The Spire

the electronic newsletter of

First Parish of Norwell,

Unitarian Universalist

In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use

September 12, 2024

click on the spire to visit our website!

click here to email the Church Office

In This Issue

Bring a Friend, Help a Foster Child on September 22nd

Planet Partners: Climate Engagement Weekend

Zoom Information for Worship

Honoring Hope Weinman

Inclusion for All Event

Welcome Table and online church directory

Caring Corner

Worship Associates

Old Stables Market

Soulful Centering on Sunday Evenings

Inspiration and Justice Through Art: Monthly Small Group

Into Light

A Decade of South Shore PFLAG

Joyful Songs Pick-Up Choir

Alliance

FPN Book Group

Blood Drive

Social Justice Sign-Ups

Small Group with Duane Wilke

Middle School and Youth Group

Holiday Fair: Time to Prepare!

Bring a Friend, Help a Child on September 22nd

September 22nd is Bring a Friend to Church Sunday - we hope you'll invite someone to visit our community! Printed invitations will be available at church on Sunday September 15th so that you can personally deliver them to a friend.

During the service on the 22nd, we'll be hearing from Charlene Melo of the Southeastern MA Foster Closet, a new service for South Shore foster families that is just getting established. All are encouraged to bring a new pack of socks or underwear for the foster children served by the closet - or, if you'd like, purchase a pair of sneakers from the families' wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/28OGU85NKWNYW?ref_=wl_share

We Are Planet Partners:

A Climate Engagement Weekend Sep. 26-28

UUs around the country are participating in a Climate Justice Revival to focus on creating communities of support for our climate. FPN is joining this effort with a Climate Engagement Weekend.

Join us on Friday, September 27th at 6pm for a plant-based pot-luck dinner (drinks and dessert provided) and discussion about FPN's past, present, and future climate action steps. This will be an opportunity for multigenerational discussion of the current state of the climate, the possible future of the climate and how climate change intersects with social justice. Over dinner, a climate justice team member at each table will help guide the discussion. There will be special programming for kids at the same time.

On Saturday, September 28th, spend some time outdoors connecting with your love for nature! Join us for a walk in the Norris Reservation (leaving First Parish at 1pm) with a chance to observe the ‘Triangle Property’ woods which the Climate Justice Team is hoping to develop into a space for meditation and appreciation of the importance of protecting the natural beauty of the planet. If you are unable to join us, we encourage you to appreciate the beauty of the earth on your own. We'll share our photos on social media to connect our experiences.

On Sunday, September 29th, our special climate-themed worship service will be led by activist Claire/Karl Muller, with a conversation to follow in the Fogg Parlor.

Want to join our Worship Service online?

Our Worship Services can be found at this zoom link:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83606479122?pwd=T3MWcC9L51bgKuiYXXC2c6i9SsDT02.1

Meeting ID: 836 0647 9122

Passcode: SundayAM

---

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,83606479122# US (Washington DC)

+13052241968,,83606479122# US

---

Dial by your location

• +1 301 715 8592

Meeting ID: 836 0647 9122

Honoring Hope Weinman this Sunday

During the service we will participate in a ritual of celebration and thanks for our Office Administrator for 13 years, Hope Weinman. We'll continue the celebration following worship with a special coffee hour.

For a one-page poster listing all our September events, scroll down to the very bottom of the newsletter!

Inclusion for All Community Event September 17th 7-9

On September 17th from 7-9pm, First Parish of Norwell is partnering with Norwell Public Schools and MERGE Inclusion Consulting to provide a free workshop on best practices in inclusion. This event is designed to equip parents, coaches, troop leaders, potential employers and community members with the skills and understandings needed to become more inclusive and welcoming to people with diverse abilities.

We are excited for this event and hoping to pack the house! Too often, events that focus on inclusion are only attended by those who are directly affected by disabilities or already work to advocate for people with diverse abilities - but we know that inclusion is everyone's responsibility in a beloved community!

Invite your friend! Invite your child's coach or dance instructor or troop leader or friend's parents! Here's the event on Facebook so you can give it some social media love.

Please attend, please help spread the word, and please invite others to this important event.

What's at the Welcome Table?

The Welcome Table in the Parish Hall is not just for newcomers! Here's a list of some of the things you can do there:

request a nametag
grab a printed monthly calendar for your fridge
check or update your information in the ONLINE CHURCH DIRECTORY - or get your photo taken and uploaded
sign-up for many ways to help and get involved: usher, RE volunteer, worship associate, food for the next potluck or Community Dinner, etc.
take home directions for using the First Parish online calendar
chat with friendly folks who will help track down the answer to any question

Stop by the table every time you're at Coffee Hour to see what's new and what's needed!

Caring Corner

We continue to hold Peg Carpenter and family with deep care following the death of John Carpenter on Sunday, August 25th. The Celebration of Life for John will be October 5th at 11am at First Parish of Norwell. His obituary can be found here.

We learned from Mary Nickerson that her wife, Patti Walters, was recently admitted to The Residence at Penniman Hill in Hingham, which is a memory care, assisted living facility. Mary said that sending prayers, good wishes and positive thoughts from First Parish folks would be very much appreciated.

Worship Associates Needed

Do you love worship on Sundays? Would you be willing to participate by providing a reading or sharing a personal reflection? We'd love to have you sign up.

If you have questions about it - feel free to reach out to Rev. Susan or Marie Miller.

Our themes for the Fall are:

September: Beloved Community

October: Supporting accessibility

November: Finding our way forward (while fully facing & learning from our past)

December: Generosity

RE Volunteers (Really) Needed!

Ask anyone who helped last year - volunteering in RE is fun and easy!

With minimal prep work (just read over the lesson), you can make a big impact with a small commitment. EVERYONE at First Parish is encouraged to volunteer. You can lead a class for a month or be an assistant for a day.

Fourteen families have registered for RE - woo hoo and thank you! If you haven't gotten to it yet, no worries - you can still register your family here.

Old Stables Market - September 28 9am-3pm

On September 28th, FPN will host "The Old Stables Market," a pop-up artisan market. The carriage sheds and surrounding areas will be transformed into a shopping destination!

Vendors will feature their vintage, artisan and floral items. There will also be food trucks on site. Organized by Tami Lynch and Patricia Gill.

Soulful Centering on Sunday Evenings

8:30-9pm via Zoom every Sunday

In this somewhat anxious time in our world, this space is an opportunity to be in touch with the sacred within you and within our community.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86578407355?pwd=PIRWF9hshHEtaBDOcSez2L5mXmHt22.1

Meeting ID: 865 7840 7355

Passcode: Centering

Inspiration and Justice Through Art

Monthly gathering (Thursdays - 9/26, 10/24, 11/21, 12/19)

12pm-1pm in Fogg Parlor

Join Rev. Susan for this monthly small group gathering. Each session we will learn about an artist and how they are expressing their faith/spirituality through their work.

We will explore a variety of modalities including sculpture, pottery, weaving, music, writing and multi-media. It's an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of art and the offering of an artist - as well as how art moves, inspires and shapes us.

Into Light Exhibit

FPN is proud to sponsor this important examination and humanization of addiction.

All are invited to attend the opening this Saturday or view the gallery before it closes Nov. 8th.

A HELPFUL RESOURCE: A DECADE OF SOUTH SHORE PFLAG

Ten years ago, a local group of concerned men and women formed a support group for families and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ+) people. Such groups existed around our state, but none were located on the South Shore. Family acceptance of LGBTQ+ adolescents and adults is an important factor in their mental and physical health. In the fall of 2014, the South Shore Duxbury chapter of the Greater Boston PFLAG support group was born. FPN’s Les Taylor, knowing the value of PFLAG chapters, immediately got involved from the first meeting and has been involved with this important group ever since.

The local PFLAG group meets every fourth Monday of the month from 7 to 9 pm at First Parish Church in Duxbury, MA (842 Tremont Street, on Route 3A right next to Duxbury Town Hall). The first portion of the meeting is dedicated to an educational speaker or brief film. The remaining time is used for discussion and support. The powerful & positive outcomes from those receiving support at these meetings, impacting nearly 300 families over the past decade, have been immeasurable.

As the group celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, past attendees, current participants, and newcomers are encouraged to join in on Monday September 23^rd at 7 pm to celebrate this milestone and to enjoy some cake and refreshments. Folks may just “drop in” at this or any future meeting. Spreading the word would be greatly appreciated to any and all you know who might need this important resource.

For additional information regarding South Shore Duxbury PFLAG, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthShorePFLAG or send an e-mail to DuxburyPFLAG@gmail.com. You may also contact Les Taylor with any questions at lestaylor@me.com.

Joyful Songs "Pick-Up Choir"

We are trying something new this year with choir.

Are you interested in dipping your toe into singing?

Can you pick up simple melodies quickly?

Do Thursday nights not work for you to come to rehearsal?

Here's something for you!

The second Sunday of every month (beginning in October) anyone can come and practice with Gingy and the choir at 9:30am and sing the anthem that Sunday.

We will even send out a link to the song ahead of time so you can listen to it and practice on your own.

Come make a Joyful Song with US!

Alliance Programming Resumes

Join us on Wednesday, October 16 at 10 am in the Parish Hall for a program on The Boston Tea Party of 1773 and its connection to the South Shore, by John Galluzzo of the Hanover Historical Society. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Bring a friend.

You can help support our programming by joining the Alliance for $15.

First Parish of Norwell Book Group

Please join us for any or all of our monthly book discussions. We meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm on Zoom.

Sept. 16 – “Honor" - Thrity Umrigar

Honor is a novel about two couples and the challenges of love across a cultural divide in India.

Oct. 21 – “ Sandwich” - Catherine Newman (local author) This slice-of-life novel follows Rocky and her family on their annual week-long summer vacation in Cape Cod. Her two children are now young adults, her parents are aging, and her husband remains a steady presence in her life throughout their highs and lows. ⁣

Nov. 18 - "The Comfort of Ghosts” -Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs, a psychologist and investigator, uncovers a wartime mystery involving her first husband in this historical mystery fiction the 18th and last book in the award-winning series.

click here to join

Meeting ID: 847 0898 5879

Passcode: Bookworms

Red Cross Blood Drive

There is a nation-wide emergency blood shortage, and First Parish of Norwell will help! We are hosting a blood drive on October 1st from 1-6pm.

We have MANY open slots and need to sign up more people. Can you help us recruit?

Please sign up to donate and tell your friends! The donations are desperately needed now.

Social Justice Soiree

Our service on October 6th will focus on the possibilities that come from our engagement in social justice - then, during coffee hour, we will carry that momentum into plans and action steps by signing up for social justice interest teams. Be sure to spend some time learning about the work people are engaged in at FPN and finding your own passion.

Small Group with Duane Wilke in October

Duane Wilke will lead a three-session discussion group: Investigating Consciousness After Death. Participants agree to read 26 pages of an award winning essay for each week to discuss on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 for October 9, 16, and 23 at FPN. There is room for four more participants. Please email Duane: duanewilke@gmail.com and he will send further details for your consideration.

Youth Group and Junior Youth Group and Coming of Age, Oh My!

Teens at First Parish have many ways to stay involved. In addition to Sunday morning RE in Fogg Parlor with Becky Smock, there are three Sunday evening offerings:

Youth Group for our high school students starts up again this month. They are planning to run a fun Halloween event for our younger kids in October.

Junior Youth Group in collaboration with First Parish Cohasset will meet once a month to have fun and do some community service.

Coming of Age class, also with our friends at Cohasset, will be one Sunday a month with a culminating service in May.

The Holiday Fair: It's Time to Prepare!

Sat., Nov. 23 - 9:00 – 2:00

Mark your calendar right away: We need your help with this major fundraiser.

We will need you to bake, make handcrafts, clean out your closets and bring your clean, good toys, books/CDs and household treasures to the church the week before.

All Tables need help. Contact any chair or Peg Kitchenham781-635-0007 to volunteer. If you are new, let us know your interests! The Jewelry Table has put out a special call for good jewelry items. Thanks to Bob Gramarossa for helping with the Silent Auction.

Be a part of this year’s fair and make special memories! Be sure to bring a good appetite for lunch and don’t miss the fun of this important all church activity.

Themed Gift Baskets

Time to think about donating a themed gift basket to be sold at the fair! We are asking that you keep your purchases, if at all possible, to $15-$40, so we can keep the prices of the baskets reasonable.

A sign-up sheet with suggestions of basket themes will be at Coffee Hour from Sunday Sept. 22 (the Sunday after this Sunday), until the week before the Fair. If you have any medium, large or gigantic baskets for people to fill, we can use them! Just bring them to Coffee Hour. Remember-YOU provide the items on a theme of your choice (for ex. teen beauty, chocolate, nuts, football, baby, dog, cat, children's interests, ANYTHING) and WE provide the basket. (Be sure to keep a copy of all the receipts or make a list with the price you paid for each one as we will need them to price your basket!) ) When done, bring in your empty basket with your items and a list and price of those items, so we can wrap it and make a tag for it. WE will wrap your basket with our supplies.

Bev Gardner, Noel Constantino, Debb Welsh, Heather Comeau

P.S. We have been wrapping baskets forever, and we would love to get some new people to help us with the fun and easy job. We'll probably wrap on mornings before the Fair. Please let us know if you are interested in helping!

Plant Table

We want to start a plant table this year. Small to medium house plants were sold at Grandma's Attic last year and did quite well! We would like them to have a table of their own! This would need one or two people to volunteer to be the "co-ordinator(s)" of the House Plants Table." VERY fun and easy table to co-ordinate! Contact Peg K.

Table Chairs 2024

Set up & Handcrafts & Art- Marcia Babcock, 781-659-2956, Betsey Drollett, 781-934 6672

Silent Auction - Bob Gramarossa, 781-422-1282, Diane Koury, 781-659-4659

Snack Bar- Heather Comeau, 617-962-6456 & Tom Magazu

Books – Mary Mercier, 508-944-5368 & Duane Wilke

Grandma’s Attic – Linda Twomey 781-502-2205, Noel Constantino, 339-244-4778

Jewelry – Kerry Ouellet 781-834-3472

Gift Baskets & Plants Bev Gardner, cell 781-883-8141, Deb Welsh,781-294-1130

Baked Goods – Prue Miller, 781-826-2914 and the Alliance.

Toy Table – Amanda Adams – RE 617-501-5455, Becky Smock

Electronics/sports – Chris Kitchenham, 781-447-5831 & Larry Baker, 781-826-3284

Raffle & Publicity – Peg Kitchenham, 781-447-5831

Clean-up - Don Messinger, 781-659-7574 & Les Taylor, 781-837-2929, Paul Smock

Don’t leave items in the sheds unless protected. They get very dirty there. NOTE: We will not accept large sports equipment, TV’s or very old skis. Bring pictures of any large furniture, instead of the item.