First Religious Society of Newburyport

SMART Recovery (Contact: 678-378-0786)
2026-05-29 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-22 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Hayward Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Meets weekly on Friday

Reserved for Wedding Rehearsal (Wedding 1)
2026-05-29 17:00 - 18:00 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Friday, May 29, Sanctuary, 5-6pm

Reserved for Wedding Rehearsal (Wedding 2)
2026-05-29 15:00 - 16:00 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Friday, May 29, Sanctuary, 3-4pm (N&N)

Capital Campaign Meeting (Hybrid)
2026-05-29 08:00 - 09:15, 2026-05-22 08:00 - 09:15 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Weekly on Friday, LMH Room A and Zoom, 8-9:15am

Intro to Prison Yoga Project
2026-05-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Parish Hall 1st Floor
Thursday, May 28, Parish Hall, 7-8:30pm.
What if prison helped heal people? James Fox, the founder of the Prison Yoga Project, and European Program Director Josefin Wikstrom, will visit FRSUU to share their holistic approach to transformation in prisons worldwide. Their nonprofit has pioneered evidence-based trauma-informed yoga and embodied mindfulness practices to equip incarcerated people with tools for self-regulation, self-discovery, and personal growth. FRSUU member Lindsey Athanasiou sits on Prison Yoga Project’s board and will proudly open the presentation.
The Prison Yoga Project’s slogan is “Healing over punishment,” and their team facilitates programs in correctional facilities across 20 states and in 12 countries, positively impacting the lives of thousands of incarcerated men, women, and youth.
James Fox, M.A., CYT, has practiced yoga and insight meditation for more than 30 years. He began his mission of sharing the benefits of those practices to relieve symptoms of unresolved trauma with incarcerated people when he became a teacher in 2000.
Josefin Wikstrom, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, TCTSY-F, has worked as a yoga teacher with trauma-exposed people, including the incarcerated and refugees, since 2003. She lives in Sweden, where she teaches yoga and movement at high-security men’s and women’s prisons.
(Internal: set up includes chairs in rows, display table, projector, and microphone.)

Adult Choir
2026-05-28 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-05-21 19:00 - 20:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursdays, LMH Main Room, 7-8:30pm.

Merrimack Valley Project
2026-05-28 16:00 - 18:00 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursday, May 28, LMH Room A, 4-6pm. Anti-racism and immigration justice.

FRSUU Poetry Group (Zoom)
2026-05-28 11:00 - 11:45, 2026-05-21 11:00 - 11:45 | Zoom
Meets Thursdays (previously on Tuesdays) on Zoom at 11am.
The FRSUU Poetry Group is open to all who enjoy reading or listening to poetry. Prompts or questions are provided as we listen multiple times to one poem a week. If you have been wishing you had more time in your busy schedule for poetry, give yourself the gift of one hour of poetry on Thursday mornings. Individuals with questions should contact Rev. Jane Tuohy at 617-359-0079.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/94623863916?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 946 2386 3916; Passcode: [REDACTED]

Jazz Vespers
2026-05-27 19:30 - 20:30 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Wednesday, May 27, Sanctuary, 7:30pm

Congregational Conversation (Hybrid)
2026-05-27 18:00 - 19:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Wednesday, May 27, LMH Main Room and Zoom, 6-7pm.
This is the second Congregational Conversation in advance of the Annual Meeting to give members the opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions and concerns.
Attend on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98479574665?pwd=[REDACTED]

Caregivers Support Group
2026-05-27 12:30 - 14:00 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Meets monthly on the 4th Wednesdays, LMH Room A, 12:30-2pm
This group supports those caregivers who care for loved ones with some type of dementia. Members share their coping strategies, suggestions about supportive agencies, medical references, etc. The group is facilitated by Nancy Kidd, LICSW, Rev. Jane Tuohy, and Linda Harding.
For more information, contact Nancy Kidd at nankdd@gmail.com or 978-376-8687.

Wednesday Guided Meditation (Zoom)
2026-05-27 10:00 - 10:30 | Zoom
Join FRS member and LICSW Woman Cooper on Wednesdays at 10am for a brief period of mid-week relaxation and renewal. Each 30-minute session will include a guided visualization and reflection on questions around where we hold stress and how we can release it. You’ll also learn some relaxation techniques to use on your own. This is a drop-in program; come one time or many.
If you’d like to reach out to Woman, email susanc0805@gmail.com.
Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87349458812?pwd=[REDACTED]

Mystic Circles
2026-05-26 18:30 - 20:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
2nd and 4th Tuesdays, April 14 and 28, May 12 and 26, June 9, LMH Main Room, 6:30-8pm. The June 23 meeting has been moved to June 30.
Mystic Circles is a gathering of individuals who have interest in sharing and affirming their own experiences of the Divine, the holy, and the Sacred, and worshiping together. We are very diverse from the perspective of religious/spiritual backgrounds and orientations. We share a commitment to staying open to mystery. Mysticism is about an attitude of receptivity. Throughout the ages, mystics have sought union with the Divine—with God (however you define God)—through a variety of spiritual practices. Mysticism is not about a set of beliefs or dogma; rather it is about the felt experience of longing for union with the Holy and of belonging to something larger than yourself. Sometimes mystical moments can be about ordinary experiences of awe and wonder. In Mystic Circles we bear witness to one another’s experiences, share our questions, and create embodied worship practices.
No previous experience with mysticism is required. We practice non-judgmental listening and freedom of expression as we each listen to each other and our own deepest selves.
For more information, please email Rev. Jane Tuohy at Jane.tuohy@frsuu.org.

Centering Prayer Meditation
2026-05-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Robing Room (behind pulpit)
Change of day as of April 6, 2026: meeting weekly on Mondays, Robing Room, 10-11am.
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian Contemplative Meditation. The purpose of this meditation is not to clear the mind as much as it is to open oneself to the presence of the Divine and invite the action of the Divine within. No previous experience or training is required. This form of Contemplative prayer is a practice in resting in the presence of God through non-thinking surrender and to form a deeper relationship with the Divine.
Centering Prayer will be led by Cynthia Tolbert. All are welcome. Please contact Rev. Jane Tuohy at jane.tuohy@frsuu.org or 617-359-0079 if you have questions.

Church Office Closed
2026-05-25 | MA

Memorial Day
2026-05-25 | MA

Youth Group with Rev. Rebecca
2026-05-24 12:00 - 13:30 | MA
Sunday, May 24, 12-1:30pm.
A special time of laughter and blessing for our youth and Rev. Rebecca.

Congregational Conversation (Hybrid)
2026-05-24 11:45 - 12:45 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Sunday, May 24, LMH Main Room and Zoom, 11:45am-12:45pm.
The Parish Board will hold two Congregational Conversations in advance of the Annual Meeting to give members the opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions and concerns. A second session will be on Wednesday, May 27, at 6pm in the LMH and on Zoom.
Attend on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98479574665?pwd=[REDACTED]

Sunday Worship Service
2026-05-24 10:30 - 11:30 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Sunday, May 24, Sanctuary, 10:30-11:30am with livestream on YouTube.
On this Memorial Day Sunday, Rev. Rebecca will preach a sermon titled, “We Honor Them: The Sacred Path of American Laborers.”

Farewell Party Planning
2026-05-21 16:00 - 17:00 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursday, May 21, LMH Room A, 4-5pm

Exploring Elderhood Together
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursday, May 21, LMH Main Room, 1-2:30pm.
Help Your Doctor Help You
For some, talking to your doctor can be intimidating. Learn tips on how to prepare for your visit and how to ask questions. Learn how to advocate for yourself, hospitalized loved ones, and those who are going through diagnostic workups. Learn ways to keep yourself out of the doctor’s office in the first place. Please bring paper and pen/pencil to jot down questions during the talk, as questions will be addressed at the end.
Our speaker is Karen Letourneau, a relatively new member of FRSUU and a long-time UU. Professionally, she has worked in the medical field for 40+ years. She brings with her knowledge gained by working as a Nurse Practitioner, as well as personal experience dealing with family medical issues.

Parish Friends Third Thursdays
2026-05-21 09:30 - 10:30 | LMH Nursery/Conf Room
Third Thursdays, LMH Nursery/Conf Room, 9:30-10:30am.
A monthly, somewhat casual Parish Friends morning meeting – bring your own tea or coffee. An opportunity to meet other Parish Friends, ask questions, and brainstorm. If interested in simply learning more about Parish Friends, this would be a great forum. We realize mornings don’t work for everyone. If you are wanting to attend, but not able to, let Susan Ricker know at parishfriends@frsuu.org or use her personal contact information in the FRSUU Realm directory.

Parish Board Meeting
2026-05-20 18:00 - 20:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Third Wednesdays, LMH Main Room, 6-8pm, hybrid

Pastoral Care Associates
2026-05-20 16:00 - 17:30 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Third Wednesdays, LMH Room A, 4-5:30pm.

Anti-Racism Initiative Meeting
2026-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
May 20 and June 17, LMH Room A, 2-3pm

Grief Support Group (offsite)
2026-05-20 12:30 - 14:00 | Anna Jaques Hospital, 25 Highland Ave, Newburyport, MA, United States
Third Wednesday of the month, Morse Conference Room (across from Gift Shop) at Anna Jaques Hospital, 12:30-2pm.
This support group provides members who are experiencing grief have the opportunity in a safe (confidential) space to share their feelings, thoughts, and coping skills during this challenging time in their life. The group is facilitated by Nancy Kidd, LICSW; Rev. Jane Tuohy; and Linda Harding. For information more information, contact Nancy Kidd at nankdd@gmail.com or 978-376-8687.
