This Week in Worship

Sunday, July 26

Summmer Worship @ 10:30 am in Parish Hall

Worship leader this week is Rev. Hank Peirce

Don’t Believe the Hype:

I learned long ago not to believe what is written, in even the finest newspapers, but it took me a while to understand that I needed to apply that rule to my own beliefs. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate together in the the Parish House.

The Nursery is closed for the summer.
All children are welcomed to attend the service.

August Worship Schedule:
August 2nd Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce / Music – Tim Steele
August 9th Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce
August 16th Worship Leader – TBD / Music – Joel Hiller
August 23rd Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce / Music – Joel Hiller
August 30th Worship Leader – Hank Peirce / Music – Tim Steele

Religious Exploration

NO Religious Exploration during the summer. We will be back in the Fall! Please register your child/children for the 2015 – 2016 season.

First Lego League

Sunday afternoons 1-2:30 starting this fall

We are forming a new team for kids who will be between 8 and 12 years old next school year. We will be meeting on Sunday afternoons starting in late August. First Lego teams are limited to 10 members. To register, or for more information, please contact Bridget Sitkoff.

News and Announcements

And activities continue during the summer at First Parish Milton.

Our Committees are Working and Planning

There is great activity amidst what many consider the quiet season at church. Many of our lay leaders are hard at work all summer long. The office is working on a vareity of projects, some in conjunction with lay leadership and some planning for next fall (particularly Miriam Saavedra in her role of Religious Educator and Kiki Giatis on office infrastructure).

Committee Retreats. Membership Committee retreat is August 16. Worship Committee is August 29. Search Committee, Parish Committee and the RE Committee have finished their retreats. All good preparations to talk more deeply and plan for an exciting fall.

Committe Work continues. Trustee’s have their regular committee meeting in mid-August. Hospitality also has plans to meet during the summer.

Committee Chairs: Please let the office know of the dates of your regular meetings come September. We will include the information on our master calendar which is also displayed on our website. We can also assist in securing space for the meeting (typically the library). The Parlor and Parish Hall will be available for use on Wednesday evenings.

Special Thank You to our Worship Leaders in June and July. Thanks also to worship leaders Elise Henricks, Jeff Stoodt and David Egan, Jennie Mulqueen for making the service happen and Worship Chair, Leslie MacPherson Artinian for all the coordination. Rev. Hank will be the worship leader this coming Sunday and most of August.

Ministerial Search Committee is working through the summer. They have been on retreat, met with Rev. Hank, and are working to roll out a number of activities come the fall. Committee members pictured from left to right: Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich (chair), Tracey Robinson, Elise Henricks, Brigitte Miller, Jim May, Franc Graham.

September and October Activities

Don’t forget to mark your calendars!

• Sunday, September 6 – Worship Begins again in the Meetinghouse
• Sunday, September 13 – Ingathering!, RE Teacher Training
• Saturday, September 19 – First Parish Orientation
• Sunday, September 27 – RE Classes begin
• Saturday, October 3 – The Return of the Harvest Supper
• Sunday, October 4 – Membership Sunday
• Friday, October 30 – First Parish Halloween Party

YOGA and MEDITATION CONTINUE ALL SUMMER LONG

Monday evenings at 7:30. Join Elyse Foster for Yoga in the Parish Hall. The group meets all year.

Sunday mornings at 9 am and Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. Meditation in the Children’s Church for 30 minutes. Questions? Contact Tracey Robinson

Beyond our Walls – Connecting with other UU organizations

Foundation Beyond Belief #blacklivesmatter Conference

Dear Boston-area UU friends and colleagues,

At the Portland General Assembly two weeks ago, I was proud to represent my local congregation as a delegate when we approved the Action of Immediate Witness entitled, “Support the Black Lives Matter Movement”. The Ware lecture by Dr. Cornel West was a highlight of the week, and the “die-in” demonstration at the close was inspirational. Learn more.

As part of the UU Humanist Association’s response to this call of support, we are co-sponsoring the Foundation Beyond Belief’s Humanism at Work / #blacklivesmatter conference that will be in Boston in just a few short weeks, on July 25th at the Park Plaza Hotel. Join us as we discuss the secular and humanist response to systemic racism and hear from black leaders about how we can take action to help address the issue. Find out more here.

As a thanks for our sponsorship, the Foundation Beyond Belief has allowed us to offer a $99 registration (normally $125) to Boston-area UUs. Please contact Noelle George to take advantage of this opportunity. Noelle is also looking for some local volunteers to help pick up speakers from the airport and do other tasks and has a limited number of free registrations available in exchange.

Great Opportunities to Volunteer and/or Enjoy Jazz Concerts — to sign up or get involved in any of these opportunities, please contact: Rev. Rebecca Hinds 617-318-6010, x214

Every Saturday, 10am-1pm: Fair Foods at the UU Urban Ministry

Saturday, August 15, 1 pm: Jazz concert on the UUUM lawn
A neighborhood music, arts, and culture festival featuring St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Steel Band,Citywide String Orchestra, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, and more! Please join us!

Kiki’s Corner

Summer Season at the Office – Update

The office is open Monday – Thursday 10:30 am – 2 pm through September 3. Rev. Hank Pierce, Kiki Giatis, Miriam Saavedra, and Kevin Harnden all will be taking time off and vacation during July and August. Tim Steele and Sara Elizabeth Santa Cruz will return in September.

Kiki, Miriam and Kevin are not in the office on Sundays through August. Kevin is on vacation from July 24th toAugust 3rd.

Best to check with us if you are planning to drop by the office.

Reminder re electronic pledges. We are now in a new fiscal year. If you have traditionally filed a form with the office to do electronic withdrawal, the form expired June 30, 2015. You can contact the office for another form. You may go to our website or CLICK HERE to set up an electronic withdrawal. You may also set up automatic bill pay through your own bank or write us a check. Questions? Please contact the office.

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!