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This Week
a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 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
Christina Sillari, Ministerial Intern
Rev. Harold Babcock
"Are We Worth Dying For?"
This sermon is in recognition of International Peace Day on September 21. My title is shamelessly stolen from a sermon preached by Unitarian minister John Haynes Holmes during another war, the First World War, the so-called "war to end all wars." Holmes's sermon was included in a volume of Unitarian sermons from 1918 entitled The Soul of America in Time of War. He was an uncompromising pacifist, and one of the twentieth century's great Unitarian preachers. The question he poses is valid, though we might not like the answer.
Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given by Robert and Ann Poirier in loving memory of Abigail Poirier, daughter of Robert and Ann and sister to Emily Poirier.
Steeple Lighting: The steeple lighting for this week has been donated by Linda and Will Buddenhagen in loving memory of Linda's mother, Elizabeth Shapleigh Rising, and her grandmother, Agnes Bartlett Mercer.
Ushers: Barbara Moynahan and Pam Girardi.
Rev. Bertand Steeves
"Is Nothing Sacred?"
We have been told many times that we live in an era of increasing secularism and a declining of the sacred. On the 30th we will discuss this situation by looking at the question.
Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given by Tom and Tempa Pagel in remembrance of Fred and Roberta Pagel.
Steeple Lighting: The steeple lighting for this week has been donated by Mary Wilkins Haslinger in loving memory of her grandparents, Mayor Gayden W. Morrill and Margaret Dodge Morrill.
Ushers: Linda and Will Buddenhagen.
Friday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Lower Parish Hall
Mark your calendar and join us for an evening of fun and fellowship as the Shared Ministry Groups of our church host a potluck dinner for all. Enjoy a relaxing meal with old and new friends and learn a bit about our Shared Ministry Groups and how you can join one!
Please bring a salad if your last name begins with A-F, a main dish G-M, and a dessert N-Z. Soda and water will be provided. See you there!
Small Ministry Group Opening - The Small Group Ministry meeting first Monday of the month (or more frequently) at 7:30 p.m. co-facilitated by Linda Tulley and Susan Kaplan has openings. In interested, please call Linda.
Parent-Child Book Group
The book group is back! Our first discussion of the year will be on October 14, after church, in the lower meeting house. Bring a brown-bag lunch if you wish. We'll be discussing The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards. The book group is for kids and their parents. Books are generally for the 8-12 year old range. For more information, contact Julie Parker Amery.
First Friday Family Night
October 7, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., in the Lower Meetinghouse
Mark your calendar! Our first family night of the year is on October 7. Come make your own sundaes and stay for karaoke! This is a really fun way to meet other families in the church.
Someone's Trash…
We are collecting paper towel rolls (empty) and old magazines for use in Young Church. If you have any donations, please leave them in or outside Julie's office. Thank you!
Up and Coming Informational Meeting
For anyone interested in the Up and Coming mentoring program, there will be an informational meeting on Sunday, September 23, after church in the Lower Meetinghouse. The program is open to 9th and 10th graders, and any other high school students who missed the program in previous years.
Young Church Orientation Sunday, September 30, 11:45 a.m., in the Lower Meetinghouse This is geared toward newcomers with questions specifically about Young Church and Unitarian Universalist religious education philosophy. Invite your friends, who might be interested in learning more!
Nursery Care Provider Needed
Are you over 16 years of age and in search or a way to raise a few dollars? The remuneration is $20.00 per Sunday, and the rewards are numerous. Call Julie Parker Amery if you're interested.
Lunch with the Minister will resume on Tuesday, September 25. We meet at noon in the lower meeting house. We will continue reading from the anthology Faith Stories, edited by C. Michael Curtis. The story for the 25th will be "Sister Imelda," by Edna O'Brien. All are welcome.
Music Librarian
During the worship service on Sunday, November 11, 2007, we will once again welcome new members at a New Member Recognition Ceremony. If you have any questions about becoming a member of the First Religious Society, please speak to Harold Babcock or call John Mercer, Administrator at (978) 465-0602, ext. 404, or send him an e-mail at frsuu@netway.com.
There will be "Exploring UUism and FRS Membership" Adult Education classes after church at 11:45 a.m. on Sundays, October 21, October 28, and November 4.
The FRS youth choirs are in need of a volunteer accompanist. Rehearsals are every Sunday morning in the upper parish hall, from 9:00-10:20. (9:00-9:40 Teen Choir rehearsal and 9:40-10:20 Young Church Choir rehearsal) The accompanist would also provide piano accompaniment in church when the children sing during worship services.
If you have some good keyboard skills and are willing to help out, please contact me.
Claudia@ClaudiaMusic.com.
from the FRS Membership Committee
The first circle dinners of the year will be held on Saturday, October 20. Sign-ups will be on Sundays through October 14 at coffee hour.
Circle dinners are small dinner parties consisting of six to ten people. They are designed as intimate events so members can get together in the home of a host, and guests are asked to bring a dish and beverage of their choice. This is a wonderful opportunity for making new friends and sharing a sense of community. If you have any questions please, see Lusann Wishart or Nancy McCarthy at coffee hour.
October 21, 2007, after the Sunday Service
Planning has begun for a Parish Meeting to consider the recommendation of the Music Committee for alterations to the sanctuary to accommodate the FRS's Steinway grand piano. Please plan to attend this meeting.
Music is a very audible and visible part of our church life, and many members and youth members are involved in our programs or attend them. As the vision and mission process the congregation participated in this past year confirmed, few members are neutral on the subject!
The Music Committee has, during our own vision and mission work, paid careful attention to the many comments we received and crafted a statement that we hope reflects what we, as a congregation, aspire to achieve with our music programs. Below you will find our Vision and Mission statement and the three large mission objectives we are currently working on. Please support us as we will ask for your input and participation in realizing these goals!
Vision Statement
The Music Program, as an integral part of church life, aspires to elevate the spirit and to support those within and beyond our church community in discovering spiritual meaning.
Mission Statement
The Music Program serves the evolving spiritual needs of the congregation and the larger community and strives to be a beacon of musical excellence.
Our offerings create connections among all participants, musicians and congregants alike, and are a catalyst for spiritual inspiration and growth.
The Music Program welcomes all who wish to participate. We work to create a nurturing environment that is safe, loving and supportive, in which people's abilities are cultivated to their highest potential.
Mission Objectives
- Increase diversity of musical expression
- Enhance the youth and adult music programs
- Use music as outreach to the larger community
hosted by Amnesty International Local Group 708
sponsored by the FRS Social Action Committee
Monday, October 1, at 7:00 p.m.
Newburyport Public Library Community Room
State St, Newburyport, MA 01950
Amnesty International's Merrimac Valley Group 708 invites you to an evening with Michael Otterman who will speak about his book American Torture: From the Cold War to Abu Ghraib and Beyond. Michael Otterman is a visiting scholar at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney. As a freelance journalist, he has covered crime and culture for an array of publications.
American Torture traces the origins of American interrogation and examines how it was refined, spread, and kept legal. Learn more and read reviews on www.americantorture.com. For more information, please contact Rob Burnham.
from The Poverty Program
sponsored by the FRS Social Action Committee
Saturday, October 13, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A Volunteer Job Fair will take place in the Lower Meetinghouse. We will provide tables for literature and exhibits for charities seeking volunteers. We will set up a screening room just off the main hall and will run short films or slide presentations throughout the day. For more information or to participate, contact Rob Burnham at jcrdbunham@verizon.net. Please come and sign up to volunteer.
Thanks to Patrice O'Brien and Peter Litwin who donated a hymnal "in loving memory of Robert, Jacqueline, and John O'Brien." To make such a donation yourself, call Vicki Dyer at (978) 465-0602, x401. The cost is $32.00.
Peace Procession in celebration of
The United Nations General Assembly International Day of Peace
Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 4:00 p.m.
- Meet at 4:00 at the Peace Pole located at Somerby's Landing Sculpture Park near the Chamber of Commerce
- Walk on the sidewalk to Central Congregational Church (14 Titcomb Street, Newburyport)
- Join in reading and hearing short letters from children about peace (at Central Church 4:15)
Volunteer Projects
There are many projects around the church that neither the staff nor the Building and Grounds Committee can ever get to. So we offer them to you. If you are interested in taking on one of these, please call Vicki Dyer at (978) 465-0602 so that she can make sure that our good-hearted volunteers don't overlap in their efforts. Thanks to those who responded to last week's listing.
- Carolyn Dawson for clean up and plantings at the wayside pulpit
- Lucie and Mark Gallagher for general weeding and pruning
- Ann Kemp for general weeding
- Linda Tulley for spraying the crabgrass on the bricks with vinegar
- Julia Farwell-Clay for working on a plan for church plantings
- Linda and Will Buddenhagen for painting and maintaining some signs at the Parish Hall
- Ed Anderson for cleaning out of drains
Boxwoods - Prune and trim
Pews - Stuck, warped, or need repairs
Shrubs - Planting according to plan and maintained
Wells - Window Wells on right side of church - clean out
New this Biweekly
Bulbs - need various bulbs donated and planted according to plan
Chestnut Tree - Weed base and apply mulch
September Recipient
For September, the First Congregational Society (Unitarian) in Hampton Falls, NH, will receive of half of the loose plate, that amount not attributable to any specific person but collected during the month's church services. Many of our members attend services at Hampton Falls during the summer time.
The Hampton Falls church needs financial help in repainting its trompe d'oeil ceiling; the estimates are that the work will require between $10,000 and $20,000. If you would like to make a separate contribution to this project, please send it to Beverly Mutrie, PO Box 277, Hampton Falls, NH 03844. Her e-mail address is bmutrie@hotmail.com.
Foster home needed for three Congolese siblings ages 15, 7, and 3. Can you help? If so, please contact Karen Santella at the Lutheran Community Services' Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program at (781) 997-0872.
Saturday, September 29 in Braintree
"Universalist Spirituality" will be the theme of the New Mass. Universalist Convention's Annual Conference on Saturday, September 29, at All Souls UU Church, 196 Elm St., Braintree, MA. Worship ('The Gift of Forgiveness') will be led by the Rev. Olav Nieuwejaar. The keynote address ("Universalist Spirituality") will be by the Rev. Richard Trudeau. The day's program will also include a presentation by the Rev. Edmund Robinson ("Universalism: Means of Salvation or the Coming World Religion?"), a panel of old-time Universalists reflecting on how Universalism as they remember it differs from today's UUism, a presentation about the new Universalist Heritage Center in Winchester, NH, and a sing-along of Chris Raible's parodies of UU hymns. The day will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and include continental breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. For full information please go to www.nmuc.org and click on Annual Meeting.
sponsored by the FRS Community Human Resources Committee
Under the auspices of the Human Services Committee, Chris Hyde and Alicia Raddatz are organizing a fundraiser concert that will be held this fall on Saturday, November 3, to support local meals programs for the hungry.
Key volunteer support is needed for the following:
- Use of speakers/PA system the evening of the event.
- Professional design assistance to create a logo, banner and flyer.
- Help in crafting public relations messages for local media outlets.
- Ushers and concessionaires from ranks of Young Church.
- Donations of dessert and paper goods for intermission.
- A persuasive soul who can effectively sell tickets during intermission for a couple of quality raffle items (one item will be a piece of Waterford crystal donated by Our Neighbor's Table Executive Director, Rosemary Werner, whose brother is a master cutter at Waterford).
Strengthening Lay & Professional Leadership
brought to your attention by the FRS Denominational Affairs Committee
Four districts in New England (Ballou Channing District, Clara Barton District, Mass. Bay District, and ME-NH-VT District) are coming together on October 27. We call ourselves the UU New England Conference, and we are pleased to sponsor Ministry Matters: Strengthening Lay & Professional Leadership.
You and your fellow congregants will come away from this day-long event with information and tools to enrich the life of your congregation. Details follow below.
Massachusetts Bay District of UU Churches
Unitarian Universalism depends upon the strength of lay-leadership to flourish. Authority lies with our congregations and the ministries to which they are called. At the same time, we call and hire ministers, religious educators, administrators, and musicians to lead and guide our congregations. Ideally the relationship between our professionals and our lay leadership is complementary and mutually beneficial, but inevitably some tension arises around who is responsible for what. Workshops: Key denominational leaders will facilitate workshops addressing particular aspects of this relationship such as worship, administration, support of professionals, faith development, stewardship, and pastoral care. You will have the opportunity to attend two of these workshops.
| Not a Show, Not A Pep Rally, Not a Community Meeting . . . Your Congregation's Greatest Gift Rev. Tom Schade, Minister, First Unitarian Church, Worcester, MA Rev. Sara Ascher, Minister, Brookfield (MA) UU Church
Fostering Positive Relationships Among Lay
Managing the Church's Money: Who's Minding the Store?
Beyond Fundraising: Money, Stewardship and Faith
The Congregation as a Lifelong Learning Community
Therefore, Choose Life!
Pastoral Care at FUSN: Lay Ministers |
Saturday Morning Worship Led by the Rev. Aaron Payson, Minister, UU Church of Worcester
Who should attend: Current and future congregation leaders such as presidents, officers, trustees, committee chairs, as well as ministers, RE professionals, administrators, and all staff members will improve the working relationships in their congregations by participating in this event.
Date: Saturday, October 27, 2007
Time: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Beechwood Hotel
363 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605
Cost: $85 per person before October 10
$100 per person after October 10
