Tuesday
December 12
8:00 a.m., Finance Committee Meeting
9:00 a.m., WPA Board Meeting
10:30 a.m., Small Group Ministry
12:00 p.m., January Meeting
House News Deadline
2:00 p.m., Shawl Ministry
6:30 p.m., T'ai Chi
Wednesday December 13
9:30 a.m., Buddhist Group
5:30 p.m., SAC Giving Group
7:45 p.m., Adult Choir Rehearsal
Thursday
December 14
7:00 p.m., Race Conversations Group
7:30 p.m., Buddhist Group
Saturday
December 16
8:00 a.m., AWE Meeting
1:00 p.m., Christmas Caroling
Sunday December 17
9:00 a.m., Chalice Choir Rehearsal
9:00 a.m., Gospel Choir Rehearsal
10:00 a.m., Third Sunday in Advent Service
11:30 a.m., Junior Choir Rehearsal
3:00 p.m., Transcendentalism and the Cultivation of the Soul
Tuesday December 19
10:30 a.m., Small Group Ministry
6:30 p.m., T'ai Chi
7:00 p.m., Amnesty
International
7:30 p.m., Blue Holiday Vespers
Wednesday
December 20
9:30 a.m., Buddhist
Group
7:45 p.m., Adult Choir
Rehearsal
Thursday December 21
7:00 p.m., Membership Committee Meeting
7:30 p.m., By Your Sides Singers
7:30 p.m., Buddhist Group
Friday December 22
7:30 p.m., Rise Up Caroling
Sunday December 24
10:00 a.m., Sunday Morning Christmas Eve Service
5:00 p.m., Christmas Eve Family Service
7:00 p.m., Traditional Christmas Eve Service
9:00 p.m., Traditional Christmas Eve Service
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THIS WEEK
(December 11-17)
*Finance
Committee meeting
Tuesday December 12, 8:00 a.m.
*WPA Board Meeting
Tuesday December 12, 9:00 a.m.
*Small
Group Ministry
Tuesday December 12, 10:30
a.m.
*January Meeting House News Deadline
Tuesday December 12, 12:00 p.m.
Submissions in final form for the
January Meeting House News are due by noon, Tuesday, December 12.
Please send your submission and images as attachments to the Editor, Wendy Wolfberg, at wolf...@post.harvard.edu.
For dates and guidelines, please review the brochure “Publicizing Events at First Parish of Concord” available on the small table outside the church office, or you can request a PDF from the Editor. After you email your submission and image(s), you will receive
a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, be sure to contact the Editor. For ideas and examples, you can download and review last year’s kickoff newsletter and all newsletters at http://firstparish.org/wp/news/meeting-house-news/.
Submission is limited to 100 words and sent as a Word or Text file. Images can be either JPEG or PNG. Please be sure to send all files as attachments. The
January Meeting House News will be published on
December 20, 2017. The deadline for the
February edition deadline will be
January 16, with a publication date of
January 24.
*Shawl
Ministry
Tuesday December 12, 2:00 p.m.
*T'ai
Chi
Tuesday December 12, 6:30 p.m.
*Buddhist
Group
Wednesday December 13, 9:30
a.m.
Come
explore Buddhism with us Wednesdays from 9:30-11:00 a.m. (or Thursdays from 7:30-9:00 p.m.). Even if you have no previous experience with Buddhism, consider joining one of these groups. A typical session usually starts with some chanting and meditation to
help us calm our minds and focus our thoughts. Then, after a brief reading or lecture, we discuss how to apply what we have learned to our daily lives. Questions are always welcome. We are a friendly, welcoming group. Check out a session or two. Contact Bill
Seaver at Bill....@gmail.com.
*SAC
Giving Group
Wednesday December 13, 5:30
p.m.
*Adult
Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday December 13, 7:45
p.m.
*Race
Conversations Group
Thursday December 14, 7:00
p.m.
*Buddhist
Group
Thursday December 14, 7:30
p.m.
*AWE Meeting (Location Change)
Saturday December 16, 8:00 a.m.
Calling activists and feminists interested in women’s empowerment social justice initiatives! Join
us at our monthly meeting to discuss and plan upcoming events. This
month we’ll meet on Saturday, December 16, at 8:00 am, at First Parish (NOT Serendipity Cafe). All
are welcome to our meetings and events (men, women, people of all gender identities and expressions). Our
meetings are the third Saturday of the month. Contact Lora
Venesy at ven...@comcast.net with
questions or to join our mailing list.
*Christmas Caroling
Saturday December 16, 1:00
p.m.
Come help bring holiday cheer to our parishioners and others who cant get out this season. Singers of all ages wanted! We will
meet in the Parlor at First Parish on Saturday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m., and carpool to area nursing facilities to sing. Afterward, well head back to First Parish to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate together. Please feel free to wear festive attire and bring
cookies to share. For more information, please contact Lora Venesy at 978-254-5433 or ven...@comcast.net.
*Chalice
Choir Rehearsal
Sunday December 17, 9:00 a.m.
*Gospel
Choir Rehearsal
Sunday December 17, 9:00 a.m.
*Third Sunday
in Advent Service
Sunday December 17, 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana: "Light One Candle-Hanukkah"
Music: First Parish Choir
*Junior
Choir Rehearsal
Sunday December 17, 11:30 a.m.
*Transcendentalism
and the Cultivation of the Soul
Sunday December 17, 3:00 p.m.
UU
Minister Emeritus Rev. Dr. Barry Andrews will discuss his latest book Transcendentalism and the Cultivation of the Soul. Transcendentalists
developed spiritual practices to nurture their souls and discover the divine: keeping journals, contemplation, walking, reading, simple living, and conversation. Andrews demonstrates how Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, and others pursued rewarding spiritual lives
that inspired them to fight for abolition, womens rights, and education reform. He reveals how these spiritual practices are valuable to spiritual seekers and religious liberals today. Books
will be available for sale and signing. Sponsored by the Transcendentalism Council and Thoreau Society. Contact Dianne Weiss at dianne...@comcast.net.
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NEXT WEEK (December 18-24)
*Small Group Ministry
Tuesday
December 19, 10:30 a.m.
*T'ai
Chi
Tuesday
December 19, 6:30 p.m.
*Amnesty
International
Tuesday
December 19, 7:00 p.m.
We hope you’ll join us at our annual December Write4Rights meeting, when we, along with tens of thousands of people around the globe, write in support of selected human rights activists
at risk in their home countries. It will give you a taste of the variety of actions individuals are engaged in worldwide—and a taste of better-than-usual refreshments as we celebrate the holiday season. For more information, contact Nancy Lyons at njly...@gmail.com or
978-369-6109.
*Blue
Holiday Vespers
Tuesday
December 19, 7:30 p.m.
Gather in community to find stillness in the midst of all that is going on in the world and in your own life. Find comfort in the beauty of candles, music, and understanding. Rev. Marion
Visel, Rev. Jo VonRue, Beth Norton, and the By Your Side Singers will offer a holiday alternativea quiet space to share reflective words of remembrance and solace. Though the winter holidays are not always merry, this time can be a time of loving kindness
and gentle community. All are welcome.
*Buddhist
Group
Wednesday
December 20, 9:30 a.m.
*Adult
Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday
December 20, 7:45 p.m.
*Membership
Committee Meeting
Thursday
December 21, 7:00 p.m.
*By
Your Sides Singers
Thursday
December 21, 7:30 p.m.
By Your Side Singers
First Parish’s pastoral choir. Through
singing, we offer a musical presence to people seeking comfort and support during times of illness or transition. In our twice monthly meetings we sing gentle songs and chants from our hymnals and other sources. In singing meditation we provide gentle support
and comfort to one another. When invited, we visit parishioners’ homes in groups of 3 or 4 singers.
*Buddhist Group
Thursday
December 21, 7:30 p.m.
*Rise
Up Caroling
Friday
December 22, 7:30 p.m.
Singers of all ages, please bring voices, instruments, and cookies to share. Carol lyrics and sheet music for instrumentalists are provided.
*Sunday Morning Christmas Eve Service
Sunday
December 24, 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Amy Freedman: "A Time of Wonder and Delight."
All ages are invited to a special service that will send us outdoors together! Bundle up to discover special stations around First Parish grounds. We will sing joyful carols and find some
surprises along our way. Our time together will culminate with decorating a tree for wildlife and drinking hot cider.
*Christmas Eve Family Service
Sunday
December 24, 5:00 p.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana
Music: Children's Choirs
*Traditional Christmas Eve Service
Sunday
December 24, 7:00 p.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana
Music: Gospel Choir
*Traditional Christmas Eve Service
Sunday
December 24, 9:00 p.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana
Music: First Parish Choir