Join Us for Worship This Sunday!

December 14th at 10 a.m.

Rev. Janet Bush & UU Service Committee, Guest Worship Leaders

Mary Beth McNulty, Worship Associate

"Hope and Resistance in Other Lands and Mine"

The UU Service Committee represents UU values through its work with partners in the U.S. and in many countries around the world, offering logistical and technical support, opportunities for connection with organizations with similar missions, and direct grants. We hope you'll find inspiration in some of their stories.

The Reverend Janet Bush was minister of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence in Northampton, MA for 15 years. She and her husband Booker both retired in 2024 and are now enjoying spending more time with their children and grandchildren. Janet is a member of the UUSC Board and looks forward to sharing some of what she has learned with you.

Join us for worship in person in the Sanctuary, or online. The livestream link and order of service will be shared at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship, or visit our YouTube channel.

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

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Most children & youth are invited to join us for a walking field trip to bring some cheer to our neighbors at Cathedral Square Assisted Living. We'll begin the morning together in the Sanctuary and head out around 10:15.  

4th/5th grade OWL will begin at 10am sharp in the SBA, so participants should be dropped off before service begins. Childcare for infants and toddlers will be available in the Nursery throughout the service.

Looking Back to Sunday

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Here is a link to the video recording of last week's service.

A plaque in the narthex

From Bazaar Planning Team--

Thank You to Volunteers

Bazaar Planning Team

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the 90th Holiday Bazaar and Luncheon a success. We couldn’t have done it without the set up crew, the bakers, the soup and sandwich makers, the wreath decorators, the clean up crew, and all the helping hands at the Bazaar itself. We had more volunteers this year than ever in the past. The old idiom is true… “Many hands make light work”.

 We especially want to thank our Facilities Manager, Devin Fallon, for his help with the Set Up and Peter Fisk and Darrell Fields for their extraordinary contribution in getting the remnants of the Bazaar out of the Community Room. 

Gifts of Stock

Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance

Giving stock to pay your pledge is a great thing. FUUSB is happy to accept gifts of stock. However, if you do not contact Christina at xina@uusociety.org first, your gift cannot be credited to your pledge. When our broker receives the stock, it does not come with anyone's name attached to it, we don't know who it is from.  

We have recently received several gifts of stock that do not have a name attached. If you have gifted stock to FUUSB in the past month, please contact Christina right away at xina@uusociety.org. You can just send an email with the following information: You Name, the Date you gave the stock, Name of the Stock, and How Many Shares. This will be enough for me to track it down and credit it to your pledge.

Thank you!!!

Come to the Open-Mic Coffeehouse

& Dessert Potluck!

Friday, December 12

Coffeehouse Team

Potluck dessert and open-mic sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m.

Open mic 7-9 p.m.

This month, we’ll gather on the second Friday, instead of the first. Same good vibes, people, and sound, though. Join us in The Parlors, for another intimate listening-room experience. Share your songs or spoken word pieces. Original works and creative covers always welcome. Or, just come to enjoy the music, poetry, and fellowship. Amplification and mics provided.

If you’re able, bring a dessert dish to share. Coffee, tea, and refreshments will be provided. All ages and talents are welcome, especially newcomers! Invite friends and family. With the cold weather, upper respiratory infections are more prevalent--Face masks are welcomed, but not required.

LGBTQIA+ Planning Luncheon

Gail Beck, Member

The First UU is a sanctuary of radical welcome and we want to deepen that connection by forming a new LGBTQIA+ Circle Group.

Think of it as a chance to relax, share, and build genuine community.

Come to our fabulous organizational luncheon on December 14th after services. It will be held in the parlors from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. We will discuss what kind of group we want to be [chalice circle, affinity group, ministry team, etc.] and when we'd like to regularly meet.

Please join us! To stay in touch with us as we create our group, activate your Realm account and choose to join the LGBTQIA+ Chalice Circle Group because we will be communicating further information by email to members of that list.

FUUSB Christmas Eve Candlelight Services

Wednesday, December 24 at 4, 6, & 8 p.m.

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

• 4 p.m. – No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant- All are welcome to this family-centered service in the Sanctuary, featuring a No-Rehearsal Nativity Pageant and candle lighting.

• 6pm & 8pm - Choosing Hope: Carols & Lessons with our congregational choir, organist, pianist, and music & stories to make the heart sing, even in the dark of the winter season, even in the midst of chaos in the world. We will light the candles as we sing Silent Night in the dark, then throw open the doors and make bright the light as we sing Joy to the World.

The 6pm service is livestreamed on the First UU’s YouTube channel, so you can attend from anywhere in the world (including your couch at home)!

Pageant Roles: Sign up to help make the Christmas Eve magic happen! 

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development



Our no-rehearsal pageant on December 24th at 4pm needs roles for both on stage and behind the scenes. Click here to sign up! 

It's that time of year!

Socially Responsible Santa is Here!

Ellen Wollensack, Member

Coordinated for many years by FUUSB member Maggi Hayes, this

annual program began in 1986 as a project of the Social

Responsibility Committee. Working with many community

organizations over the years, we have increased the number of families served. While many recipients have purchased traditional gifts, others have used the money for past-due bills, assistive devices, and security deposits on apartments, allowing them to moveout of a shelter. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of the congregation.

Volunteer elves get referrals from congregation members and friends, community organizations and schools. They deliver cash gifts to families or individuals in need. We believe that by giving a cash gift we are empowering people to decide for themselves

what kinds of Christmas gifts they wish to give and receive. This is in keeping with the first principle of Unitarian Universalism: the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  

We hope to make our gifts to recipients by 12/16, so please consider donating soon!

(However, donations will continue to be accepted after this time as well.)

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at eewollensack@gmail.com.

Donations to Socially Responsible Santa can be made by clicking on the button below.

Memorial wreaths available for sponsor

Sarah Forbes, Member 

2025 FUUSB Fundraiser- Memorial Wreaths

Thank you to all who ordered a wreath for your home or a memorial wreath or greens in memory of a friend or loved one.

We have 10 memorial wreaths left for sponsoring. Please consider ordering a memorial wreath to honor someone important to you and in doing so support our society.

Order now online through our Fundraiser link: Auctria.events/FUUSBWreaths

Questions? Contact Sarah Forbes 578-6119, sarahforbesdesign@comcast.net

Upcoming Game Night

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Friday, January 2, 5-8 p.m.

Community Room

Mark your calendars -- our multigenerational Game Night is back! All ages are invited to play, eat, and be together. We'll have lots of games at the ready, but feel free to bring the one you want to play. In the past we've done jigsaw puzzles, Dominoes, Ticket to Ride, Rumikub, Azul, group card games, Pictionary, and more. There are generally several things happening at once. It's okay to come with a group of friends and the intention to play a particular game. Make it what you want!

We'll have a "no-stress" potluck; you can wow us with your culinary skills or pick up a loaf of bread and a tub of hummus from the market. The point is to have fun together and not go hungry. 

Come for a little bit or stay the whole time. Come ready to make new friends and reconnect with the old!

Attn: Burlington Telecom Email Users

Töve Johnson, Administrative Assistant

Did you know that Burlington Telecom will be retiring its customer's email service starting this December 31st?

This means if you use Burlington Telecom as your email provider (your email is @burlingtontelecom.com, it will no longer be active in the new year. More information from Burlington Telecom about the change can be found here including information on how to set up a new email with a different provider.

If you are a Burlington Telecom user with a new email address, please email tove@uusociety.org so she can keep your records up-to-date. We don't want you to miss out on Realm or any other FUUSB communications (including this nifty newsletter!).

Inclement Weather 

Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance

It's Vermont in the wintertime and that means it's time for snow, ice, slush, power failures, and so much more! If this lovely winter weather becomes extreme, the Society may choose to cancel Sunday Worship and other Sunday events, close the offices, or cancel meetings and events on other nights of the week. 

If we decide to cancel, we will put a notice on our Website, on our Facebook Page, in our Facebook Group, on Community Messenger on Realm and we will send out an email to the Enews mailing list. So in case of bad weather, these are the places to look for updates. 

If you have a meeting or event scheduled on another day of the week and need to cancel, do your best to send a notice to those who are expected to attend and contact a staff member so that we can put a notice on the door and cancel any Caretaker staff that are scheduled to work.  You can find the full Inclement Weather Protocol on our website. Remember to stay safe; don't travel on dangerous roads.