Rev. Lisa Ward has been our settled minister since August of 2016. Ordained in 1992, Rev. Lisa has served congregations in New York City, Queens, White Plains, NY and Harford County, MD. A graduate from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, she has engaged in social justice initiatives throughout her career… 
Table of Contents
- This Week in Worship
- Message from Reverend Lisa
- RE
- Events
- Social & Environmental Justice
- Actions for Justice and Democracy
This Week in Worship
Steve Yakutis & Friends: Songs of Protest* (in Children’s Church)
Please join us for service at 9:30am.
Led by: Steve Yakutis
Please log in at 9:20, to give some lead time for the service at 9:30. You will be muted, but you can communicate through the chat box. If you do not have zoom on your computer, please download it ahead of time. It is free.
Hello First Parish Milton,
Since I have yet to meet most of you, this feels almost like writing a letter to a pen pal. Remember pen pals? Back when folks used pens and paper to write letters?
As I type this, I am mostly aware of my own curiosity about each of you. I imagine you may be wondering about me, too. Here’s the highlight reel: I have been a religious educator and psychotherapist for more than a decade. Over the years, I have worked in private practice with adults on their healing and wellness journeys, and I have also worked with congregations to develop fun, compassionate, relevant, and thoughtful programs for young people.
When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening, making soap, writing poetry, participating in community theatre, and spending time with my wonderful husband, Patrick, and our spirited pup, Mabel. So that’s a little about me!
As I look ahead to this fall, I am working hard to prepare both myself and the program to best support the families, children, and teens in this community. We are excited to offer our RE classes again this year with some talented teachers and wonderful youth assistants. I am also working to bring back our OWL class!
We will have amazing opportunities to be together intergenerationally—learning and growing side by side. I am convinced that intergenerational, values-centered community is life-changing and world-shaping.
I am truly grateful to embark on this new season with each of you. If you have already been involved with RE at FPM, thank you! If you haven’t yet, I hope you will consider how your spirit might find new energy and perspective by serving with the kids, teens and families here. Please let me know if you’re interested so we can connect about the possibilities that might be the best fit. Additionally, note that we are currently hiring an adult Nursery Worker, as well as teen Youth Nursery Assistant and Youth RE Class Assistants, so if you know anyone in the community who may be interested please have them contact me at redirector@fpmilton.org or 470-223-0337.
We are currently looking for teachers and assistants, as well as volunteers to serve in the nursery. We also have some exciting opportunities coming up very soon:
- I will be around on Sunday, August 24, to meet everyone in person.
- Our RE retreat will be the following Sunday, August 31.
- Next up is Ingathering Sunday, which I’m working on with the RE Committee to make as fun and festive as possible to welcome everyone back! There will be a bouncy house! I’ll also offer a brief faith reflection that day as part of the Multigenerational Service for all ages.
- We will officially be in the full swing of fall with RE Teacher Commissioning and RE classes beginning on September 14 (more details on class offerings and registration coming soon!).
- Finally, RE will join the SUNday festivities on September 21 to celebrate solar power at this community-wide, all-ages event!
I can’t wait to connect with you soon.
Warmly,
Susannah Bales, MDiv. LMFT (she/her)
Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration
Religious Exploration
RE Volunteer/Staff Application at FPM 2025-26
Important Upcoming Dates:
Sunday September 7 @ 10:30 in Meeting Houes
Multi-generational In Gathering Service
Sunday September 14 @ 10:30 in Meeting House
Teacher Commissioning & Religious Exploration Classes Begin
News & Announcements
Upcoming Summer Services 9:30am (in Meetinghouse except as noted with *)
8/10 Elise Henricks: Walking Our Labyrinth* (in courtyard)
8/17 Chris Clifford: Blue Hills Forest Bathing* (location TBA)
8/24 Lisa White: Music from Our Hymnals
8/31 Penny Partridge: Navigating in the Sea of Dementia
Join us online from anywhere; but if you can, please come in person.
* Not available online
Window Replacement
In the next two weeks, First Parish is having the windows in the Parish Hall, kitchen, and Chase Parlor replaced. If you happen to pop by in this time, you’ll notice that the kitchen looks a bit disorganized. Do not fear! We simply have to move things around to give the window installers space to do their job, and then we have to get the shades/blinds reinstalled. To that end, please do not move anything back to the countertops, or in front of any of the windows in the next two weeks. We will take care of moving everything back to its normal place when installation complete. Thank you for your help with this!
Happy Summer!
The First Parish Milton Worship Committee wants to help people get to know our community. We propose to do that by letting them see us on a screen show of photos of us when they first enter the front doors of our church and enter the Narthex. Please send us your pictures by August 29. Show us how you participate in community with others at FPM or with the larger community through FPM.
Use of Pictures: We do not intend for these pictures to be used on social media, just in the church Narthex.
Where to send: Please send pictures to FPMphotos65@gmail.com. Help us get to know you and each other and maybe help potential new members better understand who we are and picture themselves spending time with us.
Need ideas ? Send us pictures of:
- Social hour
- Your wee ones playing in the nursery
- You and your child ringing the church bell
- The art projects done during religious exploration
- Your family making sandwiches for Mainspring,
- You and your friends helping at the yard sale or celebrating at the end of it
- The church picnic
- The holiday pageant
- The Mother’s Day walk
- The chocolate auction
- The valentine making party
- The harvest supper
- Game night
- Circle Suppers
- The Christmas market
- The Easter egg hunt
- The monthly eleventh hour calling
- The women’s march
- Trips and events with friends met at First Parish
- The upcoming Disappeared in America standout at the state house
- The interfaith blood drive
- The choir and other phenomenal singers helping get centered during services
- The Milton Community Concerts
- The FPM Annual meeting
- Your time at the UU general assembly
- A few of you reorganizing the flower closet or the RE closet
- The people in your Committee meetings
- Pictures of a meaningful service you’ve attended
Social & Environmental Justice
STANDOUT — SAVE THE DATE
11th HOUR CALLING FOR DEMOCRACY
Monday, August 11, 5:45 p.m.
535 Canton Ave., First Parish Milton
Join us for a rousing Drumming Circle — no experience required — in preparation to stand out and stand up for Democracy. Bells of alarm will ring from the historic steeple at 6:11 p.m. for eleven minutes.
Bring yourselves, neighbors, sound-makers, signs, flags, voices, and energy.
This is a family-friendly event repeating monthly. Thursday, September 11 is next — location to be determined.
[Note: Milton Indivisible sponsors a weekly Wednesday standout 4:30-6:30 p.m. in East Milton Square.]
Show that we are resolved, resounding, and resilient in challenging times.
Actions for Justice and Democracy
Join Tesla Takedown on August 2nd at Rage Against the Regime, a festival of nonviolent resistance organized by Mass50501!
Elon Musk might have paid himself another $200 million to spread his Nazi-spewing AI through our government, but we’re ramping up the pressure to hit his wallet right back. Our campaign helped create a record 12% drop in Tesla revenues in Q2, on top of $300 billion wiped from Tesla’s stock value since the start of this year. We’re convincing pension funds to divest from Elon’s companies, and dumping T-Mobile if they don’t dump Starlink. With Tesla and SpaceX stock forming the bulk of Elon’s wealth, that’s a good chunk of change he no longer has to pay politicians to steal our taxpayer dollars.
On August 2nd, join us 12 – 4pm at the Cambridge Common for Rage Against the Regime, as we share how we can wield our economic power to resist those who are attacking our country. Let’s make it clear to all the billionaires and corporations that working with Trump does not pay!
We will be back at the Prudential Center Tesla Dealership for our regular Saturday protest on August 9th, 12:00 pm- 2:00 pm.
In solidarity,
Join us for the 10th Annual Peace B’Que as a helping hand and make the event a success!
Let’s roll up our sleeves, share stories, sip cool drinks, and make a difference, together.
The Peace B’Que is our free summer celebration in Dorchester, designed to provide a safe, fun-filled afternoon of food, music, games and connection for residents and visitors alike. Its goal is to foster community spirit and promote peace through a joyous, inclusive gathering.
Saturday, August 9 (Rain date August 10) | 2 PM – 5 PM
Multiple roles available
RSVP below, and email MCCawley@LDBpeaceinstitute.org with any questions.
Support Rosie’s Place
Hello! My name is Sophie McEttrick and I am a rising Senior at Milton High School. This summer, I’m participating in the Summer Justice Institute at Rosie’s Place, the women’s shelter in Boston. Within this program I am organizing a service project. I decided to create “Stay Kool Kits” for the women that contain water, sunscreen packets, wipes, hats, etc. Hopefully with the super hot weather around Boston, these kits will provide a small amount of comfort. But in order to do so, I definitely need some help. Donation boxes will be placed at the Milton Public Library and this church! Any and all donations will help. Additionally I’ll attach a link and QR code to the GoFundMe to gather money for the supplies! Thank you all!
Link to Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/dcd10228
Join us for the 10th Annual Peace B’Que as a helping hand and make the event a success!
Let’s roll up our sleeves, share stories, sip cool drinks, and make a difference, together.
The Peace B’Que is our free summer celebration in Dorchester, designed to provide a safe, fun-filled afternoon of food, music, games and connection for residents and visitors alike. Its goal is to foster community spirit and promote peace through a joyous, inclusive gathering.
Saturday, August 9 (Rain date August 10) | 2 PM – 5 PM
Multiple roles available
RSVP below, and email MCCawley@LDBpeaceinstitute.org with any questions.
Rev. Lisa Ward:
Vacation: July 28-August 10
Study Leave: August 11-18
Susan DeMinico: Summer Hours for July and August
In office on Tuesday & Thursday – Off Mondays and Fridays, 1/2 day remote Wednesdays.
Vacation: August 8th-18th
Susannah Bales
Starting 7/7/25
Sherri Moldaver
In office Monday thru Thursday 8:30am-1:30pm
Vacation: August 4th-August 7th
Kevin Harnden
Monday-Thursday 8am-11am
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 – 1:00 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
SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)
The link to SignUp Genius is: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D44ACA728A02-57884860-20252026#/
You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.