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Weekly Newsletter of the
First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton
March 27, 2024
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Worship Service
Easter Sunday:
Sacred Surprises
Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 10:15am
Rev. Parisa Parsa, Devin Shmueli, and Anne Watson Born
Our Easter service for all ages will celebrate the miracle and wonder of life in story and song!
Join us in person or on Zoom:
https://bit.ly/FUUSNWorship
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RE This Sunday
All Ages Service
No OWL this week.
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Ministerial Search Report Now Available
Please check your inbox for this important update or view the report online.
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LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS!
The Nominating Committee is preparing a slate of candidates for open FUUSN leadership positions for 2024-2025. We welcome nominations for the open positions.
Please stop by the Nominating Committee table at coffee hour this Sunday to find out which positions are open and what’s involved, to ask questions, and/or to submit nominations for yourself or someone else.
The election will be held at our Annual Meeting on June 9, 2024. Nominees must be FUUSN members for at least 30 days before the election. Speak to someone at the Membership table about how to become a member.
If you have any questions, would like to see the list of open positions, are interested in serving in a leadership position, or know someone who you feel would be a good candidate, please contact the Nominating Committee at NomCom@fuusn.org on or before April 1, 2024.
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Please Submit Your Pledges!
We would like to reach out to all of you who are still working on your pledges- we are hoping as many folks as possible can submit before Sunday April 14. FUUSN fiscal year for 2025 starts June 1, 2024, and the Finance Committee, Operations Council, and the Board of Trustees all need some time to finalize the budget. If you have any questions and / or need help submitting your pledge, please email us at pledgedrive@fuusn.org.
Want to enter and pay your pledge on Realm, or text to pay your pledge? Here's how.
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Upcoming Events This Week | |
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Wednesday, March 27
6-7:30pm: Bible Study for Unitarian Universalists (preregistration required) - Kitchen and Alliance Room
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Easter Egg Hunt!
Parish Hall and Playground
Children of all ages are invited to join in our annual Easter Egg Hunt immediately following our 10:15 am intergenerational service. Please meet us in the Parish Hall to pick up a basket prior to the hunt which will be held on the FUUSN playground. All candy will be nut-free.
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Monday, April 1
2:30-3:30pm: Member Services Committee: Sunday Morning to First Year Meeting - online
7:30-9pm: Soul Matters Small Group Ministry - 1st Mondays
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Tuesday, April 2
1:30-3:30pm: Over 60s Meeting
4-6pm: Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop - online
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Annual Pledge Drive Lunch and Community Lunch Need Your Help!
We have two great community meals coming up: the Annual Pledge Drive lunch on April 7th and a Community Lunch on April 28th. We need helpers to set up, serve, and clean up. Volunteer here. We particularly need cooks! Contact Ron Margolin if you would like to help cook on the Saturday before each lunch.
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Patriots Day Breakfast at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry
In partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry (UUUM), FUUSN has a long history of preparing and serving a breakfast to celebrate Patriots Day with the Roxbury Community at the First Church in Roxbury. We will continue that tradition this year on Monday morning, April 15th. We have a core crew to prepare and serve the meal, but we could use some additional help. While experience in food preparation is especially helpful, there are several activities which do not require it. This is a great opportunity to show support for the UUUM and to put into practice some of the principles we have learned through our Racial Justice initiatives. If you can help or have questions, please contact one of our Delegates to the UUUM - Kevan Hartshorn, Alta Hodges or Pat Rohan.
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Charles River Cleanup - April 20th
Please join other FUUSNites in the 25th Annual Clean-up along the Charles. We will be assigned a location in Newton where we will pick up trash and return the walking paths to their natural beauty. This is a quick and easy way to engage your environmental spirit and love of nature. We anticipate fielding a team of a dozen or more volunteers. Ages 8+ are welcome.
Please register (required) by emailing Betsy Harper ASAP.
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Represent FUUSN at the UUA General Assembly
This is a call for delegates to represent FUUSN at this year’s General Assembly (GA), which will take place virtually from Thursday June 20 through Sunday June 23, 2024. GA is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in which delegates worship, witness, learn, and make policy for the UUA. READ MORE.
For more information about GA, please see: https://www.uua.org/ga. If you are interested in becoming a FUUSN delegate, please contact Andy Dale.
| For these and ALL other volunteer opportunities, visit the Volunteer page on our website. Have a volunteer opportunity to add? Contact Jenise. | | |
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April Activities in Celebration of Earth Day!!!
Saturday April 6th 1-5pm, at FUUSN, an introductory workshop on The Work That Reconnects, Led by Demie Stathoplos (Registration is required, see details below).
Sunday April 14th 11:30-12:30pm at FUUSN coffee hour, the Climate Action Task Force will be hosting a table on the topic of pollinator friendly plants and Save Soil.
Saturday April 20th 10am -12 noon, a FUUSN team will participate in the Charles River Cleanup. Email Betsy Harper to sign up.
Sunday April 21st 12 - 4pm, Newton Earth Day Fair at Newton North High School Walnut St. Parking lot (under the solar panels). FUUSN Climate Action Task Force and the Plant Based Eating Club will be staffing tables at the fair.
In May, our Climate Action Task Force will host a demonstration of MIT's En-ROADS climate policy simulator, which can help folks understand the impact of various federal policies on greenhouse gas emissions. Keep your eyes open for more info.
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April 6 Workshop: Introduction to The Work That Reconnects
Led by Demie Stathoplos
Based on the writings and work of Joanna Macy
The Work That Reconnects is a body of thought and experiential exercises and rituals that help us connect deeply with all life on the planet and reclaim our ability to think and act on behalf of ourselves and all that is. This half day workshop will explore this important framework that can enliven and empower us in this time that Joanna Macy calls The Great Turning.
Read more | Register here
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New Member Sunday - April 7, 2024
New Member Sunday is when we welcome new members from the current church year to sign the membership book and celebrate their membership in ritual during the service. Come and meet our newest members!
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Community Lunch to Benefit the Pledge Drive - April 7, 2024
Enjoy a bowl of warm vegan chili and munch on gluten-free cornbread as you mingle with the FUUSN community. The Community Lunch will be held on Sunday, April 7th following the service in the parish hall. Cost is $5 per person. Free for kids. All proceeds benefit the FUUSN Pledge Drive.
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RJM Reception for Rev. Kevin Peterson - April 7, 2024
Please join us after the pledge luncheon for a discussion opportunity with Rev. Kevin Peterson. We are excited to have Rev. Peterson in our pulpit that Sunday. He has been the energetic force behind the move to rename Faneuil Hall and most recently convened Boston clergy to address reparations from wealthy churches with enslavement histories to redress harms to Boston's Black community. We will meet in the Alliance Room at 12:15pm.
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In Memoriam
On Sunday, April 14, we will be remembering loved ones, friends and members of our community who have passed but who are still with us in spirit. We also hold in our hearts the memory of the following FUUSN members who died in the months of March and April of years past.
Lane Conn - 2008
Chris Roberts - 2008
John Taplin - 2008
Ellen Harbert - 2012
Axel Kaufman - 2013
Joann Warner - 2014
Jeanne Campbell - 2016
Norman Doelling - 2017
Clare Kastner - 2017
Robert Neumann - 2018
Karen Davis - 2023
Barney Freiberg-Dale - 2023
Eli Wolff - 2023
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Climate Action Task Force: Gardening with Native Plants - April 14, 2024
Would you like to see more birds, bees, and butterflies in your yard and garden? On Sunday, April 14, the Climate Action Talk Force is presenting a display on gardening with native plants, with lots of information on how this can support these kinds of wildlife. Come check it out during coffee hour!
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Sign up for Passover Seder - April 28, 2024
On April 28th, 2024 at 6:00 PM, we will be holding the FUUSN Community Passover Seder, and it will be led by Rabbi Sarah Noyovitz (AKA Rabbi Noyo), current Interim Rabbi at Temple Hillel B'nai Torah in West Roxbury. Please RSVP here and consider giving some of your time and talent.
Please Note: While this event will take place during the ministerial candidating week (April 28th through May 5th), the seder is not a part of the ministerial candidating week programs.
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UUUM Open House - May 2, 2024
The UU Urban Ministry is having a Program Spotlight and Open House on Thursday May 2, 5-7 pm. This is a great opportunity to see what our partners are doing in Boston. We can arrange for carpooling closer to the date. LEARN MORE
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Green Sanctuary Meeting - May 11, 2024
FUUSN's Climate Action Task Force will be meeting in the Children's Chapel from 10am-11:30 on Saturday, May 11th. All are invited to attend. We will be discussing how to enroll our congregation in the Green Sanctuary 2030 program.
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We received a big thank you from the Boston Public Health Nurses for all the gifts donated to the Healthy Baby/Healthy Child program. Heartfelt thanks to all who were able to participate! | | |
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Thanks to our Purim Players for their fabulous presentation of the story of Queen Esther last Sunday! | |
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Have a news item you want to share? Want to schedule a FUUSN Event? Please use our web forms! Note that any event using physical space at FUUSN must be approved by Fran, and until you receive confirmation from her, that event will not be scheduled or added to our Events calendar.
Submissions to the newsletter must be sent in by the previous Tuesday at 9am. Submissions to the Order of Service must be sent in by the previous Thursday at 9am.
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First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton www.fuusn.org | 617-527-3203 | | |
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