Guest musician will be Yukiko Sekino.

Click here to hear last week’s sermon by Joe Foster, “Reconciling Our Division Between Liberal and Conservative Values.”

On the morning of Thursday, September 7, a bunch of hearty folks, hopefully including you, are going to meet at First Parish to clean up and spruce up the grounds. Please save the date. More details will be provided as the date approaches. Thanks! Now go back to enjoying your summer.

~Dave Pollack, Buildings & Ground Committee

The September issue of the Focalpoint will be full of information about the return to committee meetings, Sunday services, programs, and events at First Parish. If you chair a committee or program at the church and want to advertise your fall schedule in the September issue, please send the information to Jane Foley by Friday, August 25th.

As we approach the beginning of the church year, it’s not too early to start planning for this year’s Plate Donation Program. This special collection happens once a month, when money collected during the offertory are donated to local organizations to help support and sustain their programs. We are looking for suggestions from the congregation for recipients of the 2017-2018 Plate Donation program. Are there organizations you deeply care about or are involved with that you would like to see supported by us? We have only one commitment to donating in November to Black Lives UU. Some we are considering for the coming year are MLK Day, The Children’s Room, C4RJ (restorative justice), LexRap, Music Makes Me Happy, and Woburn Council for Social Concern. Please think about the wider community and how we can educate ourselves about it’s needs and awaken others to it’s needs. You can email your suggestions to Carolyn Fleiss, coordinator.

Water Communion during Ingathering Service

Wherever you are in your life, please bring some water to share, whether from a lake, ocean, or home faucet, for the special Ingathering water communion on Sunday, September 10 at 10:30am. There will be a scavenger hunt during social hour! Discover all the new things at church from a summer of work.

Picnic Potluck

After the service on Sunday, September 24th, there will be a picnic potluck on the First Parish field (inside if weather doesn’t cooperate). All are welcome to this fun gathering as we begin our church year together! If your last name begins with A through I, please bring a salad or appetizer to share. If your last name begins with J through R, please bring a main dish. If your last name begins with S through Z, please bring a dessert.

Fall Potluck Dinners

Enjoy a good meal? Looking to get acquainted with others in the church, both newcomers and long-time members? Spend an evening with First Parishioners at our popular potluck dinners!

Dinners will begin in October, following signups in September. To sign up, visit the piano during social hour, choose which evenings are possible for you, and indicate whether or not you could host a dinner. After signups are complete, groups of 8-10 people will be formed and begin gathering in October in a group memberʹs home on a weekday or weekend evening once a month for four months. The same people remain in the same group for each dinner. There are also options for family potluck dinners where children have their own dinner together, separate from the adults.

Sign up during coffee hour throughout September. Questions about fall potluck dinners? Please contact Linda Coyne at lindatcoyne2@gmail.com.

Summer office hours have come to an end. 

However, I’m looking forward to jumping back in and getting ready for another lively and productive church year.

Beginning next week, the office hours will be as follows:

Monday through Thursday, 8:30am – 4:00pm

Friday remotely 8:30am – 4:00pm via email at admin@fplex.org and voicemail at 781-862-8200 x1.

Bob Coughlin will be in the building on Fridays if you need something from the church. Please contact me if you have questions or need anything!

Cheers,

Jane

Click this button to benefit First Parish when you shop at Amazon.