What if we had all the pledge money we need to thrive? What if the Board could focus on establishing a vision for the church rather than on finding money to do basic maintenance on the property? How can we relate to money less painfully in the rest of our lives as well as in our pledging support to the church?

Come and explore these and other questions with us as we think about how to place our church on a sound financial footing. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Our multi-generational Religious Education Program will follow from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Visitors are always welcome.

SwingTown!, from St. John's Prep

Vocal groups from Danvers High School, Pingree School, and St. John’s Prep will perform songs from their wide repertoires this Friday, February 10, at the Northshore UU Church as part of our “Music in the Woods” series.

The Danvers High Chamber Singers is an honors-level group whose members sing everything from Renaissance madrigals to today’s rockin’est a cappella hits. The singers are also involved in community service activities.

SwingTown! is St. John Prep’s a cappella group featuring students and faculty. The dynamic vocal band sings everything from a cappella standards, through oldies and rock, to modern tunes that are on your iPod. Several concerts are held during the year.

Spectrum Highlights is a mixed-voice choir that performs at the Pingree School in Hamilton, and throughout the community. Their repertoire includes both a cappella and accompanied music, and celebrates the full “spectrum” of musical expression.

Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and older.

Her topic, “Great Day in the Morning,” will consist of some reflections on what in the world of nature can be personally grounding while our lives are part of a fast-paced and chaotic world. During these wintry months we are invited to claim quiet moments — maybe time spent looking out of a window, going for a brisk walk, or sitting with a journal, pen, and a cup of something warm.

As an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister for 21 years, Karin has served as a parish minister, college chaplain, Massachusetts Bay District administrator, and certified spiritual director to seminary students, clergy, and lay people.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Visitors are always welcome.

Bates Hall Reading Room at the Boston Public Library

What does it mean to be a learner? How do we support learning? What personal experiences do we have that have inspired us?

Those questions will comprise the theme of our service this Sunday, January 29, which will be led by church member Beth Blanchard. We will explore, in a participatory way, how to value and support authentic learning. And we hope everyone will leave with a new commitment to continue fostering meaningful learning experiences for themselves and for others.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Visitors are always welcome.

Photo by Dan Kennedy

Supporting human rights for all people, especially those most vulnerable, is a core Unitarian Universalist value. The UUA has a long history of support for migrant workers, refugees, and other displaced peoples. “Immigration as a Moral Issue” is currently one of our congregational study/action issues.

The Social Action Committee invites you to join us for some open sharing about this complex issue. The discussion will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and will continue on February 26 and March 18.

I suspect many of you are far ahead of me when it comes to living the simple life. The reality of global warming and its relationship to our consumption of fossil fuels and materials make it imperative that we reduce our carbon footprint. The obstacles to this can be surprising; at least they are to me.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Our multi-generational Religious Education Program follows from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Visitors are always welcome.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Our multi-generational Religious Education Program resumes this week, and will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m.

Visitors are always welcome.

The Jewel Tones

Four widely traveled and award-winning a cappella groups from Marblehead High School will perform on Friday, January 13, from 7:30 until 9 p.m., at the Northshore UU Church in Danvers. Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and older.

Returning to the Music in the Woods program will be four vocal groups: the Jewel Tones, Luminescence, the Grizzly Freakin’ Man Singers, and Serendipity. The Jewel Tones are a co-ed group, and have been performing and recording since 2003. They say they are known “for their quirky antics, their rockin’ sound circles, and their strong opinions.”

Luminescence got together in 2005 as Marblehead High’s first female a cappella group, and they are “particularly proud of their intergenerational outreach to singers of all ages.”

The “Grizzlies,” as the guys like to be called, are the school’s first all-male a cappella group, and emphasize their “friendly dynamic and strong sense of community.” The newest of the groups, Serendipity, is an all-female group started in 2010. They have performed as far away as Dana Farber Hospital in Boston.

Amanda Roeder is director of choral music at Marblehead High School, and advises all four groups.

Those questions comprise the theme of the Reverend Frieda Gillespie’s sermon this Sunday, January 8, titled “How Can We Help?” The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Visitors are always welcome.

We will have readings, poetry and music related to the new year and the holidays. There will be an opportunity to write a New Year’s resolution, or perhaps a less judgmental observation of where your mind is on this New Year’s Day. Writings will be put in sealable envelopes and collected, to be opened in January 2013. There will be opportunities for sharing, with regard to this exercise, but also in general.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship at about 11:30. Visitors are always welcome.