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Announcement re. ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!
Sarah Witte has volunteered to be the Announcer for 2012. Announcements can be emailed in advance or handed to Sarah on Sunday mornings, or even left on the pulpit. sarahcoffinwitte@gmail.com Please try coming a few minutes earlier so you can get the news and enjoy the music. Many thanks in advance!
Two new features in Channels make for easier reading:
1. Click on the Table of Contents section you would like to view. You'll be taken right to that section.
2. At the end of most sections (boxes) you'll be able to quickly return to the top by
clicking on "Return to Top."
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Channels Newsletter
January 20, 2012
Mission Statement of the First Universalist Church of Yarmouth
Connected by Unitarian-Universalist principles,
We join hands in open-minded and caring community
To support spiritual exploration and growth,
To celebrate and honor life's journey,
And to inspire engagement in an evolving world.
Religious Exploration
Check out our WEBSITE.
"We are a Welcoming Congregation"
CHANNELS Newsletter Table of Contents
1. Worship
2. Programs
a. Religious Exploration
b. Faith-in-Action
c. Denominational Connections
d. Church Library
3. Governance & Stewardship
4. Community Announcements & Events
6. Blog Links
7. Storm Closing Information
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Do You Hear? Answering the Call
Sunday, January 22th, 10:30 am
Guest preacher D'vorah Kelly is back with us to offer her
thoughts on vocation and faith. Join us!
RE = regular Sunday morning classroom time for PK - Gr. 6, no meeting this afternoon for Sr. Youth. O.W.L. meets at 4:30 pm.Newcomer Getting To Know One Another
Right after the worship service this Sunday, please join several members of the Welcoming Committee for a casual visit in the "Kitty Corner", the area at the foot of the stairs next to the kitchen. We look forward to getting to know one another better and to learning how we might help you discover what you are looking for in this church. Help yourself to a hot cup of tea or coffee in the Gathering Room, where others will be eating and chatting, then meet us in the "Kitty Corner" with your questions and thoughts for fifteen or twenty minutes of friendship.
Worship Calendar
January 15 - February 12 Our Worship theme will be "The Call" - How do we understand amd embrace vocation in our lives and our faith?
January 29 - Stranger and Traveler - the vocation of Dorothea Dix
Join Rev. Jennifer and Worship Weaver Kate Connelly in their exploration of the life of one of our great Unitarian foremothers, Dorothea Dix. Come find out what Dorothea's passion, courage, and sheer stubborn brilliance has to teach us about our own desire to answer "the call".
And remember, our Mid-Year Meeting is today (1/29) after the service. Members and friends, please stay for this important chance to speak together as a community. (Our Sr. Youth will be selling a delicious and inexpensive lunch as a way to fundraise for the their 2012 Romanian Mission Trip - it's another great chance to talk to them about what they're up to and  why they're so excited!)
February 5 - Further exploration with Rev. Jennifer about the paths we choose, how we know we're on the "right one" and what to do when we know we're not!
February 12 - We're happy to welcome back guest preacher Lyn Betz as she shares with us her views on vocation and life's journeys.
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Religious Exploration
RE = regular Sunday morning classroom time for PK - Gr. 6, no meeting this afternoon for Sr. Youth. O.W.L. meets at 4:30 pm.
Reclaiming the Story
Adult Religious Education opportunity in UU biblical studies
Are you interested in some of the progressive interpretations of ancient Biblical stories that Rev. Jennifer has been using in worship lately? Do you have questions about the Bible, or how you've heard it used? Want to be culturally literate and sensitive when it comes to the Christian and Hebrew scriptures without having to understand them as a literal or hard-line "truth"? Then this is the class for you! We'll meet on Monday, January 30th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, and plan for two follow-up sessions together - so bring your questions, concerns, stories, and your calendars!
You must PRE-REGISTER for this course by Sunday, January 22nd, so please call Suzanne Warfel, Church Administrator, at 846.4148 and leave a message or email at office@uuyarmouth.org or leave a note on her desk in the office on Sunday morning.
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Hungarian Dinner to Support Sr. Youth Mission Trip 
Tickets available at the door!!
6 PM Saturday, January 21st in the church Gathering Room
Join us for a very special fundraising event to benefit the Summer 2012 Senior Youth Mission Trip to Gyepes, Romania.
Enjoy delicious Transylvanian-style appetizers, dinner and desserts, graciously served by our Senior Youth. Tickets: $20 Adult, $10 Youth, No charge for kids under 10. Childcare available upon prior request. All proceeds will benefit the 2012 trip to Transylvania. For more information, please contact Marge Titcomb, 846-4765. This fundraiser is co-sponsored by the Partner Church Committee and the First Universalist Senior Youth Group. Back to Top |
Got Teenagers?
We do! One of the things Yarmouth First U is known for in our faith movement is our thriving youth program. This building fills up not only on Sunday mornings, but late Sunday afternoons and into the evenings when over 30 teenagers arrive here at their spiritual home to engage in Our Whole Lives, Coming of Age and Sr. Youth group. We invite you to pay special attention, for the next few months, to the Sr. Youth group because 1) they are not Sunday morning worshippers, but they do want to know you and be known, so they showed up to the Holiday Fair to give back to our organization, and they are updating their web page with new pictures and short bios that let you know a little more about them, what they do, and what they believe, and 2) they're going on an international mission this year, to Romania, and they need our support in enthusiastically supporting their fundraisers over the next few months! These fundraisers allow all youth to participate in this faith-building, direct-service opportunity regardless of their finances, and also allow the youth to raise money for the work project they will engage in in our Partner Village of Gyepes, Romania. Particpating in these fundraisers is a great way to meet some of our teenagers, get to know them, and lend your support to their development as Unitarian Universalists and active participants in their communiy, society and world. Here are some things coming up:
Hungarian Dinner
Saturday, January 21st at 6pm. Great food, service with a smile, lots of laughs, and a few little surprises from Gyepes
Mid-Year Meeting lunch
Sunday, January 29th right after the service. Stay for lunch and/or donate soups and breads, either way all proceeds go directly to the Sr. Youth 2012 Mission!
Valentine's Day treats
Beginning Sunday, January 29th and continuning into February
the Sr. Youth Group will be selling baked treats and beautiful gifts perfect for your loved ones on Valentine's Day - and conveniently located in the Gathering Room right after church!
Valentines Day babysitting
Tuesday, February 14th. Go out and have fun while your kids stay here at the church and play with their friends, eat pizza and healthy snacks, and are lovingly cared for by our enthusiastic, game-loving, CPR certified teens. Sign-up sheet posted in the Gathering Room - don't delay!
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Faith-in-Action
Half Plate ~
Supporting the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee:Our half-plate collections for the next 3 Sundays will go to the UUSC. Organized almost 70 years ago in the wake of Nazi oppression, the UUSC works in the U.S. and around the world to promote economic rights, advance environmental justice, defend civil liberties and preserve people's rights in times of human crisis. There are several great ways to learn more about the UUSC's efforts to help society's most vulnerable, often those people not reached or served by traditional relief organizations: for example, you can read the inspiring stories in the booklet that came with your Guest At Your Table Box; you can check out www.uusc.org; or you can watch "Who Is UUSC" on YouTube. All will inspire you to bring your checkbook to church and be generous!
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Denominational Connections
Guest At Your Table Boxes Are Due: Speaking of the booklets that came with your Guest At Your Table box--it's time to bring the box back. Boxes are coming back chock-full of change (THANK YOU to those who have been so generous!) but we still have close to 40 boxes out there. If one of them is in your house, this is a great time to bring it in and leave it in the sanctuary. (Many thanks also to Bath Savings, which is counting our change and converting it to a check to the UUSC free of charge.)
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| Denominational Connections & the Church Library
Save Friday, February 3 For a Special Film Forum: More plans will be announced shortly, but you may want to put a "hold" on Friday evening, February 3. Immigration rights--and wrongs--are obviously getting a lot of press and generating much political furor, but the subject also touches some of our deepest moral values. February's film forum in the Common Room at the church will get us thinking and talking about them. Please join us!
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Church Library
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3. Governance & Stewardship
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Mid-Year Congregational Meeting, Sunday January 29
Our Mid-Year Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 29th following the service. Please plan to attend. EVERYONE is invited. Please join us for a delicious luncheon. (Our Sr. Youth will be selling a delicious and inexpensive lunch as a way to fundraise for the their 2012 Romanian Mission Trip - it's another great chance to talk to them about what they're up to and
Soups and bread needed!
We are looking for volunteers to provide soup and bread for the luncheon planned prior to the Meeting. There is a sign-up sheet on the "Our Church Community" bulletin board in the Gathering Room, or you can contact Chris Manderson at cmanders@maine.rr.com
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Free Money ~ Just sign up!
 Hannaford pays us 5% of your purchases ~ see Dorothy McAloney to get on board! dmcaloney@maine.rr.com LLBean pays us 18% of your purchases ~ see Brian Peters to get on board! brpeters@maine.rr.com (100's of other retailers are available as well - see www.scripzone.com for more information) |
Please Pardon Our Appearance
If you visit our Sanctuary in the next few days, you will see a
scaffolding occupying the Apse. The much needed repair of the Apse began when it received a new coat of plaster. Good news -- now it is being
painted according to the overall color plan for the Sanctuary. Thanks
for your patience.
- The Buildings & Grounds Committee
Snow Shoveling for Church The church and parsonage driveways are professionally plowed, but we  rely on volunteers to clear the 5 church entrances. A sign-up sheet is posted in the Gathering Room. Please pick a day of the week that you could do this winter. I'll bring over my snow blower if it gets really deep. Let me know if you can't sign up for a day, but would be willing to be on a call list. Thanks, Pete Titcomb (846-4765) Interviews with History ~ Digital video camera needed
Church members will be conducting some "interviews with history" in celebration of Unitarian Universalism's 50th Anniversary. We are in need of digital video cameras to borrow for up to a month. Do you have a digital video camera we could borrow? Thanks! Mariana and Ben Tupper ben.bighair@gmail.com or 699-9686 Back to Top
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4. Community Announcements & Events
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Winter Yoga Classes
There will be NO class the next two Saturdays: Jan 21 and 28. Classes are expected to resume on Feb 4. Watch this space for further information. This is a multi-level yoga class. Suggested donation $10 to drop-in. Funds collected go half to the church and half to a charity selected with the class.
Questions? Call the Instructor, Lois Howlett at 847-3055 or email Loishowlett@yahoo.com. All welcome. Class canceled in poor weather conditions. If in doubt, call Lois.
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| Benefit for Habitat for Humanity
Ice Cream & Tea Social with the Princesses; Sunday, January 22; 1:00 - 4:00 pm; admission $5; held at Catherine McAuley High School, 631 Stevens Ave., Portland
Make your own ice cream sundae ~ various activities for children, author Elizabeth Tardif "A Bunny Named Apple"
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Akeelah and the Bee
First Parish Congregational Church in Yarmouth is sponsoring a Community Movie Night on Sunday, Jan. 22nd at 5PM. Doors open at 5 and the movie will start at approx. 5:15. It has a run time of just under two hours. Please spread the word - all are welcome to join us.
In this heart-warming film, precocious eleven-year-old Akeelah from south Los Angeles is found to have an affinity for spelling. Despite her mother's objections, Akeelah enters a contest and eventually finds herself at the National Spelling Bee. A mysterious teacher and a cast of colorful characters from her neighborhood help her along her journey.
Miss Representation
Presented by Freeport Community Service and TARP (Tolerance and Respect Project); co-sponsored by Boys to Men; January 30th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Freeports Performing Arts Center. FMI www.maineboystomen.org katherineb2m@maine.rr.com or 774-9994
Rev. Karen Foley offers two "AGING with SPIRIT" Retreats:
Tuesday, February 7, at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover, Massachusetts (9:30-3:30, coffee at 9:00)
$53 early registration, $60 after January 31. Includes lunch.
Friday-Saturday, March 2-3, at Living Water Spiritual Center, Winslow, Maine (7 pm-4pm)
$85 (includes Sat breakfast & lunch)
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5. Church and Office Information
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CHANNELS deadline:
The deadline for submissions
to Channels is 9 am on Thursday.
Submit news & photos to:
office@uuyarmouth.org
DID YOU KNOW THAT: 1. You can access the church's calendar of events from our website? Click here.
2. Minutes from Yarmouth First Universalist Board Meetings can be found on
our website? Click here.
3. You can access back copies of CHANNELS on our website? Click here.
4. Upcoming Events are regularly updated on our website? Click here.
Church Office Hours
9:30 am - 1 pm ~ Tuesday-Friday
Rev. Jennifer's office hours are on Mondays and Thursdays starting at 10 a.m.. She is also happy to meet outside of office hours whenever necessary. Please call her at 356-1467 or email at yarmouthminister@yahoo.com to make an appointment.
WEBSITES:
CONTACT INFORMATION:
First Universalist Church
97 Maine Street
Yarmouth, Maine 04096
(207) 846-4148
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Here's how we're going to handle storm closings this year at First U:
If Yarmouth has declared a village-wide ban on all street parking because of the weather, church is closed. You can find out about parking bans by watching the local weather on channels 6, 8 and 13 or by calling the Yarmouth police department - non-emergency number - 846-3333.
- If the Sunday service was going to rely heavily on children and youth involvement and there's been a massive amount of snow and ice overnight, the service is most likely cancelled and church closed. It's our policy not to put that kind of pressure on families to put their children in the car and drive in bad weather.
- We post all closings on Channel 8 by 7 a.m.
- If in doubt do not call the church phone, the outgoing message of which is nearly impossible to change on short notice and which won't be working anyway if the power is out.
- Do call Rev. Jennifer's cell phone and listen to the outgoing message. That number is 207/356.1467. Please do not leave a message if that's all you needed to know :)
- Please DO leave a message for Rev. Jennifer on her cell phone if you've lost power/heat and need assistance, including, perhaps, a warm place to be for the day!
Thank you - We're looking forward to a wonderful, safe winter together.
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