Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 8/26/2021

Weekly Link 8-26-2021

No Worship This Week- August 29th

SUNDAY SERVICE PARTICIPATION

Our sign-up genius is up and running for the full church service year! 

Every year, members pitch in on Sunday to facilitate our gathering in worship. Please go to this link and click on “2021-2022 Sunday Service Participation” to add your name as volunteer. 

 Not everyone in our community is ready to attend our hybrid worship in-house (we will continue to broadcast via zoom as well), so it is especially important for those of you who plan on attending in person to pitch in. 

Thank you in advance!

As you read this column on Thursday, I will be checking into the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. My regular practice is Chi Gong, however I learn more about yoga and certainly meditation every time I visit this Center. It is a special place. I am here this time because of the wonderful generosity of First Parish members and friends, who offered me a gift certificate at last year’s Annual Meeting in acknowledgment of the challenges of leading during the Pandemic. Kripalu opened its doors to vaccinated people Aug 19. I will be there Thurs through Sunday this week. Many, many thanks, First Parish.

Leadership is gearing up for the fall, with many meetings and deliberations about safety protocols and entering in a new, hybrid worship. The love of place and people here resounds in all we do. You continue to amaze me.

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Hello First Parish in Milton! As you know I have been hired as your Transitional Director of Religious Exploration. Although I spent some time in July researching ideas and possibilities for first Parish in Milton, I began officially on 2 August.

Rev. Lisa, the RE Team and I are working on opening preparations. I will be meeting with the Youth Visionaries in the near future. Over the next few days I will be reaching out to our families to set up Zoom calls, or plain old phone calls, to learn more about how we can serve the needs of our children and families. My office hours are not yet determined. I will be posting office hours soon. Email me at dre@fpmilton.org with questions or to set up additional call times.

One of the components of Soul Matters (the theme based ministry tool First Parish is using) is a monthly packet called Soulful Home: Finding the Sacred in Our Everyday Spaces. In it there are readings, stories, discussion prompts and activities related to the theme we will all be exploring. It will be emailed to all the families on the first of each month. There will be samples out on out literature tables and other bulletin boards each month for those not on the distribution list, yet. While Soulful Home is envisioned for families with children, there are many things to engage and delight adults. Let me know if you would like to be added to the monthly distribution list at dre@fpmilton.org

I am excited to become a part of First Parish Milton and am anxious to meet everyone. I look forward to what good work and magic we will create together.

Molly Nolan, Transitional Director of Religious Exploration

URGENT!  Emergency Response in Haiti

On August 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, causing widespread destruction and devastating communities. Please find below two organizations that are highly recommended:

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE (UUSC)

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is responding to the disaster in Haiti and are in contact with long-term partners in the region to assess the crisis and the most urgent needs in order to direct resources in a strategic way that supports those who are most affected. 

Donate to Emergency Response Fund

THE SAINT ROCK HAITI FOUNDATION

The Saint Rock Haiti Foundation, headquartered in Milton, is also a reliable donation distributor.  Their mission: “Motivated by the inherent worth of each individual and our great care for the people of Haiti, the Saint Rock Haiti Foundation works side by side with the people of Saint Rock and the surrounding rural communities to enhance their lives”

Locate donation portal here

Table of Contents

For Events, News and Announcements 

1. Meditation

2. Yoga

3.Worship Committee News: Summer Worship

4. SJ&E Action Committee News

5. Office Summer Schedule

Meditation

All are welcome to join for 30 minutes of silent meditation/prayer on:

Thursday evenings at 6:45 pm-7:15 pm 

Sunday mornings at 8:30am-9:00am

Newcomers and friends welcome.

Please contact Tracey at tdr02186@gmail.com if you have questions or want to join us!

Yoga classes are now hybrid !

6:30pm on Monday evenings

You can come into Parish Hall with  guest yoga instructor, Jayne Ogata.

Or if you choose to continue with Zoom, link below

2021 Summer services Lay Leaders & Themes

9/5   Elise Henricks and Penny Partridge, Our Labyrinth

Jeff Stoodt spoke about the role organized religion can play in social change in the service he led on August 8th . He is sharing the sermon and the sources he used for anyone curious to pursue the subject further.

Sermon & Sources for 8-8-21 Service.pdf

From S & EJ : Social Action Committee News

On Saturdays between now and October 30, consider shopping at Mattapan

Square Farmers Market. This is one way to support local farmers and

vendors and meet neighbors across the Neponset River. Its location near

Mattapan Square is convenient. Its organizers, Mattapan Food & Fitness

Coalition, offer volunteers a variety of Saturday market tasks, too. Call

MFFC’s office at 617-696-2900 or check its informative website

Sign up to volunteer 

“Your Ideas Wanted!

As you may know, the Social & Environmental Justice (S&EJ) committee recommended, and the Parish Committee agreed to expand the “Share the Plate” program (formerly known as the “Third Sunday Donation” program) to two Sunday collections each month for the 2021-22 church year. S&EJ and other First Parish members expressed a keen desire to increase our generosity to organizations that focus on issues regarding climate change, racial, economic, immigration and social justice and civic engagement. S&EJ recommends that First Parish continue to support recent donor organizations while expanding the list of worthy organizations.

In the spirit of inclusivity, we ask you for your ideas. Here are the parameters:

  • the suggested organization should focus on one of the S&EJ themes: climate change, racial, economic, immigration or social justice, or civic engagement.
  • organization must be a 501(c)3
  • organization may be local, regional or national/international with preference given to local organizations.

The S&EJ committee will review all suggestions and submit a list to the Parish Committee for its approval.

Please submit your ideas to Lynne Stack (lmstack258@gmail.com) by August 31st.

In advance, thank you for your ideas and continued generosity to the world beyond First Parish!”

Fair Foods is a non-profit program that rescues fresh produce that would

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, September 11th

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 a.m. at their warehouse in Roxbury.

Any questions or for more information contact Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com

Sign up to volunteer on Signup Genius

Lunch Program on break this Summer

The Social & Environmental Justice team will be discussing future plans for supporting Mainspring at our summer retreat. Many thanks to all the generous volunteers who have helped make the lunch program a success over the last 14 months. You are the best!

OFFICE SUMMER SCHEDULE

 Rev. Lisa Ward, Minister

Study Leave August 23rd-30th (available for pastoral concerns)

Contact Amy Norton for pastoral concerns: amy.norton@comcast.net


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.