Sunday Service December 19, 10:30 a.m. “Pageant Service” with Thea Shapiro

Come and enjoy our Holiday Pageant in two parts, and singing…
Part one: Is there a connection between Santa, the birth of Jesus and Unitarian Universalists – Maybe.
The children will explain.
Part two: We will exchange gifts, and you don’t need to bring anything, just yourself.
Hope you can be there

Christmas Eve Story for All Ages: Click for more images on our Facebook group

Our traditional candlelight Christmas Eve service included beautiful music, traditional readings, and lots of singing of favorite carols.  Congregation members: Click on the photo for more pictures from our Christmas Eve Service and Holiday Pageant.

Click for more photos in our Facebook group

Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead… All share a long history and similar customs and traditions. All ask us to reflect on the questions: “What am I afraid of?” and “Who do I want to be?” On Sunday, October 31 at 10:30am, Thea Shapiro and Sandy Hitchins led us in an intergenerational service in which we explored these questions with the help of masks and costumes, and shared some of the origins of our modern-day Halloween traditions.

Sunday, August 22nd, 9:30 a.m: Please join Patty and John for “Geography and Jazz”. We will talk about places that uplift our spirits and imaginations. Please bring in photos, poems, and reminiscences about a place that has special meaning to you. It could be a certain woodland path, busy street corner, or any location you really connect to. We’ll tie it all together with contemplative jazz stylings offered by John.

It is hard to believe that we are half way through the summer. It goes fast.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time at Ferry Beach with Directors of Religious Education from all around the country.

We shared ideas and stories, discussed how growing a church can be hard. The consensus? The main way to grow: Invite people to church. That is the most effective way, at least when you talk to people in churches that have grown.

It was interesting to me how differently UUs do the same service. Like the water service. I explained how when we pour our water into the communal bowl we share what connected us to the water, people loved the idea. They also loved that we share stories about our bread. Many congregations seem to have a sermon about both water and bread and sharing isn’t part of it. People pour their water into a bowl and say where it’s from, and bread is shared at coffee hour- without any stories. How wonderful that our small congregation could offer so much to larger congregations.

As for what I learnt from others; invite friends to church. Do bring a friend to church Sunday- try doing it twice a year. Be playful, sing from the newer hymnals, do outreach and tell people, so others can become part of your projects. Do events that get people in the door and give them a chance to talk to people in the congregation- informally, like yard sales, holiday fairs, movies, coffee houses, etc. And of course, what we all know, be caring and respectful of each other.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Peace,

Thea Shapiro.

As I write this Plumb Line column, I am at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio, participating in the Peacelearning Peacebuilding Intensive of the National Peace Academy.  I’m just finishing up day two of the training, and already I feel so inspired.  I am more convinced than ever that the UUCiA can indeed become a catalyst for peace in the Merrimack Valley.

(more…)

Hope you are all enjoying your summer and making the most of the good but warm weather.  The Potlucks have been well attended so far and several more remain before the end of the season.  If you haven’t had a chance to attend, they are low key with lots of fun and very good food.  We also have several more summer services led by lay members of our congregation.  Check the website – www.uucia.org – and click on the calendar tab at the top of the page for details on both Potlucks and summer services.  And speaking of our website, David Grober has been refining and adding new stuff.  If you haven’t visited in a while, check it out some time when you have that urge to surf on the web.

A couple of improvements at Locke Street must be noted and they have happened because of the generosity of our Women’s Federation who annually make a gift of some sort to the congregation.  This year we have had several blessings from them and many thanks are in order.  First, the carpeting on the stage that we have all rolled our eyes about for several years, has been replaced and looks wonderful.  We have also added lighting at the back of the sanctuary that highlights our bulletin boards – oh, you didn’t know we had bulletin boards back there?  Last but hardly least, the Women’s Federation has funded the purchase of additional auxiliary hymnals which should broaden our Sunday morning musical choices.

Our first regular service will be on September 12Th with our Traditional Water Ceremony led by our minister, Rev. Lara Hoke.  I look forward to seeing all of you in the Fall and continuing the work and life of this wonderful community.

Bob Rougvie

President