Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 11/4/2016

Weekly Link 11/4/2016

Church

This Week in Worship

November 6, 2016 @ Meetinghouse @ 10:30 am

November Worship Theme: Spirituality

The Spirit of Democracy

Deb Venable is our Faith in Action speaker Sunday morning. She is co-chair, along with Richard Venable, of the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee fosters church membership by developing, supporting and strengthening members’ sense of belonging in the church community and welcomes and encourages interested visitors and newcomers.

A special welcome this morning to guest musician Elzbieta Brandys, who will be playing the flute during our service.

Message from Rev. Lisa

While walking along a beautiful lake at the retreat for New England Unitarian Universalist Ministers in Greenfield, NH, I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity to serve First Parish Milton. The theme of the retreat was “Speaking Truth, Living Truth”, something we can live into every day should we so choose. Being three months new to First Parish, I look forward to the wealth of truth in stories yet to hear and experiences yet to share. We have much to learn from one another.

I consider all who attend the congregation as resident theologians – people whose truth within can teach us of the lives we live and the depth of meaning therein. There are so many narratives to learn from, so many chances of encounter. In worship, in social gatherings, in social justice witness and religious education, we come to know aspects of the meaning of our days. We are blessed with the choice to share what we know of our lives with one another.

In Faith,
Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration
Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration Wish List

The religious exploration program is seeking: (1) a portable TV and DVD player to show videos to the Our Whole Lives and Friends and Neighbors classes, and (2) small hand weaving looms for our 2nd to 5th graders to use. Please contact restaff@fpmilton.org if you have any of the above items to donate to the program.

Religious Education for November 6

  • Preschool through grade 7 begin in the Meetinghouse
  • Our Whole Lives class begins in the Activity Room at 10:30 am
  • Preschool through grade 7 will gather in the Meetinghouse for the first part of the service and then walk over together for
  • Children’s Church. Children will join Social Hour in the Parish Hall at 11:40 am.

Our Whole Lives class (grades 8 and 9, parental permission required) are 90 minutes long and meet from 10:30 am to noon. Class will be held in the Activity Room downstairs this week.

Youth Chat (non-OWL grade 9 youth through grade 12) will meet in the second floor Youth Room from 10:30 to 11:30 am, followed by Youth Group (grades 9 through 12) from noon to approximately 1:00 pm.

Calling all young musicians and singers! Would you like to share your talents during a future Children’s Church service? We are looking for young performers who would like to be part of the music program. Please contact Laurel Whitehouse at restaff@fpmilton.org if you would like to sign up to perform.

News and Announcements

Don’t forget to turn back your clocks Saturday night!

Samhain – Ritual of Remembrance

When: Saturday, November 5, 2016
Where: Parish Hall 7 – 9 pm
Sponsored by: CUUPS First Parish Milton

Friendship Sunday

When: November 13, 2016

This is a day focused on inviting family and friends to First Parish to share a cherished part of your life with them. The goal is to invite them into a bit of your heart’s journey, simply as an affirmation – to spread the good news of your experience in this community.

So members and friends are asked to think of someone you could bring to church on November 13th. The Committee wants to emphasize that your loved ones will not be heavily recruited,; they will simply be whole-heartedly welcomed.

Growing Unitiarian Universalism, a UU blog, had a wonderful piece on Friendship Sunday including some ways to make the invitation. Paper copies will be available on Sunday but you can click on the Link and read it now.

http://growinguu.blogs.uua.org/organizational-maturity/asking-friends-to-worship-oh-my/

Fair Foods Is Back!

Join your friends in helping to supply nutritious food to people in need in Roxbury by volunteering with the social action committee at Fair Foods – a nonprofit distributor of surplus food in Boston and beyond. On Saturday, November 12, we will meet at First Parish at 9 a.m. and travel to the UU Urban Ministry in Roxbury to volunteer repackaging food for the community. Please e-mail Tony Dutzik to sign up or for more information.

Thursday Meditation has resumed

We meet in the Children’s Church on Thursdays night from 7:00 pm -7:30 pm.

We also meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am -9:30 am.

Milton Community Concert

When: Sunday, November 6th
Time: 6pm in the Meetinghouse.

“Connections: An Operatic Celebration”

This will be a ticketed (non-benefit) concert: $20 general admission, $10 seniors, 18 and under free. Hope you can come!

Faith Deepening Survey

Have you filled out the survey yet?

Deadline: November 11, 2016

In response to our website byline, “We Welcome All to Grow Deep Faith and Take Bold Action”, the following survey is an exploration of ways First Parish Milton members and friends might endeavor to grow deep faith this year.

Consider this survey as part of a conversation, even a fishing expedition…what is it that calls you to deepen spiritually? If there is sufficient interest, all offerings, except for Circle Supper, will be held at First Parish.

Here is the Survey Monkey link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V752FWS

UPCOMING HOLIDAY EVENTS – It’s not to early to plan

11th Annual Christmas Tree Sale

Pre-order your grade A1 premium Fraser Fir Christmas trees today! Trees are $65 and payment with pre-order is preferred. Trees will be cut down first week in December and will be available for pick up Saturday, December 3th during the Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch at First Parish. Pick up a preorder form in the Parish Hall on the information table and place completed form and check in the gray box outside of the office. First come, first served.

Holiday Gift Project – Coming Soon

Our Annual Holiday Gift Project starts Sunday, November 13! This is our opportunity to help the children of Milton through the Milton Residence Fund Holiday Gifts Program, sign up to give 1 or more gifts. Come to social hour to get instructions and a gift tag for a boy or girl of your choosing. All presents/gift cards should be dropped off on Sunday, December 11.

Questions? please contact Beth Gray-Nix

Belated Gratitude and Recognition for the Harvest Supper

A special shout out to the members of the Hospitality Committee and Membership Committee. They did a spectacular jointly organizing and running the Harvest Supper. A wonderful night of good food, good company and fun!

So the next time you see them, please say thank you Hospitality and Membership Committees

Hospitality: Jen Pinkus, Amy Kavadlo, Christa Ayoub, Marie-Laure Brown, Allison Zippay, Mark Whall, Pat Neves, Andy Strang, Anita Penta, and Claudia Wellington

Membership Committee: Deb Larson Venable and Richard Venable, Miguel Rodriguez, Barry Hume, Tucker Smith, Paula Bennett, Julie Blackburn, and Tasha Bello

Kiki

Kiki’s Corner

It’s November already! This month we are preparing for the holiday season and some of us will be away during Thanksgiving week. I will be out of the office from November 17 through November 27.

Two short duration volunteer opportunities:

1) Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch, December 3.

I am working with the Social Action, Membership, Roger Gray and Leslie MacPherson Artinian on coordinating the Holiday Fair Market Sale and Brunch. If you are interested in being part of the team for the main event on Saturday December 3 from 9 am – 12 noon, please email me at director@fpmilton.org. More specifics next week after the organizing groups meet. In the meantime, order your tree through the church office. Kathy Tracey, office@fpmilton.org, is the in-church contact and coordinating things with Roger Gray. Best if they are left in the gray box outside the office.

2) Moving desks for the Minister and Music Director

We need some person power to move a desk from the storage area to the minister’s office and move the current desk in the minister’s office to the music director’s office. We have a couple of volunteers but need a couple more before this can happen. Let me know if you might consider helping us out – youth invited as well. Thanks.

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!