Yet More Phishing Spam

Our phisher is at it again. Several FUUSNites have received spam emails supposedly from Rev. Debra requesting assistance. We repeat: our co-ministers and staff will never send requests like this, and we will certainly NEVER request that you purchase gift cards for us. Do not respond to these emails. Report these as spam and delete them.

Volunteer for the Holiday Fair!

The Holiday Fair is almost here (Saturday, December 7th), and we need YOU to help make it sparkle!  We can't run the fair without wonderful volunteers like you. There are still some bakery table shifts that we need filling. It's loads of fun, and if we all contribute a few hours it just feels like fun. Sign up to volunteer at the Holiday Fair.

Whether you’ve got a few hours to spare or a secret cookie recipe that will wow the crowd, there’s a way for you to pitch in! Please sign up to bake something here, as we need more bakery items to fill the table: 

Bakery, Jellies and Jams Table

Need some inspiration? Check out these websites for easy and delicious baked items: 

• https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/12-super-easy-bake-sale-treats-are-sure-to-sell/
• https://www.epicurious.com/recipes-menus/bake-sale-recipe-ideas/
• https://www.tamingtwins.com/category/collections/bake-sale-makes/

Questions? Contact Julia Wolfe.

UU Common Read Comes to FUUSN

The Racial Justice Ministry is pleased to invite you to the first round of a new book discussion workshop based on Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg’s On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World, the UU “Common Read” for the 2023-2024 year. The book is an evocative application of the work of Maimonides, a Sephardic rabbi, philosopher, and Torah scholar of the Middle Ages, toward making repair in personal relationships, communities such as FUUSN, and in broader society.  

We will read the book in sections across five weeks, and complete a series of personal reflection, journaling, and discussion activities, with ten community members and two facilitators per group. We intend to offer three groups: two in-person groups and one zoom meeting, likely all on Sundays at varying times of the day, beginning January 12th.  

We have designed this program to be a learning and personal growth experience and an invitation to work purposefully to make the world a better place in which to live. We hope you will find the experience thought-provoking, emotionally impactful, and inspiring in terms of the possibilities for enhancing your own life and the lives of others with whom you come in contact.

Interested? Many of you have already signed on at the Racial Justice table on Sundays. Others who may be interested in joining, please email Meg Holland, by Dec 2Oth.

Healthy Baby/Healthy Child Holiday Toy Drive

Healthy Baby/Healthy Child is a holiday gift-giving project sponsored by FUUSN in conjunction with the Boston Public Health Nurses. Children whose families are unable to provide gifts for them have been identified by the nurses. This is an opportunity for you and your children to give to others in need during the holiday season.

This year, you can provide a gift in one of two ways:

• Stop by the holiday tree in the Parish Hall on December 8th, pick up an ornament or two, and purchase a gift for a specific child. Please return unwrapped gifts to FUUSN by Sunday, December 15th .
• You may purchase a gift for any age child using the Amazon wish list created by the nurses. The link is: http://bit.ly/4fHC4fy. The gifts should be shipped directly to Elise Morantus Petion at the gift registry address and need to be received by Friday December 13th .

Thank you!

Wendy Atamian, Susan Bartlett

Fill Up Those UUSC Guest at Your Table Boxes by Dec. 22

Our UUSC Guest at Your Table boxes will be collected Sunday December 22. This supports the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. UUSC advances human rights worldwide. They partner with communities displaced by climate change, work with communities affected by natural disasters and economic hardship, support the right to safety and justice to asylum seekers, defend access to water . This program takes place during the holiday season. Gifts of $150 or more are matched by the UU Congregation in Manhasset, NY. Website for online donations: http://donate.uusc.org/fuusn24 Donations payable to UUSC can be sent to: Guest at Your Table-UUSC, PO Box 808, Newark, NJ 07101-0808

Holiday Fair - Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, 9:30am-2pm

The FUUSN Holiday Fair is a fun, festive event on Saturday December 7. Join us as the Parish Hall is transformed into a Holiday marketplace. Shop for gifts, toys, homemade baked goods, wreaths and swags. The Baked Goods table is overflowing with homemade cookies, cakes and sweets, Pick up a fresh green wreath, topped with a colorful bow. Buy a ticket for the Quilt Raffle. You might win a handmade quilt. There’s a holiday caroling session open to all who want to join. Come one, come all to the FUUSN Holiday Fair.

Questions? Contact us at  HolidayFair@fuusn.org

Newcomers and Visitors Coffee with the Minister - Dec. 8th

Are you new to FUUSN? Visiting for the first time? Come meet Rev. Debra in the Ministers' Parlor during Coffee Hour.

Parents Night Out - Friday, December 13, 2024, 6-9pm

Member Services and the RE Committee have worked together to offer Parents free childcare for ages 6mo. through 5th grade (6th and 7th graders become helpers) at FUUSN once a month between December and May, starting on December 13.  Reserve space for your kids today and plan that date night (RSVP required)! 

Soul Collage®: Images, Intuition, and Insight with Isabel Phillips, Ed.D - December 14, 2024, 9am-1pm

Take a break from your thinking brain and rest in your imagination and creativity! Follow what fascinates you. There will be images galore, meditative music, and grace-filled time to follow your curiosity and wonder.

SoulCollage® begins with the process of choosing and then combining images on a 5” x 8” card to create your own personal deck of SoulCollage® cards. What you learn from each new card draws you more deeply into your own wisdom, intuition and self-discovery. 

Gift yourself with breakfast followed by three hours of spaciousness in community and see what you might bring into being!

Space is limited to 10 people, and the cost is $25 which includes breakfast and all card-making materials. Please email Devin to reserve your spot today. Reservation is not complete until payment is received. 

Newcomer Potluck - Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 6pm

If you are new or still feel new, or if you are reconnecting after being away for some time, you are invited to a potluck dinner in the Alliance Room at FUUSN on Saturday, December 14th at 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Children are welcome and childcare will be provided if desired.

Come talk with other newcomers who are interested in Unitarian Universalism and FUUSN. There will be time to discuss our congregation's services and activities and to ask questions, as well as time just to get to know one another.

Please RSVP to tell us if you can come and what you would like to bring. We will provide beverages.

For years these friendly, informal potluck suppers have been a favorite way for new people and current members to get to know each other better. We look forward to having this opportunity to be with you! 

No-Rehearsal Pageant Rehearsal - December 15, 2024

This year's Christmas Pageant is switching to a no-rehearsal-needed format. That said, if you or your child would like a prominent role in the pageant, we will be holding a brief rehearsal on Sunday, December 15th at 12pm to give you an opportunity to run through the role before the Christmas Pageant Service on December 22nd. You can still participate in the pageant if you do not attend this rehearsal! Contact Devin for further information or to let him know you'd like to help out with the pageant.

UU Plant-Based Eating Club Small-Group Potlucks - Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 6pm

The UU Plant-Based Eating Club is hosting small-group potluck dinners to be held on Sunday, December 15, at 6pm. We will host these plant-based potluck dinners in the homes of multiple PBEC members, with each group comprised of 7-10 people. If you are a PBEC member, you may sign up here, and you will receive an email assigning you to a private home a few days prior to the event. If you are not yet a PBEC member and would like to be, or are not sure if you are on the list, please send an email to UU-Plant-Based-contact-us@googlegroups.com.

While we intentionally welcome newcomers and anyone who is interested in eating more plant-based food regardless of where they are on their journey, all items brought to our potlucks must be completely plant-based and contain no cheese, dairy, eggs, etc. Recipe suggestions are available. More information about the Plant-Based Eating Club is available here.

Volunteer to Provide Coming of Age/Parents Night Out Childcare

Here’s a chance to get to know FUUSN children on a day that isn’t Sunday! We’re offering childcare for younger siblings during Coming of Age, and we're planning several Parents' Nights Out. Volunteer for childcare so that parents can have a night out!   Not-so-fun fact: Did you know that babysitting can cost $25 - $35 an hour?????  

You Can Find All Volunteer Opportunities on our Website

Not sure how to sign up for something? Looking for ways to connect and contribute to our community? Just go to the Volunteer page on our website: https://fuusn.org/give/volunteer/

Winter Solstice Service: December 21, 2024 at 6pm

On the eve of the winter solstice, we gather to reflect on the ways that the darkness nourishes us and the light beckons us. After readings and music from many traditions’ observances of this longest night, we process outside and offer our hopes for the light to come.

Photo by Brian Gill