This Week in Worship

10:30 a.m. in the Meetinghouse – Sunday, January 15, 2017

This month’s theme: Potential

Message from Rev. Lisa

There was much activity at First Parish this last weekend. Spaghetti Dinner, Conversation on Race, and Our Whole Lives Session on Friday, then many meetings beginning at 8:30 Sunday morning and after church till 3.

One person who you rarely see but prepares our spaces for gatherings is Kevin Harnden, our sexton. Kevin is a stalwart steward of our operations, steadily prepping the building for our varied schedules and events. There was quite a bit of snow to contend with in order to secure our meeting spaces, and Kevin came through. It is hard to prep a place during snow because the minute you clear a walkway, the wind or precipitation covers it up again, so Kevin often comes out more than once with great care so that we find our way into the building. There are shovels and snow melt near the two office entrances available should you see that another sweep is needed. I want to thank the congregants who do occasionally assist Kevin when the weather offers more obstruction than one person’s efforts can address.

Stewardship of the physical space for access and safety is vital for our operations. Thank you, Kevin, and thanks to all who leave a meeting space the way they found it, offering to the community the wonderful opportunity to engage with one another.

Blessings Be,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

• Nursery care will be available from 9:00 am to noon for infants and toddlers.
• Preschool children through grade 8 will attend the first part of the worship service in the Meetinghouse and then move to the Children’s Church.
• Preschool through grade 8: Children’s Church service on the UU Sources
  Grades 8 and 9: Our Whole Lives class does not meet this weekend
• Youth Chat will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Youth Group will meet from noon to approximately 1 pm. Both are located in the Youth room upstairs.

Spaghetti Dinner and Game Night

When: Friday, February 3, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Don’t miss it! Youth Group-sponsored Spaghetti Dinner includes pasta, meatballs, salad and bread for $5 per person (gluten-free pasta available). Proceeds will help fund youth group participation in a spring service trip led by CityReach Boston.

News and Announcements

• The next Fair Food date is Saturday, January 14! Please meet at the church at 10 am. Contact Tony Dutzik for more details
• Please join Rev. Lisa Ward at Milton Interfaith Clergy Association – The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Character and Leadership: Where do we go from here?

When: Monday, January 16, 2017 @ 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Concord Baptist Church – Milton, MA

Rev. Lisa will offer charge to those gathered.

In observation of the Holiday, there are no evening Yoga classes for Monday, January 16th, 2017

WOMEN’S MARCH IN WASHINGTON

We have secured a bus to bring us to and from the Women’s March in Washington on January 21, 2017. Seats are still available on the bus.

Please contact Debbie Alsebai

WOMEN’S MARCH IN BOSTON

We definitely have the interest to participate as a group in the Boston event. More details to follow in next week’s Link after Social Action meets over the weekend. Check out this link to see what is being planned for Boston.

Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-womens-march-for-america-tickets-29650185503?team_token=1727065-s37s1

POSTER MAKING PARTY

If you are interested in making a poster for either Women’s March events in Boston or Washington, please visit the Church of Our Savior at 453 Adams Street in Milton on Tuesday, January 17th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm

FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

We are forming a group to provide additional floral arrangements both in the meetinghouse and parish hall from time to time.

If you are interested in being part of the group – or at least hearing more about it, please come meet on Sunday, January 22 at 11:45am in the library. Myrtle Flight is coordinating this new initiative. If you would like more information or want to let Myrtle know you are interested, please call her at: 617-361-8595

SNOW REMOVAL

If you are able to help with snow removal, we appreciate your support. Kevin Harnden can always use an extra shoveler on Worship Sunday’s to help keep First Parish accessible for us! And thank you to the choir member who helped Kevin last Sunday morning before the service.

RENEWAL HOUSE

We are holding a drive for the month of January to collect supplies for Renewal House, a domestic violence shelter for individuals and families who are fleeing violence.

Items needed: laundry detergent, Downy softener, paper towels, toilet paper and sandwich bags.

Please bring your donation to Social Hours after worship on Sundays in January, or leave your donation in designated boxes around the church.

Kiki’s Corner

The office is closed for the holiday on Monday, January 16.

We will be sending a second email this week from Chris and Dottie Pitt, our Stewardship C0-chairs. It is an encore presentation of what was presented during the worship service last Sunday.

Snow Cancellation Information:

If the Milton Public Schools close for snow, so does First Parish. Sundays we realize are trickier. We will call it by 8 a.m. on Sunday. Look for cancellations in three places.

• Channel 5, WCVB television. Look for First Parish – Milton. Check their website if you want to get automatic, direct notification through the TV station. www.wcvb.com.
• Check our website. We put a banner on the home page with closing information.
• Check our Facebook page. First Parish Milton UU. We will post cancellations there.

Deadline for items for The Link and announcements for the Order of Worship is Tuesday at 5 pm. Please keep to 1 – 2 paragraphs.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!

EVERY SUNDAY

Worship, 10:30am in the Meetinghouse

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

THE SUNDAY PLANNER

Please consider volunteering for important Sunday worship positions like ushering, hosting social hour, providing flowers for worship, and lighting the chalice. Sign Up Here!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

• Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 3 pm
• Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

• Tuesday – Thurday 10:00 am – 3 pm
• Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays.