| Sunday ServicesSunday, October 6: Services at 9:15 & 11:15 a.m.
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Courage in Connection
-Rev. Mira MickiewiczCourage isn’t something that only happens in extraordinary situations—it is a skill we can practice and learn in the everyday. How might we as a community lean into this vulnerable and messy work of practicing courage?
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Bill's BlogCourage: Journey with FearCourage is our spiritual theme for October. Most dictionary definitions suggest that courage involves fearlessness, somehow being able to hold fear at bay.
If you Google “Courage is not the absence of fear,” the words of several famous individuals pop up:
Courage is not the absence of fear,
– “but the triumph over it.” Nelson Mandela
– “but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” Franklin Roosevelt.
– “but acting in spite of it.” Mark Twain.
Let me add one more of my own:
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to journey with fear.
This fall, I have tried to limit my public comments about current US politics to suggesting that I believe the period until the next Presidential election will be particularly challenging. I have heard “amen” to that both publicly and privately ...Continued
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Q and A with Rev. SinkfordSunday, Oct. 6, 12:45 p.m.
Eliot Chapel
Bring your questions to this quarterly gathering with Rev. Sinkford, whether you have questions about First Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, theology, or whatever is on your mind.
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First Connections Returns!The First Connection series will resume on Oct. 6. Designed with newcomers to the church in mind, but everyone is most welcome. First Connections is a way to get to know others in the church, how things work here, and how to make connections. First Connections will be offered between services beginning at 10:30 a.m. and concluding in time to get to the second service, around 11:05 p.m.
What Does Membership Mean?Sunday Oct. 6, 10:30–11:05 a.m.
Come and learn about what it means to be a member of First Unitarian. Why take that step? There will also be a chance to sign the membership book and to become an official member.
Our Church HistorySunday Oct. 13, 10:30–11:05 a.m.
Come and learn about the history of our church, including the women who came together and raised money to found the church back in the 1860s. Led by Cindy Cumfer, who wrote the most recent history of our church.
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A Walking History Tour, Unitarians of River View CemeterySunday, Oct. 6, 2 p.m., River View Cemetery
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Quarterly Congregant Budget ReviewSunday, Oct. 6, 10:30 a.m.
Considering how much to pledge for this year's AFD(Annual Fund Drive)? Come to the quarterly budget and financial review meeting at 10:30 a.m. in the Eliot Chapel to ask and get your questions about the church's finances answered.
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Family Pumpkin ProjectSaturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.
Dear families, join the fun for our 10th annual family social service project. We will be meeting Saturday, Oct. 5, to pick pumpkins at Al's Garden Center in Wilsonville. We’ll then wash them at the Stewarts' home with a snack to follow.
On Sunday we will need help unloading the pumpkins at church and selling them after each service. This is a great way to have your children involved doing a social justice project with the church. The proceeds will go to our Immigrant Justice Group.
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Bystander Intervention WorkshopSaturday, October 5, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Room A108
In this workshop you will learn how to safely intervene as a bystander to de-escalate the threats that too many of our community members are enduring daily. Our instruction offers a practical approach to de-escalation and bystander intervention that is appropriate for all community members who wish to make a positive difference in our community.
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Turn Your Passion Into Action!Friday, Oct. 11, 6:30–9 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.
Eliot Chapel
You are invited! Presenters are Jenny McQueen, who will be speaking on "Everyday Activism" and Amy Wilson (Aquatic Law Fellow from Lewis and Clark Animal Law Clinic) will give a talk titled "Knowing Your Rights and the Rights of Animals."
Sponsored by Animal Ministry and Compassionate PDX. Vegan refreshments provided.
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Transforming Hearts: Welcoming in CongregationsSaturdays, Oct. 12, 26, Nov. 2, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
First Unitarian Portland’s Lay Ministers will facilitate this program for allies. This course, which explores gender and welcoming at First Unitarian, was created by transgender Unitarian Universalists with UU congregations in mind.
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Spiritual Direction 101 WorkshopSunday, Oct. 13, 1–3 p.m.
Are you are interested in deepening your spiritual practice or are you curious about having a spiritual director for your journey in faith?
Please join us for conversation, stories, and a practice session of what might be included in this insightful experience. Details: No charge. Advanced registration appreciated.
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Shedding Our StarsTuesday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
Join author and childhood friend of Anne Frank, Laureen Nussbaum, as she discusses how Hans Calmeyer saved her family (and at least 3,700 other Jews) from the deportation lists, saving them from death during the Holocaust.
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Oregon Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice 10th Annual Meeting
Register now and join with others! Our voices are needed to help stem the tide of fascist growth, global warming, racism, sexism, human rights violations, and economic hardship.
Speakers:
- Human Rights: Reverend Richard Davis, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem
- Immigration: Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, Executive Director, Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ)
- Climate Justice: Leonard Higgins, Climate Activist, Board Member UU Ministry for Earth
- Deepening Our Democracy: David Delk, Board Member Oregon UU Voices for Justice, Co-Founder of Oregon Honest Elections
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Just Scary Enough: A Family Storytelling Event with Will HornyakSunday, October 20, 1–2 p.m.
Room A108
Learning Community families are invited to a free, interactive show with Will Hornyak who will share tales for the Celtic New Year of Samhain to put just a wee chill in the bones. Appropriate for all ages. Tamale plates available for purchase in the Buchan Atrium before the show!
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Downtown UU History TourSunday, Oct. 20, 11:30 a.m.
This fun and informative tour will cover our church’s history from our pioneer beginnings to the present. We begin in our church buildings, stroll through the Park Blocks and into downtown.
Details: No charge. Registration appreciated. Drop-ins welcome. We will meet at the Adult Faith Formation Table in Margaret Fuller Hall.
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Staff Recital SeriesSunday, Oct. 20
Our music ministry program is thrilled to introduce a recital series, which will feature members of our talented music staff between services in Eliot Chapel, usually on the fourth Sunday of every month.
We meet next on Sunday, Oct. 20. Please join us!
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Racism, Trauma & HealingTuesday, Oct. 22, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Buchan Reception Hall
Recognize the signs of trauma from racism, and how to better understand institutional racism and develop personal healing-centered strategies.
Sponsored by the Portland Office of Community and Civic Life & Ending Mass Incarceration/Advancing Racial Justice (EMI/ARJ) of First Unitarian Portland.
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Hans My Hedgehog and Other Tales of Exiles, Outcasts and Wanderers (For Mature Audiences Only)Saturday, Oct. 26 7 p.m.
Master Storyteller Will Hornyak presents haunting poems, songs and tales from the dark forests of imagination in celebration of the Celtic New Year of Samhain (Halloween).
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October Art WallWillamette View retirement community has attracted numerous artists in recent years. A group of them are showing a beautiful array of styles
and media on the Art Wall in October.
The Art Wall’s mission is to integrate art into the spiritual life of First Unitarian Portland by providing a venue for congregants to be moved by quality artwork from artists within the church and throughout the metro region.
Come down to Margaret Fuller Hall any Sunday and see it in person!
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BookstoreA new church year, a new selection of books.
Wellspring books are in stock; books to support experiences of transgender individuals; and wonderful new children’s books.
Bring in your expiring Chinook Books to share last-minute coupons in Margaret Fuller Hall after both services Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. New Chinook Books and apps are also on sale at our bookstore.
Our bookstore (which started life in a closet in the 1960’s) has grown to a vibrant, welcoming respite for all congregants and visitors to First Unitarian Portland.
It supports the spiritual mission and principles of our church with offerings to stimulate and broaden our thinking as we move along our spiritual path, and help us better understand Unitarian Universalism.
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Program EventsAdult Programs, Social Justice, Learning Community, Music & Arts
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The Learning Community 2019–2020 Registration Is Now Open!If you are a returning family, check out our website to find our online form, or just click below to register your child/children for the 2019–2020 church year classes.
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Interested in Becoming a Learning Community Teacher?
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Sunday Afternoon ChildcareWe offer childcare for all ages each Sunday from 1–3 p.m. while you attend an event or meeting at church. Request care for your child(ren) at the Eliot Info Desk by 1 p.m. that day. Staff are released at 1 p.m. if no one has requested care by then.
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| Get InvolvedMake a difference in the First Unitarian Portland community
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Join Our Sunday Morning Hospitality Team!Imagine the smiles on our congregants’ faces as you serve up fresh coffee on Sunday mornings. Offer a variety of teas, juice, and occasional crunchy snacks. Become a member of our Sunday coffee host team by choosing a regular Sunday each month to volunteer, or offering your help as a substitute when called upon. Either one would be much appreciated. Excellent training is provided by our experienced volunteers.
Email John in the front office or call him at 503-228-6389 x102. Or just stop by the Fuller Hall kitchen on Sunday morning and add your name to the list.
This is a great way to get to know folks!
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Sunday Drivers Needed
Can you provide an occasional ride to Sunday services for a neighbor? Do you, or someone you know, need help getting to church?
Our First Unitarian Neighborhood Connections rideshare program helps match riders with drivers in Portland and Lake Oswego and is organized by ZIP code. To learn more, contact Maina Ptolemy at 503-803-8991.
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| Seeking UshersUshers are needed. Looking for a way to serve in our community? Consider being an usher one Sunday a month. You’ll be part of a team that is the welcoming face of the congregation. For information, see Dev Dion after services on Sunday or contact him by email.
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Seeking Sunday Welcoming Volunteers
If you like to greet people and make them feel welcome, this volunteer opportunity is for you: become a Welcome Desk or Newcomer Table host before or after a Sunday service.
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In the CommunityCommunity milestones, joys, and sorrows
Grace Kuhns, longtime Unitarian choir member, has entered hospice care. Her sister, Victoria Fairham-Wheeler, and her family request prayers for Grace and for their mother, Doris Kuhns, during this fragile time of their lives.
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Welcome Back to the New Church Year!
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Naming First Unitarian Foundation in Your Will or Estate PlanHelp assure the long-term sustainability of this beloved congregation by including First Unitarian Portland in your will or estate plan.
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Sunday, September 29 Attendance:1st Service: 203
2nd Service: 286
Musicians: 26
Total: 515
Livestream: 123
Grand Total: 638
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Give the Joy of Flowers for Sunday’s Service
Have you ever wondered where the beautiful Sunday morning flowers come from each week? You can be one of the generous donors of the chancel flowers.
The upcoming holidays are a great time to remember loved ones and family by sponsoring chancel flowers.
For details about giving flowers for the chancel, contact Marsha or call her at 503-954-3534.
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Help Us Be a Welcoming CongregationDo you have a spare bedroom you are willing to share with other UUs visiting Portland for a few days? You would provide a bed, a bath, and a simple breakfast. We often have more requests than hosts! More hosts are needed in NE Portland, but anywhere in the city is good.
Remember our program if you are having out-of-town guests who need housing. For details, contact Ruth Robinson.
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Add to Our Media Collection
Taken any nice photos of First Unitarian Portland or its events? Send them our way to help build our media collection! Sending us your photos gives us permission to publish and/or use images for publications, website content, and social media. If you'd like to limit your permission, just let us know. Please email your photos to us here.
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Why Pronouns MatterAt church and elsewhere, it’s becoming more common for people to introduce themselves with the pronouns they use, and to ask, “What pronouns do you use?” Though this may be an unfamiliar question for you, becoming comfortable with it is a way to live our UU principles.
Here’s why:
Gender is a primary way our creative identities interact with the world. Many people feel comfortable with the gender assigned to them at birth based on their genitals, assigned male or female, and are called cisgender. (Cis means “on the same side of,” so for these people, gender and sex-at-birth align.) For many others, their assigned gender is not a true or comfortable identity. Read more here.
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Ongoing GroupsThe following church groups meet on a regular schedule during our program year (approximately September through May or June). Many groups meet on an irregular basis or take the summer months off, so if you are unsure about a particular group's schedule, please contact the individual listed.
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| Africa Connections
This church social justice group supports advocacy and outreach work in communities in Kenya and Zimbabwe that have been deeply impacted by HIV AIDS. We do this through support of the IMANI Project, Zimbabwe Artists Project, and Quilts for Empowerment. Questions? Email Annie Bennett.
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Aging Together Learning GroupWe use books, movies, poems, and various art forms to catalyze group dialogue about our personal experience of aging. Meetings are held monthly on the first Monday from 1 –3 p.m. For more information or to register, please contact Lucy Garrick.
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The Alliance
The Alliance meets September through May, usually on the first Wednesday of the month, for a luncheon, business meeting, and program. Visit the Alliance web page. Questions? Email Alliance.
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| Animal Ministry Group
We normally meet on the fourth Sunday, 12:45 p.m., A303. Visit the Animal Ministry web page for special meeting times. Questions? 503-520-9012.
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Caregiver Support GroupWe usually meet on the fourth Sunday of the month, September through May.
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| Children's Mosaic Restoration Group
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Committee on Hunger & Homelessness (COHHO)We are now meeting monthly September through May on the fourth Sunday from 12 –2 p.m. in the Fireside room in A303. Visit our table in Margaret Fuller Hall on the second and fourth Sundays.
Questions? Contact Ingrid Gjestvang here.
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| Contemplative Practice Group Second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30–8 p.m., A301. We offers a regular opportunity for building community through silent meditation, mindfulness poetry, and deep discussion on church themes. Questions? Ron Walker.
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| Economic Justice Action Group (EJAG)The Economic Justice Action Group (EJAG) educates and advocates on issues of economic justice. Watch for our speaker, book, and movie events. Stop by our table for the latest information on fair trade, health care, democracy, and inequality and its dimensions. We meet the third Sunday of every month, September to June, at 9 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Contact: Michael Wade for more information.
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| Ending Mass Incarceration/Advancing Racial JusticeWe usually meet monthly on the fourth Tuesday, 6:30–8 p.m., B302. Questions? Kathryn Scotten.
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Good Times Committee
Join with fellow congregants for social gatherings, from happy hour to hikes, from dinners to plays. Learn more and sign up with Good Times during social hour on Sundays. Questions? Laura Gadley, 847-525-8700.
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Immigrant Justice Action Group (IJAG)The Immigrant Justice Action Group (IJAG) meets the first Wednesday of the months of September–May, from 1:30–3 p.m. in the Channing Room.
Our focus is on making connections, education, and action on immigrant justice. Our meetings include time for reflection, sharing, and information about the many dimensions of the immigration challenge. We also share opportunities for engagement and collaboration with our partners in the community and develop strategies and arrangements for our participation.
Through the IJAG Google group, we disseminate recommended actions. Join us for the important work of immigrant justice! Questions? Contact us here.
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LGBTQIA Pride Group
Find out the latest social events by picking up a flyer at our Pride Table in Margaret Fuller Hall for our monthly movie game night, monthly PDX roller skating, potlucks, and any projects being planned. Visit our Facebook page: First Unitarian Pride, Portland, OR for all of our events and the LGBTQIA events we are supporting in the Portland area.
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Meditation GroupGroup meets in the Eliot Chapel, 7–8:30 p.m on Wednesdays. Silent meditation for 30 minutes, followed by reading and discussing a book by a Buddhist author. Please email with your phone number if you are considering coming. Questions? Contact Mary Ann Harman.
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Mental Health Action GroupMHAG exists to educate the congregation about mental health issues and to support those in the congregation living with mental illness or whose relatives live with mental illness. We meet every third Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Buchan Building.
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Quilts of Love GroupThird Thursday meeting is now 10–11:30 a.m., B310. Sew-in is on the first Thursday at Modern Domestic, 1408 NE Alberta St., from 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. This group creates quilts for families served by Portland Homeless Family Solutions as they transition from the shelter to a permanent home. Questions? Contact Kathleen Vinson, 503-477-6001.
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| Peace Action Group Monthly on the second Saturday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Channing Room. Questions? Tess Beistel, Terri Shofner, Brianna Bragg.
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| Sunday Morning T'ai Chi Chih
Sunday morning T'ai Chi Chih, 8:30–9 a.m.; check the sign board in the Buchan building for meeting locations. Questions? Email Adult Programs.
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UU Knitting GroupThe knitting circle meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month during the church year. Questions? Susan Pryor, 503-894-9945.
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| UU Men's Community
Third Saturday, 9 a.m., Channing Room. This is an open group where men of all ages can share life experiences, learn from each other, develop friendships, support one another, and have fun. Questions? Richard Turner at 503-734-5854; more info here.
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| UU Movie Group
Meets on the fourth Sunday of the month over a potluck meal at members’ homes. For more information, contact Nancy Panitch, 503-318-0776, or Ellie Kirkham, 971-544-7003. More info at the Good Times table in Margaret Fuller Hall.
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| UU Poetry Group
Twice monthly, on the second and fourth Thursdays, 7 p.m., Channing Room. Questions? Rodger Blackburn, 503-519-3494.
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| UUA Outreach GroupMonthly on the last Wednesday at 7 p.m., usually in B310, but check the sign board when entering.
If your interest lies in the larger picture of UU ministry, join us! Questions? Bill Pryor, 503-894-9945. We'd love to hear from you.
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Women’s CirclesI: First and third Mondays at 7 p.m. Questions? Tess Beistel, 503-257-2042.
II: Second and fourth Mondays at 7 p.m. We are currently welcoming new members. Questions? Kim, 503-869-1486. III: First and third Wednesdays at 10–11:30 a.m. Now welcoming new members. Questions? Dorothy, 503-292-1337.
IV: Twice a month on Wednesday evenings. We are looking for participants of all ages for supportive sharing and discussion about such topics as parenting and spirituality. Questions? Amy, 503-241-5451.
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Update Your Records with UsHave you moved recently? Changed your phone number or e-mail address?
Anything else you'd like to let First Unitarian know?
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Do You Have an Item for E-news and/or the Sunday Bulletin?If you have an item you’d like published in our weekly Front Steps (eNews) or the Sunday Bulletin, please submit it to:
Communications@firstunitarianportland.org and include in the subject line “For eNews” –or– “For Sunday Bulletin” –or– “For eNews and Sunday Bulletin.”
Deadline for submissions is noon on Wednesday.
Because space is limited in our Sunday Bulletin, we’re unable to run articles for more than a week or two in advance, depending on the number of submissions. Articles may need to be shortened if space is tight.
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| Sunday Livestream
Join us LIVE from your computer or smartphone on Sunday at 10:15 a.m.
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Bridge and Road Closures (Portland Marathon) The Broadway Bridge will be closed to all vehicles (including Portland Streetcar) from 7:15 –9:45 a.m. this Sunday. All westbound vehicles attempting to access the Broadway Bridge will not be able to travel west of N Benton Avenue from 7:15 –9:45 a.m.
All streets that are used for the race will be designated "no parking" from 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. Click here for more information.
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Sunday Parking ReminderU-Park: SW 12th between Main and Salmon: No charge Sundays, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. NOTE: This parking lot is free only on Sundays until 4 p.m.
City Center: SW 11th and Main: No charge Sundays, 8 a.m.–2 p.m
Lawyer’s Lot: SW Main between 12th and 13th: No charge Sundays, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. This lot is never available weekday evenings.
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Our October plate collection will be shared with First Unitarian’s Coming of Age program for 7th and 8th graders. It will support the work of helping our youth discover what social justice and leadership can be within our faith.
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