Join Us for Worship This Sunday!

August 25 at 10 a.m.

A Cast of Many FUUSBers

Judy Brook & Betsey Ferries, Worship Associates

"Music & Poetry Service- Beginnings and Endings"

We gather at the end of summer already missing bathing suits and swims in the lake. We gather at the beginning of the new school year and new adventures as we approach fall. Life is full of endings and beginnings. Join us as we explore these in poetry and music with the shared gifts of members of the congregation.

Please join us for Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m., which will be held outdoors at the First UU Society each week through the beginning of September. The service will also be live-streamed. Find the livestream link and order of service on the Live-Streamed Worship page, or go to our YouTube channel.

Summer Garden Childcare will be available in the Memorial Garden. Following the service, all are welcome to Outdoor Coffee Hour.

There will be chairs, but feel free to bring your own portable chair, or a blanket if you’d like to sit on the ground. While at the Meeting House, anyone is welcome to wear a mask. In the spirit of caring for each other, please stay home if you have any cold or flu symptoms. Thank you.

Looking Back to Sunday

Here is a link to the video recording of last week's service.

With Outdoor Worship Comes

Summer Garden Childcare

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Weather permitting, childcare providers will be expecting children of all ages who prefer to engage in free play during the worship service to join them in the Memorial Garden. You can sign your children into their care before the service begins or at any point during the service.

This week we expect to bring out the water table and the face paint station! You will also find a basket of coloring supplies, sidewalk chalk, and manipulatives in the worship area for anyone who likes to keep their hands busy during the service.

Sharing Circle Sign-Ups to Begin

Gail Beck, Member

It's that time of the year and we are beginning to offer information and sign ups for Circle Groups.

Stop by the table at Coffee Hour starting on 8/25 and find out what's going on.... maybe you would like to see a specific Circle formed, maybe you are looking for more connection and a safe place to discuss different topics. Maybe you are interested in facilitating...

Any Questions? Email:

ChaliceCircles@uusociety.org or ThemeCircles@uusociety.org

See you Sunday!

FUUSB Board Retreat

Jonathan Sands, FUUSB Board Secretary

The FUUSB board, along with Rev. Karen G. Johnston, prepared for our year ahead with a retreat on Sunday, August 11 and Monday, August 12. Consistent with our commitment to policy-based governance, our plan is to begin an annual cycle which consists of engaging the congregation in a yearlong consideration of important open questions and then empowering our staff to implement appropriate actions towards the resulting vision of ministry.

UU consultant Jake Morrill facilitated our session on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of getting to know each other more deeply.

Four Racial Justice Team members joined us on Monday morning to present the results of an assessment that we had completed, to help us identify next steps in implementing the eighth principle*, and to offer their support in our multicultural and antiracist work.

Rev. Karen led us on Monday afternoon as we suggested open questions, offered visions of our congregation’s ministry, and considered key goals. The retreat offered us the freedom to brainstorm without needing to make decisions at this time. Those will come later: stay tuned!

*UUA 8th Principle, adopted by FUUSB in June 2022: We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.

At the board retreat: Christina Fulton, Peter Clavelle, Kim Watkin, Jeb Spaulding, Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Kathy Stamper, Eileen Blackwood, Rodney Lowe and Jonathan Sands. Board members not in this picture are Jill Stephens and Mark Kuprych.

Water Ingathering - Sept. 8th

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Come to our Sunday service to celebrate the new year! And Pride!

Bring water from a source - far away or close-by - meaningful to you to add to our collective waters that we will all bless

If you can't be there, but have water you want included, please drop it by the Meetinghouse and leave the small container in this basket, found on the shelf as you come in the Clark Street door.

If you attend virtually, and want us to say your first name to affirm your presence and participation, write to Rev. Karen by Friday, Sept 6th to let her know you want to be included and which names to say.

After the service, we'll have an abundant coffee hour. 

All are invited to walk together as part of the Pride march - we'll walk together to the starting point or you can find us there (more information about where that is the week before the service).

Faith Development Registration

Töve Johnson, Program Assistant

Back to school means back to Faith Development programs at FUUSB! If you have children or youth who plan to take part in Faith Development programs at First UU this year, please take a moment to click on the link below and register them. From infants in the Nursery to high school youth, registration helps us plan and provides us with important contact information.

Click here to register.

Recruiting Volunteers

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Help Wanted! It takes a village…Please consider supporting our multigenerational community by volunteering in the programs for children and youth. 

• Concerned about missing worship? We are looking for people who can make once-a-month commitments. 

• Worried you’re not an expert? We have curricula for that. You can model a growth mindset by learning alongside the young people you supervise.

• Are you an expert? Would you like to offer an activity you are passionate about? Share a skill you have as a one time special offering or more regularly? Let us know!

Contact Erika to find out more about opportunities this fall! erika@uusociety.org

LAST CALL FOR OWL!

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Honest, accurate information about sexuaity changes lives, and sometimes saves them!

Time is running out to sign up youth in grades 5-8 for Our Whole Lives (OWL) this year. Classes are open both to children from this congregation and the wider community, so if you know a child who would benefit but isn't part of FUUSB, please share this information.

We plan to offer two age-levels of the OWL comprehensive human sexuality education curricula starting in September. 

• Rising 7th or 8th Graders
• Rising  5th or 6th Graders

New Children's Books

Check out these new picture books in the Children's Library!

Summer Services at FUUSB

Click here or the image below for details & descriptions for Summer Services at FUUSB.

Recharge Your Spirit at Silver Bay

Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Planning your 2024 activities and travels? Be sure to include UU Weekend at Silver Bay October 11-13, 2024 (with an option of an extended stay until 10/14/24) in your schedule! 

This annual retreat is the perfect way to say goodbye to the summer and enjoy the beauty of a fall weekend. Whether from an armchair discussing topics of interest, standing on the top of a mountain, or drifting in a kayak, this weekend will fill your mind and recharge your spirit before the onset of another winter. 

Children under 6 are free and discounts for older children and youth.  And remember – your room, all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, programs, activities and entertainment are included in the price.

Many individuals and families from First UU have signed up already! If you register, please also add your name to this spreadsheet, so we can coordinate! Some financial assistance is available for anyone who can't afford the cost; contact erika@uusociety.org

Additional information about Silver Bay and UU weekend, including the registration form, a slide show, and the schedule of events at this link.

Congregations and IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections

Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance

As a religious organization, First UU Society of Burlington is required to follow certain IRS regulations in order to maintain its Non-Profit Status. It is truly important that we are all aware of what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do. The UUA has published a great little guide called, "The Real Rules," that goes into great detail on this topic. But let's face it, it isn't exactly a page turner. So what do you really need to know? 

It is pretty simple really: Issues are ok, candidates are not. What I mean by this is that it is ok to advocate for issues. It is not ok for FUUSB to ever show support for or against a candidate. Therefore, we can pass around a petition to support an issue, but we cannot pass around a petition to support a candidate. We can post in our Facebook group about an event about a particular issue, but we cannot post about an event to support a candidate. We could also put a sign up in the yard about an issue that we do not support, but we could not put a sign up for a candidate that we do not support. So, Issues are ok and Candidates are not.  

If you are unclear or have any questions, contact Christina at xina@uusociety.org.