Weekly e-Herald: Friday, October 28

 
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From Rev. Jenny
Dear Friends
I had another lovely walk through sunny Salem this past week. It looked like a few more costumed visitors than last week but still easy to move through the streets and stroll along. I took note of all the beautiful doorways on Essex and Chestnut Streets, pumpkins and mums lining the steps.  The trees were russet and golden in the autumn sun.  I made my way down to the waterfront and walked out to the little lighthouse, then returned via Herbert Street (where Hawthorne lived for many years in his uncle’s house, the Manning family).  It’s just a stone’s throw from the Customs House where he worked. So interesting to walk the landscape and learn these small details.
I hope you’ll join us on Sunday, either on Zoom or in person, as I share the service with Tiffany Magnolia and we consider the topic of “reckoning.”  On the Sunday closest to Halloween, with the history of the witchcraft trials to consider, and the modern-day visitors who flock to learn more, how might we explore this idea of “reckoning,” in our own personal lives and also in more collective terms?
Jenny

First Church First Looks at RE!
RE is publishing a monthly newsletter. Take a look!
Halloween Sunday
 
Don’t forget to wear your costumes this Sunday! We will have a special Halloween celebration during Sunday School.
 
Religious Education is HIRING!
Needed:
Classroom Teachers
Childcare Provider
 
We are looking for two classroom teachers—one for grades K-4 and one for grades 5-7—as well as a childcare provider.
Please take a look at these job descriptions and share them with anyone you think would be interested. These hires will allow us to create multiple classrooms for our RE program and provide our children and youth with age-specific curricula.
Join us for our first Family Field Trip next Sunday at the Peabody Essex Museum! Children and Youth are invited to come with an adult for a group exploration of the PEM. We will look at some exhibits that illuminate our UU Values, including the hands-on exhibit in the Art and Nature Center. We will leave the church and walk to the museum together at 12:30. We will be leaving after Fellowship, but you might want to pack something a bit more fortifying.

It Starts with ME!

This year, the children and youth of our church are collecting Thanksgiving donations for It Starts With ME!, an organization that will provide Thanksgiving dinner to over 600 households on the North Shore. We will be collecting donations on Sundays from now through November 13th. See the flier below for details!

Soul Matters Small Group Ministry
You are invited to join our small group ministry Soul Matters which gathers to share reflections on a specific theme each month. Participating in a small group that encourages mindful engagement is a way to deepen your personal spiritual practice and your connection with others in the church community. To help get you started thinking about the monthly theme there is a booklet full of exercises, meditations, questions to ponder, and music and readings to inspire and engage you. Click on the "Courage" link below to open the packet and begin your journey.
The Soul Matters theme for October is Courage. The meeting will take place in person on Sunday, November 6 at 12:15pm in Willson Hall.
Drop-ins are welcomed. Come to the meetings you can. (There will be two meetings in November, the first for the October theme "Courage" on November 6, and the second for the November theme "Change," on November 27.) If you have questions or would like a reminder email, contact Melody Lee at leemelody071@gmail.com.

Opportunities from Pastoral Care

Care Team Coffee
The care team and minister will be meeting over coffee and snacks on Thursday Nov. 10 at 11:00 in the Barnard Room. We will discuss ideas for a goodie bag to provide to our shut ins during the holiday season. It will also give us an opportunity to get to know each other better as we continue to reconnect in person. We look forward to your ideas on items that will provide comfort and cheer to the recipients. Please plan to join us. All are welcome.

Holiday Thank You Lunch December 4
The Care team will acknowledge and express appreciation to all those who have provided meals, rides and cards during the last two years. We are blessed with a caring community who has supported each other all during the pandemic. It is time for a thank you celebration to all the care angels. Please save the date and plan to join us. More details will be coming.

Phone Call Connection Volunteers
The Pastoral Care Committee is looking for a few more volunteers to help with the Phone Call Connection. This phone tree will help us to reconnect, get any updated contact information and find out how church members and friends are doing. If you would be willing to make a few calls please contact Sharon Corrigan (shuisman1936@gmail.com) 802-236-0054.

Meal Train 

Meal Train for Lynn Taggart
Lynn Taggart is having more surgery in November. We have updated the meal train site with additional dates for dinners for Lynn and Russell Lane. Please provide a meal if you are able. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated and we could use a few more meals for November. Thank you!

Meal Train for Lynn Taggart

A Special Fellowship for Thanksgiving
The deacons would like to welcome everyone to our First Church family table for Thanksgiving Sunday with a community potluck fellowship on November 20 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving). We invite you to bring a dish or snack for either adults or children, but if the season finds you too busy, please join us anyway to share in our gratitude for our many blessings.

Moments of Stewardship

Please take a moment to read this wonderful testimonial provided by First Church member, Iris Weaver, as presented during last week's service. 

Hi, I am Iris Weaver. I have been coming to First Church for 8 years this month.
A couple weeks ago when John Newhall asked us why we had come to church that morning, he had some funny answers, but I could answer that question easily--community and connection.
Eight years ago I was going through a terribly difficult, painful time. My friend Bonnie Hurd Smith, knowing I was suffering, invited me to come visit her church. My long-time friends Penny and Ian Bigmore had been coming here for years and had talked about this church, so it felt safe to check it out. My sister had suggested that I find a community, such as a church or synagogue, to join and have community, companionship, and human company. First Church if the first and last church I checked out.
So I came that first Sunday and I liked it right away and kept coming. Very quickly I went from “I am giving up my Sunday” to “It’s Sunday, I can go to church!”
Being here I felt held and supported, accepted and liked. And who doesn't want to be liked? I felt safe which was hugely important.
I appreciated the spiritual fellowship without heavy dogma and rigid beliefs. I was so surprised that there was an actual religion that espoused the same beliefs that I had come to over many years of experience. It was amazing to me
I got involved with church activities right away, as a way to become part of the community and have company.
When some of my friends heard that I was going to church they thought I was kidding. I had spent my early childhood in an abusive Christian cult that put me off organized religion for good, or so I thought. But being in extremis means you either hunker down and get even more rigid, or you open up to trying new things, and that's what I did, including church.
I became a formal member a couple of months after I started coming here, and from the beginning I gave during the time of generosity. I also started pledging when the next pledge period came around and have continued to do so. I don't give much but I give consistently and that is important to me. To me it is a sign of respect and honoring the organization.
When I join an organization I get involved, I don't just sit back. I get involved in activities, voice my thoughts and opinions, and contribute in the ways I can including financially.
Giving financially is part of supporting the organization I am involved with, part of showing my commitment to its existence and vitality. It makes me feel more thoroughly connected. And so with giving to this church. I have my pledge withdrawn from my bank account automatically so I don't forget. 
I have made wonderful friends here and found a spiritual home. I hope you find some of what I have found here.
I invite you to join me in the satisfaction of pledging by filling out the pledge form in your order of service, talking with Catherine Bertrand or a member of the stewardship committee, or pledging online.

Please take a moment to pledge by doing one of the following:

Thank you for considering!

Anna Brandenburg | Sarah Blodgett | Valentina Burbank | Jessica Kane |
Nicole McLaughlin, Chair

Standing Committee Presentation
For anyone who was unable to attend last week’s presentation by Steve Palmer regarding the governance and decision-making processes of First Church the slideshow can be found here:
https://www.firstchurchinsalem.org/first-church-governance
Additionally there are plans in the works to hold a virtual session as well. Thank you for all the feedback asking about that!

Visiting First Church?
If you're visiting First Church for the first time in a long time or the first time ever please click here for information about parking, directions, service times and more!
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Weekly e-Herald: Friday, October 21

 
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From Rev. Jenny
Dear Friends,
Well it’s been quite a week and I feel like my head is still spinning!
I’m writing this in my quiet study at home in Concord on Friday. But my mind is filled with visions of Salem on a glorious fall afternoon—deep blue sky, bright sunshine and streets flocking with visitors—cloaks, felted witch hats, talking, eating, consulting cell phones and occasionally looking at (I know - so old school) a paper map or a guide book.
You’ve been speaking of “October in Salem” in ominous tones since I started, and this week I decided to take the plunge and get right into it. I booked a ticket for the House of the Seven Gables for Thursday morning (even though you told me “not to go in October"). I decided I wanted to get right out there and experience it for myself. 
If you want to read more of my “Letter from Salem", zoom in or come to church on Sunday. That will be the subject of my sermon, exploring the larger topic of First Church roots, as well as some ruminations of what its like as we try to “come back from the pandemic years.”  See you on Sunday!
Jenny

First Church First Looks!
Family Fun Night is TONIGHT!
 
Join us in the Cleveland Room
from 6:00-8:30.
 
There will be crafts, games, pizza, and some fun around the “campfire”. Come in costume, and bring your friends!
Open House on First Church Governance
and
Decision-making
 
This Sunday, October 23rd,
during Fellowship
Are you wondering how First Church is organized?  How decisions are made, and who makes them?  In this session, we'll:
  • take a look at the leadership structure of the church;
  • describe some of the key roles and responsibilities;
  • share the high level priorities that your current Standing Committee has identified.
The presentation will take about 20 minutes, but we are planning lots of time for questions.  Please grab coffee and a snack, get comfortable, and ask away!

Religious Education

Don’t forget to wear your costumes on Sunday, October 30th as well for our costume parade in the meeting house!

Religious Education is hiring! We are looking for two classroom teachers—one for grades K-4 and one for grades 5-7—as well as a childcare provider. Please take a look at these job descriptions and share them with anyone you think would be interested. These hires will allow us to create multiple classrooms for our RE program and provide our children and youth with age-specific curricula.

This year, the children and youth of our church are collecting Thanksgiving donations for It Starts With ME!, an organization that will provide Thanksgiving dinner to over 600 households on the North Shore. We will be collecting donations on Sundays from now through November 13th. See the flier below for details!

Opportunities from Pastoral Care

Meal Train for Lynn Taggart
Lynn Taggart is having more surgery in November. We have updated the meal train site with additional dates for dinners for Lynn and Russell Lane. Please provide a meal if you are able. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated. 

Meal Train for Lynn Taggart

Care Team Coffee
The care team and minister will be meeting over coffee and snacks on Thursday Nov. 10 at 11:00 in the Barnard Room. We will discuss ideas for a goodie bag to provide to our shut ins during the holiday season. It will also give us an opportunity to get to know each other better as we continue to reconnect in person. We look forward to your ideas on items that will provide comfort and cheer to the recipients. Please plan to join us. All are welcome.

Phone Call Connection
We are planning to call all members and friends of First Church in the next month. This will allow us to reconnect, get any updated contact information and find out how you and your family are doing. Volunteers will each be given about 10 names to call. We'll provide a sample script and ask that you provide any comments or suggestions you hear on how we can better communicate with our congregation.
If you would be willing to make a few calls, please contact Sharon Corrigan at 802-236-0054 (shuisman1936@gmail.com)

Holiday Thank You Lunch December 4
The Care team will acknowledge and express appreciation to all those who have provided meals, rides and cards during the last two years. We are blessed with a caring community who has supported each other all during the pandemic. It is time for a thank you celebration to all the care angels. Please save the date and plan to join us. More details will be coming.

A Special Fellowship for Thanksgiving
The deacons would like to welcome everyone to our First Church family table for Thanksgiving Sunday with a community potluck fellowship on November 20 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving). We invite you to bring a dish or snack for either adults or children, but if the season finds you too busy, please join us anyway to share in our gratitude for our many blessings.

Monthly Thursday Breakfasts
Last Thursdays Breakfast: 7:00a.m. Maria's Restaurant, 10 Jefferson Ave.
We are reviving a popular pre-COVID event:  On the last Thursday morning of every month, we will get breakfast together at Maria's Restaurant when it opens at 7:00 a.m. There is no agenda, other than to enjoy one another's company.  All are welcome.  Contact Duncan Cox with any questions: coxes3@protonmail.com

October Tours Off to a Fun Start!

Last weekend we welcomed a steady stream of curious visitors into the Meetinghouse ... including an out-of-state couple who were married at our church years ago!  Please feel free to drop by, join the evening fellowship, and brush up on your First Church history this weekend!

Tours are scheduled for: Saturday Oct. 22, Thursday Oct. 27, and Friday Oct. 28. Volunteers are still needed on all of those nights, in order for the fun to continue. Online sign-ups are here: 

October 2022 First Church Tours

Any questions, contact Anna (text/voice 413-244-4021) / annabrande@icloud.com or Alicia alicia_diozzi@yahoo.com. Please reach out if you'd like to help, but aren't able to commit to a full 3 hours. Thank you!

Moments of Stewardship

Welcome back to Church! Fall has arrived, with all the high spirits it brings with it here in Salem.

On Homecoming Sunday we enjoyed our tradition of sharing water from our various summer experiences, a beautiful way of calling us in after being apart for the summer. Pouring our water from many sources – some salty, some fresh – into a shared bowl, reminds us of the power of coming together from our divergent paths.

With the Fall, we welcome our Interim Minister Jenny Rankin. We’re thankful for Jenny’s years of experience as we enter a time of transition. She is here to help us along during this in-between time, as we work to better understand ourselves and one another.

One of the non-verbal ways we communicate our support of the First Church community in times of transition is through our generosity of financial resources, recognizing that some have more to offer than others, and that all gifts from the heart are meaningful. Indeed, it is at times of tenderness and vulnerability that the strength of a community is revealed through generosity of many sorts.

Pledging may feel like a token gesture, especially if you are not in a position to give much. It’s not. Rather, the act of making a commitment is very meaningful in what it communicates to fellow congregants about the strength of our covenant with one another, to staff who rely on us for their livelihoods, and to prospective ministers who might consider answering our call.

Please consider pledging generously today by using any of the following methods:

Thank you for considering!

Anna Brandenburg | Sarah Blodgett | Valentina Burbank | Jessica Kane |
Nicole McLaughlin, Chair

Visiting First Church?
If you're visiting First Church for the first time in a long time or the first time ever please click here for information about parking, directions, service times and more!
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Weekly e-Herald: Friday, September 16

 
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First Church First Looks

Signs Ups Available Above
Sunday Flowers &
Fellowship Hosts

We're always looking for a few good folks to help out on Sundays.

  • Sign up is above if you would like to provide a flower arrangement or plant to adorn the   front table of the Meeting House on Sundays. A dedication and acknowledgement will be listed in the Order of Service that Sunday. 
  • Fellowship Hour only happens by the generosity of you! We're always looking for a host or two each Sunday to go along with the coffee, tea, and juices provided by First Church.

Soul Matters

Each and everyone of you is invited to join our small group ministry Soul Matters which meets to share reflections on a specific theme each month. Participating in a small group that encourages mindful engagement is a way to deepen your personal spiritual practice and your connection to others in the church community. To help get you started thinking about the monthly theme there is a booklet full of exercises, meditations, questions to ponder, and music and readings to inspire and engage you. 
The Soul Matters theme for September is Belonging. The meeting will take place in person on Sunday, September 25 at 12:15pm in Willson Hall. Feel free to drop by to reconnect or come for the first time. If you have questions or would like a reminder email, contact Melody Lee.
Sunday Tech Hosts
We are in need of a consistent group of volunteers to be available on a rotating basis to set up our tech in the Meeting House on Sundays. Training sessions are simple and brief and will take place each Sunday morning at 9:00am beginning in October. 
To sign up please send an email to Catherine firstchurchinsalem@gmail.com. 

Staff Office Hours

Welcome back! Swing by or make an appointment to visit the staff if you need anything.

Rev. Jenny Rankin is in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays with open office hours Thursday from 1p-4p. She can also be reached via email or phone 978-741-1629. 

Congregational Administrator, Catherine Bertrand, Tuesday through Friday 8:30a-2pm and Sundays before the service and after until 12:15pm. Please feel to reach out via email or phone at 978-744-1551.
*Catherine will be off this Sunday and away Tues-Thur this week. For pastoral concerns please contact Rev. Jenny. 

Our RE Coordinator Theo Burbank will be available Tues-Fri 3p-6p and Sundays9:30a-1:30p. Theo can also be reached through email. 

As always Music Director Michael Kraft can be reached via email. 

A Note from Rev. Jenny

Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at church last week on Homecoming Sunday. And that fellowship hour! Wow!  I’d been told “We do food really well here!” and boy, was that true.
 
I’d love to get the chance to speak with you in person, one on one, so email me if you’d like to set up a time. I work remotely from my home on Monday and Wednesday and we could meet on Zoom. I’m in Salem at the church on Tues and Thurs. Friday is my day off.  minister@firstchurchinsalem.org
 
This week I had the chance to take a lovely walking tour with Deb Greel; there is so much to learn and explore and experience here. I’m quite excited and a bit overwhelmed with all the restaurants, stores, historic houses!  If you have any personal recommendations, kind of your own “insiders’ guide to Salem”, send it along by email or post!  I would welcome that.
 
See you in church.
 
Jenny

Religious Education

This week, our Religious Education program will be starting up for the year with an All Ages "Welcome (Back) to RE" gathering. Whether this is your first time visiting our church or you have been coming here since before you can remember, we are looking forward to seeing you there! We will play some games, share stories about our summers, and learn a bit about all of the possibilities of the year ahead as we explore what it means to put our UU values to work in the world.

Children will start out in the service with their grownups and then we will gather together downstairs after the Time For All Ages. Children 5 and up are invited to attend, and children under 5 are invited to attend with a grownup.

If you haven't filled out a registration form for your children, you can do that here.

If you would like to support our RE program by volunteering, please sign up here.

Theo Burbank (she/her/hers) | Religious Education Coordinator
fcreligioused@gmail.com
Tues-Fri: 3-6 | Sun: 9:30-1:30

Feel Like Singing?
As the new church year begins, and our interim minister, Rev. Jenny Rankin, is in place, I am excited and hopeful that we can once again gather as singers to participate in services and bring all of the energy and inspiration that comes with that to our congregation!
 
I invite all of you to consider participating in some initial Saturday morning singing sessions to get our voices going again and having fun with some simple and familiar music. There will be a time of figuring out exactly who we are as a choir after not meeting for 2 ½ years! Once we have established who we have and people’s interest and availability for the fall, a plan will be made for when, how often, and what we sing in the Sunday services.
 
The dates I have chosen for starters are Saturday, September 17 and Saturday, September 24 at 9am, in the Cleveland Room.
 
Contact Michael at music@firstchurchinsalem.org for more information and your expression of interest.

Pastoral Care
Thank you to all the people who have provided meals and rides to Lynn Taggart.  Lynn is progressing with her healing following double mastectomy surgery.  She is having follow-up treatments at MGH in Danvers.

We send prayers to Bella Helen and her parents Jeannine and David following her treatments at Children’s Hospital. 

We keep Claire Donaldson in our thoughts and prayers. Claire is at Salem Hospital undergoing tests.

We send love and support to Jan Eschauzier for her upcoming surgery. Peter Eschauzier is home following a hospital stay.

We offer well wishes to Charlene Long and Nancy TenBroeck who are recovering from recent cases of Covid.

Well wishes to Susan Linder-Bean and Jerrie Hildebrand on successful knee replacement surgeries this summer.

Our church community is full of care givers, doing the important work of providing meals, rides and support  to each other.  If you know of someone in need please let us know. You may reach Sally Millice by email or phone, (Sallymillice@gmail.com 978-745-1632) or contact Rev. Rankin (minister@firstchurchinsalem.org 978-741-1629)

Sunday Protocols & Pandemic Task Force
Read the full article here. Thoughtfully composed by current Standing Committee Chair Steve Palmer the recent update regarding covid protocols gives us a sense of how we plan to transition from a Re-Entry Team to a Pandemic Task Force.  

To address our immediate Sunday needs here is an excerpt: In the meantime, as this team is being formed, we ask the congregation to patiently stay the course with current practices for worship in the Meeting House. That is, for the next three Sundays, we will continue to ask attendees to wear masks and respect social distancing.

We look forward to hearing your comments and reporting updates to you.

In community,

Steve

In the Community
Salem Book Buddies
Book Buddies is a special program, which matches a 3rd grade student with a community member. Our  volunteer community members will purchase a book for their assigned student several times per year. The book will come with a letter to the student from the volunteer. The letter will allow the community member to ask the student questions about the book, explain why that book was chosen for the student, etc. The student will then write a thank you letter back to the adult.

Not only does the student receive books of their own to keep, but they also get to practice letter writing. All students receive their books on the same day, in the classroom.

You will receive their first name, age, sex, and instructions for each book drop to your matched student. You then purchase a book for your student, write a letter to go with the book, and get it back to us for delivery to the classroom.

Our approximate target dates for collecting the books for the 2022-2023 school year are:

November 18
February 3
May 5
(All dates are subject to change)

You will not actually meet your matched student, but you will get to know them through letter writing.

We are so excited to restart this program from over 15 years ago! And we already have many who are interested in joining the program. Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to be included. Please email us at pcterri@comcast.net. Please sign up only if you can commit to all 3 books.
Join The Salem Pantry in The Ride for Food. 

Like to bike? Join our team of riders at The Ride for Food on October 2nd!

The Salem Pantry is again participating in The Ride for Food and we need your help! We are seeking more cyclists to join our team of riders on October 2nd as we bike to our goal of raising $10,000. You can choose to ride 25 or 50 miles.

As a Ride for Food team member, you will ask neighbors, friends, and family to support you while you complete your challenge. We ask that you raise at least $350. Every dollar you raise will go to support food security and The Salem Pantry.

Not a cyclist? No problem. Check out these other ways to help.

Do you like supporting The Salem Pantry? Do you enjoy walking, paddling, biking, jogging, running or hiking? Or maybe TV marathons are more your thing? Either way, you can participate in The Ride for Food.
For more information contact Hannah Beth Hembree

Visiting First Church?
If you're visiting First Church for the first time in a long time or the first ever please click here for information about parking, directions, service times and more!

National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.
 
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Weekly e-Herald: Friday, September 9

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First Church First Looks

Homecoming Sunday
Community Fellowship

On this Homecoming Sunday, we are asking that First Church members and friends bring a snack to share at our Coffee Hour following the service.  Anything from homemade cookies to something that you grab on your way out the door--all offerings are most welcome and appreciated.  Please email Alicia Diozzi at msdiozzi@yahoo.com with questions or if you'd like to lend a hand to make this one a Fellowship to remember!

Soul Matters

We extend a warm welcome to Rev. Jenny and everyone in the congregation as we gather for this church year. Each and everyone of you is invited to join our small group ministry Soul Matters which meets to share reflections on a specific theme each month. Participating in a small group that encourages mindful engagement is a way to deepen your personal spiritual practice and your connection to others in the church community. To help get you started thinking about the monthly theme there is a booklet full of exercises, meditations, questions to ponder, and music and readings to inspire and engage you. 
The Soul Matters theme for September is Belonging. The meeting will take place in person on Sunday, September 25 at 12:15pm in Willson Hall. Feel free to drop by to reconnect or come for the first time. If you have questions or would like a reminder email, contact Melody Lee.
Water Communion

Join us this Sunday for our annual Water Communion service. We invite you to visit the nearest body of water, (which, for many of us, may be the nearest sink) with any vessel on hand to gather a small amount of water to bring to the service.

Staff Office Hours

Welcome back! Swing by or make an appointment to visit the staff if you need anything.
Rev. Jenny Rankin is in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays with open office hours Thursday from 1p-4p. She can also be reached via email or phone 978-741-1629. 

Congregational Administrator,Catherine Bertrand, Tuesday through Friday 8:30a-2pm and Sundays before the service and after until 12:15pm. Please feel to reach out via email or phone at 978-744-1551.

Our RE Coordinator Theo Burbank will be available Tues-Fri 3p-6p and Sundays9:30a-1:30p. Theo can also be reached through email. 

As always Music Director Michael Kraft can be reached via email. 

My Door is Open…

Thank you to those of you who have welcomed me in so many different ways in the last few weeks:  help with setting up email addresses and technology, rearranging the furniture in the minister’s office, bringing me a home-made picnic lunch, some beautiful flowers for my desk, or simply, (and not so simple at all) the willingness to spare some of your time to sit down with me and share a bit about your connection with First Church and your experiences in the last few years.

It's been great to start putting a face with a name and hearing from you directly; I also look forward to meeting you in person this coming Sunday September 11th when I’ll be with you in worship for the first time. I appreciate the chance to greet you at church and then at the reception following the service.

When I start a new interim ministry, I generally begin by having conversations with staff, deacons, Standing Committee.  However, there are an awful lot more of you I want to meet! 

As you know, getting started in a new job can be a LOT all at once!  One thing you can do to help me as I get started is to email me (minister@firstchurchinsalem.org) and let me know if you’d be willing to sit down and chat, share your experience at First Church with me. It doesn’t have to be soon—there’s no urgency or rush—but let’s connect and get something on the calendar so we know it will happen. It could be in late September or January!   

If we want to meet in person, the best days are Tuesdays and Thursday when generally I’ll be working on site at the church. We can meet on Zoom on Monday or Wednesday when I work remotely from home.  But some of you will need an evening or weekend time, and we can work that out as well.

So let me know you are “out there” and would like to get acquainted and are willing to tell me a bit about “your First Church in Salem” experience.  And thank you.

It’s September, and another church year, I’m excited to “begin again” with you.
 
Jenny

Religious Education

We are so excited to begin another year of RE! This year we will be focusing on Our UU Values in the World. We will learn about how we can show our UU Values everywhere from our homes to our community to forests and the ocean. We have lots of fun projects and field trips in store!

We will start the year with an Intergenerational Homecoming service this Sunday, Sept. 11. This service will contain elements for all ages, including a water communion ritual and a hands-on activity.

Next week, we will start weekly Sunday School! The RE Team is thrilled to offer weekly Sunday School again. In order to make this happen, we need classroom volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to teach Sunday School–or help out with any other aspect of the program–you can fill out a Volunteer Sign-up Sheet.

And if you haven’t already, please fill out an RE Registration Form for your family.

Finally, I have new hours as the RE Coordinator this year. I will be working Tuesday-Friday 3-6 and Sunday 9:30-1:30. Please feel free to reach out to me via email at fcreligioused@gmail.com or make an appointment to talk anytime within those hours. I will be posting virtual office hours once the church year starts.

In faith,
Theo Burbank
Religious Education Coordinator

Feel Like Singing?
As the new church year begins, and our interim minister, Rev. Jenny Rankin, is in place, I am excited and hopeful that we can once again gather as singers to participate in services and bring all of the energy and inspiration that comes with that to our congregation!
 
I invite all of you to consider participating in some initial Saturday morning singing sessions to get our voices going again and having fun with some simple and familiar music. There will be a time of figuring out exactly who we are as a choir after not meeting for 2 ½ years! Once we have established who we have and people’s interest and availability for the fall, a plan will be made for when, how often, and what we sing in the Sunday services.
 
The dates I have chosen for starters are Saturday, September 17 and Saturday, September 24 at 9am, in the Cleveland Room.
 
Contact Michael at music@firstchurchinsalem.org for more information and your expression of interest.

Pandemic Task Force
As we approach Homecoming Sunday and the heart of the new church year, I would like to ask you to join me in honoring the work of the Reentry Committee, who have worked diligently for over two years to keep us safe while facilitating our revered worship practices with hope, faith, and a commitment to inclusion.  I encourage you all to read the report of the committee in the 2022 Annual report (page 45) to get a sense of the very thoughtful and deliberate process this team built on our behalf.

We are at something of a turning point now, as we have “re-entered” to worship in the Meeting House.  And yet, the pandemic cannot be said to be over, and the key indicators of public health may swing negatively at any time.  The need to balance the interests and vulnerabilities of all remains.  At the same time, Reentry Committee members deserve a breather from the very committed work they have been doing for this extended period.

Recognizing that this diligent review must continue, even as circumstances change, the Standing Committee is discussing a plan to refresh the process and the committee.  It is our intent to recruit a team of members to pick up this ministry, using the tools, references and guides available and to make sound recommendations for meeting and gathering practices, and communicating those clearly to the congregation.

We hope to have this group, tentatively called the Pandemic Task Force, in place and introduced within September, though we recognize the significant commitment such ministry represents.  All input on the make-up, number of members, meeting frequency, and other considerations is welcome.  Please touch base with any member of the Standing Committee if you have suggestions, comments, or questions, or if you see a role for yourself in this work.

In the meantime, as this team is being formed, we ask the congregation to patiently stay the course with current practices for worship in the Meeting House.  That is, for the next three Sundays, we will continue to ask attendees to wear masks and respect social distancing.

We look forward to hearing your comments and reporting updates to you.

In community,

Steve

In the Community
Join The Salem Pantry in The Ride for Food. 

Like to bike? Join our team of riders at The Ride for Food on October 2nd!

The Salem Pantry is again participating in The Ride for Food and we need your help! We are seeking more cyclists to join our team of riders on October 2nd as we bike to our goal of raising $10,000. You can choose to ride 25 or 50 miles.

As a Ride for Food team member, you will ask neighbors, friends, and family to support you while you complete your challenge. We ask that you raise at least $350. Every dollar you raise will go to support food security and The Salem Pantry.

Not a cyclist? No problem. Check out these other ways to help.

Do you like supporting The Salem Pantry? Do you enjoy walking, paddling, biking, jogging, running or hiking? Or maybe TV marathons are more your thing? Either way, you can participate in The Ride for Food.
For more information contact Hannah Beth Hembree

Visiting First Church?
If you're visiting First Church for the first time in a long time or the first ever please click here for information about parking, directions, service times and more!

UUA New England Region
5 Tips For Heavy Lifting!
by wren Bellavance-Grace
"We return to our traditional New England UU church year in September, many of us feeling the same way after three years of covid - so much of what we used to do is just harder." 
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Homecoming & Water Communion

Homecoming Sunday Community Fellowship

On this Homecoming Sunday, we are asking that First Church members and friends bring a snack to share at our Coffee Hour following the service. Anything from homemade cookies to something that you grab on your way out the door--all offerings are most welcome and appreciated. Please email Alicia Diozzi at msdiozzi@yahoo.com with questions or if you'd like to lend a hand to make this one a Fellowship to remember!

Join us on Sunday for our annual service of iWater Communion. We invite you to visit the nearest body of water, (which, for many of us, may be the nearest sink) with any vessel on hand to gather a small amount of water to bring to the service.

Religious Education

We are so excited to begin another year of RE! This year we will be focusing on Our UU Values in the World. We will learn about how we can show our UU Values everywhere from our homes to our community to forests and the ocean. We have lots of fun projects and field trips in store!

We will start the year with an Intergenerational Homecoming service this Sunday, Sept. 11. This service will contain elements for all ages, including a water communion ritual and a hands-on activity.

Next week, we will start weekly Sunday School! The RE Team is thrilled to offer weekly Sunday School again. In order to make this happen, we need classroom volunteers! If you would like to volunteer to teach Sunday School–or help out with any other aspect of the program–you can fill out a Volunteer Sign-up Sheet.

And if you haven’t already, please fill out an RE Registration Form for your family.

Finally, I have new hours as the RE Coordinator this year. I will be working Tuesday-Friday 3-6 and Sunday 9:30-1:30. Please feel free to reach out to me via email at fcreligioused@gmail.com or make an appointment to talk anytime within those hours. I will be posting virtual office hours once the church year starts.

In faith,

Theo Burbank

Religious Education Coordinator

Weekly e-Herald: Friday, September 2

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Welcome Back Updates!

STAFF OFFICE HOURS
Welcome back everyone! In addition to Rev. Jenny's office our Congregational Administrator, Catherine Bertrand, has returned from sabbatical and will be available in office Tuesday through Friday 8:30a-2pm and Sundays before the service and after until 12:15pm. Please feel to reach out via email or phone at 978-744-1551.

Our RE Coordinator Theo Burbank will also be posting office hours in the coming weeks so please stay tuned! Theo can also be reached through email. 

As always Music Director Michael Kraft can be reached via email. 

SIGN-UPS
Most sign-ups for the church year are available above. Simply click the link and volunteers for hosting Fellowship or providing Flowers. Lifebridge details are coming soon. Details can be found in the link!
THANK YOU!
There are many thanks to be given to all those who stepped up to make sure things ran smoothly while Catherine was off this summer. Let's acknowledge the extra efforts of Anna Brandenburg, Brenda Marean, and Claire Donaldson for coordinating the many moving parts of First Church. Thank you!

Welcome Rev. Jenny Rankin

Hello First Church in Salem!
 
It is wonderful to have “arrived!”  I began last Monday August 22 and have enjoyed these first few days of meeting some of you and getting situated. 
 
I’ve had a tour of your incredibly beautiful sanctuary, building and church grounds.  I’ve begun to meet with staff, Standing Committee members and deacons.  I’ve started moving in boxes and books to the minister’s office.  And I’ve gotten a glimpse of the vibrant and historic community that is Salem! 
 
One of the things I love about being an interim minister is that I get to travel to a new “country” each time I begin working with a new congregation. I’m looking forward to meeting you and hearing from you what it is you appreciate about the church, as well as Salem itself (and the environs).    Each congregation has its own “language,” customs, and distinctive culture and I’ll be turning to you all to be my “local guides” to get to know this new territory.
 
Thank you for welcoming me, and I look forward to meeting you in person.  My first Sunday in the pulpit will be Homecoming Sunday, September 11th, and I will have office hours during the week (see specifics below).  If you would like to visit in person, or on Zoom, please email me at minister@firstchurchinsalem.org
 
It’s good to be here.
 
Jenny
 
Office Hours for September
 (please email Jenny directly to get a specific time or you are welcome to drop in, just know you may need to wait till she finishes meeting with someone else).
 
These office hours are in person at the church.  I’m happy to add office hours on Zoom and evening hours, if you let me know you’d like that. 
 
Thurs. Sept 1, 1-4 pm
Wed. Sept 7,  10-12 noon
Thurs. Sept 15, 1-4 pm
Wed. Sept 21, 4-6:30 pm
Thurs. Sept 22, 1-4 pm
Thurs. Sept 29, 1-4 pm

Learn more about Jenny's Interim Ministry here.

Pandemic Task Force
As we approach Homecoming Sunday and the heart of the new church year, I would like to ask you to join me in honoring the work of the Reentry Committee, who have worked diligently for over two years to keep us safe while facilitating our revered worship practices with hope, faith, and a commitment to inclusion.  I encourage you all to read the report of the committee in the 2022 Annual report (page 45) to get a sense of the very thoughtful and deliberate process this team built on our behalf.

We are at something of a turning point now, as we have “re-entered” to worship in the Meeting House.  And yet, the pandemic cannot be said to be over, and the key indicators of public health may swing negatively at any time.  The need to balance the interests and vulnerabilities of all remains.  At the same time, Reentry Committee members deserve a breather from the very committed work they have been doing for this extended period.

Recognizing that this diligent review must continue, even as circumstances change, the Standing Committee is discussing a plan to refresh the process and the committee.  It is our intent to recruit a team of members to pick up this ministry, using the tools, references and guides available and to make sound recommendations for meeting and gathering practices, and communicating those clearly to the congregation.

We hope to have this group, tentatively called the Pandemic Task Force, in place and introduced within September, though we recognize the significant commitment such ministry represents.  All input on the make-up, number of members, meeting frequency, and other considerations is welcome.  Please touch base with any member of the Standing Committee if you have suggestions, comments, or questions, or if you see a role for yourself in this work.

In the meantime, as this team is being formed, we ask the congregation to patiently stay the course with current practices for worship in the Meeting House.  That is, for the next three Sundays, we will continue to ask attendees to wear masks and respect social distancing.

We look forward to hearing your comments and reporting updates to you.

In community,

Steve

Sunday Services
Sunday services are held in the Meetinghouse, and begin at 10:30 am.
  • Sept 4th (Labor Day weekend):  No service
  • September 11:  Homecoming Sunday, led by Rev. Jenny Rankin (in-person, and on Zoom)
    ** Special Fellowship following the service: Meet and Greet Rev. Jenny **
We are so thankful to everyone who helped make worship services possible this summer.  Special thanks to Rev. Claire Donaldson for coordinating and leading services.  We also especially thank Diane Smith, Jim Ognibene and Tiffany Magnolia for their contributions and wise words from the pulpit.
 

Religious Education
The Standing Committee and Rev. Jenny are so pleased to announce that Theo Burbank will be staying on in her role as Religious Education Coordinator!

A note from Theo:
Hello children, youth, and caregivers!
I am so excited to be joining you again this year. We have an exciting year of learning, growing, and exploring as a community ahead of us, which you will hear more about soon.
 
If you have a child who plans to participate in RE this year, please take a moment to fill out our RE Registration Form. If you are interested in volunteering with RE this year, you can sign up here! And as always, you can contact me anytime at fcreligioused@gmail.com.
 
Best,
Theo Burbank
 
Upcoming RE services and events:
Sept 11: Homecoming Sunday, Intergenerational Service
Sept 18: First Day of Sunday School

Thank you for the Flowers!
Many thanks to all who have signed up to contribute flowers for our Communion table. 

August 21: Penny Bigmore
August  28:  Mimi Ballou
September 11:  Deacons 

We are always grateful for your help in making our Sunday services more festive.

Support for Lynn Taggart
Lynn underwent major surgery August 10.  She will have a long recovery, but so far Russell has been sharing good news!  We are supporting Lynn and Russell with meals, restaurant gift cards and notes of encouragement. 
Please look for details on the meal train site:  https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/q551w8.  

If a meal is not possible please feel free to send a card to Lynn Taggart, 15 Canterbury Road, Marblehead, MA 01945.  Let's keep Lynn in our thoughts and prayers.
 
First Church Links
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First Church Welcomes Interim Minister

We are delighted to announce that we’ll be welcoming Rev. Jenny M. Rankin as our Interim Minister on August 29, 2022. Jenny will work with the Board and the Transition Team to help the congregation accomplish the 5 interim ministry goals recommended for a congregation in transition between settled ministers.

Jenny was born in Boston and raised as a Unitarian Universalist at King’s Chapel. She graduated from Princeton University and after working for a few years as a community organizer, in Paris and Boston, went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School. Jenny began her career as an interim minister in Hingham, Cohasset and Hopedale before going on to serve as Minister of the First Parish in Concord, a settled ministry position, for fifteen years. She received additional training in transitional ministry and decided to make this particular form of ministry her focus. She recently completed her seventh interim ministry with the First Parish in Lincoln in June of 2022. Originally a two-year contract, it was extended to three, and then because of Covid, to four. Most of her interims have been two years.

“To me, interim ministry is a ministry of accompaniment,” Jenny said recently, “I walk with congregations who are going through a period of uncertainty and direction-finding after the departure of a settled minister. All congregations have challenges, of course, and I consult with and guide churches leaders to help them choose what is “top priority” for the interim period, what most needs attention to allow the church to be ready to call a new minister.”

“Each congregation is different, of course,” she continued, “with its own unique history. but some of the issues I’ve encountered in my work include unresolved grief, conflict, factions and fissures, a decline in trust, de-energized leaders, a decline in membership and/or pledging or both. I have watched congregations engage in tough conversations and do brave work together in the service of healing. It is not magic. It takes hard work and all hands on deck. It can be uncomfortable, at times. But it is rewarding for me to see congregations emerge from an interim time with more hope, energy and strength, well equipped for their next chapter.”

Jenny loves to learn, especially in community with others. She has taught classes on Transcendentalism, Celtic spirituality, prayer and the contemplative tradition, Spiritual Autobiography, and “Creativity as a Spiritual Practice.” Sometimes, she takes the learning “on the road” and has led seminars and walking tours both locally and in Europe. With a friend and UU minister colleague, Jenny leads contemplative retreats on the island of Iona of the west coast of Scotland. In 2021, Jenny earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.

Jenny lives in Concord, Mass with her husband Rich Higgins, author and photographer. They have three children, now young adults. And a much-loved dog named Finn!