This Week in Worship

December 18, 2016 @ Meetinghouse, 10:30 am

December Worship Theme: Legacy

Message from Rev. Lisa

Now is the time to celebrate the holidays with First Parish Milton. Come join in the festivities. There are many choices:

• WINTER SOLSTICE RITUAL: Saturday, December 17th, 7:00 pm, Parish Hall –come celebrate the rebirth of the sun, led by our CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) group.

• CHRISTMAS EVE: Saturday, December 24th
  5:00 pm Service for all ages, with original music, a modern rendering of the pageant (with a bountiful cast of players), carols and candlelight.
  10:00 pm A Meditative Service with anthems sung by the Meetinghouse Choir, reflections, carols and candlelight.

• CHRISTMAS SERVICE: Sunday, December 25th, 10:30. A cosy Christmas service, with shared reflections and carol singing. You are welcome to attend in your pajamas. Hot chocolate and cider served after the service.

• NEW YEAR’S DAY SERVICE: Sunday, January 1, 10:30. First Parish’s annual “burning the grudges” service, entitled “Turning Towards the Flame”, to mindfully ring in the new year.

Gather round, sing, share food, cherish light, honor darkness, bring hope to our lives.

Blessed Be,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

Nursery care will be available during the service for infants and toddlers.

• On December 18 preschool children through grade 7 will attend the first part of the worship service in the Meetinghouse and then move downstairs to their classrooms.
• Preschool through grade 1: Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom
  Grades 2 through 5: Spirited Adventure in the Activity Room
  Grades 6 and 7: Friends and Neighbors in the Primary classroom
• Our Whole Lives class (grades 8 and 9, parental permission required) will be
  meeting from 10:30 am to noon in the Children’s Church.
• Youth Chat will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 am and Youth Group will meet from noon to approximately 1 pm in the Youth room upstairs.

Save the dates:

Youth Group-sponsored Spaghetti Dinners will be offered on Friday, January 6 and Friday, February 3 from 6:30 to 8 pm.
All proceeds go towards funding youth group participation in a spring service trip organized by CityReach Boston.

News and Announcements

Youth Group Gift Wrapping

This coming Sunday, December 18th, is the final week of the Youth Group gift wrapping fundraiser! The youth group is collecting donations in exchange for gift wrapping your presents to fund a service overnight with City Reach this Spring. You may drop off your presents to be wrapped at the youth staffed table in the parish hall before or after church. Any donation amounts are accepted! Suggested (but negotiable!) donation amounts:

• Small, $2-3
• Medium, $5-6
• Large, $8-9

Even Reverend Lisa thinks the youth group gift wrapping is top notch!

Christmas Cookie Delivery to Local Groups

December 18th Only!

Love to make Christmas Cookies? The Youth Group would love donations of Christmas Cookies on Sunday, December 18.

The Youth Group will create festive cookie assortments ready to deliver on Christmas Eve to local fire stations and other organizations that will be staying open through the night. (Deliveries will be made by Youth Group families.)

Please note that all cookies need to arrive on or before December 18 only, no later!

The 2016 Christmas Pageant is in the Making!

Next meeting on Sunday, December 18 from 12 – 2 in the Meetinghouse!

Anyone interested in participating — any age — please contact Becky Stiles

There are plenty of parts, both speaking and non-speaking. Come, let’s tell a sacred story together!

Thank you for your participation in the annual Milton Resident’s Fund Holiday Gift Project. Your generosity is appreciated.

Caring Committee

The Caring Committee is looking for a couple of new members due to some recent resignations. This group provides a vital link to the rest of the congregation in coordination of parish care. If you think you might be interested in joining this vital committee, please contact

Amanda Tobey, chair or Kiki Giatis.

Lost & Found

Did you take the wrong jacket home last Sunday, December 4? A new men’s North Face zip-up jacket size small, color black has gone missing. Please contact Elise Henricks and/or bring the jacket back this Sunday. Thanks.

Did you borrow our extension ladder that resides on the side of the building next to the office? Please let Kiki know when you will be returning it.

Have you found a set a keys at church and forgot to turn them into the office? The only identifier is a Milton Public Library tag. If you have them bring them to church or email the office that you have them.

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE

This month’s special collection on Sunday, December 18 will be for the Milton Resident’s Fund, a restricted charitable fund that assists Milton residents in financial need.

Please give generously.

Next Social Action Committee meeting: Sunday, January 8 at 8:30 AM.

Racial Dialogues

The Social Action Committee along with Milton for Peace is hosting a dialogue on race during the Spaghetti Supper on
Friday, Jan. 6, 2007.

Dinner at 6:00 PM and conversation from 7:00PM to 9:00PM.

Join the Social Action Committee together with Milton for Peace and Milton Race Dialogues in attending The Scottsboro Boys, a musical based on the true story of nine African American boys jailed in 1931 for a crime they did not commit.

Sunday, January 15 at 3:00 PM or Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 at the Calderwood Pavillion in the South End. The cast gives a short talk after the show.

Tickets are $50 or students $25. Purchase tickets through
Deb Alsebai.

MOTHER’S MARCH IN WASHINGTON AND BOSTON

We are in the process of securing a bus to bring us to and from the Women’s March in Washington on January 21, 2017.

We would leave Friday night, march on Saturday and drive back Saturday evening. The roundtrip fare is approximately $100. The office can provide help toward the cost if needed. Another group of us will be participating in the Boston march on the same day.

Thanks to all who volunteered despite the frigid temps last weekend. Your support is greatly appreciated. The next Fair Food date is Saturday, January 14th.

RENEWAL HOUSE

We will be holding a drive for the month of January to collect supplies for Renewal House, a domestic violence shelter for individuals and families who are fleeing violence.

Items needed: laundry detergent, Downy softener, paper towels, toilet paper and sandwich bags.

Kiki’s Corner

Office Schedule during Christmas week:

The office will close on Thursday, December 22 at 3pm and reopen on Tuesday, December 27 at 10 am. Our office is closed on Fridays.

Christmas week is a generally quiet time and staff may be away or working from home. I will be out on December 26 and 27. Our bookkeeper is away now until December 29.

Can you help host a low key social hour on Christmas Day?

Still an opportunity to help out Christmas Day after worship to help Rev. Lisa with a low key social hour. Please email me if you are interested in providing a special service to the congregation.

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!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

• Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 3 pm
• Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

• Tuesday – Thurday 10:00 am – 3 pm
• Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays.