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Circle Dinners are informal potluck dinners held in church members’ homes. They provide a wonderful opportunity to meet new people in a small group setting, enjoy fellowship, and build connections while sharing a delicious meal. Register here: https://forms.gle/eV59WwrAABiSg6b67

Ushering at a Sunday morning service is a great option for volunteering that will also allow you to greet and meet old and new friends. And staffing the welcome table is an opportunity to extend the warmest of greetings to our visitors and offer them information about our beloved community. Sign up here for one or both! Questions, email the Welcoming Coordinator, Alex, at ajohnson@uubelmont.org .

What fun to kick off our new year of RE classes with you all last weekend! We had so much fun with all of your amazing kids.  This Sunday September 28th is also a  Curriculum Sunday  and we will have  Age-Based Religious Education Classes . 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.  Don't forget to register your children for the program here! 9:00am Children's Lesson:  This week for All Ages Lesson during the 9:00am service, we will learn about pluralism and diversity and make a group art project.  11:00am Classes:  Nursery care and free play  will always be available for children 0 - 3 years old during both services. Spirit Play (preK-K-1st Grade):  Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders are doing Spirit Play -- a Montessori style curriculum based in stories and wondering questions. This week's story is called "A House for God."  Elementary School Class, Grades 2 - 4 : This class will be doing a UU values curriculum this Fall. This Sunday, they will meet their classroom mascot, a plush pig!  Middle School Class, Grades 5 - 8 : This class will be doing a UU values program this Fall. This Sunday they will focus on Love. Coming Of Age Class, Grade 9 : This class will start downstairs this Sunday and complete the first lesson in the Belonging Unit. Youth Group : We will have Youth Group this Sunday evening from 6:30 - 8:30pm.  Here is the schedule of upcoming RE Sundays:  September 28th -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  October 5th -- One Multigenerational Service Outside October 12th -- Children's Chapel RE Lesson  October 19th -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  October 26th -- Multigenerational Worship for All Souls Day November 2nd -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  November 9th -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  And mark your calendars for special upcoming RE events:  October 6th -- First Welcome Table Family Dinner!  Come have dinner at church, all are welcome. Upper Gathering Hall 5:30 - 7:00pm. October 25th -- Children's Halloween Party  hosted by the FCB Youth Group! Younger children are invited to wear their costumes to church and participate in a fun seasonal party hosted by our teens. Lower Gathering Hall 4:00 - 6:00pm. 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.

Enrollment for the annual fall musical and the children's music program is still open to anyone in grades K-4. We would love to still see 20 more elementary kids in the show, so please tell your friends and families! Rehearsals are on Monday evenings and Sunday afternoons. For more information and to sign up, visit uubelmont.org/musical . If you have questions, please reach out to youthmusic@uubelmont.org .

We're happy to share that First Church's Scott Ferson has a new book about making sense of the 2024 election and the future of American politics, now available for pre-order. Scott has watched and worked in politics for forty years, from the John Anderson for President campaign while in High School, as a press secretary to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a chief strategist for the insurgent congressional campaign of Seth Moulton (D-MA), and advisor to dozens of candidates for office at the local and state level. He is the President/CEO of the strategic communications shop, the Liberty Square Group, and runs a political incubator, the Blue Lab, that trains young people how to run campaigns. He is an adjunct professor of Political Science at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. About the book: "How The Democrats Lost America: Making Sense of the 2024 Election and the Future of American Politics" When Donald Trump won the 2024 American Presidential Election, the nation--and world--was shocked. In this critical examination of the events leading up to and following the election, political advisor Scott Ferson goes straight to the source--the American people--to understand how this happened and where we go from here. In November 2024, the Democrats didn't just lose the election--they lost the voters themselves. In the years and months leading up to the election, a lot of average Joes--enough Joes to swing an election and tilt history's trajectory--were left looking for confidence and answers in uncertain times. These were the voters who've never chosen a party, who work full-time or overtime just to make ends meet, and who simply want to be able to live the American dream that they were promised. A generation ago, these average Joes would have been a Democrat, by tradition or community or through union organizing. Now, these voters are lost to the Democrats, and, for those in disbelief over the 2024 election, the hard lesson is the Democrats never even tried to win them over. How the Democrats Lost America explains not only why Kamala Harris and the Democrats lost the 2024 election but the larger disconnect the party has with voters in general, particularly those who don't hug both coasts or live in select big cities in between. Through thousands of interviews over the past eight years, Scott Ferson exposes a larger problem facing our democracy: A profound disconnect with the people. By listening to people and understanding their real concerns, Democrats can find the way forward and take the steps to reconnect the people with the American promise of democracy. Democrats have a choice. These everyday voters can be lost and forgotten, or lost and found.

We are SO excited that THIS Sunday is RE Class Kick-off! We will have Religious Exploration Programming for all ages during both services. All lessons this Sunday are about covenant. More information below.  And don't forget to register your children for the program here! This Sunday is a Curriculum Sunday and we will have  Age-Based Religious Education Classes . 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.  9:00am Children's Lesson:  This week for All Ages Lesson during the 9:00am service, we will play getting-to-know-you games and build our classroom covenant.  11:00am Classes:  Nursery care and free play  will always be available for children 0 - 3 years old during both services. Spirit Play (preK-K-1st Grade):  Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders are doing Spirit Play -- a Montessori style curriculum based in stories and wondering questions. This week they will meet their teachers and get to know each other.  Elementary School Class, Grades 2 - 4 : This class will be doing a UU values curriculum this Fall. This Sunday they will get to know each other, name their class, and build their classroom covenant.  Middle School Class, Grades 5 - 8 : This class will be doing a UU values program this Fall. This Sunday they will get to know each other, name their class, and build their classroom covenant.  Coming Of Age Class, Grade 9 : This class will starting their program with the first lesson this Sunday, getting to know each other, and orienting to the program.  Youth Group : We will have Youth Group kick-off pizza party this Sunday evening from 6:30 - 8:30pm. We will meet one another, welcome new members, play games, and connect.  Here is the schedule of upcoming RE Sundays:  September 21st -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  September 28th -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  October 5th -- One Multigenerational Service Outside October 12th -- Children's Chapel RE Lesson  October 19th -- Curriculum Sunday (Classes)  October 26th -- Multigenerational Worship for All Souls Day And mark your calendars for special upcoming RE events:  October 6th -- First Welcome Table Family Dinner!  Come have dinner at church, all are welcome.  October 25th -- Children's Halloween Party  hosted by the FCB Youth Group! Younger children are invited to wear their costumes to church and participate in a fun seasonal party hosted by our teens.  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 to Rev Martha or Elliott.

Option One—Works for most phones, best option for Android users: If you already use the Google Calendar app on your phone, or your Google Calendar is synced to your phone’s native calendar, you can subscribe to the church calendar from a computer, and it will automatically appear on your phone. Here’s how: Step 1: Subscribe to the Calendar on a Desktop On a computer, open your Google Calendar (don't have the app, head to calendar.google.com and make sure you're signed into the same Google account as the one synced to your phone). On the left side menu, find Other calendars and click the + button. Select “From URL” . Paste this church calendar link into the box: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/c_d46eb3d81beb3573c5536c592219eaa61c23b76ec131bcc60dde379fdea172a8%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics Click Add Calendar . Once added here, your Google Calendar will sync automatically to your phone if you are logged in with the same Google account. Option Two: For iPhone/iPad Without Google Calendar Sync Step One From your phone, copy this link (you may need to navigate to this announcement using your iPhone or iPad directly): https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/c_d46eb3d81beb3573c5536c592219eaa61c23b76ec131bcc60dde379fdea172a8%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics Step Two On your iPhone or iPad: Open Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other . Tap Add Subscribed Calendar . Paste the calendar link you copied. Tap Next , then Save . Open your Calendar app—the church events will appear automatically. If you need assistance, please reach out to Raeann at rmason@uubelmont.org

We are so excited that this year we will be running the Coming Of Age Program for 9th Graders ! This program invites youth to explore their own spiritual and religious values and determine what it means to become who they are, with the support of a community of peers and the accompaniment of adults from their community.  The program has three parts: "Belonging" explored in the Fall which asks youth the question: What values, beliefs, attitudes, practices, views, habits, and ways of viewing the world have been passed on to you by your communities of belonging? The second part: "Becoming" explored in the Winter, asks youth: What is my unique form of becoming? How will I navigate the challenges of becoming? And the third and final part: "Beyond" explored in the Spring, asks: What is beyond me? What is my relationship to that which is beyond myself? The facilitators will not be answering these questions for youth, rather, guiding them as they find the answers themselves. At the end of the program the youth will have an option to present their beliefs to the community during service.  The Coming Of Age class will take place during the 11:00 AM worship service on Curriculum Sundays, starting on September 21st, 2025 and running until May 17th, 2026 . Youth will start in service, depart after the story, and class will last until about 12:15PM.  Here is the list of Curriculum Sundays: Fall: Sept 21, 28, Oct 19, Nov 2, 9, 23, Dec 7. Spring: Jan 4, 11, Feb 1, 22, March 8, 22, April 12, 19, May 10, 17 We have chosen to host this class as a Sunday morning RE class so that these youth can also participate in the musical throughout the Fall and Youth Group on Sunday evenings, as they see fit and as works for your family schedule.  Youth will be matched with an adult mentor from the congregation in the winter who will help accompany them as they explore spiritual questions and topics. More information about this will come further into the Fall.  Registration for this program is now open! Please use the RE registration form and select "Coming Of Age" from the special programs list. If you have any questions about this program, talk to Rev Martha. We would be delighted to welcome your youth into the class. Also, if your youth is not in the 9th Grade but would like to take part in this program and hasn't had an opportunity yet, we can make an exception, just let Rev Martha know and we will work with you.

It's time to register your youth for Youth Group !  Youth Group is open to all high school aged youth and meets most  Sunday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 PM (note a slight time shift from last year), excluding holidays or when there is other youth-related programming.  The Youth Group kick-off will be a Pizza Party on Sunday, September 21st from 6:30 - 8:30 PM in the Parlor ! If your youth would like to check out what Youth Group is like, this is a great opportunity to drop in.  Here is a link to access the full youth group calendar . Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the calendar. (Please note this is a working calendar and some shifts may occur throughout the year) Youth Group is a safe, supportive environment where youth are accepted as who they are, supported in their spiritual journeys, and encouraged to explore themselves, their beliefs, and values. We focus on checking in, games and play, rituals of care and celebration, engaging with social justice, exploring spiritual practices, doing community service, and workshops for learning.  This year we celebrate Raeann as she transitions into a new role in the church community and we are thrilled to welcome Elliott Barnhill as our new Youth Group Coordinator! We're excited for your youth to get to know him.  Registration for Youth Group is now open! This year:  please use the RE registration form and select "Youth Group" from the special programs list. There is no fee to participate in this program this year.  If you have any questions about Youth Group, talk to Rev Martha or Elliott. We would be delighted to welcome your youth in the community.

We are excited that registration is NOW OPEN for the 2025-2026 church year at this link!   Below is some information on our program offerings this year. The RE year will launch with the full slate of RE Classes on Sunday, September 21, 2025.  As with last year, our RE program month will be structured like this. Each Month: We will have one Sunday where the faith formation program is Multigenerational Worship . This means children are invited to stay in the Sanctuary and take part in worship. A coloring station and games will be available in the Sanctuary. The nursery will be open for children 0-6. Additional programming will not be offered to encourage participation in worship. This is important to be together as one whole community and integrate our children into worship, helping build relationships across the generations of our church community.  One Sunday a month the faith formation program is All Ages Children's Chapel . This means all children will depart together after the Story For All Ages and join in one class together to reflect on the worship themes and do a lesson or game together. This program will happen during both the 9am and 11am services. Two Sundays a month, we will have Curriculum Sundays in which children will be invited to take part in Age-based Religious Education classes. These classes will primarily happen during the 11am service but a one-room schoolhouse style RE class will also happen during the 9am service. Information below. Information on Age-Based Religious Education Programs:  Spirit Play Class (Pre-k, Kindergarten, 1st Grade):  This class is open to preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders (geared to children ages 0-6). This is a Montessori-based class centering a story and wondering questions. Children will be invited to engage the story, explore curiosity, and have open play. Elementary School Class (Grades 2 - 4):  This class will be doing a curriculum this Fall on UU values called JETPIG Adventure, following the adventures of a plush pig navigating the galaxy while learning about justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity. We will use games, crafts, art projects, stories, and other activities to help our young learners explore these values together.   Middle School Class (Grades 5 - 8): This Fall, this class will be exploring our values through a curriculum called UU Values Challenge. This is an active, experiential-based program designed for all types of learners. They will be answering the question: “How do our Unitarian Universalist Values challenge us — and what tools do they call and guide us to create, as we take on life’s challenges?” Information on Special Programs:  Our Whole Lives (5th/6th Grades): During the Spring, as part of our Religious Education program, we offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a progressive, comprehensive sexuality education program for children in the 5th and 6th Grades. Information on the program can be found here. OWL for 5th and 6th Grades will launch in January 2025, Sunday mornings during the 11:00 AM worship, running through May. Full schedule and OWL registration to come closer to Spring. In your RE registration, select this program to have a spot held for your youth for Spring.  Our Whole Lives (8th/9th Grades): During the Spring, as part of our Religious Education program, we offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a progressive, comprehensive sexuality education program for youth in the 8th and 9th Grades. Information on the program can be found here. OWL for 8th and 9th Grades will launch in January 2025, Sunday evenings, 4:00pm - 6:00pm through May. Full schedule and OWL registration to come closer to Spring. In your RE registration, select this program to have a spot held for your youth for Spring.  Coming Of Age (9th Grade): This year we will offer the Coming Of Age program for our 9th Graders. This is a wonderful UU program that invites our young people to explore their values, with the support of a mentor and cohort of peers. They will spend the year reflecting on what is important to them, what they wonder about, and who they are. At the end of the year, they will be invited to present a faith statement to the congregation in worship. More information about this program can be found here. This class will run as a Sunday morning class 11:15AM - 12:15PM on Curriculum Sundays. You can register your youth for Coming Of Age by using the RE registration form and selecting "Coming Of Age" from the special programs list.  Youth Group (9th - 12th Grades): Youth Group at FCB is a wonderful place for our high schoolers to connect, rest, play, learn, grow, and support each other, accompanied by adults from the community who care for them. Youth Group happens Sunday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:30PM most Sundays (about 3x/month). Youth will have opportunities to participate in service, explore social justice, complete workshops, discuss spiritual topics, and build community. More information about youth group can be found here.  You can register your youth for Youth Group by using the RE registration form and selecting "Youth Group" from the special programs list. There is no fee to participate this year.  Wow, what a year it will be! If you have any questions about any of this information or about any of our offerings, contact Rev Martha.  Please register for RE here.

Dear FCB Climate Crisis Responders, Here are some opportunities for climate action, education, and advocacy this September. Thanks for your participation! Priscilla (Pril) Cobb, for FCB Green Inaugural Sustainability Day at the MA State House When: Tuesday, September 9 | 10:00 am – 3:30 pm Where: MA State House What: Showcase of creative solutions for building a greener, healthier, and more equitable Commonwealth🎤 Keynote Speaker: 10:30 am – Melissa Hoffer, MA Climate Chief More info / Register: Eventbrite link Beyond Plastics Virtual Event with Mariah Blake When: Thursday, September 4 | 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT Who: Investigative reporter Mariah Blake, author of They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals What: Published in May, They Poisoned the World is a gripping, impeccably researched account of how the chemical industry covered up the hazards posed by PFAS. Blake interweaves the secret history of forever chemicals with the moving story of how a lone village took on the chemical giants—and won. In 2014, after losing several friends and relatives to cancer, an unassuming insurance underwriter in Hoosick Falls, NY, began to suspect that the local water supply was polluted. Testing his tap water revealed dangerous levels of forever chemicals—and set off a chain of events that led to 100 million Americans learning their drinking water is tainted. Meanwhile, the manufacturers of these chemicals had long known they were toxic and covered it up for decades. They were aided by the U.S. government’s lax regulatory system, which has made us all guinea pigs in a vast, uncontrolled chemistry experiment. Zoom Link: Join the Meeting Sun Way Pilgrimage – International Sun-Day Celebration When: Sunday, September 21 | 1:00 – 2:30 pm Where: One-mile processional from Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, to Boston Common Who: Third Act MA and Boston Interfaith Climate Allies What: Celebrate International Sun-Day by joining the Sun Way Pilgrimage More info: Sun Way Pilgrimage Email if socialaction@uubelmont.org if you ’d like to join others from First Church in participating.

The Sandy Island Committee has been working hard to make this year’s All-Church Retreat special and fun. We are excited to share that 55 parties have already registered. A few spots are still open, so if you have not had a chance to sign up yet, or if you experienced difficulties with the registration process, there is still time. All registered parties should have just received a welcome email. If you believe you registered but did not get this message, please contact Eleanor Sugarman at esugarwoman@verizon.net as soon as possible.