Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 12/2/2016

Weekly Link 12-2-16

Church

This Week in Worship

December 4, 2016 – Meetinghouse @ 10:30 am

December Worship Theme: Legacy

Rev. LisaMessage from Rev. Lisa

And so the Christmas season begins. Even while I was candidating last May and learning from congregants about First Parish Milton, the December holiday events were highlighted as a time when this church shines. I look forward to sharing this month with you; partaking of the youth’s fundraiser spaghetti dinner this Friday, visiting the World Market Holiday Fair throughout the weekend, seeing the abundance of generosity in the Milton Residence Fund Holiday Gift Project, sharing the Christmas Eve services and a Christmas service this year (it being Sunday). This congregation touches on all aspects of a faith community’s life this month: spirituality, service and social engagement. Blessings Abound.

At the “Thanks For Giving” ceremony on November 20th, we celebrated the good works of so many of Milton’s residents – FP member Amy Norton amongst them. The offering during the service was for the Milton Food Pantry and the Milton Residence Fund. The work of the Milton Residents Fund is highly esteemed in this town and for good reason. Hundreds of families throughout the year are served in ways that build up the efficacy of their lives and communicates care on a deep level. The Annual Gift Project focuses on children in need. All you need do is sign up to give 1 or more gifts. Come to social hour this Sunday 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. FP Member Beth Gray-Nix is coordinating this effort. Again, clearly, blessings abound.

In Faith,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

On December 4 preschool children through grade 8 will attend the first part of the worship service in the Meetinghouse and then move to the Children’s Church for a service on Celebrations of Light.

  • Nursery care will be available during the service for infants and toddlers.
  • The next Our Whole Lives class will be on Friday, December 2,
    from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in the downstairs Activity Room.
  • Youth Chat will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 am and Youth Group will meet from noon to approximately 1 pm. Both groups meet in the Youth room upstairs.

News and Announcements

The 2016 Christmas Pageant is in the Making! Anyone interested in participating — any age — please contact Becky Stiles. There are plenty of parts, both speaking and non-speaking. We will have at least two rehearsals after church on Sunday (11th and 18th), though we can split up the rehearsals to focus on sections, so you may only have one rehearsal. Come, let’s tell a sacred story together.

Holiday Gift Project – Milton Resident’s Fund

The Gift Program has started and we have already 38% of the gifts needed. Please come and sign up at the Social Hour for 1 or more gifts. You get a gift tag for a girl or boy of your choosing. All UNWRAPPED gifts/gift cards need to be dropped of by Sunday December 11th. Questions? Please contact Beth Gray-Nix at: bgraynix@comcast.net

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

Shared Social Hour

FIRST-EVER FIRST PARISH SHARED SOCIAL HOUR — SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Social Hour hosts Melinda and Harris Collins/Tucker and Hale Smith are trying something new: a shared Social Hour (think “potluck”) following church on 12/4.

If you are willing and able, please bring a plate, a bowl, a basket of a “finger food” food item to share with all who gather for coffee and cider. Drop it off in the kitchen when you arrive and label, please, if it’s gluten-free or contains nuts. Suggestions: cookies, animal crackers, cheese/crackers, veggies/dip/hummus, fruits (grapes, apples, dried), muffins, bagels/spread, coffee cake/pastries, etc.

The idea this day is to experiment with a system that has worked well elsewhere — lighten the load, share the love, do it when you can. Let’s give it a go!

Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch and Christmas Tree Pick Up

Christmas Tree Pickup

When: December 3, 9 am – 1pm

Holiday Fair Trade Sale and Brunch

When: DECEMBER 3, 2016 9 am – 1 pm

We are again holding our holiday fair and celebration.

Tree pick up by the Carriage House from 9 am to 12 noon

This event will begin at 9 am in the Parish Hall with a delicious free breakfast. Tables of crafts, jewelry, scarves, ornaments and items made all over the world will be for sale. Also featured will be Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, cocoa and other items. Santa will be paying a visit and will pose for pictures with kids of all ages. Please come and bring your friends.

The fair will continue on Sunday, December 4 during social hour.

Kiki

Kiki’s Corner

The holiday season is in full swing at First Parish. The poinsettias are already decorating the meetinghouse. Kevin Harnden has hung wreaths around the campus. Joel Hiller is working on the Christmas pageant and Tim Steele is crafting the music service for the 10pm service on Christmas Eve. The Milton Resident’s Fund Holiday Program takes over the meeting house December 12 – 16.

There will be Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Sunday worship this year. Rev. Lisa and the staff thought it would be nice to have some low key social hour after each service. We will stock the fridge with cold drinks (likely cider and eggnog) and some cookies. We are looking for a couple of individuals or maybe a family to host this informal gathering. Please email me if you are interested in providing a special service to the congregation.

There are many opportunities to help out other organizations. The UU Urban Ministry has a wish list for a number of their programs. A flyer is available on each of the information tables (Stebbins Parlor and Parish Hall foyer). You can also email me for a list if you want.

Planning ahead:

Our bookkeeper will be away from mid-December until after Christmas. If you need to have an expense paid before the end of the year, please submit your request to the office by December 13.

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.

Social Action Committee News and Announcements

The Social Action Committee will have its next meeting on Sunday, December 4 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM in the Parlor at
FP Milton. Some of our members attended the Navigating Whiteness program and learned about the successes and challenges other congregations have had in addressing racial justice. Others have been attending Race Dialogues at the Milton Public Library. We are exploring ways to keep this conversation going and ways to take action.

We will continue with the mentoring program at the Timily Middle School this year. For more info contact Linda.

Join us on Saturday, December 10 as we volunteer with Fair Foods – an organization that reclaims surplus health foods and provides it to people in need through out Boston. We will meet at Church at 10 a.m. to travel to the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry in Roxbury, or you can meet us there at 10:30 a.m.

Volunteer for an hour or two or with whatever time you can spare. Contact Tony Dutzik for details.

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.