Join Us for Worship This Sunday!

October 11 at 10 am

Welcoming Congregation Renewal Team

Betsy Ferries, Worship Associate

Coming Out Is Not A Straight Line: The Winding Path to Authenticity

Coming out is a pivotal experience in the lives of LGBTQIA2S+* people. We don’t do it just once, but over and over again throughout our lives, and each experience is different. It can be life affirming and transformational and it can be painful and heartbreaking. Come join us and hear stories of courage and vulnerability from members of the congregation about how their coming out experiences unfold. * Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic, Two-Spirit, plus too many rich identities to possibly name them all

This service is the work of the Welcoming Congregation Renewal Project team, a project of the Radical Welcoming Team. The service is part of our ongoing work to deepen our welcome of LGBTQIA2S+ people and, in the process, renew our Society’s official Welcoming Congregation status.

Join us for worship in person or online. The livestream link will be shared at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship.

Following the service, all are welcome to Coffee Hour in the Community Room.

While at the Meeting House, anyone is welcome to wear a mask. In the spirit of caring for each other, please stay home if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Thank you.

Children & Youth this Sunday

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

Families will begin the morning together in the Sanctuary. This is a special week, as all exploration groups (K-12th) will engage in a collaborative ephemeral nature art project- inspired by artist Andrew Goldsworthy (see some examples here)!

After the Time for All Ages, children & youth will be escorted to the Community Room on the lower level before heading outside. It should be a beautiful but chilly fall day, so please come prepared for the weather.

The nursery will be open throughout the service, providing care for infants & toddlers.

Looking Back to Sunday

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Here is a link to "You Were Made For This" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, used as our Call to Worship this past Sunday.

Here is the link to Rev. Karen's poem, "Our Bodies, A Shrine" published in the UU World. 

You can view a recording of last Sunday's service here.

And here's a photo of some of the ideas that arose during our moral imagination practice when asked "When we shut down ICE at the White Cap Industrial Park in Williston, what should take its place to help our community flourish?"

Lastly, a photo of Rev. Karen, shortly before she was arrested on Sept 4th, wearing her stole that many FUUSBers signed before she went to Minneapolis with the congregation's support and love. When she wears it, she feels held up by a cloud of witnesses.

Looking Back to Sunday: Children & Youth

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant



Last Sunday at our Fall Family Lunch, children & youth had a blast in the Memorial Garden playing games together, painting faces, canvases & pumpkins!

Spiritual Resilience - the October Phase

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

At the end of October, in preparation for our November 8th Special Congregational Meeting, we are holding facilitated small groups to discuss what speaks to our hearts and values about the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge and our Society voting on it. Please watch this 7-minute message from Rev. Karen that explains what these groups are for and what they aren't about.

If you would like to participate, there are two options - an in-person opportunity after the service on Sunday, Oct 25th (lunch provided) until 2:30 - and an online opportunity on Tuesday, Oct 27th, 6 - 8pm.

At the end of each of these facilitated small groups, a representative of the Board will present information about the logistics of the Special Congregational Meeting and the vote.

IN-PERSON

You can register for the in-person October 25th facilitated small groups using this form. Please plan to stay until 2:30. Lunch will be provided at 11:30 - 12:10 and small groups will gather in the sanctuary at 12:15. Registration closes either when all the slots are filled or Friday, 10/23 at 8pm.

ONLINE

You can register for the online October 27th facilitated small groups, 6 - 8pm, using this form, which will close at 10am on 10/27.

You do not have to be a formal Member of the Society to participate in these conversations, but you do need to be an active congregant. To vote on November 8th, you can attend, but only Members may cast a vote.

Staff Update

Devin Fallon, Facilities Manager

We are happy to announce that we have a new custodian, Chaz Royer. Chaz joined us in September and has quickly become an integral member of the facilities team. If you see him performing his duties around the meeting house don't hesitate to say, "Hi!"

Update on repairs to sanctuary windows, special thanks to Bob Fuerrer

Dear Members and Friends,

As you may have noticed, 14 of our Sanctuary windows have received a much needed TLC this summer. This project was made possible through the generosity of a Historic Preservation Grant matching grant awarded to us by the State of Vermont. We all owe Caretaker and Project Manager Bob Furrer a very big thank you for securing the $20,000 matching grant which was essential in funding the recent repairs made to the sanctuary windows.

The project was awarded to Adam Grimes Window Restoration to inspect, repair, repaint, reglaze, and install historically-correct weather stripping to 14 of our windows. Broken panes and sash balances were replaced, damaged muntons were repaired, sashes were stripped and painted, and a bronze weather stripping was installed to the side of the jambs and bottom of the sashes. Adam Grimes provided all materials needed to complete the project. The total project cost was $40,689.20.

On behalf of the Property Team and the greater community, I’d like to thank Bob for taking on the responsibility of the entire project. Not only did Bob write a competitive grant application, he also engaged contractors, oversaw the work of Adam Grimes, and coordinated with the state of Vermont throughout the grant process. Bob, your hard work is essential in maintaining a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment at the FUUSB.

Devin Fallon, Facilities Manager

CORRECTION: Memorial Service Date

for Don "Mac" MacDonald

Last week the eNews incorrectly printed the date for Don "Mac" MacDonald's memorial service.

His memorial service is being held on Sunday, October 11th at 3pm at Centennial Field on the outfield grass.

Upcoming Palestine Solidarity Team Events

Palestine Solidarity Team

Save the Dates!

The following activities are part of our education and advocacy for endorsing the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. We hope you can attend one or more.  For more information, email us at: PalestineSolidarity@uusociety.org or Check Realm for more details. 

• October 13 (Tues), 3-4 pm: Palestinian Solidarity Team meeting in person, likely hybrid, at FUUSB 
• October 25 (Sun): Rev. Sarah Lammert will facilitate small groups 
• October 25 (Sun), 7-8 pm, online, Q&A event on the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge 
• October 28 (Wed), 7-8:30 pm An Evening with Mousa Ishaq, a Palestinian Vermonter, at FUUSB. He will share slides from Palestine. 
• Nov. 1st (Sun), 11:30 am -12:30 pm, in-person. Q&A event on the AFC Pledge
• Nov. 4th (Wed), 7-8:30 pm**  Book Discussion: Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd at FUUSB … a New York Times Best Seller. Winner of the 2025 Palestine Book Award. Copies of this book will be made available at deep discount.  
• Nov. 6 (Fri), 12:15 - 1:30 pm, in person at FUUSB, Q&A event on the AFC Pledge 
• Nov 8th (Sun), 11:30 am, Members: please come in person to vote YES to endorse the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge (in the Sanctuary) 

**Please note: this is a correction from the last news which previously stated 5pm**

Upcoming Nov 8th Member Vote on the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge 

The Palestinian Solidarity Team asks Society members to mark your calendars for the special meeting on November 8 to vote on whether we will endorse the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge. The pledge states:  

 ** We affirm our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people.

  ** We oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression..

  ** We declare ourselves an apartheid-free community, and to that end,

  ** We pledge to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.

In preparation, we offer this link to a video about how and why other UU congregations chose to to become "Apartheid-Free Communities."

To help you to discern for yourself, please join one of our upcoming Question and Answer sessions about the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge (AFC). We will review the UUA's 2024 Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) “Solidarity with Palestinians” and do a pair-share activity. All questions and answers are welcome. View our Q&A doc. Sessions will be: 10/25, 7-8 pm, online; 11/1, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, at FUUSB; 11/6, 12:15-1:30 pm, at FUUSB.  Also, Pali Answers is a great place to ask your questions. Show your support at https://bit.ly/UUValues. 

Game Night is Back this October!

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 23rd (5:30-8pm): Our Multigenerational Game Night is back for the first time this fall!

We’ll have lots of games at the ready, but feel free to bring one that you want to play. In the past we've done jigsaw puzzles, Apples to Apples, Hues & Cues, Rumikub, Azul, group card games, Pictionary, and more. Generally, there are several things happening at once and that’s part of the fun! Come with a group of friends and the intention to play a particular game, or just see what’s going. Bring your kids and play together, or let them join childcare staff while you try a game with an older crowd. Make it what you want!

We'll have a "no-stress" potluck, so you can wow us with your culinary skills or pick up a loaf of bread and a tub of hummus from the store. The point is to have fun together and not go hungry! All are welcome to join for a little bit or stay the whole time, just come ready to make new friends and reconnect with the old!

Faith Development Registration

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

A reminder for families with children & youth: Please register for the 2026-27 program year at this link!

Whether your family has been participating in FD programming for years or you've just started, registration helps us keep important information up to date for all children & youth (ages 0-18). The more we know about who we're serving, the better we can support your children & youth as we plan for the year!