TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Sunday Worship Service
- Summer Services
- Pandemic-Era Support with the Pastoral Care Associates
- Special Video Message from the Moderator of Our Annual Meeting
- FRS Annual Meeting: RSVP Today!
- FRS Spring Gala & Auction
- Upcoming Events
- FRS Welcoming Space Dedication
- FRS Community Art Project
- Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO) Luncheon
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FRS Goes to Portsmouth Pride: Order Your FRS T-shirt Today!
- Church Programming Updates
- Update from Music Program
- Update from Adult Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration
- Update from Young Church
- Beyond Our Doors
- Gender Diversity Allyship and Story Sharing
- Juneteenth Event in Newburyport
- FRS in the Community:
- FRS's Climate Justice Rally Featured in Newburyport Magazine
- Donate a book to our Little Free Diverse Library
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Annual Ministry Theme: Unity
June Ministry Theme: Awakening
“The spiritual is inclusive. It is the deepest sense of belonging and participation.”
– Rachel Naomi Remen
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Sunday Worship Service
June 5, 2022
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The image on the cover of the order of service is a Hubble Space Telescope image of Messier 77 spiral galaxy. A version of this image won second place in the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures Image Processing Competition.
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Sunday, June 5, 2022
“Choosing the Upward Spiral”
10:30am in person and livestream on YouTube
It is natural, when times are difficult, to fall into the downward spiral. This can feel like irritability, overwhelm, anxiety, and depression. It can look like indecision, difficulty concentrating, and tension in our bodies. We need to be aware of all that is happening in the world. We also need to be positive agents of change, and contagions of joy, thereby helping rather than adding to the hurt in the world. Drawing up on the work of neuropsychology and Indigenous cultures, Reverend Rebecca will be preaching on choosing the upward spiral as a response to despair.
Following Sunday worship service we will host a 30-minute social outside the church (weather permitting).
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Have you heard? There will be church services this summer, starting at 10am in July in the sanctuary.
We have a full and exciting month ahead in June including 10:30am Sunday worship services, the auction on June 10th, and the annual meeting on June 12th.
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June 10: FRS Spring Gala & Auction, 6-9pm
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June 12: "How Can I Keep from Singing?" and farewell to David Livingstone. Annual Meeting at 12:15pm.
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June 19: Rev. Rebecca preaching
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June 26: General Assembly Worship Livestream
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Pandemic-Era Support with the Pastoral Care Associates
Ongoing Support Group Meetings
When: Second Thursday of the month, noon-1pm in the Lower Meetinghouse
The COVID pandemic and concurrent world events have left many of us with continuing feelings of fear, anxiety, and loss—to name just a few of the many emotions that swirl through us on a daily basis. The Pastoral Care Associates invite you to gather with others to talk about the challenges we live with at this time. What has helped you through the pandemic? How are you doing now? Being in community with others to share experiences can forge healing connections.
The sessions are offered on a drop-in basis. Please join when you feel that a supportive community is what you need. Come to one or many. There is no strict agenda; simply listening and sharing.
The first session will meet on June 9, from noon-1pm, in the Lower Meetinghouse.
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A Special Video Message from Our Moderator for the Upcoming Annual Meeting |
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So, how can you prepare for the Annual Meeting? The same way you would prepare for elections. You will find some links below to help you:
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Register to attend and choose your lunch option by clicking here!
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Read the warrant. This is the list of all items we will be voting on.
- Check out the Annual Report (coming Thursday, June 2).
- If you haven't read an annual report before you'll be amazed at the diversity and reach of the programs and initiatives of our church.
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For a large-print version of the warrant, please contact Diane Carroll at diane.carroll@frsuu.org.
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See the FAQs on issues around gender inclusive programs; these have been thoughtfully written to help clarify the issues around this important topic.
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Watch the two videos featuring Julie Parker Amery and Tom Stites.
Lastly, show up! I know it's been a hard year. I personally have had difficulty showing up in church. But we will do everything we can to make it safe and will follow any current COVID protocols.
If you're not comfortable coming in person, you will bee able to attend on Zoom. RSVP for the Annual Meeting by clicking on the blue button below:
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Join Us for Fellowship and Fundraising
at the 2022 FRS Spring Gala and Auction!
Friday, June 10, 6-9pm
Newburyport Senior Center/Community Center
331 High Street, Newburyport
Tickets are on sale - click here to purchase them.
$35/person in advance, $45/person at the door
Please join us for an evening of joyous reconnection, great food, music, and the opportunity to support our beloved church. This is our biggest fellowship event, and a great opportunity to shake off the COVID cobwebs while enjoying each other’s company.
This year’s theme is Tipping our Hats to Love. We invite you to wear your favorite, finest, or most festive hat to the Gala/Auction. Prizes will be given for:
- The Hat that Tips the Most to Love
- The Most Elegant Hat
- The Most Imaginative Hat
Some auction items to ponder:
Baked Stuffed Lobster Dinner! Four people. Summer is the season for relaxed conversations and outdoor dining on our deck overlooking Collins Cove in Salem, with Lee’s specialty developed over 30 years of practice. Dinner will include shrimp cocktail appetizer, baked stuffed lobster, homemade Caesar salad, and a light dessert with plenty of fine wine (or beverage of your choice) to complement the meal. We look forward to spending a fun evening together! Donated by Susan and Lee Fasoli.
Pizza! Beer! And More! What better way to relax in the Port than with a tour through some new and old stomping grounds for casual (and not so casual) fare and drink? A $155 value. Donated by Bar 25, Thirsty Whale, Port Tavern, Stone Crust Pizza, and Flatbread.
Dog Sitting. I’m a lifelong dog companion and caregiver with lots of experience with all kinds and ages and temperaments of pups. I will provide one week of dog sitting in my Plum Island home; consecutive days, divided up, whatever we can work out. Beautiful beach and woods walks, swims, ‘round the clock TLC and oversight, as your beloved pooch needs. I’ve got plenty of references, should you need them. Donated by Minnie Flanagan, Dog Whisperer.
Babysitting: If needed for the event, please contact Erin Hutchinson at ehutchinson@nsedu.org to work out the details.
Volunteers Needed the night of the auction! Volunteer roles include food setup and breakdown, silent auction setup and close, decorating, hat judges, live auction "runner," and general help. Please sign up here! https://bit.ly/VolunteerSignup-Auction
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FRS Welcoming Space Dedication
When: Sunday, June 5, 10am, outside the Meetinghouse
Soon our church grounds will have lovely Adirondack chairs in rainbow colors in honor of the LGBTQ+ community. This "Welcome Space" is for everyone, whoever you are, to enjoy!
Join us on Sunday, June 5th at 10am in front of the Meetinghouse for our "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony as we open this space for all to enjoy. Our intent is that whoever enjoys this space will feel welcome and come to know and better understand that Unitarian Universalism affirms seven Principles, the first of which is: "The inherent worth and dignity of every person."
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FRS Community Art Project and "Meet the Artists" Reception
Reception: Sunday, June 5, 11:30am, Lower Meetinghouse
“Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?” That’s the theme of the spring FRS Community Art Project, now exhibited in the Tiny Gallery in the Lower Meetinghouse. Be sure to stop by and take in the artwork of many media—photos, collage, poetry, painting, fiber arts, and more! It’s an amazing collection! Many thanks to Bettina Turner and Rochelle Perry-Platine for the care they took with the installation.
We hope you can stop by!
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Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO)
When: Tuesday, June 14, 12pm, Brown Sugar by the Sea, Newburyport
No reservations required. The Officer of the Day is Les Ferlazzo, phone, 617-429-2087 or email, sealore@live.com.
Please bring money along with yourself.
"It takes a good lunch to keep the church moving forward" - Maxine S. Steeves (paraphrased)
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FRS Goes to Portsmouth Pride: Order Your FRS T-shirt Today!
(deadline to order is June 10)
Join fellow FRS members, the Welcoming Committee, and the FRS All-Ages GSA at Portsmouth Pride in Portsmouth, NH on June 25th. We’ll walk together in the parade, stepping off from Market Square at 12pm, and proceed along the 1/2-mile route to Strawbery Banke where we can enjoy performances, activities, food, and time together at the Pride Marketplace. Stay as little or as long as you like. We’ll be coordinating carpools if you need a ride, or you can meet us there. More info to follow. Come show your support!
Walkers are encouraged to buy a newly designed FRS t-shirt in a rainbow color of their choice to raise our visibility in the parade. Shirts are $18.00 and can be ordered here: https://www.customink.com/g/xbr0-00ck-wkuq.
The deadline for ordering is June 10th. You will order online, and payment will be due later. (Instructions for payment and pick up to follow.) If you are attending Pride but a t-shirt is not in your budget, place your order and contact Christine at christine.doherty@comcast.net.
Resources are available to ensure all walkers who wish to have a shirt can join in the rainbow scheme. To RSVP or ask questions, please also contact Christine at christine.doherty@comcast.net.
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Church Programming Updates |
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Music Program
by Justin Murphy-Mancini, Director of Church Music
The month of May provided many new kinds of musical experiences both for the congregation and the choir. Music from Jewish and Hindu traditions expanded our musical palette, and we welcomed guest musician Mary Doane during a service that included music for Buddhist practices. On June 12, a service the explores the spirituality of music will take place, featuring the joyful return of harpist Aster Shepherd. While the choir takes a well-deserved break this summer, there will still be many musical opportunities to enjoy, including a special Summer Wilson Music Series.
Anyone who likes to sing or is interested in trying out the choir is invited to join the Adult Choir on Sunday, June 19 at 9am in the Sanctuary. You will have an opportunity to learn an easy song and participate in the Sunday service - no prior rehearsal required! This will be a fun way to close out the year, and if you enjoyed the experience, you might consider joining the choir in the fall!
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Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration
by Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration
Faith formation and spiritual exploration has a broad reach, encompassing justice learning, UU identity, spiritual journeying, and personal growth. This year has brought the additional complexity of discerning between online or in-person gatherings. It’s obvious that moving forward we’ll always have a mix—and will potentially add hybrid offerings, as well. Some things work very well on Zoom. Some work much better in person. And either one is more accessible to different people. I hope that we’ll be able to find a nice balance between the two as we navigate this new way of doing church.
It’s clear to me more than ever that we are all seeking ways to connect deeply—with each other, with the Earth, with our common humanity, with our own wisest self. I’ve been blessed to see this connection happening over and over again this past year: through the Living the Pledge workshops and Seeing White discussions, where we share openly about our emerging understandings of racism; in the How to Save a Planet discussion group, where we share our despair about the climate crisis as well as our hopes for the future; in the Forest Walks and Meditation, where we connect deeply with nature; in the Journey of Faith group, where we reflect on our own spiritual journeys and listen deeply to the stories of each other; in the FRS Film Forum, where we engage in lively discussion about spiritual themes in movies. It is truly a blessing to be engaged in this work and to know that these programs and gatherings are meaningful.
Next year will bring additional opportunities. After time off during the pandemic, we plan to offer Chalice Circles again—small, covenanted groups that explore various themes through sharing and deep listening. We’ll also be offering, for the first time, the UU Wellspring program, a ten-month spiritual deepening program for Unitarian Universalists.
It’s important for me to know what it is that you’d like to see in terms of faith formation and spiritual exploration opportunities at the FRS. And what you can offer! Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey so that we can ensure that we’re offering what you seek: https://bit.ly/FRSFaithFormationSurvey
Wishing you all a joyful summer, filled with meaningful connections, renewal, and discovery.
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Young Church at play at the Sunday, May 22 worship service at Atkinson Common |
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YOUNG CHURCH UPDATE
by Mara Flynn, Director of Children's Ministry
Despite continuing challenges around COVID, Young Church has had a wonderful year, building joyful and meaningful connection with all ages, our faith, and our community. This year Young Church was hybrid, with both in-person and online programming. We created multigenerational community; shared in ritual, stories, art, and games; and continued learning about and working for justice in ourselves, our community. and our world.
Here are some highlights:
- Young Church organized and led multigenerational worship services: the Annual Christmas Pageant online and Young Church Sunday in person, as well as several Times for All Ages in the spring when children were able to attend indoors again!
- Families, congregants, and community members donated books throughout the year for our Little Free Diverse Library supporting the mission to circulate books in our community that amplify and empower diverse voices and are written about and by black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ authors.
- We learned about Indigenous Peoples Day and the community effort to rename the holiday, made a banner for Newburyport’s first-ever Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration and several of our children spoke at the event.
- We collaborated again with the FRS Community and Human Resources to run a food drive in support of the First Parish Newbury Food Pantry.
- We trained two new facilitators (thank you Kathy Desilets and Sue Pursell!!!) and we ran the Our Whole Lives sexuality education program for 8th and 9th graders in collaboration with Haverhill and Exeter UUs.
- We collaborated with the FRS Climate Action Group to organize an all-ages community-wide Climate Justice Rally on the Newburyport Waterfront on Earth Day in partnership with local arts, educational, and environmental organizations. In the leadup to this event, we learned about climate change, made climate justice signs, and made trash puppets with a guest artist.
- We welcomed eight newly registered Young Church families to the fold, for a total of 40 registered children.
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Guest Speaker is Álvaro Gamio Cuervo (he/they/él/elle) who is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at UMass Boston. Álvaro received their MSW in Social Work and their clinical work focused on trauma/crisis services with LGBTQ, POC, and low-income young adult populations. Their research focuses on hope and resilience for trans folks of color, more specifically on how Latinx trans individuals make meaning of family rejection and the relationship between suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Álvaro enjoys cooking new recipes, crocheting, exercising, and watching copious amounts of reality television. |
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Juneteenth Event
When: Friday, June 17 at noon, City Hall, Newburyport
Juneteenth is a federal holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the United States. Please join us as we celebrate with music and food, raising the Juneteenth flag, and sharing the history of this important day.
This event is hosted by the City of Newburyport, DEI Alliance, and Human Rights Commission.
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FRS's Earth Day Climate Justice Rally Featured in Newburyport Magazine, Summer 2022 Edition. Check it out here!
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Give the Gift of a Book to FRS's Little Free Diverse Library (LFDL)
Help us amplify and empower diverse voices and stories in our community by donating a book to our Little Free Diverse Library on Pleasant Street.
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Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Ministerial Intern–David Livingstone; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Helen Murgida; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church Operations–Rob Authier; Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Audio-Visual Engineer–Rob Close; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Sexton–Donny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. 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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