Women's Group 2011 Holiday Dinner

This Friday, December 2, 2011 at 6:00 Join the women of the Norway UU Church at the Blackhorse Tavern in Bridgton. We will take up donations for Christmas For Teens.

Anyone who would like to carpool, please gather at the church at 5:00 PM.

Women's group is open to women who have attended church just once! It is hosted every month by someone different so watch carefully for times and dates.

Saturday December 3, 2011

Decorate the church!
Bring you greens and shears, ribbons and baubles and we will decorate the church for the holidays.

Successful Plant Sale and Church Yard Sale

We raised $589.75 from the Plant Sale and $365.10 from the Church Yard Sale. These two sales took place simultaneously on June 12, 2010. It was an exciting day! The total of $954.85 has been deposited into the operational account of the church. Good going people!

3rd Annual Earth Peace Day Concert on April 17th !

The First Universalist Church of Norway will present its 3rd Annual Earth Day Peace Concert in the church sanctuary on Sunday, April 17th at 2:00pm. Donation is $5 at the door. This special concert will feature live performances by Vessel Recordings artist Heather Pierson and the First Universalist Church choir. The program, which will benefit the church's Belfry Repair Project, will include anthems, chants, rounds and readings that celebrate and honor the earth and the ideal of peace.

Heather Pierson has been Music Director at the First Universalist Church for over 8 years now and is the founder and host of the church's Norway Open Mic Night, held on the last Friday of every month. Her latest CD release, Make It Mine, was celebrated last fall with a sell-out release show at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, Maine and is currently enjoying regular rotation on several New England college, commercial and internet radio stations.

The church is located at 479 Main St. in Norway's historic downtown. For more information, please call (207) 743-2828 or e-mail Heather at heather@heatherpierson.com.

We raised $180 and a great time was had by all, both the audience and the performers!

Oct. 17 at 2pm: HARVEST CONCERT!

At our Norway UU church sanctuary, featuring Heather Pierson, Nate Towne, Big Bob Wallace, Norway UU church choir, poetry, song! $5 admission to support the Belfry Repair Project. Promises to be an exciting fun time!

$173 Raised for Camp Susan Curtis

On Sunday, June 27, 2010, we raised $173 in a collection at church for Camp Susan Curtis.

The following is taken from the description on the Camp Susan Curtis website.

Camp Susan Curtis was established in 1974 in memory of Maine Governor Ken
Curtis's daughter Susan who passed away from cystic fibrosis. Today camp serves
children in Maine who live below the poverty line. Our founders believed that a summer camp experience was a critical part of a well-rounded childhood and felt that economically disadvantaged children often miss out on the summer camp experience. Our campers enjoy a tuition-free camping experience and generally return year after year. Through our strength-based programming and supportive environment 9 out of 10 of our campers graduate high school and 8 out of 10 go on
to college.

Plant Sale Tradition and Highlights

The First Universalist Unitarian Church of Norway will be having its annual - perhaps perennial is a better term - plant Sale, and indoor yard sale on Saturday, June 12 from 9am to noon. There will be locally grown annuals, herbs, perennials, and house plants available. Richard Pollack assures that "this is a great opportunity pick up plants to fill an empty spot in the garden or replace something that a late frost nipped." Along with Rebecca Hardy, Mr. Pollack assures that as far as he can ascertain, the plants will be both mentally and emotionally healthy and ready for a home that is likewise.

The sale follows a tradition that is at least half a decade long, begun by church alto Cynthia Seavey. Mrs. Seavey, a professional landscape designer and gardener created the church front garden some years back under the motif of "a rainbow welcomes and values all." The beautiful sign now displayed was created by talented Oxford Hills artist, Joanna Reese.

Cynthia Seavey's background includes a Harvard-Radcliff five-year program in land design followed by an illustrious career in public design and gardens, serving several towns, public buildings, and civic organizations. She explains how the plant sale project had its genesis: "As I was building and planting our church garden out by the sidewalk and street, many good folks stopped by with support and suggestions, and many offered to bring me favorite plants from their own perennial gardens. Before long there were so many we decided to put them up for public sale, here at the church yard, and so begun our renown 'Plant Sale'." She adds, don't miss this year's blessed event.

A rummage sale will peacefully coexist inside the church at the same time.

NOTE:
The attached photo shows Cynthia Seavey (left) and Rebecca Hardy in the front garden at the First Universalist Church of Norway UU, Main St. Norway. The garden was designed and planted by the lovely Mrs. Seavey, a retired landscape design professional.

NOTE: The above is a copy of a news article written by Peter Lenz and submitted to the Norway Advertiser - Democrat. The photo was taken by Peter Lenz.

Over the Top !!

We've exceeded our pledging goal of $35,000 and are now at $35,572! This is with 27 pledging units, an average pledge of $1,317, and a median pledge of $972. Bravo! Also, six of our pledging units are brand new, never before having pledged to our church. Congratulations to everyone!!

$126 Raised for Loki Clan Wolf Refuge

At our Fourth Sunday collection on May 23, 2010, we raised $126 from the congregation for the Loki Clan Wolf Refuge. Find out more about this non-profit at www.lokiclan.com/

The Princess and the Pebble

The service on May 23 was The Princess and The Pebble. This featured a one-act play of short duration with several members in attendance playing various roles. Much fun was had by all.

The complete service is up on the website under Worship Services. The story is a metaphor for all the irritations and indeed horrors that beset us today which can be balanced by the truly beautiful things and experiences in life. Some wonderful poems by Mary Oliver show us the rich and deep world right beneath the surface of our consciousness if we would but take the time to feel and imagine it.

NNED/UUA Annual Meeting at Red Jacket Inn: April 30 to May 1

Yes, the NNED/UUA meeting at the Red Jacket in North Conway was really inspiring, fun, and a blast. We expected a keynote talk on Friday evening but instead it was a Universalist history pageant, slide show, rollicking singing blast which literally had people dancing and jumping in the aisles, no exaggerating! The conference choir, which I wish we had signed up for, was electric and infectious, especially the "Rev" from Tamworth, NH, the Rev. Mary Eades. She kept repeating this old time Universalist circuit rider routine in which she would clap her hands, slap her leg and knees about five or six times and then throw her arms and hands up in the air to a rousing Hallelujah in which we would all join in! I found myself in good voice, and we ended the evening's "history lesson" on a magical Kumbayah.

The next morning was the keynote by the Rev. Mark Stringer of Des Moinse, Iowa, and he was electric and infectious in a different way. A charismatic guy with a great practical theme, Reverend Mark showed how in his UU congregation the key to growth is nurturing relational curiosity, in other words begin with friendly small talk to get to know the newcomer rather than trying to indoctrinate the person on UU principles. Getting to know you! is the theme. His congregation grew from 250 to 500 people in a few years. The guy had a clear, friendly voice with good humor and plenty of jocular but sincere humility: everything has its problems, even the best laid plans, but keep your eye on the ball, that key to growth which is to nurture relational curiosity on a person to person level.

You know, that's what we're trying to do too, nurture relational curiosity, and as Richard pointed out today in his excellent Stewardship Sermon, the Circle Dinners achieve that. Let's hope his service for today will be up on the website soon.

Cheers, Blessed Be, Amen, and Hallelujah!

2nd Annual Earth Peace Day Concert on April 25th !

The 2nd Annual Earth Day Peace Concert will be held in the sanctuary on Sunday, April 25th at 2:00 p.m. Donation is $5 at the door. This annual event will feature live performances by Vessel Recordings artist Heather Pierson, as well as other outstanding performers, and the First Universalist Church choir. The program, which will benefit the church's Belfry Repair Project, will include anthems, chants, rounds and readings that celebrate and honor the earth and the ideal of peace. WHAT A BLAST THIS WAS! GREAT FUN AND EXCITEMENT FOR ALL!

Great kick-off meeting the night of April 16th!

The dinner and meeting was a great event and a fine start for our stewardship weeks. Those chicken pieces and that dinner Kathi and her helpers prepared were delectable. The fish bowl discussion which was a new experience for most of us was thoughtful, entertaining and useful. Richard took copious notes and it will be interesting to see the results. There were 24 of us there, maybe 25.