Welcome Back Sunday and Fall Programs

Welcome back!
We hope you had a great summer! Join us this fall at United Parish for activities and programs for all ages! Check out our upcoming events below. You can also always find announcements and calendar events on our website.

Welcome Back Sunday – Sunday, September 8
Church School Orientation
9:45am-10:45am
Front Lawn
Children and youth are invited to meet on the front lawn, then head to their classrooms with their teachers. Click here to learn more and register your children for Church School. Contact the Children and Youth Deepening team at cydeepening@upbrookline.org.

Worship
11am-12pm
Sanctuary
We’ll head back upstairs for worship in the Sanctuary at 11am.

Welcome Back Potluck Picnic
12pm-2pm
Front Lawn
Please join us for a picnic on the front lawn after the church service. The Gathering team will provide a variety of wraps and accompaniments. Please bring a side dish or dessert if you would like. All are welcome! If you are interested and available to help with setup/cleanup, please reach out to gathering@upbrookline.org.

Fall Worship Series
This year we embark on a journey with the Narrative Lectionary, a calendar of Bible stories that starts each year in the story of creation and takes us through the stories of the Hebrew Bible in the fall, and then Jesus’ ministry and that of the early church in the spring. The stories we study this fall are organized around the themes of “Promises Made, Promises Broken” (Sept 8-Oct 20) and “God Sightings” (Oct 27-Nov 24).

Many people know a number of different Bible stories, but most do not know how they are connected. The Bible is a library of writings from a long period of time containing many different genres of literature. However, running through it all is a story about how the Creator of the universe guided one tribe of people from its beginning, through slavery, war, exile, and return, and then expanded that nation to include people from every time and place through the surprising work of a Messiah, all to spread God’s kin-dom throughout the world.

The Narrative Lectionary honors the ways that stories are important for us; they are how we understand the world and our place in it. A series of facts is not powerful unless there is a compelling story connecting them. Stories form our worldviews and our identities. Stories form our faith.

Music at United Parish
There are many ways to participate in music here at the United Parish – including just coming to worship and singing with your fellow congregants – but if you are interested in doing more, please read on!

• Adult Choir (aka the “Chancel Choir”) resumes on Thursday, September 5 at 6pm and regularly rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7-9pm. Both teens and adults are welcome. They sing choral music in a variety of styles, from Baroque to gospel, and provide music for worship 2-3 times a month from September to June. With the help of professional section leaders, adult choir members have the opportunity to develop better vocal technique and musicianship while serving the church community. New singers should reach out to Minister of Music Susan DeSelms at susan@upbrookline.org for more information.
• Children’s Choir (grades 1-7) resumes rehearsals on Sunday, September 8 in the Choir Room. Grades 3-7 will begin at 9am; Grades 1-2 will join at 9:15am. Directed by Susan DeSelms, the children receive musical and vocal training, and sing in worship 5-6 times a year. They are a vibrant, welcoming, and delightfully musical group of children who are always ready to sing! Parents should reach out to susan@upbrookline.org for more information, or to confirm their child’s interest in participating.
• Handbell Choir (aka the “UP Ringers”) directed by Tricia Kopko, meets on Mondays from 7:30-9pm starting September 9. Teens and adults, from the very experienced to the novice, are welcome to join. They are hosting an “Open Ring” on Monday, October 7 from 7:30-8:45pm for anyone interested in trying out the handbells. For more information, contact Tricia Kopko at bellchoir@upbrookline.org.

Adult Drop-In Bible Study
Sundays
10am
Parlor
Beginning September 15, join us most Sundays at 10am in the Parlor and on Zoom for a hybrid meeting. No prep needed, no cost, no commitment. Meet your friends, learn something, and build your faith. Join the Zoom Meeting here, or enter Meeting ID: 829 7239 7748 and Passcode: 278573. Contact biblestudy@upbrookline.org.

Brookline Porchfest
Saturday, September 28
12-2pm
United Parish Front Lawn
Come experience the spirited music happening at United Parish as we join in the fun of Brookline Porchfest. Tune up your voice, grab a guitar, or just make plans to join us in the rainbow chairs on the lawn at United Parish for a spirited community sing, handbell choir performance, and more! Contact porchfest@upbrookline.org.

Mental Health Worship Service
Sunday, October 6
11am-12pm
Sanctuary
Join us for a special worship service focused on grounding and recentering.

Fall Fellowship Weekend
October 11-13
Camp Aldersgate, Rhode Island
This beloved annual tradition has been one of our most enjoyable and deepening fellowship opportunities. We will return to Camp Aldersgate in Rhode Island (just 90 mins from United Parish) and will worship, feast, and have tons of fun! This is a great chance to build relationships with the amazing people you worship with every week. Sign-ups will begin soon and will include pricing information, ride sharing, and financial support information. For any questions about this event, please contact gathering@upbrookline.org.

Ongoing
Thrifty Threads
Thrifty Threads continues to welcome shoppers looking for good deals, fashion, community, and connection. Open on Fridays and Saturdays from 12-3pm, our volunteer-run thrift shop provides quality gently-used clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories and housewares spread out over three spaces including the Marion Street lobby and the Chapel. Thrifty Threads brings in valuable donations which help support the Pastor’s Emergency Fund, grocery store gift cards for folks facing food insecurity, capital renovation projects, and providing toiletries and other necessities to our partner organizations with the clothes we pass on to them. Last year, Thrifty Threads brought in $64,685! Thank you to all of our hard-working volunteers and our generous donors and shoppers. Learn more at unitedparishbrookline.org/thrifty-threads.

Brookline Food Pantry
United Parish is happy to host the Brookline Food Pantry’s main operation. The Food Pantry is open on Wednesdays from 2-5pm, and Thursdays and Fridays from 10:30am-1pm, and serves over 600 Brookline households in need of food. Learn more at brooklinefoodpantry.org.

Building Usage
With back to school season comes the return of many of our regular building users including Artbarn Community Theater, and Handel+Haydn Youth Choruses. Soon the building will be buzzing with activity again and we’ll hear the pitter-patter of little feet singing and dancing through the halls. We also continue to serve as a community hub for a variety of other organizations in our neighborhood who provide a wide range of support, services, arts, education, and community to all who enter. We provide space to Cupcake Therapy, Longwood Chorus, DanceWorks Boston, New England Philharmonic, Activist Evenings, plus martial arts classes, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, meditation gatherings, violin lessons, music rehearsals, and more! We encourage United Parish members to learn about our many community building users and get to know them. For more information, contact buildinguse@upbrookline.org.