JULY MINISTRY THEME: POSSIBILITY
Annual Ministry Theme: Life
SUNDAY, JULY 12
GROWING INTO HARMONY WITH THE DIVINE
SERVICE STARTS
AT 10AM
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Reading Frederick Douglass Together
10am, Brown Square, rain location: FRSUU, no livestream
Please join us for the annual community reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Meet in Brown Square across from City Hall (rain location, FRSUU) at 10am. No sign-up required. Light refreshments will follow. Lawn chairs are encouraged. Co-hosted by the Friends of William Lloyd Garrison, the YWCA of the Greater Northshore, Museum of Old Newbury, and Congregation Ahavas Achim, with support from Mass Humanities and Mass Cultural Council. No livestream. More information at www.WLGarrison.com.
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Growing into Harmony with the Divine
10am, Sanctuary and YouTube
Drawing from Steve McIntosh’s Evolution’s Purpose, the story of cosmic, biological, and cultural evolution, the service will explore how familiar phrases from our FRS Affirmation of Faith and Doxology can speak to our lives today. The service will be led by David Turner and will include harmonies from choir members and video reflections and songs from Alban and Erinda in Albania.
FRSUU Welcomes New Interim Minister!
The FRSUU Board of Trustees and the Interim Minister Search Team are excited and proud to announce the selection of Rev. Connie Simon as our new interim minister. Rev. Connie, who is completing her interim ministry at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, MD, will start her two-year ministry at FRSUU on August 1. Her first official Sunday in the pulpit will be September 13, Opening Sunday for the 2026-27 church year.
Rev. Connie explains her approach to interim ministry on her website: “I’ve chosen to focus my ministry on transitional work because I genuinely love it. There’s something deeply meaningful about accompanying congregations through periods of change—helping them reflect on their history, clarify their identity, strengthen their leadership, and step intentionally into their future. Transitions are challenging, but they’re also extraordinary opportunities for growth, healing, and renewal.”
Read the full announcement HERE.
Summer Sunday Worship
July 19 and 26
10am in the sanctuary with livestream on YouTube
Click here for the full schedule of summer services and events.
The Latest News & Events
2026 FRSUU Take-a-Break Raffle!
Tickets are now available! Visit our raffle page see all prizes and how to purchase tickets: https://www.frsuu.org/raffle/
In the Spirit: “What Is Love?” by Reverend Rebecca M. Bryan
Love saved my life. The love I’m talking about wasn’t given by a parent, grandparent or romantic partner. That kind of love is a gift, but it isn’t the only love, and it’s not the kind that will save us. There is also an all-encompassing love that we must touch into...
Rooted in Community: the 2026-2027 Annual Giving Campaign
This March FRSUU kicks off our 2026-2027 Annual Giving Campaign! Our theme this year is "Rooted in Community." Now is the time for making our church secure for the coming year. Our future depends on the kinds of seeds we plant each day. Our pledge is one of the seeds...
In the Spirit: “Another sleepless night” by Reverend Rebecca M. Bryan
Perhaps, like me, sometimes you wake in the night to the sound of your questioning mind. It was 11:38 p.m., Jan. 8, 2026. Renee Nicole Good had been killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent the day before. I had gone to sleep a little before 10...
The Jean C. Wilson Music Series 2026
Another winter season is upon us! We are excited to announce the 2026 Jean C. Wilson Music Series, featuring an inspiring lineup of artists offering beauty, connection, and joy in the heart of winter. All programs will be presented live in the Sanctuary and online on...
CRASH Film Screening
In recognition of Black History Month, the FRSUU Anti-Racism Initiative is hosting a screening of the Academy Award winning 2004 film, CRASH, on Saturday, February 28 at 10:00am at The Screening Room in Newburyport. The film interweaves several connected stories about...
Common Ground Film Screening
The FRSUU Green Team invites you to a screening of "Common Ground" on Wednesday, February 25 at 7pm in the Lower Meetinghouse. This award-winning, 45-minute film focuses on regenerative agriculture for soil health; avoidance of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical...
Mild Cognitive Impairment Support Group
This group is for those who have a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or some type of dementia. We meet on 2nd and 4th Mondays from 11am to 12:30pm in the Lower Meetinghouse, Room A. The group offers members an opportunity to share with others who are facing this...
Beginning Hatha Yoga
Join us on Saturday mornings from 9 to 10am in the Hayward Room, now through February 14. This is a beginning yoga class focused on turning stress into resilience, offered by Pamela Erickson, RYT 200, and a lifelong educator. The classes are free, however, 50% of any...
Tour the FRS Campus and Buildings
Follow our drone footage as we fly to the top of FRS’s steeple featuring a glass-eyed gilded weathercock which overlooks downtown Newburyport and Merrimack River. From there, you’ll get a first-hand look at our campus grounds and the interior of our meetinghouse and Sanctuary which dates back to 1801. Rev. Rebecca, our Senior Minister, welcomes you and ALL who seek a place of spiritual community and faith here. Organ music provided by former Director of Church Music Justin Murphy-Mancini on our 1834 Joseph Alley organ. Piano music provided by Director of Church Music Nick Place. We close with a view of the bell from the foundry of Paul Revere and Sons bell.
