Join Us for Worship This Sunday!

September 13 at 10 am

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

Hallie Getty, Worship Associate

Love is the Water That Wears Down the Rock

Our annual multi-generational Water Ingathering to mark the new congregational year, paired with Burlington’s Pride celebration means the service will be full of meaningful and fun ritual, including our glitter blessing to send you out into the world (and hopefully stroll behind the FUUSB banner at the Pride march). Bring some water from a place that is meaningful to you - if you forget, we’ll have some for you to use. Rev. Karen is in the pulpit.

Join us for worship in person outside (weather-permitting), or online. The livestream link will be shared at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship.

Following the service, all are welcome to Coffee Hour on the Lawn (weather-permitting).

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.

Children & Youth Sunday

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

This Sunday, come celebrate the congregational new year together with water, glitter, pride, and joy! Children & youth will remain with their families in the sanctuary for our multigenerational celebration of community, known as Water Ingathering. Each family is invited to bring a small container of water from a source that has meaning to you. This could be from your favorite lake, your garden hose, a vacation spot, the kitchen tap, or even the sprinkler at the park! Forgot to bring water? You can pour some from one of our extra pitchers and that will be just fine. And there's one more thing to look forward to: glitter! We'll close the service with a special glitter blessing to mark the local celebration of Pride. 

Looking Back to Sunday

You can view a recording of last Sunday's service here.

Upcoming Memorial Services of FUUSB Members

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

This coming Saturday at 2:30 in the sanctuary, we will remember Jonathan Stevens. All are invited to attend.

Sara Packard's celebration of life will take place in our sanctuary on Saturday morning, October 3rd at 10am. All are welcome.

This Friday, Sep. 11: Come to the First Post-Summer Open-Mic Coffeehouse!

From your Coffeehouse Team:

Potluck dessert and open-mic sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m.

Open mic 7-9 p.m.

Join us in the parlors for an evening of music and spoken word pieces. Share a song or poem, or come to listen and enjoy the fellowship. If you’re able, bring a dessert dish to share.

Coffee, tea, and refreshments will be provided. All ages and talents are welcome, especially

newcomers!

‘Empty Cups for Gaza’ at our

Water InGathering on Sept. 13th

Palestine Solidarity Team 

“As Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country prepare for the worship year to begin anew with their annual Ingathering Water Service, UUs for Justice in the Middle East is once again inviting UUs to participate in a symbolic act of witness by bringing an empty cup to the service. We are asking UUs across the country to take this prayerful action in sympathy with Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank who are systematically denied potable water by Israel, a war crime that is enabled by the United States. These people are dying of starvation, thirst, preventable disease, and weapons of war.”  Please take a prepared cup on your way into the service, bring it to the front during the ceremony, spill some "missing water" into the vessel, and then leave the cup behind beside the water communion vessel." 

Actions List via 

• UUJME  
• UU Resolutions and Statements about Palestine  
•  UU congregations’ water ceremonies using Empty Cups for Gaza in 2025
• Graphic  Gaza Water 2023 - Visualizing Palestine
• FILM 1. "How Israel created a water crisis for Palestinians"– The Guardian, 5 minutes  
• FILM 2. "Groundwater & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Crash Course Geography #25" – Crash Course, 11 minutes 
• FILM 3. "Weaponizing Water in Palestine" – Al Jazeera, 25 minutes

Can't Attend this Year's Water Ingathering?

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

If you can't attend our September 13th Water Ingathering but would like to have your name shared as "being there in spirit" please fill out this form by noon on Saturday, Sept 12th.

7th/8th grade OWL Registration Extended! 

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

OWL (Our Whole Lives) provides comprehensive sexuality education in a supportive setting, giving young people space to learn, ask questions, and build the knowledge and skills they need to navigate important topics relating to their adolescence. Great news! We’ve extended the registration timeline and the class start date, so if you’ve been considering enrolling a child entering 7th or 8th grade (or the home-school equivalent), there is still time to learn more and register for this year’s program. It’s really exciting that we have such an incredible team of facilitators and the overall opportunity to offer the 7th/8th grade program at FUUSB this year, so we’d love to hear from you!

Let us know you are interested by filling out the OWL Interest Form, and/or contact our OWL Facilitator Mary Anthony at OWL@uusociety.org with any questions about OWL at FUUSB. Click here to learn more about OWL in general.

Sign-up for Facilitated Small Groups

Sep. 20th

Rev. Karen G. Johnston, Senior Minister

This fall our congregation is a spiritual gym co-op, strengthening our spiritual muscles and resilience when it comes to hard conversations, disagreement, and conflict. This is related to our Society’s membership voting on the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge after the service on November 8.

Please register to take part in the facilitated small groups taking place in-person on Sunday, Sept 20th after the Sunday service - lunch and then groups until 2:30. Or register to attend the online facilitated groups on Tuesday, Sept 22, 6 - 8:30pm. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please use this form to register.

This is for active congregants and formal Members of the Society.

In October, we will hold facilitated small groups on the topic of our values related to the AFC pledge. That date is still being figured out - stay tuned.

Good Trouble Potluck on Saturday, Sep. 26th

Building Democracy Team

Are you interested in learning more about what you can do to encourage a free and fair election in November? 

Come to the Good Trouble Potluck on Saturday, Sept 26th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm in the Community Room. Our guests include Vermont's ACLU, the League of Women Voters of Vermont, Vermont Interfaith Action, and Prop 4 Proponets. They will highlight the actions they are working on for the Nov. 3rd election. Come and find ways for civc engagement in this critical election season.  

Sponsored by the Building Democracy Team

The next meetings of the Building Democracy Team are Sundays, Sept 13th and Sept 20th, at 9:00am in the Reeb Room. We welcome new members to our Building Democracy Team! 

Member Parking Pass- There's Still Time!

Töve Johnson, Administrative Assistant

Spend some time at the businesses downtown? Want a parking spot for non-related FUUSB business? Here's your chance!

Each September, FUUSB members may renew or purchase parking tags for the congregational year, which allow you to park along the oval driveway next to the Meeting House for non-FUUSB business (shopping, etc.) for up to 3 hours. Learn more here.  

Steps to renew or purchase a parking tag:

1. Fill out this form. 
2. Pay for your tag ($45 per tag). 

Ways to pay:

-You can pay online using the Make a Gift button on our website (select “Member Parking Tag” under Fund). 

-Or pay via check made out to "FUUSB"

Mailed to FUUSB 152 Pearl St., Burlington, VT 05401, OR

drop off a check or cash in a labeled envelope and place it in the FUUSB mailbox by the east entrance. Note "Oval Parking" on the check memo and envelope.

*Questions? contact Töve at tove@uusociety.org or 862-5630 ext. 25.

UU Weekend at Silver Bay is Coming Up Fast!

Mo Singletary, Family Programs Assistant

In the blink of an eye, the summer season is nearly behind us. But do not despair! The long-anticipated UU Weekend at Silver Bay (held from October 9-12 2026) is coming up quickly.  Nearly 300 people total have registered, and we know a lot of folks from First UU have already signed up! 

If you’re attending, now is a great time to start thinking about transportation. The Wood-Lewis crew have spots in their family van, and we’d love to help connect others who are looking to carpool. Please let us know if you’re going, whether you need a ride or can provide a ride, by filling out this spreadsheet: 2026 Silver Bay UU Weekend - FUUSB Participants!

If you haven’t yet registered, discounted rooms are available on the third floor of the inn and there are still several cottages available. If you prefer a room with a private bath in the inn or to stay in Bayview, you can be placed on a waiting list for openings. We usually get 6-8 cancellations in September, so we will hopefully be able to accommodate latecomers. Please note: the deadline for full payment for this weekend is Sept. 20th

Access additional information about Silver Bay, including the registration form, the 2025 weekend schedule, and a slide show, at https://albanyuu.org/blog/uu-silver-bay-weekend/