Welcome to First Parish! s1

First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist S January 15, 2017 Ought To Be Maladjusted Clyde Grubbs

Welcome to First Parish! For more information go to: First Parish in Cambridge is a multi-faith, spirit-filled http://www.bostonnewsanctuary.org/ congregation devoted to love and justice. We are Welcome to Religious Education 2016-17! moving joyfully into a multiracial, multicultural, justice-making future. We embrace all ages, races, Please join us for a Story of All Ages, then RE programs: classes, abilities, sexual orientations, gender presentations, and ethnic and religious backgrounds. Nursery Age 4 and under Nursery, Fl.2 Honoring all the faith traditions of the world, we Spirit Play Pre-K-Gr.1 Baldwin Room, Mezzanine support each person’s path to wisdom and spiritual Moral Tales Gr. 2-3 Barn Room, Fl. 2 growth. Whoever you are, wherever you are on the Families of 5th - 9th graders are on a Winter Retreat. journey of life, we welcome you into our hearts. Parenting Discussion Group- January 22 If you’re here for the first time, we invite you to fill out a First Parish members and friends raising children are visitor card located in the pew and leave it in the invited to attend an open monthly discussion group led collection plate. We’ll sign you up for our weekly e-mail by Carrie Fisher. Each month we will have a discussion announcements and monthly newsletter. All are topic based loosely on a chapter from the book Tending welcome to join us in Helverson Parlor following the the Flame: the Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting, service for refreshments. Please take a “terra cotta ” by Michelle Richards. mug so we can recognize and greet you. The reading is not mandatory -- please come to talk, For those attending with children, you are welcome to laugh, think, commiserate, celebrate, and be together in worship as a family or children ages 4 and under are fellowship on the journey of parenting. This month's welcome in our Nursery in the Parish House. An usher topic is based on the chapter "Spiritual Practices". can direct you to Nursery staff. Registration is required. Families will have lunch on their own. Childcare will Activity boxes for older children are also available from be provided in the Baldwin room once lunch is over. the ushers. For more information, please speak to Sunday, January 22 from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm in William Williamson, our Membership Coordinator. the Chapel. Please mail [email protected] if you'd like help finding the book. Shared Offering Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education Each month, First Parish gives away one half of our Families of K-1 and 4-5th graders are reminded that our undesignated Sunday offering to non-profit special spring offering, Our Whole Lives (OWL) organizations doing social service or social justice work sexuality education, begins on January 29 with in our area. The shared offering recipient for January is a required Parent Orientation. Please plan to attend Boston New Sanctuary Movement. The New WITH your child that day to meet teachers, hear about Sanctuary Movement is a coalition of interfaith religious the curriculum, and sign a permission slip for your child leaders and participating congregations, including First to participate. For more about OWL please Parish, called by our faith to respond actively and see http://firstparishcambridge.org/childrenyouth/what- publicly to the suffering of our immigrant siblings we-are-learning/. Families can choose whether OWL residing in the United States. meets your child's needs at this time; alternative programs are Spirit Play for PK-1st graders, Moral Tales Boston New Sanctuary Movement covenants to: for 4th graders, and Worship Weaving for 5th graders. 1. Take a public, moral stand for immigrants’ rights Cambridge MLK Day Commemoration 2. Reveal, through education and advocacy, the In this time of renewed focus on the challenges of actual suffering of immigrant workers and families racism, sexism, xenophobia, fear, and threats of under current and proposed legislation violence – and on action for peace, justice, and equality 3. Join other faith communities in campaigns to – please join us as we remember and celebrate the life reduce hate, workplace discrimination, and unjust and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. deportation MLK Day Commemoration and Remembrance Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain. (Goal: at least featuring remarks by Congresswoman Katherine 20 from First Parish). If interested, let Elizabeth Kline Clark ([email protected]) know that you are coming. You Monday, January 16, 2017 • 11:00 AM must be seated before the meeting time as this St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Central Sq. organization always begins on time. We try to sit For more info: www.cambridgema.gov/peace together as a First Parish group.

Womens March for America – January 21 Beyond Categorical Thinking Join other members of First Parish at 10:45 am at the The Ministerial Search Committee invites you to a Southwest corner of Beacon and Charles Street, across workshop titled Beyond Categorical Thinking on from the “Carty Parade Ground”. Rally begins Saturday, January 28, 2017, starting with breakfast at 11:00 am. We will march for American ideals in at 9:00 am and ending at 12:30 pm. Our Developmental the spirit of democracy. Women are leading the Minister, Rev. Danielle Di Bona, will facilitate the march, and men and children are welcome and workshop. She will also be giving a sermon on this encouraged to attend. Details here: topic on January 22. http://bostonwomensmarchforamerica.org/schedule/ Beyond Categorical Thinking is a program designed Open Workshop on Governance Change by the Unitarian Universalist Association to promote January 22 from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm inclusive thinking and to prevent unfair discrimination (Note the change in ending time) during a congregation’s search for a settled minister. It All are invited to join the Standing Committee is a highly recommended part of the ministerial search on January 22 from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm for this process and is designed to help us come to terms with workshop led by Dan Hotchkiss, our consultant on our own, often involuntary categorical thinking. UU effective organization for congregations. This gathering ministers who identify as people of color, as will be an opportunity to learn more about Dan's Latina/Latino/Hispanic, as bisexual, gay, lesbian, recommendations, which we are in the process of queer and/or transgender, or as people with implementing, and how we think they will work at First disabilities, often have a more difficult time in the Parish. Let's talk about the ministry work we share, ministerial search process because of unconscious about "ministry teams," and more. Lunch will be congregational biases. Both congregations and provided at 1:00, so please RSVP to: ministers also need to be aware of and work to [email protected] to let overcome biases and conflicts that may arise when the us know you are coming . Please join us! minister and members of the congregation have different identities. SAVE THE DATES!! First Parish GBIO This is one of the ways for us to put our faith into lived The GBIO Task Force invites everyone to come and experience and improve the odds that -- regardless of participate in after service learning and discussion identity -- we will find the minister who is the best around GBIO's priority issues. Each gathering will be match for us and will serve us well. All members and beginning at 12:00 PM (except for February 5th,) ,which friends of First Parish are invited to attend both the begins at 12:30 PM. The speaker will give a brief) service and the workshop. RSVP overview of the issue and GBIO's actions taken and/or at [email protected]. planned. The remaining 45 minutes will be small group discussion to draw out people's personal stories and experiences relating to that issue. You are encouraged to Congregational Event on Support / Sanctuary for come to as many of these sessions as you can. Immigrants – All Are Welcome! January 22, 2017 Affordable Housing On Sunday, January 29 after service, join the Beyond February 5, 2017 Gun Safety Borders - Sin Fronteras (BBSF) group of First Parish to discuss the various ways congregations are responding February 19, 2017 Criminal Justice Reform to the current crisis facing immigrants under a new

April 2, 2017 Health Care Cost presidential administration. This will be the beginning of Containment discerning how our congregation may want to GBIO Public Action Event - February 2 participate in these efforts to support, protect and provide sanctuary for immigrants and others who may Large Public Action on Housing and Criminal Justice on be targets. Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at The time is now! This is a critical civil rights issue of our our homeless community experiences during the winter. time. We need to learn together, work together and Following the walk, participants will come together to prepare to give support however we can. The event will share breakfast and hear stories from our partner also include an interactive educational activity about organizations and the homeless community. immigration and the history of immigration in the Registration begins: 8:30 am. Walk begins: 9:00 am. United States. Snacks will be served. For more Find more on our FAQ page here. information, email [email protected]. Register now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winter- walk-boston-tickets-3006121089 Covenant Groups are Forming Now! For more information contact Devon Kinkead. Covenant Groups offer us the opportunity to deepen our spirituality; to connect across age, gender, ethnic, Safe Congregation economic and other differences; to help new members At First Parish we covenant to welcome all people to the and long-timers get to know each other; to be engaged, table, to nourish and serve each other and to respect and included, and heard in a safe, nurturing environment. honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person. To Groups will be starting in the next few weeks. More achieve these goals it is essential that we maintain a safe groups will start as more people register. Days, times and environment that protects children and adults from harm locations will be determined by interest. If you want to while fostering their spiritual growth. We encourage learn more about Covenant Groups speak to anyone who has witnessed or experienced verbal, sexual Developmental Minister Rev. Danielle Di Bona or or physical abuse at First Parish to contact the email [email protected]. There is also appropriate team (adults and children respectively): SafeCongregation@ﬁrstparishcambridge.org information and a registration form on our website safechildren@ﬁrstparishcambridge.org at http://firstparishcambridge.org/small-group-ministry/ Request For Helpers Events This Week Being the “new kid on the block,” I could use your help. Monday January 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day I’m trying to collect a small or large group of people 6:30 pm AA in the Parlor who would be willing to provide a meal, offer a ride, or 6:30 pm Women Writing Together in the Chapel write a note or card every once in a while. There are Tuesday January 17 people in our congregation…your friends and neighbors 5:30 pm Tuesday Meals in the Parlor who could use some help. Are you that person? If so, 6:00 pm Spanish Conversations in the Baldwin Room please email me and let me know what your interest is. 7:00 pm Young Adult Group in the Nursery We all thank you…and I can’t wait to hear from you! 7:00 pm Buddhist Meditation Grp in the Fuller Room Blessings to all, Rev. Danielle 7:00 pm Standing Committee in the Chapel Save the Date: Special Congregational Meeting Wednesday, January 18 9:30 am Yoga in the Barn Rm March 19 6:00 pm GBIO in the Chapel Please mark your calendar for a special meeting of the 6:30 pm Two Brattle in the Baldwin Room congregation on March 19, 2017 at 12:30PM to vote on 7:00 pm Interplay in the Parlor new bylaws. Feedback on the draft is welcome as we prepare the final versions. For more information, please Thursday, January 19 9:00 am Yoga in the Barn Room see http://firstparishcambridge.org/our-governance/ 12:00 pm Yoga in the Barn Room 5:30 pm Y2Y event in the Gallery Join Us for Winter Walk to Support Y2Y 6:00 pm Yoga in the Barn Room – Sunday, February 12, 2017 6:45 pm Rental Event in the Chapel Winter Walk has come to Boston and we need your help to raise awareness and funds to support Y2Y. Please join Friday, January 20 us to support Y2Y and 4 other organizations working to 6:00 pm Reach Out Dinner in the Parlor help the homeless of Boston. The inaugural Winter Saturday, January 21 Walk will be held on February 12th, 2017. Participants will gather on Copley Square Plaza, and 8:00 am Cambridge Minyan in the Parlor and Chapel then walk two-miles to experience just a fraction of what 8:30 am GSA in the Chapel 10:00 am Yoga in the Barn Room 12:00 pm GBIO Discussion on Affordable Housing Sunday, January 22 12:00 pm Parenting Discussion Group in the Chapel 10:30 am Worship in the Meetinghouse 1:00 pm Leadership Retreat in the Barn Room