This Week in Worship

Sunday, May 1 @10:30 am in Meetinghouse

Rev. Lisa Ward, Preaching

Rev. Lisa Gail Ward comes to us from the great state of Maryland, where she has served the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County in Churchville, Maryland for 17 years. She completed her studies for her MDiv at Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1991, after which she served congregations in New York City, Queens, and White Plains, NY, before being called in 1998 to be an extension minister in Harford County, MD. Extension ministry is a program of the UUA which seeks to assist congregations whose viability is in question. Rev. Ward worked so successfully with the UU Fellowship of Harford County for three years that the community then called her to be their settled minister. She’s been there ever since.

For more information on Rev. Lisa Ward follow the link to her website: uurevlisaward.weebly.com

Religious Exploration

• Sunday, May 1 – Children’s Church
• The nursery is open for children 4 and under.

Candidating Week Schedule

Remaining Congregation-Wide Events

Rev. Lisa Ward will lead worship this Sunday, May 1. On May 1, after the worship service, members of the congregation will vote on whether to call the candidate to be our next settled minister.

• Thursday, April 28th — 6:30pm—7pm—Meditation in the Children’s Church (no RSVP required)
• Thursday, April 28th — 7pm—9pm (or so)—Open Meetings with the Worship Committee (at 7pm) and the Religious Exploration Committee (at 8pm) with Rev. Ward in the Meetinghouse (all are welcome, just show up).
• Friday, April 29th — 1pm—3pm—A Hike in the Blue Hills, starting point TBD. Contact Tracey Robinson at tdr02186@gmail.com.
• Friday, April 29th — 6:30pm—9:30pm—All-Church Potluck Dinner in the Parish Hall. RSVP via the Evite and see detailed information below
• Sunday, May 1 — 10:30am Worship in the Meetinghouse with Rev. Lisa Following Worship. Congregational Meeting

From the Search Committee

This Is IT—Make Your Vote Count

By the time you read this message, a significant vote will already have taken place in the Town of Milton. All of us on the Ministerial Search Committee are hoping that those congregants who are citizens of Milton will have voted in large numbers with hope and enthusiasm for making the Town of Milton the best and healthiest community that it can be.

But please remember that Tuesday’s vote is not the only historic vote taking place in Milton this week. This Sunday’s vote at First Parish will shape the future of our congregation for years to come, and we want each of you to be a part of it. So do what you can in the next few days to find opportunities to connect with our ministerial candidate Rev. Lisa Ward and learn about the gifts she could bring to us. Then come to our service this Sunday and
VOTE.

Please know that you may contact the members of your Ministerial Search Committee with questions or concerns:
Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich, Franc Graham, Elise Henricks, Jim May, Brigitte Miller, and Tracey Robinson.

PS: For any of you who are interested in seeing how we portrayed our community to the ministerial candidates we encountered this year, we invite you to click below to see our congregational packet website so caringly constructed by Laurie Macintosh. —http://fpministerialsearch.homestead.com/index.html

News and Announcements

Friday, April 29

All Church Pot Luck

Sponsored by the Ministerial Search and Hospitality Committees

Please join us Friday evening for a Potluck Dinner and an opportunity to socialize with our Ministerial Candidate. Bring the whole family, questions you may have for Rev. Lisa, and food to share with others. To cover all the bases, we’ve assigned food categories to families, based on the first letter of your surname:

• A-G: Main dish
• H-Q: side dish or salad
• R-Z: dessert

Please consider labeling food that meets special dietary needs such as gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan or lactose -free

Babysitters will be available to entertain small children while you chat.

We appreciate in advance your willingness to help in cleaning-up after dinner!

Questions? please contact Jen Pinkus at jlpinkus@comcast.net

CARING COMMITTEE NEEDS A FEW GOOD COOKS!

The Caring Committee is looking for some help to provide meals on Wednesdays from May 18 through the end of June. Please contact Walt Hagenbuch for sign up instructions for the website “Take them a Meal”. We will be adding more
information on Caring Committee activities and needs on the Member’s Page of the website shortly.

Renewal House Mother’s Day Gift Project

The First Parish Social Action Committee is again working with Renewal House, a domestic violence shelter for individuals and families. We are providing gifts for Mother’s Day to the residents. We are requesting donations from the congregation. If you have questions or would like to be more involved with Social Action’s ongoing relationship with Renewal House, please contact Linda Carney- Goodrich.

Sunday, May 8, 8am-11am. * This year’s walk is re-routed to City Hall where it will conclude with a Rally for Peace. Please note that it is a different, extended route this year; perhaps some will be able to join for part of the walk. We are looking into organizing two groups – one that veers off early, preferable for young kids and folks who need to get to the service at First Parish Milton. Our Team Name is First Parish Milton. They are also asking for folks to wear PURPLE this year!

Questions? E-mail: Jennie Mulqueen

Ready to Register & Donate (all amounts are valuable!!)?

LINK: https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/lbdpeace/campaign.jsp?campaign=26&fundraiser=14130&

Walking with you is our prayer…we hope you will join us!

Sunday, May, 1

Join in the celebration of the coming of Spring following the service and voting.

Members of the Great Blue Hill CUUPS Chapter will lead a pagan ceremony in the Courtyard and invite you to join in the dance around the Maypole. Bells and noisemakers welcome!

Great Blue Hills CUUPS, Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans

Family Friendly Volunteer Opportunity!

Next Date: May 21

Please join us the 3rd Saturday of every month (May 21, June 18) at 9:00 AM at First Parish Milton’s parking lot. We will then caravan into Roxbury to help unload, sort and distribute fresh produce to an underserved community. This is a family-friendly event… kids of all ages are welcome. Feel free to stay for 30 mins or 3 hours!”

“Choose or Be Chosen” for next year September 2016- June 2017

SIGN UP IN THE PARISH HALL through MAY 22

You may choose now or be assigned later

Please sign up for the following Sunday morning volunteer jobs:

• Flowers
• Ushers
• Social Hour
• Chalice Lighters

During the year, one detail that the Worship Committee got feedback about was a lack of children and families lighting our chalice on Sunday mornings, which we are addressing in the sign-up for next year. We are including chalice lighting in our slate and ask that next year, families and couples light our chalice as a group at the start of worship.

Please sign up in the Parish Hall during Sunday social hour for one Sunday each of ushering, providing flowers, being a Social Hour host, and lighting the chalice. Sign-ups will continue through May 22. Any spots not filled by that date will then be “drawn” by members of each committee and the entire calendar will be posted. Like last year: first come, first served. If you choose your Sundays in the next month, you should be able to pick the weeks that will work best for you. e. If you have any questions, please speak with Leslie MacPherson Artinian or any member of the Worship Committee. Thank you all for everything you have done this year!

Leslie MacPherson Artinian, Chair, Worship Committee

Looking for a few Greeters for 2016- 2017

Please consider being part of the Membership Committee’s Greeter Program. You will welcome our visitors and newcomers to our worship on Sunday mornings, escort them to Social Hour and engage other members to meet our visitors. Training provided by the Membership Committee.

Contact Richard Venable, Co-chair, Membership Committee if you are interested.

Kiki’s Corner

• June 5 – Farewell to Hank
• June 19 – Church Picnic

REMINDERS:

Last Call: Committee Chairs: Committee Annual Reports are now due. Please send your report to both Miriam and Kiki. The Annual Report and Warrant are currently being compiled.

First Parish, Milton Congregational Meetings

• Sunday, May 1 , Vote for next Settled Minister
• Sunday, May 15, Annual Meeting

UUA General Assembly

• Wed. June 22 – Sun. June 26 – General Assembly, Columbus, If you are attending GA and would like to be a delegate, please email me.

Monday Office Closings in May: May 2nd, May 23rd, May 30th.

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!