What's Happening
at First Parish -
Our Weekly Newsletter

November 13-23, 2019


 We aspire to be a beacon
of liberal religion, strong community,
and transformative service.

We aspire to be a Beacon of…..
 … Liberal Religion
Sunday November 17, 2019  
Touched by Grace
Pamela Barz will reflect on what she learned on her mini-sabbatical. The choir will sing Season of the Grateful Heart.
T hanksgiving Sunday, November 24, 2019
Thanksgiving Service
We don't have to wait for others to make the world a better place to live. Change begins within each of us - and that's something to be thankful for. We will share a story about how a rabid fox taught a group of adults and kids at a summer camp that our attitude and actions really do make a difference. The choir will sing Canon of Thanks.
Thanksgiving Soup Lunch, November 24, 2019
Please stay for the annual Thanksgiving Soup Lunch after the service on November 24! You can help make this event possible by signing up to bring something for the Soup Lunch. If you have not yet had a chance to sign up, there are still slots left!
Decorating the Sanctuary for December Services
After the soup lunch, the Religious Services Committee will be decorating the sanctuary for December services. Everyone is invited to join in the decorating.
... Strong Community

Snowflake Fair is only 3 weeks from Saturday!
Saturday, December 7 th  - 9:00am to 2:00pm



This week’s Special Notices:

Please sign up to work for a time slot on the day of the fair, if you possibly can. You may know you’re going to do it, but the leaders of each table get very nervous if they don’t actually see names in the spaces. See the list on the table in the Sloop Room and do it this Sunday.

We also need spare empty crockpots for heating chowders and chilis in the kitchen the day of the fair. If you have one you won’t be using.

We also need a few people to help post Snowflake Fair flyers around town between November 22 and 26. We have a list of the places we can post them. It’s most fun if two people can do it together.

Baking and cooking - we need more fudge of all varieties – white, butterscotch, dark and milk chocolate and all shades in between. And lots of cookies, squares, cupcakes, shortbreads, breads, pies, and cakes. And more cookies. Take a small decorated loaf pan from the Sloop Room if you need one. Holiday wrappings on the foods are especially inviting. And please, still more cookies.

Also save the date for wreath-decorating , Dec. 4 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. 

Questions? Contact the table head.

 -Team Snowflake
Beaded "Snowflake"-Angel Ornament Craft Night -
November 14th 7:00 pm
Want to contribute to the Snowflake Fair but not sure how? Come to the Beaded Angel Ornament craft night for some fun and conversation.  Thursday Nov 14th 7:00 pm. No experience needed! Supervised kids welcome. Totally easy for them to do to! If you have any scraps of wired ribbon bring it along! 
First Parish Needs Your Help!
Here's how you can serve our church and strengthen our community this week.
We need:
  • Coordinator(s) for our annual Thanksgiving Soup Lunch on 11/24
  • Soup-makers for the Thanksgiving lunch
  • Coordinator for Christmas Eve flowers. This role involves working with R &C Farm to select the varieties, working with the church office to publicize the list to the congregation in early December, placing the order, and picking up the flowers and arranging them in the sanctuary. It sounds more complicated than it is and is a great way to contribute beauty to First Parish.
Sign-up for the Bottle and Can Fund Raiser!
The opportunity came up for First Parish to partner with St. Luke’s church, next month, for what we affectionately know of as “Dump Duty.” We have signed on for November 1 st through November17th.

For those who are new to this fun activity, it means sorting the redeemable bottles and cans at the transfer station and turning them in at the redemption center in Cohasset. Shifts are usually 3 hrs, but we can vary those to fit a sorter’s schedule. We make sure that an experienced sorter will be with newcomers, to show them the ropes. 

The Men’s Ministry is taking the lead on this, however we will be asking for help from all of the willing folks from our church.

There will be more discussion and reminders about this in the upcoming weeks. In addition, First Parish is signed up for the month of March 2020. 

Bottles & Cans Coordinator
Teams Hosting Coffee Hour This Year
This year we are trying to make hosting coffee hour easier for everyone by eliminating the sign-up sheet. We will try this for the year and see if it works!

We randomly created fifteen teams so each team will host coffee hour two times during the year. More people will lessen the work and expense. More people doesn’t mean “more food”! Let’s bring simpler snacks which makes clean-up easier.
If you do not see your name on any team and you want to be included, please let us know and we will include you. Also, if you feel you cannot serve in this way, you may ask to be removed from the teams list.

If you can’t be there on the date, you could supply some snacks and give them to a team member to bring to church.

Each team consists of four to six people. Duties include setting the table, putting snacks on serving plates, make the coffee and heat tea water, wash the dishes and put the trash in the shed. The team will also bring a quart of half and half and juice. We will send out a more details of how to set up.

Thank you for trying this!!! Please call or email if you have a question.

-The Parish Committee
Pizza and Game Night - Friday November 22, 6:00 to 9:00
Come enjoy a night of pizza, potluck and games. Bring a game or two that you enjoy or a deck of cards. We’ll order pizzas (pass the hat), or you can bring whatever you want to eat. Please bring non-alcoholic drinks.
Transformative Service
The Blue Boat Coffeehouse is back … and we'd like to help feed our friends & neighbors!!

This Saturday, November 16,2019, from 6:00-9:00 pm, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate is proud to present our (lucky)13th Blue Boat Coffeehouse to highlight the incredible talent of local adults and youth while raising funds for a local non-profit organization ... the Scituate Food Pantry.

This community organization, sponsored by the Scituate Clergy Association,  is run by an all-volunteer staff and distributes food to eligible families from a facility located at the Scituate Masonic Temple. The Pantry works with churches, clubs, schools and individuals throughout the town to bring awareness of the issue of hunger in our community. Since 1993, they have assisted over 500 families totaling approximately 1100 people. Currently, The Pantry serves 250+ families who are eligible to receive a monthly order of nutritious non-perishable foods, with special attention paid to those with dietary restrictions. They also distribute extra food during the holidays, providing the ingredients for a traditional meal at Thanksgiving, including a turkey, while available.

The Scituate Food Pantry receives no government funding but relies solely on the generous donations of businesses, organizations, schools and the people of our community.

Please help us help our community by attending our coffeehouse AND bringing a canned or boxed food item.
Blue Boat Coffeehouse - Looking for Bakers!!
Hoping you all have the next Blue Boat Coffeehouse on your calendars … it's this Saturday, November 16th from 6:00-9:00 pm. Suggested donation is $5 and a canned or non-perishable food item for the Scituate Food Pantry, the r ecipient of all proceeds from this event.

If you haven't attended a coffeehouse yet, we hope you will! There is always a wonderful mix of local talent of all ages!

If anyone can help by baking a dozen of something, we are always able to raise even more funds at the Bake Table! They will be gratefully accepted at the church before 6 pm on the 16th!

Thank you!
Calendar for November 13-24, 2019

Wed. 13th
10:30 am Fididdlers

Thurs. 14th
11:00 am Infant Massage
7:00 pm Beaded Workshop

Sat. 16th
6:00 pm Blue Boat Coffeehouse

Sun. 17th
9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE

Wed. 20th
10:30 am Fididdlers
7:00 pm Parish Committee Meeting

Thurs. 21st
11:00 am Infant Massage

Fri. 22nd
6:00 pm Pizza and Game Night

Sun. 24th
9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE
11:45 am Thanksgiving Soup Lunch
12:45 pm Decorating the Sanctuary
5:00 pm Youth Group - Scituate
Save the Date


December 4th
Wreath Making

December 7th
Snowflake Fair

December 11th
Unity Christmas Dinner

December 15th
Christmas Music Sunday

December 22nd
Pageant

December 22nd
Community Solstice Service, 4 p.m. at St. Luke's
Our Mission
Liberal Faith: We commit to participate side-by-side across generations  in worship, religious education, social activities, environmental protection,
and social justice work—learning, sharing, and growing together. 

Strong Community : We commit to care for one another, nurture the light that shines within each of us, and support each other’s individual search for truth and meaning.
 
Transformative Service: We commit to pursue diversity, justice, equality, reason, and discourse;
provide inspiration through music, creativity, and the arts;
and work cooperatively to affect positive change in our community and beyond.