Church Yard Sale October 3

Reminder - October 3rd - Yard Sale and Kids Safety Fair!

Craft and Consignment Sale!


Yes it is a bit ambitious - but the payoff will be a great family-oriented event to raise needed funds for First Unitarian! We will run our sale in coordination with Wesley Methodist. John Mirick and Joonu Coste are co-coordinating this event. Please connect with either of us with your ideas and to volunteer!

First - We need volunteers for this undertaking.
Please let us know if you can help out. My promise to you - this will be fun and highly rewarding!

ITEM PRICING - (2 people) help with items that are donated to assess pricing - experienced "antiquers" and yard sale aficionados wanted. Est. 5 hours of work over September.

MARKETING/ADVERTISING - (2 people) help with ID of opportunities to get the word out about the yard sale and create ad-copy. Est. 5 hours over September.

ITEM ORGANIZATION - (Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st) - (8 people) help organize items and set up for yard sale - camaraderie, music, and yummy food!! - Est 3 hours per shift / 2 shifts)

CASHIERS/RUNNERS - (10 people) day of yard sale - will receive training for cashier position - 2-hour shifts on day of yard sale. No lifting.

Second - We need stuff to sell!
Here are the ways you can participate and help make this a successful fundraiser.

DONATIONS - Clearing the clutter from your home? Moving? Downsizing? Save your items and bring them to church with you in September for donation to the church yard sale. There will be drop-off points in the church for collection starting September 13th. We request that item donations are clean, in working order, and that you tag and price each item. We will not be accepting items that cost money for disposal (i.e. computer monitors, mattresses, etc...). Additionally, we will not be able to accept items that require two people to move them.

CONSIGNMENT - We will also sell items at the yard sale on consignment. These are items that will sell for $20 or more. Please contact the church office at office@firstunitarian.com for more information.

CRAFTERS/VENDORS - Would you like to rent space at the yard sale for your business to set up a table to sell items? We offer this opportunity to First U members first. Please contact the church office at office@firstunitarian.com for more details.

KID'S SAFETY FAIR - Working in coordination with the RE Committee and Lay Leadership, we will offer Kid's ID kits with fingerprinting by the Worcester police and photos - by donation - as well as some fun games and activities for kids. We are looking for volunteers to help out that day with this. Interested? Please connect with Sierra-Marie, our RE Director or Joonu Coste.

Thanks to the Court Hill Singers

Congratulations and many thanks to the the dedicated folks that sang with the Court Hill Singers for the Summer Services. Cindy Bizzaro, Dave Blodgett, Cassie Datena, Kris Johnson, Marcia Leonard, Cathy Levine, Kim McCoy, Rosel Patton, Susan Peckett, Marge Ropp, Paul Ropp, Vivian Shortreed, Nancy Smith, Ellen ONeal Waite, and Linda Wyatt all gave of their time and talents to make a joyful noise, to rejoice, and to sing praise.

With great appreciation for your participation, Jerry Bellows.

Kundalini Yoga in the Chapel

This fall, try a new way to clean your inner landscape: Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, continues in the Chapel from 7:30-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday nights. No prior yoga experience is needed. You may attend each week, or drop in when you can. This fall we will explore the tattvas and chakras, working our way up from earth to the ethers! For more information visit the website http://www.kundaliniyogaforall.com/ which also Googles asAnahata Yoga. Sat nam!

225th Anniversary Theme Ideas

We are looking for a theme to capture the spirit of our church’s 225th Anniversary Year. What has sustained us so far, what will sustain us for another 225 years? We are asking you to help us by posting your brief theme idea on a 3"x5" card to be found on the Welcome Table in the Bancroft Room. Or you can email them to office@firstunitarian.com

Church Spruce Up

Please join Rev. Merritt and Barbara Foley at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 10th for a quick polish and paint touch-up, in preparation for two weddings, and opening Sunday. Coffee will be provided!

Wheel of Life

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Blaine Bershad whose mother Bernice, 87, died in July, in Chicago.

Sunday Morning Experience

There is possibly nothing better to do on a Sunday morning than to attend our church service. Between our ministers and our choir (and our overall church community), our Sunday service can be moving, inspiring, humorous, and educational, among other adjectives. While it may not be apparent to those attending, our service runs beautifully not only because of the ministers and choir, but also because of the many volunteers needed each Sunday. During the upcoming year, please consider volunteering for one (or more) of the opportunities to help our service run: donate flowers, be a greeter and/or usher, record the service, duplicate the CDs, or provide food.

I am also seeking individuals who would be willing to be called on when there is a need for hospitality on a given Sunday morning (e.g., no sign up, special celebration). My goal is to limit the number of times one would be called upon, but it would be nice (and easy) for me to work from a list of interested folks.

If any of this speaks to you, please email the church (office@firstunitarian) or stop by the Hospitality Table during the Opportunity Fair on Sunday, Sept. 20th. You can also catch me (if you can) at church, and there are signup sheets posted in the Dining Room.

Thank you!

Susan M Anderson
Chair, Hospitality

UU Sisterhood Fall Schedule

Open to all women. Potlucks begin at 6pm. Activities start at 7:15pm. Please join us.

Friday, September 25 – Potluck, Ice Breakers, Group Game
with sisters from the Holden St. Church.
Friday, October 16 – Potluck, Show and Tell
Friday, November 20 – Potluck, Quick and Easy Craft, Thankful theme
Friday, December 18 – Potluck, Cookie Swap, Yankee Swap

Circle Suppers

Members meet in small groups of eight for dinner and conversation in each others' homes monthly. Last year, 11 couples and 10 singles participated. Everyone does not have to host once. Our purpose is to know others and to become known. Organized by Joseph Baratta. Watch for sign-up sheet on bulletin board.

Bible Study

We read the Bible, not according to a lectionary for doctrinal belief, but as literature, book by book, as it was written in order to persuade people about the truths of religion. Discussions are open and wide-ranging. Led by Joseph Baratta. All are invited. Meetings on Sunday, after coffee hour, at 12 noon in the Mirick Room.

Green From the Garden Committee Green Exchange

Thanks to all who made this spring's flower and plant sale a big success. As a result of all efforts, the Garden Club has donated $826.00 to the Church and has made additional plantings around the Church grounds. It was a very tough summer to keep up with grounds maintenance but New England plants are a hardy stock and made it through the wet and dry spells just fine. Our next goal is a "1st Annual" fall bulb sale so keep that in mind as you tidy up before the frost sets in. Look for more information in the next newsletter!

Music Program Wish List

Volunteers & Donations
Music Program Wishlist
With tightened budgets and increased requests of the staff, we are seeking your help to support the quality of our program throughout the church year. Please take a moment to look at our “shopping list” – these are volunteer tasks and donations that you may be interested in contributing for.
www.FirstUMusic.com/wishlist

Open Choir Loft Sunday - Singers Wanted

It’s an electrifying experience!
Plug in Your Vocal Cords!
Wanted: singers for Open Loft Sunday(Sep 20) and
Gospel Mass (All Souls Sunday, Nov 1).
Experience the ecstasy of music-making!
No auditions needed.
Rehearsals: Thursdays 7-9pm, Bancroft Room.
www.FirstUMusic.com

Pictorial Directories

Our new Pictorial Directories will be distributed on Sunday, September 13. The Directory has over 130 family photos, church staff photos, several special pages of church activities - including full-page spreads for RE and the Choir, and a complete church roster. If you had your photo taken, or you submitted a photo for the directory, you can pick up your copy of the directory from a member of the Membership Committee at our table. Each copy will have a name and address label on the back cover to ensure that everyone who has a photo in the directory gets a copy. Thank you to all who participated in this project. We know that the Directory will become an important aid in helping us to better connect with each other.