Welcome to the monthly feature: a brief report on what your Parish Board is thinking and talking about: For this month’s “deep dive,” Tracey shared an overview/update of the myriad operational and administrative areas she touches in her role, and how she is carefully tending to responsiveness, efficiency, and consistency. And she mentioned that attendance at our services continues to grow! Heard a thorough overview from Ian regarding the music program’s finances, including sources of revenue (there are six distinct funds!) and expenses, including where increases are projected, and savings are being achieved. Treasurer Roger Gallagher reviewed the monthly financial report with specific attention paid to where costs increased (snow removal!) and led a discussion of the proposed FY2027 budget, which is balanced thanks in large part to a robust stewardship campaign as well as a recommendation from the Finance Committee for a modest increase of the endowment contribution, which the Board then approved. Also discussed preparations for the May 17 Financial Town Hall at which many more financial details will be shared. Rev. Chris shared a quick update on pending grant applications: Lilly Endowment decision expected on August 28 and UUA decision early summer on his sabbatical plans, and UUA decision also early summer on the Legacy of Slavery project. Touched on preparations for the June 7 annual meeting, including the formal call, which you can expect to hear soon! Discussed the status of plans for the community fridge, which are continuing, and the team’s need for some last-minute financial admin support, which First Church had to decline due to the lack of lead time. Approved the proposed creation of an ad hoc subcommittee to develop and document policies when needed, and affirmed the need for discretion so as not to overdo it on the development of policies that are not essential and not likely to be consistently followed. Approved proposed changes to our Safe Congregations Policy to bring us into compliance with insurance requirements, with a commitment to develop and implement timely plans for operationalizing the changes. With appreciation to all, Bruce Kozuma, President; Nicole Griffin, Vice President; Roger Gallagher, Treasurer; Peter Whitmer, Clerk; Laura Caputo, Gabby Garschina-Bobrow, Eleanor Hobbs, John Howe, Sara Oaklander, Heather Quay, Donna Ruvolo, and Laurie Graham (ex-officio)

Our Lost & Found is full of water bottles, winter layers, glasses, and even a key fob. Please check for missing items by Sunday, June 14. All unclaimed items will be donated after that date. The Lost & Found is located just outside the church office on the lower level.

Beginning the week of June 14, summer drop-in office hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Appointments are also available outside of those hours. Please reach out to your Congregational Administrator, Tracey Summerhayes, at office@uubelmont.org if you would like to schedule a time to meet.

Volunteers are needed to help with Kyle's ordination service happening on Sunday, May 31, at the First Church in Belmont. Please use this link to sign up for a volunteer role. We are specifically looking for a few ushers, some help scooping ice cream during the reception, and folks to set up the reception space.

The Parish Board and Finance Committee held an informational session about the church's finances, covering both FY26 (2025 - 2026) year-to-date and a preview of the FY27 (2026-2027) budget and other fiscal matters. The slides can be found here: FCB Financial Town Hall 2026-05-17.pdf. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Parish Board at parishboard@uubelmont.org.

Hello Families, This Sunday, May 17, we have Curriculum Sunday! Children will be invited to start in worship and depart together after the story downstairs to class. A One-Room-Schoolhouse Style RE Lesson is offered during the 9:00am service. Age-Based RE classes are offered during the 11:00am service. Special Announcement: Sign up for next year's program! The school year is approaching its end, and it's time to look forward to next year. I am excited to announce that registration is open for next year's Religious Education program! For information on next year's programs, check out our website. To make everyone's lives easier, we are launching a new combined registration form with the Music Program. You have one form to fill out to sign your kids up for BOTH the Children's Choir and Religious Education. Here is the link to register. Upcoming Events May 14th 11am -- Belmont UU Alliance: A Review of Religious Education and Family Ministries at First Church. Join Assistant Minister Martha Durkee-Neuman to talk about how the year of Religious Education and Family Ministries at First Church in Belmont has gone and what is in store for next year. Rev Martha will explore values of faith formation, what a lifespan learning program means, and how we all contribute to creating this program together. May 31st -- Belmont PRIDE. Join us for the Belmont Pride Parade and 25th Anniversary Celebration! The parade will be short route down Concord Avenue and through Belmont Center, followed by live music by the Freedom Trail Band, children's activities, community group tables, and cake and ice cream. Sunday, May 31st at 12:45 pm on the Town Green next to First Church. The parade starts at 1:00 pm. Click here for more information or to donate. Volunteering opportunities Bring a snack for coffee hour! The sign-up is here. Schedule of upcoming RE Sundays: May 24th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 May 31st -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 7th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 14th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 As always, your RE staff are here to support your family. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hello Families, This Sunday, May 10, we have Curriculum Sunday! Children will be invited to start in worship and depart together after the story downstairs to class. A One-Room-Schoolhouse Style RE Lesson is offered during the 9:00am service. Age-Based RE classes are offered during the 11:00am service. Upcoming Events May 9th 3PM -- Children's Choirs End-of-Year Concert. Join us as we celebrate the end of the regular church year with music from our talented children’s choirs! The children and youth have been working on music all year and are excited to perform it! The concert will feature soloists from 5th to 8th grade along with a surprise preview of next year’s musical. Grab your tickets today https://FCBchildrenscabaret.eventbrite.com Volunteering opportunities Bring a snack for coffee hour! The sign-up is here. Schedule of upcoming RE Sundays: May 17th -- Curriculum Sunday May 24th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 May 31st -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 7th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 14th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 As always, your RE staff are here to support your family. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out.

Do you feel a strong connection with First Church? Have you been looking for a new way to contribute to the community or get more involved? The Nominating Committee is still looking for candidates to fill open positions on both the Committee on Ministry and the Parish Board starting in September. If you're interested in learning more about these committees, please email nominating@uubelmont.org by April 30, 2026.

This Sunday, May 3rd at 10:30am is our annual Youth-Led Service. We are so excited to take part in this beautiful service that our young people have crafted and will lead on Sunday. As is our tradition, at this service, we will "bridge" our high school seniors in order to mark this occasion and moment of transition in their lives. We would like to extend a special invitation to any young adults (adults ages 18 to 35) from our community, as well as any adults (of any age) who grew up in this church, to come and be a part of the bridging ceremony. Young adults and adults who grew up in the church will form an archway to welcome our newest adults into the community. This is a sweet and meaningful way to help celebrate this ritual milestone. We're excited to see you on Sunday!

Hello Families, This Sunday, May 3rd, we have the Outdoor Youth-Led Service at 10:30am! Join us outside the church for a worship service especially designed by the church's Youth Group. Worship will be multigenerational and children are invited to stay. Childcare for those age 6 and younger will be provided. Don't forget to register your children for the RE program here! Upcoming Events May 3rd 12:30 PM -- Beech Tree Celebration and Goodbye Ceremony. The copper beech tree outside the church will be cut down this summer. Join us to celebrate its life and legacy among the children and families of the church. May 4th 5:30-7PM --- Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner. A spaghetti dinner for church and community members. Come with your family and appetite! More information here. May 9th 3PM -- Children's Choirs End-of-Year Concert. Join us as we celebrate the end of the regular church year with music from our talented children’s choirs! The children and youth have been working on music all year and are excited to perform it! The concert will feature soloists from 5th to 8th grade along with a surprise preview of next year’s musical. Grab your tickets today https://FCBchildrenscabaret.eventbrite.com Volunteering opportunities Volunteer at the Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner! Previous volunteers can attest that helping out at Spaghetti Dinner is a great way to connect with the community at First Church. Sign up for May 4th here! Bring a snack for coffee hour! The sign-up is here. Schedule of upcoming RE Sundays: May 10th -- Curriculum Sunday May 17th -- Curriculum Sunday May 24th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 May 31st -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 7th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 14th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 As always, your RE staff are here to support your family. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hello Families, This Sunday, April 26th, we have  Multigenerational Worship  for the Children's Choir Service ! Children can participate in worship with the rest of the congregation, or they can go downstairs to the RE rooms where there will be childcare offered. Don't forget to register your children for the RE program here! Special Invitation Volunteer at the Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner!  We need volunteers to keep the program running smoothly. Former volunteers can attest that helping out at Spaghetti Dinner is a great way to connect with the community at First Church. Thank you to anyone who has volunteered in the past! Sign up for May 4th  here . Upcoming Events May 3rd 10:30 AM -- Outdoor Youth-Led Service . Worship will be planned and led by members of our Youth Group and will be happening on the town green! We invite you to come and support them and their leadership. Worship will be multigenerational and children are invited to stay. Childcare for those age 6 and younger will be provided. May 3rd 12:30 PM -- Beech Tree Celebration and Goodbye Ceremony . The copper beech tree outside the church will be cut down this summer. Join us to celebrate its life and legacy among the children and families of the church.​ ​​ Volunteering opportunities Bring a snack for coffee hour!  The sign-up is  here . Schedule of upcoming RE Sundays : May 3rd -- Outdoor Youth-Led Service at 10:30 May 10th -- Curriculum Sunday May 17th -- Curriculum Sunday May 24th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 May 31st -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 7th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 June 14th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 As always, your RE staff are here to support your family. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hello Families, This Sunday, April 19th, we have All-Ages Children's Chapel !  Children will be invited to start in worship and depart together after the story downstairs to class, where we will hold an all-ages Children's Chapel lesson for Earth Day. Don't forget to register your children for the RE program here! Upcoming Events April 17th 7 PM -- An Evening of Storytelling with Len Cabral . An event with internationally acclaimed author and storyteller Len Cabral, organized for RE and children's choir families! Admission is free, but seating is limited, so sign up today !  ​​ May 3rd 10:30 AM -- Outdoor Youth-Led Service . Worship will be planned and led by members of our Youth Group and will be happening on the town green! We invite you to come and support them and their leadership. Worship will be multigenerational and children are invited to stay. Childcare for those age 6 and younger will be provided. May 3rd 12:30 PM -- Beech Tree Celebration and Goodbye Ceremony . The copper beech tree outside the church will be cut down this summer. Join us to celebrate its life and legacy among the children and families of the church. Volunteering opportunities Bring a snack for coffee hour!  The sign-up is  here . Volunteer at the Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner!  We need volunteers to keep the program running smoothly. Thank you to anyone who has volunteered in the past! Sign up for May 4th  here . RE Child Pickup Policy:  Please pick up your child from RE Class promptly when the service ends before going to coffee hour. This applies to any child 6th Grade and younger. If your child is not picked up, they will be dropped off at the nursery until you are able to collect them. Thank you for working with us to ensure a smooth transition between class and coffee hour! Schedule of upcoming RE Sundays : April 19th -- Earth Day service, Children's Chapel April 26th -- Children's Choir service May 3rd -- Outdoor Youth-Led Service at 10:30 May 10th -- Curriculum Sunday May 17th -- Curriculum Sunday May 24th -- Multigenerational Service at 10:30 As always, your RE staff are here to support your family. If there is anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out.