This Week in Worship

Sunday, November 15 Worship @ 10:30 am in Meetinghouse

Theme: Vision

Friends, on the tenth of this month I turned fifty years old, so I am taking this Sunday off. Luckily for all of you we have Joanna Lubkin filling the pulpit. You can read a bit more about her below, but believe me she is great. Over the next few months we will be having a variety of voices fill our pulpit so that you can hear different types of preaching before your ministerial candidate visits.

Have a great weekend,

Rev. Hank

This Sunday our worship Leader is Joanna Lubkin

Joanna Lubkin is the Unitarian Universalist Chaplain at Wellesley College, a part of an eight-person team of interfaith chaplains. She is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School, and was welcomed into preliminary ministerial fellowship by the UUA this October. Joanna is an active leader at The Sanctuary Boston and Arlington Street Church, and she lives in Dorchester.

Religious Exploration

Sunday, November 15

Guest Speaker for grades 7th – 12th:

Rev. Anne Principe has been a UU religious professional since 2003 — first as a religious educator for ten years and currently as an ordained Interfaith/Unitarian Universalist Community Minister. She has been committed to solidarity relief work in Guatemala; El Higueral, El Salvador; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; and Lynn, Massachusetts.

For the past 4 years, she has been leading service trips to Lynn, Mass. for school and church groups under the theme of “The Science of Community,” and “Side Street Pilgrims.” She served on the LREDA/UUMA/UUMM Task Force for Excellence iin Shared Ministry in 2012-13 and is independently researching practices of collaboration for developing creative cross cultural community. She is currently developing her work in her home area Greater Lynn, MA. Her current work is forming a Teen Leadership Circle with the New America Center for Refugees, as well as other creative initiatives with diverse groups.
She provides pulpit and RE supply.

Please encourage your youth to attend this Sunday. We will begin promptly at 10:30 in the Parish Hall.

• Spirit Play Pre K – 2nd grade — Go directly to their class room at 10:30am
• SGM 3rd –6th Graders — Will begin in the Meetinghouse before being dismissed to their Religious
• Exploration class
• Junior Youth Group 7th –8th Graders — Meet in the Parish Hall at 10:30am
• Youth Chat — No Youth Chat – All youth are invited to listen to our guest speaker
• The Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger

News and Announcements

Thanksgiving week office schedule

The office will be open on Monday and Tuesday (November 23 and 24 from 10 am – 3 pm. The office will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Kiki will be on vacation beginning November 23 and returning on November 30. Rev. Hank will be around and is available by cell phone in case of a pastoral emergency. We need all information for The Link and Order of Worship that week by Sunday, November 22. No exceptions.

November 22th from 4- 5:30pm

The Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (MICA) invites the Milton community to its 9th annual, “Thanks for Giving” Celebration at St. Mary of the Hills Church, 29 St. Mary’s Road, Milton.

Kathy Fagan 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.

Kathy Fagan has worn many hats for both the Town of Milton and First Parish Milton UU. Town roles have included: Member of the Board of Selectmen, Library Trustee, Library Building Campaign Co-Chair, Library Foundation Director, Town Government Study Committee Member and Town Meeting Member. Kathy has also generously shared her skills and volunteer hours with First Parish, most recently serving as Treasurer for four (4) years and as a Member of the Parish Committee. Kathy and her husband Martin Bauer have two children, Brian and Molly, who are carrying on the family values of compassion and service.

Collecting White Socks for the Homeless

The First Parish Junior Youth Group will be visiting the Outdoor Church on Sunday, December 6th. They have started a sock collection for the Outdoor Church.

The OC gives out approximately 3,000 pairs of socks each year. Socks are important to homeless people because the majority of ailments facing the homeless are foot-related. New, white socks are especially important because: a) you can visibly see when they are dirty and need to be changed b) the dies in colored socks can irritates cuts or ulcers folks might have on their feet. Please bring in your new white socks by December 4th. Boxes for sock drop off can be found throughout the church

Friday night December 4, from 6:30 to 8:30

Please join us for First Parish Craft Night. Kick off the Holidays with an evening of fellowship and fun! Craft activities for young and the young at heart, you can learn a new skill, share one you love or just sit and enjoy the company.

We will have a light supper available of chili, corn bread and salad. Come reconnect with old friends and make some new ones. Come one and all!

Annual Chrstimas Tree Sale Orders Due by November 22

Reserve now and come pick up Saturday December 5th 9am-12noon at the Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch. Forms and instructions available on the Information Table at church and in the Parish Hall foyer. Only two more Sundays to order.

• Fraser Fir 6-7 feet in height from Granite State Farm in New Hampshire
• Trees cut down first week of December; cannot get any fresher
• All proceeds benefit First Parish Milton
• $65.00 per tree

Saturday, December 5th Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch @9am-1pm at Parish Hall

A new version of Handcrafting Justice event is being planned. Here are the details so far

• Handcrafted Fair Trade Items from two organizations SERV.org and Thrivegulu.org
• Chocolate and Coffee Gift Items from Equal Exchange
• Brunch thanks to our Membership Committee
• Children Craft Activities and some other surprises
• Christmas Tree Pick Up (Carriage House Area) Order your tree by Nov 22.

Gift items will also be available for sale on Sunday, December 6 before and after the worship service. New leadership for this event – Leslie MacPherson Artinian, Membership Committee chaired by Richard and Deb Larson Venable and Social Action Committee chaired by Dave Egan. We are looking for additional volunteers to help with SERRV sale on Saturday. Please contact Leslie.

Community Events

Winter Valley Emporium

Saturday, November 14 @ 10am – 2pm

Knowlton Hall 600 Canton Avenue, Milton

White Elephant, Art, Crafts, Bake Sale, Mary Kay Bath and Beauty products, plus unique and affordable gift and seasonal items. Coffee, cider and other treats available for purchase. This fundraiser benefits Winter Valley elders. For more information call Liz O’Rourke at 617-898-2030

TENOR DAVID WON

Korean tenor David Won will be featured in a solo recital, “Languages of Love” at First Parish Church on Saturday, November 21 at 7pm. Admission to this concert is free; a free-will offering will be taken.

Mr. Won was invited to be a featured soloist this year at the September 11th Memorial Ceremony at the Massachusetts Statehouse and received much acclaim. He is also well-known for a recent YouTube appearance which garnered more than120,000 views (check out “uber opera man” or “best uber ride ever”), as well as a meeting with tenor Ronan Tynan and a feature on a local television newscast.
This recital, also featuring pianist Timothy Steele, will include popular songs, art songs, and arias from around the world.

The Search Continues

As mentioned last week, your MSC is working to will finalize and publish materials for prospective ministers: the Congregational Record will be published on Nov 30. We are also working to develop and complete the Congregational Packet Web site, which will have more detailed information about our congregation, and that we’ll share with those ministers with whome we are interested in talking.

During December, UU ministers in search review Congregational Records and decide where they want to apply. We expect to receive a list of ministers who are interested in First parish in the 1st week of January – all at once. January will be VERY BUSY for us as we review ministerial records, exchange and review packets, conduct Skype interviews, check references, and decide on our top candidates — all by the end of January.

If you’re curious to see our “competition” this year, you can view a list of UU congregations in search HERE. There are 12 congregations looking for full-time settled ministers in Massachusetts alone!
Have thoughts to share? Feel free to contact any member of the Ministerial Search Committee.

Your Ministerial Search Committee: Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich, Franc Graham, Elise Henricks, Jim May, Brigitte Miller, and Tracey Robinson.

Kiki’s Corner

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Looking for a few good men and women to help out at three upcoming events at First Parish. Very limited time commitment, great folks to work with and you probably will have many laughs and some fun along the way.

1) Holiday Fair and Brunch. There is a great team developing from Membership, Social Action and individual efforts by Leslie MacPherson Artinian. See above for details on all that is being planned. Help needed on the days of the event – December 5 and December 6.

2) Stewardship Party Event – scheduled for Saturday, January 30. Looking for fun and energetic party planners. Will also need folks to help the day of the party! Contact Tony Dutzik or Dottie Pitt. Their next meeting is November 17.

3) FP Fundraiser – Saturday, April 2. More party planning and help needed for the day of the event. Check in with Ruth Heiden, Ruth Hannon or Carolyn Newman if you might be able to help out with this function.

A new post, some reinforcing of the steps, and a nice paint job. Put it all together and the staircase to the kitchen is revitalized. Thanks to our sexton, Kevin Harnden

STAY CONNECTED

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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!