FRS Timeline

Cultural Milestones	Community/Personal Milestones	FRS Milestones
	-1620-
	Pilgrims arrive in Plymouth MA
	-1635-
	First Parish Newbury established
		-1646-
		New Meetinghouse built
		-1694-
		Second Parish Newbury established.
		-1722-
		Third Parish established which became the First Religious Society
		-1725-
		First Meetinghouse of Third Parish built
-1754-
Spire struck by lightning. Had to be rebuilt. Ben Franklin visited the spire to confirm his theories on electricity.
	-1764-
	Newburyport becomes a separate town from Newbury.
		-1779-
		First Universalist Church in America in Gloucester MA
-Late 1700’s-		-1796-
Cultural phenom- Lord Timothy Dexter’s was active in Nbpt.		Joseph Priestly establishes first Unitarian Church in Philadelphia.
	-1811-	-1801-
	Fire destroys much of Market Square area in Newburyport.	Present meetinghouse built on Pleasant St.
		-1838-
		Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers his Harvard Divinity school address.
	-1851
	Newburyport becomes a city.
	-1860-1865-
-1880’s	Civil War
Nbpt industrializes and becomes a Milltown.
-1920’s-	-1914-1917-
Flapper Era and Jazz Era	World War I	-1925-
Harlem Renaissance	-Crash of 1929-	First Candlelight Service
	October 30
	-1930’s-
	The Great Depression
	“The New Deal”
	Roosevelt Creates WPA and CCC
	-1936-
	Prohibition Repealed
	-1940’s-
	Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor Day
	-1941-1945-
	World War II
	-Aug 1945-
	Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-1950’s-	-1950’s-	-1950’s-
Listening to the radio Sunday evenings and trying to imagine how to hang an iron curtain.       Elvis is king!	Korean War   Russians launch first ever satellite into space called Sputnik.   Brown vs. Board of Education- repeals Plessy vs. Ferguson making segregation in public schools illegal	In 1950’s John P. Marquand gave a sermon in which he pointed out the uplifting design of the church- particularly the podium and that it had been built by ship’s carpenters who were always striving to “lighten up” the crafts, and it is a wonderful physical metaphor for the way this church can uplift us.
	-1954-
	Black Panther party for self defense started by Huey P. Newton.	-1956-
		Bert Steeves installed as Minister.
	The Red Scare- “McCarthyism”	-1956ish-
		Bert’s Easter sermon about Jesus’ body being stolen or taken from the grave to avoid martyrdom.
		-Early 60’s-
		Bert Steeves stands up to the John Birch society.
		Being a member of the UU Church in Atlanta during the civil rights movement. Mr. and Mrs. King Sr. visiting our church after MLK’s assassination.
		-1961-
-1958-		Unitarians and Universalists merge
Circle pins and mixers at college. “I was not successful at either”
-1960’s-	-Early 60’s-
BEATLES!   Civil Rights Movement   Vietnam War begins to escalate	At one of the first, if not the first, Yankee Homecoming, a small contingent in colonial dress marched from the old South Church to the Tracey Mansion (public Library) to hear Benedict Arnold speak.
Though, and perhaps because, we are a predominantly white town, and church, being welcoming is crucial.	How do we carry the hope of change of justice forward? The losses of Martin Luther King, Jr and John F. Kennedy.
“Feminine Mystique” by Betty Freidan	-1960- 1963-
Ecology Movement; Rachel Carson, “The Silent Spring”	John Kennedy election and tenure. This was my introduction to National Politics. He inspired a belief in possibilities.
-1961- 1967-	-1962-
Pope John XXIII brings ecumenism to Catholic Church. Many young Catholics were encouraged to learn about their and other religions. As they learned they questioned. Many found and are still turning to Unitarian Universalism.	Peace Corp started and Florence Mercer went to Nigeria in the 4th group to go there. Other Church members who were in the Peace Corp too were Pam Herman, Anne Dodge, David Hildt.
	-1960’s-
	Being in Atlanta GA during civil rights issues and during death of Martin Luther King (1968)- UU Church was my oasis.
-1967-
Bellbottoms and all that!	-1968-	-Late 60’s-
A time of ups and downs even in the UU Association	Deaths of MLK and Bobby Kennedy. Their deaths and the reactions to them pushed me to act on my beliefs.	The American and state flag of Mass. disappears from the front and then the rear of the sanctuary.
-1968-
Paul Tsongas beats LBJ in NH primary	-1969-
LBJ withdraws from the Presidential Race	Man lands on the Moon
Woodstock reigns!
-1970’s-	-1970’s-
Women wear pant suits to church	Seeing diversity within the UU church.
-1972-	Seeing Kim Harvey grow up, being gay,
Kent State- National Guard kills 12	Now running Arlington St Church
Vietnam protests	Hearing my kids celebrating all the worlds religious holidays in Sunday School
Iran hostage taking reflects the end of liberal political power and change to the right.	My 7th and 8th grade class taken at First Parish UU in Portland compares world religions- memorable.
	Growing up as Unitarian as Dana Greely as my minister in the 70’s -Inspiration in strength and hope
	-I met my future husband at the corner of High and Chapel when he stopped to ask if I needed help changing my flat tire. Though I said, no thanks, his persistence paid off.
	-1973-
-1974-	Rowe vs. Wade decision	-1974-
RN- tricky Dick Nixon- first president to resign		Shared our services with Belleville Church to save on fuel
		-1986-
		Darcy VanBokkelen ends long career as head of church school.
		-1987-
-1989-	-May 18, 1989-	Visioning process- day long on a Saturday.
Fall of Berlin Wall	Mt. St. Helen’s erupts.	-1990?
		Wendell White introduced the computer to the accounting system.
-1990’s-
The younger generation has unfortunately lost some of the art of human in person interaction via the internet and ironically on the other hand the web has opened up infinite possibilities in the communications world.		-1991?- Young Church choir restarted with Lynn Paparella as director
Impact of new information age- cable, cell phones, internet. Worldwide web shrinks the world. Netscape browser is invented.
-1993-		-1993-
Walk Against Violence revived to support the Women’s Crisis Center. Florence Mercer and Nan Becker, co-presidents made it happen.		FRS UU becomes a Welcoming Congregation
The Church is active in present day problems. Good will and friendship.		-1994-
		Bert Steeves takes the first sabbatical in the history of FRS. People have to make their own decisions.
		-1995-
		Harold Babcock installed as Minister
		Harold’s Sermons -Inspirational scholarly, humble and ever increasingly focused on calls to action.
	-1996-	-1996-
	Came to Christmas concert while visiting friends. Simple atmosphere, beautiful music. A place I wanted to be.	The Lord’s Prayer disappears from the Sunday service and is replaced by the Affirmation of Faith.
		-1994-99-
		Youth Adult committee (YAC) active!
		-1995+
		Harold restarts and recommits the Church to significant involvement in partner church with village in Transylvania.
	-1997-98-	-1990s
	“When I had cancer, so many church people cared for us.” Anne Dodge (Anzie)   The Rolling Stones are still rocking!	Peace Pole installed. Circle Dinners. Clean up days at church. Friendship table. Watching films together. Important for getting to know others in the community.
	Conservative Right succeeds in making “Liberal” a pejorative point.	Youth Group led by Gen and Eric Gootkind engages many teens to stay with church.
	-2000-
-2000s-	This is the first time the Supreme Court decides a Presidential Election.	-2001-
People are living busier lives, not as willing or able to make commitments to leadership needs or committees, etc. More people retiring, more retired people moving here to Newburyport. Activities, classes, with church community. Many already exist. Thank you.	Election Day- local state and federal. Because our democracy must have everyone taking part.	Events marking our church building’s 200th anniversary. Marking the continuity of this church’s presence: It’s important to institute rituals to commemorate our common experience.
Church as a place to help kids through crazy cultural trends of the day. Establish foundation. Young church a good place.	-2001-	The 2001 celebration especially the historical play- many of us participated in. I felt it brought us together.
	Hannah and Katherine Sheehy were dedicated to this wonderful church. Our Catholic and Jewish and Unitarian families, all present and happy. Harold did it just right!	Revels play- we met and worked with 75 church members- many of whom we had not met before.
		Participating in the Revels, not only taught be so much about FRSUU, and Nbypt history, but also moved me from a passive church member to an active one. Alicia Raddatz
		Involved in The Meetinghouse Revels.
		A church community, multi-media production, celebrating the bi-centennial of this building, May-July 2001.
-September 11, 2001-	-September 11, 2001-	-September 11, 2001-
Because it showed how monstrously religion can be high-jacked by evil.	The Twin Towers Fall!   9/11 Service as a whole community on the Green. Service at Central Congregational. Harold’s acknowledgement within the service of world’s issues when they occur.	“I need the fellowship of this church community more than ever. Being together that Sunday, listening to Mona sing, “Come Sunday” and Harold’s comforting sermon, made me feel less alone and less afraid.” Alicia Raddatz.
		Harold’s sermon after 9/11 was powerful. It reflected the compassion as well as the anger we all shared.
		The Sunday after was my first day of church and I’ve been coming ever since and plan to include my two children.
		Post 9-11- church as a place to process/reflect on events and feelings.
		Sept 11- I came to this church the following Sunday and have not left since. It was/is important to me to know that there is “community” in every sense of the word (especially in a at times senseless world).
		Being able to come to this church on the Sunday after Sept 11, 2001, and feel the love and support was a most moving event.
		-2002–
		Visiting Group formed. Became “Parish Friends.” Visit the sick, send cards, bring meals, provide rides, care and concern.
		The Mozart Requiem commemorating the victims of 9/11 was very meaningful for me.
		-2002?-
		Tom Stites’s first Jazz Service.
	-2003-	-2003-
	Invasion of Iraq.	Expansion of church into basement.
	-Summer 2003- My first trip to Transylvania and feelings of intense gratitude for the experience, new friends and understanding of history.	The Renovation and Expansion- opening the church for expansion of membership and activities. Made the outside community see this church as a growing church, not just as a historical site.
	I found a home here at FRS. Yippee!	BIG EVENT- the expansion of the lower level of our church - it changed the energy of our community for me. Inspired me to join the church.
		In a time of religious fundamentalism and “right or wrong” positions, our church offers a critical window of open thinking and light.
		The 20th Century Church history completed. Cheers! Over 70 people participated.
		I think the Church’s actions in favor of same sex marriage were important. The way the minister and the members handled this stance made me proud to be associated.
	-2004-
	The response by the church to world wide tsunami and then national and local disasters (Katrina) was institutional but also individual and also by small groups. People supported each other in the common quest to reach out and help.
	Protests in DC and NY about the Iraq war. Felt part of a community of like-minded citizens.
	-May 17, 2004-	-2004-
	Gay Marriage legal in Mass!	Church started performing Gay Marriages. Truly affirming a liberal, tolerant approach to religion.
	Gay marriage and unions among all who love one another come to the forefront of national attention and proudly our church and UU’s are in the vanguard.
	-October 2004-
	Red Sox win World’s Series for the first time in 86 years!
	-2005-	-2005-
	Brad and Jen divorced.	Our partner church’s minister, Rev Zsolt Jakab visited here for the second time.
		The twice-monthly Sunday morning forum is very important.
		Harold’s 10th anniversary.
		Our celebration of Harold’s ten years with this church is a happy affirmation and a vote for (at least) 10 more years.
		First Wednesday evening of the month Jazz Vespers begins.
		-Present-
		A superb standard of music in our churches from many sources. This is an ephemeral experience and blessing, not to be taken for granted.
-Future focus-	-Future Focus-	-Future focus-
	-2008-	UU moves beyond “Protestant lite”
Perhaps nearly universal opposition to war (any war) appears to be a force towards change in the broader public attitude.	Let’s hope that in 2008 we become more independent of the Middle East with regard to oil.	Greet new people…teens more engagement and responsibility: work/ task/teams by age group within the church and for community service…to notice and respond when long time (or medium time) members stop coming- call them.
Spiritual practice in an age of information overload saturated with popular culture, extremist voices and blogs, and 24/7 real time analysis of events, how do we develop a spiritual practice of our own to refine our personal vision? This is a great virtue and capability of our church ever present and waiting to be used.		-Give community service opportunities for young children.   -Give a homeless person courage and the means to start a new life. Give support as he or she embarks on this new endeavor.
May the political right be a passing fad and not a trend.		Unitarian Universalism, through the UUA, positions itself as the justice/peace/economic and environmental sustainability ethic/democratic leader in the world serving not only as a leader but as a model for the best human life on our earth.
	-2100- Thomas Jefferson’s vision comes true - Unitarianism, America’s majority religion!