THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FIRST PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SCITUATE
December 15, 2009
The Sloop’s Log
Christmas Pageant December 20, 2009 10:30 am Rev. Richard M. Stower
Join us for our annual holiday pageant featuring the children of our church.
Christmas Eve Thursday December 24, 2009
6:30 pm
Snow Flake Fair
Church Service Hospitality
December 20
Flowers: The Capadanno ‘s
Our Traditional Christmas Eve service features music, stories and candlelight.
Thank you to our First Parish Congregation for making the Snowflake Fair a great success. We are so thankful for your hard work, creativity, and dedication to this fair - year after year! First Parish was filled with energy and enthusiasm on Saturday - it was a joy to be a part of it all. See page 4 for a breakdown of the Snowflake Fair totals!
“Serenity” December 27, 2009 10:30 am
Lauri Klein will lead us in meditation and Eric Fraser will play the traditional Indian flute.
December 24
Ballinger, in honor of Barbara and Bill O’Donnell
Flowers: Wendy & David
December 27
Coffee Hour: Religious Services
Committee
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The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate
RE News
Our First Parish Family
During many of the events celebrating our 375th anniversary we have recognized the contributions of church members. As the celebration winds down it is appropriate for us to acknowledge the present parishioners of First Parish who have been members for 25 years or more. They are:
Allerton Bonney Jr. Peter Tolman Connie Tolman Rudy Mitchell Pauline Mitchell Nancy Crafts Barbara Koelsch Bill Krusell Alma Morrison Christine Johnson Virginia Allen Dave Allen Arthur Anderson Gail Anderson Barbara Leavitt Yvonne Twomey Lou Geyer Richard Leach Jackie Leach Donna Brindley Kay Shaw Andy Culbert Janie Culbert Jack Shaw
First Parish Men’s Group
The Men’s Group had a wonderful breakfast on Saturday. The eight attendees had a satisfying breakfast of eggs, bacon and blueberry pancakes. Many thanks to chef Ray DesRoches.
TV Fundraiser
All children who are participating in the pageant need to be at church be 9:30 am this Sunday, 12/20/09, for a full dress rehearsal prior to the performance during the service at 10:30 am. If you have any questions regarding parts, costumes, etc. please contact Cathie McGowan at 781-545-7714 or patmikecat@aol.com Thank you and good luck to everyone. The First Parish kids and teens are still trying to raise money for a new T.V. for the church. There is a donation box in the Sloop Room by the signup board, and we still have First Parish UU, Scituate t-shirts (designed by the teens) for sale in both children’s and adult sizes at $8 for short sleeves and $12 for long sleeves. If you haven't purchased any of these great FPUU shirts yet, see Britain Davis on Sunday after service. They make great gifts as well! We are just over half way to the $1000.00 fundraising goal - help us reach our goal of buying the church a Christmas present in time for Christmas!
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The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate
Ministerial MUUsings......
In this month of December two of the world’s major religions celebrate holy times each speaking to universal desires. For Christian’s Christmas represents the coming of hope for a better world. For Jews, Hanukkah speaks to the human need of freedom of thought and freedom to worship. This confluence of human and spiritual needs at this time of year is a reminder of the meaning and power of religion. In days past, before we discovered how to bring the sun out at night through electricity, the shortest days of the year, imposed a time of reflection all their own. What does it mean to have hope? What does it mean to be free to think and worship without fear? What does it mean to seek a greater understanding of why we are here and how should we live a noble life? It is important for us to consider these questions seriously amid all the hustle and bustle. My advice is that we all take the time to do it. To all of you, members and friends of First Parish, Nancy and I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season! May joy and innocence prevail! Peace,
Rich
Thank you
First Parish offers a very heartfelt thank you to MaryAnn Linker and Laura Carson-Laciner for the wonderful work they did organizing this years Snowflake Fair. More thanks to Team Snowflake who made the Snowflake Fair so successful! Thank you to Nancy Richards-Stower for once again beautifully decorating the sanctuary.
Tax Deductible Donation
A friendly reminder there is still time to maximize your charitable tax deductible donation to First Parish church by the year’s end.
Minister Rev. Richard M. Stower Church 781-545-3324 Home 781-544-3574 Director of Religious Education Jim FitzGerald 617-983-0619 Parish Committee Co-Chair Mary McRae 781-545-2504 Claire Sherman 781-449-5286 Church Office Administrator Christine Conway 781-834-2040 Treasurer Judy Wolffer 781-544-0191 Parish Committee Secretary Janice Evans 781-545-5001 Collector Vicki Davis 781-545-2369 Buildings and Grounds Erica Boyle 781-545-3452 Frank Kilduff 781-545-9365 Endowment Joanne Fraser 781-545-4571 Finance Sarah Murdock 781-545-8274 Leigh Todd 781-544-7767 Membership & Hospitality Brit Davis 617-275-5700 Denominational Affairs/ Social Justice Carol Sullivan-Hanley 781-545-9341 Public Relations Katie Jacobsen 781-545-2504 Religious Education Laura Carson- Laciner 781-544-0220 Jean Shildneck 617-275-5700 Religious Services Barbara Gifford 781-378-1617 Jane McGuinness 781-545-6394 Social Programs Sue Duff 781-545-5604 Head Usher Jack Shaw 781-545-0547
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The Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church Of Scituate
Snow Flake Fair
SNOWFLAKE FAIR UPDATE
When we say ‘Team Snowflake,’ we mean it! Newcomers and veterans joined together for another great Snowflake Fair. As always, energy and camaraderie filled First Parish. Thank you to all our bakers, crafters, candy makers, contributors, shoppers, and volunteers. Our gratitude and appreciation grows every year. Raffle winners are: Afghan by Mona Fornell - Sarah Mitchell Print by Leslie Kilduff - Jean Shildneck Red Sox tickets for 2 games from Rev. Stower
- Sam Webber (7/16/10) - Katherine Hogan (8/19/10)
Where on Earth are we going? And what can we do about it?
The Awakening the Dreamer Changing the Dream Symposium is a profound inquiry into a bold vision: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Earth. If you are ready to explore what this vision means for you, And the opportunity to create an inspiring future, we invite you to attend. Wed. Dec. 16, 2009 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary office $5 suggested donation 175 Edward Foster Rd., Scituate, MA more details or to register, contact: Ben Cowie-Haskell email: cowhaskie@aol.com or phone 781-424-0699 Please RSVP by registering online at AwakeningTheDreamer.org
Snowflake Fair
Alliance
Baked Goods
Candy
Crafts
Christmas
Jewelry
Raffle
Kitchen
Wreaths
Trees
Gift Baskets
Children's Shopping
Green Table (Seaweed)
Total
2009
$753
2008 $1301 $557 $295 $507 $303 $700 $659 $444 $1223 $538 $685 $66 $21 $7298
$759
$532
$670
$218
$503
$756
$368
$1094
$859
$470
$66
$21
$7058
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Facebook Group
First Parish Scituate now has its own Facebook Group. We have already attracted 30 members of the congregation and the list is still growing. If you're not familiar with Facebook, it is an online forum where you can connect with friends, family, groups and communities we are involved in, etc., and share information such as photos, calendar events, messages between members, and random posts - maybe even a few laughs. Anyone is welcome to join the group and there is no obligation to participate. Log on to Facebook and sign up for the group titled, "First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Scituate, Massachusetts" to join the group. (If you would like to find out more about the First Parish group, or about Facebook in general, feel free to speak with, or call Britain Davis and she can answer any questions you have. If there is enough interest in learning more about how to use FaceBook, she would like to know if holding a demonstration session at the church would be of benefit to anyone, so please come forward.)
Bottles and Cans
Just a reminder that we are collecting redeemable bottles and cans to raise money for the church. There are bins set up in the garage behind the church and all units are sorted in to separate containers. Don't forget to toss your redeemables in to your trunk as you leave for church on Sundays from now on, and empty them in to the garage bins, or place the bag just inside the door and someone will sort them for you later. We only work at the dump a few weeks each year, collecting redeemables, but we can collect our own year round now for a little extra pocket money for things like Youth Group activities, etc.
GIVE * TAKE * SHARE
(FREE items to recycle among our community and friends)
Alateen Group
An Alateen group meets at First Parish on Tuesdays from 2:30-3:30. If you know of a young person who is in need of a support group please pass along this information.
"Dear Friends: I am continuing with my goal of simplifying and giving away all "excess stuff ". Please help by accepting, or having a friend or other community group, accept one, two or all three of these 3 televisions. Somehow, through office and apartment moves we ended up with more televisions than family members. These are not"flat screen" TV's, but they work fine and you may know someone who can use them. My goal: before the New Year, if Thank You possible. 12 inch screen Samsung (w/ built in Dear First Parish Scituate, tape deck for those old tapes you just can't find on disk) Pangea, Scituate High School’s Gay 27 inch screen JVC (big) Straight Alliance, would like to 36 inch screen Hitachi (bi%er) thank you for allowing us to participate in the Snowflake Fair. Nancy Richards-Stower We were very successful in raising 781-544-3574 money, which we will donate to various LGBTQ organizations Thank you again for opening up Kitchen Pick - Up! your doors and your resources. You have helped us promote our message of free-expresion and self- If you have any plates, platters etc. left behind they need to be picked discovery with church members further strengthening and uniting up from the kitchen. If not picked up, they will be stored in the shed. our community! Thank you! Yours Sincerely, Pangea
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FIRST PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SCITUATE
Something to think about.......
“It is in the old Christmas carols, hymns, and traditions - those which date from the Middle Ages - that we find not only what makes Christmas poetic and soothing and stately, but first and foremost what makes Christmas exciting. The exciting quality of Christmas rests on an ancient and admitted paradox. It rests upon the paradox that the power and center of the whole universe may be found in some seemingly small matter, that the stars in their courses may move like a moving wheel around the neglected outhouse of an inn.”
~ G.K. Chesterton
Gathered in Scituate, 1634 Founded in London, 1616 E-mail:firstparishscituate@verizon.net www.firstparishscituate.org 781-545-3324 Scituate, MA 02066 330 First Parish Road First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church