Welcome!

We are the First Religious Society, a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  We're glad you're here. We aspire to be a welcoming and inclusive community that encourages spiritual growth as we strive for truth and meaning and serve the social and spiritual needs of our larger community.

Hampton Falls 2017 summer schedule

The First Congregational Society (UU) of Hampton Falls will hold Sunday services during the summer at 10:45am. The church is located at 143 Exeter Road (Route 88) in a National Historic Register 1838 Greek Revival building. Here is the schedule: 

July 16— Rev. Deborah Knowlton, Minister, First Church, Hampton, NH

July 23— Rev. Kenneth Clarke, Minister, Old First Church, Old Bennington, VT

July 30— Rev. Tom Wintle, Senior Minister, First Parish, Weston, MA

August 6— Rev. Tom Wintle, Senior Minister, First Parish, Weston, MA

Dates to remember

August 10: Ministerial survey becomes available
September 15: Survey closes
September 17: After church opportunities to explore ideas about settled minister
October (TBD): Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop

Beth Duerr Munro's Journey of Faith

Beth Duerr MunroGiven by Beth Duerr Munro on May 28, 2017.

My family was very involved in church and then it vanished from my life as quickly as my mother who died at age 36. I was eleven and learned families stop going to church when they blame God for loss. I missed assisting at Sunday School, seeing our church friends, and the stained-glass storytelling windows. I was confused: Was it, or wasn’t it a sin to stop attending?

Be a Jazz Vespers reader

Jazz Vespers invites you to consider being a reader at one of our musical services. Vespers is held the first Wednesday evening of the month from October through June (save for a winter break in January) at 8pm in the sanctuary. The service consists of Jazz and Pop music with 3 or 4 minutes of readings and a few minutes for silent reflection. Readers choose their own selections which can range from humorous pieces to traditional literature to modern poetry.

Pre-paying parking on Sunday

Ever rush out of coffee hour or a meeting to feed a parking meter at noon? You can avoid any panic by pre-paying your parking fee. Paid parking begins at noon on Sundays in Newburyport and costs $1 per hour. If you think you will be staying later than 12:00 you can pay any time that morning at Kiosks #3 and #5, or in the Prince Place lot. For example, if you arrive at 10:20 for worship service and insert a dollar, you’ll see that the expiration time is not 11:20am but 1:00pm. Pay on your way in, and relax. If the kiosks ever don’t comply, please let the City Clerk know. 

Get your “Newburyport Coloring Book”

The Historical Committee is delighted to announce FRS’ own contribution to the wider community’s new enthusiasm for coloring books. With the help of fourteen local artists, “Today and Yesterday...A Newburyport Coloring Book” contains twenty-four drawings, from old-time Joppa clam shacks to the gardens at Maudslay State Park. Each full-page drawing is accompanied by historical background text. “A Newburyport Coloring Book” was introduced at Yankee Homecoming, and sales exceeded even our ever-buoyant expectations.

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