Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 10/24/2019

Weekly Link 10/24/2019

This Week in Worship

Minister

Rev. Lisa Ward

A Message from the Parish Committee

About Our Exploration of the Possibility of  Solar Energy for First Parish

Thank you to all who participated in the survey about solar panels. It is helpful to have your feedback as we continue to work on this project. Results of the survey are posted on the wall at the end of the link (entering Parish Hall). Here’s an update on what’s been happening.

• We’ve had an analysis of our electrical system and its capacity to support solar. We’ve been aware of some upgrades that need to happen in any case, and we’ll know more about costs once we receive the electrician’s full report.

• We’ve had a structural analysis of our roofs done. The good news is that all of our roofs are structurally sound. The roof on the north (Engine Road) side of the link is in need of replacement even without any solar panels, and we are moving ahead with having that work done. If we do move ahead with solar, we’ll be well positioned with our roofs.

We’re still gathering information and determining the best next steps, but we want to hear more about your concerns and questions. We are planning to hold listening circles to discuss the plan recommended by the solar energy task force, so please keep an eye out for an invitation to participate and have your voice heard.

This process will lead us to a proposal for congregational vote.

Questions can be directed to members of the Parish Committee and Solar Task Force Chair, Karl Pastore.

Religious Exploration

Nursery care will be available from 10:15 to 11:45 am in the Link hallway for infants and toddlers up through age 3.

Religious Exploration classes will meet on Sunday, October 27. All children from preschool through grade 7 will begin in the Meetinghouse and then move downstairs to their classrooms.

~Preschool through grade 1 will be enjoying Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom. The story this week will be Belinda’s Bouquet for Promise 3: Yearn to accept and learn about ourselves, others and mystery. 

~Grades 2 and 3 will be exploring the UU Principles during the fall and the Passages program beginning in January, meeting in the Juniors classroom. This week they will read In God’s Name as they discuss Principle 4: Each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life.

~Grades 4 through 7 will be continuing the two-year Friends and Neighbors curriculum, learning about various faith traditions through videos and visitors. Our focus this week will again be on Judaism with a visitor from the Jewish tradition who will share information and experiences about his faith. This group meets in the Activity room. 

~Grade 8 will be participating in the Coming of Age program this year.

Please register your child or youth for RE classes! The Religious Exploration Committee requests all families to register your child or youth. Please use this link to our online form: Online registration form (or paper registration forms are available on the RE bulletin board in the Link hallway).

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Halloween Dance Party

Friday, October 25th

7pm – 9:00pm

The RE Committee is hosting its 10th annual Spooktacular Dance Party. Costumes, dancing and fun for all! Tell your friends, bring the neighbors, this is a party for everybody.

Experience the Eerie Haunted House created by our ghastly youth group — Go through it if you DARE! (You can request the full scare or a calmer version if you prefer.)

Treats and helpers needed: Sign up here if you can help with setup or cleanup, or provide grisly Halloween-themed snacks and desserts.

Youth Chat (for grades 8 through 12) will not meet on Sunday, October 27th. Youth are encouraged to attend the worship service on Sunday morning. 

Coming of Age (for grades 8 through 10) will not meet on Sunday, October 27th

This Week! The Haunted Halloween Hallway will happen on Friday, October 25th. Set-up begins at 5 pm. Pizza will be available. The hallway will be open for partygoers from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Clean-up should be done soon after 9 pm. As soon as cleanup is done, we will enjoy a late-night evening together for continued Youth Group spooky festivities and fun until 12am.

If you are interested in donating supplies to the Youth Group Haunted Hallway for this and future years of enjoyment, we are in need of simple costumes and masks!

Hope to see you all there!

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MUSIC SELECTIONS

This Sunday the choir anthem is “To Know Silence Perfectly” by Daniel Brewbaker. Also we have a treble quintet of singers presenting “Hallowell” by Aoife O’Donovan. In addition, guest soprano Elaine Daiber will be singing an art song called “Lean Away”, by Gene Scheer.

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The Results Are In!

Stop by and see the solar panel survey. The results are posted for your viewing pleasure on the wall at the end of the link near the Parish Hall entrance.

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Parenting Teens As A Spiritual Practice

Friday, November 8th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Pizza and salad provided. Suggested donation toward dinner: $5.  Do not let cost prohibit you from attending.

 Facilitator: Rev. Lisa Ward

Parents encounter many issues living with teens that surprise, delight and challenge us. We all need support, encouragement and a chance to explore ways to navigate these precious years. We will enjoy a simple meal then share wisdom in a format that invites conversation, sharing ideas, and hearing each other’s stories.

Please contact the office: office@fpmilton.org if you can attend. We need at least six people to attend.

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Community NewsFirst Parish Church member Debbie Alsebai received a 2019 Community Builder Award from Celebrate Milton on Sunday, October 6,  for “making Milton a better place for everyone!” (quoting the event program).  Community Builder Award recipients are individuals who work to build bridges, to celebrate diversity, and to support the mission of Celebrate Milton in order to make Milton a great place to live.

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Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice

November Event: Let’s Talk Courageously In Quincy

When:  Monday, November 4th, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Where: First Presbyterian (270 Franklin St, Quincy, MA 02169)

Join our free event open to the public. We will share information about our anti-racism work that we have been doing in Milton and Mattapan since 2016. Our event will then include a media piece and breakout into small group discussions. Food will be provided. We hope you will join us.

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What IS Economic Justice?

 By the Social Justice Committee

Tracey Robinson and Pat Gallivan, Co-Chairs, Social Justice Committee (fka SAC)

Economic justice is … a set of moral principles for building economic institutions, the ultimate goal of which is to create an opportunity for each person to create a sufficient material foundation upon which to have a dignified, productive, and creative life. (Investopedia, 2019). The Southern Poverty Law Center states more simply:  efforts to “ensure that people living in poverty…especially communities of color, are not punished or exploited because of their economic status.”

For decades, First Parish in Milton has engaged in many actions to assist those living in poverty and to provide resources, supplies, and food for people who cannot afford heating fuel, a place to live, or gifts for children at Christmas.  In the last few years, the needs of underserved communities have grown, so our service work continues.  Here are some ways YOU can serve and learn:

·      Sign up to help cook dinner at the Mainspring shelter in Brockton – next dates:  Dec 15, Feb 16

·      Participate in Fair Foods on the 2nd Saturday of each month – sign up at the Social Justice Table during Coffee hour on Sunday

·      Read an interesting New Yorker article about economic inequality in America: The Widening Gyre by Liaquat Ahamed

ALSO:  An invitation from the UU Urban Ministry: Join friends from First Parish Milton to participate in a youth led tour of John Eliot Square in Roxbury – in and around the First Church in Roxbury – on November 9 at 1:00pm.  Contact Tracey Robinson for more info (tdr02186 at gmail.com)

For more info stop by the Social Justice Info table during Coffee Hour on Sunday!

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EXPLORING AGING TOGETHER

Second and Fourth Wednesdays of the Month

11 am to 1 pm, (Bring a Bag Lunch)

Chase Parlor (next to the kitchen)

Open Meeting.  Come when you can.  Newcomers welcome.

Next Session: November 13th


What can we learn from each other as we age? We all have stories within us of facing the unknown and navigating changes, of adjusting to loss and appreciating what’s before us. We will meet twice a month to share our wisdom, our queries, our wonderings.  Each session will focus around a theme.  

More questions?  Contact Penny Partridge at ppartridge9@icloud.com.

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Samhain

Saturday, November 2, 2019, 3:00pm, Parish Hall

Samhain (Gaelic for Summer’s End) marks the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back with killing frosts; leaves fall from the trees, the crops have gone brown, and the land becomes a desolate place.  It is halfway between the autumn equinox and winter solstice, when the light begins to return again.  As we celebrate the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker half of the year, we take time to remember the dead and contemplate the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Join the Great Blue Hill Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans  for the annual Samhain ritual of remembrance.  You are welcome to bring photos or mementos of your loved ones who have passed over and, if you like, to share stories of those you keep in memory.  The ritual will be followed by a pot luck social hour.

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Grief Support Group

Four Tuesdays: November 5, 12, 19, 26

7:00 – 8:30 pm

When we lose a loved one through death, the world is different, our lives shift in meaning, our ground is shaken.  We can feel isolated by our grief.  We can also feel a lack of strength or initiative to find a way through. One way to help adjust to the new reality and find our inner resources  is to share our journey with others who welcome time together devoted to the jorney of loss and recovery.  There are many ways that we grieve and many kinds of losses.  This group is focused on loss due to the death of a loved one.  We ask participants to commit to at least three of the sessions, no new participants after the 12th.

Please contact the office: office@fpmilton.org if you can attend.

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FAIR FOODS

Fair Foods is a nonprofit organization that rescues nutritious wholesale fruits and vegetables about to be discarded for distribution to members of the community. Join First Parish’s Social Justice Committee for our monthly volunteer day with Fair Foods at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, 10 Putnam St. in Roxbury. Arrive in Roxbury at 10:30 or e-mail Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com if you’d like to join a carpool leaving from First Parish at 10 a.m. or if you have any questions. Upcoming dates include the following Saturdays: November 9, December 14 and January 11.

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It’s done! After 13 weeks of work, the crew from Painter’s Pride has finished its work at First Parish. It’s been a remarkable experience watching them work, and seeing the “bones” of this building. Things we learned in this process: the construction of this church was done with care and incredible workmanship. The majority of wood on the church was original. Very little of the wood had been replaced in the last 200 years. We replaced some boards on the sides of the church that were showing signs of water damage, ensuring a strong structure for the future. We fortified a few of the window sills with flashing, to prevent water damage on the window eaves. The end result is a beautifully restored building, ready to welcome all who walk through its doors.  I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this process, and appreciate the love and care that goes into maintaining and restoring the campus!

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TURN INYOUR

UNUSED AND EXPIRED DRUGS

Saturday October 26th

10am-2pm

Milton Police Department

40 Highland Street 

Keep them safe. Clean them out. Take them back.

Confidential kiosk.  To ensure confidentiality, please remove label.

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UPDATE!

Please note that Dish to Pass at Myrtle’s on Oct 26 has been CANCELLED.

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World Market Holiday Craft Fair

December 7th, 2019

 9:30-1:30

Parish Hall

Local crafters encouraged to contact the

church for an application. Crafts only,

no food or mass-produced items.

$35 per table

Contact: office@fpmilton.org

617-698-6329