Multi-Day Events

About the calendar These are currently planned young adult group and selected church wide events. Newcomers are always welcome to events. If you have any questions please contact the listed contact or youngadults@firstparishcambridge.org. The calendar is subject to change so check back here and watch the YAG announcement list. For more information on First Parish chuch wide events, visit the church's site. Interested in hosting an event? Please take quick read through how to host an event. Childcare is provided upon request with 10 days notice for events at the church. The church office provides a list of approved childcare providers. There is no charge to the parent. You are encouraged to use this service by contacting the appropriate event host, who will make arrangements with the church office.

Sunday, December 1 Tree Decorating Come decorate the First Parish holiday tree. Time: 1pm or after lunch Location: First Parish Contact: Paul Morgan, , 617-547-7183

Monday, December 2 Intergenerational Women's Discussion Group Topic: "FAMILY DYNAMICS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS " Do you feel trapped with your family and family togetherness at the holidays? Do you wish you could avoid your family and those unspoken feelings all year long? Do you find it difficult to face issues with your family? Families and relationships are typically a source of love and support. However, during the holidays they can become a source of stress and pressure. This can especially be true if there has been a recent change to the structure of the family, whether due to birth, marriage, divorce, or death. Women of all ages are warmly invited to come share your experiences in a supportive environment, as we explore our roles within our families and ways to cope with stress associated with family gatherings. Facilitators: Karen Caputo, (617) 354-2311, karen_caputo@ccab.org and Jen Bash, (781) 224-1023, nvgtrjen@yahoo.com Some upcoming topics for future months may be 'Self Esteem' and 'Nutrition'. A bit about the women of the group: the WDG consists of members and friends of First Parish who meet to share lively conversation and fellowship, on the first Mondays of each month. We welcome all ages and religious perspectives and aim to make our group inclusive to any woman who would like to take part in our meetings. Our organizational structure is kind of a team-work model and we have stolen as many ideas as we can from the Men's Discussion Group (thanks, guys). Participation is encouraged- all are invited to lead discussions, to bring snacks, to sit and listen, or some combination of all these. Time: 7pm-9pm Location: First Parish, Paine Room Contact: Kris Fikkan 781-646-6840,

Tuesday, December 3 Clothing drive Over the course of this month, YAG coordinated a church-wide collection of hats and mittens. The clothing went to Cradles to Crayons, a Quincy-based organization that distributes items free of charge to children under 12 who are living in poverty. Location: First Parish Contact: Kendra Gray

Wednesday, December 4 Intergenerational Men's Discussion Group Topic: God {G,g}od{,{{dess{,es}},s}} Unitarian-Universalist belief systems are renown for espousing "zero or more Gods" -- with common lexical variations for gender and capitalization. In a noteworthy departure from good taste my Topic line conflates the Unitarian belief system with the Unix operating system: $ echo {G,g}od{,{{dess{,es}},s}} God Goddess Goddesses Gods god goddess goddesses gods with a carriage-return representing the empty set. So much for deus ex machina. Since it's difficult to structure a discussion around a word which defies even typographical representation, I have chosen the following agenda somewhat arbitrarily: God in the World (the intellectual part) God in our Lives (the personal part) The first half of the discussion should dispense with the fine points of politics, history, and semantics, leaving us to examine in the latter half just what the .. impulse of God has meant in our daily lives. Facilitator: David M. Ray 617 629-2241 (eve) 617 642-5420 (cell) david@demarrer.com Time: 7pm Socializing 7:30 Main discussion topic 9:20 Closing Location: First Parish, Barn Rm Contact: David Jorgenson: david.w.jorgenson.

Saturday, December 7 Nameless Coffehouse All A Cappella Evening featuring local a cappella groups Similar Jones,Euphoria and Archipelago. See website for more details on performers. Suggested donation of $6. The Nameless Coffeehouse presents concerts on the first Saturday of each month from September-June. In its thirty-five year history, The Nameless Coffeehouse has been a launching pad for many well known folk (and other) performers including Tracy Chapman, Patty Larkin, The Story, Ellis Paul, Bob Franke, Ric Ocasek, and comedian Andy Kaufman. The mission of the coffeehouse has always been to provide a stage for up and coming performers as well as established artists. Time: 8pm Location: First Parish, Parlor Contact: Call 617-864-1630 or visit www.namelesscoffeehouse.org for more information.

Sunday, December 8 YAG Planning Meeting Come help plan events for January. If you want to host an event next month, please come! This could also be a chance to get involved. It is not necessary to have extended experience in YAG to help out. Come and we'll find something you'd enjoy doing. Time: 1pm Location: First Parish, Barn Rm Contact: Kimberly Pasley,

Tuesday, December 10 Intergenerational Healing Touch Group The Healing Touch Group is a wonderful and welcoming gathering of folks interested in creating a safe space for sharing the natural healing power of human touch. No professional massage experience is necessary. If you like to give and receive theraputic and spiritual bodywork, such as massage or Reiki, come join us. Each evening begins with a centering and relaxing meditation. The Healing Touch Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. Please plan to arrive at 7:00, so that we may begin with a guided meditation promptly at 7:30. Late arrival would be disruptive to the group once we begin, so the doors may be closed at that point. Time: 7pm-9:30pm Location: First Parish Contact: Emily Keating, Katrina Piehler,

Thursday, December 12 YAG Spiritual Discussion So this is the spiritual discussion kick-off: bring all of your enthusiasm and ideas because we can make this into what we want it to be. Basically the ideal is a discussion that asks us to talk about spiritual beliefs, practices and conflicts that we rarely get to discuss in other forums. Based on the topics people have e-mailed me it seems like these questions will help kick off Thursday's discussion: How does being UU effect our intimate relationships? Does being UU help us in relating to people radically different from ourselves? How do we cultivate (through spiritual practices or beliefs) the positive effect that being UU can have on the way we relate to others? Does being UU allow us to share our full selves with others? Time: 7:30-9pm Location: First Parish, Barn Rm Contact: Shelby Meyerhoff, , 617-493-6940

Friday, December 13 Swing Dancing Come dust off your dancin' shoes and dance like your grandparents did back in the day! (Or at least have fun trying!) We will be going to Swing City in West Cambridge. Dress is "casual to vintage" and you don't need to come with a partner. Beginner lessons are from 7:30-8:30. Dancing is from 8:30-12:30. The cover charge is $10, or $8 for students with i.d. It's kind of expensive, but this place is worth it! The atmosphere is very laid back and there are dancers of all skill levels there. There is ample parking across the street from Swing City. Contact Dave if you need a ride. Time: 7:30-8:30 beginner lessons, 8:30-12:30 dancing Location: Swing City, 688 Huron Ave in Cambridge Contact: Dave "Swing King" Koelle, Emily "Gotta Dance" Keating,

Saturday, December 14 All Church Holiday Caroling and Potluck CAROLING CANCELED for Saturday, Dec. 14 Due to a forecast for very inclement weather for Saturday, December 14, wehave made the difficult decision to CANCEL the scheduled ChristmasCaroling and the potluck dinner which was to follow. Everyone is welcome to join members of our Choir for Holiday Caroling on Saturday, December 22. We will assemble in the Parlor at 2:00 PM for a brief rehearsal, and then proceed to caroling for shut-ins and residents of the Cambridge Homes and Mt. Auburn Hospital. After our invigorating walking and singing we will return to the Church for an early potluck dinner, at `about 5:00 PM. This is an excellent opportunity to celebrate community at this Holiday Season, and everyone is invited and welcome! Time: 2pm Caroling 5pm Potluck Location: First Parish Parlor Contact: Church Office

Sunday, December 15 All Church Holiday Day Dinner This dinner is a potluck. There will be a fireplace BLAZING, singing of carols, shared food and drinks (all brought by participants) and tables beautifully decorated for the occasion. Everyone young and old is welcome, but please sign up in advance. Time: 5:30pm Location: First Parish Contact: Charles Rogers at 617-492-1227, Abby Magee at 617-489-6174.

Thursday, December 19 YAG Worship Service - Wassailing Who: All souls seeking to witness and celebrate the rebirth of the Oak King and the return of the Waxing Year What is Wassailing? In olden times, a more popular Yuletime drink was the 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waes hael' (be whole or hale). Today, an alcoholic version of this drink is promoted by the Swander Pace Capital Group, owners of Mrs. Field's Cookies and through them owners of Cider Jack brand beverages. We will not be drinking Cider Jack, but come anyway, we will be enjoying a fruit beverage and some tasty cakes. Is that it? Nope, there's lots more cool Yule stuff in the pipeline - but some stuff will stay mysterious to encourage you to come! Bring your bayberry candles, your wind &/or percussion instruments, or just your smiling face! If you have a relevant reading you like or know some stuff about Yule ritual and want to put it in the mix, contact Austin. Really come - it'll be fun. See you soon! On the third Thursday of each month, the Cambridge Young Adult Group gathers at First Parish to worship in their own unique way. Each month, the worship is led by a different member of YAG, and can be about any theme, and can take any format. A worship could be readings and sharing, or it could involve dancing, singing, silence, food, or whatever you like! If you are interested in leading a worship, contact worship coordinators Ethan Field and Suzy Kratzig. Time: 7pm for chitchat 7:33 promptly for festivities Location: First Parish, Barn Room Contact: Ethan Field: , 617-501-8673 Austin Putman:

Friday, December 20 All Church CUUPS Yule Celebration Come and join us for a winter solstice ritual. Please bring food and beverages to share. For more information contact Melody Lee at 617-527-0939. Everyone is welcome! Time: 7pm Location: First Parish Contact: Melody Lee at 617-527-0939

Sunday, December 22 Intergenerational Christmas Pageant Com and join Jory Agate, Minister of Religious Education, and Thomas Mikelson, Parish Minister to participate with much help from adults and children in the congregation. A lovely service with music, carols, beautiful decorations, laughter and tears, and inspiration. This is a wonderful service. Children are welcome and will love the service. Child care for the youngest. ASL interpreted by Jody Steiner. Children are welcome for the entire service. Child care for infants. Time: 10:30am Location: First Parish Contact: Church Office

Tuesday, December 24 Church Christmas Eve Service A beautiful service of candles and lessons and carols in the Meeting House. All ages are invited. Bring children, friends, visiting family members, neighbors. The service will end by 6:15 p.m. ASL Interpreted by. Bring your friends, relatives and neighbors. BRING CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF ALL AGES. Homily by Thomas Mikelson: Parents: we want to list in our Order of Service names of all babies born or children adopted into our congregation during 2002. Please call 617-876-7772 with the name and birth date and the parents’ names. Time: 5:30pm Location: First Parish Contact: Church Office

Tuesday, December 31 First Night Please contact Kendra if you are interested to arrange places and times to meet. What is First Night? First Night takes place at over 40 indoor and outdoor venues throughout the City of Boston. With a First Night Button you gain admission to more than 200 performances and exhibitions featuring the best in theatre, dance, music and visual arts. Fireworks displays at 7:00pm and midnight. Time: 9pm to midnight Location: TBA Contact: Kendra Gray,

Wednesday, January 1 Intergenerational Men's Discussion Group Topic: Creativity As benefits this topic, we are not going to just talk about it, but also show it! Start thinking about what you can bring to celebrate and show off your creativity! Whether it be writing, art, music, culinary wizardry, or a demo of your latest piece of software, bring something that YOU have created and that YOU are proud of. From this inspiration we will share thoughts about the creative process. Time: 7pm Location: First Parish Contact: David Jorgenson david.w.jorgenson.

Saturday, January 4 Potluck and Yankee Swap Bring a dish to share and some small thing from your holiday rejection pile to swap. Time: 7pm Potluck and 8pm Yankee Swap Location: Kimberly's House Contact: Kendra Gray, or Kimberly Pasley,

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