Weekly News - Week of 12-7-2025

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Week of December 7, 2025

Inspired, encouraging, serving and seeking… Together in life’s joys and challenges… Making a difference!

If you want to include any special announcements in this Weekly Email, please reach out to me in the Church Office via email at:

office@thefirstchurch.org

Thank You & God Bless,

Spencer Aguiar

Church Administrator

The Power of Organizing: ECCO’s End-of-Year Community Celebration and Fundraiser

When: Sunday, December 14th, 5-7 PM

Where: First Parish Beverly (225 Cabot Street), social hall

What: Join us for food and fun as we celebrate the power of ECCO's organizing in 2025 and raise money to ensure that ECCO can build strong and steady organizing power in 2026 and beyond. You can sign up here: bit.ly/ecco12-14, or donate at bit.ly/eccopowerbuilders

We will celebrate the power of ECCO's organizing to protect vulnerable immigrants, fight for affordable housing and champion human dignity.

We will bid farewell and celebrate the powerful organizing of Racial Justice Organizer Colette Lima and Board of Directors Co-President Reverend Dr. Andre Bennett.

We will install and bless the new Board of Directors for 2026.

We will launch the POWER BUILDERS Fundraising Campaign so that ECCO can continue to build power and recruit and retain the full-time organizers necessary for our movement to thrive.

And we will rejoice in the power of ECCO's multiracial, multifaith community to gather, show up for one another and fight together for justice during these challenging times.

1) Cantemus to perform at First Church on Saturday, December 14, at 4pm!

Cantemus will be performing sacred music from various world religions in "Shared Breath, Shared Song: Sacred Music Across Faiths." The concert will feature a rich variety of choral music representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sufism, Buddhism and Hinduism.

In these difficult times, it will be wonderful to have the opportunity to come together and enjoy choral music celebrating these diverse traditions through the beauty of music. Please visit Cantemus for more information and to purchase tickets. Not available on December 14? Cantemus will also be performing on December 8 in Newburyport and December 15 in Gloucester.

Cantemus Chamber Chorus, under the direction of Artistic Director Jason Iannucci, warmly invites you to their upcoming performances featuring sacred music from various world religions.

Entitled "Shared Breath, Shared Song," the concerts will take place in Newburyport on Sunday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m. at St, Paul’s Church, 166 High St.; in Swampscott on Saturday, December 13 at 4:00 p.m. here at First Church in Swampscott, and in Gloucester on Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 10 Church St.

“Shared Breath, Shared Song: Sacred Music Across Faiths” features a rich variety of choral music representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sufism, Buddhism and Hinduism. The anchor work, the “Misa Criolla” of Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez will present the folk music traditions of the indigenous peoples of South America. This piece will feature accomplished Tenor soloist Josaphat Contreras, whose performance experience includes opera as well as musical theater. Guitarist Chris Rubén Winters, will also be featured in this work, along with three percussionists.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cantemus.org/concerts (Note: If possible, use the following hyperlink to ticket page: https://www.cantemus.org/concerts/tickets/

2) Musician, Cody Morse recently produced and performed a moving tribute to our veterans. Cody sang with the First Church Choir for years, and he often shared his percussion expertise, as well. This Veteran's Day music video powerfully honors our veterans, while featuring many familiar Swampscott landmarks. Monumental Love

Coffee and Conversations is BACK on all Sunday's, except Communion Sundays. We look forward to seeing NEW and familiar faces. Meeting at 9:10 am in the library. C&C is a time to connect with others in the church, and preview and unpack the scripture reading of the day.

Al-Anon is an organization that offers experience, strength and hope to families who are

struggling with alcoholism and addiction. It is a very safe place to share the challenges of

difficult family situations. We at Al-Anon are very grateful to the First Church of Swampscott which has offered us space to hold our meetings, as below:

Tuesday nights at 7:30

Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the library

Thursdays at noon in the library

Please join us! For more information, please email Jodie or Laurie. Thanks.