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Retired Guys' Summer Outing
a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Summer Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday
Church Phone: (978) 465-0602 - Minister's Line: (978) 465-6504 - Fax: (978) 462-0384
Web Page: www.frsuu.org - e-mail: frsuu@netway.com
The Rev. Harold E. Babcock, Minister The Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves, Minister Emeritus
Yankee Homecoming Sunday
Rev. Harold Babcock
July 23 - Rev. Deborah B. Knowlton
Pastor, First Congregational Church, Hampton, New Hampshire
July 30 - Rev. David Blanchard
Minister Emeritus, The North Parish Church, North Andover, Massachusetts
August 6 - Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves
Minister Emeritus, First Religious Society, Unitarian-Universalist, Newburyport, Massachusetts
August 13 - Rev. Holly Bayllies
Pastor, Unitarian-Universalist Church, Wakefield, Massachusetts
Services begin at 10:45. The church is located on Route 88, near Applecrest Farms. Parking in the rear of the church.
For the week of August 6, by Mary Wilkins Haslinger in gratitude to the sciences that enlighten our minds about the world, our universe and ourselves, and thereby dispel fear, superstition, and prejudice.
This past June I was blessed to be able to attend the UU General Assembly and its two-day lay leadership training "UU University." Other attendees at GA were Alex Mezey, Tom Stites, and Harold Babcock. If you conclude that I might have obtained some useful information on purpose or by osmosis, please contact me. For now I'll leave you with this:
| FIVE INTERESTING THINGS LEARNED AT UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2006 | |
| 5) | Special interest groups exist for UUs who also share these faiths: Buddhist, Mystic, Jewish, Christian, Humanist, and Pagan. |
| 4) | The UUA's website is a treasure trove of resources, inspiration, and networking information. Check it out at uua.org. |
| 3) | William Sinkford, UUA President, believes that liberal religions need to "take back Jesus" from the religious right - was not the message of this spiritual teacher inclusive, peaceful, and forgiving? |
| 2) | There are many UU's working hard to make our world a better place on issues such as global warming, children in poverty, treatment of animals, AIDS, support in war-torn regions around the world. And much more. |
| 1) | Good things happen when congregations complete a Visioning Process. |
Have a wonderful summer and may you be able, as Rev. Babcock has suggested, to use this season's gifts of time and special places for reflection and renewal.
Toward the end of August Harold will be traveling to Minnesota to take part in the 125th anniversary of his first church in Hanska. On August 25 he will be performing a wedding in Ipswich, and on August 27 he will be preaching in Hampton Falls. In between, he may try to fit in a few weekends in Maine. In the event of an emergency (death, accident, or serious illness) during his absences, the church office, which will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon weekdays, will be able to provide ministerial back-up.
from the FRS History Committee
Last Month's Question: What revolutionary patriot's family produced the bell in the FRS steeple? Answer: "One of the interesting happenings of Dr. Andrew's pastorate was the replacing of the old bell with a new bell which came from the foundry of Paul Revere and Son." (FRS History, Volume 1, p. 59).
New Question: What 18th century British evangelist of the Great Awakening, now buried in the crypt of the Old South Church, inspired members of both the First Religious Society and the First Parish Church of Newbury to withdraw from their congregations and form a new Newburyport church? This desertion was called the Presbyterian Schism.
The answer to this, and many other questions, can be found in the two-volume history of the First Religious Society. Boxed sets of the history are available at $40.00 from the FRS office, open from 9:00 a.m. to noon weekdays during the summer.
Save Your Water . . . Young Church children are asked to get a small sample of water from some place their summer travels may take them: a lake, the ocean, a pond, a puddle in the driveway. The water will be used in our annual Young Church water communion service in September, when the waters of our separate journeys are mingled into one bowl. This is a service common to UU congregations across the continent and has been celebrated in our Young Church for four years. A film canister is an appropriate size.
The Annual FRS Yankee Homecoming Book Sale is scheduled for August 3rd through 5th, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. To make the sale a success, we will need lots of volunteers and lots of donations. We are asking for books in good condition as well as specialty magazines if you have sets (National Geographic, Gourmet, and the like). CDs are welcome, too. Please bring your gently used donations to the church office on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Please join us! For questions or to volunteer your time, please call or e-mail us.
Wednesday Evenings at 7:30, Free Admission
Air-conditioned Lower Meeting Hall
Tentatively Scheduled
August 2 - But I'm a Cheerleader
August 9 - Transamerica
August 16 - Before Stonewall
August 23 - Brokeback Mountain
Open your home to the world by being a host family for a foreign student! Cultural Homestay International is currently matching high school students with host families for the 2006/2007 academic year. Students come from all over the world and attend your local high school for a ten-month program. Young people from Europe, Asia, and South America are excited to be able to attend American high school, improve their English language skills, and, most of all, learn about day-to-day life in an American family.
Families of all ages, with or without children, can make great host families. If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more about this learning opportunity of a lifetime, please view our website www.chinet.org (refer to Academic Year Program) and call Sara Gangai right away at (866) 926-9668 or email sara.gangai@gmailcom. 0
Merrimack Valley Habitat builds homes, shares hope, and changes lives. We move families from overcrowded, dispiriting living conditions to a safe, decent, and affordable home, providing the stability and foundation they need to build a better life. It is a partnership of hope, and of a helping hand. Construction and administrative volunteers are needed to help us continue our mission. Flexible arrangements.
Jodi M. Weeks, Director of Resource Development, Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity, 60 Island Street, Lawrence, MA 01840, jodi@merrimackvalleyhabitat.org, Phone: 978-681-8858 extension 12, www.merrimackvalleyhabitat.org
- by Marquita Jackson in memory of her cousin Carol Kalashian Mullen
- by Tom Stites in memory of his father, Harold E. Stites, and his love for hymns and singing.
- by Alex Mezey in memory of her parents, Alexander Frederick Mezey and Mary Margaret Sullivan Mezey Fitzgerald
- by Barbara Owen in memory of Jean C. Wilson
- by Mary Wilkins Haslinger in loving memory of her mother, Margaret Gayden Morrill Wilkins
- by Esther Macomber in loving memory of FRS parishioners Mary Whiting, Dorothy Plumer Beard, Jean Wilson, and Miriam Morgan
- by Kitely/Hill families in memory of Geoffrey Kitely (son and brother)
- by Bruce and Wendy Ford in loving memory of Graham and Mary Ford
Received by e-mail on June 29: "I am reading a mystery, Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple, and felt it had to be written by a UU. After Googling Newburyport, [I realized that] your church seemed to be the center of this story and perhaps the author a member of your congregation. The giveaway was "child dedication." Who else but UU's are changing the words to the hymns? The steeple on the book jacket matches the picture on your website. Delighted to see us getting into the mainstream. (In VA, we are not in the mainstream.) Is the author a member of your congregation? If so, tell her how much I am enjoying her book. Anne Blacksten, Arlington, VA" Ms. Blacksten was of course referring to the mystery written by our fellow parishioner Tempa Pagel.
Comfort Shawl Workshop<>Linda Buddenhagen<>Wednesday, September 20<>7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Comfort Shawl Followup<>Linda Buddenhagen<>Wednesday, November 1<>7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Freemasons Workshop<>James Funston<>Saturday, October 14<>10:00 - 12:00 noon
Clyde Massachusetts & John P. Marquand<>Ben Labaree<>Thursday, October 19<>10:00 - 12:00 noon
Right or Wrong?<>Ben Labaree<>Thursdays, October 26 and November 2, 9, and 16<>10:00 - 12:00 noon
Transcendentalism<>Harold Babcock<>Thursdays, October 26 and November 2, 9, and 16<>6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
It isn't too soon to begin thinking about traveling to Transylvania to visit our Partner Church in Ujszekely in the summer of 2007. A tentative itinerary would include flying to beautiful Budapest, Hungary, and spending a day or two there at the Victoria Hotel learning about Hungarian history and culture; traveling by train from Budapest to Sighisoara/Segesvar, Romania (a beautiful 9 - 11 hour trip), where we will be met by members of the Ujszekely congregation and driven the 10 or 11 kilometers to the village; four or five days living in the village, attending a church service and working on a building project with our partners (this would be a working trip!); and possible side trips in the vicinity (Segesvar is one of the most beautifully preserved medieval cities in Europe, a world heritage site). Optionally, we might take the train from Budapest to Transylvania's capital city, Cluj/Koloszvar, location of the Transylvanian Unitarian Church headquarters, seminary, and high school, spend a day sightseeing in that famous city, then travel by bus to Szekelyudvarhely, "the most Hungarian city in Europe," where we would be met by our friends and driven to the village. Return via train to Bucharest, Romania (through the Transylvanian Alps) and flight back home from there. Total time elapsed: 12 or 13 days.
For more information about what it's like, speak to someone who has been there: Russell and Rochelle Perry-Platine, John Mercer, Peg Nicol, Michael Fosburg and Pat Skibbee, Barbara Owen, Jessica Brown, Josie Seymour, KC and Steve Swallow, Max Russell, Russ Meade, Sabrina Babcock, or Harold Babcock. Or talk to one of our youth travelers: Brody Pagel, Josh Babcock, Steph Steeves, Sam Steeves, John Speck, Danielle Gorski, Mackenzie Mathieu-Busher, Justin Turner, Anna Nicol, or Jenny Nicol.
Costs will include round trip airfare to Budapest, returning via Bucharest; train fare (very inexpensive: under $75.00 from Budapest, even less to Bucharest), hotel for three or four nights (still very reasonable, but getting more expensive as Hungary has entered the EU), meals, a small per diem for your host family, gifts and mementos, and miscellaneous. Romania is still extremely inexpensive to visit. The earlier we can make plans, the better our odds of getting reasonable flights and good hotel reservations!
Dear Friends -- It is a well known fact that we [at Turning Point] would not be able to provide the services that we do for our families without the support of our community. I am afraid that the truth of this statement has never been so glaringly evident as it is regarding this year's Children's Campership Fund campaign. After seven years of sending out letters asking for support, I am horrified to admit that this year I simply thought I did what I had done in years past. I am grateful that your membership has us in your hearts and minds, and that you have taken the initiative where I had failed. Having said that, on behalf of the children served by Turning Point, Inc.'s Division of Family Services, please extend our deepest gratitude to all who contributed to this year's campaign. We are grateful for the $220 contribution, and again, we would not be able to provide summer camp experience for our deserving children were it not for the thoughiful and generous support of such caring people. Sincerely, Wendy Weise, M.S., Assistant Coordinator/Children's Services Coordinator
Three services will be featured on August 3, 4, and 5 at the FRS during Yankee Homecoming: the Annual FRS Booksale, Artisans in the Open Show, and Muddy River Barbecue. There will also be an FRS Social Action table on the bricks in front of the church informing the public about the work of Amnesty International. One aim of all this activity is to extend Yankee Homecoming events further and further down Pleasant Street, to what we, inevitably, would call the actual center of Newburyport.
For technical reasons, not for security reasons, the FRS changed locks on the church building this summer. So if you are key holder, you will need a replacement key. Call Vicki for one.
