This Week in Worship
Sunday, August 2
Summmer Worship @ 10:30 am in Parish Hall
Worship leader this week is Jim May
From our Interim Minister…
A friend and colleague who recently moved back to New England after a number of years serving churches in the Southwest told me a story of visiting the new church he will be serving. “I was in town looking at apartments and thought I would stop by the church, as I drove up I noticed that each door had a sheet of paper taped to it. It turns out that each sheet of paper said CHURCH CLOSED, COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER.”
We Unitarian Universalists have had a close tie to Harvard University since the the 17th century and for the last one hundred and fifty years have gone so far as to set our church schedules to the academic schedule, which means that many of our churches would close during July and August. Most UU churches have changed to be open during the summer months, maybe not going full steam, but having worship services often lead by very capable lay leaders (This Sunday it’s Jim May.)
Why the change? In part because folks have realized that there is no season for pain, there is no season for loneliness, there is no season for all of the many reasons that people come to church. To come to church and find a note that says come back in September, well that sounds a lot like the guard at the gates of Oz, who yells out “Orders are nobody can see the Great Oz! Not nobody, not nohow!” Church is our refuge and our sanctuary (even if we aren’t meeting in the sanctuary.)
I hope that no matter what mood you find yourself that you come and join us on Sunday mornings!
See you in church
Rev. Hank
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The Nursery is closed for the summer.
All children are welcomed to attend the service.
August Worship Schedule:
- August 2nd Worship Leader – Jim May / Music – Tim Steele
- August 9th Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce
- August 16th Worship Leader – Guest – Chris Alburger / Music – Joel Hiller
- August 23rd Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce / Music – Joel Hiller
- August 30th Worship Leader – Rev. Hank Peirce / Music – Tim Steele
Religious Exploration
Unitarian Universalist Association: Religious Education
“We believe that faith is a journey we take together.
Religious education takes a lifetime. It happens both within and beyond a congregation’s walls. We support one another as individuals, families, and communities in an ongoing search for truth and meaning. We strive to guide one another—all ages among us—in religious questioning, personal change, and discovering ways to better live in faith.” http://www.uua.org/re
Here at First Parish in Milton we are working on some great things for the upcoming year. Spirit Play teachers are hard at work organizing and putting together wonderful stories for our young kids. A new curriculum for our Small Group Ministry classes, grades 3 through 6 will be starting in the fall. We will be combining 7th and 8th grade students for a class that will run “junior youth group” style which will transition into our OWL program in the spring. Our vibrant and energetic youth will continue to rock the world (as they always do) putting “our faith into action every day by daring to be real, showing acceptance and support, leading with courage, and acting for justice”. And we are really excited about our yearlong community service project.
More information to come soon!
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We need all children and youth to register for Religious Exploration classes, so if you have a child or youth coming back in the fall. PLEASE REGISTER YOUR CHILD TODAY!
News and Announcements
And activities continue during the summer at First Parish Milton.
Our Committees are Working and Planning
There is great activity amidst what many consider the quiet season at church. Many of our lay leaders are hard at work all summer long. The office is working on a vareity of projects, some in conjunction with lay leadership and some planning for next fall (particularly Miriam Saavedra in her role of Religious Educator and Kiki Giatis on office infrastructure).
Committee Chairs: Please let the office know of the dates of your regular meetings come September. We will include the information on our master calendar which is also displayed on our website. We can also assist in securing space for the meeting (typically the library). The Parlor and Parish Hall will be available for use on Wednesday evenings. The library is also available many weekday evenings but you do need to reserve in advance.
STAFF RETREAT: Rev. Hank, Miriam and Kiki will be offsite for a meeting on Wednesday, August 5th. If you have a pastoral or some other emergency, please contact Rev. Hank at 781.495.9891. Otherwise, we will be retuning emails and phone calls on Aug 6.
Ministerial Search Committee is working through the summer. They have been on retreat, met with Rev. Hank, and are working to roll out a number of activities come the fall. Committee members pictured from left to right: Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich (chair), Tracey Robinson, Elise Henricks, Brigitte Miller, Jim May, Franc Graham.
September and October Activities
Don’t forget to mark your calendars now!
- Sunday, September 6 – Worship Begins again in the Meetinghouse
- Sunday, September 13 – Ingathering!, RE Teacher Training
- Saturday, September 19 – First Parish Orientation
- Sunday, September 27 – RE Classes begin
- Saturday, October 3 – The Return of the Harvest Supper
- Sunday, October 4 – Membership Sunday, Celebrate Milton
- Friday, October 30 – First Parish Halloween Party
YOGA and MEDITATION CONTINUE ALL SUMMER LONG
Monday evenings at 7:30. Join Elyse Foster for Yoga in the Parish Hall. The group meets all year.
Sunday mornings at 9 am and Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. Meditation in the Children’s Church for 30 minutes. Questions? Contact Tracey Robinson
Great Opportunities to Volunteer and/or Enjoy Jazz Concerts
To sign up or get involved in any of these opportunities, please contact Rev. Rebecca Hinds or 617-318-6010, x214
Every Saturday, 10am-1pm: Fair Foods at the UU Urban Ministry
Saturday, August 15, 1 pm: Jazz concert on the UUUM lawn. A neighborhood music, arts, and culture festival featuring St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Steel Band,Citywide String Orchestra, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, and more! Please join us!
Kiki’s Corner
Summer Season at the Office – Update
The office is open Monday – Thursday 10:30 am – 2 pm through September 3. Rev. Hank Pierce, Kiki Giatis, Miriam Saavedra, and Kevin Harnden all will be taking time off and vacation during July and August. Tim Steele and Sara Elizabeth Santa Cruz will return in September.
Kiki, Miriam and Kevin are not in the office on Sundays through August. Kevin is on vacation from July 24 – August 3.
Best to check with us if you are planning to drop by the office.
Reminder re electronic pledges. We are now in a new fiscal year. If you have traditionally filed a form with the office to do electronic withdrawal, the form expired June 30, 2015. You can contact the office for another form. You may go to our website or CLICK HERE to set up an electronic withdrawal. You may also set up automatic bill pay through your own bank or write us a check. Questions? Please contact the office.
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!