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Upcoming Worship Services!
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
Worship on New Year's Day??? Yes we can. Join Rev. Roberta for one service at 10 am on Sunday January 1, 2012. The service will be a participatory ritual called the Coffin and Cradle. You are invited to bring two objects: one to put in the coffin to symbolize that which you wish to give up in the new year, the other to put in the cradle to symbolize that which you hope to give birth to.
**Thank you to Mike Reilly (friend of Mark Kuprych) for this amazing photo of our Meeting House! |
 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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 If you ordered Pecans from the UUSC, our sincere apologies for the late delivery. Jean Palmer has been in touch with the nut company people and they promise the nuts were shipped on time. Our nuts seem to be in transit. Jean Palmer will call each of you to arrange for pick up as soon as the nuts arrive.
Thank you for your patience. |
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FUUSB is coordinating the Christmas night dinner at the Burlington Food Shelf. Yes, Christmas night! We need warm hearty casseroles and desserts donated. Contact Grace @ gracecmeyer@gmail.com
if you can help. Thanks!
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 Please Take Note . . .
Rev. Roberta will be on vacation from January 2nd - 9th. If you have a pastoral emergency during this time please call the office and you will be directed to somebody who can support and assist you. |
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First Night Lasagna Dinner!
Thank you to all those who have signed up to bake lasagnas or to work at the First Night Lasagna Dinner sponsored by the Social Action Committee . We are still in need of a few people to work at either the 2:30 till 5:30 shift or from 5:30 till 8:30, and we need more lasagnas. The sign up sheets are on the Social Action bulletin board in the hallway near the parlor entrance. Please consider helping with this activity which supports the Social Action Committee in its work in our community and world. Most of our guests prefer meat lasagna. |
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Religious Education News!
Upcoming Sundays for children and youth:
Dec 25... Multigenerational Worship at 10 AM only. Our nursery is closed today. All children are welcome to join their parents for caroling in the sanctuary!
Jan 1... Multigenerational Worship at 10 AM only. Again, our nursery will be closed this New Year's Day.
Jan 8... RE classes resume. Double session in OWL.
If you missed the Teachers' Bridging-Planning time...
check out the topics that teams were discussing: Bridging-Planninig Topics
Status of Teaching Teams Teachers, please check out this document, which shows who's committed to teach for the coming months, and where the gaps still are: RE Steward Status Winter-Spring 2012 Please let me know if you can fill a gap! Thanks. Martha |
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 Come January 8 to Say "Farewell" to Our Wonderful Facilities Manager, David McFeeters!
Mark your calendar now for an expanded between-service coffee hour on January 8, when we will formally take leave of David, who has done so much for our carbon footprint, energy costs, and more during his seven-year tenure with FUUSB. Festivities will begin at approximately 10:20 a.m.
Bakers needed for the special coffee hour! If you can provide muffins, sweet rolls, quick breads, etc., (ready-to-serve: sliced if necessary, and plated), please e-mail Rita Bortz at ritabortz@aol.com, or call her at 864-3516.
Gift Contributions: Contributions toward a gift for David are most welcome! For tax reasons, these cannot go through the FUUSB account, so please make checks out to Jan Abbott, and send to her at 12 Chestnut Lane, Essex Jct., 05452-4331. Your name(s) will be written on a card to give to David.
If you would like to write a few words of appreciation to David, to be presented in an album, please send this to Jan Abbott. |
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Northern New England District Appoints Interim District Executive!
With the upcoming retirement of District Executive Rev. Mary Higgins on December 31, 2011, the Northern New England District (NNED) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Karen Brammer as Interim District Executive. Rev. Brammer presently serves as Smaller Church and Justice Specialist, working from her home. Rev. Brammer will be co-employed by the District and by the UUA. A search committee is in the process of seeking a permanent District Executive, but these searches take time. Rev. Brammer wants all congregations in the District to feel free to call on her if they need assistance from the District. The District Board of Directors expects Rev. Brammer to keep a steady hand on the wheel during this period of transition and thank her for her willingness to serve our District in this new capacity.
Sincerely,
Susan Buckholz, President NNED
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 Support Human Rights and Social Justice
In recent weeks, our Guest at Your Table boxes and Stories of Hope have taught us about real people engaged in struggles for justice in the United States and around the world. The Guest program has also taught us about our power to change the world when we share our blessings with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. This week, meet Maria Aguilera, a leader for workers' rights with the Northwest Arkansas Worker Justice Center. When she was 16, Maria moved with her family from Mexico to California. She didn't have an opportunity to go to school, so she helped her family by working in the lettuce and strawberry fields. Many companies were underpaying, abusing, and threatening undocumented workers. Maria saw and experienced that - and decided to take action. She began volunteering and then became a leader at the Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center (NWAWJC), a UUSC partner that improves conditions for low-wage workers through educating, organizing, and raising public awareness. People come to NWAWJC looking for help with discrimination, wage theft, and other violations of workers' rights. You can learn more about UUSC's work to protect workers' rights online at www.uusc.org/economicjustice.
Sharing our blessings through Guest at Your Table ensures that UUSC's human-rights work continues. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution that meets membership levels. Since UUSC is an independent organization that does not receive funding from the government or UUA, your support and membership are vitally important. Before bringing back your Guest at Your Table box on Sunday, Jan. 15, please convert your cash and coins to a check made out to "UUSC" and complete the form on the box (or envelope). If you prefer, you can take a donation envelope or support UUSC directly online at www.uusc.org/givetoguest. Thank you. |
Office Hours!
Our offices will be closed for the holidays from Decmeber 23rd - January 2nd. If you have a pastoral emergency during this time, please contact Rev. Roberta at 703-508-1336.
The offices will be open from Tuesday, January 3rd - Thursday, January 5th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. |
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 OCCUPY THE SPIRIT
SAVE THE DATE: Jan 16th, 6:30-8:30
FUUSB is hosting a special public event, Occupy the Spirit Teach-in: Exploring the spiritual roots of social transformation.
Throughout history, spiritual leaders and religious communities have been catalysts for positive social change, and the tenets of movements such as Occupy Wall Street are the shared concerns of many faiths.
Over the course of 2 hours, we will hear from Burlington's spiritual leaders to learn how their communities have worked for social justice in the past and what they see as their vision for the future. Through small-group discussions to follow, we'll further connect activists and people of different faiths to strengthen our role in bringing about a shared vision of economic and social justice. Child care available. Contact Maeve McBride for more information or to sign up for childcare. maeve@ecoseeds.org
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The Stewardship Committee wishes each and every one a joyful holiday filled with love and connection. We're thankful for this past year with all its unique gifts; we look forward to 2012, a time for reigniting all our connections within this wondrous society.
Events to look forward to include:
Sunday 1/22: Minister's Forum: Creating a Culture of Generosity
Saturday 2/11: Talent/Variety Show Kick-Off for Stewardship Campaign
Feb & March: Campaign Cottage Gatherings for members & friends
We will need volunteers for many things, including letter stuffing & mailings, hosts for gatherings, Variety Show participants and crew, joyful pledgers.
To volunteer, please contact Kristin Kany at 802.324.4566 or kriskany@yahoo.com. Thank you so very much, we really appreciate your dedication to our FUUSB -- we each make it what it is. |
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You too can support economic justice here in Vermont.
As you may know, a group we call "Occupy UU" has recently formed out of our FUUSB membership. Our goal is to support economic justice, initially by raising awareness and educating others about the disparities between the wealthiest and our lower and middleclass citizens.
On Sunday afternoon January 8th members of our FUUSB community can further support economic justice by uniting with members from other faith communities and speak about the need for a more equitable sharing of wealth here in Vermont.
From 3:00 TO 4:30 January 8 at Ohavi Zedek there will be a panel of Representatives and Senators, invited by Vermont Interfaith Action, to address questions of how our state budget and system of taxation can better meet the needs of Vermonters.
Attending this discussion is one step you can make in this worldwide movement toward fairness and a more equitable distribution of wealth. Come join us. We (you and I) are responsible for making legislators respond to the need for economic justice.
Cheryl Haller
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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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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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 The Enews Blast is Taking a Vacation!
The Enews Blast will be taking a break on Thursday, December 29th, but will be back with you on Thursday, January 5th. See you next year! |
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