This Week in Worship

Sunday, May 6, 2018
Theme: Faith
Worship at 10:30 am in the Meetinghouse

Minister

Rev. Lisa Ward

It’s May! There are many important and fulfilling events planned for this month at First Parish. Starting this Sunday, the conversations to discuss the cross as the focal point of our worship space will be underway. Be sure to see the notice below and sign up. Each meeting has been carefully planned to last one hour, designed for your input. We hope to hear from all of you. Next Sunday, May 13, is the Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, an annual event of advocacy supported by First Parish congregants. As was beautifully articulated by Jen Erbe-Leggett a few Sundays ago, this is an important endeavor to support the cause of awareness and prevention of violence. This walk gives us the opportunity to walk with those who have suffered devastating loss while courageously advocating for change. There is nothing more powerful in systemic change than to walk with one another to broaden and deepen interdependent well-being. Please see below for more details. And of course this is our month for the First Parish Annual Meeting (May 20th), a time when members take a look at the year we’ve lived together and vote on the agreed upon infrastructure support for the year to come. It’s a great celebration of who we are together. It is good to be together.

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse, Director of Religious Exploration

• Nursery and toddler care is available every week in the Link hallway from 10:15 to 11:45 am. This week our caregivers are Daisy and Bella. Stop by and say hello!
• Religious Exploration for Sunday, April 8: 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. Please note that our Children’s Church service ends at 11:40 am.
• Once a month children in all grades gather together for a worship service in the Children’s Church after we leave the Meetinghouse. This week’s our worship will focus on exploring ways of illustrating our 7 UU Principles as we continue to make wall decorations for the Children’s Church.
• Register your child or youth for fall 2018! The Religious Education Committee requests all families to register their children and youth. Registration forms will be available during social hour in the Parish Hall.

Youth Yacking

Sara Elizabeth Santa Cruz, Youth Advisor

Here is our youth program for this Sunday…

Youth Chat, 10:30am – 11:30am

With the conclusion of Coming of Age, we are returning to having youth chat! This week we are going to be celebrating community and talking about how we want to close out the last few weeks of Youth Chat.

CAT, Community Activity Time, 12pm – 2pm

Let’s just get together and have fun! Games, music, and community! Feel free to bring snacks to share.

Events, News and Announcements

MAKE SURE YOU FIND A SLOT TO SHARE YOUR VIEW! MEETINGS ARE FILLING UP, SO GO TO SIGNUPGENIUS AND ADD YOUR NAME. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

The Worship Committee is holding seven roundtable conversations with members of First Parish on this important question: Should the cross be the central focal point of our worship space? Please go to signupgenius.com to participate in one of these conversations. There will be up to 8 people in each conversation and two facilitators from the Worship Committee. We hope everyone will participate. If needed, we will add more dates for the end of May and June.

Please join us for the 22nd Annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace: “Dignity and Compassion for All”

The Mother’s Day Walk for Peace is a celebration of our potential to create more peaceful communities. Every year families from across the state and region walk together toward peace. Join us on Mother’s Day to demand dignity and compassion for all families impacted by murder.

The Mother’s Day Walk is also the Peace Institute’s most important fundraising event. We’re asking you to invest in community-based solutions to a complex problem.

All walkers must register. Registration cost this year is $10 per walker, however no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Where?

Town Field Park, Dorchester Ave, Fields Corner, Dorchester, MA

• Registration Begins: 7:00 am—Meet at church 7:30 am to drive over together, or meet us there—look for our FP Milton sign
• Opening Remarks: 8:00 am
• Walk Begins: 8:30 am
• Finish at Government Center: approx. 1pm. You don’t have to walk it all! Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome.

How can you sign up?

Go to https://www.mothersdaywalk4peace.org/ and register as a participant to join in our team, First Parish Milton. As this is a fundraiser, we are also seeking donations.

What is our fundraising goal?

We’d like to raise $1000 for the Louis D Brown Peace Institute.

We’d also like to have at least 50 walkers signed up from First Parish!

Please join us!

We welcome back vocalist Nyah Macklin to our morning service today. Last year she sang during Rev. Lisa’s installation service, and today we hear a sneak preview of what she will be singing for our next Milton Community Concert on May 13th at 3pm. The choir will also be singing a piece today which will be a part of that concert, a benefit to raise money for Rosie’s Place women’s shelter in Boston.

Neponset Greenway ribbon-cutting and community celebration

Saturday May 12th at 12-3pm on and around the Neponset Greenway near Ryan Playground and the Harvest Bridge

The celebration will include a family friendly bike ride, craft & art making, an array of musical performances, walks on the path, and ribbon-cutting with elected officials.

MainSpring in Brockton

The Social Action Committee is seeking volunteers to prepare and serve dinner at MainSpring in Brockton on Sunday, May 20 from 3PM-6PM. Sign up at the Social Action table during social hour or email Peter.

MOTHER’S DAY FREE BENEFIT CONCERT

Milton Community Concerts presents “Women’s Voices: A Rally for Rosie’s Place” on Mother’s Day, May 13th at 3pm in the Meetinghouse. This is a free benefit concert to support Rosie’s Place, the first women’s shelter in the US, located in Boston. This program will feature female artists and composers, as well as music addressing many issues facing women today and in the past. Performers include vocalists Jennifer Sgroe, Nyah Macklin, and Emily Tweedy, and dancers from Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. For more information visit miltoncommunityconcerts.com.

There will be no yoga on Mondays in June.

SUMMER SERVICES

Summer is coming! And that means lay-led summer services at 9:30 am in The Children’s Church. Is there some aspect of your spiritual journey that you have wanted to share with the congregation? Is there some part of your social action work that you would like to present to others? This is your chance! Please email Mallory Digges (maldigges@gmail.com) if you have interest in leading a service.

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 – 2:00 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, 10:30 am in the Meetinghouse
• Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am
• Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

EVERY THURSDAY

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 7:00 pm in the Children’s Church (Note new time)

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.