Read this week’s issue of the Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal March 25. If you are not currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, sign up here.

Read this week’s issue of the Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal March 18. If you are not currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, sign up here.

Read this week’s issue of the Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal March 11. If you are not currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, sign up here.

Read this week’s issue of the Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal March 4. If you are not currently receiving our newsletter and would like to, sign up here.

During our worship service on Sunday, March 14, we will mark the one year anniversary of the pandemic, of lives lost, of the church closing and our ministry moving online, and the ways we have navigated these past twelve months.

We need your help! We would like to create several video montages to use in the service that highlight, month by month, the things we as a congregation have been through during this pandemic year. We welcome your submission of images, words, and video snippets that help tell the story of this past year. 

We invite you to use this calendar to write down key moments in the lives of you and your family members over the past year. You can share that calendar with us electronically or you can take photos or scans of the relevant months. You may also submit standalone images/photos and short videos (~5 seconds) that represent moments/months during the past year. Please send your submissions to us at communications@firstuniv.org by Monday, March 8, at 11:59 p.m.. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rev. Justin at Justin@firstuniv.org.

You can learn more about this invitation and find more detailed submission information here.

Our chalice lighting every Sunday ends with this promise we make to one another: “To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help (to care for) one another.” 

In other words, we care for one another at First Universalist Church. We care about living our values and beliefs. We care about being engaged in the needs of the world and we care deeply about one another. Over the years, we have developed a ministry of the church that extends care services to its members in a variety of ways. We provide rides to the doctor, meal trains for families in a crisis, and grief kits when a loved one dies. Another important service is one offered by our Care Companions. Care Companions are trained individuals matched with a careseeker in the congregation that needs someone to talk with on a semi regular basis. 

But care is not limited to trained professionals and trained volunteers. There are dozens of ways to care for one another and those in our community, and dozens of ways to be cared for. At its core, care is about compassion, the root of which means to “suffer with.” Care and compassion move us beyond sympathy to deep and profound empathy, to understanding and sharing the feelings of another, to suffering and rejoicing with another human being. This is the heart of caring. This month, we will explore the rich ground of how we give and receive care, and how we can take care of ourselves, avoiding burnout and caregiving fatigue.

Read this week’s issue of the Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 25. If you are currently not receiving our newsletter and would like to, sign up here.

Read this week’s issue of our newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 18. If you are currently not receiving our emails and and would like to, sign up here.

The Nominating Committee is now recruiting candidates for leadership positions on the Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board, and the Nominating Committee for the 2021-2022 church year. It’s an exciting and important time to serve as we move forward in our building project, navigate Rev. Justin’s departure, and live into new ways of being present to each other as the pandemic continues. Serving on one of these bodies enables you to represent other church members to ensure that the church moves forward in alignment with its visionary goals. Members have unique opportunities to collaborate with our ministers and other lay leaders to advance the church’s mission! Below are brief descriptions of the different positions:

Member of the Board of Trustees: Trustees partner with the congregation and professional staff in shaping the vision and long-term goals of the church. They articulate these aspirations through policy and collaborate with the Senior Co-ministers to see they are fulfilled. A fuller description of the position can be found here. 

Member of First Universalist Foundation Board: Board members serve as stewards of the Foundation endowment. The solicit grant applications, review applications, and select grantees to be awarded funding. A fuller description of the position can be found here.

Member of Nominating Committee: Committee members screen and recommend candidates to the congregation for vacant positions on the Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board, and the Nominating Committee. A fuller description of the position can be found here.

Requirements: You must be a member in good standing of the church. Elections occur at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 6. Please consider either nominating yourself or encouraging a fellow church member to apply for this important work. 

Fill out the application form here. Applications are due by Friday, March 19, 2021. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please email nomination [at] firstuniv.org or contact any Nominating Committee member: Jim Ramnaraine (chair), Sharon Ramirez, Pat Gottschalk, Valerie Garber, Cathy Manning, and Ray Dillon. Thanks for your attention to this opportunity to serve this congregation!  

Read this week’s issue of our newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Feb. 11. If you are currently not receiving our emails and and would like to, sign up here.