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Upcoming Worship Services!
Sunday, December 11th, 9 & 11 a.m.
"Advent 2: Finding Hope" The poetry of Robert Frost will take us into an exploration of how we Unitarian Universalists can find hope.
Wednesday December 14th @ 5pm Silent Meditation, 5:30 pm Reflections: We will be celebrating evergreens and trees of all sorts. Their beauty -- their strength -- their flexibility -- their fragrance. Come share a story about your favorite tree.
Sunday, December 18th, 9 & 11 a.m.
"This I Believe" is an annual service organized by the worship committee. We invite individuals from our society to share their spiritual and life journeys thus far. Join us as we celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of our participants, and each other.
Wednesday, December 21st, 5 p.m. Music Meditation, 5:30 p.m. Reflections: Solstice
Saturday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Services
4 pm Family Service: In this Family Service, through singing and story, we will gather 'round the innocent, unexpected light that Christmas Eve brings. Martha Dallas will lead, with Rev. Roberta Finkelstein participating. The Children's Choir will sing.
6 pm and 8 pm "Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols" Music, readings, and reflections on the ancient story of Christmas with a uniquely UU perspective. The service will conclude with a tradi-tional candle-lighting ritual.
Sunday, December 25th - One Service at 10 a.m.
"Tis the Season" Following the traditional Christmas Day breakfast we will gather in the sanctuary to sing carols and share Christmas thoughts and memories. As Christmas Day falls in the middle of Hanukkah, we will also have a menorah lighting ceremony.
Wednesday December 28th @ 5 pm Silent Meditation, 5:30 pm Reflections: Hanukkah
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 You are invited to the 2nd Saturday Adult Potluck Supper on December 10. Come at 6:00 for conversation, singing, friendship, and a good dinner. Please contact Shirley McLane at 862-0543 or shirleymclane@myfairpoint.net to let us know you are coming and whether you are bringing an appetizer, main dish, salad, or dessert. Also include how many people and if you need childcare (it's free, but we need a few days notice). We ask for a $2 per person donation to cover the costs of wine, cider, soft drinks, and supplies. I hope to see you there
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 You are invited to come join Interweave, the GLBTQA social group, for a discussion on December 11th at 12:30-2:00 about transitioning and transgender community members and how we can make the congregation more welcoming. Have a burning question about transgender or transitioning? Looking to meet an a opened and welcoming space? Please drop by for a discussion and snacks. If you have any questions please contact Danielle Rochford at Dannir86@comcast.net or 802-489-5051. |
Family Potluck Dinner
Mark your calendars and bring a favorite dish to the FAMILY potluck on December 10th. The family potluck starts at 5:30pm downstairs in the community room. Children can eat with the adults, or parents can utilize the free babysitting offered. Please RSVP so we can be sure to have coverage for sitting if needed, and to let us know what you'll bring- main, side, veggie or dessert and how many are coming from your family. There is a small donation requested from each family to cover drinks. RSVP to: Sarah Forbes, 872-8743, sarahforbesdesign@comcast.net or Paula Rupp, 338-1696, planetrupp@gmail.com. See you there!
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 "WONDERFUL GIFT POSSIBILITY: Support our UU Society and give a great gift at the same time! CYCLES of REFLECTION is a book of meditations and parts of sermons given by our Minister Emeritus, Bob Senghas. The books are $10 each and every bit goes to this Society. It is a powerful collection of Bob's wisdom. Books can be ordered from Julia Blake at juliavblake@comcast.net and then picked up at the church Dec. 18 or later (I will be out of town between Dec. 6 and 17 so unable to respond to your emails before then.) Bob was minister here from 1979 to 1989 but his thoughts have not grown stale or out of date!"
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 Religious Education News! Upcoming Sundays for children and youth:
Dec. 11... Regular RE Sunday. Double session in OWL. Dec 18... Regular RE Sunday - LAST Sunday of Fall RE Session!
Dec 25... Multigen Worship at 10 AM only. Nursery is closed today.
RE Angels & Teachers: A Collaborative Effort
Reminder about who does what with Classroom Binders and Attendance sheets: TEACHERS: Please get your binder from the RE Cart in the Community Room by closet # 1 before class starts. Take attendance on the sheet in the binder. RE ANGELS: Please make sure teachers all collected their binders and bring to them if they forgot. Please go to each class and take the completed attendance sheet from the teachers. Place these the together in the manilla folder in the RE Cart. TEACHERS: Fill out the Communication form in your binder when class is done and return the binder to the RE Cart. Questions? Contact Martha:
Bridging Planning for Fall & Winter-Spring RE Teachers WHO: Fall teachers AND Winter-Spring teachers
WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18th
TIMES: 10:15-11:00 and 12:15-1:00
WHAT: Time to "pass the torch" from Fall teachers to Winter-Spring teachers. Teacher planning and info-sharing time. Review what lessons have been taught, and which ones are coming up. Review classroom patterns and rituals. Bring newer teachers into the fold of more experienced ones. Begin to develop the schedule of leads and assistants for RE Sundays from Jan 8 - May 20. WHERE: Gather in the Community Room for a brief welcome, then go to classrooms to meet and plan.
Have some basic carpentry skills & tools?
The RE program needs a lockable box, about the size of a shoe box, in which RE classes can deposit their Magic Penny collections each Sunday. Ready-made boxes for this purpose are ridiculously expensive. Who might build us one? We'll pay for supplies if you provide the skilled labor. Inquire with Martha Dallas for specifics. Thanks! |
Office Hours!
Our offices will be open Monday, December 12th through Thursday, December 15th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. If you come during these hours and the door is locked, please ring the doorbell! |
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 Giving Tree
Don't forget to take an ornament this Sunday if you haven't yet done so and bring your gifts back by next week, Sunday December 18th! The Yuuth Group, COTS, Spectrum, and the Humane Society are very grateful for your generosity.
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Acting on UU ValuesSupport economic justice! 
Promote workers' rights and a living wage!
Help advance civil liberties and democratic processes!
Protect people affected by disasters!
Support our denomination's dynamic service committee, the UUSC, that works hard to bring Unitarian Universalist values to life in the United States and other parts of the world through grass-roots partnerships. Your help is much appreciated when you place bills and coins in your Guest at Your Table box as often as you can this holiday season. Or, if you prefer, pick up a UUSC self-addressed envelope on one of the tables in back of the sanctuary or on a table in the parlor, fill out the form, and mail a tax-deductible contribution to join or renew your membership. Remember that UUSC is a membership organization. The Denominational Affairs committee is hoping that our congregation will increase its membership participation, so thank you in advance for helping out.
If you support UUSC through Guest at Your Table, our beautiful box and Stories of Hope booklet introduce you to people whose efforts in partnership with UUSC have helped change people's lives. Each week, with family and friends, we can focus on a different story of hope as we sit down to meals together and consider our many blessings.
This week, meet Patrick Lafontant, an artist and youth mentor who grew up on his own in a particularly disadvantaged neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Fortunately, he found hope - and a new life providing art therapy for at-risk youth - with the Association for the Promotion of Integral Family Healthcare, a UUSC partner. Patrick's leadership grew with a new purpose after the earthquake, teaching art workshops for youth in his community. UUSC funding has not only allowed Patrick to continue pursuing his dream of being an artist, it has also contributed to his development as a leader and made it possible for him to mentor other youth. You can learn more about UUSC's work to preserve rights and dignity in humanitarian crisis online at www.uusc.org/humanitariancrises. |
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Yuuth Group Updates!
December 11th
10:45 am - 12:15 pm Sunday Focus: YSOP (service project) & GT
We'll go over YSOP dates and details and finalize who will be responsible for distributing the gifts collected from the Giving Tree. I will also be asking for volunteers and nominations of youth who are interested in taking the lead various Yuuth Group responsibilities (Treasurer, Fundraising, Communication, etc) - details to follow!
December 18th
**Weird Timing!!**
12:15 - 2:15 pm Sunday Focus: Giving Tree
December 18th is the last day for gifts to be brought back for the Giving Tree! It is also the day the tree needs to be removed from the Sanctuary. After the second service we'll organize everything, bag it up, take the tree down, then...go to Shalimar for the Sunday buffet? If we want to do this it might be after 2:15 when we're done, but we can decide later :-)
Contact Kristin Cadwalader
youth@uusociety.org or 908-399-5084
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Christmas Eve Ushers/Candle Lighters 
We need eight people (ages 12 and older) for the 4pm and 6pm services and 6 people for the 8pm service. Volunteers must be willing to arrive 45 minutes early for orientation. Duties include handing out orders of service, assisting with the collection, and functioning as candle lighters. Come take part in this annual, holiday event!
Click here to sign up to be an Usher/Candle Lighter at one of our Christmas Eve Services!
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 A Message to Those of You Who Shop On-line
If you are one of the many people who avoid the malls by doing their holiday shopping on-line, you can help the First UU Society at the same time. Before going directly to your favorite on-line store, go first to www.goodshop.com. Where it asks you to type in the name of your cause, type in First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, then just start shopping. Many of your favorite stores participate by donating a percentage of your purchase to the Society. Each year in November, we receive a check for that amount. And you can do this all year long; every time you purchase something on-line just go to www.goodshop.com first. Just imagine how much money we could raise if we all participated in this way! |
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Bazaar Wreaths and Greens
A heartfelt thank you to the creative volunteers who decorated the gorgeous wreaths for this year's Bazaar; to the helpers who hung wreaths, prepped, hauled and cleaned the greens area, & to the "elves" who supplied much of the interesting natural materials used on the wreaths & greens! Your energy, enthusiasm, & good conversation made it fun and successful! Sarah Forbes |
Our Neighbors Need Not Go Hungry!
Your contributions of protein-rich casseroles and homemade brownies or cookies allow us to use our purchase order to buy more vitamin and nutrient packed fresh veggies & fruit. Bring your donations to the UU downstairs kitchen (clearly labeled "food shelf") and we will transport them, or drop directly at the Food Shelf by 4:30. Dates: 12/11, 12/18, 12/25, 1/1, 1/8, 1/15. Many thanks! Suzie DeBrosse,
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever does." - Margaret Mead |
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A warm thank you to all who chose to remember a loved with a wreath or greens for our sanctuary and church doors. The space not only looks lovely, but is wrapped in memories of love and laughter and time spent together in community and fellowship. Thank you for bringing this wonderful energy to our sanctuary. Sarah Forbes |
 Christmas Breakfast-yes it's that time of year-the shopping list is ready, the strata recipes are being hunted up and the posters are being printed! So bring your apron and your family to our annual Christmas Breakfast: we share food, conversation and ourselves with each other and with neighbors who need a welcoming place for a holiday meal. Just like at home-we all pitch in to make it work!
Please contact Lynn Douglas to volunteer, donate food or if you have questions (yes, it really is on Christmas morning!) herbalwoman@gmail.com, 802.318.2663 (there is NO sign-up sheet at the Meetinghouse). |
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Volunteer Spot!
Kathleen and I have a little something new up our sleeves! We are beginning to use a website called Volunteer Spot to assist you in signing up for volunteer opportunities. Please watch the next Newsletter for an in-depth article about how this new process will work. But for those of you who are adventurous and just can't wait to try out this amazing new feature, just click one of the links below and get started! Don't worry, clicking on a link will not obligate you in any way, it will just let you see a job description and when we're looking for help. Then, when you're ready, you can easily sign up to volunteer right on the site. Go Ahead! Give it a try!
Click here to learn about becoming a Sanctuary Fidget Fixer!
Click here to learn about becoming an RE Supply Inventory Volunteer!
Click here to learn about becoming a Front Office Steward!
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 Volunteer for First Night Burlington 2011 and receive a free First Night button!
Our Meetinghouse has been a long time host site for First Night Burlington. For First Night 2012 we are hosting Wilhem Lange, the Starline Rythym Boys, the MMU Chorus, , Banjo Dan & the Midnite Plowboys, Twist of the Wrist and the Woods Tea Company.
We have 20 two hour time slots available for folks who would like to volunteer and receive a free First Night button. The starting times are 12:40, 2:40, 4:40, 6:40 and 8:40 PM. The last shift will be shorter.
There is a now sign-up-sheet on the First UU Society bulletin board. After December 17th you can call me at 862-5630 x23 or send an e-mail to david@uusociety.org to sign up or ask questions. Volunteers can pick up their buttons beginning at 11:00 AM on Friday, December 31st.
Volunteering is great fun and a wonderful opportunity to support this valuable Burlington event.
David McFeeters Facilities Manager |
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