There is so much wrong in the world. As people of values and faith and principles, our work is to call out injustice, protest inequity, and refuse to give in to lies or fear. The question is, how? Can resistance also show up as a choice to believe in ourselves and one another?
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.
After 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.
Nina Harrington, Spring Auction Committee
Saturday is the deadline for donations to our FUUSB Silent Auction, “Springtime in Vermont.” Please go to the website (auctria.events/FUUSBSpringAuction2023) to enter your donation or email [email protected] for any help you might need. So far we have received some amazing donations and we thank everyone who is participating! But we still need a few more donations to make our goal. Also, be sure to visit the website between April 16 - April 28 to bid on your favorite items. We will all join together on Saturday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. for some live bidding, raffles, music, snacks, drinks and lots of fundraising fun!
Conversation with Your Board of Trustees
Hope Baker-Carr, Board President
The third in a series of Conversations with Your Board of Trustees will be held this coming Sunday (April 16) in the Parlors. All members and friends are cordially invited to attend. There should be a little time after the service to grab coffee or tea at coffee hour (if you need it) and bring it. The Conversation will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The primary reason for these discussions is so that the Board can hear from you. How are things going for you at FUUSB? How are you feeling about the upcoming ministerial transitions? This also provides ample opportunity for you to ask questions of the Board. We hope to have a member(s) of the Search Team join us to respond to questions about the Search. We hope to see you there!
W3: UU History Workshop
Rev. Peter Newport
In 1897 Paul Gauguin, during his sojourn in Tahiti, painted a huge piece called Where did we come from? What are we? Where are we going? There’s also a hymn by that name in our hymn book. We sing it with some regularity. It has always puzzled me how we seem to enjoy its wan existential message, the more so since we do know where we come from, biologically, historically and theologically anyway; we are just careless with that memory, preferring instead a salutary narrative that hides more than it reveals.
So I’m offering a three-part Unitarian history workshop I’m calling W3 as a corrective… and to follow up on my Veterans Day sermon, Five Easy Pieces on Why We Are Not a Peace Church.
Session 1, Where Did We Come From? - Sunday, April 16, 12:30 to 2 p.m. (in person)
Session 2, What Are We? - Sunday, April 23, 12:30 to 2 p.m. (in person)
Session 3, Where Where Are We Going? - Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m. (on Zoom)
Please find the full listing and registration here.
Restorative Circle Training with Sarah-Elizabeth Anderson:
6 Tuesday evening Zoom sessions from April 18-May 23, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET.
The Healthy Congregation Team will cover registration fees.
"Restorative Circle Facilitator Training develops listening skills and increases confidence in addressing interpersonal conflict by offering an approach for individuals and communities to address and resolve conflict."
"We will explore what gets in the way of listening and being heard, especially when conflict arises, how to listen to understand and create a space of empathy within ourselves for others, and how we can use this way of communication to help our communities connect when it seems impossible to hear one another. We'll start to develop skills for facilitating conversations using reflective listening that will enhance your ability to help your communities lean into conflict. This is a process of reflective listening. Restorative Circles create an opportunity for a speaker to be heard and fully understood by the person they most need to have hear them."
"Be the change: When we begin to offer support through the Restorative Circle process to the world, starting in our communities, there’s a ripple effect because each person coming to the conversation learns this skill and can take that into their lives."
Contact the FUUSB Restorative Circle team with questions or to register: [email protected]
Our New Facilities Manager!
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
We are thrilled to announce that we have hired a new Facilities Manager. His name is Blake Ewoldsen, and he comes with many years of great experience. Blake has been a small business owner and rental property manager/owner for the past twenty-five years. Co-founder of the Vermont Woodworking School in Fairfax, his role as director of operations had him working in all facets of a growing educational program. He is a resident of Burlington and is ready to play a role in helping us fulfill our mission.
Please make sure to introduce yourselves to Blake; he'll be working at the Meeting House most Sundays. Once he's gotten himself settled into his new role, he will post his regular working hours in the eNews.
From the Ministerial Search Team
Tom Hyde
The point of "Candidating Week," April 30 - May 7, is to make sure we have a well-informed electorate (you) when we vote after the service on May 7 whether to call Reverend Karen G. Johnston as our settled minister.
To that end, your Search Team has been planning meetings with Rev. Karen, with different themes, to include as many people with as many different interests as possible.
The tentative schedule is here. We hope to have all the meetings be both in-person and on Zoom. All the meetings listed are open to everyone.
There's still work to do, so it's not quite complete - more to come. Make sure to check back.
Questions? Clarifications? Reach out to the search team at [email protected].
Help Needed on 3 Simple Carpentry Projects
Hello! The Spruce Up team needs help with 3 simple projects. Cutting, shaping and mounting 2 shelves and corbels. The third project is mitering trim and installing it over a glass panel. If you have the knowledge and tools to help with these projects we would appreciate your time and expertise!
Please contact Sarah Forbes at [email protected] or 802-578-6119. Many thanks!
Our Society Is a Fragrance-Free Zone
Sarah Forbes
In consideration of those who are sensitive to the chemicals in fragrances, our Society has been declared a fragrance-free zone. Please refrain from wearing perfumes or cologne, using fragrant flowers, smelly hand sanitizers and air fresheners. The chemicals in these items can affect anyone at any time, causing incapacitating and even disabling illness.
Who can be affected by these chemicals?
People with: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), migraines, Asthma, pregnant women and developing children, COPD or other breathing disorders, Emphysema, allergies, sinus headaches, Autoimmune Disorders (MS, Lupus and others), ADHD, Autism, respiratory infections or frequent colds, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and formerly healthy people who've been exposed to too many chemicals. Even You!