Table of Contents

• Eco Tips !
• This Week in Worship
• This Week in Religious Exploration
• Events and Meetings
• News and Announcements
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Beyond First Parish

Eco Tips !

 you CAN try this at home!

As part of our Getting to Zero initiative, we are developing ways to educate ourselves on how to rebuild a healthier planet and reduce the causes and impacts of climate change. In this week’s Link, we are trying out a new column in which we will share tips on how we all might practice becoming better “ecological citizens”. 

“An ecological citizen possesses a strong sense of ecological-consciousness, recognizing the ways we are inextricably connected to each other and the world around us. In addition to possessing rights within our world, an ecological citizen embraces the responsibilities of an active, expansive citizenship, one which includes changing private behaviors to promote the public good and engaging in collective action to push for responsible, systemic change.”

Our ECO TIP for July is especially relevant during the summer vacation months. Learn more about ECO-DRIVING below – and stay tuned for future ECO TIPS. If you have ideas or want to contribute an ECO tip please contact Tony Dutzik or Tracey Robinson.

What is ECO-DRIVING?

(and why you should care)

Gas prices are through the roof and climate chaos is ramping up around the globe. The good news is that there’s one thing we can do to address both problems at once: save gas. 

If you haven’t yet made the leap to an electric vehicle, there are still ways you can reduce your gasoline consumption by as much as 15% through what’s known as ecodriving. Saving gas not only saves you money and reduces pollution, but it also helps keep demand (and prices) down for everyone.

There are dozens of ways to save fuel and many resources TheEcoDriversManual (1).pdf out there to help. Here are few quick tips:

• Plan your trips – Combine trips when possible and share rides with friends when you can. 
• Steady as she goes – Speeding, aggressive driving and stop-and-go driving waste energy. Fuel economy drops off at high speeds, especially above 65 mph. Drive at a reasonable, steady speed. 
• Keep it light and airy – Unnecessary extra weight and unused roof racks reduce mileage. Remove them when not needed.
• Keep your car happy – Check tire pressure once a month and keep tires properly inflated and the engine in good working order. 
• Try something new – Ever wonder what it’s like to walk or bike to the store, or want to try the bus or train? Now is the time to give it a try. Even swapping out one trip a week (maybe to church?) can make a difference.

Saving energy is important if you’re in an electric car, too. You’ll get more miles to a charge and reduce New England’s dependence on natural gas for power. You can find EV-specific tips here.

This Week in Worship

“Sing a Song Into Prayer”

Facilitated by: Jennie Mulqueen

Worship Assistant: Amy Kavadlo

Audio: Brynne Mershon

Worship Services are hybrid.

Join us in person or on Zoom.

Please see the zoom link below. 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.

Sunday’s offering will go to the service and ministry of First Parish.

Religious Exploration

If you have not yet registered your child for next year’s RE program, please click below to do so. If you are interested in volunteering with the RE program, please contact the office.

Registration link

Events and Meetings

In person yoga on Monday’s at 6:30 pm in Parish Hall. There will be a zoom option as well. If you need the Zoom log-in info, please contact office@fpmilton.org

The room is large and airy and feels Covid-safe, so please join us!

Social & Environmental Justice Committee

11th Hour Calling

Our Monthly Stand Out for Climate Action & Justice

Monday, July 11, 6-6:30 p.m.

535 Canton Avenue (next to Town Hall)

We say we care about the climate emergency, environmental justice, elimination of fossil fuels from our lives, and municipal response planning locally wherever you live. Let’s practice it: all welcomed. Show up, drum, chant, sing, learn. Coming together in community will energize you, especially with the Mulqueen/D’Alessandro family in lead roles. BYO posters and percussion (saucepan/spoon work well). This is an invitation to come and come again.

Next month’s 11th Hour Calling: Thursday, August 11th

News and Announcements

New Fiscal Year Reminders

A friendly reminder from your church administrator- First Parish’s fiscal year is July 1-June 30th. Our FY23 fiscal year (and your new pledge year) started this week. For the purpose of fulfilling your annual pledge with ease, I recommend taking a few steps this July. One, if you haven’t fulfilled last year’s pledge- there is STILL time to get that final payment in. We’ll continue to take payments for FY22 for the next 2 weeks. If you’d like to pay by Breeze, just let us know!

Two, if you give automatically- through Vanco or your own bank’s check payment system- take a look at the monthly amount. If you changed your pledge amount this fiscal year, you will need to manually change the amount you give monthly to end with a zero balance next June. Of course, if you give through Vanco, the office is happy to help you,but we need your permission to do so.

Three, if you’d like to move to electronic payments, we can help! Youcan use Vanco, your bank or Breeze, our text to giving system. Just email Susan at manager@fpmilton.org and she can review options with you.

Worship Committee – SUMMER SERVICES Schedule

An hour earlier – 9:30am! – in the Meetinghouse and on Zoom. The Zoom Link is NEW for summer services, so please make sure to see the info above.

7/17  Dianna Wilson and Pat Neves- Play with Music

7/24 Owen Hartford and Penny Partridge- Musings on Creativity

7/31 Lisa White and Elise Henricks- Spiritual Lessons from Nature      

8/7  Joe Ayoub and Amy Kavadlo- Lessons from Basketball

8/14 Katie Vhay and Tracey Robinson- Joy

8/21  Leslie MacPherson and Jonah Beukman- What Membership Means to Me

8/28 Tom Kemp and Chris Clifford- “I’ll pick door #2, no, no, #3!”

9/4   Elise Henricks and Penny Partridge- Our Labyrinth

Please contact for more information: Penny (ppartridge@icloud.com) and Katie (katievhay@msn.com)

Volunteer Opportunities

Fair Foods

Fair Foods is a non-profit program that rescues fresh produce that wwould otherwise be wasted and uses it to feed our communities. We volunteer together unloading and sorting food and packing bags once a month.

The next volunteer date is Saturday, July 23rd.

If you want to volunteer, please sign up on Sign up Genius by Thursday

evening before the event. Start time and locations vary depending on Fair Foods’ needs, but typically start at 8:30 a.m. at their warehouse at 70 Amory Street in Roxbury.

Sign up here!

Other volunteer opportunities are also available at Fair Foods on weekdays from early morning until mid-afternoon.Any questions or for more information contact Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com or 617-291-4685

Beyond First Parish

The Makanda Project

Jazz on the Green – 2022 Summer Series

Here’s a great opportunity to visit the UU Urban Ministry 

Check out the progress on the Meeting House renovations, 

Experience the new Peace Garden, and

Enjoy a wonderful outdoor jazz concert! 

All are invited to 10 Putnam St. in Roxbury to see and hear the world-class jazz music of The Makanda Project. There are three concerts scheduled. See flyer below for more info.

Bring a towel or a chair and join us for one of these free shows.

Check out the event webpage and UUUM social media accounts if the forecast doesn’t look friendly.

Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice – Book Club

We are so excited that for our next Book Club we will be reading Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s book “How to Be an Anti Racist” and offering tickets to see him in person where he will be talking about his new book “How to Be an Anti Racist”.

Book Club dates are Tuesdays, July 12 and July 26 and will be on ZOOM.

His book tour event is on Monday, June 27th from 7:30-9:00 at the Wilbur Theater in Boston. Tickets are $35 for orchestra seats and include a signed copy of his book. (1/2 price scholarships are available.) If you can not make the book tour you are more than welcome to join the book group and if you can’t make all the book club dates you are still welcome to attend the book tour event. (Car pooling is available.)

Please sign up for the Book Club and/or Book Tour at the following link

As a reminder, some staff hours change over the summer.

Lisa Ward- on sabbatical until 11/15.

Rev. Tricia Brennan serving First Parish 8/15-11/15. 

Sherri Moldaver- Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am-1:30 pm

Kevin Harnden- weekday mornings

Tim Steele- off for summer, returning to First Parish in Fall

Susan DeMinico- in July and August- Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-4 pm at First Parish, Wednesdays 9-3 pm working remotely.

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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, 9:30 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: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday1

You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.