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The following First Parish News items are listed starting from the most recently posted.
Table of Plenty, Inc. is working together with the greater community to provide weekly meals here a First Parish in Chelmsford to those in need, every Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. If you or someone you know might benefit from a wonderful meal and great conversation all are welcome no questions asked. If you would like more information, would like to make a donation, or volunteer please contact: Table of Plenty In Chelmsford, Inc. 18 St. Andrews Way N. Chelmsford, MA 01863, www.tableofplentyinchelmsford.org, tableofplentyinchelmsford@gmail.com, 978-710-8EAT (8328).
First Parish will have a team participating in the monthly rotation. Our next rotation will be August 3rd, please let me know if you are interested in volunteering. Thank you, Bonnie Rankin [posted 7/2/10]
From the New (Old) Collector (Glenn King) - Thank you all for electing me again as collector; it is an honor to serve. While in the past, the transition from one collector to another has been rather smooth, this time there are some unknowns which will affect what is the fine standard of collectorial service at First Parish. The past three collectors, Bill Drury, me and Dave Kaffine have used ever evolving home-grown technology to record and report on pledges and donations. However, privately developed systems of data management ultimately become unsustainable. So you, through the Standing and IT Committees have kindly agreed to procure professionally developed and supported church management software to help not only manage the collector’s job, but also help manage other aspects of congregational life. As we grow, such a tool can be invaluable in providing support to committees and staff.
There are a few words of caution though. The software is not yet "in house", so there will be a period of adjustment and learning as I become accustomed to the application’s interface and features. So if, of a pleasant summer’s evening, you receive sixteen e-mails from the collector, all saying the same thing, followed by an abject apology, you will know that I am just learning the ropes of this new tool.
Rest assured that in configuring this application, my number one priority will be maintaining the confidentiality of your information. But as a secondary priority, as congregational data gets entered, and as I become familiar with the software, I hope interested staff and committees will inquire about ways they might use this tool to enhance their service to First Parish and the broader community. In Peace, Glenn King, Collector Elect [posted 7/2/10]
Reminder/note from your Collector (soon to be Treasurer) Dave Kaffine: The church fiscal year runs through the end of June. Contributions towards your 2009-2010 pledge can be made up until about a week prior to that (basically until the last service of the church year). Of course, now that pledges for 2010-2011 have started coming in, you can also make contributions for the next fiscal year, too. But, in order to keep things straight, it would help me a great deal if you could mark any checks or envelopes with either "2009-2010" or "2010-2011" if there might be any doubt. Normally, anything not marked will be considered to apply to the current fiscal year.
Finally, since we continue to grow, and some people may not be aware of this: you can get an automatic email notification with an updated account statement for your records every time you make a donation? Just let me know that you'd like this by sending email to dave@kaffine.com. You can also request an update any time you'd like by email or phone (978-667-3690).
Thank you! --- Dave Kaffine [posted 7/2/10]
The church office will be open during the summer. Both the office phone and email will be checked daily, M-F. I am only working 10 hours/week (until the last week of August), and I tend to try to make it as early as I can before the heat gets impossible (6:30am-9ish). If you need me to be in the building at a different time of day, or especially if you are counting on me being there at a specific time, please call or email (978 256 5133/office@uuchelmsford.org) and ask first –I can rearrange hours with very few exceptions. The only week I will not be available at all is August 14-21. I will make sure Leila gets a refresher course on church email access in case of emergencies. For simple building access/keys, requests, please remember, that’s Leila’s job, not mine (978 256 6923/Pelosi@comcast.net) - CindyG [posted 7/2/10]
The Caring Connection Committee will be available during the summer months for short term emergency help if needed. Please contact any committee member, Leila Pelosi or the church office (978-256-5133). Thank you. --- Akiko Sano and Jan Cook [posted 7/2/10]
July 4th Breakfast - Its red, white, and blue time, please sign up to help with the July 4th breakfast. There are positions still available from set-up on the 3rd to dining room help on the 4th and many things in between. If you would like to sign up or have any questions please see Caroline or Rosemary McMullin. Thanks!! [posted 7/2/10]
Women’s Discussion Group - The July meeting of the Women’s Discussion Group will be at the home of Sue Sheedy. It will be held on Tuesday, July 6, at 6 pm and will be our annual pot luck supper. Bring a dish to share and your swim suit if the weather cooperates! The topic will be "What is meek?" Call Sue to RSVP or for more information. [posted 7/2/10]
Indigo Girls!: The Welcoming Congregation Committee invites you to join us at the Indigo Girls concert on Friday, July 30, at Boarding House Park in Lowell. Show starts 7:30 PM. We will stake out a spot for First Parish in the "blankets only" area, right in front of the stage. Many folks come early and bring picnics. Here's how it will work:
* Let us know you are interested, so you can receive updates as the date approaches. Contact Warren Flewellen .
* Buy your tickets. Kids 12 and under get in FREE. Purchase them in advance for $26 at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market St.) or at Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John St.), or for $28 online at http://lowellsummermusic.org.
* Once you have tickets, let us know you are coming and how many people will be in your party, by contacting Warren Flewellen.
* Early on the day of the concert, someone who works in Lowell will spread blankets down front to reserve our spot.
* Meet at the concert! [posted 7/2/10]
On May 30, 2010, Community Table served 66 people at the Lowell YMCA. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers: Shopper: Edith Murphy; Cooks: Paul Windt, Ellen Spero, Liz Peterson, Walter Cole, Dave and Christopher Kaffine, Karen LaForge ; Servers: Phyllis and Glenn King (thanks for doing the Bakery run!), Jo-Anne Ruiter, John Rowse, Stone and Mary Cleven, Rebecca Gore, Mickey O’Connor (thank you for bringing the clothes!), Bonnie Rankin and Chris and Bill Newhard.
I would like to give a special thank you to Bonnie and her Faith in Action class for the "to go care bags" for our clients. They really appreciated them very much.
We are off until the Fall. I will let you know future serving dates as soon as I get them. A heart felt thanks to all our caring volunteers! Your dedication to help feed the needy is very much appreciated! Regards, Linda S. Newhard [posted 6/12/10]
Exciting Bell Choir News - The Bell Choir, with the support of the Standing Committee, is in the process of acquiring a third octave (12 more bells). This means a dramatic increase in musical repertoire and the addition of more ringers. Donations have already covered about half the cost and we expect to raise the remainder through the following:
The cost to dedicate and inscribe a bell is $300.00. Please contact Bill Loehfelm, Chair of the Music Committee, for more information or to reserve your bell. This is a rare opportunity for you to perpetuate your affiliation with First Parish. [updated 6/12/10]
Grounds Committee: We like your appreciation of how the Church Grounds look. Please help us to continue to maintain the quality of the grounds. We Need You, Your Help, Now!, in these Categories: Edging, Lawn mowing, Planting new plants, Dividing and transplanting our matured plants, Pruning bushes and Weeding. View the details at the Grounds Committee Table during Social Hour. Sign Up Today! [posted 6/12/10]
Widening Our Worship Study Team: Worship is the foundational act of our community, and the starting place for living out our First Parish covenant, particularly "honoring and celebrating the Spirit of Life" and "nurturing all souls in our search for truth and the sacred." In light of this and that we are growing as a congregation in both body and spirit, the Standing Committee has supported the development of a Widening Our Worship Study Team. We will research and present to you the ways in which a second Sunday morning worship service or other worship possibilities, may help us widen our worship and live out our covenant by welcoming all souls, both physically and spiritually. We have begun our research by visiting other churches. We are looking at congregations with multiple services to learn how they handle worship, religious education, and music. In looking to other churches, we hope to come up with different ideas to create a model of how we can widen our worship here at First Parish.
In the fall, we will do a congregational survey to get your input. We will also hold cottage meetings to continue and deepen the conversation. Based on the data and feedback we gather, we hope to put together a model for worship suited to our congregation and to hold open forums in the spring of 2011 to present it to you and receive feedback. We then hope in June 2011 to put the decision of if and how to widen our worship and how to move forward for a congregational vote at the annual meeting. It is the intent of the Widening Our Worship Team to live out our covenant both in this process, as well as look to future possibilities to do so through the model we create with congregational input. Thank you, The Widening Our Worship Study Team: Carla Corey, Deirdre Heck, Joanna Paulsen, Bonnie Rankin, Rev. Ellen Rowse Spero, and Franklin Wolf [posted 6/12/10]
Welcome Back Pot Luck Dinner - There will be a pot luck dinner in the vestry on Friday, Sept. 17th from 6-8pm. Come and share your favorite foods and your favorite summertime stories. We look forward to seeing everyone back at church. Beverages will be provided. Please speak with Kathy Deschenes or Richard Surko if you have any questions. [posted 6/12/10]
Summer Services - Summer Services in the Chapel begin on June 27th and continue for 11 weeks, with the last service on September 5th. These lay-led services start at 9:00 am. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the vestry. If you would like to lead a summer, service please select your Sunday and sign your name next to the date. If you have questions about what is involved in leading a service, please contact Lynne Cole. Thank you.
Musicians for Summer Services – If you are a musician and are interested in performing in a service this summer, please contact Lynne Cole and you can be included as a musician available to folks who are leading the worship services this summer. Thank-you! [posted 5/28/10]
Summer Adult Religious Education Opportunity: "Spirit of Life"- A nine session exploration of Unitarian Universalist spirituality, Wednesdays from 7 to 9 pm, beginning June 30th in the chapel. Facilitators: Rev. Ellen Spero and Lynne Cole (Because of summer schedules, we do not expect everyone at every session. We do ask you to be able to attend a minimum of 6)
Course Description: Spirit of Life workshops by the Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway (author of the Evensong courses) offer participants space, time, and community to explore their Unitarian Universalist spirituality. Each focuses on a different aspect of the spiritual life, framed by the lyrics of Carolyn McDade’s song "Spirit of Life." Like the song, the workshops are designed to be welcoming to Unitarian Universalists of many spiritual and theological persuasions. Participants are invited to claim an inclusive definition of spirituality and recognize the spiritual aspects of their lives. Reflecting, speaking, and listening are core activities in each workshop. To sign up, please contact Rev. Ellen at minister@uuchelmsford.org or 978 256-5555. [posted 5/28/10]
fUUn Yahoo Group - With the more structured fUUn events going well, we believe that we are ready to expand our efforts to more spontaneous events. Specifically, we are trying to establish a mechanism where *any* FP UU can connect with other FP UUs (who are also interested) and plan a spontaneous fUUn event. To that end, we have created a new email list which any FP UU member/friend may join: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/fuunWithFriendsChelmsford
This list is intended only for fUUn with FRIENDS announcements, which can be initiated by anyone on the list. It is *not* a discussion list. Those without email access can call me to be added to the list's phone book, which is to be called by those announcing an event. Want to find folks with whom to go see the fireworks? Send it to the list. Thinking about catching a cool show at the JavaRoom? Send it to the list. Trying to gather a group for a South Bridge Boat House River Cruise? Send it to the list. Trying to find someone to go with to the next Arts Alive program? Send it to the list.
We will of course continue to announce all of the more structured fUUn events through the standard FP UU mechanisms, but wanted to create a list specifically for these more spontaneous events as well. Have fUUn! ---John Fisher [posted 7/2/09]
Wearing Your Nametag is Welcoming! With so many new faces around church, it’s getting hard to remember everyone’s names. Nametags reduce SHA (Social Hour Anxiety) for visitors, newcomers, friends and members alike. If you don’t have a nametag yet or have lost yours, please add your name to the list on the clipboard that sits on the Narthex table, just to the right of the main doors into the Sanctuary. If you find you have left your nametag in your car or at home, fill out a temporary nametag for that morning. This small act of wearing our nametags will be appreciated by many. [posted 2/16/07]
Burial Plots Available In Lowell - Among the assets that First Parish acquired from the dissolution of Grace Universalist Church is a 3000 square foot cemetery lot in Lowell Cemetery. This lot with space for 100 graves is for the use of First Grace members at the time of dissolution and for members of First Parish. At present, 30 graves are filled, and there are 27 members on the First Grace list. That leaves over 40 graves that are unreserved. First Parish members should be aware that these graves are available when making interment plans and, if interested, should so advise their families and the Standing Committee. [posted 12/5/03]