August Worship Services

August 4: Songs of Joy and Hope - Parish Hall (no Zoom)

In an era of endless conflict and disputation, join us this Sunday for a reprieve. Joan Caplan and friends will lead us in a service of songs of hope and joy that renew the spirit.

August 11: Schubert's Commonplace Epiphanies - Parish Hall (no Zoom)

Through his music, Franz Schubert sought epiphanies within the commonplace – a quest with meaning for all of us. Lois Shapiro, FUUSN ‘s cherished concert pianist and music educator, will help us understand the musical and intentional intricacies of an iconic Schubert composition, and show us its force, from beginning to end.

August 18: Jug Band Universalism - Parish Hall (no Zoom)

The second U in our name stands for Universalism, an old-time populist faith to which we are the sole heirs. Come to this service for some old time music from FUUSN’s infamous Jug Band, Outrageous Fortune. The day’s sermons will be drawn from the words of illustrious Universalists, and will, with a little luck, be delivered by an actual 19th century Universalist minister.

August 25: Listening - Parish Hall (no Zoom)

Are you good at listening? While we all manage to hear enough to get by, would things be different if we were great listeners? Would we find more depth in music? Would we discover more dimensions of nature? Would we experience our friends and loved ones more profoundly? This Sunday we will examine our habits of listening through a series of exercises that encourage us to really hear the music of our lives, the voices of our loved ones, and the free symphony of the world that surrounds us.

September 1: NO SERVICE

View all Summer Services Here

Childcare Support Needed During Services in August

We need childcare support for our August services. Volunteering with our youngest ones allows us to create a welcoming space for young families, and I know we all want that for young families! Please consider giving your time and talent to our youngest ones - you'll be supporting our professional childcare provider who knows the kids so well. Please contact Devin if you can help out.

Volunteer Opportunities for Lifespan Religious Exploration

(and not just on Sunday morning!)

You have an opportunity to share your time and talent with our religious exploration programs across the lifespan. If you are not already volunteering this year, I hope you will consider finding time to volunteer with our programs. We are expanding beyond Sunday morning so you won't even have to miss worship in order to volunteer for some of these opportunities. If any of these seem interesting to you or you have questions, please respond to Devin Shmueli. They are: 

Nursery: Sunday Mornings

We need more folk to volunteer to be in the nursery with our littlest ones to lighten the load on volunteers providing care for this cohort. This cohort is the future of FUUSN.

Coming of Age Childcare: Select Friday Nights and Other Times

When Coming of Age gathers, we need childcare support because we have a batch of mentors who have not mentored before. Some of them have young children who cannot be left home alone at home. This is one way to help make our Coming of Age program a HUGE success.

Spirit Play (K-2nd Grade): Sunday Mornings

A program that tells a story and time to reflect on the lessons learned from that story through "choice time."

The Bible and Soul Matters (3rd-5th Grade): Sunday Mornings

A program that reads the bible through a feminist lens telling biblical stories from the perspective of the women who lived them and explores a variety of themes throughout the year.  

Junior Youth Group and Our Unitarian Universalist Traditions (5th-7th Grade): Sundays from 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

A program that explores UU Identity, Theology, and History and incorporates social and justice-oriented activities. 

World Blessings: Multi-Generational: Two Sundays Monthly from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM (Setup 4:00-4:30, Cleanup 5:30-6:00) (Two Adult Facilitators, One Youth Facilitator Needed)

A program that explores world religions and cultures while preparing and sharing a meal representing the religion or culture of the day. Field trip options to explore and learn more deeply will also be provided.

High School Youth Group (8th-12th): Gathering Times Vary

This allows youth to gather together for social and justice-oriented activities and the Youth Group will have an overnight trip in the spring. 

Adult OWL Program: TBD (One Facilitator Needed)

This program requires that facilitators receive online training. Using values, communication skills, and spirituality as starting points, this program explores sexuality issues for adults of all ages. Builds an understanding of healthy sexual relationships, affirms diversity, and helps participants accept and affirm their own sexuality throughout their lives.

Zoom Vespers Resumes!

Come to Zoom Vespers on Fridays for music, readings, and conversation. The service runs from 6 to 6:30pm. Pre-service music begins around 5:47pm. Vespers dates: August 30, Sept. 6, 13, 27, Oct. 4, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 29, Dec. 20. Info: music@fusn.org

FUUSN Community Expo -Sunday, September 22, 2024

We will host an expo of our FUUSN groups and committees from 11:30am - 1pm (during coffee hour) on Sunday, September 22, 2024 in the Parish Hall.  

Invite your friends to experience what FUUSN has to offer! 

Come and find out what the FUUSN community groups and activities have to offer! At  the  FUUSN Community Expo you will learn about:

• our spiritual offerings
• volunteer opportunities
• social justice work
• our events and retreats

And so much more…

Questions?  Contact FUUSN-Community-Expo@fusn.org

Do you need to register your committee/group?  Fill out this form.

Soul Matters Sharing Circle Groups to Start in September

Last year, FUUSN had over 20 people in four Soul Matters Groups meeting monthly to explore and share on various spiritual topics.  The groups are provided with a packet that enables members of the small group to explore a topic in the way and to the depth that suits them personally and then share on that topic at a group meeting.   These groups enable all of the members to share what is going on for them and are different from other small group ministries we have had at FUUSN in that they are not discussion-based - Soul Matters is built around deep listening.  To learn more about our approach, click here. 

Groups reform each church year in September/October which enables members to get to know a different group of people more deeply.   We know this will be popular based on how well attended all our groups were - it became an important touchstone for our group members. Newcomers are more than welcome!

If you would like to learn more about joining a group this fall or have an interest in taking a 2 hour training course* to become a facilitator for a group, please click here.   If you have difficulty with Google, please email us at contact-member-services@fusn.org.

*New Facilitator Training offered 4 times:  Aug 17, Aug 27, Sep 17, and Sep 28

FUUSN Choir Potluck and Open Rehearsal - Wed., Sept. 4, 6-9pm - Kitchen and Parish Hall

Come eat a lot and sing a bit with the choir!

Gospel Music Retreat - Saturday, September 14, 2024

Save the Date! Gospel singing with Geoff Hicks on Saturday September 14, 9am-1:30pm in the Parish Hall. For more information, email music@fusn.org.

Bill Holland's Celebration of Life - Sept. 21 at 2pm

A memorial service for Bill Holland will be held at FUUSN on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 2pm. You may view his obituary here.

Over 60s Fall Presentations Planned

September 29, 2024, 11am-2pm

Yoga - Presentation plus Practice with Helena Froehlich and colleagues - Alliance Room

October 20, 2024, 12-1:30pm

Presentation by Marty Lowenthal on “Common Sense Mindfulness in Changing Times” -  Alliance Room 

November 17, 2024, 12-1:30pm

Presentation by Kevan Hartshorn, MD. on “Understanding New Cancer Therapies and Their Importance for Older Adults.” - Alliance Room

World Blessings

This year, our multi-generational offering will celebrate cultural and religious diversity, and the program, called World Blessings, will start in October and go through May. The group will meet on one or two Sundays per month from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, and will include people of all ages from 3rd grade and up.  

An important tenet of Unitarian Universalism is an appreciation of our world and its many blessings.  World Blessings introduces participants to our world's diverse countries, religions, and holidays through the shared activity of cooking. Cooking is a fun activity that helps keep people of all ages engaged and participating while they learn about the world.

I am seeking a few co-facilitators, including one of High School age. If you think you are interested, please let me know. We’ll form a team to lead this fun program together. If you would like to facilitate, please email Devin.

Ferry Beach - The Best Start for the FUUSN Year! - October 11-14, 2024

Three Days on the Beach with friends from FUUSN! Register NOW for our retreat at Ferry Beach, ME.

We already have 20 people signed up for the Indigenous Peoples Weekend retreat on the coast of Maine!  Won’t you join us?   

To find out more and to register, please click here:  2024 Ferry Beach Retreat: Friday, October 11 – Monday, October 14 – First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton (fusn.org)  (Scholarship funding available for those in need.)