This Week in Worship

10:30 a.m. in the Meetinghouse — Sunday, January 8, 2017

This month’s theme: Potential

Message from Rev. Lisa

As you walk in the link (our passageway to the Parish Hall from the Meetinghouse) there is much to peruse on our bulletin boards. Local news, Parish happenings, social justice information…a wealth of activities. Perhaps you have noticed the bulletin board to the right of the library entrance and seen how it changes month to month. Our Director of Religious Education, Laurel Whitehouse, has been designing that board, reflecting our monthly worship themes. It is an experience in itself: teachable quotes, eye-catching graphics, wisdom, humor and care. What we say on our walls reflects who we are. As we explore these themes together, be sure to check out Laurel’s offering – a way to enrich our learning and reflecting together.

The theme this month is “potential”, from the line in our covenant which reads: “..In the human potential for goodness…” We will be exploring the concept of potential on Sunday morning, through increased initiatives in Social Action and the beginnings of our stewardship drive. We engage our potential through relational choices and intentional action. Do stay tuned to all the offerings and bring your good selves to the work. Let’s explore all that we can do together.

Blessings Be,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

• Nursery care will be available during the service for infants and toddlers.
• Preschool children through grade 7 will attend the first part of the worship service in the Meetinghouse and then move downstairs to their classrooms.
• Preschool through grade 1: Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom
• Grades 2 through 5: Spirited Adventure in the Activity Room
• Grades 6 and 7: Friends and Neighbors in the Primary classroom – Parent meeting at 11:35 am in the classroom downstairs
• Grades 8 and 9: Friday, January 6 – Our Whole Lives class will meet from 6:30 to 9:00 pm, Sunday, January 8 – Joining Youth Chat
• Youth Chat will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Youth room upstairs. Youth Group will not meet this week.

Youth Group-sponsored Spaghetti Dinner

When: this Friday, January 6 from 6:00 to 8 pm. Dinner includes pasta, meatballs, salad and bread for $5 per person (gluten-free pasta available). All proceeds go towards funding youth group participation in a spring service trip organized by CityReach Boston.

Save the date: The final Spaghetti Dinner will be held on Friday, February 3. Don’t miss it!

News and Announcements

Racial Dialogues – Friday, January 6

• The Social Action Committee along with Milton for Peace is hosting a dialogue on race in the Meetinghouse from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
• Join us before the dialogue for a Spaghetti Dinner in the Parish Hall at 6:00 PM.

– Our Holiday Season was spectacular and it went by smoothly due to all of our volunteers! Thank you for all you do!

– Monday Night Yoga Resumes on Monday, January 9th!

– Other Upcoming Events from the Social Action Committee

The next Social Action Committee meeting is this Sunday, January 8 at 8:30 AM in the Parlor.

The next Fair Food date is Saturday, January 14!

Please meet at the church at 10 am.

Contact Tony Dutzik for more details.

Join the Social Action Committee together with Milton for Peace and Milton Race Dialogues in attending The Scottsboro Boys, a musical based on the true story of nine African American boys jailed in 1931 for a crime they did not commit.

Sunday, January 15 at 3:00 PM or Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 at the Calderwood Pavillion in the South End. The cast gives a short talk after the show.

Tickets are $50 or students $25. Purchase tickets through Debbie Alsebai

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 contactDebbie Alsebai

We will leave Friday night, January 20th – march on Saturday, January 21st and drive back Saturday evening. The roundtrip fare is $85.

Note: The office can provide help toward the cost if needed.

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?aff=affiliate1

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

Happy New Year

We are back to our regular office schedule: Monday – Thursday 10 am – 3 pm.

• There are a variety of social action events happening this month. There is a toiletry drive for Renewal House this month. Check out their section in the Link.
• The Youth Group has two more fund-raising spaghetti dinners – first Fridays in January and February. You can check our calendar on our home page of the website.
• As we have gotten a few moments of winter over the past few weeks, please note that there are buckets of snowmelt near most of our entry doors. If you find it a bit slippery on your way in, please take a moment to take a couple of shovels full and put on the sidewalk for the next person.
• This is also probably a good time to do a reminder about our snow closing information. During the week, the office will close when the Milton public schools are closed. We will make a decision about a Sunday service by 8 am Sunday. In recent memory (3-5 years), it has happened once. The governor declared a state of emergency for the entire Commonwealth.
• We are registered with WCVB – Channel 5 so you can look for our listing, First Parish – Milton, on the bottom of the screen. They accept posts that we are closed. We will also post on our Facebook page.

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.