Upcoming Sunday Services

10:30am

in-person in the Sanctuary

and on Zoom

September 29th

Soul Matters: Why It Matters

Religious Services Committee

Soul Matters is a living curriculum, a deep resource centered on universal themes that matter to us as Unitarian Universalists. Month by month, these themes focus us on a spiritual value that our UU faith has historically honored and calls all of us to embody in our lives. This year’s overarching framework is "The Practices of Our Faith," created to help us see our denomination as a lived faith that inspires us to act, live, and love our values out in the world. The Religious Services Committee will introduce Soul Matters and this year's themes, and help us all think about what they mean to us as individuals and UUs.

October 6th

Listening As a Path to Peace

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Listening is a path to peace, yet it is a skill that few of us are taught. Beneath the definition of a spoken or written word, there is humanity to discover. What are some common mistakes that we make in listening? What are some techniques for learning to listen as a path to peace? This service will feature music by the NSUU Singing Group.

Calendar of Events

September's Theme...

The Practice of Invitation

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)

October's Theme...

The Practice of Deep Listening

Sun. October 6

"Listening as a Path to Peace" Sunday Service

led by Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

10:30a (Sanctuary/Zoom)

Sun. October 6

All-Congregation Conversation

12:15-2p (Sanctuary)

Sun. October 13

"Moving Towards an Indigenous Worldview" Sunday Service

led by Claire-Karl B.W. Müller of UU Mass Action

10:30a (Sanctuary/Zoom)

Sun. October 13

Memoir Group

1:30p (Zoom)

*Fellowship Hour with refreshments will follow all Sunday services

*Ongoing events are in ITALICS

*Special events are in BOLD ITALICS

Church Activities

SAVE THE DATES!

All-Congregation Conversations

Sunday, Oct 6 and Oct 20

12:15-2p (Sanctuary)

Calling all members and friends! Let’s chart a course for a thriving congregation. Let’s unify as a community on what thriving and fulfilling our mission will look like this year, and into the future. Please save BOTH dates for an engaging two-part conversation, Oct 6 will focus on the past and present in the congregation. October 20 will focus on the present and future.  Facilitated by Rev. Caro, Kathy Ulman and Jason Beringer. Light lunch refreshments will be served following the service.

Please note, the Conversations are in person only. Please stay tuned for an announcement about a Zoom only All-Congregation Conversation, date TBA.

For more information, please email minister@nsuu.org.  

Sol y Canto Excursion Was a Hit!

On September 22, nearly 2 dozen NSUU members and Rev. Caro and her partner, August, drove to Rockport to have lunch at The Fish Shack and attend both the pre talk and 30th Anniversary concert of Sol Y Canto at the Shalin Liu Theater in Rockport.  The theater is beautiful and features a backdrop of a two-story window looking out at the harbor. The music was lively, poignant, intimate and lovely. When Rosi and Brian visited NSUU last year, we loved the Latin flavor of the music. At this concert, they were joined by many who have performed with them over the years, including cello, soprano saxophone, flute, alto sax, string bass and ocarina.

A great time was had by all!

-Andrea Kaiser

Marj Lynn Memorial Fund

A heartfelt thank you to those NSUU members and friends, past and present, who have contributed to the Marj Lynn Memorial Fund. The fundraising effort will continue as we build the resources to provide programs for NSUU that will honor Marj and continue her legacy of service. In the coming weeks, we will announce the process for submitting program proposals for the use of the donated funds. In the meantime, if you have not already done so, please consider making a tax-deductible donation payable to Northshore UU Church, noting Marj Lynn Memorial Fund in the memo line. Please contact a member of the committee if you have any questions. Thank you again for your support. 

- Linda Budd, Lynette Gray, and Dona McDuff

Sunday Host Sign-ups

for October and November

Hello! Now is the time to sign up for Hosting on Sunday mornings. There are two ways to do that. The best way is to sign up on-line. Follow the link or go to the NSUU web-page and click on the header "Connecting." The drop down menu will bring you to the sign up sheet. There is also a paper sign-up sheet in the kitchen where you can sign up. While you are there, please sign up for a couple of Sundays, as there are a small group of us willing and able to fulfill the function. Also, if you are in the mood to bake, please feel free to bring something even if you are not on the schedule to host. Home made goodies are always appreciated. Questions? Contact Susan at susanann1812@yahoo.com.

- Susan Haas

Write with the Memoir Group

Oct 13 and Oct 27 1:30p

Hello dear writers! We have fall and all its blessings to enjoy, among them Memoir Group meetings. We will be meeting at 1:30 on Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month to write about our lives and share our writing. If there is a major church event conflicting, that will be our priority. I will be sending out a Zoom Invite on Saturday, if you'd like to join, please get in touch. 978-896-6787 ecarterf@gmail.com.

- Edith Fenton

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! 

Photo from 9/15 Stroll at Ipswich River Watershed Association

Office Notes

Welcome, Julie Franklin!

The NSUU Board of Directors, with the recommendation of the Personnel Committee, hired Julie Franklin as Church Administrator. You can contact Julie at jfranklin@nsuu.org or call 978-774-7582. Her first day was Monday and she will be in the office 3 days a week. Office hours will be posted by the end of the month and announced in the newsletter. Julie will attend an upcoming service on Sep 29th and hopes to be able to meet you then.

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. Office volunteers will help with training and transition while Julie gets oriented.

New @nsuu.org Email Addresses

Great news! The Communications Committee at NSUU has upgraded our church email to new addresses that end in “@nsuu.org.” This change will improve security and streamline staff communication. Please update your email address books to include the following:

Minister, Rev. Caro Barschow: minister@nsuu.org or cbarschow@nsuu.org

Church Administrator, Julie Franklin: office@nsuu.org or jfranklin@nsuu.org 

*Staff will monitor prior email addresses for a few months while we transition to the new email accounts. Please update your address book ASAP to make sure you continue to receive messages from the new accounts.

Green Sanctuary Team

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 Annual Show

Fri. & Sat. Sept 27-28, 9a-4p

Hope Community Church, 11 Hale St. Newburyport, MA

The Art Committee thanks the Merrimack Valley Quilters Guild for exhibiting quilts in the Sanctuary gallery this summer. While the exhibit is changing over at NSUU, you can enjoy more quilts at an upcoming show. Each year the members of Merrimack Valley Quilters Guild host a quilt show which is held at Hope Community Church. It’s an opportunity for our members to show off their work to a wider audience, approximately 550 people attend! The quilts are the main attraction and typically 150 of them are on display. For more information: https://mvquilters.org/quilt-show/qsforms/

Community Partners

Community Meeting and Organizer Training with ECCO

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

Where: 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!

Webinar: Trans Justice and Safety for People of Faith

UUs are invited to an upcoming free webinar, 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.  

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

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

Sign up now 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

Minister's Schedule

Office Hours and Contact Information

NSUU employees its minister part-time at 3/4 time. Each month, Rev. Caro Barschow works 3 weeks for 40 hours/week and has off 1 week. Rev. Caro is available to meet by appointment on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. Please email Rev. Caro at minister@nsuu.org or call them at (978) 473-7980. Rev. Caro's week off in September is Mon 9/23- Sun 9/29. The minister will respond to emergencies only during weeks off.

Put a Notice in the Newsletter

Newsletter and Calendar Requests

The weekly e-newsletter "Good Things Are Happening" is a great to announce upcoming church events, community events and committee activities. Please send your announcements for the newsletter to office@nsuu.org 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.

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.

Photo by Nikolett Emmert on Unsplash