Upcoming Sunday Services

10:30am

in-person in the Sanctuary

and on Zoom (link below)

September 17th - Deep Breath - Rev. Caro Barschow

Welcoming breath into the body anchors contemplative and transformative practices across religions. Medical research indicates focused breathing lowers an individual’s stress and improves overall health. What happens when people breathe together? This service explores how breath can deepen our relationships.

Potluck and Welcome Reception Sunday. September 17th 11:30 a.m.

Celebrate the spirit of welcome this month with a back-to-church potluck and welcome reception for our new staff members, Rev. Caro Barschow and Music Director Ethan Hackett. Bring a favorite dish or treat to share, and enjoy a potluck lunch with NSUU friends. Can you help with set-up or clean-up? Email Hal Morse.

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September 24th - Welcoming Guest Minister

- Rev. Dr. Danielle Di Bona

The Rev. Dr. Danielle Di Bona has served Unitarian Universalism for over 30 years and is the 2018 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Service to the Cause of Unitarian Universalism, and the 2004 recipient of The Melvin Hoover “Beloved Community Award” for outstanding service to Communities of Color in Unitarian Universalism. In her retirement Rev. Di Bona serves as the Palliative Care chaplain at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts.

To attend the Sunday services via Zoom,

please go to the Northshore Church website nsuu.org

& click on "Join Service."

Church Announcements

Church Administrator Transition

A Note from Rev. Caro

Greetings! Many of us offered a fond farewell at the September 10th Sunday Service to longtime Church Administrator Nancy Paskowski. Nancy had her last day at NSUU on September 8th. Nancy will be greatly missed! Many thanks to Barbara Haight for planning a reception from the congregation. Thanks, too, to Edith Fenton and Barbara Reeder for offering gifts during the service of flowers and commemorative stones (one for Nancy and one for the NSUU rock garden, see photo above).

I share here some important updates on the Church Administrator position. 

First, a hiring process is well underway. The Board formed an ad-hoc hiring team, with Loring Bradlee, Lynette Clark, Julie O’Meara and Susan Haas serving. I will advise with them. This team updated the job description and consulted UUA salary guidelines. An ad on indeed.com last week generated a number of applicants. Interviews are scheduled for this week and next. The full board will weigh in when finalist(s) are identified. 

Second, the Board voted to contract during the transition for bookkeeping services through the church’s current accountant, Terranova CPA. The bookkeeper will be responsible for maintaining Quickbooks records and classifying expenses in order to produce an accurate balance sheet. Thanks to our Treasurer Astrida Cutter for working with Terranova on this transition. 

Finally, in the past few weeks, Nancy and I generated an office procedure manual. While it does not capture Nancy’s caring or sense of humor, we did succeed at summarizing the duties of the position - 7 pages single spaced! This helped me develop a list of essential duties during this transition period and identify volunteers to fill those roles. 

Here is a coverage list of volunteers for essential duties:

Building/rental management

Liaison to Daycare Center - Susan Haas

Liaison to Muslim Society - Rev. Caro

Liaison to contractors (as needed) - Buildings & Grounds (Hal Morse/Bob Ferris)

Liaison to arrange new rental requests - Susan and Hal

Track building and office supplies - Susan and Rev. Caro

Financials

Tracking/Making Deposits and Preparing Checks - Lynette Gray

Payroll Reports (MinistryWorks) - Caro

Maintaining Quickbooks - Bookkeeper at Terranova CPA

Congregational Life 

Respond to phone messages, email, postal mail - Susan

Recording new visitors - Caro

Good Things Are Happening newsletter - Caro (new deadline, Wed at noon)

Order of Service - Lynette (new deadline, Wed at noon)

Online Calendar Requests - Caro

Zoom meeting requests - Caro

I am grateful to the Board of Directors for the flexibility and willingness during this transition. I am particularly thankful that Board Chair Susan Haas and Clerk Lynette Gray have volunteered to take on a number of office tasks while we are in the hiring process. During this transition, let us please be patient with each other as we transition and try on new things. The Board of Directors and I will work to keep the congregation updated as we take the lead on navigating this transition process.

When you have questions about the transition, please be in touch with me and Board Chair Susan Haas.

In faith and with gratitude,

Rev. Caro Barschow

rev.barschow@gmail.com

Cell: 978-473-7980

Upcoming Church Activities

Sunday Strolls

A note from Bob Ferris: Now that I have freed up my NSUU duties a bit, I would like to start Sunday Strolls on September 10 and run them until Thanksgiving. I need volunteers to lead the walks and I am reaching out to you folks first.

Stroll Leaders:

·      Pick a favorite place – especially one you’ve been to recently - to go for a 1½-2 hour stroll.

·      Pick a meeting place.

·      Consider parking, bugs, path smoothness, grades, water hazards,

·      Establish whether there are parking restrictions,

·      Establish dog-friendliness of the place,

·      Work with the me to get the information out to the congregation.

So, please contact me at bobferris1949@gmail.com or by calling him at 978-660-7437 if you would like to lead a stroll or if you know others to whom I should reach out.  

100 Mile Picnic

Saturday, September 23, 5pm

Our 8th annual 100-Mile Potluck Picnic will be held at the church, 323 Locust St, Danvers, on Saturday Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. Bring food and drink sourced from within 100 miles of Danvers (more or less), and we'll have a delicious and fascinating experience. Plus, jolly company. For more information, contact Iain Goddard of the Green Sanctuary Team.

Artist Reception and Gallery Talk

Sunday, September 24th, 12 to 2pm

Free and open to the public

Join the artist for a reception and gallery talk. At the age of 86, Beatriz (Bea) Grayson is still creating quilts in her Brooksby Village apartment. Bea explored many visual art forms during her childhood in Brazil. As a young adult, Bea came to New York City and attended Pratt Institute. Since 1989 she has worked almost exclusively in the quilt media. She states, "For me, my quilts are a metaphor for making the best of life, of the cards one is dealt....I like to think that I live the examined life and that I revise my choices for the best quilted outcomes." Bea's quilts have been exhibited in art shows around the country, one is in the Lowell Quilt Museum collection.

Minister’s Schedule

Office hours for September will be by appointment, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you’d like to meet with Rev. Caro, please email or phone to set up a time. Email: rev.barschow@gmail.com Phone: 978-473-7980

The minister is scheduled to have time off September 18-24, as part of their regular 3/4 schedule at NSUU. Because of the church administrator transition, Rev. Caro will be worked limited hours on office coverage and the hiring process during this week. Rev. Caro will be available for pastoral emergencies during this time. For assistance with other church matters, please be in touch with Board Chair - Susan Haas (Susanann1812@yahoo.com) or a member of the Caring Team - Barbara Reeder, Chair (barabaraellenroth@gmail.com).

NSUU Social Action

Operation Troop Support - Donations Needed!

Operation Troop Support need our help, in particular for an early September shipment.

Donations of the following items are needed:

White crew socks for men and women, small toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream in non-aerosol containers, razors, small Kleenex, cotton swabs, toothpaste, toothbrushes). Food items in individual servings such as cup of soup, mac and cheese, applesauce, cans of deviled ham, chicken salad, tuna salad. Also playing cards, puzzle books and snacks such as cookies, crackers nuts, beef jerky, pretzels, etc.

These items can be placed in the basket in fellowship hall. Barbara Haight will take these items to the Director of Operation Troop Support. Any questions, call Barbara at: 978-729-5422.

From the Board of Directors

Minutes from August 9, 2023 Meeting Now Available

Good Things Are Happening

New Deadline: Wednesday at noon

Please contribute announcements by Wednesday at noon for NSUU's weekly e-newsletter "Good Things Are Happening." You can do so by sending an email with the announcement to nsuu@verizon.net. Please put in the subject line "For Good Things Are Happening." Please indicate how long you would like the announcement to appear and a contact email or phone number for more information.

Activities Around Town

Danvers Public Library

Photo: Rev. Caro received their new library card on a visit with Hal Morse to the Peabody Institute Library

Zoom Program: Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis

Monday, September 18, 7-8pm

Erica Cirino, photojournalist, scientist, and artist, as she discusses her book Thicker Than Water: The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis. As plastic pollution piles up, time to negotiate real solutions is running out, meanwhile plastics’ impacts on the Earth and our health grows worse. Erica hopes to share important facts and immediate action we can take to help our communities and protect our health from plastics. To register and for more information, visit the library website.

In-person Program: Danvers Anti-Racist Book Club

Discussing Me & White Supremacy by Layla Saad

Tuesday, September 19, 6-7pm

15 Sylvan Street, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923

Come together in a safe space for a conversation with your community. The conversation will be based on a book focused on anti-racism. Books can be ordered through the library or through Libby. Participants should attend with an open mind ready to listen and learn from one another, registration required Next meeting and book - October 17: "White Tears, Brown Scars".

Essex County Community Organization (ECCO)

ECCO is a diverse network of congregations and organizations across the North Shore building relationships and power to put human dignity at the center of public life. Its mission is to work together across race, class, and faith lines to ensure that all people on the North Shore can thrive, grow, and dream.

Defending Democracy

Wednesday, October 4th at 6pm

Lynn Auditorium, 3 City Hall Square, Lynn

This groundbreaking social justice event will address pressing issues including book banning, voting suppression, economic inequality, and marginalization of Black history. Speakers include Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, former Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling, and historian Dr. Kabria Baumgartner. Then, we will hear about solutions for Lynn and beyond from a panel with local social justice advocates, including ECCO President Rev. Dr. Andre Bennett and our close partners from Lynn Racial Justice Coalition and the New Lynn Coalition Nicole McClain, Adriana Paz, and Jeff Crosby, as well as Martin Garnar.

ECCO Community Meeting

Tuesday, October 24th, 6pm

Location TBA

Join us to connect with people from across ECCO’s diverse community, get updated on ECCO’s latest work on affordable housing, community safety, and immigrant rights, and learn how you can make an impact!  Please bring a potluck dish to share.  (But if you can’t, please come anyway! We will have lots of pizza!) RSVP here: bit.ly/ecco-10-24-23