- Oct 18, 2023
- 4 min read

The Compass, October 18, 2023

Updated: Oct 19, 2023

OCTOBER SERVICES

OCTOBER 22: Social Justice Committee Service - “The Launching of the Beloved Community: The Challenge of Anti-Racism and Our Church.” Eight members of the Committee will be presenting a variety of historical and anecdotal topics, poems, sermon, and music to lift and direct the spirit of our congregation towards Anti-Racism work as encouraged by the Church’s adoption of the Eighth Principle. This is a critical time and the service will be quite appropriate for our needs and future.

OCTOBER 29: Honoring the Ancestors

#WaySideWednesday

To acknowledge our ancestors means we are aware that we did not make ourselves.

- Alice Walker

Oops! We had technical difficulties at last week's Sunday Service so it was not recorded. We are hoping the issues will be resolved by this Sunday's service.

What does it mean to be a people of HERITAGE?

October 22: The Gifts of being Rooted in Science & Reason , Walking Field Trip

October 29: The Gifts of Honoring & Grieving Our Roots, Badgers Parting Gifts by Susan Varley Spoken by Ruby Dee

SRPMIC President Martin Harvier and Vice President Ricardo Leonard read aloud the book, "Powwow Day," written by Traci Sorell (Cherokee) and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw).

NOTICE OF BUILDING PRESERVATION FUND TRUSTEES MEETING

November 14 at 5:30 PM in the church office. An email reminder will be sent out.

THRIFT SHOP, OPEN 10 AM - 1 PM, TUESDAYS & SATURDAYS

Last chance to buy infant/baby items at incredibly low prices. Grandparents do you need items for your home such as: plastic tub, walkers, play pens, booster seat.
For church members and friends - coming soon - coupon good for $5 off a $25 purchase
Donations needed! No summer clothes, please.

GARDEN COMMITTEE

The garden committee needs your help planting bulbs on Sunday, October 29.

SAVE THE DATE

Our yearly Thanksgiving potluck will take place on November 19. There will be a signup sheet in the kitchen to let everyone know what you are bringing.

BAKE SALE VOLUNTEERS

We are looking for a few volunteers to help run a bake sale at the Holiday Market scheduled for December 2 from 11-4. If you can't volunteer on the day of perhaps you could donate a baked good for the sale? For more information, or to sign up to volunteer, please email Jessica at admin@uunewbedford.org.

MESSAGE FROM KAREN

Please give to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund! This is an account that Karen uses for congregation members who need assistance and it’s nearly depleted with winter on the way. We mostly buy grocery cards, but also help with utilities, transportation to church or appointments, and myriad other expenses. A little extra grocery money or gas to get to work can be a lifesaver for some people and we ask that you please give generously. Make your check out to First Unitarian Church in New Bedford and put “Minister’s Discretionary Fund” in the note line. Thank you so much for helping us help others.

My best memories of Holiday Fair’s past are of Jean Kellaway’s plant sale table. I think ¾ of the plants I have at home came from Jean over the years. So, my BIG IDEA for this year’s fair was to honor Jean by having a plant table set up. Get your clippers clipping and roots rooting and bring your plant babies to church during office hours or on a Sunday so we can have a big, beautiful table full of live plants for Christmas. If you don't have a green thumb, and you have empty 4-6" pots, we would be happy to take them from you to put our plant babies in. The Holiday Fair is Dec. 2.

Thanks-Karen

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMIN

Hi everyone,

I know the new layout of the weekly Compass is a little different than what you are used to. The reason why I have moved it to the website, instead of using Mail Chimp, is to boost SEO (search engine optimization). When you build a website and then it sits stagnant on the inter webs, Google stops sending bots to crawl the website. Which means that when someone types something into the Google search bar that may relate to our church, our website may not be the first thing that pops up. The more text and the increased frequency of added content helps our SEO tremendously. And that equals better outreach; especially for Gen X and Millennial's - who are the future of this church.

I am always open to feedback and appreciate your suggestions.

Thank you,

Jessica

This free event on October 27th is sponsored by New Bedford Parks, Recreation, and Beaches. See their Facebook page for more info.

NEW SHOW ALERT: This is terrific news. GBH News arts editor Jared Bowen has been a frequent visitor to New Bedford and given the city's cultural scene some wonderful coverage. "In a major expansion of GBH’s local arts and culture programming, GBH News is launching The Culture Show, a one-hour daily local radio program on GBH 89.7 offering listeners a wide-ranging look at society through art, culture and entertainment. Beginning November 3, The Culture Show will air on Fridays from 2–3pm, and will expand to a daily broadcast in early December. Hosted by Jared Bowen, the show will feature a rotating panel of cultural correspondents including Callie Crossley, Edgar B. Herwick III and James Bennett.

We Need Your Help!

Our Flentrop organ, the musical centerpiece of our Sunday service, is facing an urgent need for plaster repairs directly above it. The cracks and damages, if left unattended, pose a serious threat to the performance of this beautiful instrument.

We are reaching out to you, our generous community, seeking support for these essential repairs. The organ holds not just musical notes but also a history of shared moments and connection. Without prompt attention, the damage could escalate, potentially causing permanent harm to the organ we hold so dear.

Your donation, no matter the size, will contribute to the restoration of this vital piece of our worship experience. Let's ensure that the organ continues to resonate with joyous sounds for generations to come!