🥞 Pancake Breakfast at 8:45 a.m. 🥞
Sunday Worship at 10:15 a.m.
Together Time: Children and youth begin in the Sanctuary at 10:15 a.m. Nursery and toddler care is always available during our worship service. Learn about our program here. Current news here.
Social Hour:Â Buchan Reception Hall after the service.
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Our annual spiritual theme of the 2024-2025 congregational year is “Join the Journey,” and this month we are specifically exploring “Threshold” as a way into the theme. As we arrive at 25 years into this century, it is an opportunity to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed as individuals and as a society. In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of beginnings, doors, and transitions. If he could speak, what might he say as we move across the threshold of a new year?
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Register Now: Countering Antisemitism in Our Movements
Sunday, January 12, 4 - 6 p.m.
Location: Buchan, B102
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With the rise of Christian Nationalism in the US and abroad, overt antisemitism is resurging to fuel these movements. We've seen violent attacks on Jews in recent years, including the murder of congregants worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and right-wing marchers carrying tiki-torches and yelling anti-Jewish slogans. Antisemitism is real and it is deeply woven into our culture. It is both subtle and overt and has had traumatizing impacts on Jewish communities for generations.
Antisemitism is also confusing, including when claims of antisemitism are used to divert and divide justice seeking movements or when progressive people perpetuate antisemitic tropes. UU efforts to address the unspeakable violence in Israel and Palestine have activated people's trauma, confusion, and frustration. We believe that in order to act effectively and accountably within our UU communities, we must understand how antisemitism is present and how we can counter it as we fight for justice and human rights.
If you'd like to learn alongside us, we invite you to join us for a two-part in-person program, taking place on January 12 and January 26. Registration is required. Attendance at the first session is required to join the second session. Read more and register here.
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NEW! — What a Wonderful 100th Anniversary Pageant!
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Were you "snapping away" at our Solstice or our 100th Anniversary Christmas Pageant service? If so, we'd love to have a few of your best pics. Just email them to the church office at photos@firstunitarianportland.org.
We'd like to showcase of few of these in our next Front Steps and our pre-service slides, and hold on to them to feature next year during the holidays.
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NEW! — Pancake Breakfast
This Sunday, January 5, 8:45 - 10 a.m.
Location:Â Buchan Reception Hall
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Join us for free, delicious pancakes in Buchan Reception Hall from 8:45 to 10 a.m. this Sunday. We will have plain, blueberry, chocolate, and blueberry-chocolate pancakes fresh off the griddle. All are welcome!
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First Steps Class This Sunday
This Sunday, January 5, after the service
Location:Â Channing (A101)
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Our next First Steps Class and Campus Tour will take place this Sunday. This first offering of the year is sure to be a full class! Class is limited to 15 folks, so... Please RSVP to Jen.
Join Danielle Garrett, Jen Thomas, and church member Bill after the service in Channing Room A-101 to learn more about First Unitarian Portland and our programs, and to meet some leaders in the church and take a tour. This is also an opportunity to ask about membership for those interested in making a deeper commitment to First U.
First Steps classes are offered on most first Sundays of the month throughout the year.
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Join the Journey on the Labyrinth + Family Open House!
This Sunday, January 5, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location:Â Fuller Hall
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This year, as we explore the church theme “Join the Journey,” we offer monthly opportunities to deepen our spiritual practices and focus on our inner journeys through the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth will be set up in Fuller Hall on the first Sunday of most months from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
The labyrinth will remain available until noon.
We’re always looking for more volunteers to help us set up our sacred space and plan other labyrinth related activities throughout the year. If you’d like to volunteer, reach out to Teri.
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Around the Church
Enjoyed coming to gatherings at First Unitarian Portland? Consider contributing to sustaining our community. Your support goes a long way in fostering meaningful connections. Thank you!
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The Contemplative Practices Group Returns!
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Location:
1st Thursdays in Channing, A101
3rd Thursdays in Buchan Reception, B101
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The Contemplative Practices Group is returning to First Unitarian! Join with us on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to sit in meditation together. Connect to your inner self as well as something bigger than yourself. Bring more peace and joy into your life, increase mindfulness and develop more perspective.
“Contemplative spirituality is about slowing down and relaxing our action, our striving, and all of our 'doings.' In order to 'wake up' to the Reality in which we are already immersed, we must slow down and gently transition 'from doing to being.' " - Keith Kristich
This is a drop-in group. Any silent sitting practice is welcomed and no prior meditation experience is needed. If you would like to learn a contemplative practice for use during the group, let the facilitators know and they will meet with you half an hour before the group sit begins.
Each group meeting consists of a 20-minute meditation, a check-in on a spiritually oriented topic, and deep discussion of a poem or short reading. Facilitators are Patty and Ron. To learn more about the facilitators, visit the event page here. They look forward to being with you!
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NEXT WEEK — The Alliance Presents "Homelessness in Portland: Upstream Causes, Downstream Effects, and Finding the Pathways Home"
Wednesday, January 8, 10:30 a.m.
Location:Â Eliot Chapel or online
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On any given night in the United States, more than 650,000 people experience homelessness. West Coast states, including Oregon, are among the most significantly affected. Why? And what are we doing locally to help more of our neighbors find pathways home?
Speaker: Ryan Deibert, Interim Director of Multnomah County's Homelessness Response System.
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Aging in OUR Church Community - Senior Forum
Sunday, January 12, noon
Location:Â Buchan Rooms B102 and B103, or online
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Aging in OUR Church Community - Senior Forum is a special event dedicated to understanding and supporting our senior members. This forum is organized by a newly formed committee co-chaired by church members Ruth and Mark. This group formed to support our senior community so that they do not feel disconnected or forgotten.
Join with others on January 12 to hear speakers from Alliance, Lay Ministry, and Sojourners and to engage in meaningful discussions about how we can better serve and connect with our senior community. Folks can arrive any time after 11:30 a.m. and the program will start at noon. This is an opportunity for everyone to share ideas, learn from each other, and strengthen the bonds within our church family.
It is also a Souper Sunday! You are invited to bring your soup to the gathering.
The forum will be livestreamed. To join online, click "Watch Live" on our website or use this link.
We look forward to seeing you there and working together to create a vibrant, inclusive environment for all ages.
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NEW! — Star Ornaments Available at the Bookstore
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Star ornaments, commemoratives of our 100th Christmas Pageant celebration, are now available at our bookstore in Fuller Hall! The $5 price per ornament will go towards much-needed refurbishing of our pageant costumes.
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Transportation Organizing for Sundays
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Are you looking for rides to church? Are you able to bring folks to and from church on Sunday morning?
A group of thoughtful folks are putting heads together to consider ways to bring folks together to share in worship and activities on Sunday.
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CHECK WEEKLY — January 5 Newsletter
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A note from Assistant Minister Danielle Garrett:
For centuries, people around the world have used the labyrinth as a form of prayer, meditation, and discovery. It has many twists and turns, but unlike a maze, you can’t get lost and there is no wrong way to go!
On most first Sundays of the month, First Unitarian sets up a canvas labyrinth in Fuller Hall. This Sunday, we're excited to introduce this practice to our children and families. Walking the labyrinth can be a fun and meaningful activity for all ages and it’s a great way to introduce a spiritual practice to energetic little ones who like to move their bodies.
We hope you'll join us in Fuller Hall on January 5 from 9 to 10 a.m. for a family labyrinth open house. We’ll have labyrinth volunteers on hand to explain the practice in a kid-friendly way and will have some finger labyrinths, traceable labyrinths and labyrinth-related crafts set up in Daisy Bingham so that the experience is accessible to all our community members...MORE
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SAVE THE DATE! — Forum: How Will We Defend Attacks on Immigrants?
Tuesday, January 28, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
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With the incoming administration, we know that big changes are coming that will impact immigrant communities. We want to be informed, prepared, and ready for action.
ARJAG and IJAG will co-host a three-part series of events addressing immigrant justice. Through an anti-racist lens, we will explore immigration status issues, the lived experience of immigrants in Oregon, and strategic ways we can act in solidarity to promote and defend the human dignity of Oregon immigrants. Â
Please mark Tuesday, January 28, 7 - 8:30 p.m. (via Zoom) on your calendar for our first forum/workshop. Tentative dates for the subsequent events are Tuesday, March 4, and Tuesday, May 6.
Watch for additional information in upcoming Front Steps!
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CHECK WEEKLY — Art for Social Justice
Curated by Ethel, Speaking of Justice Editorial Team
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The Speaking of Justice Editorial Team offers weekly art to deepen our connection to the work for social justice and to build the Beloved Community.
“Are we ready? Ready to lift our vision above our fear. Ready to reject the possibility that “normal” is as good as it gets? Ready to embrace the possibility that this world just might be rebuilt to different standards that we would not be ashamed to name.”
This week's offering is “We Rise” from Step By Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite with text from “The Rebirth of Wonder" by Reverend William Sinkford. Watch the video below:
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In the Community
A memorial will be held for member Ted Okrasinski this Saturday, January 4, at 2 p.m. in the Eliot Chapel. Ted died on September 10 at the age of 84. He contracted COVID in early August and struggled since. Ted was a kind and thoughtful man and he and his wife Lois joined the church in 1998. We hold Lois and their family. Chancel flowers this Sunday are offered in loving memory of Ted.
Member Phil Scott's younger brother Dick Scott died on November 29 after several years of living with Parkinson's Disease.
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Do you have a birth in the family, a graduation, an anniversary, a memorial, or other milestones to share?
You can acknowledge it to the entire congregation by sponsoring a floral bouquet. As we connect with friends, say it with flowers on the Chancel.
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NEW! — January/February Art Wall Exhibitions
Artwork by Paula Bullwinkel
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Paula Bullwinkel is a narrative and figurative painter. Her female characters and beast-familiars are often in a doppelgänger tableau, suggesting an unsettling and boisterous multiverse. She has exhibited widely, including Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Oakland, Switzerland, and Portland. Born in Northern California, she spent her childhood making miniature clay animals and figures in her mom's ceramic studio, reading classic fairytales, and playing for hours in the woods with imaginary characters. After earning a bachelor's degree in literature from UC Berkeley (and later a master's in art education), Bullwinkel spent years in New York and London as an editorial fashion photographer. Now she paints and lives in Portland.
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Recurring Workshops, Classes & Gatherings
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Caregivers Support Group: Open to Newcomers. Fourth Sunday of each month at 9 a.m. via Zoom.
Care and Action for Reproductive Dignity (CARD): We meet on the fourth Sunday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Fireside and via Zoom. Contact Marni.
Committee on Hunger and Homelessness (COHHO): We meet on the 3rd Sunday of the month after services. Contact Cynthia for details or to be added to our email list.
Community for Earth (CFE):Â We meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month before worship services (hybrid) and on the 4th week of the month at rotating times. Contact our group or visit our calendar for details.
Contemplative Practices: First Thursdays (in Channing, A101) and third Thursdays (in Buchan Reception, B101) from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. This is a drop-in group. Any silent sitting practice is welcomed and no prior meditation experience is needed. Contact Patty and Ron or visit the event page for more information.
Immigrant Justice Action Group (IJAG): Check the IJAG page on the church website for ways to get involved and groups that need our energy and gifts. For meeting info, contact Laurie.
Lotsa Helping Hands: A care calendar that enables volunteers to provide meals or visits for congregants going through challenging times. To join, send a request here. For questions or to receive support, contact Leslie or Susan.
Mental Health Caregivers Group: Second Wednesday every month via Zoom 7 - 8:30 p.m. Email Ellen for more information.
Sojourners: Lollygagging Our Way To The Inevitable: Sojourners and Sojourners 2 are two groups that meet for two hours at First Unitarian. Members support each other through aging with facilitated discussions, activities, personal stories, and social events, fostering growth and friendship. All are welcome, but both groups are limited in size; no drop-ins, please. Email Lucy with questions.
"T” Time: A Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender-Expansive, Exclusive Gathering: Meet on the second and fourth Sundays in Channing Room at 12 - 1 p.m.
Wednesday Night Meditation: Every week from 7 - 8:30 p.m. All mindfulness and Buddhist-based meditations. Beginners welcome. A thirty-five-minute meditation followed by a member-led discussion to increase understanding and integration of Buddhist principles into our daily lives. For the link, contact Robert.
Women's Circle II:Â Meets most second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Kim.
Women's Circle IV: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month. Email Anne.
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Got something for Front Steps? Send in your church-related submission for our weekly publication. Use "Front Steps" as the subject line and submit here.
Deadline: Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
If your submission is urgent and couldn’t be sent before the deadline, please include “URGENT” in the subject line.
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| January's
Shared Plate
This church year, we share our plate offering with community organizations working for the rights and support of immigrants. For the month of January, we are pleased to share our plate with Innovation Law Lab. They write "The U.S. government’s vast detention and deportation machine works to grind down the spirit of the immigrant. In its wake, communities are torn apart, families separated, and refugees forced to relinquish their right to freedom, inclusion, and safety." Innovation Law Lab provides legal expertise and strategies to build permanent pathways to immigrant and refugee justice. Their programs include rapid intervention, defense of asylum, a clearinghouse for immigrant justice organizing, and immigrant defense in Oregon.
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| This Week's Shower Project Requests
Your donations make a big difference in the lives of those we serve. All donations are greatly appreciated. At this time, we are in special need of the following items:
- Men's shoes (large sizes)
- Men's pants (sizes 30-32 waist)
- Women’s pants (XXS-XS)
- Leggings
- Winter coats (all sizes)
- Gloves and winter hats
Our page includes a list of our most frequently-needed items.
Please bring your items to donate to the cabinet in Fuller Hall, next to the kitchen. Thank you for your support!
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| Want to know what this church has to offer? Show up for events/classes/socials and stay engaged!
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