We are a spiritual fellowship dedicated to building beloved community

-- within and beyond our doors.

Welcome to a New Church Year!

We've collected a boatload of information that we know you will find useful -- things you were not aware of or may have forgotten such as parking restrictions, borrowing things, who to ask, where to look. Click here, and you may discover something you were unaware of. Then save the link for reference all year long.

Minister Musings by Rev. Julie Lombard

September’s worship theme, The Practice of Invitation, asks all souls, “How do we choose to exist? Are you called to love and live our values of interdependence, equity, transformation, pluralism, generosity, and justice?”

Recently, I received an invitation to return to a former church I served to baptize a family’s newest child. They are not members there. This unaffiliated couple from the wider community asked me to officiate their wedding, the baptism for their oldest child, and now their youngest. They made a request to that church’s Board to rent the sanctuary for a private affair. They also asked if I could do the blessing. The Board said yes. So, there I was on my first anniversary of serving UUCM doing a baby blessing in VT.

The family gathered around the font, making a circle of love. Believe it or not, baptism crashers arrived. An elderly couple, church members, appeared dressed in their Sunday finest on a Thursday morning, sitting in their usual pew. As the family arrived, I welcomed the members and told the parents who the couple was and asked if it was ok for them to remain. The parents said yes.

As the father held his newborn daughter, the service began in the usual way. Toward the end, after the prayer and before the benediction, I invited each to come forward to bless the baby. It was touching having four generations perform this sacred act.

Each person touched the holy water with their finger, moving their finger to their forehead and then to the baby’s brow. What moved me most was when Mary, the church elder, got in on the action. She dipped her finger into the water made holy by their first water communion, and touched her head and heart before touching the baby – a total stranger blessing one of her wider community’s newest members.

This is what our faith calls us to do. This is the invitation. We are called to love and live our values, not to share it only with our fellow church members, but to also share it with the wider community and any in need. May you hear the call and respond. 

From the President's Desk

In this, my first message as President, I want to express my gratitude for those who have kept the church vibrant and moving forward through the summer:

• Rev. Julie Lombard (despite being on vacation), Jamie Ferrier, and Sue Wahlen for carrying on church business
• Nancy Baker for planning & conducting summer services
• The Property Committee and Maintenance team for overseeing the installation of new windows plus other maintenance
• Amy Conley at work sorting out music and organizing her new office with the help of Suellen Davidson
• Heather Romeri and team for selling ice cream & soda at the Milford summer concerts
• Nancy Danzinger and all the community supper volunteers
• Pastoral Care volunteers for their caring & assistance
• Comm Team for keeping us all informed

There’s a lot going on, and I apologize to other valuable contributors that I have inevitably missed. We appreciate you all!

I want each of you reading this message to know that you are a valued member of our congregation. The UUCM board is eager to know your thoughts about our church, and hope you will find ways to make UUCM even more meaningful in your life.

We have a lot of initiatives that we plan to roll out this year, including the committee reorganization plans to help us become a more responsive, effective, and efficient organization of 100-125 people. We have plans for a Religious Education leader, part-time for now, but essential for us in moving forward. Julie is working on plans for a church council that will convene committee leaders along with interested congregants and Board members to develop more events, fundraisers, and ways to build our congregation from the inside out. Meanwhile, I encourage you to share with me any ideas, hopes, or dreams you have for our congregation.

Finally, I want to thank Scott Blanchard for the tireless work he put in as Board President for the last two years, overseeing the search for a new minister and Music Director, coping with the fallout of COVID, and for generally seeming unflappable. Those are big shoes to fill… Thanks for all your support, Scott!

~ Michael Conley, UUCM President

September’s Worship Theme:

The Practice of Invitation

Do not try to save the whole world

or do anything grandiose.

Instead, create a clearing

in the dense forest of your life

and wait there patiently,

until the song that is your life falls

into your own cupped hands

and you recognize and greet it.

Only then will you know

how to give yourself to this world

so worthy of rescue.

Read about living love through the practice of invitation.

September Worship Services

Summer Services continue through Sept. 8

September 1 - A Labor Day Service (Video)

Prepared by Nancy Baker

All the work we do is important no matter how or whether we get paid for it. UUCM is one of the beneficiaries of our longing to make a difference. This short, upbeat video prepares us for the beginning of a new church year, and can be watched anytime over the following week.

September 8 – An Invitation to Wonder

10:30 at both UUCM and Ferry Beach

The theme of this service is an invitation to wonder, which is both a welcome and an encouragement to begin anew.

• At UUCM with Nancy Baker & Worship Team members
• At Ferry Beach with Rev. Julie Lombard & Amy Conley. What does the sacred seaside offer us?

Regular Sunday Services resume at 10:30am (in person and on Zoom).

September 15 -- Water Communion – Return Again (Family Sunday)

Rev. Julie Lombard

Our annual Water Communion is a reverent ritual marking our faithful return. All are invited to bring water from your various paths. Perhaps you traveled or maybe you are bringing water from your kitchen faucet. You decide from what sacred source you wish to share. Poured into a common bowl, these waters signify the sacredness of our coming together. The water is later repurposed for future blessings. Come explore the importance of both invitation and water in a way that may change the way you live your values. 

September 22 -- An Invitation to Harvest

Rev. Julie Lombard   

Join us to celebrate the beginning of another church year and to harvest the fruits of our labors. We will find the holy in the work that has been done to arrive at this sacred moment. What might appear in our metaphorical cornucopia? New and old faces as well as church upgrades and items we have chosen to compost. Come, celebrate all that we are and harvest the power of all we will become. The Spirit of Love is asking you to ponder: What nourishes you in this harvest season?

September 29 -- An Invitation to Change

Rev. Julie Lombard

At the annual UUA General Assembly in June, our faith tradition voted in a new way of understanding how to love and live this faith through our values. This process took years in the making, and it doesn’t do away with our principles and sources. It invites us to focus our attention on the Unitarian Universalist values we hold most treasured. The Spirit of Love is asking your heart: How ready are you to embrace change?  

UUCM Justice Ministries

September 2024 “Shout Out”

Calling all justice seekers to join us in a fun and bold church year ahead! UU’s have a legacy of “deeds not creeds.” Our work for a better world calls us to unexpected places as we harness love’s power to stop oppression. From grassroots community organizing to interfaith state, national, and corporate advocacy; in protest marches, prayer vigils, and press conferences; in homeless shelters and in prisons, UUs put our faith into action.

Our justice efforts are grounded in our congregationally-driven social justice statements. As an expression of our faith and values, UUCM takes positions on relevant issues of social justice. We model these commitments by creating a just, welcoming, and inclusive congregation. We act in partnership with groups and communities most impacted by injustice on local, state, national, and international levels. Our work with Share the Plate recipients, Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP), and our Partner Church in Transylvania are some examples of that work in action.

UUCM’s justice ministry focuses on organizing, and includes service, education, advocacy, and public witness (the spiritual practice of taking a public position in support of justice). Our

purpose is to strengthen the capacity of UUs to organize for justice, and to mobilize people and power for liberation. We turn to these UUA campaigns for inspiration:

• Side With Love - which harnesses the power of love to end oppression.
• Love Resists - a joint effort with the UUSC, activates people of faith and conscience to resist the harm inflicted by criminalization.
• UU the Vote - supports UUCM and UU organizations in activating thousands of UUs to mobilize for electoral justice at the local, state, and national levels.
• Climate Justice - organizes UUs to cultivate thriving communities to advance a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future.
• UPLIFT Action - is the UUA’s new campaign for LGBTQIA+, Gender, and Reproductive Justice.

Our first meeting in the new church year will be at 7pm on Sept. 17. Watch the Weekly Update for details. We hope you will join us in leading with our values as we work to build beloved community in the Souhegan Valley.

~ Laura Lynch, Justice Chair

Faith Development: Small Group Ministry “Try Outs”

September 29th at noon in the Fireside Room with Rev. Julie Lombard

What is Small Group Ministry? Small Group Ministry (SGM) is a time-tested and flexible method to connect members and friends, and it helps to deepen our Unitarian Universalist faith. Groups of 8-10 people meet twice monthly for a facilitated discussion based on the monthly theme. Small group ministry can deepen and expand the ministry of a congregation by providing an intentional container for relationships. It provides several key patterns in congregational life:

• Intimacy or building community and deepening relationships.
• Ultimacy or providing opportunity for deeper spiritual exploration and a search for meaning.
• Group Pastoral Care or listening deeply to one another as we share stories of our life’s journey. Deeper needs can be communicated to the minister or lay spiritual care team.
• Stickiness or the likelihood that people will feel that the congregation is their spiritual home.
• Accountability or the practice of being in covenantal relationship by making an intentional commitment to one another in service of the gathered group and its higher purpose.
• Leadership Development for facilitators by practicing and getting support.

If you are interested in learning more or trying this process out, come to this practice session or let Rev. Julie know you are interested. UUCM has several ongoing SGMs that might be welcoming new members this fall. Or, if there is interest, a new group might start up.

Sing! Sing! Sing!

Contact our new Music Director, Amy Conley, at music@uucm.org if you would like to receive information about joining our choir.  We rehearse Wed. 7:00-8:15 PM, and sing two Sundays a month (and also rehearse at 9:15-10:00 AM on those days). Reading music is not required! You are welcome to join the choir at any time this year. If you can, please join us for a Choir Potluck dinner in Emerson followed by our first rehearsal on Weds., Sept. 4, 6:00-9:00 PM. Park behind or in front of the church if you arrive before 6:00 pm, or in the Bridges lot outside the Garden Door after 6:00. Questions? Call Amy @ 603-801-4946. 

Help Beautify UUCM Grounds

On Sunday, Sept 1 at 9:30am, Karen and Tommy Crossman are bringing compost and plants to incorporate into the grounds near the garden door. Bring a shovel to help with planting, PLEASE!

It’s Tidbit Signup Time Again!

Are you interested in adding a little stimulation to your thinking about our monthly themes? For the past 9 years, Nancy Baker has been sending out Tidbits to reflect upon. These twice-monthly bits of critical thinking might include a poem or short bit of prose, a painting, and 3 or 4 essential questions to get you started, plus some information about the writer and featured artist.

The first email installment for this church year will arrive on September 22nd. If you are not currently signed up and want to be, contact Nancy Baker. (Ditto to unsubscribe.) This adult education offering is for UUCM members and friends, but you can ask about adding someone you know who might appreciate them.

Send us a New Photo of Yourself and Family

Let's enhance our community bulletin board in Barnum Hall with new or updated photos of everyone to help us all get better acquainted. It's best to send a digital photo to commteam@uucm.org (see tips below), or bring/mail a print to the UUCM office. Be sure to identify everyone in the photo.

** If you are at Ferry Beach, ask Bryan Higgs or Amy Conley to take your photo.

PHOTO TIPS:

• The best light to take people photos is outdoors under cloudy, but bright skies (to avoid harsh shadows in sunlight).
• Try to avoid a background that is brighter than the people you are photographing.
• Send the highest resolution possible. Many email programs automatically downsize photos to a low resolution. They look fine on a screen, but do not print well. If using a computer, specify that you want to add a FILE (NOT a photo). Some cellphones allow you to specify that you want to send the original photo or a high resolution or HD photo.

UUCM Free Community Supper

Weds., Sept 18, 5:30-6:30pm

Connect with church friends and members of the community for supper! Tasty, healthy meals with a veggie option are being served. Questions? Or want to volunteer to help? Contact Nancy Danzinger.

Pastoral Care Assistance

A Pastoral Care request may be made by contacting either Rev. Julie Lombard, Jamie (Congregational Administrator), or Nancy Danzinger (Pastoral Care Chairperson).

SHARE Needs Your Support

Please purchase Canned Ham, Canned Meats/tuna/chicken, Mac and Cheese, Pasta (all sorts), Progresso and Chunky Soups for the Food Pantry at SHARE. Click to see where to drop off food donations.

ONLINE: Standing Up to Racism Workshop

Wednesdays, Sept. 11, 18, October 2, 9

6:30 – 8:30 PM via Zoom

What does it mean to be an ally? How can we help dismantle systemic anti-black racism? In this four-week online course led by anti-racism educator Anne Romney, participants will not only examine racism in all its forms -- internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic -- but also learn practical strategies to address the issues. Topics will include white privilege, white grievance, understanding the toll of micro-aggressions, and what it means to be an ally/accomplice in the fight for social justice, with emphasis on concrete actions people can take, small and large. Read more and register here.

NOTE: Currently there is a waitlist, but if enough people are on it, another session might be scheduled.

Members - Start the Year with a New Directory

UUCM members: Click here for these directories:

• Leadership Directory lists members of leadership and committees with contact information.
• Church Directory lists all UUCM members & friends. An asterisk indicates those who have signed the Membership book.

Save the Dates

Oct. 4 - An evening of Mindful Improv for Fun and Connection. ($10 per person, $20 per extended family). Jim Readey, a mindful improv comedy facilitator, knows how to work with people to bring out their creativity. He and his troupe will come to UUCM for a 2-hour showcase where they will demonstrate improv and invite audience members to participate. The goal is to have fun while getting to know each other better. Some members of our congregation are obviously naturals at this! Ideally, we can draw in members of the larger community too. Michael is a member of this troupe and would like to work with someone on publicity for this event.

Nov. 16 - Health and Wellness Fair. A group who have expressed interest in this have met recently, but we need volunteers to do a media and publicity blitz. We already have a few interested vendors, but we also need folks to help us solicit more. And we will need a kitchen crew. Please let Michael know which of these opportunities appeals to you. 

Contact Info for UUCM Personnel and Leadership:

• Jamie, our administrator, has office hours on Mon, Tues, Thurs from 10-2 and Weds from 10-12. Email office@uucm.org or leave a voicemail at 603-673-1870 ext.1 if you need to make an appointment.
• Rev. Julie is available by phone or by appointment Sun-Wed, and Thurs in emergencies. Call or text her at 603-724-0978. Email is the slowest way to connect with her, so do not use email to relay emergency info.
• The UUCM Board can be reached at board@uucm.org.

Find it on UUCM.org

The easiest and quickest way to find information on our website is to use the Search feature. Enter a word or two into the search box located at the upper right on any page.

UUCM 603-673-1870 office@uucm.org