Note time of service this Sunday: 11am

This week I am attending two back-to-back virtual events: The UU Ministers Association Ministry Days (which is a professional development opportunity for UU ministers, Monday-Wednesday), and the UUA General Assembly (Wednesday-Saturday). Sunday, I’m looking forward to coming into church in person! I’ll be in for our General Assembly Sunday Worship viewing party, which we’ll livestream in the Parish Hall to watch together from 11am-12:30pm. I hope you can join me. It promises to be a lively service and an opportunity to connect with other Unitarian Universalists around the country and beyond, in the largest UU gathering of the year. For those unable to join us in person, you can find the link above to watch the service from home.

From June 23-July 6, I will be on vacation. However, I’d like to invite you all to join me in an experimental digital detox during these two weeks, in preparation for our Freedom and Faith series this summer. Do you find that you are spending more and more of your time on screens (smartphones, tablets, video games, social media, TV), and less time engaging with others “off screen”? If so, you are not alone, and you may benefit from a little digital detox experiment, as well! A first-level digital detox practice might be not allowing any devices into the bedroom – storing them away before bedtime in another room. Then, build from there. Depending on your work schedule and other needs, schedule some other blocks of time away from devices. Create some rules and discipline that work for you. Then, come to worship on July 13th, when we’ll kick off our Summer Sundays Freedom and Faith series by exploring the living body as a foundation for positive freedom, in contrast to the digital life. 

Summer blessings,

Rev. Chris

Pledge Payments

The church’s fiscal year ends on June 30. Please have your payments for this fiscal year in to the church by 12 noon on Thursday, June 26. If you still owe on this fiscal year’s pledge commitment, and you are not able to fulfill your pledge until July, please note in the memo line or comment box that it's for fiscal year 2024-25.

There are three easy options for paying:

1. Send your check to the church (101 Forest Ave., Swampscott, MA 01907).
2. Set up a bill-pay system with your bank and have the check sent to the above address.
3. Donate on our website at uucgl.org/donate. After you fill in the information page, click “Go to Checkout” and you will be offered options to pay through your PayPal account, if you have one, or through your credit card.

Thank you for your support!

Reimbursement Requests

If you have outstanding check requests for reimbursement, please submit them to the office with appropriate receipts and committee/ministry team chair approval by June 27. They may be dropped off, mailed, or emailed with scanned receipts to the business administrator at emuller@uucgl.org. Thank you.

The church office will be closed tomorrow in observance of the Juneteenth holiday.

Board of Trustees

The position of Clerk (i.e., Secretary) of the Board of Trustees remains unfilled for the coming term. The Clerk is a full voting member of the Board. The primary responsibilities of the Clerk are to keep a record of all meetings of the Board and to oversee the organization of the UUCGL Annual Report. This is a critical position for the effective functioning of the Board. We will greatly appreciate your giving thought to helping out our community. If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please feel free to contact Dave Innis.

Properties Committee

We have openings for new members on the Properties Committee for 2025-2026. This committee meets once per month from September through May. This Committee serves as a vital resource by managing various projects/issues related to the church property and grounds. The committee works closely with the Business Administrator on a wide range of areas including: utilities, grounds HVAC, plumbing, security and budget. If you have questions or wish to volunteer, please contact Loretta Connolly or Dave Innis (email the office if you need their contact info).

Church History Ministry Team

Did you know our church can trace its roots to the very first church established in Lynn in 1629? The History Ministry Team is looking for both new members and short-term project-specific volunteers to assist in preserving, organizing, and making available pertinent materials relating to our church. If this interests you or you'd like to find out more, please contact any of the team members listed here.

ECCO Housing Forum

Wednesday, June 25 | 6-8pm | First Baptist Church Beverly (221 Cabot St.)

Come to this big Beverly/Salem housing forum with elected officials! Together with our ECCO coalition, we'll be advocating to allow MA towns and cities the ability to stabilize rents and to fund affordable housing through a real estate transfer fee. Childcare & translation provided. Please RSVP HERE.

ECCO Boat Cruise

Sunday, July 13 | 6-9pm | 63 Rogers St. in Gloucester

A night on the water in July? What could be better? All are invited to jump on board for the best boat party of the summer. And you'll be supporting the good work of ECCO too! You can purchase cruise tickets or make a much-appreciated donation by clicking HERE.  

*ECCO — Essex County Community Organization — is a diverse network of 59 congregations (including UUCGL) and organizations across the North Shore building relationships and power to put human dignity at the center of public life. ECCO works together across race, class, and faith lines to ensure that all people on the North Shore can thrive, grow, and dream.

Are you following UUCGL on Facebook? Check out our Facebook page and hit the "follow" button to see what’s going on at UUCGL and around our area!

Stay Connected with UUCGL

Visit our Staff Directory HERE to contact any of us. We're here for you!

Our Website

Looking for information or seeking support from the church and don't know where to start? Head over to the Members Page of our website. Here you can find connections to almost everything going on at UUCGL. Check it out!

Name Buttons

If you are new to the congregation and would like a name badge, or if you need yours replaced, simply email Misha at mishalina5@gmail.com and she would be happy to make one for you!

Member Portal

Members of UUCGL may contact the office or any member of the staff to obtain the password to our member portal, as we change it periodically.

Pledge Payments and Donations

HERE are three easy ways to make a donation to the church. Please indicate whether your payment is toward your pledge or for another purpose. Thank you for your support!

Now on BlueSky!