Sunday Worship at 10:15 a.m.
Childcare is available during our worship service for children 6 months to 3 years old. There will be no RE this week.
Social Hour: Fuller Hall after the service.
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As the end of summer approaches and we prepare for a new church year and contentious election year, what work do we need to do individually and collectively to revive our spirits and renew our commitments to love and justice?
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Minister's ColumnSummer is a Time of Renewal
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Occasionally, we’ll get a phone call or an email asking if we’re open in the summer. Yes, not only are we open every Sunday in the year, but the summer is also a special time for the work of reflection, percolating, and imagination...continue reading
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Music Ministry Transition
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Many congregants have asked questions about the recent staff change in our Music Ministry. In response, our Board of Trustees has written a "Frequently Asked Questions" document.  If you'd like to take a look at the FAQ document, email "Please send FAQ doc" to FAQ@firstunitarianportland.org.
New Q&As will be added in the coming weeks based on congregant questions and other feedback.
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LAST CHANCE — Join a Listening Circle Led by Lay Ministry and the Board of Trustees
Sunday, September 8, 11:45 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Eliot Chapel
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| We are living in challenging times with recent changes in the leadership of our music program here at the church and with the range of emotions that have come with that change.
In the spirit of wanting to create spaces for us to come together as a community, you are invited to join a Listening Circle on September 8 from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. To join, please assemble in Eliot Chapel by 11:45 a.m. Space is limited on a first-come and first-serve basis.
This is a one-time gathering and will be facilitated by members of our Lay Ministry Team and Board of Trustees.
The Listening groups will provide a safe space for people to reflect on the changes and the impact of those changes. Confidential notes will be made of general themes of the circle and any questions you have. You will receive responses to questions within 3 weeks. Â
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NEW! — Learning Community Registration is Now Open
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Registration is now open for the Learning Community's 2024-25 church year! To register your child, fill out this form.
There will be no RE this Sunday. We will return on September 8.
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NEW! — Our FINAL 2024 Summer Choir!
Arrive at 8:45 a.m. this Sunday
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This coming Sunday will be the final Summer Choir for our 2024 season.
Summer Choir Coordinator Garrett Bond says, "It has been such a joy and a pleasure working with so many of you from week to week. It is my goal for this to be as large and powerful a summer chorus as possible. So please do come and sing!"
Arrive in the Sanctuary for rehearsal Sunday morning at 8:45 a.m., and join your voices in joyful song!
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Share Your Garden!
Every Sunday after the service
Location: Fuller Hall
First Share, First Unitarian Portland
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Do you have a flourishing garden brimming with fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs? Share your garden’s bounty with our community by bringing it on Sundays to the First Share table in Fuller Hall during Social Hour.
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THIS WEEK — Alliance is Back!Wednesday, September 4, 10:30 a.m.
Location:Â Eliot Chapel
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Cindy Cumfer, PhD, our own historian and author, will examine the ways in which historians have largely overlooked the role of the women of the Ladies Sewing Circle (now the Alliance) in the 1867-93 era.
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NEW! — Vespers Service Every Friday
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Our Friday Vespers services will be resuming on September 6 and continuing through the church program year.
End your week with a quiet pause at the Vespers service each Friday evening on livestream from 5:00 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. Wind down from a busy week and begin your weekend with this service of music, poetry, reflection, prayer, and meditation.
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NEW! — Weekly Loving Kindness Meditation
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Our weekly Loving Kindness Meditation group will resume on Monday, September 16. Join us each Monday from 8 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom for spiritual readings, meditation, and follow-up sharing. Open to all. Watch for the Zoom link in an upcoming Front Steps issue.
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NEW! — Giving Thanks to Our Clean Team!
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The Clean Team was in the house last Friday, working to make everything look clean and welcoming and ready for Homecoming Sunday! Thanks to Marti Yoder for organizing and the team that responded: Sharon, Ron, Laurie, Bob, Barbara, Mindy, Dorothy, Alicia, and Jen.
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Join Our Support Network: Lotsa Helping Hands
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Do you enjoy helping others? Are you looking for concrete ways to strengthen our beloved community? Consider joining our church’s Lotsa Helping Hands support network!
Coordinated by Lay Ministry, Lotsa Helping Hands is a care calendar similar to Meal Train that enables volunteers to provide meals or visits for congregants going through challenging times.
And if you or someone you know could use the support of meals or visits—or if you have any questions—please contact one of our coordinators, Leslie or Susan.
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| UPDATE — Summertime Fun Poll Results
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The results are in on our FINAL summertime fun poll question. Last Sunday was "With what pet friend do you share your household?"
- Dog household — 9
- Cat household — 19
- Dog and cat household — 10
- Exotic pet/African grey parrot household — 3
Thank you to everyone who participated in our polls this summer!
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CHECK WEEKLY — Donate Supplies to the Shower Project!
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The Shower Project is going well, and our guests appreciate the service. With colder weather around the corner, we have updated requests for needed items:
- Cases of water
- New boxers or boxer briefs (M & L)
- Tents, blankets, and sleeping bags
- Used or new adult sweatshirts (M & L)
- Used or new jeans, belts, and shoes (all sizes)
- Disposable razors, preferably double-bladed
- Small containers of shaving cream
- Emory boards & nail clippers
- Granola bars
- Sugar packets for tea/coffee
Our page now includes a list of our most frequently-needed items.
Your donations make a big difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you for your support!
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Upcoming Classes, Events & Gatherings
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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SAVE THE DATE — All-church PicnicÂ
Saturday, September 14, 12 - 4 p.m.
Wilshire Park:Â 4116 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97212
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| This year's theme is "Join the Journey" and we invite everyone to come together for a day of fun, fellowship, and community.
We ask each family to bring their own picnic lunch and a dessert to share with others. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow congregants and enjoy a delightful meal outdoors.
To make this picnic a success, we need volunteers to help organize and implement various activities throughout the day. Whether you can assist with setting up, leading games, or helping with clean-up, your support will make a significant difference. If you're interested in volunteering, please reach out to Jen Thomas and she will put you in touch with organizers.
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NEW! — UU The Vote: Time to Bring Us Your Letters!
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Thanks to all who came to the UU the Vote Boost on Sundays, August 25—we had about 50 folks! Some brought their finished letters and lots of you took letters home or wrote letters on site.
As of August 27, First U—working with Vote Forward—has printed 13,830 letters (surpassing our goal of 10,000!) and 7,040 letters have been returned. That means almost 6,000 letters still need to be returned so...
PLEASE RETURN YOUR LETTERS!
All letters need to be returned no later than the end of September!
Drop them off at our UU the Vote tables every Sunday during Fellowship Hour—look for the blue tablecloth.
We will return to Tuesday sessions running September 3–24 in Room B101 in Buchan.
Early voting and vote by mail begins in AZ on October 8, and we want to get our AZ letters mailed in time to be meaningful. Because the letter-writing response has been so strong and the number of names is finite, we have also begun writing to Georgia and the computer blessed us with a few NC letters also.
Before we mail the letters, they will be blessed during a Sunday service; watch your Front Steps and thank you for your good work!
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Antiracism Learning Circles 2024 Registration
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You are invited to join an Antiracism Learning Circle this fall. It’s on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere! Circles start the week of September 23.
Our goal is to build multicultural, diverse, engaged communities and work to dismantle racism and other oppressions. Antiracism Learning Circles are opportunities to do some of that work, to expose ourselves to our true history, to increase awareness of ongoing oppressions, and to explore and reveal our reactions to issues concerning race in America. We are animated by imagining "what if" a critical mass of us are exposed to this information and knowledge.
Visit the group page for full descriptions of the media we will dive into, schedules, and registration information. For questions, contact Jody.
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NEW! — Register Now: Ranked-Choice Voting Workshop for City of Portland
Monday, September 16, 6 p.m.
Location: Zoom
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This year, Portlanders are using a new voting system to elect the city’s Mayor, Auditor and City Council. Instead of a primary followed by a general election, these positions will be elected in a single election November 5 using ranked-choice voting (RCV).
This hour-long workshop will prepare you to vote. Members of the League of Women Voters will summarize the changes, then dive deeply into how to fill out your ballot to ensure that your vote counts! You can ask your questions here too. This is a nonpartisan Zoom workshop. To join, please register through this link.
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OR UU Voices for Justice August Newsletter
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OR UU Voices for Justice is the only state-wide UU organization dedicated to social justice. Here is our August newsletter, which includes information on our upcoming annual meeting. Registration is now open.
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Help Us Contact Gov. Kotek About OR National Guard Deployment in Iraq & Syria
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OR Gov. Kotek has sent OR National Guard troops to Iraq and Syria. She does this in spite of a letter sent by multiple Oregon organizations including the 1st UU Peace Action Group. To learn more, read the story from KGW.
We likely cannot bring them back, but the governor should hear from us that we don't expect her to send them again in the future:
Office of the Governor
900 Court Street, Suite 254
Salem, OR 97301-4047
You can also call her office at 503-378-4582.
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LAST CHANCE — Support LiftUp This Summer
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We are supporting LiftUp throughout the summer, from June 16 to Labor Day (September 2).
Please place in the COHHO bins in Fuller Hall by the kitchen any of the following most needed food items: brown rice, whole grain pasta, shelf-stable milk, canned protein (tuna, chicken, salmon), nut butter, any low sodium broths, canned veggies, and sauces.
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In the Community
Member Gael Nance died on August 20 at the age of 86. Gael suffered with Lewy Body dementia in the last years of her life. She joined our church in 2005 and served as an usher for many years. A memorial will be held for Gael on September 29 at a pub in Portland. For information, contact Gael's friend, Nancy.
We marked a special anniversary in our congregation last week. 100 years ago last week–on August 24, 1924–the congregation held its worship service in what is now the Eliot Chapel for the first time. This fall we’ll be marking this anniversary with a series of events. Those will include a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the annual Christmas Pageant which began in the congregation's new church in 1924.
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Letter from the Board Moderator – August 2024
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A “cool down” in the summer heat is welcome, although it looks like we're entering another hot spell. The Board has welcomed newly elected Trustees Linda Craig, Bob Bonner, Harriet Shaklee, and David Livermore. Thank you to the outgoing members for their service: Theo Harper, Mindy Clark, Andy Wilson, and Barbara Morrison. We learned much from you and look forward to your ongoing church participation and leadership.
Many parts of our lives at First Unitarian Portland reflect the culture and feelings of the city, the state, and the United States. We have worship, social justice, religious education, poetry, labyrinth, art, and history. The Board of Trustees focuses on policy, church funds, and the general well-being of our congregation...continue reading.
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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! — September/October Art Wall Exhibitions Art Wall
Photographs by Sam Muller
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Sam's images capture the essence of the raw Elements of Japanese Garden design, such as rock, water, plant, sand, bamboo, cedar, and the seasons. Enjoy Sam's photographs in Fuller Hall in the months of September and October.
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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.
SUMMER BREAK — Care and Action for Reproductive Dignity (CARD): We meet on the third Sunday of each month from 12:15 to 1:45 in Fireside. Contact Marni for summer activities.
Vespers will be on break on August 30. It will resume on September 6.Â
SUMMER BREAK — Good Times: Movie Group Sunday movie meetups at members' homes to discuss current films in theaters or streaming. Contact Christine for details and to join our group email list.
Mental Health Caregivers Group: Second Wednesday every month via Zoom 7 - 8:30 p.m. Email Ellen for more.
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.
EVERY SUNDAY — UU the Vote: Join Us For Community and Letter WritingÂ
The blue tablecloth will be available every Sunday until October. Letters can be dropped off and picked up at the church office.
Letter Writing Schedule:
Women's Circle II:Â Meets most second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Kim.
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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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| Livestream Schedule
Friday Vespers – 5 - 5:40 p.m.
via Zoom (ON BREAK until September 6)
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For the month of September, we share our Sunday offering with our church's 13 Salmon Shower Project, whose doors opened this past January. We aim to provide access to basic hygiene and respite needs, including a shower, restroom, clean clothes and a lunch in a safe and non-judgmental environment while building relationships with our unhoused neighbors. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, housing status, or ability, feels welcome and secure.
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