Join us for services at 10:30am on Sundays, from the Sunday after Labor Day through late spring. Experience elements of the world religions, including our Christian roots and humanism. Find inspiration in choral and instrumental music (including organ), congregational singing, a time for children, readings, an offering, and meditative silence. Hear a sermon on social justice, spirituality, dealing with life’s challenges, or other issues. We may celebrate a holiday, act out a skit, hold a coming-of-age ceremony, or hear a member’s Journeys of Faith. Services end around 11:30am and are usually followed by a 30-minute fellowship gathering. For a relaxed service with music from the jazz tradition, come to a Jazz Vespers. Our Christmas Eve service and Christmas Candlelight service are community traditions.
FRSUU Events Calendar
This calendar lists FRSUU activities inside our buildings and in the community. It also shows when FRSUU spaces are being reserved by outside groups. Click on an event to see its location and more information.
If you need to reserve space for your meeting or event, please fill out [this form].
For questions regarding church ministry related events and meetings, please contact the Church Administrator at diane.carroll@frsuu.org.
For external inquiries including private events and rentals please contact nick.place@frsuu.org.
Events
Calendar of Events
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Sunday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Saturday
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7 events,
Featured
Recurring
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Sunday, February 23, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 11:30am. Join us after worship for coffee and fellowship and a chance to ask Board members your questions about plans for renovating the Parish Hall.
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Sunday, February 23, Sanctuary, 4pm - Cuban Art Song Project. Isabella Lamadriz and Pablo Zinger will perform an hour of Cuban love songs in celebration of Valentine's Day. The Cuban Art Song Project (CASP) seeks to promote underperformed Cuban art song, zarzuela, and popular music and to encourage the integration of these songs into the canon of regularly performed art music through the development of professional recordings and concerts. https://www.cubanartsongproject.com/. Purchase advance tickets: https://bit.ly/Wilson2025-02-23 Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org. |
6 events,
Featured
Recurring
Zoom, 7-8pm. In February and March, the FRS Anti-Racism Team will be hosting a congregational-wide read and facilitated discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Please use this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91474396125?pwd=Hb4rOfDTM4SOf8lB7oaQniSqJS3Xoo.1 Meeting ID: 914 7439 6125 Passcode: 872118 A Facilitated Group Discussion in Six Sessions: Monday, February 3 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) Sunday, February 9 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, February 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 10 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 31 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) In each session we will have discussion questions that address specific sections of the book and help us better understand how we as a community can live into the 8th Principle we adopted in 2024. Books are available for purchase at the Jabberwocky Bookstore in Newburyport, to borrow at the Newburyport Library, and a small amount are available at church. If you would like to participate, but need support with the cost of the book, please speak with Rev. Laurel Gray (revlaurel.gray@frsuu.org). We will have a small number of books available at no cost. Join us in this important journey by signing up, either in the Parish Hall or online @: https://forms.office.com/r/qiKFq8Azab Alternating Mondays, starting January 13, LMH Main Room, 9:30-10:30am. Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
4 events,Tuesdays, February 25, March 11, March 25, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3, Lower Meetinghouse Main Room, 6:30-8pm. Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
3 events,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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09 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. |
8 events,
Featured
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Featured
Thursday, February 27, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 5-8:30pm. Join The PEG Center at FRS UU PARISH HALL as we launch our most important Community Art Project yet. Through the generous funding of Cultural Councils in Newburyport, Newbury, West Newbury and Salisbury, you are invited to help us create an aspirational mural of what social, human and climate justice could look like in our communities along the great Merrimack. Muralist, environmentalist, humanist Jenn Houle will lead us in activities that will help us express what we want for our communities, whether environmentally, through diversity, economic equity, etc. Jenn will be using exercises from The Earth Charter Vision. www.earthcharter.org. This first evening will be a gathering of members from all surrounding communities for dialogue and activities. Refreshments will be served. In March, Jenn will return with our sketched-out mural for painting by the Community. In April we will display the mural and then travel it! ALL AGES! Register at www.thepegcenter.org. A $10 Love Offering would be most appreciated.
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Thursday, February 27, LMH Main Room, 9:30-10:30am. This meeting is to discuss architect proposals and other matters. Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month in LMH Nursery/Conference Room. |
3 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. |
2 events,
Featured
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Saturday, March 1, Parish Hall 1st Floor, 8-11am. The new PEG Center Book Group will launch on Saturday, March 1st, from 9-10:30AM at FRS UU PARISH HALL in downtown Newburyport. At the first meeting, we will determine our monthly meeting times moving forward, if we need to offer two groups, and the discussion format. The emphasis on our reading will be about activism, humanitarianism, and spirit. Our first read will be "We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption" by Kaira Jewel Lingo. All are welcome! This book group will give many gifts, from comraderie to compassion to action, together. $10 Love Offering per monthly meet up. Thank you! You can register for the event here. We have purchased 10 copies of this book which is in limited supply. Our cost is $12 each. We will have them at the 1st meeting for the 1st 10 people who buy them. Contact Jabberwocky Book Store 978 465 9359. 
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Saturday, March 1, LMH Main Room, 10am-12:30pm. Join Manny Muros and Alise Ashby for a transformative experience that nurtures your body, mind, and soul. We begin with an all-levels yoga class to create alignment and integrity in your physical, mental, and emotional self. This practice opens the body and prepares you for deeper stillness. Manny will then guide a serene meditation, inviting you to connect with your Divine Self, beautifully accompanied by Alise’s soulful piano music. The powerful combination of yoga, meditation, and live music creates a space for profound peace, harmony, and inner connection. We look forward to sharing this inspiring journey with you! Admission price: $45. https://www.manueljosemuros.com |
9 events,
Featured
Recurring
Sanctuary, first Sunday of the month, led by Rev. Alan Seale. Contemplation has been described as “a long loving look at the real” and “a pure intuition of being, born of love” (21st-century mystic William McNamara). Join Rev. Alan Seale at 8am on the first Sunday of the month for a half-hour contemplative worship experience—a space and time to be present with the simplicities and complexities of life in the quiet embrace of the FRS Sanctuary. The sanctuary will be open to welcome you from 7:50am. The service will include quiet piano music, a brief message or reading, and periods of silent reflection and meditation. If this contemplative worship experience calls out to you, we hope you will join us.
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Recurring
Sundays, February 2, February 16, March 2, LMH Room A, 9-10:15am. Are you new to FRS and/or Unitarian Universalism? This series of three classes is designed to help answer questions about Unitarian Universalism, give you tools to navigate all that FRS has to offer, and foster connections with other newcomers as well as longtime members. Questions? Please reach out to Rev. Laurel at revlaurel.gray@frsuu.org. We would love to have you join us! Snacks will be provided!
Featured
Recurring
Join us for services at 10:30am on Sundays, from the Sunday after Labor Day through late spring. Experience elements of the world religions, including our Christian roots and humanism. Find inspiration in choral and instrumental music (including organ), congregational singing, a time for children, readings, an offering, and meditative silence. Hear a sermon on social justice, spirituality, dealing with life’s challenges, or other issues. We may celebrate a holiday, act out a skit, hold a coming-of-age ceremony, or hear a member’s Journeys of Faith. Services end around 11:30am and are usually followed by a 30-minute fellowship gathering. For a relaxed service with music from the jazz tradition, come to a Jazz Vespers. Our Christmas Eve service and Christmas Candlelight service are community traditions.
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Featured
Sunday, March 2, Parish Hall, following worship. Join us for our Annual Giving Campaign kickoff ice cream social!
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Sunday, March 2, Sanctuary, 4pm. Improbable Beasts are a Boston-based professional bass clarinet ensemble dedicated to bringing the deeply expressive power of multiple bass clarinets before a broad audience. Their repertoire ranges from Renaissance choral music to brand-new compositions to klezmer tunes and holiday songs. Their mission is to share the deep resonances, soaring lyricism, and propulsive grooves of bass clarinet ensemble music with as many people as they can. www.improbablebeasts.com Purchase advance tickets: https://bit.ly/Wilson2025-03-02 Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org. |
5 events,
Featured
Recurring
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, start a new hobby and connect with other makers in our FRS community. Invite a friend if you feel called, and bring a lunch if you prefer. All are welcome. Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
4 events,The Tuesday Short Story Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, noon, Lower Meeting House (with a Zoom option available). For more information please visit: https://www.frsuu.org/short-story-group/ Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
7 events,
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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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09
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Ladies Who Lunch will meet at Michael’s Harborside at noon for a good meal and conversation. Text or call Nancy or Annie if you plan to attend. The Addictions Ministry Team occurs monthly on the first Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:00pm in the LMH Nursery/Conference Room. |
5 events,
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4 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group.
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3 events,Second Saturdays, Lower Meetinghouse Main Room, 8-11am.
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Saturday, March 8, Sanctuary and Lower Meetinghouse, 1-4pm. Service starts at 2pm. |
6 events,
Featured
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Sunday, March 9, LMH Main Room, 9:30-10:30am. The Capital Campaign planning group will hold Q&A sessions on Sunday, March 9 at 9:30am (hybrid) and on Wednesday, March 12 at 7pm (Zoom only). These sessions are intended to provide an opportunity to ask questions regarding the warrant for the Special Congregational Meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 16 after church services.
Featured
Recurring
Join us for services at 10:30am on Sundays, from the Sunday after Labor Day through late spring. Experience elements of the world religions, including our Christian roots and humanism. Find inspiration in choral and instrumental music (including organ), congregational singing, a time for children, readings, an offering, and meditative silence. Hear a sermon on social justice, spirituality, dealing with life’s challenges, or other issues. We may celebrate a holiday, act out a skit, hold a coming-of-age ceremony, or hear a member’s Journeys of Faith. Services end around 11:30am and are usually followed by a 30-minute fellowship gathering. For a relaxed service with music from the jazz tradition, come to a Jazz Vespers. Our Christmas Eve service and Christmas Candlelight service are community traditions.
Featured
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Featured
Sunday, March 9, Parish Hall 1st Floor, noon. Join in a discussion and planning session on how we will respond to the threats against the immigrant community. What will we do and how will we do it? Come share your thoughts and strategies. Our church has a history of working on immigration issues including becoming a Level Two Sanctuary Church, supporting the woman in sanctuary in Amesbury, marching outside the ICE office in Burlington, and welcoming the Afghan family into our Parish Hall. Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org. |
6 events,
Featured
Recurring
Zoom, 7-8pm. In February and March, the FRS Anti-Racism Team will be hosting a congregational-wide read and facilitated discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Please use this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91474396125?pwd=Hb4rOfDTM4SOf8lB7oaQniSqJS3Xoo.1 Meeting ID: 914 7439 6125 Passcode: 872118 A Facilitated Group Discussion in Six Sessions: Monday, February 3 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) Sunday, February 9 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, February 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 10 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 31 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) In each session we will have discussion questions that address specific sections of the book and help us better understand how we as a community can live into the 8th Principle we adopted in 2024. Books are available for purchase at the Jabberwocky Bookstore in Newburyport, to borrow at the Newburyport Library, and a small amount are available at church. If you would like to participate, but need support with the cost of the book, please speak with Rev. Laurel Gray (revlaurel.gray@frsuu.org). We will have a small number of books available at no cost. Join us in this important journey by signing up, either in the Parish Hall or online @: https://forms.office.com/r/qiKFq8Azab Alternating Mondays, starting January 13, LMH Main Room, 9:30-10:30am. Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
4 events,Tuesdays, February 25, March 11, March 25, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3, Lower Meetinghouse Main Room, 6:30-8pm. Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
8 events,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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09
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Wednesday, March 12, Port Vida, 10 Center St., Newburyport, 12pm. Our Officer of the Day is Scott Clarke, who can be reached at scottalanclark@gmail.com. Please feel free to contact Scott if you have any questions or concerns. No reservations are required, but $$$ to pay your share of the tab is needed. Second Wednesdays, March 12 and April 9, LMH Nursery/Conf Room, 3:30-5pm. These are planning meetings. Wednesday, December 4; 2nd Wednesdays beginning in January, LMH Room A, 4-5pm.
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Second Wednesdays, 7pm, Zoom. The FRS Green Team focuses on education and advocacy for care of the environment and the many measures we can take to address climate change and its unequal impacts on various communities. Please join us. We meet on the second Wednesday of the month, often on Zoom, occasionally in person. Be in touch with Annie Madden at madden.anne.b@gmail.com to find out more and/or get on our distribution list for notice of meetings. |
7 events,
Featured
Recurring
Meets for three consecutive Thursdays, March 13, 20, and 27, LMH Room A, 1-2:30pm. Join Marianne Vesey, co-chair of Newburyport's Human Rights Coalition and Rev. Laurel Gray for this three-part series about different ways to take action against authoritarianism, discern the work that is best for us to do, and make sure we have the tools to sustain our efforts. |
3 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. |
0 events,
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5 events,
Featured
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Featured
Please join us for a special worship service as we celebrate our New Members. Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org.
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5 events,
Featured
Recurring
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, start a new hobby and connect with other makers in our FRS community. Invite a friend if you feel called, and bring a lunch if you prefer. All are welcome. Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
5 events,The Tuesday Short Story Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, noon, Lower Meeting House (with a Zoom option available). For more information please visit: https://www.frsuu.org/short-story-group/ Third Tuesdays, alternating between 2pm and 7pm, Zoom. January 21, March 18, and May 20 meetings at 2pm. February 18, April 15, and June 17 meetings at 7pm. Please join us! Contact Sue Fasoli for the Zoom link. Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
4 events,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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09 The Parish Board meets monthly on the third Wednesday in LMH Main Room. |
7 events,
Featured
Recurring
Meets for three consecutive Thursdays, March 13, 20, and 27, LMH Room A, 1-2:30pm. Join Marianne Vesey, co-chair of Newburyport's Human Rights Coalition and Rev. Laurel Gray for this three-part series about different ways to take action against authoritarianism, discern the work that is best for us to do, and make sure we have the tools to sustain our efforts.
Featured
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Featured
Thursday, March 20, 6-7pm. The service will be held on the brick area in front of the church, weather permitting. Alternate location is the LMH Main Room in case of inclement weather. This service is for all ages.
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Thursday, March 20, LMH Main Room, 1-2pm. The program will explore various aspects of elderhood. |
3 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. |
1 event, |
9 events,
Featured
Recurring
Join us for services at 10:30am on Sundays, from the Sunday after Labor Day through late spring. Experience elements of the world religions, including our Christian roots and humanism. Find inspiration in choral and instrumental music (including organ), congregational singing, a time for children, readings, an offering, and meditative silence. Hear a sermon on social justice, spirituality, dealing with life’s challenges, or other issues. We may celebrate a holiday, act out a skit, hold a coming-of-age ceremony, or hear a member’s Journeys of Faith. Services end around 11:30am and are usually followed by a 30-minute fellowship gathering. For a relaxed service with music from the jazz tradition, come to a Jazz Vespers. Our Christmas Eve service and Christmas Candlelight service are community traditions.
Featured
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Featured
Sunday, March 23, Sanctuary, 4pm - Justin Murphy-Mancini, organist. This concert will be performed in honor and memory of Barbara Owen, former FRSUU Director of Church Music and international organist. Former Director of Church Music at First Religious Society UU and current Paul Fritts Endowed Chair; Assistant Professor of Music, Organ at Pacific Lutheran University, Justin is a keyboardist and composer dedicated to exciting and enriching audiences with music from many eras. He appears regularly in concert as an organist, harpsichordist, and collaborative pianist, with a repertoire that spans the entire written history of keyboard music. More about Justin here. Following the concert there will be a reception in the Lower Meetinghouse. Tickets are complimentary on Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/Wilson2025-03-23
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Sunday, March 23, LMH Main Room, 5pm. Space reserved from 3-6pm. Reception following Justin Murphy-Mancini's concert in memory of Barbara Owen.
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Sunday, March 23, LMH Room A, 9:15-10:30am. Community Outreach Committee meeting. Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org.
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Sunday, March 23, Parish Hall, noon-1pm. Meet members of the Kenyan community; hear from them the effects that the policies of the current administration are having on their community and what we can do to support them. (Internal note: setup required) |
5 events,
Featured
Recurring
Zoom, 7-8pm. In February and March, the FRS Anti-Racism Team will be hosting a congregational-wide read and facilitated discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Please use this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91474396125?pwd=Hb4rOfDTM4SOf8lB7oaQniSqJS3Xoo.1 Meeting ID: 914 7439 6125 Passcode: 872118 A Facilitated Group Discussion in Six Sessions: Monday, February 3 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) Sunday, February 9 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, February 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 10 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 31 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary (please note the first and last meetings are in person so therefore appear on the calendar differently) In each session we will have discussion questions that address specific sections of the book and help us better understand how we as a community can live into the 8th Principle we adopted in 2024. Books are available for purchase at the Jabberwocky Bookstore in Newburyport, to borrow at the Newburyport Library, and a small amount are available at church. If you would like to participate, but need support with the cost of the book, please speak with Rev. Laurel Gray (revlaurel.gray@frsuu.org). We will have a small number of books available at no cost. Join us in this important journey by signing up, either in the Parish Hall or online @: https://forms.office.com/r/qiKFq8Azab Alternating Mondays, starting January 13, LMH Main Room, 9:30-10:30am. Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
5 events,All who love poetry, and who enjoy listening to poetry are invited to join the FRSUU Poetry Group. This poetry listening and appreciation group meets on Tuesday mornings for 45 minutes via Zoom. We read the same poem several times, respond to prompts, and share perspectives, wisdom, humor, and collegiality. There is no poetry writing in this group. Please join us and give your soul and psyche the gift of poetry on a Tuesday morning. This group is facilitated by Rev. Jane Tuohy. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/94623863916?pwd=ufFubM2s4b4YAjU2la9RPOy25lM6Hy.1 Tuesdays, February 25, March 11, March 25, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3, Lower Meetinghouse Main Room, 6:30-8pm. Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
4 events,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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09 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. |
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Meets for three consecutive Thursdays, March 13, 20, and 27, LMH Room A, 1-2:30pm. Join Marianne Vesey, co-chair of Newburyport's Human Rights Coalition and Rev. Laurel Gray for this three-part series about different ways to take action against authoritarianism, discern the work that is best for us to do, and make sure we have the tools to sustain our efforts. Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month in LMH Nursery/Conference Room. |
4 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. |
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Saturday, March 29, Sanctuary, 1pm-2pm. LMH Main Room and LMH Room A reserved noon-2pm. |
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Join us for services at 10:30am on Sundays, from the Sunday after Labor Day through late spring. Experience elements of the world religions, including our Christian roots and humanism. Find inspiration in choral and instrumental music (including organ), congregational singing, a time for children, readings, an offering, and meditative silence. Hear a sermon on social justice, spirituality, dealing with life’s challenges, or other issues. We may celebrate a holiday, act out a skit, hold a coming-of-age ceremony, or hear a member’s Journeys of Faith. Services end around 11:30am and are usually followed by a 30-minute fellowship gathering. For a relaxed service with music from the jazz tradition, come to a Jazz Vespers. Our Christmas Eve service and Christmas Candlelight service are community traditions.
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Parish Hall, 12-1pm. Please join us as we welcome representatives from the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Our guests will share information on the upcoming 29th Mother's Day Walk for Peace to be held on Sunday, May 11. This gathering will also provide us with an opportunity to contribute essential personal hygiene items for men in the Peace Institute's Community Reentry Program. Some items that are often in short supply are men's body wash and body lotion. Please come to learn more, to show your support for the Mother's Day Walk for Peace, as well as to enjoy fellowship, soup, and salad.
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Sunday, March 30, Sanctuary, 3pm. Vermont-based Champlain Trio will present a concert of piano trio repertoire that you're sure to enjoy. Violinist Letitia Quante, cellist Emily Taubl, and pianist Hiromi Fukuda came together as an ensemble in the spring of 2020. All three musicians earned degrees from The Juilliard School among others and hold positions in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Amherst College, and the University of Vermont. They share a passion for chamber music and supporting the arts in Vermont. https://www.champlaintrio.com/ Purchase advance tickets: https://bit.ly/Wilson2025-03-30
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Sunday, March 30, LMH Room A, 9:30-10:15am. Initial meeting by the forming immigration group to discuss next steps. Young Church is for children up through 8th grade. Children sit with their families for the beginning of worship service (about 15 minutes), and then head downstairs to the Lower Meetinghouse with volunteers and the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Mara Flynn. We offer nursery care for children under age 5 – and “littles” are also welcome to join us in Young Church with a parent/guardian in attendance. Our Young Church programming engages and allows our K-8th grade children to experience and create meaningful connection through: Ritual, stories, crafts, games and joyful community building Special guests, activities and projects that support curiosity and spiritual growth Explorations of the 7 UU Principles and social justice engagement If your child will be attending, please fill out our registration form HERE Questions? Email Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry at mara.flynn@frsuu.org. |
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Monday, March 31, Newburyport City Hall, 10am. You are invited to join members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies at the second annual Transgender Day of Visibility flag raising at the Newburyport City Hall on Monday, March 31 at 10 am. Founded in 2009, Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event observed internationally that aims to celebrate transgender people and their contributions while raising awareness about the discrimination and challenges that transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people face. For those who do not identify as trans or nonbinary, this is an opportunity to show support loudly and proudly for a community that is confronting hate, mis- and disinformation, and unprecedented legislative and executive efforts to disempower, invalidate, and marginalize. Rev. Rebecca will offer a blessing at the flag raising.
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Sanctuary, 7-8pm (in person on 2/3 and 3/31 only) We will be reading Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson Isabel Wilkerson explores how America has been shaped by a caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and our nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their persecution of the Jews. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. In February and March, the FRS Anti-Racism Team will be hosting a congregational-wide read and facilitated discussion of Caste. A Facilitated Group Discussion in Six Sessions: Monday, February 3 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary Sunday, February 9 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, February 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 3 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 10 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 24 - Zoom, 7:00 PM Monday, March 31 - In Person, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary In each session we will have discussion questions that address specific sections of the book and help us better understand how we as a community can live into the 8th Principle we adopted in 2024. Books are available for purchase at the Jabberwocky Bookstore in Newburyport, to borrow at the Newburyport Library, and a small amount are available at church. If you would like to participate, but Monday Night Meditation at 6:30pm in Lower Meeting House (enter via Unicorn Street entrance). These weekly sessions are led by Joyce Haydock, Senior Dharma Teacher with the International Kwan Um School of Zen. She has been with the school since 1989. This FRSUU Monday group was established over ten years ago. Our sessions consist of two or three chants, two readings/teachings and 30 minutes of sitting meditation. Beginners are welcome. Contact Joyce at 978-363-5457 or email joycehaydock@outlook.com to be added to our list and receive access information. |
5 events,All who love poetry, and who enjoy listening to poetry are invited to join the FRSUU Poetry Group. This poetry listening and appreciation group meets on Tuesday mornings for 45 minutes via Zoom. We read the same poem several times, respond to prompts, and share perspectives, wisdom, humor, and collegiality. There is no poetry writing in this group. Please join us and give your soul and psyche the gift of poetry on a Tuesday morning. This group is facilitated by Rev. Jane Tuohy. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/94623863916?pwd=ufFubM2s4b4YAjU2la9RPOy25lM6Hy.1 The Tuesday Short Story Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, noon, Lower Meeting House (with a Zoom option available). For more information please visit: https://www.frsuu.org/short-story-group/ Contact 508-215-9469; meets in the Parish Hall as of 10/7/25. |
8 events,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=dXdIUVBJb0F1MnVjL0ZDakErVlRIdz09
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Wednesday, April 2, Michael's Harborside, noon-1:30pm. Join us at our monthly gathering for good food and conversation. Contact phone Annie Maurer if you plan to attend.
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The Addictions Ministry Team occurs monthly on the first Wednesday from 3:00pm-4:00pm in the LMH Nursery/Conference Room. |
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First Thursdays, LMH Nursery/Conf Room, 6-7:30pm. Join Rev. Laurel for an informal monthly conversation in which we ponder the mysteries of life's big questions. What is evil? Is goodness inherent? What happens when we die? Bring your questions and your curiosity. |
3 events,Fridays, LMH Room A, 10-11:30am. We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. |
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