First Lady Rosalynn Carter famously said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be caregivers; and those who will need caregivers.” She dedicated much of her life’s work to championing caregiving—from rallying resources to ensure support for unpaid family and friends, to addressing caregiver burnout. Fundamental to her commitment was the understanding that caregiving is a universal experience. But in the U.S. these days, it’s much more than that. Family caregivers are now the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system. Many of our First Church members are part of this caregiver community, and are balancing these responsibilities with the demands of work and home. Navigating this world of medical appointments, nursing tasks, or even just making nourishing meals can feel daunting. In response, the Community Care Team is hosting several gatherings to support our caregivers. The first one – Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer’s: A Poetry Reading & Conversation on Alzheimer’s, Caregiving, and Aging – is on Sunday, October 18 from 12:30-2:00 pm in the Parlor. We hope you’ll join us. In November, to mark National Family Caregivers Month, we are teaming up with the Adult Programs Committee to host two more gatherings on Sunday, November 11 and Sunday, November 18, both from 12:30-2:00 pm in the Parlor. Possible topics for these two gatherings include: navigating care management, on your own or with a professional: communicating with healthcare providers obtaining and understanding medical information advocating for your loved one balancing caregiving with self care: asking for and accepting help making time for your own needs Our request? Please tell us what would be most helpful for you to learn, share and discuss at these two gatherings by emailing us at communitycare@uubelmont.org. And if you or a loved one need support in the day-to-day of your caregiving role, please let us know that, too. Whether by organizing meal trains, providing transportation, or making a grocery run, we are here to help.

Hello First Church RE Program Families, This Sunday, October 11th, we will offer All-Ages Children's Chapel at the 9 and 11am services. We will all begin together in worship, and after the story children will go downstairs for a 1-room schoolhouse style lesson that aligns with the worship theme! Upcoming Events October 12th 9am-noon -- Belmont Serves. Families are welcome to a Day of Service on Indigenous People's Day! More information here. October 24th 4pm-6pm-- Family-friendly Halloween party! All kids and their families are welcome to join. Grown-up volunteers are needed! Costumes strongly encouraged. October 24th 7:30pm -- STAND UP! RESIST! Songs of Defiance and Hope. Feeling helpless? Discouraged? Pessimistic? We have the antidote. Just in time for the midterms, Sol y Canto will be sharing an uplifting evening of songs of protest, resistance and hope - in Spanish, English and of course, Spanglish. Held in the First Church Parish Hall. Volunteering opportunities Sign up to volunteer for the Family Halloween Party on October 24th! The Youth Group is hosting the party, but we could use some help--if you are willing to contribute your time (or donate food) to the party, email me! Spaghetti Dinner sign-ups for all future months are on this form here. Schedule of upcoming Sundays: October 11th -- All-Ages Children's Chapel October 18th -- Curriculum Sunday October 25th -- Multigenerational Worship, Day of Remembrance November 1st -- Curriculum Sunday November 8th -- Curriculum Sunday 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.

The 2026 Social Action Holiday Gift Fair will be held on Sunday, December 6, 12:00 PM-4:00 PM!! Save the date for your own holiday shopping, consider volunteering with the fair, and help us find new vendors! The gift fair features organizations and artisans selling gift items to raise funds for causes aligned with our UU values or for social action programming at First Church (including migrant and refugee support, voting rights, climate justice, LGBTQ+ Rights, and the Legacy of Slavery Project). And we may have space for new vendors! Help the gift fair provide an even greater variety of goods to benefit the good work of a broader array of groups by referring potential participants to us. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, here is what they need to know: Artisans market their work and support either the church’s social action program or a charitable cause of their choice. Artisans share 50% of their profits from sales made at the fair. To be considered for the fair, artisans can email holidaygiftfair@uubelmont.org by November 7 with a description of their work. AND...we would love for you to get involved and help us make the fair a huge success! Are you out and about around town? We need people to hang flyers around town the weekend of November 27-29 (right after Thanksgiving!).. Are you available on the day of the fair? Join our team that day to help with set-up (8am-12noon), during the fair (12-4pm), or with break-down (4-5pm). To volunteer or for more information about the fair in general contact Kathy and Sara at holidaygiftfair@uubelmont.org And thank you!

It is such a joy to be in community with you all this year! I am busy reacquainting myself with old friends and meeting new people — it's all very exciting. Thank you so much for the warm welcome. On October 18th, I will be preaching on the joys and challenges of aging — and how we can move through it all gracefully. I'm looking to pair thoughts on what is challenging about aging with thoughts on what the gifts are. Maybe you're having trouble with your balance, but you've learned how to speak up more. Maybe you can't travel as much, but you're enjoying being a grandparent. Maybe people underestimate you now, but you've stopped caring so much about what other people think. If you have a minute, I'd love to hear a few lines about what has been hard and what has been a gift in your own aging process. Some of what you share might make it into the service — the rest will simply help guide my thinking as I write. In faith, Rev. John O'Connor joconnor@uubelmont.org

The Legacy of Slavery Project group at First Church in Belmont is seeking serviceable adult bikes for donation to healthcare workers in Cuba, to be collected and distributed by Bikes Not Bombs. Bikes will be collected on Monday, October 12, Belmont Serves Day, in the church parking lot from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. For more information, please contact: legacyofslaveryproject@uubelmont.org.

Hello First Church RE Program Families, This Sunday, September 27th, will be a Single Service at 10:30, AND Curriculum Sunday! We will begin all together in worship at 10:30am, and the teachers will accompany youth down to the classrooms after the "story for all ages." SPECIAL NOTICE: Halloween Party Date Change The date of the Family Halloween Party has been changed to October 24th from 4-6pm. Hope to see you there! Volunteering opportunities Help out with Spaghetti Dinner on October 5th! Sign-up for October is here. Future Spaghetti Dinner sign-ups are on this form here. Sign up to volunteer for the Family Halloween Party on October 24th! The Youth Group is hosting the party, but we could use some help--if you are willing to contribute your time (or donate food) to the party, email me! Upcoming Events October 5th 5:30-7:30pm -- Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner for Families October 12th 9am-noon -- Belmont Serves. Families are welcome to a Day of Service on Indigenous People's Day! More information here. [UPDATED] October 24th 4pm-6pm-- Family-friendly Halloween party! All kids and their families are welcome to join. Grown-up volunteers are needed! Costumes strongly encouraged. Email Elliott at youthprogram@uubelmont.org for more information. Schedule of upcoming Sundays: October 4th -- Curriculum Sunday, One Service Outside at 10:30am October 11th -- All-Ages Children's Chapel October 18th -- Curriculum Sunday October 25th -- Multigenerational Worship, Day of Remembrance November 1st -- Curriculum Sunday November 8th -- Curriculum Sunday 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.

Our lives are full of moments worth sharing: joys, sorrows, milestones, changes, and everything in between.Community Care Corner is a place to let our First Church community know what’s happening in your life, much like lighting a virtual candle during worship. Whether you’re celebrating a new beginning, grieving a loss, marking a milestone, facing a challenge, or simply have a life update to share, we invite you to share it with the community. Submissions are shared in our weekly newsletter, The Unitarian, so our community can celebrate with you, hold you in care, and stay connected. Share your joy, sorrow, or life update here→

We are happy to announce that Season Memberships for the Second Friday Concerts 2026-27 season are now on sale. Here’s the deal: Members and friends of the First Church Belmont community can purchase a SOLO or DUO Season Membership, which helps us support our charities and artists. Each $100 SOLO membership enables you to purchase ONE ticket for 1/2 off the regular ticket price. Each $200 DUO membership enables you to purchase TWO tickets for 1/2 off the regular ticket price each. A Season Membership is good for EVERY First Church Concert, including: 2nd Friday Concerts at FCB; Classical Concerts at FCB; and Community Concerts at FCB. (This coming year we’ll have at least 4 Classical Concerts!) When you purchase your Season Membership, you will be given a special promotional code to use in order to access your 1/2 price ticket(s). As always, 100% of the net proceeds benefit our chosen charities. Credit card charges will be from First Church in Belmont. You will receive an email receipt and instructions for applying your discount from admin@secondfridayconcerts.org. Musically, The Second Friday Team

Hello First Church RE Program Families, This Sunday, September 27th, will be the first Curriculum Sunday of the program year! Religious Education programming will be offered at the 11am service. We will begin all together in worship, and the teachers will accompany youth down to the classrooms after the "story for all ages." Volunteering opportunities Help out with Spaghetti Dinner on October 5th! Sign-up for October is here. Future Spaghetti Dinner sign-ups are on this form here. Upcoming Events October 5th 5:30-7:30pm -- Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner for Families October 12th 9am-noon -- Belmont Serves. Families are welcome to a Day of Service on Indigenous People's Day! More information here. October 31st -- Halloween Party for Families. More information to come! Special Notice Starting this Fall, we will not offer RE programming during the 9am worship service. We will only offer classes at 11am. Thank you for your understanding! Schedule of upcoming Sundays: September 27th -- Curriculum Sunday, Classes Kickoff! October 4th -- Curriculum Sunday, One Service Outside at 10:30am October 11th -- All-Ages Children's Chapel October 18th -- Curriculum Sunday October 25th -- Multigenerational Worship, Day of Remembrance 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.

We are so excited to be launching new Small Group Ministries this Fall! This program will run from October through May. Small groups will meet every two weeks for 8 months for a total of 15 sessions (eg: first/third Mondays, second/fourth Wednesdays). Groups will naturally sunset at the end of the year. If a group would like to continue to meet after the program year, that may be an option, depending on the group and the facilitator. This is an option, but not an expectation. Participating in a Small Group Ministry is a beautiful way to meet and connect with other community members, reflect on your spirituality, wrestle with big questions, share from your heart, receive support, and listen to others. Groups will meet for 90 minutes and have a covenant. Each meeting will have a specific topic and will begin with a check-in (such as "How have you been doing since we last met?"), a series of readings or poems, then members are invited to share their thoughts or reflections on the topic. These groups focus on deep listening and humble sharing. We will coordinate groups that meet in person and over Zoom. And at various times of the day. Groups will be formed based on day/week availability. We are also looking for facilitators! Facilitation is easy, lateral, and fun. Rev Martha will provide a full packet of facilitation guides. Additionally, our Small Group Ministry team will host a facilitator training in September for anyone who is interested. We encourage you to consider facilitating a group, it is a joyful way to volunteer. Registration is open from June to August and will close in September. After you register, please be patient as you wait to be connected with a Small Group. Matching will begin in August and groups will be announced in September and launch in October. Contact Rev Martha with additional questions about the program.

The Welcome Table Spaghetti Dinner for families is a monthly drop-in family-style spaghetti dinner. It's a time to share food and connect with others at your own pace. Games are provided for children. All are welcome, including newcomers and guests. And we're looking for volunteers. Sign up for October 5 today!

Help Make Coffee Hour Special! We’d love your help keeping our Sunday coffee hour welcoming and delicious! Sign up to bring a finger food item to share with about 20 people on a Sunday that works for you. Please bring your item to the kitchen before your Sunday service and place it on the table labeled “for coffee hour” so it doesn’t get mixed up with food for another event. Please also fill out the allergy card provided at the table. Please, no nuts. Alex Andrews Johnson, our Welcome Coordinator, and Luis Carrion, our Church Sexton, will take care of putting the food out just before coffee hour begins. Thank you for helping create a welcoming space where we can gather, connect, and build community together! Questions? Email coffee.hour@uubelmont.org.