First Religious Society of Newburyport

Mild Cognitive Impairment Support Group
2025-10-14 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | MA
2nd and 4th Mondays, LMH Room A, 11am-12:30pm. October 13 meeting has been moved to October 14, same time and location.
This group is for those who have a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or some type of dementia. The group offers members an opportunity to share with others who are facing this life-limiting diagnosis. Members are able to be vulnerable and open about the many challenges they face, as well as their adaptive coping mechanisms. 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.

Finance Committee Meeting
2025-10-14 13:00 - 14:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Tuesday, October 14, LMH Main Room, 1-2:30pm.

Parish Friends Fall Meeting
2025-10-14 18:00 - 20:30 | Parish Hall 1st Floor
Tuesday, October 14, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 6:30-8pm.
Fall meeting of Parish Friends for all current and curious. New members welcome and encouraged. We can especially use more drivers. To newcomers – we offer support to the church community – rides, meals, errands, chores. An agenda will be mailed to current Parish Friends and others who request one. If interested but unable to attend, let me know. Susan Ricker, parishfriends@frsuu.org, or use my personal contact info listed in the Realm directory.
Internal: This meeting has setup instructions.

Mystic Circle Gathering
2025-10-14 18:30 - 20:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Five Tuesday sessions: September 30, October 14, November 4, November 25, December 16, LMH Main Room, 6:30-8pm

Shared Ministry Group (Zoom)
2025-10-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
2nd Tuesdays, Zoom only, 7-8pm. Join us to discuss readings from the UUA Shared Ministry website.
https://zoom.us/j/97370373954?pwd=[REDACTED]

Wednesday Guided Meditation (Zoom)
2025-10-15 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]

Centering Prayer Meditation
2025-10-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Robing Room (behind pulpit)
Weekly on Wednesdays, 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.

Staff Meeting
2025-10-15 10:30 - 12:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
1st and 3rd Wednesdays, LMH Main Room, 10:30am-noon

Grief Support Group (offsite)
2025-10-15 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.

Pastoral Care Associates
2025-10-15 16:00 - 17:30 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Third Wednesdays, LMH Room A, 4-5:30pm.

Parish Board Meeting
2025-10-15 18:00 - 20:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Third Wednesdays, LMH Main Room, 6-8pm, hybrid

FUNraising Team Meeting (Zoom)
2025-10-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Weekly on Wednesdays, October 1 – November 5, 6:30 pm on Zoom only.

Parish Friends Third Thursday
2025-10-16 09:30 - 10:30 | LMH Nursery/Conf Room
Thursday, October 16, LMH Nursery/Conf Room, 9:30-10:30am.
Pilot for a possible monthly Parish Friends somewhat casual morning meeting over tea and 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, or have questions, contact Susan Ricker at parishfriends@frsuu.org or use her personal contact information in the FRSUU Realm directory. We also have our fall meeting on Tuesday evening, October 14, at 6:30 pm.

Exploring Elderhood Together
2025-10-16 13:00 - 14:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursday, October 16, LMH Main Room, 1-2:30pm.
Join Exploring Elderhood Together for the first presentation of the church year: Let’s Talk about Posture.
Aging with aligned posture is critical to aging well. Misaligned posture such as rounding forward (otherwise known as the way most of us age) is associated with pain and a multitude of health problems. In this presentation, you will learn how the nervous system controls posture, balance, and movement. We can use this understanding to make improvements in neuromuscular function, which can help us maintain a more active lifestyle and positively impact longevity.
Our presenter:
Jackie Orent-Nathan is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in the neuroscience of posture, balance, and movement, as well as the management of chronic pain. Following a long career managing patients with chronic pain within a primary care practice, she now lectures and teaches classes about how to calm an overprotective nervous system to manage pain, and how to support the nervous system to improve posture, balance, and movement.

Adult Choir
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Thursdays, LMH Main Room, 7-8:30pm.

Afghan Support Group
2025-10-17 09:30 - 22:30 | LMH Nursery/Conf Room
Friday, October 17, LMH Nursery/Conf Room, 9:30-10:30am

Friday Peace Vigil (offsite)
2025-10-17 11:00 - 12:00 | Market Square Bullnose, Newburyport, 01950, United States
Every Friday, Market Square Bullnose, 11am.
Rev. Rebecca leads this weekly gathering to reflect on and remember our commitment to peace, love, and compassion as we navigate the turbulence and daily horrors of our troubled world.

SMART Recovery (Contact: 678-378-0786)
2025-10-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Hayward Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Meets weekly on Friday

300th Anniversary Play: "Her Own Sweet Voice"
2025-10-17 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-18 19:30 - 21:00 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Performance Times: Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, 7:30pm; Sunday, October 19, 3pm in the Sanctuary
FRSUU member James Funston has written a play for our 300th anniversary. “Her Own Sweet Voice” is inspired by the abolitionist sermons and writings of FRS minister Rev. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and it is set on the eve of the Civil War. The play features the quest for freedom by a young woman named Mutala, who lives a life of involuntary servitude in a High Street mansion in Newburyport.
The play celebrates the church’s history as a beacon of light against oppression and tells a story that is both provocative and hopeful. Directed by Marc Clopton of The Actors Studio of Newburyport, there will be a brief discussion after each performance.
Purchase your tickets HERE!

Rummage Sale Donation Drop-off
2025-10-19 08:30 - 13:00 | Parish Hall 1st Floor
Sunday, October 19, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 8:30am-1pm

Animal Blessing Worship Service
2025-10-19 10:30 - 11:30 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Sunday, October 19, Sanctuary, 10:30-11:30am with livestream on YouTube.
Join us for our annual all-ages animal blessing service. There will no Young Church today.

Chalice Circle Leader Meeting
2025-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | LMH Room A, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Sunday, October 19, LMH Room A, 12-1pm

300th Anniversary Play: "Her Own Sweet Voice"
2025-10-19 15:00 - 16:30 | FRS Sanctuary, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Performance Times: Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, 7:30pm; Sunday, October 19, 3pm in the Sanctuary.
FRSUU member James Funston has written a play for our 300th anniversary. “Her Own Sweet Voice” is inspired by the abolitionist sermons and writings of FRS minister Rev. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and it is set on the eve of the Civil War. The play features the quest for freedom by a young woman named Mutala, who lives a life of involuntary servitude in a High Street mansion in Newburyport.
The play celebrates the church’s history as a beacon of light against oppression and tells a story that is both provocative and hopeful. Directed by Marc Clopton of The Actors Studio of Newburyport, there will be a brief discussion after each performance.
Buy your tickets HERE!

On Tyranny Read
2025-10-19 17:00 - 18:30 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Sundays, October 19, October 26, November 2, LMH Main Room, 5-6:30pm.
How do modern democracies fight tyranny? Join fellow members as we read, reflect, and discuss On Tyranny, by historian Timothy Snyder. Sign up at https://bit.ly/FRSUUOnTyrannyRead. This initiative is sponsored by the FRSUU Justice Action Council.

Sunday Evening Guided Meditation (Zoom)
2025-10-19 19:30 - 20:00 | Zoom
Sundays, October 5, 12, 19, 26, 7:30-8pm, Zoom
Join FRS member and LICSW Woman Cooper for a brief period of relaxation and renewal on Zoom. 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. Come one time or many. To reach out to Woman, email susanc0805@gmail.com.

Rummage Sale Donation Drop-off
2025-10-20 09:00 - 13:00 | Parish Hall 1st Floor
Donation drop-off only: Monday, October 20-Wednesday, October 22, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 9am-1pm

Maker Monday w/Rev. Laurel
2025-10-20 11:00 - 13:00 | LMH Nursery/Conf Room
First and third Mondays, LMH Nursery/Conference Room, 11am-1pm. Join Rev. Laurel for our Maker Monday offering during lunch hour on the first and third Monday of each month. Bring a creative project, or start a new one, and connect with other makers in our FRS community. All are welcome. Craft supplies available.

Justice Action Council
2025-10-20 15:30 - 17:00 | LMH Main Room, 26 Pleasant St, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Monthly on the third Monday, LMH Main Room, 3:30-5pm

New Member Class w/ Rev. Laurel
2025-10-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Parish Hall 1st Floor
Mondays, October 13 and 20, Parish Hall, 6-7:30pm; Monday, October 27, Sanctuary, 6-7:30pm
