Channels Newsletter
  June 3, 2016   
   
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Get your 5th Principle on at our :
Annual Meeting: Sunday, June 5 after worship
Lend your voice and your vote on important First U issues:
Foundation Renovation Project Loan
2016-2017 Budget approval
Healthy Congregations Bylaw Proposal
Election of new Board members 
Join in at the Yarmouth Clam Festival 
July 15th, 16th, 17th 
More information is available here and on our website.  
You can sign up for a volunteer spot online.
 
PreachingTeaching
Worship on Sundays at 10:30am 
How Blessed We Are     
June 5, 2016 
Details about worship can be found on our website. 
 
Religious Education 
Please Note:
Children's RE, Adult RE, and UU Games
have ended for this church year.
All are welcome to attend our
Intergenerational Music Worship Service.
Religious Education, for all ages, has been a year full of curiosity, growth, challenges, and fun. We already have begun looking ahead to what our next church year holds. Join us in September to continue our faith explorations.  
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MemberServices
Member Services 
Yarmouth Farmers Market Outreach
On Thursday, June 16th from 3pm - 6pm, First U will have a table at Yarmouth Farmers Market. This will be a great opportunity to get out in the community and inform greater Yarmouth about what First U offers.

We're planning on:
- having some cool stuff to hand out (bookmarks, buttons, stickers, and brochures)
- selling lemonade and wildflower seeds
- being friendly, talking about our community events, and giving people the chance to know a little more about what it means to be UU

How we would love you to help:
- Sign up to be a First U ambassador! Come for one, two, or three 45 minute blocks. Greet people at the Farmers Market, hand out our give-aways, and let people know about why you value the First U community.
- Let your friends, families, neighbors, and acquaintances know that we'll be at the Farmers Market on June 16th. Share it on Facebook, tweet it out, mention it to your dentist, your dance instructor, and your dog walker, and stop on by yourself to say hi.

If you want to be an ambassador, please select a time slot via this Doodle poll. You do not need to register with the site, you simply input your name and click on the time slot(s) you're available.
Have you been t o a dinner at Gather on a First U night?
 
Thursday, June 30
is another opportunity to join us for great food, drinks, conversation, and live music. Sign up downstairs in the Gathering Room of First U to reserve your spot.  
The First Universalist Church of Yarmouth
In Conjunction with the Member Services Committee
Proudly Present:
The Bake Off Recipes of 2016

Did You Know...?
Social justice is the lifeblood of Unitarian Universalism.
  Click here to learn how.
Considering Membership? 
Visit our website for more information on how to become a member.
 
Faith in Action
SUMMER SIGN-UPS URGENTLY NEEDED: PLEASE HELP!
More chances to be part of our church's partnership with the
  PREBLE STREET RESOURCE CENTER in Portland.
SUMMERTIME CAN BE DIFFICULT for those who need us all year long.  There are loads of empty spaces on the sign-up sheets for our first Tuesdays: JUNE 7, JULY 5, AUGUST 2, and SEPTEMBER 6 - waiting for YOU to help out with dinner service at Preble St. Our church is committed to filling at least 10 slots on the first Tuesday of every month. We've been doing a great job, but with people on vacation and church not in session, summer requires an extra effort. You will feel good  about yourself if you take a few hours off from gardens and backyard grills to volunteer. Those who have done it are agreed it is a rewarding experience.  The clients are appreciative and the Preble St. staff is highly organized and helpful at making us feel welcome and useful. 

The job does not include bringing food, but reporting for duty at 4:30 and staying till 7:30, following instructions from the Preble St. staff.  You are encouraged to commit to the entire 3 hours, but there is some flexibility for those who must come late or leave early. Arrival anytime before 5:30 is acceptable.
To volunteer for the dinner service, contact Phyllis Chinlund, 781-8842, or
[email protected]
   Thank you!!
Half-Plate this Sunday:
In support of our New Mainers, this month's half plate is for the Al Zahra  mosque and Arabic school. Al Zahra started in Portland in October 2015 to serve as a spiritual center and gathering place for women and children. The school has over 60 students of all ages and a variety of cultures learning Arabic on Sat. and Sun. afternoons. The half plate collection will go toward much needed supplies for the school. Thank you for your generosity.
Board
From the Board 

First U is Growing & Evolving!
New Sanctuary * Expanded Programs and Outreach * New Staff
And through Here For Good we will have our new space.
 
With our operating budget and giving commitments for 2017 we will continue our wonderful programs. This year's giving campaign needs about $20,000 to be complete. If everyone considered adding 12% to their commitment, we'd be almost there!

That means...
If you committed $100, you'd give $12, an extra $1/month
If you committed $1,000, you'd give $120, an extra $12/month
If you committed $3,000, you'd give $360, an extra $30/month
If you committed $10,000, you'd give $1,200, an extra $120/month  
 
We appreciate and thank you for your consideration! 
Come to the Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 5 following worship 
to hear more about this important project, and, if you are a member, vote on:
The Foundation Renovation Loan Proposal
Within the Here for Good project, we had anticipated a fairly simple repair project with the Gathering Room to solve the Moisture Mitigation problem. However, the process of discovery revealed that the most urgent problem is water coming into the crawlspace, due to deterioration of the driveway and cracks in the west side foundation. After much information gathering and strategizing, we have a solution which requires a vote at the Annual Meeting on June 5, as borrowing funds is required if we are to solve the problem this summer.
Bylaws - They Are A Changin'
Did you read the Healthy Congregation Team Bylaw Proposal and find yourself with questions, but are unsure of who to contact? Well, Sarah Witte ([email protected]) and Jane Cleaves ([email protected]) would be happy to provide more information in advance of the Annual Meeting.
Healthy Congregation Tip: Follow your heart
Do the work that calls to you, especially when in mission-oriented projects!   
Click here to read more about this week's tip.
clamfest2
The  Yarmouth Clam Festival is a beloved Maine community event that features a parade, live music, fireworks, food, a carnival, arts and crafts vendors, and races and competitions. First U, along with many local nonprofits, joins in on the fun!

You can work alongside other members and friends of First U by participating in pre-festival  set-up, helping in the kitchen, selling and serving at the Church or on the Green, or assisting in clean-up.  You can also sign-up to bake a cheesecake or lemon bars. 
Working a shift at the Clam Festival is a fun tradition for all of us and we reward our volunteers with a slice of our famous, delicious UU Cheesecake.
NEW: Click for our Lemon Blueberry Bars Recipe and First U Cheesecake Recipe
 
To learn about our Hannaford Gift Card program click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page. 
community
Community Announcements 
Book Reading with Phyllis Chinlund, Looking Back from the Gate
Thursday, June 9th at 6:30pm at Falmouth Memorial Library
Click here for details
Support Joey O'Neil's Fight Against Neuroblastoma
4-year-old Joey is facing a challenging fight against neuroblastoma, a very aggressive cancer, and his family, who live in North Yarmouth, are facing mounting medical bills.
In response, friends of the O'Neil family are raising money via a 200 mile relay race. 
You can visit their crowdfunding site or the family's site chronicling Joey's journey. 
JAM JARS WANTED!
Holiday Fair is just around the corner.. who knew?! Well... maybe a few months, but now is the season when I start making lots of jams and jellies which we sell in December.  If you have empty jam/jelly jars that you would like to put to good reuse, please leave them for me in the church kitchen.  8 OUNCE only... I cannot use any more 16 ounce jars unless they are the old-fashioned kind with the glass tops.  MANY thanks in advance!
- Joy Ahrens 
Clam Festival Equipment and Supplies Need a New Storage Home  
For the past 15 years Jane Cleaves has generously donated part of her garage/barn to keep our church equipment safe all year long. The time has come for us to look for a new storage space for these items. If you, or someone you know, has room in a barn, or better yet has a storage trailer (10' x 12') they could donate or sell to the church, please contact: 
Jane Cleaves: [email protected] 
ChurchInfo
Church and Office Information 
Even newer NEW Office Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 12pm - 6pm
There will be NO open office hours beginning
Monday, June 20 through Tuesday, September 6

While the office will be closed during the summer months, you can still make an appointment with Gwen Matthews, our Program Assistant, by contacting her via email: [email protected] 
 
Reverend Jennifer works differently in the summer: after her vacation weeks we ask her to engage in four weeks of study, as well as two weeks leading the mission trip with our teens in Transylvania. She will be offline after Monday, June 20, but will be back in the office by Tuesday, August 23rd
Save the Date
Sun. June 5 -
Annual Meeting
Sun. June 12
- Junior youth to ARLGP at 1:30pm; senior youth group meets at 4pm

Thurs. June 16
- Yarmouth Farmers Market Outreach from 3pm - 6pm
Thurs. June 30 -
Gather Dinner
Fri. - Sun. July 15 - 17 -Yarmouth Clam Festival
Sun. August 7, 14, 21, 28 - Vespers 
Sun. September 11 - Ingathering 
If you are experiencing a crisis, including needing a hospital visit, you may call Rev. Jennifer on her cellphone: 207.356.1467 any time.  Please note that Friday and Saturdays are typically her days off - Rev. Jennifer does not check email on these days, but will answer any crisis or emergency calls.

If you would like to have an announcement included in Channels, please send an email to [email protected] by the Wednesday of the week you wish it to be published.  Please put "CHANNELS" in the subject line, otherwise it's very likely we will not recognize your request. Thank you.