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… 
The office will be closed on Monday, September 4th in honor of Labor Day
Table of Contents
- This Week in Worship
- Message from Rev. Lisa
- This Week in Religious Exploration
- Events and Meetings
- News and Announcements
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
“Our Labyrinth”
September 3rd-LAST SUMMER SERVICE will be held Outdoors
This Sunday September 3rd, we will gather to hear about labyrinths and walk the First Parish laced together labyrinth in the Courtyard between the Meeting House and the Children’s Chapel. This will be at 9:30 a.m. and require your physical presence – no Zoom. Please be prepared to take your shoes off walk the labyrinth either barefoot or in socks. If it’s wet, we will be in the Parish Hall. Walking a labyrinth can be an enriching experience that paradoxically combines both solitude and togetherness. Please join us for this last summer service.
NO ZOOM for Labyrinth service
Summer worship starts at 9:30 am
Facilitated by Lay Leader: Elise Henricks
Worship Assistant: Steve Yakutis
Sunday’s offering will go towards the ministry and service of First Parish.
Rev. Lisa is on vacation until 9/4- enjoy our guest column this week!
While I hope many of you got to enjoy our wonderful summer services, many folks haven’t walked around First Parish since the spring. In case you wondered if the pace of work slowed down here in the summer, let me assure you it does not!
The summer is our opportunity to do a number of building projects that are challenging to accomplish during the regular church year. I’d like to thank Kevin Harnden, our sexton, and Sherri Moldaver, our admin assistant, for all their help in accomplishing these projects. It truly is a team effort to get all these things down in about 12 weeks!
Building Improvements:
–New Carpets! We installed new carpeting from the rear of the Meetinghouse all the way through to Parish Hall.
–New LED Lights– as part of our long term commitment to become carbon neutral, we’ve installed dozens of new light fixtures with LED bulbs throughout the campus.
–Insulation– To conserve heat, we’ve begun the process of insulating more of the buildings. We contracted with RiseEngineering, through their partnership with MassSave, to install insulation in the Meetinghouse basement, attic, and above the parish hall.
–New Water Heater– we installed a new hybrid water heater- which will reduce our dependence on gas to heat water for us.
–Painting- We spruced up the church office and social worker entrances with fresh coats of paint. It looks so much more inviting!
–Tree Trimming- Each summer, we hire an arborist to check on the health of our trees. As expected, we had to cut down one dead tree near the corner of Engine and Clapp St. It had become a safety hazard this winter, with many branches falling into the road. Three other trees were trimmed, and the campus is better prepared for hurricane and winter storm season.
–Solar Lights were installed by Children’s Church, illuminating the stairs down to the parking lot.
-With the help of the talented Sophie Brown, we’ve reorganized our closets and storage– giving us more space for the things we need.
–Window Washing– while not technically a summer project (scheduled for mid-September), we’re getting the Meetinghouse and Parish Hall windows, screens and sills professionally cleaned.
Additionally, we’ve been working on campus improvements that I hope will make congregational life easier. We purchased a new TV screen, so that Chase parlor can permanently have a computer/TV set up for Zoom meetings. We’re working on installing a campus wide mesh network for internet service. Sherri took on the project of adding a rentals section on our website, so potential renters can learn more about our rental options.
We are excited to welcome everyone back at Ingathering on 9/10!
Susan DeMinico, Church Administrator
Religious Exploration
Religious Education Registration
Welcome to a new year of Religious Education ! We will be gathering for all-ages worship on September 10th and our first day of RE programming will be September 17th. Please register and learn more about our programs with this link. Reach out to Family Ministries Director Louise with any questions re@fpmilton.org.
Volunteer with Religious Education
Come teach RE this year! Teacher volunteer for 1-3 Sundays a month (not every week, scheduling flexible), are paired with a co-teacher, and receive the material ready to go. The only prep required is a background check. If you are interested in teaching, please use the link to let us know more. Reach out to Family Ministries Director Louise with any questions (re@fpmilton.org).
Events and Meetings
Hospitality Committee Meeting
Hello! Our first Hospitality Committee meeting for this fall will be Sunday, September 10, 6:30pm via Zoom. We will plan for the upcoming Welcome Back Brunch (Sept. 24) and Harvest Supper (late fall), and social hour hosting throughout the year. AND welcome our new members.
We look forward to seeing you then. Enjoy the weekend.
Allison, Anita, Marie-Laure, committee co-chairs.
News and Announcements
Thanks to everyone who participated in our summer services: Lay Leaders, Worship Associates, musicians, audio techs; and all of you who took part in these services, whether in person or through Zoom. You may not realize how much your individual presence added to other people’s summer Sundays. Thanks also to Susan and Sherri in the Office who helped coordinate it all and who produced the paper and virtual Orders of Worship. A lot of details and a lot of love went into our summer services. Again, thanks to all!
Penny Partridge
Save the Date! First Parish is having a Welcome Back Brunch on September 24th, after church. More information and sign-ups will be coming, but we wanted to get the word out now. Hospitality and Membership are joining forces to welcome everyone back for our church year. What tasty dishes can YOU make??? Start thinking!
We are looking for Social Hour Hosts
We look forward to seeing you at our Social Hours after church beginning on Sunday, September 10th. We are looking for hosts, and you can sign up at Signup Genius. New to hosting or need a refresher? A member of the Hospitality Committee will contact those who sign up to offer guidance and answer questions. Thank you!!
Sunday Service
First Parish is in need of volunteers for worship assistants, greeters, and social hour hosts (see above).
If interested in signing up please use Signup Genius link.
We have appreciated your help in the past and hope you can help again.
Thank you in advance.
Beyond First Parish
Sep 09, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Tour begins at the UU Urban Ministry, 10 Putnam St, Boston, MA 02119, USA
About the Event
Enjoy a stroll around the neighborhood focused on Roxbury’s agriculture and horticulture and how these shaped the neighborhood over the years. Tour led by historian Thomas Plant.
RSVP: If you plan to attend, or have any questions, please email: tours@uuum.org
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.