This Week in Worship

Sunday, January 17 — Worship @ 10:30 am in Meetinghouse

The Rev. Rebecca Parker writes about driving through a small town and seeing lots of sand bags and flotsam around, and saying to her companion, “there must have just been a flood.” She drove through another town with the same sort of debris and again thinking that a flood had just happened. Then she drove down a small road and found it covered with water and at first she thought the water was receding only to realize that it hadn’t just flooded it was flooding! She was able to quickly turn around and safely get to higher ground.

Rev. Parker later reflected “that to be white in America is to travel ensconced in a secure vehicle, to see signs of what is happening in the world outside and not realize that those signs have any contemporary meaning. It is to be dislocated, to misjudge your location and believe that you are uninvolved and unaffected by what is happening in the world.” These are important lessons for all of us to realize and remember as we travel through our land and our nation.

Peace,
Rev. Hank

Monday evening is

The Milton Community’s Annual Memorial Celebration of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Just Us or Justice? The Choice is Ours

When: Monday Evening, January 18th 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Where: Concord Baptist Church, 180 Blue Hills Avenue, Milton, MA

Sponsored by Milton Interfaith Clery Association

Religious Exploration

Sunday, January 17 – Multigenerational Service

NO Religious Exploration Classes. All children and youth are invited to attend the worship service.

The Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger.

News and Announcements

ALL Church Council — January 24 – 12pm

The Parish Committee invites Committee Chairs, committee members and everyone with in interest in our shared future to the next All Church Council Sunday January 24, 2016 from noon till 2PM. This is a great event if you are new to committee work or would like to participate in a single project. If you want to know what is ahead for First Parish in the exciting months to come, this is the one forum not to miss. We will take time for each hard working group to update the community on activities, successes, goals and yes, dreams. Please share with anyone interested in getting to know others who do so much for FP Milton.

The Annual Stewardship Campaign has begun

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. “ 2 Corinthians 9

Our Stewardship Celebration will be January 30

S’More Fun”~ Saturday Night, January 30

Beat the winter blues with summer fun at

Camp Run-a-Muk – First Parish’s stewardship celebration on Saturday, January 30 in the Parish Hall. Music, dancing, food, games – and a chance to win awesome door prizes for those with a turned-in pledge card.

Please RSVP to the Evite you received or by e-mailing Tony Dutzik.

Help Us Create Camp Run-a-Muk — (decorating items needed)

Camp Run-a-Muk’s decorating team (aka Membership Committee) is looking for props to adorn First Parish’s mess hall for the Stewardship party, Saturday, January 30. If you can loan us any of these items, please contact Tucker Smith tsmith62676@gmail.com / 617-361-1734.

• one tent – 6 to 9-feet square with entry at both front and back (old-fashioned canvas type with wooden support poles would be
• GREAT but synthetic fabric/metal poles OK)
• one kayak or canoe
• a bunch of folding camp/spectator chairs
• two or three picnic table benches (only, not tables)
• anything else — vintage coolers, old oars, flags, banners, camp uniforms, buckets, camp lanterns, etc. etc. etc.

Hail Mid-Winter! Saturday, February 6 7:00 pm

“…Imbolc is an honoring of what’s not present yet. It represents the words yet to be spoken, the potential in our spirits, the ‘calm before a storm’ of growth, the quiet before the show, and the unknown baby
before its birth. Imbolc’s beauty is in its waiting and not knowing.”

Heather Greene, The Wild Hunt

Join us to celebrate, renew, and refresh on Saturday, February 6, at 7:00pm in the Parish Hall. All are welcome to the Imbolc ceremony and Pot Luck social hour to follow. Please contact me for further information and to let me know if you plan to attend.
Blessed Be, Pam Dorsey — 617-698-0057

SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE NEWS

Renewal House Toiletry Drive – January 2016

As previously announced, the Social Action Committee will be organizing a toiletry drive for the families at Renewal House each Sunday during the month of January. These are the specific items we are looking to have donated:

Toothbrushes and toothpaste, Floss, Mouth wash, Shaving cream and razors, Loofahs (lots of loofahs!) Body wash, Soap, Body lotion, Hand lotion, Deodorant, Laundry detergent, Fabric softener.

Look for the white basket with the blue bow in the Parish Hall foyer. Items should be new and unused

Mentors Needed February to May

Mandatory Training – Saturday, January 30 from 1 – 3 PM @ UU Urban Ministry

We are in great need of mentors right now. We are working with Boston Partners in Education this year to offer a “Power Lunch” mentor model at the Timilty Middle School in Roxbury. UU volunteers will be matched with a 6th grade child (or two). The goal will be for you to meet once a week for the spring semester (Feb-May) from 12:00-12:45pm to read with your mentee. (Depending on the child, you might read aloud, they might read aloud, or you both might read at home and discuss the book together). Tues, Wed, and Thurs are best. It looks like a lot of weeks, but please keep in mind you will not be meeting with your mentee during school vacation weeks, holidays, or standardized testing weeks.

BPE will be offering a mandatory and comprehensive mentor training for all mentors on Saturday, Jan. 30th from 1-3pm at the UUUM.

If you would like to sign up please fill out this application on line.

For the “Group Affiliation” tab be sure to select UU Urban Ministry.

For further information on Renewal House and Focus on Children projects, please contact Social Action Committee member, Linda Carney-Goodrich.

 

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, January 23, 2016

And please spread the word

What: Anti-Racism Summit

Where: UU Urban Ministry (10 Putnam Street Roxbury, MA 02119)

Time: 10am-2pm (Coffee and registration at 9:30am)

Featuring a panel discussion with representatives from Black Lives Matter Boston and the Muslim Justice League.

This summit for Unitarian Universalists engaged in and thinking about Racial Justice will provide an opportunity for UU groups to be together, meet others fighting for racial equality, and share best practices and ideas. Come learn how to be a more effective ally and stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Boston and the Muslim Community in Boston.

Hey Theater Lover’s!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with other First Parish friends and attend the fabulous production of Pippin at the Boston Opera House on February 14 at 6:30 PM. There are awesome seats in the orchestra and front mezzanine for $63 each and seats in the middle mezzanine for $38 each. It is recommended for anyone 6 and over. Pippin is a high-flying, death-defying hit Broadway musical! This unforgettable new production is the winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. If you are interested in getting tickets please email Debbie Alsebai or catch me at coffee hour. (-: There is a bunch of us going right from the Valentine’s Day concert at the church so join us and we will carpool in together.

The Search Continues

News from the Ministerial Search Committee

It’s On!…

As of January 11th, eleven (11) ministers have expressed interest in First Parish! We have received and are studying ministerial records for all 11 ministers and have already decided to exchange Packets with a subset of them (you may recall that our Congregational Packet is a limited access website for the interested ministers to learn more about us; ministers have put together similar information about themselves).

While we continue operating in confidential mode until the spring, we will communicate as much generic information as we can. We do this to protect the integrity of our process and the identities of ministers who may not have told their current congregations that they are in search. However, we are eager to share with you what’s going on: we’re happy with the caliber and variety of candidates that have expressed interest in leading our congregation and we’re even excited about a few of the candidates already. We start to conduct preliminary Skype interviews with those ministers that look best to us this week and through the next few weeks.

As always, feel free to contact the members of your Ministerial Search Committee with questions or concerns:

Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich, Franc Graham, Elise Henricks, Jim May, Brigitte Miller, and Tracey Robinson.

We need stuff for the First Parish Silent Auction FUNraiser!

When: Saturday, April 2, 2016, 7 PM

Do you know someone who –

• owns a restaurant or store or a gym?
• has season tickets to the Sox, Bruins, Celtics, Patriots or to the Symphony?
• has a vacation home they would be willing to donate?​

Are you or is someone you know –

• an artist or poet who could donate some work?
• a musician or performer who could donate entertainment or lessons?
• a gardener or landscaper? a baker or chef? a piano tuner? babysitter?

You don’t need to know the person or business to ask! Businesses are often willing to donate their services or products for a good tax deductible cause and it is good advertising for them!

Help us make this night of silent bidding a success for First Parish. Please let Ruth Hannon know what you can offer.

More Ideas: themed gift baskets, spa services, acupuncture or massage services, handyman services, tutoring, special meals, wine tasting, golf outing, sports equipment, gym membership, etc. Use your imagination!!

Kiki’s Corner

Happy January! The church (and particularly the office) is full of activity these days.

January is Stewardship Month — The Stewardship packages have been mailed. If, for some reason, you don’t have one in hand by Thursday, January 20th, please let me know. If you bring your completed form to church, please put it in the gray box outside the office. It is the most private (and most efficient way) to collect these. You may also make a pledge online on the Members Page (login members, password miltonuu). You will be eligible for door prizes at the Celebration if you have already made your pledge.

In addition to Tony Dutzik & Dottie Pitt (our Stewardship) , there are others at work planning Camp Run-a-Muk party on January 30th. Key players are Tucker Smith, Jen Erbe Leggett, Karl Pastore, Lauri Webster. Members of the Membership Committee committed to double as the decorating team. It’s not too late to offer to help with decorating, planning, clean up, etc. Many hands make light work.

Take a look at the items that the team is looking to have to transform the Parish Hall into Camp Run-a-Muk.

All Church Council is Sunday, January 24th — If you are a lay leader, I encourage you to come. If you are just curious about what goes on besides worship, I encourage you to come. Light lunch provided and a nice way to connect with others.

February 7 is the Chocolate Auction — It is a First Parish tradition and a fun after church event. Proceeds go to a worthy cause.

April 2 is the 2nd Annual Funraiser — Please think about ways you can help get items for the silent auction. Check out the flyer out in the Narthex and in the Parish Hall foyer. A fabulous committee already formed but again, new energy and volunteers always welcome.