A few years ago, I learned about a name for a pesky phenomenon about congregational life in congregations. While I knew this in seminary, I had never heard it framed in such a concrete, visual way before and I am fascinated about how it fits … read more.

If you want to dress up and get down with FUUSN folks, the Halloween Dance is for you! Mark your calendars for Friday, October 28 and join the fun in Parish Hall from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The evening will include dancing and … read more.

One day last spring when then-Director of Religious Education Amanda Graff and I were talking about our work at FUUSN, she paused and got quiet. After a moment, she looked at me and said, “It’s kind of a weird job, isn’t it?”

It was hard … read more.

FUUSN’s Emerging Membership Vision

With the help of crayons, paper, pens and large index cards, the member services committee brainstormed together about FUUSN’s membership future at a four-hour retreat on September 18. FUUSN’s interim minister, Rev.Parisa Parsa, and DRE Devin Shmueli joined us for a while: … read more.

A New Church Year: Are you like Marcel the Shell?
[Spoiler alert: this movie discusses the plot of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On]

Have you seen the movie Marcel the Shell with Shoes On? It’s the documentary-style tale of a shell (yes, a shell) named … read more.

The annual FUUSN summer picnic sponsored by the Member Services Committee is coming soon. This will be another great opportunity to reconnect with the FUUSN Community in person as we all hopefully continue to rebound from the pandemic restrictions. We hope to see you … read more.

Last Thursday evening, 24 of you gathered via Zoom to learn about and discuss the results of FUUSN’s recent membership survey. The data is interesting, it’s helpful, and in some ways, I found it surprising. Just as important, though, was the discussion that followed. It … read more.

When I saw the New York Times piece “How Loneliness is Damaging our Health,” shared by Lynn Holbein via the FUUSN general listserv on April 20, I clicked through to the article. Over the past couple of years, loneliness, already an epidemic in the … read more.

As I walked closer to FUUSN from my car last Sunday morning, I spotted the peak of a white tent in the churchyard. Then, I smelled food cooking—a beckoning, welcome scent. And I felt a little sad for anyone in West Newton who … read more.