OFFICE MANAGER NEEDED!

The First Universalist Church of Norway seeks PT Office Manager. Skills in Microsoft Office, Word, Publisher, Excel, Email, and Mail Merge required. Weekly schedule to be determined.

Send resume and cover to D. Raymond, 479 Main Street, Norway ME 04268 by May 28th.

Welcome!

We are so glad you are here! We are a small congregation of Unitarian Universalists in Western Maine in the town of Norway. We are a Welcoming Congregation. Our service begins at 11:00 AM every Sunday from September through June. As you can see from above, we are looking for a new office manager!

A new website is under development. Take a look at www.norwayuu.org/new2.

Ken Hamilton's sermon of May 6, 2012 can be found under Worship Services.

This Sunday's Service

New Member Sunday

May 13, 2012, 11am

Service led by our Board Chair, Bernice Martin

This will be a special welcoming service honoring our several new members and making their memberships official, including signings of the membership book.

Services for May 2012

May 6: The Reverend Kate Braestrup

Kate is a UU Minister, chaplain for the Maine Warden Service and celebrated author of the bestseller, "Here if You Need Me". Her most recent book is called "Beginner's Grace". Kate will also be speaking at the
Norway Library, May 5 at 7:00 Kate had to cancel her talks because of illness. Ken Hamilton took over on short notice, conducted the service, and gave a very thoughtful and well received sermon.

May 13: Flower Communion
Bernice Martin & Joan Beal

May 20: New Member Sunday
Bernice Martin

May 27: "Harmony"
Mark Swiedom

Mark spent four years in the Army as a young man, which resulted in him becoming a peacenik. The last 25 years he has worked for a paper mill, and as a result is now devoted to the cause of conservation and sustainability. His spiritual journey during this time has been one of reexamination and significant change, in search of harmony.

June 3: "Love and Listening"
The Reverend Glenn Turner

Glenn is a graduate of Brown University 1957. He received an M.Div. from the Starr King School for the Ministry in 1962. An Honorary Doctorate from SKSM in 2005 was, in part, due to his work in promoting Small Group Ministry. He served churches in Yakima and in Tacoma, Washington, in Natick/Sherborn, Massachusetts, and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was District Minister in the Northeast District from 1982 until his retirement in 2000.

Services for April 2012

April 1: The Rev. Phil Shearman
Palm Sunday: "I Love a Parade"

The Rev. Phil Shearman has been minister of churches in Smithfield, Maine; Boston, Toledo and Gorham, Maine. He is still Chaplain of the Gorham Fire and Rescue. His daughter Pat, a resident of Norway, heads the list of his six children. He also has ten grandchildren and four great grands with one more on the way.

April 8: Cynthia Reedy
Easter Sunday: "A Promise Kept"

Cynthia is a teacher at Hebron Academy, a life-long UU, and a frequent speaker at the Norway UU church. She lives with her husband, Brad, in Norway, and her three children have recently left the nest.

April 15: Jim Douglas
Topic: "Gospel Seldom Told"

Jim is a native of Maine currently residing in the Oxford Hills with his wife, two
dogs and cat. He earned a Master of Education in counseling from the University of Maine, and has worked in various human services fields
for 30 years. He is a recorded minister in the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) and served as pastor of Durham Friends Meeting for 8 years. He is currently the Community Grief Specialist for a local home health and hospice organization.

April 22: Charlotte Nolan
Earth Day: "There Is One Tribe"

Charlotte is a published writer and poet, as well as a former advocate for victims of domestic violence in Cumberland County. She regularly writes and speaks about domestic violence, inequality, and other forms of social injustice. She lives in Bridgton with her husband, Tom, and two old dogs. She is a member of the First Congregational Church, UCC, in Bridgton.

April 29: Jennifer Wixson
Sermon: "A Frost Pocket of Goodness"
About the mythical town of Sovereign, Maine (pop. 1,048) where the killing frost comes just in time to "squench" all budding attempts at narrow-mindedness and mean-spiritedness.

Jennifer is a 2001 graduate of the Bangor Theological Seminary and a regular speaker at the Norway UU church.

May 6: Kate Braestrup
Topic to be announced

Kate is a UU minister, chaplain of the Maine Warden Service, and celebrated author of the best seller, "Here If You Need Me". Her most recent book is titled "Beginner's Grace". Phyllis Tickle, author of "The Great Emergence", says of "Beginner's Grace", There is no false piety here, nor is there much heady analysis either. Instead, there is an exquisitely informative, seductive, largely autobiographical but no holds barred frank, presentation of one chaplain's own engagement with prayer. Kate will be speaking at the Norway Library, May 5 at 7pm.

Services for March 2012

March 4: Rev Robert E. Wolf
Sermon: "What's it Worth?"
How might our Unitarian Universalist faith might be appraised by the experts on "Antiques Roadshow" and how helpful that appraisal might be to us.

Rev Robert Wolf is a retired UU minister who served churches in Buffalo, NY, Caribou and Portland Maine, Needham, Massachusetts, and Keene, New Hampshire over his nearly forty year career. He grew up in suburban Boston and is a graduate of Northeastern University and of Meadville Theological School and the University of Chicago. He and his wife, Mary, presently live in Auburn, Maine and are active
members of the First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist, of Auburn.

March 11: Kathy Kellison
Topic: "Gather the Spirit, Harvest the Power"
Exploring the role of vision and mission in deepening church life and commitment.

Kathy is a life-long Unitarian Universalist who has been part of the Augusta church for over 30 years.
She has served in leadership in her local congregation and in the District. She is currently The Small
Group Ministry Coordinator in Augusta, part of the District congregational consultant team, the District
Awards Committee and a member of the Regional Subcommittee on Candidacy, working with aspirants
for our ministry to assess the appropriateness of their path as they move toward the Fellowship
process.

March 18: Poet Paul Janeczko
Topic: "Poetry and the Grace of Little Things"

Paul Janeczko is a poet and writer and former high school English teacher. He currently lives in
western Maine with his wife and daughter. He visits schools in the United States and Europe, providing
workshops for both teachers and students. When he is not traveling, he continues to write books.
He has received several awards, including the American Library Association Books for Young Adults,
American Library Association Notable Books, New York Public Library Best Books, and School Library
Journal Best Young Adult Books of the Year, among others.

March 25: Bernice Martin
Topic: "Bring a Friend Sunday"
Share your wonderful faith and UU community.

Bernice is a theology student and the Norway UU Board Chair.

Services for February 2012

February 5: Rev Robert E. Wolf
Sermon: "Trash and Treasure"

Bob Wolf is a retired UU minister who served churches in Buffalo, NY, Caribou and Portland Maine, Needham, Massachusetts and Keene, New Hampshire over his nearly forty year career.He grew up in suburban Boston and is a graduate of Northeastern University and of Meadville Theological School and the University of Chicago.He and his wife, Mary, presently live in Auburn, Maine and are active members of the First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist, of Auburn.

February 12 Rev Kitsy Winthrop
Topic: RECALLED BY LOVE: A Valentine Sunday Reflection

Kitsy was born into our Unitarian Universalist faith, growing up in First Parish UU in Cambridge, MA., and spending parts of every summer at her family's summer cottage on a Maine island. She has served over a dozen UU congregations, from upstate NY to Vermont to Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Kitsy has an ancestor who was a "founding father" of South Paris, so the Oxford Hills are in her genes.

February 19 Rev Glenn Turner
Topic: "To Endeavor in the Face of the Impossible"
A sermon inspired by a novel by Margaret Drabble who believed that happiness was a by-product of our efforts to live our lives with devotion and depth.

Glenn is a graduate of Brown Univ. 1957. He received an M.Div. from the Starr King School for the Ministry in 1962. An Honorary Doctorate from SKSM in 2005 was, in part, due to his work in promoting Small Group Ministry. He served churches in Yakima and in Tacoma, Washington, in Natick/Sherborn, Massachusetts, and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was District Minister in the Northeast District from 1982 until his retirement in 2000.

February 26: Sue Gabrielson
Topic: "Deep Vision"
Vision, it is the congregation's story imagined, but yet to unfold. We will explore personal and congregational vision!

Rev. Sue Gabrielson is Minister for the Sanford UU Church. Before attending seminary at Andover Newton Theological School, she worked as a police officer, undercover narcotics officer and administrator and faculty member in higher education. Sue has traveled extensively, enjoys the outdoors, is a certified personal fitness trainer and has even hiked the Appalachian Trail. She has two young daughters.

Services for January 2012

January 1 No service

January 8 Sarah MacLaughlin "Thriving Parents = Thriving Community"
Sarah is the author of "What Not to Say. Tools for talking with young children." MacLaughlin has worked with children and families for over twenty years. She is a mom with a young son who gives her plenty of opportunities to take her own advice about "What Not to Say." She is also the daughter of Kathi Pewitt.

January 15 Jennifer Wixson "A New Heaven and a New Earth" New Beginnings ...
Jennifer is a 2001 graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary and regular speaker at the Norway UU Church.

January 22 Cynthia Reedy "(Sometimes) Tranquil Streams" The roots of Unitarianism and Universalism.
Cynthia is a teacher at Hebron Academy, life-long UU and frequent speaker at church. She lives with her husband Brad and three children in Norway.

January 29 Sue Gabrielson 20 Essential Jesus: Reconciling the historical Jesus, the Christ of Faith and the Pop Star.

Rev. Sue Gabrielson is Minister for the Sanford UU Church. Before attending seminary at Andover Newton Theological School, she worked as a police officer, undercover narcotics officer and administrator and faculty member in higher education. Sue has traveled extensively, enjoys the outdoors, is a certified personal fitness trainer and has even hiked the Appalachian Trail. She has two young daughters.

UUA Video Series on Religion for Our Time: Sixth Short Video

The Unitarian Universalist Association has just released the sixth short video in the exciting new series, "A Religion for Our Time".

Episode Six, A Passionate Commitment to Young Adults, describes how the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, California, transformed itself from a graying congregation into a multigenerational one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm9SyFeBeFg

UUA Video Series on Religion for Our Time: Seventh Short Video

The Unitarian Universalist Association has just released the seventh short video in the exciting series, "A Religion for Our Time."

Episode Seven, Multicultural Worship, illustrates how worship at All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, DC, is designed to serve a diverse community. Worship planners at All Souls ask themselves every single week, "How will we reflect in worship the experience and traditions of many different cultures?" Honoring the multiculturalism of the congregation and the neighborhood is an intentional process at the heart of All Souls. And it's a process that can be used in any Unitarian Universalist congregation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BIQXflBCUc

UUA Video Series on Religion for Our Time: Eighth Short Video

Episode Eight, Cluster on the Cutting Edge, profiles four enthusiastic Unitarian Universalist congregations in upstate New York that are determined to grow by working together. Their Capital Region Unitarian Universalists of New York cluster is producing remarkable results, including a brand new congregation! www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV4GRoJzhh4

First Universalist Church of Norway, Maine

The First Universalist Church of Norway, Maine is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association of North America and is an ethical and liberal religious community dedicated to promoting the ongoing search for truth and to affirming the inherent worth of the individual.

We welcome all who find our emphasis on personal religious integrity and commitment meaningful. We meet in community every Sunday morning.

West Paris Universalist Church

The West Paris Universalist Church is our sister church also ministered to by the Rev. Beal. It too is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association of North America and is an ethical and liberal religious community dedicated to promoting the ongoing search for truth and to affirming the inherent worth of the individual.

The West Paris Universalist Church services begin at 9am. See the left sidebar for a link to their website.