ANNOUNCEMENTS

Issued Friday, July 30, 2010 in a First Parish e-mail.  To start or stop receiving announcement e-mails, send your request to weekly@firstparish.info.

Weekly Announcements go out every Thursday evening.  Deadline for submissions is 9am Wednesday.

For longer articles that are not for upcoming events, send your material to spire@firstparish.info.  The Spire is issued monthly.

First Parish Mission Statement

We choose to be a liberal religious community, welcoming to all.
We encourage each other on our spiritual journeys,
support one another through the changes in our lives
and challenge the excesses and injustices of our time.
Called to love and upheld by joy, we live our faith.

Adopted March 28, 2010

Summer Community Pot Luck

THIS Saturday, July 31, 6 pm at First Parish

All ages welcome.  Mid-summer pot luck supper--make a connection, share your summer experiences, meet church friends in a fun/social setting.  Bring food or beverage to share -- looking forward to seeing you all!

A good opportunity to share!  Bring along an item for the Lay Ministry Freezer - or contributions for the Arlington Food Pantry.

Questions?  Contact Carolyn Hodges 617-354-4868.  Sponsored by First Parish Lay Ministry.

• Upcoming Services
• Public Calendar That Shows Every Church Event

• Church Events
• • July 31, Sat, 6 pm:  Summer Community Pot Luck
  • Sep 1, Wed, 7:15-8:30 pm:  Women's Ritual and Discussion Group

• Community Events
• • Aug 2, Mon, 6-9 pm:  9th Annual Pig Pickin' & Benefit for the Somerville Homeless Coalition
  • Aug 21, Sat, 10 am - 1 pm:  Friends of Spy Pond Park Weeding and Park Clean-Up
  • Aug 29, Thr, 7:30 pm:  Bill Mckibben Speaks at Cary Hall About His New Book, Eaarth

• New Church Announcements
• • Religious Education News
  • Calling All Musicians!
  • Fall Music Rehearsals
  • Love Was in the Air
  • First Parish 2015 - Bigger Or Constrained By Infrastructure?
  • Calling First Parish Artists
  • Be a STAR (facilitator), share your passion with us!
  • Lay Ministry Summer Support
  • Summer Services
  • Summer Office Schedule
  • Green Sanctuary News
  • The Giving First June-July Recipient

• Ongoing Church Announcements
• • Rescheduled All-Church Talent Show 2010
  • Compassionate Communication Group
  • New Social Justice Working Groups
  • Stitching and Crafting Group
  • Green Sanctuary Group Recommended Books
  • Food Pantry
  • Spire Writers Group
  • Meditation Group
  • Arlington Workers in Transition

Childcare for infants and toddlers available during Sunday morning worship.

Sunday Morning Summer Services at 10 am

We have a wonderful series of services led by lay people this summer, with music and personal reflections and services intended to help us both look within and learn about the larger world.  Please come join us as we continue to worship and share our lives through the summer months.

Child care will be provided during all services.  For the sake of simplicity and keeping the building cool, we will be serving only cold beverages after the service.

August 1:  Ginny LaCrow and Annette Sawyer, “Stumbling Toward Spirituality”

Annette and Ginny will each tell their personal journey of stumbling toward spirituality, highlighting the key epiphanies (or lack thereof!) they have experienced along the way.  Members of the congregation will also be invited to share a significant epiphany they have experienced.  Humor, music, and drumming will be added to the mix to encourage everyone’s participation.

August 8:  Anna Watson, “Redefining Radical Activism from the Driver’s Seat of My Minivan”

We all know that minivans are tangible evidence of evil.  So, obviously, minivan-driving, white, middle-class women who move to the suburbs to start families leave behind their dreams of changing the world and knuckle under to the status quo.  Right?

All summer services are listed here.

Audio Recordings of the Sunday Sermon are available at Sunday Sermons.  You will need to login to hear the sermon.  While you are on the audio recording page, click on the sermon that you would like to hear.  Please note, the service has to download before it begins playing; this can take 1 - 3 minutes.

Upcoming STAR Programs:  Spirit, Transformation, Adventure, Reflection

The purpose of STAR Programs is to support and enrich spiritual growth in the First Parish community.

Pre-registering helps our planners and facilitators, so please sign up for programs you intend to attend.  To register, contact the church office at churchoffice@firstparish.info or 781-648-3799 x. 10.  Some programs have a fee.  If this fee (or any other detail) presents an obstacle, please talk with Marta (marta@firstparish.info).  STAR programs are open to all, and we want to know about anything that makes attending difficult.

Other questions?  A program you would like to propose?  Please contact Bonnie Zimmer, the coordinator of the Adult Programming Working Group, at bonnie.zimmer@gmail.com. 

Sunday, July 25, 12:30-2 pm:  Band/Orchestra Midsummer Rehearsal

Laura Prichard will be leading a mid-summer Orchestra/Band rehearsal at the church on this Sunday, July 25, from 12:30-2pm.  We will be trying out pieces for the Fall and Spring next year, starting with the pieces for the largest group (including percussion).  Please come if you're in town, as it will be fun!  Students welcome - the copier is working well, so those going to Star Island and other summer camps may want to make copies to take with them...

Order of rehearsal on Sunday:

• 12:30pm Full orch/band pieces for all instruments (including percussion & keyboards) including two marches by John Philip Sousa; a new easy piece called "A Fisherman's Tale," inspired by the music of Newfoundland; and three short pieces for Hallowe'en
• 1:15 Quartet pieces (without percussion but with piano) including:  Gypsy music; two excerpts from "Swan Lake;" and lots of short excerpts from classical masterworks

Additional pieces: I also just received...

• saxophone quartet arrangement of Aaron Copland's music from the end of "Appalachian Spring" and 3 excerpts from "Our Town"
• low brass quartet (tuba + 3 trombones or trombones + string basses) arrangement of 24 short classical, spiritual, and Christmas favorites
• three new pieces for flute choir (one with piano)
• great piece for solo trumpet ad organ by Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson

Monday, July 26th, 7-9 pm:  Compassionate Communication Meeting, The Giraffe Group

There will be a meeting of the Compassionate Communication group on Monday, July 26th, from 7:00-9:00 P.M., in the Pierce Room.

The Compassionate Communication group conducts empathetic conversations in pursuit of stronger and more robust relationships in personal, family, church, and professional life.  We are currently reading Bonnie Fraser's book, "Connection:  A Self-Care Approach to Conflict Management", and we discuss examples from our everyday experience.

Because we have grown, the Compassionate Communication group has been divided into two groups.  The newest group, affectionately nicknamed "The Giraffes"—after the land animal with the biggest heart—is accepting new members.  This group meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Monday.

Contact coordinator Carolyn Stevens at communicationsgroup@firstparish.info to join the group or for more information.

Monday, July 26, 7:30 pm, Damon Room:  The Monthly Prayer Circle

The Monthly Prayer Circle will be meeting this coming Monday, July 26 at 7:30 pm in the Damon Room.  The Prayer Circle offers a time for silence and reflection, prayer, candles, and sharing of concerns and hopes with others.  Everyone is welcome.  For additional information, please contact Tom Hogan at tomsbliss@yahoo.com.

Saturday, July 31st, 6 pm:  Summer Community Pot Luck

All ages welcome.  Mid-summer pot luck supper—make a connection, share your summer experiences, meet church friends in a fun/social setting.  Bring food or beverage to share— looking forward to seeing you all! Questions?  Contact Carolyn Hodges 617-354-4868.  Sponsored by First Parish Lay Ministry.

First Wednesday, 7:15-8:30 pm:  SOUL - Sharing Our Unique Lives - Women's Ritual and Discussion Group - Registration required

The Women's Ritual and Discussion Group resumes September 1.  If you are a woman who wants a place to explore woman-centered ritual and feminist spirituality, please join us!

This is not a drop-in group.  Registration is required and we request a six-month commitment once you have attended a meeting and decide you'd like to continue with us.  The group meets at the church on the first Wednesday evening of each month.  For more information and/or to register, please contact Nan Owens at NanandSue@aol.com or at 617-776-2503.

August 2nd, Monday, 6-9 pm:  9th Annual Pig Pickin' & Benefit for Somerville Homeless Coalition

Rain date:  August 9, Monday, 6 - 9 pm

Redbones goes whole hog - The 'Pig Rig' will be smoking hogs in front of Redbones 'til they're ready for pickin' around 6 pm.

Dinner is served outside & includes pulled pork, loins, butts & more, slaw, corn on the cob, greens, corn bread & watermelon plus a choice of a beer or non-alcoholic drink.  Live Music by The SAPS & others.

$25.00 for adults & $5.00 for kids under 10.

55 Chester Street · Somerville, MA 02144 map · 617.628.2200 · mail@redbones.com

Somerville Homeless Coalition, Inc.
One Davis Square
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 623-6111
shcinc.org

August 21, Saturday, 10 am - 1 pm:  Friends of Spy Pond Park Weeding and Park Clean-Up

It has been a beautiful summer at Spy Pond Park, thanks in part to the friends and neighbors who have helped to maintain it.  But Spy Pond Park still needs our help to keep it beautiful, clean and ecologically sustainable.

On Saturday, August 21, from 10 am to 1 pm, the Friends of Spy Pond Park will sponsor a morning of quiet weeding and park clean-up.  Teens can earn service credits.  All are welcome to join - some gloves tools are available to those who don't have them.  Volunteers will show which invasive plants to weed out.  The rain date is Sunday, from 1-4 pm.

For more information, see friendsofspypondpark.org or call 641-2392.

August 29th, Thursday, 7:30pm:  Bill Mckibben Speaks About His New Book, Eaarth

Hear Bill Mckibben Speak About His New Book, 'Eaarth'.  In this Green-Sanctuary group recommended book, he says our hope depends building the kind of societies that can concentrate on essentials.  This book is being sold by the Green Sanctuary group at Sunday coffee hours.

Cary Hall, Lexington, MA (map).  Free Admission.  August 29, 7:30pm.

Religious Education News

What happens with the children who attend worship services with their families for the summer?

In accordance with our safe congregations policy, two teen-aged childcare providers will be at church, in the Parlor, each Sunday morning to care for children who attend worship with their families.  The group will listen to stories, engage in art projects and, in good weather, the children will play in the enclosed playground adjacent to the church building.  Goldfish and apple juice will be provided as a snack.  Parents are asked to sign in their children every week with the childcare providers, and may be needed to volunteer to help, depending on the number of children attending.

Youth Group:  Have a great summer!  See you in September!

Calling All Musicians!

Five members of our Adult Choir have moved away over the summer, so we need new voices in all parts of the choir.  Also, many of the older boys in the Chalice Singers have now graduated up to the high school Youth Group, so we need student musicians as well.  Advanced middle and high school students may audition to sing with the Adult Choir.  Contact Laura Prichard, Music Director (laura@prichard.net) for more information. 

Fall Music Rehearsals

Our Fall season starts up right after Labor Day, so mark your calendars:

Adult Choir - first Fall rehearsal is Thursday, September 9, 8-9:30pm

Chalice Singers (grades 2-8) - first Fall rehearsal is Thursday, September 9, 5:30-7pm (followed by pizza/potluck)

Chalice Sparks (ages 4-7) - first Fall rehearsal is Sunday, September 26, 11:45-12:15pm

Instrumentalists will meet this Sunday, July 25, for a Midsummer Music Rehearsal from 12:30-2pm and will plan Fall rehearsals.

"Love Was in the Air"

A First Parish Youth Group member writes about the 40th Annual Boston Gay Pride Parade

First Parish's own Heather Kobayashi wrote a moving account of participating in the 40th Annual Boston Gay Pride Parade with many other UU's from all over the area.  Read her story on the Mass Bay UU District website:  Gay Pride Parade

First Parish 2015 - Bigger Or Constrained By Infrastructure?

We are a growing congregation in so many ways:

• We fill the sanctuary on Sundays, and overflow the sanctuary on holidays.
• The religious education program is bursting at the seams!
• The very dynamic Youth Group has 40+ members (rock on!)
• Adult Education continues to expand demanding more small meeting spaces in the evenings.
• “Coffee Hour” has become a bit overwhelming in the Vestry.
• (Just to name a few)

What Do We Need to Support This Growth?  How Much Do We Want to Grow?

To Answer These Questions, We Need to Begin Planning Now!

Be part of the answer … stay tuned for opportunities to discuss, give feedback, and brainstorm in the coming months as we think about how to make our buildings accommodate our current growth and any future growth we decide to encourage.  The Parish Committee has asked a group of us to explore our future building needs and the possibility of a major capital campaign, and we are excited to serve.  Please feel free to connect with us at coffee hour or send us email.  The Capital Campaign Exploratory Taskforce consists of the following members:

Calling All First Parish Artists

Do you weave, paint, photograph, sculpt, throw pots, or ...  Use some of your summertime to get ready for the 2010 Fall First Parish Group art show, planned for an opening on September 19 and running through October.  As in previous years, all "flat works" will be displayed in the parlor near the offices, and three dimensional pieces such as pottery or small sculpture will be displayed in the glass wall case in the narthex/foyer.  Having art in two different areas is exciting, and will bring more attention to the artworks--cross fertilization, as it were!

We hope to include lots of folks from the church, so we encourage you to think moderately in terms of size, as our display space is finite.  Please submit one or two pieces, but depending on the number of submissions, we may end up only with room for your favorite piece.  We'll have more info for you in August.  Happy summer!

Be a STAR (facilitator), share your passion with us!

Over the summer, the STAR adult RE programs group will be reviewing proposals for next year's adult religious education programming.  All STAR programs further our spiritual development, help us grow in community, or deepen our commitment to the principles of Unitarian Universalism.  So far, we have proposals for theater excursions and discussions, programs on Diversity and Inclusion at First Parish, Partner Church in Transylvania, Compassionate Communication, Meditation, Science and Spirituality, Green Sanctuary.  We will also offer an Art Extravaganza that is not to be missed.  Join the fun and submit a proposal this summer.  Facilitate a program this fall, or later next spring!  Imagine the possibilities.  What might you make happen next year?  STAR will help with conceptualizing your program, marketing and technical support.  You can be a STAR (facilitator) too!

Lay Ministry Summer Support

Lay ministers will make every effort to attend the scheduled First Parish summer services.  However, if an issue arises, please seek out a lay minister by e-mailing layministry@firstparish.info or leaving a phone message in the Lay Ministry voice mailbox by calling the church at 648-3799 ext. 18.  Lay Ministers regularly monitor messages and will respond to your request as soon as possible.

Summer Services

We have a wonderful series of services led by lay people this summer, with music and personal reflections and services intended to help us both look within and learn about the larger world.  Please look for a full listing in the June Spire or HERE.  And please come join us as we continue to worship and share our lives through the summer months.

Child care will be provided during all services.  For the sake of simplicity and keeping the building cool, we will be serving only cold beverages after the service. 

Summer Office Schedules

The church office hours for the summer are:

• Through July 2: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesday 1 pm to 7 pm
• July 6 through August 13: Wednesday, 10 am to 3 pm
• New Fall schedule begins August 16: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday 1 pm to 7 pm (Note that Tuesday and Wednesday hours are different than before)
• On days when the office is closed during the summer, I will be checking and responding to voicemail and email messages daily.

Publications for the summer:

• The weekly email announcements will continue through the summer.
• The printed Sunday bulletin announcements will be suspended until September.

Joan Dyer, Office Manager

Green Sanctuary News

Anyone who has been to New Orleans will understand the significance of tarballs from the GP oil blowout reaching Lake Pontchartrain.  This is like having tarballs on the Charles from tarballs in the harbor.

You can track the daily news about the BP oil spill on the Green Sanctuary web page

The latest news story on the Green Sanctuary group's web page is the study that reaffirms broad scientific understanding of climate change, and questions media’s reliance on tiny group of less-credibile scientists for "balance."  The chief scientist on this study was You can read more on this at Green Sanctuary web page.  And don't miss the new videos at the top the page.

Click here to see books recommended and sold by the Green Sanctuary Group.

Giving First¹ Recipient for August Continues to be Sabre Foundation

Since many people are away for the summer, the Sabre Foundation will continue to be the Giving First Recipient for August.

Since 1986 Sabre has shipped close to $250 million worth of new books and other educational materials to more than 80 countries.  There are four key tenets to Sabre’s book donation philosophy:

1. Partners appreciate Sabre’s steadfast adherence to the policy that, when it comes to the educational needs of developing and transitional countries, indigenous organizations know best.
2. When it comes to Sabre’s choosing which books to accept as donations from publishers, Sabre’s rule-of-thumb is that something which is of no value in the U.S. is usually equally valueless overseas.
3. Sabre’s book program is demand driven. Partners select books and CD-ROMs from detailed inventory lists.  Only title and quantities specifically requested are shipped by Sabre.
4. Sabre is committed to promoting and encouraging indigenous publishing.

Over 200 publishers have participated in the Book Donation Program, with thousands of titles offered.  Within each country the book programs are managed by local NGO partners with links to libraries, schools, universities and medical and research institutions.  Sabre works closely with its network of indigenous partner organizations in identifying and helping to meet the educational needs of developing and transitional countries.

Lists of available inventory are sent to the partner organizations, and they are able to choose exact titles and numbers of copies needed.  Most of the books are new college and professional level titles.  High school, elementary and pre-school materials are also held in inventory.  The books are in English, invariably the second language of choice in countries where English is not already an official language.

For each $100 donated to Sabre, Sabre can ship up to $3,000 worth of NEW books.  This figure includes pro-rated:  book procurement, shipment preparation and freight costs.

Each 20-foot container-load shipped has a fair market value of between $250,000 to $750,000 (sometimes more), depending on the kind of books; a 40-foot container holds approximately 12,000 to 16,000 books.

Because Sabre ships titles in multiple copies, each and every student can have a text.

For more information about Sabre:  sabre.org.

For information about joining MIT student volunteers at the warehouse:  mit.edu/mitaspire. 

¹Giving First is a Social Justice program at First Parish, where 50% of our non-pledge Sunday morning offerings is given to a different charity each month.

Rescheduled All-Church Talent Show 2010

You haven't lost your chance to shine under the spotlight at First Parish.  And now we have a theme:  Halloween! On Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010, starting at 1:00 p.m., the music committee will host this year’s talent revue.  It’s not just about music any more.  If you sing, play, compose, could give a dramatic reading of your poetry, or have some unique performance talent you’d like to share, please contact Dorothy May (doromay@comcast.net) or Jean Ward (jrward@alum.mit.edu).  Acts should be approximately three minutes in length, not to exceed five minutes.  (Please, no live animal acts.)  All proceeds go for the First Parish Instrument Fund.  Let your talent shine at this great community event!  And if you don't perform, then come see what your fellow parishoners do when they know they have an audience!

Compassionate Communication Group

Improving communication requires a surprising amount of skill and practice.  The aim of the Compassionate Communication group is to train ourselves to communicate more empathetically and to strengthen relationships in our personal, family, church, and professional lives.

The principles of the group are based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg in his textbook, Non-Violent Communication, and on disciple Bonnie Fraser's book, Connection:  A Self-Care Approach to Conflict Management.  The methodology owes much to the principles of non-violence, conflict-resolution, negotiation, and meditation.  Each meeting, we discuss reading assignments, engage in communication exercises, and share examples from our everyday experience.

The Compassionate Communication group meets on Mondays, from 7:00-9:00 pm, in the Pierce Room.  The Compassionate Communication group is divided into two groups to facilitate more intimate communication:

• The original group, The Old Ten, meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.
• The second group, the Giraffes (playfully nicknamed after the land animal with the biggest heart), meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month and is open to new members.

For more information or to join, contact coordinator Carolyn Stevens via e-mail at communicationsgroup@firstparish.info, or P.J. Gardner by phone at 646.6849.

New Social Justice Working Groups

The Social Justice Committee is pleased to announce our two newest working groups:  Walking in Arlington, led by Rachael Stark, and Boston Area Gleaners, including Oakes Plympton and Laurie ("Duck") Caldwell.  Stop by the Social Justice table this Sunday to learn more.

Stitching and Crafting Group

The fair is coming!  November isn't that far away, so most Tuesdays from 10-2 until November a group will meet to sew, knit, crochet, and craft in the Pierce room.  Your ideas are welcome!  Please drop in between 10-2, bring a bag lunch if you want to.  Contact Phyllis Spence for further information, or e-mail Jean Nagle at jsnagle@comcast.net. 

Green Sanctuary Group Recommended Books

The Green Sanctuary Group has books that it is recommending on display at the Social Justice table on Sundays.  The Group is selling them at cost from our local book store, and you can ask to borrow the book instead of buying it.  Al Gore's newest book, Our Choice, was used for a spring book study group sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Group.  The latest books added to the table are Diet for a Hot Planet:  The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do about It by Anna Lappé, Straight Up by Joe Romm, who takes on the oil and coal companies, the skeptics, and the press, and Eaarth by Bill McKibben, who says our hope depends building the kind of societies that can concentrate on essentials.  Bill Mckibben will talk about Eaarth in Lexington this August.

There are also Food Rules:  An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan, 64 short rules that reinforce his food manifesto:  "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plant.", Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, 18th on the New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller List in January, The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell that concluded "People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease," and the substantially revised bible of climate change Plan B 4.0 by Lester Brown that we studed two years ago.

We are looking for members to help make the church and our lives more in keeping with good environmental practices.  We look forward to talking with you.

Food Pantry

Collection baskets are located at the front and office doors.

Monetary donations can be sent to:  The Arlington Food Pantry, Department of Human Services; 670R Mass Ave., Arlington, MA 02476

Contact Jean Nagle for questions.

Second and Fourth Sunday, 12:30pm to 2:30pm:  Spire Writers Group

For people who want to develop their writing in the company of other writers--meets on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, throughout the summer, from 12:00 to 2:00 P.M., in the Parlor.

Bring writings if you like or just come and join in.  No matter what your experience or writing style … all are welcome!

For more information, contact Judy Young at spirewriters@gmail.com or P.J. Gardner at 646-6849.

First Parish Meditation Group

Please join us in the First Parish Meditation Group.  We hold drop-in groups Mondays, gather at 6pm and start at 6:15 (in the Damon room) and Sundays, gather at 9am and start at 9:10 (next door at the Senior Center at Maple and Academy St)  We sit for 35 minutes in the style of Vipassana (Insight) Buddhist meditation, and beginners are welcome.  By focusing on mind/body sensations in meditation, it is possible to become more mindful in daily life.   ALSO – 2 ongoing discussion groups meet one Sunday night each month.  A waiting list is now forming to join a group.  For more information, contact Lynn Rosenbaum or e-mail meditation@firstparish.info

Arlington Workers in Transition

Arlington Workers in Transition is an ongoing group for anyone interested in help with networking and coaching through their job search activities.  We meet Tuesdays, 10am-noon, in the 4th floor conference room at Robbins Library next door to the church.  Questions?  Contact Stewart Jester at 643-6123 or dstewartjester@aol.com. 

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
630 Massachuetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476
Parish Office Phone:  781–648–3799
Website:  firstparish.info
e–mail:  churchoffice@firstparish.info

Office Hours

The deadline to submit items for next week's announcements e-mail is Wednesday at 9 am.  Office Hours:  Weekdays 10 to 4 except Wednesday 1 to 7

Requests for verbal announcements in the following Sunday's worship are due each week by noon on Wednesday.

Joan Dyer, Office Manager

 

Are you new?

If you are new to First Parish, we are glad you joined us this morning.  You are invited to join us for fellowship and friendship time following the service.  Representatives from the Membership Committee staff our Information Table located in the Vestry.  Please stop by so that we may better welcome you and answer any questions you may have.  Fill out a salmon–colored Newcomer Information sheet so you may receive a copy of our newsletter the Spire and other communications.  Newcomer Information Sheets are located both at the Information Table and in the back of the Sanctuary.

Membership

You are welcome to become a member of First Parish by signing the Membership Book in the presence of one of the ministers or the Parish Clerk.  First Parish has designated the last Sunday of the month as Membership Signing Sunday.  The signing of the membership book takes place in the foyer.  Becoming a member at First Parish means that you have found a spiritual home here and are ready to commit yourself to membership by offering your support through regular and sustained gifts of your time, energy and money as you are able.  Check our announcements for the most up–to–date schedule of Signing Sunday.

Parents of Small Children

Parents of babies and toddlers who have difficulty remaining quiet during the service:  please make use of our Nursery or listen to the service broadcast in the Vestry adjoining the main entrance.  The ushers can direct you to the appropriate location.

Nursery & Sunday School

Our Nursery is open from 10am to 11:30am for babies and toddlers up to age 3.  Sunday School for Pre–K through Grade 7 goes to 11:30am.  Children through Grade 3 should be picked up at that time.  Grades 4 and up will be dismissed for Coffee/Friendship hour.  High School youth and Grade 8 meet Sunday evenings from 7–8:30pm

This is a Welcoming Congregation
warmly and openly welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people.

630 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476 | 781-648-3799 | Contact Us