First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton

Creationdance
2023-10-26 16:30 - 19:00, 2023-10-19 16:30 - 19:00, 2023-10-12 16:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Headstart Room

Choir Practice
2023-10-25 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-10-18 19:30 - 21:00, 2023-10-11 19:30 - 21:00 | FUUSN Parish Hall, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States

Tai Chi Class
2023-10-25 18:30 - 19:30, 2023-10-18 18:30 - 19:30, 2023-10-11 18:30 - 19:30 | Headstart Room
Come and participate in this traditional form known as “Six Harmonies, Eight Methods” and experience for yourself this extraordinary gift from China’s rich cultural heritage. Joe Lyons, Instructor.

Board of Trustees Meeting
2023-10-24 19:00 - 20:00

Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop
2023-10-24 16:00 - 18:00, 2023-10-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Online
Barbara Deck and Christopher Krebs want to invite you to consider joining the next Living the Pledge to End Racism workshop series this Fall. The current Living the Pledge workshop involves six two-hour virtual sessions spread over 6 weeks. It is customized as an intimate small-group experience for FUUSN folks and others who want to maximize their learning and personal transformation and take the next step in building a Beloved Community at FUUSN. We’re also making enhancements to the original workshop content and offering options for participants to continue to meet in small groups after the end of the six-week workshop.
Based on our personal experience and the overwhelmingly positive response of recent workshop participants, We believe this current version of the workshop provides significant value both for those who have never taken the Pledge to End Racism workshop and for previous graduates of the program.
The workshop is currently scheduled for Tuesdays from 4-6 pm starting on October 17th and running for six consecutive Tuesdays through the end of November (with a break on November 21st for Thanksgiving week). Dates subject to change depending on participants availability. This workshop is virtual only.
TO SIGN UP for the workshop, or if you have any questions, just email living-the-pledge-workshop@fuusn.org.
If you are interested in joining the workshop but cannot make those dates or times, reach out to Barbara and Christopher, and we may adjust the schedule to fit the needs of the majority of interested participants.

Ministerial Search Committee
2023-10-23 19:00 - 21:30 | Chapel

JourneySongs Hospice Choir Rehearsal
2023-10-22 15:00 - 17:00 | Chapel

Community Lunch - 175th Anniversary Celebration
2023-10-22 15:00, 2023-10-22 08:00 - 17:00 | FUUSN Parish Hall, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Join us for soup, salad, bread, and a cake to celebrate the 175th birthday of our congregation. Lunch will be $5/person, children under 12 are free. Volunteer to help with lunch. To pay in advance or at the lunch, text “FUUSN Meals” to 73256 to pay using your mobile device. Please consider paying the processing fee to help us better fund our community meals.

UU Chorus Concert - 175th Celebration
2023-10-22 14:00 - 18:00 | Sanctuary and Parish Hall
Singing. Fellowship. History. Community.
Under the direction of our intrepid Minister of Music, Anne Watson Born, members of UU congregations across New England will gather to perform for and with each other, in celebration of FUUSN’s 175th anniversary.
The event will include musical numbers by several Unitarian Universalist choirs and communal singing of hymns from the history of the congregation. The concert will conclude with the combined choir singing several glorious choral works from our UU tradition.
This free public concert starts at 3pm, followed by a reception. Invite your friends!

Climate Action Task Force Meeting
2023-10-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Chapel
Your Climate Action Task Force is meeting next Saturday, October 21st from 3-4pm in the Children’s Chapel at FUUSN to discuss priority campaign(s) for this congregational year. You are more than welcome to join us. But if the timing is not convenient, feel free to let me know what your interests would be. Here are some of the campaigns we are considering for prioritization (we wouldn’t prioritize all – just one or two):

1. UUMass Action Climate Team is prioritizing the passage of an Environmental Justice Siting Bill that would prevent new polluting infrastructure from being sited in communities that already have a heavy load of pollution. This campaign would align us with fellow UUs across the state, and is consistent with our commitment to the 8th Principle to actively work to eliminate institutional racism.

2. 350Mass has a priority campaign to pass legislation to make Polluters Pay, to get the top fossil fuel companies to pay into a fund to help remediate the effects of climate change that are already happening.

3. There is an existing campaign to Stop the Expansion of the Hanscom Air Base which would lead to increased private jet traffic, which is the largest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions from air flights

4. Another 350Mass priority that is also being prioritized by the Newton node of 350 is to Reform the Mass Save Program, which currently doesn’t effectively help homeowners to electrify and switch off of fossil fuels

4. Many Newton residents are involved in a campaign to Stop Gas Infrastructure Expansion, by asking Gov. Healy to stop further expansion of “natural” gas infrastructure in Massachusetts, and by reducing gas (methane) leaks in our local and statewide communities through the relining of gas pipes instead of wholesale replacement of the infrastructure.

5. In the near term, working to pass zoning reform in Newton would allow denser housing in our village centers and closer to public transportation.

6. There are other campaigns, including Stop the Money Pipeline, which targets the big banks that underwrite fossil fuel expansion, and reforming the electric grid operator called ISO-New England. If you have a campaign you’d like us to consider, please feel free to pass it along.

Also, if you would like our task force to provide educational zoom or in person meetings on a particular topic, let us know. Sometimes we can direct you to Green Newton, 350Mass or Mothers Out Front or another climate group for good info. But we can also try to bring good info here to FUUSN.

FUUSN Cooks
2023-10-21 14:00 - 22:00 | Kitchen

Private Event
2023-10-21 11:00 - 13:00 | Alliance Room, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States

Zoom Vespers 2023-2024
2023-10-20 18:00 - 18:30, 2023-10-06 18:00 - 18:30 | Online
Come to Vespers for music, readings and conversation. The service runs from 6 to 6:30 pm. Pre-service music begins around 5:47 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95067560228
Meeting ID: 950 6756 0228

Operations Council Meeting
2023-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Chapel

UU Plant-Based Eating Club Potlucks
2023-10-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Location TBA, MA, United States
Requirements: attendees must be vaccinated and boosted for COVID.

All Potlucks:

Plan to bring a plant-based, whole foods dish to share (no animal products/ingredients including eggs, cheese, dairy). Especially welcome dishes prepared without salt, oil, and sugar.
Bring list of ingredients and/or recipe.
Join our Club’s e-mail list at uu-plant-based-contact-us@googlegroups.com to sign up for an event. After sign-up, registrants will receive info about locations, menu themes, potluck contact info, and other topics.

Small Groups: 2023/Sept 17, Oct 15, Dec 17 2024/Jan 21, Feb 25, March 17, May 19, June 23

Small group gatherings in homes, typically from 7 to 10 people.

Large Groups: 2023/Nov 19 2024/April 21, July 13 picnic (July 14 rain date)

Typically 30 to 40 participants
Venues include FUUSN, First Parish of Waltham, and members’ home for picnic

Listening Circles
2023-10-15 11:30 - 12:30 | Alliance Room and Chapel

Alliance Room Reserved
2023-10-15 11:00 - 13:30 | Alliance Room, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States

Ministerial Search Listening Circles
2023-10-08 11:30 - 13:30 | Alliance Room, Childrens’ Chapel, and Ministers’ Parlor
Your Ministerial Search Committee is working hard to attract the right minister to FUUSN. As part of that search process, they need to learn what you want in a minister and what unwritten rules in our congregational culture a minister might have to contend with.
We are facilitating Listening Circles in October to gather information, and we need to hear from you! It’s a competitive market for settled ministers. Participation rates in our Listening Circles are one of the many things the ministers FUUSN is trying to attract will be studying.
Please sign up for one of the circles noted below by emailing Barbara Bates at B.L.Bates@rcn.com with your choice.
Participation will be limited to 10 people per circle so sign up soon.
Childcare will be provided – please let us know if you need it.

Alternative Coffee Hour
2023-10-08 11:30 - 12:15 | FUUSN Parish Hall, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
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Please join us after services for an Alternative Coffee Hour where we will discuss sermon topics and whatever else comes up in small groups of up to nine participants. We will have Alternative Coffee Hours on October 8th, November 5th, and December 10th.

Sunday Service
2023-10-08 10:15 - 11:30 | Sanctuary
Rev. Phyllis O’Connell Preaching

Spirit Circle: Hispanic Heritage Focus
2023-10-08 10:15 - 11:30
