RE This Week & Christmas Eve Services
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Rev. Amy Freedman
Dec 11, 2015, 11:09:02 AM12/11/15
to First Parish Religious Education
Sunday, December 13
Please read below to learn about this Sunday and upcoming opportunities!
RE Announce:
Bringing Christmas Story to Life
During the 5:00pm Christmas Eve Service, we will create a living tableau with adults and children wearing costumes during the traditional carols and readings. There will be one rehearsal on Sunday, December 20, 11:15-12:15pm in the Sanctuary. Children's Choir members are not able to participate in the tableau. If you can attend the rehearsal and would like to be an angel, shepherd, Wise Person or sheep, please email Amy ASAP afre...@firstparish.org . We are delighted that the Benjamin family will play Mary, Joseph, baby, and two sheep. Adults, youth, and children 6 years and older can play all parts except for the sheep who must be 5-7 years old to fit into our adorable costumes. Please consider doing this as a family for an especially memorable experience. I am also looking for 2-3 adults to help behind the scenes and with costumes. Let’s share in the wonder and pageantry of the season! ~Amy
Ushering as a Family on Christmas Eve
Celebrate the spirit of hospitality by signing up to usher as a family on Christmas Eve! The ushers are looking for families with older children and youth to help hand out and collect the candles. If your family would like to usher together, please email Maile Hulihan maileh...@icloud.com with your names and which service you would like to help. She will send you instructions once the teams are formed in the next week or so. Thanks!
Christmas Eve Services:
First Parish in Concord will offer four services on Thursday, December 24. Each service concludes with candle lighting and singing of Silent Night. Detailed descriptions follow:
3:00pm~ This early service is perfect for families with young children and those who would like to be home before dark. The service will include a child dedication. Come celebrate with lots of Christmas carols and help retell the Christmas story using crèche figures to illustrate the Nativity scene.
5:00pm~ This family-oriented service will feature music by the Children’s Choirs and lots of Christmas carols. The Christmas story will be seen as a live tableau with adults and children in costume.
7:00pm~ Come welcome the realm of holy night with traditional lessons and carols. This will be a time of spiritual reflection, singing Christmas carols and feature music from our Gospel Choir.
9:00pm~ Join us for a service of traditional lessons and carols. On a starry winter night, we will warm ourselves by singing together, spiritual reflection, and featuring music from the First Parish Choir.
What’s Happening this Sunday
Little RE – Lower Level
Teachers: Susan Parish and Rachael Morris
Teaching Assistants: Claire, Olivia, Nuffi, Robert, Hannah, Linnea, Talia S. & Talia A.
Our youngest children (0-4 years) will play in a caring environment with time for making friends, reading stories, playing outdoors, eating snack, and craft projects. Parents are invited to bring their children to the classroom fifteen minutes before worship service begins (9:45am).
Children in Kindergarten through Grade 7 begin in the service with their families. Following our Children’s Message, children leave the Sanctuary for the Parish Hall with their teachers. This Sunday all RE classes will be dismissed to Coffee Hour.
This Sunday 2 shows "Folktales on Stage"
10:15 for RE classes
1:30pm for family and friends
First Parish 8th Grade Players proudly present "Folktales on Stage" a series of stories, poems and dances celebrating the variety of storytelling from around the globe. The stories come to us from South African, Japanese, and Caribbean origin. The cast illustrates humorous and heartwarming moments from each folktale as it were passed down originally and even make their own ties into modern day culture. Directed by Katherine Akerley
Neighboring Activists Help 8th Grade Play
This Sunday our 6th and 7th Graders will help support the 8th Grade Play. Please arrive by 9:15am to help make bagged lunches for the cast. If you are available, plan to stay to help with set-up for the 1:30pm show and make cookies for refreshments. For those who can stay for the second performance, pick-up will be at 2:30pm. Please contact Paul Cook pbco...@gmail.com or Leslie Pelton lpe...@ljpconsult.com with any questions.
Youth Group (9th-12th Grade) – 7:00pm in the Loft
Youth Group is an open community of spirited teens coming together to play, create, explore, do social justice work, and laugh together! All are welcome. For more information, contact our Youth Program Director, Bethany Russell-Lowe: BL...@firstparish.org
Secret Santa Tags Still Available
There are still unclaimed wish lists for Secret Santa! If you are willing to fulfill a wish list for someone in the wider community who cannot afford to purchase presents this year, please contact Tricia Haut: trici...@gmail.com. Already purchased gifts can be brought to First Parish in gift bags with tags affixed this Sunday. Bags can also be left in the Loft (the old RE office). Thank you for your goodwill to others during this holiday season!
Christmas Caroling
Sunday, December 20th, 1:00pm
This is what the Christmas season is all about! Children and adults are invited to bring the gift of musical cheer to our parishioners and others who can’t get out this season. We will meet at the church at 1:00pm, and carpool to area nursing homes to sing. Afterward, we’ll head back to First Parish to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate together. All are welcome! Please feel free to bring cookies to share! For more info, please contact Lora Venesy at 978-254-5433 or ven...@comcast.net
Guest At Your Table Boxes
Guest at Your Table Boxes support the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Every family is asked to place a box on the table at home and to make a contribution at meals to your "unseen" guest at your table. Boxes are still available in the main and RE offices. Please count up your donations and write a check payable to the UUSC. Return your donations to the basket in the RE Office anytime during the holiday season until Sunday, January 3. Contributions of $40 or more earns you annual UUSC membership benefits. In addition, all contributions of $125 or more are eligible to be matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock. For more information, visit uusc.org
Please read below to learn about this Sunday and upcoming opportunities!
RE Announce:
- Bringing Christmas Story to Life
- Ushering as a Family on Christmas Eve
- Christmas Eve Services
- What’s Happening this Sunday
- This Sunday 2 shows "Folktales on Stage"
- Secret Santa Tags Still Available
- Christmas Caroling
- Guest at Your Table Boxes
Bringing Christmas Story to Life
During the 5:00pm Christmas Eve Service, we will create a living tableau with adults and children wearing costumes during the traditional carols and readings. There will be one rehearsal on Sunday, December 20, 11:15-12:15pm in the Sanctuary. Children's Choir members are not able to participate in the tableau. If you can attend the rehearsal and would like to be an angel, shepherd, Wise Person or sheep, please email Amy ASAP afre...@firstparish.org . We are delighted that the Benjamin family will play Mary, Joseph, baby, and two sheep. Adults, youth, and children 6 years and older can play all parts except for the sheep who must be 5-7 years old to fit into our adorable costumes. Please consider doing this as a family for an especially memorable experience. I am also looking for 2-3 adults to help behind the scenes and with costumes. Let’s share in the wonder and pageantry of the season! ~Amy
Ushering as a Family on Christmas Eve
Celebrate the spirit of hospitality by signing up to usher as a family on Christmas Eve! The ushers are looking for families with older children and youth to help hand out and collect the candles. If your family would like to usher together, please email Maile Hulihan maileh...@icloud.com with your names and which service you would like to help. She will send you instructions once the teams are formed in the next week or so. Thanks!
Christmas Eve Services:
First Parish in Concord will offer four services on Thursday, December 24. Each service concludes with candle lighting and singing of Silent Night. Detailed descriptions follow:
3:00pm~ This early service is perfect for families with young children and those who would like to be home before dark. The service will include a child dedication. Come celebrate with lots of Christmas carols and help retell the Christmas story using crèche figures to illustrate the Nativity scene.
5:00pm~ This family-oriented service will feature music by the Children’s Choirs and lots of Christmas carols. The Christmas story will be seen as a live tableau with adults and children in costume.
7:00pm~ Come welcome the realm of holy night with traditional lessons and carols. This will be a time of spiritual reflection, singing Christmas carols and feature music from our Gospel Choir.
9:00pm~ Join us for a service of traditional lessons and carols. On a starry winter night, we will warm ourselves by singing together, spiritual reflection, and featuring music from the First Parish Choir.
What’s Happening this Sunday
Little RE – Lower Level
Teachers: Susan Parish and Rachael Morris
Teaching Assistants: Claire, Olivia, Nuffi, Robert, Hannah, Linnea, Talia S. & Talia A.
Our youngest children (0-4 years) will play in a caring environment with time for making friends, reading stories, playing outdoors, eating snack, and craft projects. Parents are invited to bring their children to the classroom fifteen minutes before worship service begins (9:45am).
Children in Kindergarten through Grade 7 begin in the service with their families. Following our Children’s Message, children leave the Sanctuary for the Parish Hall with their teachers. This Sunday all RE classes will be dismissed to Coffee Hour.
This Sunday 2 shows "Folktales on Stage"
10:15 for RE classes
1:30pm for family and friends
First Parish 8th Grade Players proudly present "Folktales on Stage" a series of stories, poems and dances celebrating the variety of storytelling from around the globe. The stories come to us from South African, Japanese, and Caribbean origin. The cast illustrates humorous and heartwarming moments from each folktale as it were passed down originally and even make their own ties into modern day culture. Directed by Katherine Akerley
Neighboring Activists Help 8th Grade Play
This Sunday our 6th and 7th Graders will help support the 8th Grade Play. Please arrive by 9:15am to help make bagged lunches for the cast. If you are available, plan to stay to help with set-up for the 1:30pm show and make cookies for refreshments. For those who can stay for the second performance, pick-up will be at 2:30pm. Please contact Paul Cook pbco...@gmail.com or Leslie Pelton lpe...@ljpconsult.com with any questions.
Youth Group (9th-12th Grade) – 7:00pm in the Loft
Youth Group is an open community of spirited teens coming together to play, create, explore, do social justice work, and laugh together! All are welcome. For more information, contact our Youth Program Director, Bethany Russell-Lowe: BL...@firstparish.org
Secret Santa Tags Still Available
There are still unclaimed wish lists for Secret Santa! If you are willing to fulfill a wish list for someone in the wider community who cannot afford to purchase presents this year, please contact Tricia Haut: trici...@gmail.com. Already purchased gifts can be brought to First Parish in gift bags with tags affixed this Sunday. Bags can also be left in the Loft (the old RE office). Thank you for your goodwill to others during this holiday season!
Christmas Caroling
Sunday, December 20th, 1:00pm
This is what the Christmas season is all about! Children and adults are invited to bring the gift of musical cheer to our parishioners and others who can’t get out this season. We will meet at the church at 1:00pm, and carpool to area nursing homes to sing. Afterward, we’ll head back to First Parish to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate together. All are welcome! Please feel free to bring cookies to share! For more info, please contact Lora Venesy at 978-254-5433 or ven...@comcast.net
Guest At Your Table Boxes
Guest at Your Table Boxes support the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Every family is asked to place a box on the table at home and to make a contribution at meals to your "unseen" guest at your table. Boxes are still available in the main and RE offices. Please count up your donations and write a check payable to the UUSC. Return your donations to the basket in the RE Office anytime during the holiday season until Sunday, January 3. Contributions of $40 or more earns you annual UUSC membership benefits. In addition, all contributions of $125 or more are eligible to be matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock. For more information, visit uusc.org
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