proceeds from the show, featuring the youth performers themselves, will hopefully allow them to reach their goal of raising $10K. Don’t miss this entertaining afternoon! Reserve your tickets HERE.

Springtime is the perfect time for some toe-tapping, fun-loving music with Damn Tall Buildings, one of the country’s hottest bluegrass/indie/ Americana bands, at Voices Café on Saturday, April 1^st at 8:00 PM.

Damn Tall Buildings’ trio brings infectious, creative energy and positive vibes with their bluegrass, roots rock, old time, and vintage swing… all amazing influences on this fun-loving acoustic Brooklyn based trio.

“If you like your bluegrass served with a little punch, attitude, grit and gravy [this trio] offers virtually unmatched energy and enthusiasm…” says Savingcountrymusic.com

Damn Tall Buildings is just so damn good!!  Tickets at: Voices Cafe. Enjoy our BYO atmosphere, with sweet treats for purchase, and support the power of song in our social justice work!! Enjoy a peek with “Evan”!

UU Meditation, 9:00-9:40 AM Sundays. Hybrid. A UU mix of mindfulness, discourse, relaxation, visualization and silence. In person and on ZOOM. Contact Janet Luongo to receive updates and notifications of location for this week's session.  

Our complete calendar is always on our website. Click HERE for quick access

Please wear your nametag on Sunday mornings. If you've lost yours, let an usher know, and we'll get a new one made up for you. Or you can contact Ruth in the office.

Our sermons are archived on the website HERE.

Find us on digital and social media: website: uuwestport.org, Facebook public page (Unitarian Church in Westport), private group (uuwestport), Instagram (uuwestportct), Twitter (uuwestportct) and Linked In (uuwestportct)

 WE INSPIRE and support individual spiritual growth. 

 WE CONNECT through worship, music, learning, and caring ministries. 

 WE ACT in the service of peace and justice.