November Services | Minister’s Message | Lifelong Spiritual Formation | Music Director | Board of Trustees | COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS: | UUCB Library | Classical Concert | Concerts for a Cause | Side Door Coffeehouse | Santa Project |Holiday Fair | Song Circles | WORKING FOR JUSTICE: | Charities with Soul | Immigrant Justice | MUUSAN | Wabanaki Awareness | LGBTQIA+ | Tunisia88 Free Concert | ART GALLERY: | Parish Messenger Deadline |
November Services
November 2nd- Grateful for All Souls: Honoring the Ancestors
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos; Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Choir
As we shift to a new theme of Nurturing Gratitude, we begin with an All Souls observance as we remember and honor with gratitude our ancestors. We will have a memorial table present and invite you to bring photos or small items of remembrance to represent the loved ones you have loved and lost.
November 9th – The Peace of Trees
Led by Rev. Fred Small; Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Pop Up Choir
“The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence,” wrote Trappist monk and peace activist Thomas Merton. “The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. . . . It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.” As we work together for social and environmental justice, how do we remain grounded in a peaceful spirit? What can we learn from trees?
A Unitarian Universalist pastor, singer-songwriter, and former environmental lawyer, Rev. Fred Small serves as Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington Street Church, Boston.
Nobember 16th- Grateful for Our Tradition
Led by Rev. Ms. Pamela Barz; Music by Will Bristol and the Sunny Siders
In our UU tradition, each person is responsible for developing answers to the big questions of existence. But we don’t have to answer them on our own. Our tradition and our community offer insight and guidance.
Pamela Barz serves as the lead minister of the Midcoast UU Fellowship in Damariscotta. Raised in the Montclair (NJ) UU Church, she has served settled and interim ministries in Maine and Massachusetts, most recently as the minister of the First Parish Church in Scituate, MA, and as the UU Chaplain at Wellesley College. She and her husband live in Bath and are the parents of twin sons, one a senior at UMaine Orono, the other a Corporal in the US Marines.
November 23rd- Generating Gratitude Together
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos; Music by Will Bristol, the UUCB Choir, and children of UUCB
In this Intergenerational service, we will focus on the practice of gratitude (beyond feelings of thankfulness). What are some of the practices that have made gratitude such a powerful and transformative practice for people throughout the lifespan? We’ll draw on wisdom from several sources and engage in ritual together.
November 30th- Choosing Hope
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos; Music by Will Bristol
Advent comes early this year, and for this final service in November, we are moving into our December theme of “Choosing Hope” … more info about this coming soon.
Minister’s Message
Generating Gratitude
It’s difficult not to feel grateful in the face of splendiferous visual displays like New England in the Fall (😳 have you been outside lately?), or a sumptuous spread of your favorite foods (especially if you remembered to wear your “buffet pants”). For me, these images evoke anticipatory joy in the sheer delight of being alive in this world, with its abundant gifts and pleasures. It’s somewhat more difficult to feel grateful when life is not going well. When we are in pain or overwhelmed by images/stories of suffering around the world (and so close to home), gratitude may not be the first thing on our hearts/minds.
Generating Gratitude is our theme for the month of November, and gratefully 😏, it’s sufficiently broad to hold a lot within it. As we linger with our reflections, I hope we’ll be open to gratitude’s nuances and the ways in which it can hold us in ours. Life is always a mixture of many things – good, bad, and otherwise. Gratitude is not intended to cancel out anything bad that happens in life, nor is it simply a strategy for ignoring the parts of life we don’t like.
However, gratitude can be a practice that amplifies our awareness of life’s fullness, including its gifts. The practice of gratitude can both ground and release us for a fuller engagement with life.
The perspective of gratitude can often soften our harder edges and slow us from judgmentalism.
To jump start your reflections this month, let me share this newish poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.
After Four Hours of Driving, We Arrive at What Google Maps
Said Would Be a Park
There is no park.
Still, we park at the edge
of the road and look out
over the Hudson
beyond the thick trees,
inhale the yellowing
scent of autumn,
reach our arms up to the sky,
play chase around the car,
and laugh the whole time,
at first in disbelief,
and at last in surrender.
One more chance to meet
the world that is here
instead of the world
we expect. One more chance
find ourselves grateful
to be exactly where we are.–Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
I am truly grateful for you, and the potential of what we can do together to center love.
Blessings,
Kharma
Lifelong Spiritual Formation
Adult Faith Formation
You & UU Workshop
Sunday, November 23rd, 11:30am-2:00pm
Merrymeeting Bay Room
The You & UU workshop is part of the pathway to becoming a member of UUCB. It offers an opportunity for newcomers to UUCB (and those who are not new but would like to know more) to learn more about who we are and what we believe. It provides opportunities for members of our congregation to share with newcomers what it means to them to be a Unitarian Universalist. The You & UU workshop gives participants a chance to examine their own personal stories in the light of our Unitarian Universalist tradition and heritage. It provides a chance for folx to connect with long-time members, committee members, board members, and the minister. It offers a place to learn what it means to be a member of UUCB. We ask that folx who would like to participate in the You & UU workshop please register by November 23rd. Contact the Membership Committee to register:
Love at the Center: UU Values Workshop
Saturday, November 22nd, 9:30am-11:00am at UUCB
After a democratic process involving thousands of Unitarian Universalists discussing the faith’s values and core theology over the past three-plus years, delegates at General Assembly 2024 voted decisively to approve a new statement of Shared Values and Covenant for Unitarian Universalism. In this workshop led by our Lifelong Spiritual Formation Director, Toben Cooney-Callnan we will take a deeper look at why we decided to adopt them, where the decision to adopt them came from , how they incorporate the Seven UU Principles, and what spiritual impact they can have in our community and in our personal lives. Contact Toben if you would like to register to attend.
Children’s Spiritual Formation
Fall Family Mixer
The Children’s Spiritual Formation Committee held its annual Fall Family Mixer at Kreuger Park. The kids and youth carved or painted pumpkins, roasted marshmallows, and sang songs around the fire with Will. A lot of fun was had! Thanks to everyone who helped make this special event happen! And a special thanks to Ren and Stephanie Bernier who generously hosted us!
Music Director
Hi all,
You may have noticed some things which have shifted since September in how music is being brought into the experience of worship at UUCB. Specifically, you may have noticed that sometimes the music which the choir sings blends into music for the whole congregation to sing and vice versa. You may have noticed the transition from the word hymn in our orders of service to the word song. You may have noticed that there are often individuals helping to lead congregational music, including me—in different ways than before. You may have noticed that the musical prayer for the month of October has been in sheet music format on the screens. All of this has not only been with the aim of making music more accessible and inclusive to all, but has simultaneously been building infrastructure for the introduction of a new hymnal—the UUA’s new virtual hymnal.
This hymnal—which was just released in August—will be a supplement to our existing songs for worship beginning in the new year of 2026, and I am very excited for it! Not only does it feature nearly all of the songs from Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey, but it has the possibility of eventually including thousands of other songs submitted from various singer-songwriters, composers, and friends of Unitarian Universalism; and to this latter point, it is well on its way. Due to the virtual format along with the additional bonus of directly paying its contributing artists, this hymnal is able to make most songs directly available for download to edit (in several ways) and project. In fact, a large portion of the subscription fees to this hymnal directly benefit the authors and musicians themselves instead of going through a third party PRO (performing rights organization). After singing many of these newly submitted songs as well as talking with those on the virtual hymnal task force this summer, I feel confident that this supplement will benefit worship as well as all parts of our music programming at UUCB. Twenty years after the release of Singing the Journey, it is great to have some new songs to draw from, as well as our other two UU hymnals in a more accessible format!
For more information, please visit the virtual hymnal’s FAQ page here AND if you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at .
An opportunity to sing some of these songs:
I will be presenting a workshop on Saturday November 8th from 1-2:30pm entitled One Page Wonders. This workshop is intended for anyone interested in delving a little deeper into UU songs that are easy for anyone to show up and take part in without rehearsal. You don’t have to sing in a choir to participate! The division between what might normally be considered “choir music” and what is often considered “a song for the congregation to sing” will not exist as we experience how to make inclusions in real time for any level of musical knowledge. As the title suggests, most songs will only take up one page of paper—including some new songs from the virtual hymnal. Please register here as this will help me determine how many copies of things to make. Thank you!
Will Bristol, Music Director
Board of Trustees
Here we are, in that “funny” time of year when the leaves are mostly devoid of their colors and falling to the ground. Summer is over, yet we can still be teased with warm, sunny days and cool nights… sure signs that a big change is coming as winter is just around the corner. With changes in our season, also comes changes in our church.
The Board, and others, have been diligently working on important issues that will soon yield some positive changes in our congregation.
First, the Board would like to send out a huge “Thank You” to all the congregation members who completed the growth survey and offered their thoughtful comments.
There was a remarkable response rate which demonstrates how vested our members are in this church. Our Growth Task Force has been meeting weekly since early summer and have put in a tremendous amount of work and effort… we can’t thank this small group enough for all they have accomplished! For those of you who are interested in the survey results, that information will be made available in the near future. Based on the survey, some new initiatives will be implemented very soon in an attempt to help with our physical space limitations. In addition, the Board has asked that the Growth Task Force continue their important work as we move forward.
Second, over the past year, the Board has been systematically reviewing policies and procedures that have not been visited in some time. One of these, the Personnel Policy, was in great need of updating. This was completed this past spring and approved by the Board in our May meeting. However, we have not yet opened it up for a congregational comment period as mandated by our bylaws. As per the UUCB policy “Procedure for Reviewing and Approving Church Policies”, it is required that “The congregation shall routinely be informed of any policy reviews under way, and invited to share input with Board members. A 30-day congregational review period will be announced, and the policy will be posted in a designated place in the church.” The updated personnel policy is linked below and available for comment at this time. If there are comments or questions regarding this update, please contact a member of the Board of Trustees.
Changes in the seasons are an exciting time of the year… the wonderment of Mother Nature ushering out the old and welcoming in the new. We too, are in a time of change and excitement. Our church is a healthy, vibrant, and energizing community. Thank you to all who make it so!
For the Board of Trustees, Nathan Haynes
Office Preparing for the Thanksgiving Holiday
So staff can celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the Order of Worship, Powerpoint and This Week At UUCB Email need to be completed by 2:00pm on Wednesday, November 26 .
So please help by emailing your materials for
- The Sunday, November 30 Order of Worship and Powerpoint by Friday, November 21
- Items for the Thanksgiving “This Week At UUCB” by Tuesday, November 25.
- Please email all materials to
Note: The Church Office will be closed Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28.
Community Happenings
UUCB Library Book Suggestion
After the August 10 service featuring Leslie and Deborah Fabian (titled “Standing on the Side of Love”), I searched the Maine library database to find the book Leslie wrote, My Husband is a Woman Now, about their experience with Deborah’s sex transition from David. It was not owned by any Maine library. So I asked Curtis to buy it, mentioning the August 10 service. They did, and I borrowed it. It’s a powerful account, and I think other members of our church would be interested in reading it. It’s now in our UUCB library.
Catharine Clark
Concerts for a Cause
The mission of Concerts for a Cause is to hold a series of concerts to raise money for the church and local charities while sharing a variety of quality music with the Brunswick area community. This season’s charities will be Oasis Free Clinics and Immigration Legal Advocacy Project.
Soggy Po Boys
On Saturday, October 18th Concerts for a Cause held another fun and successful concert and raised another $1,325 for our charities.
Fred Small
Saturday, November 8th @ 7:30 pm
The UUCB Concerts for a Cause presents the renowned singer-songwriter, Fred Small, on Saturday, November 8th at UUCB to raise money for this season’s charities.
Fred Small is a singer, songwriter, and song leader whose music inspires, heals, and empowers. He sings powerful ballads of hope in hard times.
A Unitarian Universalist parish minister for nearly two decades, Fred is also a singer-songwriter and environmental lawyer. In 2015 he left parish ministry to devote his energies to organizing for environmental, racial, and social justice. Currently he is the Minister for Climate Justice at the Arlington Street Church in Boston and is once again doing concerts for his MANY fans.
Named by Pete Seeger as one of America’s best songwriters, Fred Small “sings songs of conscience in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, and Tom Paxton. When you hear Fred’s message of love, unity, and respect for others and the environment, you will be lifted and moved by his words and music.
Fred’s inclusive lullaby of unconditional love, “Everything Possible,” has become a standard of LGBT choruses worldwide and is now a celebrated children’s picture book. His anthem “Peace Is” is sung in worship, in schools, and on the streets. Fred’s classic “The Heart of the Appaloosa” celebrates the enduring spirit of the Nez Perce.
“The Heart of the Appaloosa” was elected to the All-Time Bluegrass Hit Parade by WAMU Radio in Washington, DC, and UU Mass Action presented him with the Ruth Rowan Award for his musical contributions to social justice movements. Fred has released seven albums and two songbooks. He has performed at prestigious folk festivals throughout the United States as well as in Japan, Australia, England, and Canada.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $10 for students/children. Available at the church office (729-8515), Gulf of Maine Books, or online at http://ticketstripe.fredsmall.com.
Listen to Fred Small
Peace Is
Heart of the Apaloosa
Everything Possible (book trailer)
SAVE THE DATE
Pejepscot Station
Saturday, January 17th @ 7:30 pm
UUCB’s own Ren Bernier will be bringing his banjo and his Bluegrass Band to the Concerts for a Cause stage on January 17th. Based in the village of Pejepscot (in Topsham, ME), Pejepscot Station has performed throughout southern Maine since forming in 2011. Their repertoire is a mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, Americana, and some “bluegrassified” folk and country songs. Wide vocal harmonies and Ren’s ever-present wit make for an enjoyable and fun show for all.
Side Door Coffeehouse
FRIDAY, November 14, 2025
The Side Door Coffeehouse is a venue for local musicians and others (professional and amateur) to share their talents, and for residents and visitors of the Midcoast community to enjoy great entertainment and conversation in a relaxed setting. A fundraiser for the church, the “Side Door” is organized by UUCB’s Music Director, Will Bristol, with a group of volunteers to help make the evening run smoothly.
The Side Door Coffeehouse operates on the second Friday of every month except August.
Admission is $12 for adults and free for children 17 and under.
Follow the Side Door Coffeehouse on instagram and Facebook to help spread the word.
The Friday, November 14th installment will feature:
- Open Mic signup at 6:45 pm
- Open Mic at 7:00
- Tom Clukey – 8:30-9:30 pm.
Featured Performer: Tom Clukey
Singer-songwriter and Saco resident, Tom Clukey, is originally from the small town of St. Albans. He was introduced to music at an early age and played in the school band in elementary school through college.
Clukey won a karaoke contest at Spare Time Entertainment in Portland. “I never fancied myself a singer,” but the win sparked a confidence and a new interest in singing, and with the prize money he purchased a guitar.
He started performing in local venues, and then a few years ago decided to take making music more seriously and began writing songs. As the winner of the Wildwood Studio Songwriting Contest, he was awarded $500 in studio time, and as the winner of The Studio Portland Singer/Songwriter Contest he was awarded a live recording session.
His style is rooted in country and folk, with relatable lyrics that reflect working through the struggles and challenges of everyday life. Among his musical influences are Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers and John Denver.
The Santa Project 2025
Greetings Friends form Santa’s Elf. I will be in the back of the sanctuary for the 5 Sundays in November starting November 2, 2025 to collect Hannaford Gift Cards of $5 or $10 for Non-Alcohol use only or money or checks made out to UUCB with for the Santa Project in the notation. Everything collected will go to the Gathering Place to help make Christmas a little merrier for unhoused folks and people still living on the streets. I will be around to answer any questions you might have. Just look for me in a Santa hat and mylittle bear in the red basket. Thank you.
Santa’s elf,
Sharon Brown
Working for Justice
October’s Charity with Soul: Midcoast Literacy
Midcoast Literacy, located in Bath, provides assistance to residents of Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland counties, helping people of all ages develop their literacy skills so they may succeed through all stages of life. Their programs include 1) Read Together, year-round, one-on-one, free tutoring for children in grades 1-8 who are reading below grade level (fluent English speakers and English language learners); 2) Read With Me, early childhood literacy programming and free books for families with children ages 0-5 in Head Start and Early Head Start programs; 3) Summer Books, free books for low-income children participating in local Food Services Programs; 4) English Language Instruction, free, one-on-one tutoring and support for non-native English learners; 5) Adult Basic Literacy Instruction, free, one on-one tutoring for native English speakers in need of reading, writing, and other educational support; and 6) Workplace Literacy, small group English language instruction for employees on-site at local businesses.
Midcoast Literacy is run by a small five-person staff and powered in large part by the dedication of over 150 volunteers who serve as tutors for adults and children. They are funded through private grants, United Way of Midcoast Maine, business sponsorships, individual donations, and fundraising events. In 2024, the organization assisted 582 individuals and distributed 2,545 books to children, and they are on track to do the same again in 2025.’
IMMIGRANT JUSTICE
Mid Coast New Mainers Group (MCNMG)
DRIVERS WANTED
I am looking for a small group of volunteers to drive a new Mainer to her English class. Her classes are on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We would work together as a team, getting to know our new Mainer and each other. If you are interested, please email me at the address above.
Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition
Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition is developing a more coordinated approach to ICE sightings and offering training on how we can help and respond to these terrible attacks on our new neighbors. These two new programs are ICE Watch Hotline Operators and ICE Verifier Training. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please email at the address above.
Thanks for all you do!
MAINE UU STATE ACTION NETWORK (MUUSAN)
Contact: Betsy Williams, , Steve Eagles,
Save the Date: MUUSAN Fall Network Meeting
Registration is now open for the Maine UU State Action Network’s Fall Network Meeting. The meeting will take place on Saturday, November 15th, from 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., in person at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Augusta or join in on Zoom! Our featured speaker + facilitator will be Rev. Dr. Jodi Cohen Hayashida. She’ll work with us to develop our language of faith, based on our UU values—centering love as we engage in activism and advocacy. Register now by clicking here!
Betsy Williams
Wabanaki Awareness
The Working for Justice Wabanaki focus group continues to increase awareness about the Wabanaki—past and present—via our posters, pre-service slides on the church screens, articles in the Parish Messenger, and periodic special events. Through these efforts, we hope to become better allies to those who were the first stewards of this land.
To find out the answer, click here.
LGBTQIA+ Focus Groups
Recruiting new members. All are welcome. Email me at
Send an email to or see Kathy Glennon for more information.
Tunisia88 to the World
FREE Choral CONCERT
Friday, October 31, 2pm, UUCB Sanctuary
Selima Terras, a would-be Bowdoin College senior this year, has helped facilitate this 10/31 afternoon concert from her home in Tunisia. (See attached poster.) Selima was unable to return to the United States for her final academic year because her visa was not renewed following her social justice activity at Bowdoin – including her role as one of the participants in the Gaza Monologues presented at UUCB 2 years ago. She asked that UUCB host one of several concerts by the group – presented by the 88 International Music for Impact. Members of Working for Justice will oversee cookies, coffee and conversation in the Fellowship Hall following the performance. We hope you will join us for this remarkable event. IF you might be able to host one of the students for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (10/29, 10/30, 10/31) please contact Cathey Cyrus at for more information.
Art Gallery
NOVEMBER ART SHOW:
“Wildlife, Landscapes and Portraits, Both Foreign and Domestic” – Michael Heath
I began experimenting behind the camera on extended wilderness expeditions, canoeing and hiking in Maine and Quebec back when Kodachrome was king, and was unconcerned about thetoxicity of darkroo icals. With Luddite reluctance to make the transition to digital photography, my hobby lay fallow untiI I began ranging abroad with Road Scholar in 2023.
So far, I’ve traveled to the Galapagos, the Brazilian Amazon, Bhutan and Nepal, Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, southern California and Costa Rica. But of course, one needn’t go far afield to find beautiful and fascinating subjects.
As an enthusiastic amateur with much to learn, I always hope to capture a story behind the scene in my viewfinder. Those stories can appear in landscapes, wildlife and people — I’m not picky, or limiting myself to any particular genre. In fact, I didn’t even leave the church building and found an interesting subject or two (the “domestic” in the show title.) I only wish I could exhibit more of the thousands of images I’ve taken; some of them are even worth printing. I appreciate that they are so much more accessible as digital files, and certainly less expensive than slide processing. I’m glad to have made the transition.
I hint at the story in each piece’s panel, but I look forward to sharing more details with anyone who is interested. Please contact me at .
— Mike Heath
Photography by Mike Heath
Please take some time to enjoy the artwork in Fellowship Hall. Each month the Gallery Committee installs a new exhibit.FMI: contact Joanne Allen,
Deadline for December Parish Messenger
Please send your content to: on or before Sat, November 15. Thanks!