Northshore

Unitarian Universalist

Church

323 Locust Street

Danvers, MA 01923

978-774-7582



nsuu@verizon.net

Website: nsuu.org

Upcoming Sunday Services


10:30am

in-person in the Sanctuary

and on Zoom

Join Sunday Service Via Zoom

September 15th

Because You Asked

"Bring a Friend to Church" Sunday

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister


An invitation can lead us down a new path. It is not uncommon for Unitarian Universalists to say that the first time they attended a UU Church was because a friend invited them. On this Sunday, worship will explore the art of asking and accepting an invitation.


You are welcome to extend an invitation to a friend to come to church or login on Zoom. Would your friend like to stay after to complete Get Out the Vote Postcards. Or maybe join in a Sunday Stroll at 2pm? More details below about after church activities.


September 22nd

Changing Seasons

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Brendan and Erin Lo, Cello and Piano

*Rising Stars* Guest Musicians


Come for a celebration of the autumn equinox and reflection on how this new season invites us to trust change. We will be joined by guest musicians Brendan Lo on cello and Erin Lo on piano, playing selections from Brahms and Debussy. These siblings are the first performers in NSUU's Rising Stars guest series featuring talented young musicians.


Following the service, return to the Sanctuary for a Talk Back conversation with Brendan and Erin Lo.

September Calendar

September's Theme...

The Practice of Invitation



Sun. September 15

"Because You Asked" Sunday Service

Bring a Friend to Church Sunday

led by Rev. Caro 10:30a (Sanctuary/Zoom)


Sun. September 15

Get Out The Vote Postcard Writing

12-1p (Fellowship Hall)


Sun. September 15

Sunday Stroll

2pm (off-site, details below)


Sat. September 21

100-Mile Potluck Picnic

5-7p (Fellowship Hall/ Patio)


Sun. September 22

"Changing Seasons" Sunday Service

with guest musicians, Erin and Brendan Lo

led by Rev. Caro 10:30a (Sanctuary/Zoom)


Sun. September 22

*Rising Stars* Guest Musicians Talk Back

11:45a (Sanctuary)


Thurs. September 26

Green Sanctuary Meeting

6:30-8p (Zoom)


Sun. September 29

"Soul Matters: How It Matters" Sunday Service

led by Religious Services Committee, 10:30a (Sanctuary/Zoom)


*Fellowship Hour with refreshments will follow all Sunday services


Church Activities

Sunday Strolls Start Again

September 15th, 2pm

Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA)

143 County Road, Ipswich, MA



IRWA is well known for its stewardship and advocacy of the Ipswich River. It is also known for its kayak and canoe access to the river. There are also some interesting trails. 


Bob Ferris will be the stroll leader. He will also discuss how you, as NSUU members, can use the kayaks and canoes anytime you feel so inclined. This is possible due to our church’s institutional membership funded through the Green Sanctuary Committee. 


The stroll will last less than an hour and IRWA is just a short walk to Zumi’s Coffee Shop in downtown Ipswich, in case you are interested in some after-stroll beverages. 


Seeking Sunday Strolls Volunteers


Sunday Strolls will and run through November 24th and we need some volunteers to lead each stroll. Stroll Leaders: 

  • Pick a favorite place – especially one you’ve been to recently - to go for a 1½-2 hour stroll 
  • Pick a meeting place 
  • Consider parking, bugs, path smoothness, grades, water hazards 
  • Establish whether there are parking restrictions 
  • Establish dog-friendliness of the place 
  • Work with the Stroller Coordinator, Bob Ferris, to get the information out to the congregation. 


So, please contact Bob at bobferris1949@gmail.com or by calling him at 978-660-7437 if you would like to lead a stroll. Share your favorite places with other members! 


New Membership Directory - Action Needed!


Church members receive a printed/PDF membership directory to facilitate staying in touch with one another. It's time for a membership directory update to make sure your phone number, address and email information is current. Thank you to Maureen Duram for editing the updated directory.


If you are an active member, please look for a separate email sent last week from the Church Office that contains a link to the latest PDF version of the directory.


Take a look at the file, if there are any changes to your info, please contact Maureen at: maureenTduram@gmail.com


If you cannot open the file or if you'd prefer to review your contact information over the phone feel free to give Maureen a call at 978-578-5371.


*If you are an active member and DID NOT receive a separate email, please contact Maureen. Your email address may need to be updated in our records.



Office Notes


Thank you Summer Volunteers!


The Board of Trustees formed a Personnel Committee to hire for open staff positions. If you need assistance with office matters, such as pledges or the church calendar, please continue to email nsuu@verizon.net or call 978-774-7582.


Many thanks to the following volunteers who have been providing office and sexton coverage over the summer:


Office: Maureen Duram, Susan Haas, Lynette Gray, Bo Batty, Barb Reeder, Astrida Cutter, Jason Beringer


Buildings and Grounds: Hal Morse, Bob Ferris, Susan Haas



Newsletter and Calendar Requests


The weekly e-newsletter "Good Things Are Happening" is a great to learn about upcoming church events, community events and committee activities. Please send your announcements for the newsletter to nsuu@verizon.net by Wednesday at noon.


If you're part of a committee planning an event at church, please consult the online calendar to select a date. If your date/time is available, please email the office to reserve the space on the calendar.


Social Action Committee


Do Your Bit to Promote Democracy

September 15, 12-1p

(Fellowship Hall)


Following the church service on September 15, we will continue the postcard writing project we began in August.  Joining with UU the Vote, we are writing nonpartisan messages to typically disenfranchised minority and rural citizens in Florida, encouraging them to register and to vote.


At the Soup-and-School-Supplies event recently, we wrote 53 of the 100 postcards we pledged to complete.  Help us finish the job!   We supply all the materials and the text – all you have to do is write.


A Note from Cheryl Ferris


The first and foremost thing I have to tell you is that I am stepping down as the chair of the Social Action Committee. The reasons are mixed and personal and it has taken me some time to reach this decision. I have been honored to be a part of this small but-hard working team and to all who have joined us in our mission to live out our beliefs in action. Thank you team members: Jean Koulack-Young, Marcia Lassar, Julie O’Meara, Bob Gamer and former members: Sharon Clark and Marty Langlois. Thanks to Rev. Caro for her wise counsel. We have worked on numerous issues such as indigenous rights, immigration, becoming recertified as a Welcoming Congregation (LGBTQ+), racism, legislative advocacy and more.


I believe that the Social Action and Green Sanctuary Teams are so important to the heart of this congregation in living out our core beliefs, especially the “inherent worth and dignity of all people” and “respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are apart. For those reasons, I strongly encourage church members to consider becoming a member of one of these teams. I know you will all continue to support the activities and work of these teams as you have in the past. I will continue to do so as well.



Summer Social Action


On Sunday, August 25th, church members showed up and contributed to the School Supplies Drive, soup lunch and Get Out the Vote postcard writing event. Thank you! Here are a few photos from the day:

Green Sanctuary Team


100-Mile Potluck Picnic

Saturday, September 21

5-7p (Fellowship Hall)


Join the Green Sanctuary Team for our 9th Annual 100-Mile Potluck Picnic

Support your local family farms and small businesses, and make a dish with ingredients from within 100 miles of home.*


It can be as simple as a salad from your garden or local ice cream with local peaches. Or let your imagination run wild with a favorite recipe. You’ll be amazed at the variety of local produce and products available to us.


We’ll gather in person at NSUU to share our creations and our recipes, and visit and eat together. See you at 5:00pm on Saturday, September 21.


* basically this means all of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and as far away as Portland, Maine, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont.


Green Sanctuary Meeting

Thurs. September 26

6:30-8p (Zoom)


The NSUU Green Sanctuary team meets monthly to plan activities related to environmental justice. Among other projects, this group maintains a community garden plot in Danvers and donates its produce to the Danvers Food Pantry. For more information and the Zoom link for the meeting, please contact Iain at igoddarda@aol.com

From the Art Committee


Merrimack Valley Quilters Guild Exhibit - Final Week!


The Merrimack Valley Quilters Guild was formed in the summer of 1980 to encourage and develop the art of quilting. Members come from all age groups and live in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire towns in the Merrimack Valley. Seven quilters are exhibiting 22 quilts, some of which are for sale. Exhibit is extended through September 15th.

Community Partners



Community Meeting and Organizer Training with ECCO


When: Sunday, 9/15 and Sunday, 10/20/2024, 2:00-6:00 PM

Where: Sunday, 9/15: First Church in Salem (316 Essex Street)

Where: Sunday, 10/20- TBA 


What: Join social justice teams from around the North Shore for an intensive training on the building blocks of organizing to make change! RSVP here.


After a string of exciting successes last year, our teams are asking how to grow so that we can win the scale of changes we so desperately need, especially for affordable housing. This is our chance to lay the groundwork for a local movement as we head toward an intense election season. This event will support you in setting up a structure to make that happen through an intensive training on strategy and base-building. Whether you’re coming off of a major policy victory, like our teams in Gloucester, Rockport, Beverly, and Swampscott — or just arriving to the housing fight — our community and staff will guide you to take the right next step. We'll support you and your team in coming up with an organizing strategy that feels right for you, and practicing the skills you’ll need to carry it out. Sunday will also be a chance to reunite with the whole ECCO community of the North Shore after the summer!

Webinars: Trans Justice and Safety for People of Faith


Our upcoming free webinars, led by the Transforming Hearts Collective in partnership with Side With Love, UU Service Committee, and Pink Haven Coalition, will equip attendees to understand the targeted political and legislative attack that trans/nonbinary people are currently facing, gain tools to advocate for trans rights, and ensure that their congregations are welcoming and safe spaces for trans/nonbinary people and our families in this moment.  


There are two webinars for people in different areas:

  • Monday September 16, 8-9:30pm Eastern / 5-6:30pm Pacific: for UUs in legislatively hostile areas
  • Tuesday October 1, 8-9:30pm Eastern / 5-6:30pm Pacific: for UUs in legislatively protective areas

The main content of the webinars will be recorded and shared with registrants, so folks who are interested in receiving a recording are encouraged to register.


Sign up now for one of these webinars or get more information at tinyurl.com/build-trans-justice.


And please help us spread the word!


With love,

Rev. Mykal Slack and Zr. Alex Kapitan

Online Calendar


The NSUU website features an up-to-date calendar of church activities. Follow the link to view the calendar. On the calendar page, hover your mouse over the title of the event to find out the time and location.

Follow NSUU on Facebook

Photo by McKenna Phillips on Unsplash