The Spire

the electronic newsletter of

First Parish of Norwell,

Unitarian Universalist

In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use

October 24, 2024

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In This Issue

Courageous Conversation

Worship in November

Thanks for Your Donations!

Zoom Info for Worship

FPN and the Upcoming Election

Caring Corner

Community Dinner

Overpass Gathering

Gift Bags for Foster Families

Norwell Stroll

Election Night Potluck

Coffee Hour Service Project

Youth Group and Coming of Age

Movie Screening: Bad Faith

Inclusion Corner

Norwell Multigenerational Community Center Survey

Plant Clippings

Book Group

Holiday Fair and Baskets

Courageous Conversation this Sunday at 11:30

Your Shared Ministry Team is hosting a Courageous Conversation after church this Sunday.

Many of us are feeling anxiety or uneasiness during this election time, and there are divisions in the country as well as in our beloved community. Please come and share your feelings and concerns and *really listen* to everyone, following our Right Relations Covenant, which means respecting differences of opinion without judgement.

This will not be a debate. It will be a time to share and listen and learn and be heard.

All are welcome. Childcare will be provided.

Worship in November

The overall theme for worship in November is Finding our Way. Together we will explore how our individual and collective life journeys have taught us to expand our welcome, move through hard times and learn from our mistakes. Through self-determination and community connection we will make our way through these days of November, remembering there is strength in vulnerability and exciting possibility for change.

November 3 Expanding our We

November 10 Building Resilience

November 17 RE Sunday: The Power of Choice

November 24 Survival is a Promise

Thank You for Your Donations!

The donations coordinator at the shelter in Rockland was thrilled with the hygiene supplies and kid kits and boxes of diapers and baby wipes that she received on Monday morning. Our donations filled two huge hotel racks - and more importantly, refilled the supply shelves of the community resources room at the shelter.

Thank you so very much for your generous donations, and thank you to those who helped the Coffee Hour Service Project (assembling kid kits with art supplies and toys for the 40 children living at the shelter) to run smoothly.

Want to join our Worship Service online?

Our Worship Services can be found at this zoom link:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83606479122?pwd=T3MWcC9L51bgKuiYXXC2c6i9SsDT02.1

Meeting ID: 836 0647 9122

Passcode: SundayAM

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Meeting ID: 836 0647 9122

FPN and the Upcoming Election

We strongly encourage all members of our congregation to register, stay informed on key issues, and participate in the voting process.

In the spirit of Unitarian Universalist principles, we do not endorse or oppose any candidates, but rather emphasize the moral and ethical dimensions of the issues at hand.

We ask that no partisan political materials be distributed on our congregation’s property, as we seek to maintain a space of open dialogue and respect for diverse viewpoints.

For a one-page poster listing all our November events, scroll down to the very bottom of the newsletter!

Caring Corner

News from Anne Bello, daughter of Prue Miller:

Prue was transferred to Holden Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, where she is going for more rehab.

The website for Holden is

https://www.oriolhealthcare.com/our-nursing-centers/holden-rehabilitation-skilled-nursing-center/.

Visiting hours are 8 am to 8 pm, and the best way to send mail to her is Anne’s address (28 Pleasant View Drive, Hatfield, MA 01038).

Community Dinner November 12th at 5pm

Join us on November 12th at 5pm for a home-cooked meal and great company.

Donations of casseroles and desserts are needed - contact Betsey Drollett to sign up.

Children will be supervised on the playground. All are welcome!

Overpass Gathering

Meet us on the River Street overpass of Rt 3 Saturday morning Oct 2nd from 8-10am to send a message of love and positivity to the South Shore. Colorful clothing and signs of positivity are welcome! Parking available at the North River Theater. The FPN LGBTQIA+ Action Team is proud to lead this initiative! This will be the last Overpass Gathering of 2024, so don’t miss this chance to participate!

Holiday Gift Bags

As in past years, First Parish of Norwell is again providing holiday bags for local children in foster care. This year's gift drive will kick off on in early November. Julia Traggorth and Rachel Hughes will once again be coordinating.

Attend worship service on Nov 3rd to hear about the importance of this program, and stay tuned to the Spire for details about dates and deadlines. Thank you!

Norwell Stroll December 7th from 1-4pm

We are so excited to participate in Norwell’s newest December tradition, the Norwell Stroll: an event that brings together community members with local businesses and organizations for free family fun and holiday spirit.

A portion of West Street will be closed and a police detail will help people cross Main Street – all over the area, there will be stations for gingerbread men decorating, free hot chocolate and cider, crafts to make, shops to browse, a gingerbread house contest, visits with Santa and Ms. Clause at the James Library, and more – and First Parish of Norwell is excited to get in on the fun!

We will be hosting some tables in our Parish Hall where organizations like the Garden Club can set up their offerings. And...

What else will we do? We get to decide!

Want to help plan our participation? Contact Amanda Adams to share ideas or join the organizing team. What a great opportunity for us to welcome the community into our beautiful space and show them how Unitarian Universalists share holiday cheer!

Election Night Potluck November 5th at 6pm

Make sure to vote on November 5th! Then join us in the Parish Hall at 6pm for a relaxing potluck.

Make a dish or stop and pick something up to share - the theme is NO STRESS!

Let’s be together, let the kids play on the playground, and appreciate our shared community in a time of tension and division in our nation.

Coffee Hour Service Project on 11/10 at 11:15am

During coffee hour on November 10th, we will have card-making supplies and pen pal worksheets to fill out for our friends at the Norwell Housing Authority. All are invited to make something beautiful that will brighten someone’s holiday season. You can make cards for special people in your life, too. It’s an opportunity to make someone smile!

With the goal of deepening our relationship with the Norwell Housing Authority, we will be getting to know the residents a bit through cards and pen pal worksheets, then seeing them in person on December 15^th at noon when we visit them for our annual Holiday Caroling and Pizza Party. We encourage everyone to participate in this growing partnership!

Youth Group and Coming of Age

Our FPN teens are meeting on Sunday nights for bonding, learning and service.

The Youth Group (of high school students) helped contribute to the “Sending Love” collaborative art project last week and will be meeting next Sunday night at 5 to assemble bagged lunches for Father Bill's shelter.

The Junior Youth Group (of middle school students) painted pumpkins, wrote postcards encouraging people to vote, and made slime.

Those middle school students have also been meeting with peers at First Parish of Cohasset for Coming of Age class – their next meeting is November 3^rd, when they will explore “What is Religion?”

Teens are welcome to join any of the above groups! Reach out to Amanda Adams to get started.

Movie Screening: Bad Faith

Join us on October 27th at 5pm in the Parish Hall for a screening of Bad Faith, a thought-provoking documentary recommended by renowned filmmaker Ken Burns and Rev. Dr. William Barber.

This film explores the rise of Christian Nationalism and its impact on American political and social life. The documentary provides historical insights and examines how this movement has shaped modern political dynamics.

Following the screening, we will host a discussion on the broader ethical and societal issues raised by the film, focusing on the intersection of faith, politics, and democracy.

Inclusion Corner

You may have noticed that some of the nametags seem to be growing larger! That’s no accident – it’s a conscious choice to accommodate diverse abilities by making our font easier to read. We won't be replacing them all at once, but we'll be phasing in the new font size as nametags are added or replaced.

That’s a UNIVERSAL ACCOMODATION – it’s a way to help those with limited vision, but it’s probably helpful to *all of us* to be able to glance more quickly and read more easily.

In fact, nametags themselves are a universal accommodation – they help support people who struggle to remember everyone’s name (and that means they help ALL of us with names!)

Have an idea for another way First Parish of Norwell could be more inclusive to diverse abilities? We want to know! Contact Amanda Adams with your suggestions.

Multigenerational Community Center Survey

The Town of Norwell has contracted with architectural firm BH+A to conduct a needs assessment and site feasibility study for a future Multigenerational Community Center, to include the Norwell Council on Aging and Recreation Departments. This is a first step in determining the preferences of Norwell residents and the priority of this type of project in the Town's strategic plan.

The town is trying to reach as many residents as possible and get them to complete the survey, and they have asked for FPN's help.

The online survey will be open until November 18. Paper surveys will also be available at the Recreation Office, Norwell Public Library and the Senior Center.

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NorwellMGCC

Plant Clippings

Attention all house plant enthusiasts!

If you have plants that you would like to re-home or transplanted cuttings, Kate Sanborn and Denise Petrino at the plant table at the Holiday Fair would like them!

There will be pots and soil available at the basket table during coffee hour starting next week.

We ask that you keep these tender souls at your house until November 17th, the Sunday before the fair. At that time, they can come to church and bask on the windowsills in the Parish Hall until the fair, on November 23.

First Parish of Norwell Book Group

Please join us for any or all of our monthly book discussions. We meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm on Zoom.⁣

Nov. 18 - "The Comfort of Ghosts” -Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs, a psychologist and investigator, uncovers a wartime mystery involving her first husband in this historical mystery fiction the 18th and last book in the award-winning series.

click here to join

Meeting ID: 847 0898 5879

Passcode: Bookworms

The Holiday Fair: It's Time to Prepare!

Sat., Nov. 23 - 9:00 – 2:30

We need your help with this major fundraiser.

We will need you to bake, make handcrafts, clean out your closets and bring your clean, good toys, books/CDs and household treasures to the church the week before.

All Tables need help. Contact any chair or Peg Kitchenham781-635-0007 to volunteer. If you are new, let us know your interests! Thanks to Karen Baker for being in charge of the bake sale.

Be a part of this year’s fair and make special memories! Be sure to bring a good appetite for lunch and don’t miss the fun of this important all church activity. Mark your calendars now!

Themed Gift Baskets to be Sold at the Holiday Fair!

Themed Gift Baskets-Still time to sign up to create a basket to be sold at the Holiday Fair. Choose one of our baskets and sign up at Coffee Hour (or use your own basket!) Questions? Contact any of us! Thanks!

Bev Gardner, Noel Constantino, Heather Comeau, Debb Welsh