October 19, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Sunday Worship - at Atkinson Common
• Interested in becoming a Worship Associate for 2023-24? 
• New Member Sunday - Contemplating Membership at FRS?
• Save the Date: Next Justice Sunday is November 13
• Sign up to bring a soup!
• FRS 2022 Fall Festival
• Friday Night Fellowship
• Volunteer & Donation Opportunities
• Community Service of Newburyport Personal Care Drive
• Upcoming Events
• Exploring Elderhood Together
• Tuesday Short Story Group
• Friday Book Group
• The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism-An Afternoon with Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Megan Marshall
• Community-wide News & Events
• The Michael Servetus/InterNational Conference Against Racism
• Amesbury Cultural Council Open Studio Weekend
• Weekly Wellness Programming
• Monday Night Meditation
• Tuesday Spiritual Practice
• Wednesday Guided Relaxation

Annual Ministry Theme: Peace

October Ministry Theme: Inner Peace

Sunday, October 23, 2022

“Animal Blessing and Honoring”

Atkinson Common, 388 High Street, Newburyport

10:30am in person at Atkinson Common and livestream on YouTube

 Gather with Rev. Rebecca and Julie Parker-Amery outdoors at Atkinson Common as we celebrate the human and animal connection and honor the wholeness of animals as their own unique beings. Companion animals are most welcome to attend, and you are invited to bring photographs of treasured animals past and present as the service will include our annual animal blessing and remembrance of beloved animals lost.

“By ethical conduct toward all creatures, we enter into a spiritual relationship with the universe.” -Albert Schweitzer

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

This Month's Shared Sunday Collection

This month’s Shared Collection will support the Greater Newbury Elder Pet Fund, serving Newburyport, West Newbury, Amesbury, Salisbury, and Rowley.

To attend worship in person, you must be vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated are welcome to attend services online. Masks are not required for in-person worship. Socially distant seating is available in designated areas of the sanctuary.

Interested in becoming a Worship Associate for 2023-24?

Here’s a special invitation just for you!

Serving as a Worship Associate in our Sunday services is a wonderful way to support the spiritual life of our congregation. Is this a role that might be calling out to you? As the first speakers on Sunday mornings, Worship Associates set the tone for our worship service, support Rev. Rebecca and other worship participants in the design and facilitation of the service, and hold space for the congregation for what will hopefully be a rich and meaningful experience. 

If serving as a Worship Associate in the 2023-24 church year interests you, we invite you to join the current Worship Associates on a half-day retreat Saturday, October 22nd, from 9am until 1pm. This could be a great way to get a taste of being with this group. 

Our four hours together will include personal, spiritual, and life growth focus as well as exploring the components of our worship services for the best support of our congregation. If you have questions or would like to join us on October 22nd, please contact cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.

 On Justice Sundays we will gather in fellowship for soup, salad, and discussion! Throughout the 2022-23 church year, we are seeking volunteers to bring a soup. To sign up, click on the blue button below the photo:

Photos from FRS's Fall Festival held this past Sunday. A special thanks to FRS parishioners Max and Meredith Russell for their generous donation of fresh baked cider donuts and apple cider from their family-operated orchard in Ipswich, MA.

Vern Ellis and Carole Cowie help serve cider

Young Church enjoying the activities...everyone loves a piñata!

Renee Wolf Foster - popcorn chef du jour!

The trading of treats begins!

Friday Night Fellowship

When: Friday, October 21, from 6-8pm in the Lower Meetinghouse

Friday Night Fellowship (formerly Wednesday Night Fellowship) makes its return with a potluck dinner—all who attend are invited to bring a dish of some sort to share… anything: salad, bread, a main dish, dessert… whatever inspires. Part of the fun of a potluck is seeing what turns up! Dinner is followed by a brief, interactive worship service led by Rev. Rebecca (often involving a ritual), then a program.

The program for October will be community storytelling. The theme is: “Chilling, Thrilling, or A Little Bit Spooky.” What personal story do you have to share that will give us a little chill? All are invited to come prepared to share a story, or to just listen if that’s your preference. We’ll also have some fun icebreaker activities. Please contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, if you plan to share a story (we’ll also take impromptu stories that night, time permitting). 

Don’t feel comfortable with a community meal? Feel free to come for worship and the program only, starting at about 6:45pm. 

Please consider bringing your own plate, cup, and silverware to reduce waste.

Contact Julie Parker Amery at julie.amery@frsuu.org with questions.

Community service of Newburyport Personal Care Drive

Our annual Community Service of Newburyport Personal Care Drive will be held Sunday, November 6 and November 13, sponsored by our Community Human Services Committee. You can support this project by bringing items to the table in the vestibule and/or you can make a donation and we will do your shopping. A member of the committee will be collecting cash donations after church each Sunday. Personal Care items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, and diapers are gratefully appreciated. This agency counts on our donations in November to resupply their shelves for the winter months. 



For further information, please contact Linda Buddenhagen, 978-463-0882.

Exploring Elderhood Together

When: Thursday, October 20 from 1-3pm in the Lower Meetinghouse

Ageism Unmasked:

Dr. Tracey Gendron, PhD (recorded interview)

Join us for our first gathering of the church year, and our first-ever gathering in person! 

Dr. Gendron, a nationally recognized gerontologist and speaker on ageism, offers a fascinating exploration of the understudied and overlooked issues of age bias and discrimination — the often subtle and unconscious practices that reduce an elder’s whole personhood. She explores ageism’s roots and impact today, offers a broader and deeper understanding of aging, and suggests what we can do to create a new reality of elderhood.

Small group discussions that follow will allow us to consider and share how ageism shows up in our lives, and what we can do to change the narrative of aging.

This session will last 30 minutes longer than usual, as we want to spend time at the end in conversation about the year ahead for EET and the need for ideas and leadership to develop the program going forward. 

Cider and cookies will be served. All are welcome. Please join us!

You are welcome to be maskless if you test negative before attending.

Questions? Contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, at julie.amery@frsuu.org.

Tuesday Short Story Group

When:1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month

The short story group focuses on reading and discussing anthologies. Contact Tom Himmel at thimmel43@mac.com for more information. All welcome to join!

Friday Book Group

When: Fridays from 10-11:30am in the Lower Meetinghouse and on Zoom

We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by the participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. 

We are currently reading The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall (who will be speaking at FRS on November 5). 

In Part II, early Unitarian doings and characters made an appearance, with the eldest sister meeting William Ellery Channing who makes his seminal "Baltimore Sermon" in 1819. 

For the next meeting on October 21, we are reading chapters 11-15 (Part III & into Part IV), which is through page 170 and continues a deeper dive into the sisters’ early lives.

Feel free to join us in progress - we meet in the LMH and currently we are doing hybrid meetings for those who need/want to join by Zoom.

For more information, contact Tom Himmel, thimmel43@mac.com.

The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism

An Afternoon with Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Megan Marshall

When: Saturday, November 5 at 2pm in the Sanctuary

Join us for a very special afternoon with Pulitzer Prize winner Megan Marshall, who will speak about her writing and her first biography The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism. Earning praise from William Grimes of The New York Times as “the intellectual equivalent of a triple axel,” Marshall’s group biography explores the lives of Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody--our American Brontës--and their central role in shaping the thinking of their day. These remarkable women were Unitarians, Transcendentalists, and friends of Reverend Thomas Wentworth Higginson and other influential 19th century Unitarians. It’s a deep dive into our Unitarian history and an important read. There will be ample time for questions and conversation; you’re encouraged to read the book beforehand if you can, but there will be copies available for sale if you have not yet read it.

Please note that the FRS Friday Book Group has voted to make this their next book for discussion. The group meets every Friday morning at 10am and is always open to new members. Please contact Tom Himmel at thimmel43@mac.com for more information about the Book Group.

The Michael Servetus/InterNational Conference Against Racism

When: October 28–October 30, 2022. This is a hybrid conference with Zoom options.

This conference is in honor of one of our martyrs, Michael Servetus, whose idea of recreating a form of Christianity to include Jews and Muslims is an archetype of what we mean by multiracial Unitarian Universalism. It is being sponsored by the Religious Professional Task Force of the Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Unity Action Council—UUMUAC. Our theme is the vital role which Multiracial Unitarian Universalism, as an embodiment of the Seven Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, especially the Fourth Principle, can play in the struggle against racism in all its forms from Afghanistan to Zambia. 

The Hilton Geneva Hotel and Conference Center, Geneva, Switzerland, will be the site for our key activities, and the times for the hybrid activities will be 9am–3pm, Central Time (10am–4pm Eastern; 7am–1pm Pacific) and 4–10 pm, Geneva, Switzerland time. 

For more details, visit www.uumuac.org/international.

Amesbury Cultural Council Open Studio Weekend

When: Saturday, November 12 from 10am-5pm at 14 Cedar Street, Amesbury

Parishioner and artist knitter Linda Buddenhagen, owner of LindyWare, will be showing new designs titled "Random Acts of Color Mitts," "Walking together Cowl," plus more. She will also have the old favorites - "Hug Me Cowls," "Hug Me Mitts," "Cake Cowls," "Journey Mitts," etc. 

All made with Peace and Love! Please forward this info to any friends who might be interested. If these dates are not convenient for you, please contact Linda at 978-463-0882, and we will arrange a LindyWare Popup Shop at a time that works for you. Thank you for your support.

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; 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–Tina Benik; Vice Chair-Jim Supple; Finance Chair–Renée Wolf Foster; Governance Chair–Tom Himmel; Endowment Treasurer–Kim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Laurie Evans-Daly; Stewardship Chair–Vern Ellis; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Holly Cashman, Marissa Dewey, Minnie Flanagan, Michelle Kimball, Annie Maurer, Tom Stites.

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

978-465-0602 | frsuu.org