Table of Contents

• This Week in Worship
• Message from Rev. Lisa Ward
• RE Info
• News and Announcements
• Events
• Social & Environmental Justice
• Beyond First Parish

This Week in Worship

December Worship Theme: Hope

“Trust With Confidence”FIRST PARISH

Worship Assistant: Chris Clifford

Greeters: Jen Pinkus and Penny Knight

Music: Daon Drisdom

Audio: Colin Glazer

Social Hour: Religious Exploration students & teachers

 Please log in at 10:20, to give some lead time for the service at 10:30. You will be muted, but you can communicate through the chat box. If you do not have zoom on your computer, please download it ahead of time. It is free.

This week’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.

It’s cold, flu and covid season! 

In order to keep our community healthy, we encourage the wearing of masks at worship services if you have cold symptoms or have been exposed to a communicable illness. Masks and Hand sanitizer will be available at all church entrances if needed.

First and foremost, I hope you have a nourishing holiday weekend. There are many articles, sub stacks and videos providing ways, as comedian Jon Stewart coined it, for “the audacity of cope”. This divided nation is becoming more and more evident in the swirl of punditry, preening and panic.

I find myself filling my resilience toolkit with pithy reminders. The most recent are: “have conversations, not competitions”, “do you want to be right or in relationship”, “despair is an enemy of justice”. I commend to you finding phrases or poems or memes that can coach you into keeping on.

In last evening’s zoom group on navigating the political climate, another good reminder rose to the surface. I’ll call it the three c’s: Clarity, Curiosity, Courage.

Clarity. Distraction is the tactic right now to dispel a sense of agency. Take time to be clear about what you value. Make sure it is in your life. Build muscles and communities to live into what you value.

Curiosity. Difference is less onerous when you are willing to learn more about it. Not to overwhelm who you are, but to expand a sense of who we all are.

Courage. Approach these days with an attentiveness to the unknown. Believe you have resources to respond.

But most of all, nourish yourselves and savor the gifts of life before you.

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Music this week

This Sunday Daon Drisdom will be providing the music for our worship service.

Religious Education

Dear RE Families,

As we know December is a BUSY time of year for families, we wanted to give you a schedule of events for the month!

Dec 1st: RE kids and teachers will work together to prepare the Social Hour food and drinks

Dec 8th: RE classes will meet as usual

Dec 15th: Music Workshop: the kids will learn a song together and sing it in big church, led by Claudia and Penny 

Dec 22nd during Worship: Ornament making: the kids and teachers will make holiday ornaments together

Dec 22nd at 4pm– Annual Christmas Pageant – at a new date/time! If interested in participating, please contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org or Steve Yakutis at steve.yakutis@gamil.com

Dec 24th at 5pm in Parish Hall – Family Gathering for Christmas Cheer. In lieu of the pageant (on the 22nd this year) come gather for an hour in Parish Hall for a bit of singing, playing and candle lighting to mark Christmas Eve. All ages welcome.

December 29th– No RE classes. Children under 10 welcome to go to the nursery.

News & Announcements

2024 Thanks For Giving Honorees- including our own Lisa White and Charlie Franich!

Lost & Found

It is believed that someone accidently took Tom Kemp’s coat for their own after the Harvest Supper. The coats are similar. If you have this coat in your possession, please let Sherri in the office know. Also, if one of these water bottles belong to you; you can pick up in the Lost and Found bin on the kitchen counter. Thank you!

Reminders:

Please remember to close all exit/entry doors to save heat! When you hear it click…it is secure.

Social Hour

Hosts Needed for these dates: December 8th, December 15th, December 22nd, and December 29th. Please click here to sign up on Signup Genius.

Haven’t hosted before or need a refresher? No worries! A member of the Hospitality Committee will contact you the week before with instructions and to answer questions and provide support. Thank you for your hospitality!

Events

Bridging Dinner — Friday, December 13th 5:00pm-7:00pm

Come celebrate the Holiday Season with our friends from Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan. Our next Bridging Dinner is set for Friday, December 13 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall at First Parish Milton. We will be catering from a local Mattapan Restaurant. The cost is $25 per adult. Children are free. Financial assistance is available. Childcare will be provided.

Navigating the Political Climate

Next Meeting is December 10th

Meeting by zoom from 7:00pm-8:15pm on Tuesday, December 10th. Contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org for the zoom link

Saturday, December 14th 10:00am-2:00pm

Thank you to those of you who have already reached out and volunteered to help with the Fair. What we most need now is :

Baked Goods for bake sale table

Chili, corn bread & cheese for lunch

Mittens and Hats for the Holiday Freecycle table

Little Items: soap, lotion, jewelry, etc for children to give as gifts.

There will be boxes in the library at church for donated items, and you can use this Sign-up Genius for both lunch and bake sale table.

We can still use volunteers. Reach out to Leslie if you want to help; lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com

The Milton Residents’ Fund gratefully accepts financial or gift card donations throughout the year to assist families and individuals who are experiencing a financial crisis. We especially need gift cards during November and early December to respond to holiday gift requests for those requesting additional assistance with the purchase of food or basic necessities, and teens/young adults/parents and seniors who have requested help with a holiday gifts, sneakers, or winter clothing. The following would be particularly helpful: grocery (Shaws or Star Market work best), $25 Target, or Amazon. Gently used snow boots for teens and young adults as well as gently used snow jackets are also welcomed (leave in FP library marked MRF). Gift card donations can be left in the grey box in the church hallway, Marked MRF. Provide the donor name and mailing address if a tax donation letter is requested. The goal is to distribute all gifts and items before 12/13/24.

Social & Environmental Justice

Next date: December 18th

S&EJ (Social & Environmental Justice committee) is looking for volunteers the third Wednesday of each month to contribute lunches. We hope to deliver 70 lunches a month to support shelter guests.

Please sign up whenever you can help out by clicking on button below.

We are counting on your support!

Beyond First Parish

Warm greetings from the UUUM! As we are feeling the temperatures drop, I hope everybody is staying warm and has their Thanksgiving food shopping done!  

We’re happy to share this month’s Delegate Update with you. There are a few volunteer opportunities this month that we would appreciate you sharing, if possible. Thanks in advance – we appreciate you.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

DeeDee’s Cry Annual Toy Drive – December 15, 2024

DeeDee’s Cry is hosting its Annual Toy Drive on Sunday, December 15, 2024, from 2–4 PM, and we need your help to make it a success! Volunteers are essential to creating a welcoming and joyful experience for the families we serve.

We’re looking for support with:

• Set-up and decorating to create a festive atmosphere
• Sorting toys to ensure smooth distribution
• Managing the line to keep things organized
• Greeting and assisting families through the process
• Clean-up to wrap up the event

Volunteers are needed as early as 10am–11am for setup and as late as 5pm to help with clean up. Whether you can stay the entire day or just part of it, your time and energy will make a difference!

Please contact Robert Jones (rjones@uuum.org) if you are interested in volunteering. 

FAFSA ASSISTANCE

Are you familiar with the FAFSA student financial aid process? Students from our youth program have asked for help with this part of the college application process, and if you can help we would love to hear from you.

If you are able to help, please contact Robert Jones: rjones@uuum.org.

Stay Connected

Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays

Sundays through mid June

• Worship, 9:30 am in the Meetinghouse
• Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am

SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)

The link to SignUp Genius is: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday1

You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.