First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church • 330 First Parish Rd, Scituate MA 02066
First Parish News Jan 2024
on January 4th, 2024
The New Year brings a little peace back to First Parish after the busy-ness of the Snowflake Fair, and the children's pageant and the holiday services. We move into a time of introspection now, guided by Rev Erin, in keeping with our ministerial search process. Continuing social justice work and parish activities can be explored in the newsletter.  Read More
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First Parish News Dec 2023
on December 1st, 2023
December at First Parish UU starts with the flurry of activity of the Snowflake Fair! Everyone's contributing their talent, time, and treasure to our annual fundraiser, which looks to be as polished and festive as ever — and as successful, we hope. Then the season of Advent ushers in a time of reflection. At this time, Rev. Erin is preparing the congregation for the work ahead in the new year. She says: : "The interim years are 'a time for looking back and for looking ahead, for uncovering who you have been and discovering who you want to become together.' An interim period is intentional time you have given yourselves so that you can do the best you can to ensure a solid foundation as you create your next chapter together." In the coming month, First Parish members will learn more of the specifics of what a two-year interim period is like, and what happens when. Sometime in January or February, there will be more small group conversations similar to the ones conducted last fall.  Read More
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First Parish News Nov 2023
on November 6th, 2023
Over the last weeks, we have discussed ways the testimonies, memories, and wishes collected during Rev. Erin's intro conversations could be used as a basis for our church's future understanding and growth. In November, we continue this work even as the busy-ness of the holidays approach, and as we engage with Erin's worship theme for the month, Gratitude: "What are you most grateful for right now, and why? What does 'having enough' mean to you? What practices help you to express gratitude; for others, for life, for the earth, for the Sacred?"   Read More
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First Parish News Oct 2023
on October 3rd, 2023
October finds First Parish setting its pace for the season ahead... We are creating connections between ourselves, and connections with our Interim Minister. We are making time for reflection on the questions posed by Rev Erin for this month about how we recognise and even cultivate reverence, awe, and humility. We are setting goals, rolling out our social justice initiatives, rallying help in meeting community needs, and fundraising so that we can continue to do all of the above (currently, with the help of Grandma's Can-Canners and a team of elves!).  Read More
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First Parish News Sept 2023
on September 6th, 2023
This September brings unsettled weather, and the potential for an unsettled beginning to our first church year in a decade without our settled minister... but another potential beginning is apparent, as you'll see in this month's newsletter— the First Parish community is well into planning many ways to renew our connections and recall ourselves into covenant, beginning with opportunities for small...  Read More
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First Parish News July/Aug 2023
on July 4th, 2023
Summers are quieter at First Parish, but there's still lots going on as we gather for relaxed lay-led services and plan ahead for fall activities. Our new Interim Minister, Rev. Erin Splaine, begins work August 1, committees continue their work, and we continue to gather as a community — the newsletter contains all the details! Click here to access the newsletter....  Read More
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First Parish News June 2023
on June 5th, 2023
June's newsletter details several upcoming celebrations (parades, lobster rolls, inspiring speakers, ice cream!), which include our Pride-month activities, celebrating our Religious Education youth, and of course bidding farewell to Pam's family and her remarkable 10-year ministry at First Parish.  Read More
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First Parish News May 2023
on May 7th, 2023
May's newsletter brings announcements of a flurry of end-of-year activities. The Spring Fair approaches; Religious Education celebrates the children; First Parish celebrates Pam Barz and begins a search for our interim minister... all in addition to the parish's ongoing social justice and community activities.   Read More
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First Parish News April 2023
on April 4th, 2023
April brings us another step closer to the end of the church year, the beginning of our annual fund drive, and the changes that lie ahead for First Parish, which Pam addresses in this April newsletter: "You are the church today, building on the work and worship of those who were the church before you. Through your worship and work you are preparing the church which will come to share good news with the world to come. Your stewardship of this church - your money, your time, your gifts and abilities - this is what allows this church to be here, sharing good news with the world. As you welcomed new members today who will change the church through their gifts and graces, so you’ll welcome a new minister who will be part of the church of the future."  Read More
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First Parish News October 2022
on October 4th, 2022
In this October newsletter, you'll find information on all the activities under way in this new church year: Sermons; music programming; how you can schedule a time with Pam Barz to 'minister to' your needs; Religious Education classes and extra programs like Coming of Age and Youth Group; social justice activities centered on getting out the vote, and on Indigenous People's rights; and many volunteer opportunities!  Read More
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First Parish News Sept 2022
on September 3rd, 2022
The end of summer brings us, as Rev Pam Barz puts it in the Sept newsletter, a sense of opportunity, and of coming home. With that in mind, the church year begins with a new goal set by the Council of Leaders from feedback from the congregation: “Our goal is to celebrate the rich spectrum of artistry within our congregation, cultivate a sacred space to explore and share these gifts, and create a radiant and vibrant community. Guided by all the elements of our Great Covenant, we can create beauty and transformative change.” Many ideas had come out of the urgent needs left by the Pandemic’s isolation. People wanted to revitalize the bonds of community and love within our core, to spread our welcome outward to new members, to dramatically improve and enable communication both within the church and out to the town and beyond, to increase transparency among the working bodies of the church, and to enhance the welcoming quality in the church’s spaces, both tangibly and intangibly. Religious Education classes are starting, as is the adult RE fall discussion series "Faith Like a River". All details are in the newsletter!  Read More
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First Parish News August 2022
on August 5th, 2022
In this August newsletter, Rev. Pam writes of reconnecting with each other as we head into a new church year and return to the sanctuary. She's been inspired by reading The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt and the novel Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson. During the summer, Pam met with members for spiritual check-ups, to talk about what we're dreaming about for our own lives and for the church. She says two themes came up often in those conversations - "gratitude for the work and presence of our church in the crazy, disorienting, disturbing times we live in, and desire for more connection with one another in exploring the “why’s” and the “what’s” but also just in having fun together." Going into the fall, our newly formed Council of Leaders is considering how to focus our energy in these areas, and the worship series for autumn is on the “Quest” — to live into these goals. Read details in the newsletter about registration for the adult and youth Religious Education programs, book discussions, voting rights action by the Social Justice team, and more.  Read More
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