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First Unitarian Church
of Wilmington Delaware
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Love and Compassion. Growth and Discovery.
Freedom and Justice. Wonder and Joy.
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Sunday worship is available in the building and online.
For information about our worship schedule,
please click here.
Click here for streaming information.
You will also find the live stream on our YouTube page.
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This Sunday, May 12
Worship at 10:30 a.m.
“Our Spiritualities R Us” - Rev. Dr. Larry Peers
As Unitarian Universalists, we recognize that the various spiritualities among us potentially enrich and enhance us all. Moreover, we have a longstanding commitment to religious pluralism as we draw from the various “Sources of Our Living Tradition.”
Now is a time to understand and claim our various spiritualities and the different sources that inspire us toward deeper understanding, connections, and collaboration with others across faith traditions for the common good.
Worship Associate: Rebecca L. Fisher
Music: Kathy Harris, Pam Finkelman
Children and Youth
Children’s Choir: 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.
All Ages begin in the Sanctuary.
Nursery & Chalice Children (newborn - 1st grade) Youth Center
Seekers (1st - 3rd grade) Room 29
Questers (4th - 8th grade) Room 30
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Next Sunday, May 19
Worship at 10:30 a.m.
"This Love Will Carry Me, a Love Letter to the Congregation" - Judith Govatos
50 years and counting, that’s how long I’ve been a Unitarian. And I have some really good stories to tell! A few tears, much joy, music and poetry. I hope you will join me in celebrating 50 years of worshipping, transforming and belonging to our Beloved Community.
Worship Associate: Helen Foss
Music: Kathy Harris, Cindy Cohen
Children and Youth
Children’s Choir: 10:00 a.m. in Music Room
Newborns - 8th graders begin in their group rooms.
Nursery & Chalice Children (newborn - 1st grade) Youth Center
Seekers (1st - 3rd grade) room 29
Questers (4th - 8th grade) room 30
Youth Group (8th - 12th grade) meets in Room 27 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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UUNWIND – Opportunities to Recharge
Join our weekly and monthly programs for a chance to find some reprieve from a chaotic world. All events at this link are free and open to the public.
Meditation, Vespers, Hiking and more…
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Bring a Snack on May 12
Sunday, May 12 is the second Sunday of the month, when we invite you to bring a snack to share for our fellowship time following the service.
Please don’t bring a snack that contains peanuts or nuts. You can sign up here, or you can also just bring something on Sunday if you have a last minute inspiration.
You can also sign up to bring snack any Sunday! Having a snack during fellowship hour is welcoming to everyone.
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Nominations for First Sunday
Share the Plate Nominations
for FY 24/25
Is there a group that holds a special place in your heart? Do you want to offer your friends at First Unitarian Church the opportunity to support a local community non-profit that you love? If so, please send your nomination to marina@firstuuwilm.org with your name, charity contact info, and a brief summary of the work they do by May 31, 2024. You can also mail your request to the church office. The Executive Team will evaluate the nominees and will contact you to let you know if your submission has been approved. You can learn more about this community support effort, here.
In FY 24/25, we will begin Share the Plate on the First Sunday in September. We will not hold Share the Plate offerings in November 2024 so as not to conflict with Guest at your Table. We will also not have Share the Plate offerings in February 2025 during our annual operating budget pledge campaign.
The following Share the Plate recipients are “pre-approved” and included as part of the budget. If you lead a committee that works with those groups, please email Marina@firstuuwilm.org with your first and second choice of months for your special offering schedule.
- Emmanuel Dining Room
- YWCA
- ILYA
- UUSC
- Lutheran Community Services.
Thank you for your support of both First Unitarian Church and our local community!
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Adult Forum
No registration required. Come for an interesting video and even more interesting group discussion. Each chapter is minimally tied to previous chapters, so come as you can. Host is Jim Davis. You can reach him at JimD@firstuuwilm.org. Meet in Room 25 each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.
May 12: New series on Qur'an - Finding a Path into the Qur'an
May 19: 7th century Mecca: Religion and oral tradition.
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Coming again this summer!
Save the Dates!
Summer Camp for Adults with family friendly activities! August 11-12-13
Be ready for fun community activities!
But now we need your help!
Do you have an activity that you’d like to share during summer camp? We need your ideas for workshops that you could lead or ideas for people you know who have talents to share with us.
Would you like to help us with food for the summer camp? We need someone to coordinate with a caterer and be there to set up and help serve the food.
Would you like to work with the team that helps coordinate all the activities for the three days? You would be part of the committee that meets to plan everything, help contact our presenters, plan rooms to hold the activities, put up signage for the camp, sign people in each day and direct them to their activities.
Please contact Linda Sanders (lindaisis@aol.com or 302-540-3855) if you would like to volunteer! She will be most grateful for your call!
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Pastoral Care Associate of the Month
In May, our Pastoral Care Associate is Deb Griffin. You can reach her at DebG@firstuuwilm.org.
Pastoral Care invites the opportunity to offer support for health issues & deaths, personal or family difficulties, loneliness, etc. We may only become aware of who may benefit if you let us know of the need. And also, as these extraordinary difficult times continue, please show our care & concern by reaching out to one another by phone or online.
Pastoral Care has food gift cards available for church members who might need a helping hand with their food budget. Please use the email address for the on-call Pastoral Care associate for a confidential contact to request a card. Another resource for aid is Lutheran Community Services Choice Pantry. Information to access this service is available at (302) 654-8886 ext. 111.
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Remembering Longtime Member, Florence Moisson Rice
You are invited to the service in Celebration of Florence Rice’s life on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary of First Unitarian Church of Wilmington followed by a reception in Parish Hall. All are welcome.
Florence and her husband, Dick Moisson, joined First Unitarian Church in November, 1979. Over the years, Florence was involved in membership activities, including as committee chair and teaching new member classes. She also served as both an usher and a greeter; a solicitor in pledge campaigns and became Board chair. Recently, after moving to Maris Grove, she participated in the Maris Grove Unitarian Group, founded by First UU.
Florence passed on Thursday, March 28, 2024, predeceased by husbands Dick Moisson, Bill Rice and Ed Williams. For complete obituary, please click here.
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UUA General Assembly Delegates
If you are interested in being a delegate to this year’s virtual only General Assembly, contact Ed Scott, Board president: e.scott4417@gmail.com.
Please consider being a delegate, delegates will be approved at the First U annual meeting on May 19, 2024. Partial financial assistance available upon request.
The General Assembly is June 20-23 and will include a vote on the proposed Article II revisions.
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. GA is where we conduct the business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles.
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Brandywine Backgammon
Mondays, May 13, June 10, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Helena Miller – Room 28
Registration Required
Backgammon is a two-player board game that involves a combination of strategy and luck (of the dice). This is a meet-and-play activity for anyone who enjoys playing Backgammon, or wants to learn how to play. Participants can socialize and make new friends while learning a new game or improving their skills. Register for this event at this link.
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Won't You Join this UU Adventure with Rev. Larry & Members?
Tuesdays, May 14, June 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Larry Peers – Room 30
Registration Required – Zoom option available
I was intrigued by The UU Religious Path course offered by Rev. Larry through the LifeStream program this spring. With my signature in the First UU member book since the mid-80s, I still search for enlightenment around this dogma-free faith I find so compelling, evolving and often vexing. Using James Kubal-Komoto’s book, A Liberal Religious Path, as a reference, Rev. Larry is focusing on four ways to approach and understand our journey. You are welcome to join us for the remaining two sessions, May 14 and June 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., as we continue our communal adventure on the UU long and winding road.
This course is for those who, whether new or a longtime Unitarian Universalist, who seek a middle ground between the rigidity of religious orthodoxy and the emptiness of a completely secular culture. We will discuss Unitarian Universalism as a way to believe, a way to live, a way to be transformed, and a way to be together. We will use Rev. James Kubol-Komoto's book, A Liberal Religious Path: A Short Personal Introduction to UUism. The book is available on Amazon for about $8. Please register at this link.
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Poetry as a Tool for Wellness
Wednesdays, May 15, 22, and 29
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Larry Peers – Room 25
Registration Required – Zoom option available
This new ongoing series uses poetry to find meaning in our lives. Rather than trying to understand precisely what the author may have intended, we will provide generous support to one another as we focus on how poems and words can offer healing and understanding. Based on the work of the Institute of Poetic Medicine, this is not about writing the perfect poem but about finding ways to express your thoughts and experiences creatively and learn from one another. You must pre-register and may attend as many of the sessions as you would like. Register for this event at this link.
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Give Voice to Peace Building
Tuesday, May 14, 6:30 p.m.
Mwan Kamwndo, Kim Tull – Brunner Chapel
Registration Required – Zoom option available
Introduction and invite to the Friends' Committee on National Legislation Delaware Advocacy team. Learn how to engage with your national representatives and call for peace. We have hosted this program before but the advocacy team needs more members to keep it going. Ideally this is something we could offer to a Zoom audience of Delaware UUs and Quakers.
Mwandeyi Kamwendo - Before joining FCNL in November 2022, Mwandeyi graduated with honors from Columbia University in the City of New York with a B.A. in Political Science. As a student, she worked in youth empowerment and policy advocacy through several projects, including leading an international relations non-profit offering young people the skills and knowledge to engage with global issues.
Kim Tull - Delaware Advocacy Leader and First U Member. Register for this event at this link.
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Country Line Dancing with Ilana
Saturday, May 18
6:30 p.m. social time,
7:00- 8:30 p.m. dance
Instructor: Lorraine Cohn – Parish Hall
Registration required
Are you looking for some fun exercise? If so, Country Line Dancing is for you! All are welcome – singles, couples, and families. No experience is needed. Come learn and enjoy Country Line Dancing with Ilana.
Cost: $5/person Registration required for each date. Please register here.
Lorraine Cohn (aka Ilana) has been teaching recreational international folk dancing and line dancing in communities and summer camps for adults and children since 1975. She learned most of the dances directly from the choreographers at workshops for dance teachers on the East Coast. For the past two years, she has been teaching dance to retirees for the University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Ilana has also learned dances from the “Line Dance King”, Ira Weisburd, as well as from local Country Line dance teachers in Wilmington, DE and Maryland.
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Annual Meeting May 19
First Unitarian Church will have our Annual Meeting on May 19, 2024 at 12 noon. Our Annual Meeting will vote on next year’s budget and new board members, as well as other topics. Check here over the next few weeks for additional information.
- Per our By-Laws, "Those members who participate actively in Church activities and make an annual financial contribution of record shall be Voting Members. Each Voting Member shall (i) have the right to vote at any Meeting of the Congregation beginning 30 days after the date on which the Member signed the rolls."
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Voting list is available here.
- If you need to check your voting status, please email Marina@firstuuwilm.org so she can check your donation dates.
- If you need a proxy to represent you and vote on your behalf at the meeting, please click here.
- Click here for Annual Meeting Agenda including board and nominating committee nominee bios.
- Click here for Full color Annual Report - limited printed copies are available from the church office.
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If you would like to attend the meeting via Zoom, please register at this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Budget documents for the annual meeting:
Childcare
Childcare is available for the annual meeting. You may bring a lunch for your child or we will provide lunch and juice.
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Celebration of the FULL MOON with Circle of the Ash Tree Moon
Faith Whittington and Linda Sanders – First Unitarian Church Brunner Chapel
May 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Join our earth-centered spiritual group named “Circle of the Ash Tree Moon” and celebrate the full moon with an earth-centered ritual designed each month to celebrate the special meaning of that month’s moon theme. (For more information about moon themes, see Christopher Penczak’s book, “The Path of the Moon”). We usually meet the night before the full moon so our meeting date varies each month. To express interest and receive updates on future celebrations, please register here.
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Pop-Up Art Show! Sunday, May 26th
On Sunday, May 26, all are welcome to bring your art reflecting on the Soul Matters theme of Pluralism. We will have a table in Parish Hall to display the art, and then you can take it home after coffee hour. If you need inspiration here are some ideas:
- When we think of where pluralism shows up in our lives, one of the most universal, but also most overlooked, is our collections. Just think about how many of us collect baseball cards, comic books, coins, sea shells, fossils and Star Wars figures. Now get creative and artistically arrange your collection, and then photograph your arrangement to share with your group. We suggest you arrange and photograph your collection(s) in multiple ways to open up some space for you to view your collection(s) in a new light.
- Play with views from a window. There are many ways to approach this. You could collect pictures from the many windows and views that make up your life, taking photos from the windows at your home, work, favorite dinner or car on a favorite drive.
- Spend some time identifying and naming your different selves. As you do, write the name of each “self” on an index card and then draw an image or symbol of that “self” on the card too. After you are done creating the cards, spend some time thinking about different scenarios and how those various selves cluster or relate to each other in those scenarios. For instance, which selves come to the fore when your kids are struggling or threatened? Which selves hide when you are embarrassed? With each scenario you come up with, take a picture of how you arranged the cards.
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Look to Poetry
Tuesdays, May 28, June 25, 7:00 -9:00 p.m. Sally Elesby - Room 25
Registration Required
A gathering to share in appreciation the wonder of poetry. Participants may bring a favorite poem by a published poet to read; listeners are welcome too. A discussion follows each poem with a focus on how the poem finds and celebrates humanity. (The facilitator can provide poems if needed.) Sally Elesby is a published poet with an MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry - 2018 from Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon. Register here.
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Thinking of Joining?
Our next New Member welcoming is on Sunday, June 2nd, so if you are interested in becoming a member, speak to Rev. Larry, larry@firstuuwilm.org or Marilyn Hyte, hyte1@comcast.net.
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POTLUCK & FIELD DAY
JUNE 2 FOLLOWING THE WORSHIP SERVICE
Celebrate the start of summer! Following our annual Flower Ceremony come outside for a Potluck Lunch and Field Day. The Children & Youth Religious Exploration Team and Membership Team will provide hotdogs, vegan hotdogs, Sloppy Joe's, and vegan Sloppy Joe's. We will also have Fuscos Water Ice! You bring sides to share! Please remember, we are a NUT FREE FACILITY.
We will also have fun field day games for all ages! Run a relay race, try a three legged race, play cornhole, and have some fun!
PLEASE REGISTER HERE!!
And join the fun June 2 from 11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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UUs and Prayer
Tuesdays, June 4, 11, 18,
7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Rev. Paula Maiorano – Room 25
Registration Required
A three session program of one and a half hours each. During the first meeting, all will share how you pray or do not pray, and the beliefs behind your sharing. Next time, you'll take a look at what the UUA and other UUs published on prayer and how that resonates with you. The last session is reserved for writing your own prayers. Maximum of 14 participants.
Rev. Paula Maiorano is a retired Unitarian minister and First Unitarian of Wilmington member, whose service included chaplaincy, counseling, full time interim and part time parish ministry, community ministry founder providing services for citizens returning from prison, and inter-faith advocacy for criminal justice reform. Register for this event at this link.
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Welcome Summer Vegan Potluck
Sunday, June 9, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Environmental Justice Task Force - Parish Hall
Registration Required
Join the Environmental Justice Task Force for a Welcome Summer Vegan Potluck! Sunday, June 9th at 5:30 p.m. in Parish Hall. Bring a vegan dish to share. We are a nut free building and have many members who are gluten free. Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Bring your own plates, utensils, cups, etc. for easy clean up. We are excited about summer! Register for this event at this link.
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Rainbow Energy…
The Healing Power of Color
Sunday, June 9, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Stephanie Cloud and Cheryl Sigler – Room 25
Registration required – Zoom option available - Childcare option available
Everyone is affected by color. It is a universal language easily understood on many levels. Discover an effective non-invasive therapy that can be utilized to balance physical, mental, emotional and spiritual conditions. Learn how your clothing, your environment and the foods you eat affect your well-being. Experience practical techniques and exercises that will enable you to open up to the healing color energies that surround you.
Cheryl Sigler is a teacher, intuitive counselor and energy healer. She is certified in several energy and healing modalities. She holds a degree in Pastoral Counseling and is also certified in Past Life Regression. Believing that we are all responsible for our actions, she assists her students and clients in such a way that empowers them to trust their natural wisdom. Cheryl conducts workshops and lectures throughout the tri-state area. Register for this event at this link.
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Automated Giving - Credit Card Giving
New fiscal year July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025
As you may recall, we started using a new payment processor for automated giving and credit card donations this year. We have continued to accept donations under the old system, Vanco, however as of June 30, 2024, all donation processing through Vanco will end.
If you set up automated pledge giving for the current fiscal year, 2023-2024, or any other routine donations such as plate offering or other funds under the old system, all authorizations will be terminated effective June 30, 2024
If you set up automated pledge payments for FY 2024-2025, these have been set up under the new system, Church Center. If you want to set up new automated giving for pledge payments or any other designated fund, you can set up your payments at this link: https://firstu.churchcenter.com/giving
or you can use the mobile app available for Apple and Google Play at this link: https://firstu.churchcenter.com/setup.
The church office can assist with setting up credit card payments or automatic payments from your bank account. Please contact Chrissy in the church office at (302) 478-2384, or by email at chrissy@firstuuwilm.org.
Thank you for your support of First Unitarian Church.
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First U Sunday Volunteers | |
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Thank you to all our volunteers on this Sunday, May 12
Thank you to the MANY volunteers who contribute their time and talents preparing for and participating in the Sunday Service experience. They support our talented staff to make it all possible.
USHERS:
Greg Griffin, Jackie Feldman, J Harry Feldman, Marilyn Hyte, Pat McGee
WORSHIP ASSOCIATE:
Rebecca L. Fisher
MUSIC:
Pam Finkelman
PASTORAL CARE:
Deb Griffin
FIRST U LIBRARY:
Open Sunday mornings 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Second Floor
Randy & Judy Windle, Rich & Joan Carter
AV TEAM VOLUNTEERS:
Travis Laster, Robert Foss, Stephanie Cloud, Debbi Zarek, Ray Iannuzzelli
ADULT FORUM:
Jim Davis
HOSPITALITY:
Second Sunday Bring A Snack
COFFEE SALES:
Steve Marek
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