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< Back Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget To be voted on at the 168th Annual Meeting, June 2nd, 2024 Previous Next

FCB Sangha The FCB Sangha meets weekly throughout the year on Mondays 7:30 PM lasting one hour. It features a democratically run organization where participants can sign up to either offer the opening candle, or a 20 minute reading, followed by 30 minutes of sacred silence and a closing

Drop In Meditation December 17 · 10:45 AM · Library Join us for a weekly drop-in meditation on Wednesdays from 10:45–11:35 am in the Library. Sessions include both walking and sitting meditation, led by Eleanor Hobbs. All are welcome. For questions or more information, email Eleanor at ethobbs@rcn.com.

Choosing Hope November 30 · 9:00 AM · Sanctuary Michelle Collins says, “Hope is not a certainty but rather a choice. When the world offers you despair, choose possibility. When cynicism seems reasonable, choose engagement. May our hope be grounded in love and expressed through action. And may we return here to find courage to choose again.” Join us for an exploration of Choosing Hope. During the 9:00 am service, Trailmix will be providing the music. Children’s Chapel All Ages-RE will be offered during both services to explore hope. Children will depart, after the story. Choosing Hope November 30, 2025 9:00 AM Gathering Music “ Amazing Grace,” performed by Trailmix; instrumental Welcome and Announcements Board Member Prelude “ Hold On,” Mary Ross Greet Your Neighbor Michael Griffin Chalice Lighting Michael Griffin Life is a gift, for which we are grateful. We gather in community to celebrate The glories and the mysteries of this great gift. Gathering Song #118 , “This Little Light of Mine” Story "Frederick,” by Leo Lionni; Gabrielle Garschina-Bobrow, Anthem ”Take Hope for a Ride,” by Bayard Klimasmith Reflection Richard Waring Words of Offering Richard Waring Offertory “ Happy Children,” Lori McKenna Doxology From all that dwell below the skies; Let words of love and peace arise; Let joyful songs of praise be sung; Through every land by every tongue. Amen. Candles of Celebration and Concern Prayer Rev. Chris Hymn #107 , “There’s a River” Reflection Michael Griffin Closing Hymn #95 There is More Love Somewhere Extinguishing the Flame Gabrielle Garschina-Bobrow Postlude ”Something to Love,” Jason Isbell

History Group March 5 · 9:00 AM · Online Join us on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm for ongoing discussions about First Church history with Historian John Howe. For more information, contact John at history@uubelmont.org .

Caring Connection provides short-term assistance and support for people in our church community during times of crisis. Caring Connection The Caring Connection provides short-term assistance and support for people in our church community during times of crisis. Caring Connection The Caring Connection provides short-term assistance and support for people in our church community during times of crisis. We foster enriching bonds, both old and new through this out-reach. The support we provide includes meals, visits, calls, cards, transportation and help with funeral and memorial service collations. If you, or someone you know, would like assistance, please emails pastoralcare@uubelmont.org We welcome volunteers to help provide these services as well. Please contact us if you are interested in joining the Caring Crew. Submissions to Candles of Joys and Concerns If you have had a life event, concern or celebration you may submit an announcement for inclusion in our recorded Candles of Joy and Concern. Email your Candle to Sam Foster , Membership and Outreach Manager. Limit your statement to one or two sentences. No home addresses, personal phone numbers or e-mail addresses. If you'd like to share your Candle online, visit the Candles Submission Page here

Listening Circles April 26 · 11:30 AM · Library The Committee on Ministry is offering four opportunities for congregants to share feedback on church life, set apart by topic. These will take place after church on February 8, March 8, March 29, and April 26. The sessions will last one hour. The topics are, respectively, Caring, Communication, Children’s Religious Exploration, and Adult Religious Education. The conversations will be reflected in our report at the Annual Meeting. For more information, contact Eleanor Sugarman at committeeonministry@uubelmont.org.

Partner Church Sunday January 25 · 10:30 AM · Parish Hall Come and Celebrate a simulcast service with our partners in Désfalva, Transylvania. We will share music, songs, and words, and connect with the members of our Partner Church in real time. Children of all ages are invited to stay and participate. Childcare will be available for children 6 and under. “ Partner Church Sunday ” Jan. 25th, 2026 10:30 Gathering Music - Casey Hannan, piano Prelude – Casey Hannan, piano Words of Welcome from Belmont Rev Martha Words of Welcome from Désfalva Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi Hymn – Désfalva Hymn #33 , Adjatok hálát (Give Thanks) Chalice Lighting Belmont: Life is a gift for which we are grateful… Desfalva: The Lord’s Prayer Faith Covenant - Rev Martha We gather as a loving community, To encourage and comfort one another. We gather as a diverse community, To support each other in our search for spiritual truth. We gather as a service community, To live our beliefs through action and care for our world. Anthem – Szekely Áldás, a Transylvanian kitchen blessing, arranged by Beth Norton Homily – Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi, Livia reads translation Anthem - We Lift Our Eyes to the Mountains, by Elliot Levine Homily – Rev Chris, Boróka reads translation in Désfalva Hymn - #358 Rank By Rank Again We Stand (Belmont) Words of Offering - Rev. Chris Offertory - Folk song of the Kisküküllő region, sung by Boróka Molnár in Désfalva This is the time in our service where we invite forward an offering to help support the work of the church within and beyond our walls. This month, all month, our offerings will be supporting our Partner Church Program Doxology – From all that dwell below the skies; Let words of love and peace arise; Let joyful songs of praise be sung; Through every land by every tongue. Amen. Wheel of Life - (B, D) Désfalva child dedications, coming of age, marriages and deaths read by Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi, translated by Livia Racz. Belmont births, coming of age, marriages and deaths read by Jess Hausman, translated by Boróka Molnár. Musical Response - 159, This is my song Introduction by Leslie Kolterman. For our final hymn today, we choose a song that we sing every Partner Church Sunday. We do this to honor and remember a founding member of our partnership, Hans de Muinck Keizer, who went to Désfalva in 1989, and entered the village singing this song. Today, our partners in Désfalva will sing two verses in Hungarian translation, then we will sing two verses. (v1-2D in Hungarian, v1-2B in English) Extinguishing the Chalice – Rev Martha Martha: We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth, the warmth of love, or the fire of commitment, these we carry in our hearts until we are together again, these we carry out into the world, as our blessing, as our gift. Csongor: The candle is now extinguished, but its light lives on in our hearts and strengthens us, reminding us that we are one. Benediction - (Désfalva) Rev Csongor May the blessings, love, and goodness of our provident God be with us and remain with us and our loved ones today always. Amen. Postlude –

3rd Saturday Film Discussion Group December 20 · 7:30 PM · Online NICKEL BOYS (2024) is an historical drama based on the novel by Colson Whitehead, directed by RaMell Ross, starring Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson. The story follows two African-American boys, Elwood (Herisse) and Turner (Wilson), who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. The film is inspired by the Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed Florida reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students. (Prime, $5.99; Apple TV)

Mending Bee March 14 · 3:00 PM · Library More info coming soon.

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Small Group Writing Initiative This group is designed to enable, if not nudge, us to write regularly in the context of a trusted, sharing small group. We are often able to work at a deeper level by committing our feelings and thoughts to writing. Many might say that they write as much to understand as to be understood. Prompts, distributed a week in advance, are offered only as optional themes to jog thinking and preparing to write. After an introductory, provocative thought or poem, we will write for an hour on any topic, event, or feeling in fiction or non-fiction format, and then share any writing that might be offered to the group. There are no expectations to share our writing, only opportunities.