Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 11/18/2016

Weekly Link 11/18/2016

Church

This Week in Worship

November 20, 2016 – Meetinghouse @ 10:30 am

November Worship Theme: Spirituality

Our offering this morning will be dedicated to Community Servings, a food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses. Every third Sunday, First Parish Milton dedicates the offering to a social action initiative. This initiative comes from the anti-poverty task force. If writing a check, please put in the memo “Community Servings”; otherwise your check will be applied to your pledge.

“Thanks for Giving” Celebration — November 20 at 4 pm

This Sunday, November 20 the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (MICA) invites the Milton community to its “Thanks for Giving” Celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. at Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills, 18 Shoolman Way, Milton.

The highlight of this celebration will be the presentation of “Thanks for Giving Volunteer of the Year” Awards by Milton’s community and religious organizations. MICA is proud to host an event that honors the service of those who make their lives a testament of generosity by giving of themselves.

AMY NORTON is our “Thanks for Giving” honoree and we invite folks to come and celebrate her! We hope that many will attend as it is an honor to acknowledge all of our community’s volunteers.

Amy Norton has been on the Caring Committee at First Parish Milton for twelve years and held the position of chair for the past six. She will be the first to tell you that the Caring Committee isn’t about one person, but rather is composed of half a dozen people who work to facilitate caring within the community. It reflects the ways in which we are all connected to each other and richer for the experience. Amy believes that it is through the time and energy that is spent on others that life becomes richer for each of us.

Message from Rev. Lisa

This Sunday will be First Parish’s annual corn bread communion. A timely event, indeed. With the tremors in mind and heart after the seismic political development of the election, it will be good to welcome nourishment, ground ourselves in body wisdom, and partake of the call of beloved community. Communion ritualizes equanimity. It offers the strength of generations honoring shared being, which is where justice, equity and compassion dwell.

Personally, it is just the right send off for me as I travel to North Carolina to visit my mother. She entered hospice in early September. It will be good to spend a week with her. I will be out of the office from Monday, 11/21 through Monday 11/28. The Caring Committee, chaired by Amanda Tobey, is available for pastoral concerns. Her contact information is with the office or in the member directory.

It is hard to believe that I started this pastorate nearly four months ago. Much is in the works already, and though we are just in the beginning of finding a rhythm together, the richness of this community is ever evident. First Parish Milton is abundant with treasures of the spirit, of the arts and of compassion.
May you find abundance in this Thanksgiving week.

Blessings,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

Religious Education classes for November 20

  • Preschool through grade 12 begin in the Meetinghouse
  • Our Whole Lives class begins at 10:30 am in the Children’s Church

All regular RE classes will meet downstairs. Please note that classes end at 11:40 am. Children in second grade and younger need to be met in their classroom by a parent. Older children will be released at the end of class to go to Social Hour in the Parish Hall.

  • Preschool through grade 1: Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom (new location)
  • Grades 2 through 5: Spirited Adventure in the Activity Room (new location)
  • Grades 6 and 7: Friends and Neighbors in the Primary classroom
  • Our Whole Lives class (grades 8 and 9, parental permission required) will be meeting from 10:30 am to noon in the Children’s Church.
  • Grades 10 to 12: Hosting Social Hour in the Parish Hall, followed by Youth Group in the second floor Youth Room from noon to approximately 1:00 pm.

News and Announcements

Holiday Gift Project – Milton Residence Fund

Our Annual Holiday Gift Project starts Sunday, November 20th!

This is our opportunity to help the children of Milton through the Milton Residence Fund Holiday Gifts Program, sign up to give 1 or more gifts. Come to social hour to get instructions and a gift tag for a boy or girl of your choosing. All presents/gift cards should be dropped off on Sunday, December 11.

Questions? please contact Beth Gray-Nix at: bgraynix@comcast.net

Deadline

FYI: The Link Deadline will be Sunday November 20 for the Thursday, November 24 edition of The Link

Spaghetti Dinners

Spaghetti Dinners have returned!

Friday, December 2nd, is the first installment in the spaghetti dinner trilogy, beginning at 6:30pm. This dinner event will be put on by the Youth Group to benefit a later participation in City Reach. More information on City Reach can be found at http://commoncathedral.org/cityreach/.

A $5 donation is suggested. This event will coincide with RE’s Holiday Craft Night.

Shared Social Hour

FIRST-EVER FIRST PARISH SHARED SOCIAL HOUR — SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Social Hour hosts Melinda and Harris Collins/Tucker and Hale Smith are trying something new: a shared Social Hour (think “potluck”) following church on 12/4.

If you are willing and able, please bring a plate, a bowl, a basket of a “finger food” food item to share with all who gather for coffee and cider. Drop it off in the kitchen when you arrive and label, please, if it’s gluten-free or contains nuts. Suggestions: cookies, animal crackers, cheese/crackers, veggies/dip/hummus, fruits (grapes, apples, dried), muffins, bagels/spread, coffee cake/pastries, etc.

The idea this day is to experiment with a system that has worked well elsewhere — lighten the load, share the love, do it when you can. Let’s give it a go!

Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch and Christmas Tree Pick Up

When: December 3, 9 am – 12 noon

Christmas Tree Pickup

11th Annual Christmas Tree Sale

Pre-order your grade A1 premium Fraser Fir Christmas trees today! Trees are $65 and payment with pre-order is preferred. Trees will be cut down first week in December and will be available for pick up Saturday, December 3rd during the Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch at First Parish. Pick up a preorder form in the Parish Hall on the information table and place completed form and check in the gray box outside of the office. First come, first served.

Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch

When: December 3, 2016 9 am – 12 noon

We are again holding our holiday fair and celebration.

This event will begin at 9 am in the Parish Hall with a delicious free breakfast. Tables of crafts, jewelry, scarves, ornaments and items made all over the world will be for sale. Also featured will be Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, cocoa and other items. Santa will be paying a visit and will pose for pictures with kids of all ages. Please come and bring your friends.

This year, if members also happen to be craftspeople, they can rent a table to sell their items for $25 per table. They will be responsible for all set up and clean up of their items and they should make the check payable to First Parish Milton. Please contact Leslie Macpherson Artinian for more details.

The fair will continue on Sunday, December 4 during coffee hour.

Thank you for your feedback in our recent survey on faith deepening. We have interest enough for the start of several groups, which will pan out after the winter holidays. Stay tuned for more info. Thank you, also, for your comments. This is good feedback for future surveys.

Kiki

Kiki’s Corner

I am off on vacation from November 17 – November 27 returning on Monday, November 28. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Please check out the Social Action Committee News and Announcements. Great information on Community Servings, our 3rd Sunday collection recipient this month, and volunteer opportunities there.

Thanksgiving Week Office Schedule

  • Kathy Tracey will be in the office between 10 am and 2 pm Monday – Wednesday
  • The office will be closed on Thursday and Friday November 24 and 25.

Social Action Committee

News and Announcements

The Social Action Committee will have its next meeting on Sunday, December 4 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM in the Parlor at
FP Milton. Some of our members attended the Navigating Whiteness program and learned about the successes and challenges other congregations have had in addressing racial justice. Others have been attending Race Dialogues at the Milton Public Library. We are exploring ways to keep this conversation going and ways to take action.

Community Servings

Debbie Alsebai and Linda Goodrich are helping. More volunteers wanted.

Community Servings provides free, culturally appropriate, home-delivered meals, nutrition education, and other programs.to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses.

You can sign up for any of these shifts at this link.
http://www.servings.org/volunteer/volunteer.cfm

Pie Pick Up and Delivery

Pies need to be picked up from participating bakers and delivered to Community Servings located at 18 Marbury Terrace in Jamaica Plain.

  • Monday, 11/21 from 10 to 2 or 11 to 3
  • Tuesday, 11/22 from 10 to 2 or 11 to 3

Looking for volunteers with their own vehicles to help deliver meals across the greater Boston area. All volunteers will go through a delivery orientation during the first half hour of the shift to prepare you.

Deliveries will be grouped together in surrounding communities like Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop.

Thursday, 11/24 from 9 to 12, 10 to 1 or 11 to 2.

We will continue with the mentoring program at the Timily Middle School this year. For more info contact Linda at lindacarneygoodrich@yahoo.com

Thanks for all who came out last week. The next date for Fair Foods is December 10th. Meet in the church parking lot at 10:00 AM and drive together to First Parish Roxbury, or meet at FP Roxbury at 10:30 AM Sign up at coffee hour or email Tony at tdutzik@earthlink.net

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.