Join Us for Worship This Sunday!

June 14 at 10am

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Mark Power-Freeman, 
Worship Associate

Flower Festival in Light of Juneteenth

Each year, we celebrate Flower Festival (sometimes called Flower Communion or Flower Ceremony), a distinctly UU ritual that celebrates our many forms of diversity. Plan to bring a flower (and plan to go home with a different one). At this service, we will be learning more about James Clayton Flowers, the oldest known U.S. military veteran (and UU). This is a multi-generational service.

After the service there will be a congregation-wide potluck picnic. Plan to stick around to connect and reconnect. For more details about what you can bring, use this form to sign up.

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.

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.

This SUNDAY!

End of Year Potluck Picnic

Kim Watkin and Sarah Russell, Co-leaders of the Picnic

This Sunday (June 14th) immediately following the service, we will be holding our congregation-wide Annual Picnic.

We all create this picnic at the end of the Year, so we're counting on you to help us make this wonderful event happen!  Bring a dish, sign up to setup or cleanup. 

A few special notes:

• Bring dishes before the service to the community room kitchen.

• Please bring an ingredients list for homecooked items.  

• Please bring your own cooler to keep items cold until after the service. We will watch over the coolers until the time of the picnic.

Supervised outdoor fun for children and youth will be available in the Memorial Garden during the Annual Picnic.

Thank you for making this a fun event here at FUUSB. See you all there!

Children & Youth This Sunday

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

Families will remain together in the sanctuary for the Flower Festival, a special 101 year old UU tradition (remember to bring a flower!) 

Craft activities for all ages will be available at the back of the sanctuary during worship, and the nursery will be open & staffed for any families who would like to use it.  

At the end of the service, children and youth are invited to the Memorial Garden for some supervised outdoor fun during the Annual Picnic (weather permitting). 

Looking Back to Sunday

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

During the Sunday service, we welcomed 31 new members to the Society!

At the Annual Meeting, we showed this video report on how we spent the past year embodying the Vision for Ministry. Check it out. If you haven't checked out the Annual Report, you can find it on our website.

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

Eileen Blackwood, FUUSB Board President

Agenda for Upcoming Board Meeting

The Board’s next regular meeting will be held on June 16 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in the Parlors. The Zoom link for the meeting will be sent out on the morning of the meeting.  

Tentative Agenda 



Silent observers welcome in-person as well as via Zoom 

(this agenda is subject to change)

• Welcome/check-In
• Minutes/consent agenda
• Farewell and thank-you to departing Board members
• Senior Minister's report
• Monthly financial reports 
• President’s report
• Update on facilitated process re: Apartheid-Free Communications Pledge: Deepening Our Capacity to Engage Each Other
• Annual meeting review
• August retreat agenda—monitoring and feedback
• Fundraising 

Upcoming: Orientation for new board members June 25

In Memoriam...

As we shared during Sunday's service, FUUSB Member, Jean ("Jena") Guenther died peacefully at Respite House on Saturday evening, tended lovingly by her husband, Bob Stuhlmann, and dear friends. Jean had shared with the congregation in April that she had begun receiving hospice services. A date for her celebration of life will be shared once we know it.

Save the Date

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

As shared at Sunday's Annual Meeting, please plan for the fall...

LGBTQIA+ group next meets 6/21

Elizabeth Allen, LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group

The next meeting of the LGBTQIA+ group has been rescheduled for 6/21, 11:30 AM, in the Whitney Young Jr. Room [2nd floor]. All welcome, including allies. Let's talk about the future of the group!

Fill the Gap Campaign

FUUSB Stewardship Team

UPDATE: Thank you for responding! Over 35 congregants have made contributions to help close the gap. To date we've raised $10,840! It is not too late for you to help close the gap. We are still hoping to raise another $4,160 to reach our $15,000 goal. If you can help, no gift is too small, please use the button below.

We’re reaching out to you with an honest assessment of the current state of our congregation’s finances. As we look ahead, we find ourselves facing a gap: our pledges fall about $15,000 short of what our budget requires. That means we need to ask – once again – for your support.

We know that this kind of request is not always easy to receive. Many of you have already given generously, and we are deeply grateful for that. At the same time, sustaining a vibrant, compassionate, and engaged UU community requires all of us, together, to reflect on what we value and how we support it.

If you are able, we ask you to consider increasing your pledge or making a one-time gift. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps close this gap and ensures that the programs, ministries, and connections we cherish can continue to thrive. Filling the gap will require an average additional contribution of just $60 per pledge. We all know that not everybody can make this stretch, so we invite those who have a little more to give a little more. To increase your pledge or to give a one-time gift, please use the Fill the Gap button below, or you can email Christina at xina@uusociety.org.

Elmore State Park

June 19-21

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

In just over a week, UU friends and families will make their return to Elmore State Park for one of First UU's most beloved multigenerational traditions! The weekend offers something for everyone with a variety of optional activities, space to simply relax, be in community, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Daytrippers are welcome!

If you've been considering signing up, there is still time! With just two sites remaining, you can sign up here, or reach out to Chip Patullo at sunergy.vt@gmail.com with any questions.

Additionally, a congregant in our community is looking to share the space and split the cost of a lean-to for the weekend. She is open to sharing with an individual, couple, or family! If you're interested, please contact Mo (mo@uusociety.org) to learn more. 

Sign-up Now For Middle School OWL!

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

If a child in your life is entering 7th or 8th grade, or the home-school equivalent, who would benefit from the comprehensive sexuality education provided by the Our Whole Lives program, now is the time to let us know by filling out this OWL Interest Form.

Our OWL coordinator and volunteer facilitators have begun the complicated work of mapping out a schedule for this 26-session series which will begin next fall. The sooner we hear from interested families, the sooner we can solidify that schedule.

Find out more about OWL in general, here. Contact Mary Anthony at OWL@uusociety.org with questions about OWL at FUUSB.