September 6, 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Opening Sunday Worship Service
• Online Meet & Greet following Sunday's worship service
• RSVP for Opening Sunday Church Picnic
• Young Church News
• UU Study Group Starting in October
• Fall Arts at the FRS
• Save the Date! Representation and How to Get It: A play inspired by Julia Ward Howe
• The FRS Partners with the North Shore Insight and Meditation Center
• Ways to Engage & Volunteer Your Time to Support Our Parish
• Fellowship Programming
• Thank a UU
• Call on Parish Friends
• The FRS Email Communications Survey 

Annual Ministry Theme: Interconnectedness

2023-2024 Monthly Worship Themes

September: Interconnectedness

October: Mindfulness

November: Diversity

December: Body, Mind and Spirit

January: Working Across Differences

February: Forgiveness

March: Covenant

April: Nature

May: Kindness

June: Change

July: Open for Guests

August: Unitarian Universalism

Sunday, September 10, 2023

10:30am, in person and streamed on YouTube

“Opening Sunday and Flower Communion”

Opening Sunday! Join us as we celebrate the start of a new church year. Bring a flower from your garden or the fields to share on our flower arch. In addition to this beloved ritual of new beginnings, we will hear from a member of the Afghan family living in Parish Hall about their recent experiences learning English. Reverend Rebecca will be preaching on “The Web of Creation” using timeless lessons from E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Everyone is invited to join the picnic immediately following the service. 

Attend on YouTube: http://bit.ly/FRSyoutube

Online parishioners we invite you to join a 20-minute online meet and greet following worship. This Sunday's Meet & Greet host is Liss Larsen, newest member of the FRS' Parish Board. Liss joins us each week from Shelter Island Heights, NY.

To join Sunday's post-worship online Meet & Greet, click on the

Zoom link below:

https://zoom.us/j/96730636029?pwd=OHA4ck9TY1lqYzZMaTZZazVySERvdz09

Meeting ID: 967 3063 6029

Passcode: 608426

September Shared Collection Partner – Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center

This month's shared collection will support the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. Every year, the Center helps over 1,200 victims of domestic violence, both adults and children. In addition to your contribution, please consider participating in the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center Walk Against Domestic Violence on Sunday, October 1 from 8-11am. Sign up at https://jeannegeigercrisiscenter.org. Half of each Sunday's collection not designated as a pledge goes to support a local partner working to transform our region.

Large Print Orders of Service, Hymnals, and Earphones for Sound Amplification are available. Please ask Ushers to provide them.

Join us on Sunday, September 10 at 10:30am for Opening Sunday Worship Service and Flower Communion. Following service, we will be gathering in the lower courtyard for our annual church picnic!

To RSVP for the church picnic please click on the green button below:

Ways to Support the FRS's Church Picnic

Will you consider bringing a pie or a side dish? Please click here.

To volunteer to help the day of the picnic, please click here.

Young Church begins on Sunday, September 17th!

We'll start out in church for a special Time For All Ages - Blessing of the Backpacks. Children are welcome to bring their backpacks and join Mara and Reverend Rebecca for this special blessing of love, courage, and joy from the whole congregation. Backpacks encouraged but not required!

We are so excited for another year of engaging programming that allows our K-8th grade children and middle schoolers to create and experience meaningful connection with:

Ritual, stories and games for all ages; Joyful inter-generational community building with one another; Special guests, activities and projects that support our curiosity and spiritual growth, along with explorations of our UU Principles and social justice engagement.



This year we will be opening a nursery for our littles up to age 4, as well as offering the Crossing Paths (formerly Neighboring Faiths) program for 6th - 9th graders!

To register for Young Church click here.

For more info/questions, email Director of Children's Ministry, Mara Flynn at mara.flynn@frsuu.org.

UU Theology, Values, and Belief:

A monthly discussion group with Reverend Rebecca

When: First Tuesdays of every month, starting October 3rd from 6–7:30pm in the Lower Meetinghouse

Join others in engaging conversation as we learn, share stories, and consider what it means to be a UU today.

• How do we respond to local and world events?

• What is our theology?

• What are our principles - are there 7 or 8 - and what do they mean in our daily lives?

• Can you be an atheist, a theist, and an agnostic and still be a UU?

• How does the history of our faith inform who we are today?

• What is the relationship of the FRS with our larger Association?

• Bring your topics and questions.

For more information, please contact cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.

Save the Date!

Representation and How to Get It: A play inspired by Julia Ward Howe

When: Saturday, September 23 at 7pm and Sunday, September 24 at 1pm in the Sanctuary

Representation and How to Get It brings the visionary politics of Julia Ward Howe into our own time. Author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, writer, human rights activist, and Unitarian preacher, she prophesied our nation's crisis today when she said that one day we would lose our democracy -- if this country remains an America for some of us, and not an America for all of us. The stakes are high, and Julia demands to know: what are we doing about it? Elaine Vaan Hogue stars as Julia Ward Howe in this production directed by Judy Braha.

On Saturday, there will be a talkback with the playwright, director, and actor about the genesis and creation of the play, and what makes artists want to take on civic-minded projects and activism in the arts.

On Sunday, there will be a talkback moderated by director Judy Braha, about leadership, community action, and personal journeys in activism with Rev. Rebecca Bryan (First Religious Society), Heather Shand (Newburyport City Council President, Councilor, Ward 3), Afroz Khan (Newburyport City Councilor-at-large), and Sunny Douglas (City of Newburyport DEI).

Tickets:

$30 General Admission

$20 Seniors

Students Free

Advance tickets: 

For Saturday's show:

https://bit.ly/JWHSaturdayTicket

For Sunday's show:

https://bit.ly/JWHSundayTicket

Please join NSIMC meditation teacher Effie Stavrulaki for a four-week series

When: Tuesday evenings, 7-8:30 pm, Oct. 3, 10, 17, and 24

Where: First Religious Society UU, Lower Meetinghouse

Cost: $80 for the series

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully attentive to the present moment with the attitudes of nonjudgment, kind acceptance, and curiosity. A large body of scientific research suggests that formal mindfulness training reduces stress, increases wellbeing, and even increases the chance of acting in pro-social ways to help others. 

By reducing how much time we spend worrying about the future or fretting about the past, our capacity to appreciate what is actually happening and to choose how to act with more clarity and compassion increases. The more we develop this capacity, the less we feel overwhelmed by changes and challenges in our lives. 

During this four-week class series, you will be introduced to the practice of embodied mindfulness and learn several skills for managing stress and enriching your life. We will discuss the latest science about the benefits of mindfulness, but mostly we will practice together. And we will encourage each other to establish a meditation routine that you can integrate with your daily living. Like learning any new skill, mindfulness meditation requires repetition and patience. Working in a group setting increases the chance of developing and sticking with this important skill.

Beginners as well as anyone who would like to get back to regular meditation practice are very welcome.

Effie Stavrulaki is a meditation teacher with NSIMC as well as a management professor at Bentley University.

Click here to read more about Effie.

The fee for this program is $80. To register and pay online, click on the blue button below; for alternate payment methods, email northshoreimc@gmail.com.

Join the FRS FUUN Team

We are planning several great events this fall. Please join us in the festivities and help plan the FRS FUUN!

Fall Festival – October 8 after church. There will be cider and donuts as well as fuun for all ages.

Auction – November 17 at the Newburyport Community Center. Moving forward we are having the auction in the fall so it doesn’t compete with the annual campaign. This year the items will be about experiences.

Cookie Walk/Craft Fair – December 8 in the lower meeting house. The cookie walk during the downtown invitation nights was a great success last year; this year we are adding a crafts fair into the mix.

The team meets the second Tuesday each month at 6:30pm via Zoom:

https://bit.ly/FUUNTeamZoomMeeting.

If you are interested but cannot make the meeting, please contact Vern Ellis at 617 686 9123 or vellis@ellisdesign.net.

We are bringing FUUN to the fellowship and stewardship at our church.

Serve as an online host for Sunday Worship Fellowship (following 10:30am worship)

Each week we have a growing community of parishioners who attend service online via our YouTube channel. Following worship we would love to provide a 20-minute meet & greet via Zoom. If you attend service online and would be willing to serve as a host for one of our post service fellowship opportunities, please email cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.

We will set up the Zoom link and all you have to do is show up and be ready to meet new friends!

The Choir Needs You!

If you love to sing, or you think you might learn to love to sing, we want you! Join the FRS Adult Choir in leading music making at the church. The choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7-8:40pm and warms up for worship on Sundays at 9am. All you need to join is enthusiasm!

There is no audition; being able to read music is helpful but not totally necessary. The choir sings about 3 times per month. Rehearsals begin on Thursday, August 31 at 7pm in the Lower Meeting House.

Join us!

For more information, please email Director of Church Music Justin Murphy-Mancini at justin.murphy-mancini@frsuu.org. 

Welcome, writers!

When: starts Tuesday, October 3 from 1-2pm in the Lower Meeting House (Zoom option available)

A six-week writers' group is forming in the fall, to include participants of any level of experience, interested in exploring across genres. An accepting, noncompetitive safe space for writing and for responsive listening will be offered. Class exercises will involve prompts, although forays of your own determination and inspiration are encouraged. 

Sharing can be at your own comfort level, and may be from something self-authored or selected from a published writing. Please bring either of these to our first meeting.

Methods may be somewhat fluid as we get to know each other, and determine together how best to foster the writing process with this set of participants. Avenues of discussion will be open, and may include the wisdom of professional authors. 

We hope to offer a welcoming, stimulating, enjoyable experience! 

Call on Parish Friends!

Do you know of anyone in our church community who could use a helping hand or an encouraging word? If so, please reach out to the FRS Parish Friends. For example, a member may need a ride to an appointment or appreciate a card to let them know we hold them in our thoughts. Or any other temporary support such as a family with a new baby who may welcome a meal! If so, please contact Susan Ricker at parishfriends@frsuu.org. You may also reach out to the church office at info@frsuu.org or call 978-465-0602.

Thank you to the 63 people who responded to this survey to date!

If you happen to be one of the 579 people who have not yet responded to this email, no worries! There is still time. Please take five minutes to let us know which email communications you would like to receive from the FRS each week.

To learn more about these communications and select which ones you prefer to receive each week, click on the white button below.

Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Helen Murgida; Affiliate Minister-Rev. Jane Tuohy; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church Operations–Rob Authier; Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Church Music Emerita–Barbara Owen; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Sexton–Donny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Jim Supple; Vice Chair-TBD; Finance Chair–Renée Wolf Foster; Governance Chair–Tom Himmel; Endowment Treasurer–Kim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Bob Higgins; Stewardship Chair–Vern Ellis; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Tina Benik, Lori Clark, Caitlin Creps, Laurie Evans-Daly, Minnie Flanagan, Liss Larsen, Annie Maurer.

First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950

978-465-0602 | frsuu.org