In the month of October, the Sunday Plate collected $1,214. These funds were distributed to UU FaithAction NJ, Wind of the Spirit, NJ Together, and Table of Hope. Thank you for your continued generosity!

Please join us at the Service Auction Kickoff Party this Saturday (11/8) from 5pm to 8 pm for a fun evening of great food and drink, and the return of the live auction! Check out the many fantastic offerings at the silent auction! Click below to purchase your tickets online! You can also buy tickets at the door for $30.

We'll be opening our congregation-wide discussion this year on the topic of Service. What ministry does the world need from us now? Come explore this topic, starting with the Sunday service on November 16th, and join the discussion in small groups either on Zoom on Monday November 17th at 7pm, or in person on Saturday November 22nd at 10am. The Committee on Ministries will be guiding our discussion and collecting comments and opinions from Congregants, then summarizing results to help guide the Board in developing next year's Vision of Ministry. We want to hear from each of you, so please come to one of these opportunities to be heard! Please register so we can arrange enough facilitators for the groups. Registration link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080844ACA923A0FD0-60216063-open

After service on November 16th, please stay after for a few minutes to learn about our Evacuation Plans for the Gateways building and the Mansion. We’ll show routes and give tips, then do a walkthrough to give your body memory for a real evacuation. The following week, on November 23rd, we’ll have a real fire drill and see how well we learned the steps. These are both in-person only events, they will not be live-streamed. If you miss the training, please contact the Board for information. Our new Emergency Plan will be available in the notebooks in the offices, and an abbreviated version will be available on Realm.

It is well documented that Monroe Husbands spoke to a group interested in learning about Unitarianism on Nov. 18, 1955 and that Vincent Richards gave the first sermon on November 30 at the YMCA, topic not known. But for the first few months of the Fellowship’s existence, who spoke at Sunday meetings, the most general term for the events, and the topics, are not known. We do know that Sunday services were held regularly after Richards’ inaugural address. It is also known that the. Rev. Jacob Trapp, the long-time minister of the Community Church in Summit (now Beacon UU) was probably ordained Unitarian minister who spoke most often in the early days when the Fellowship did not have his own minister. The other local Unitarian ministers who were called in were Norman Fletcher, minister of the Unity Unitarian Church in Montclair and the Phillips Endicott Osgood from the South Orange Unitarian Church. However, we have a better idea of when Trapp conducted services than about his subjects. Trapp is first known to have spoken at the Morristown YMCA on Sunday, November 13, at 8:30 pm. as the Fellowship service was shown under the Community Church listing on the prior Thursday’s Madison Eagle and it is logical Trapp probably used the theme he was scheduled to give that Sunday morning in Summit “Three Bible Heroes”. Similarly, Summit’s December 9 listing showed the Fellowship as having an 8:30 pm service and Trapp could have used his Sunday morning topic, the “Negro Spiritual in America”. Morristown also is shown in the Summit schedule in the Madison Eagle of November 24 presumably meaning Trapp was going to speak on Sunday November 27. However, there’s one thing wrong with that—an article in the same edition said Dr. Dale DeWitt, the regional director for the American Unitarian Association about speak on the topic “A Religion of One’s Own”, which was a standard theme DeWitt used over several years. The first surviving order of service is short on facts—it did not give the topic, name of the speaker or the date. However, a handwritten note shows DeWitt was indeed the speaker, although the writer listed the date as November 28, which was a Monday. One more topic is known for 1955—the Fellowship was to hear the Rev. Fletcher discuss the play “The Diary of Anne Frank” on Sunday, December 4, then being presented in New York City. Beyond that, we know more about the business elements of two Sunday meetings, as they were called. No topic was given but the Fellowship reported in the Daily Record that it would be working on by laws on Sunday December 11. On December 18, there was a brief musical program, but most of the attention in a newspaper article was given to the plan to discuss the by-laws, which were approved that night.

The Stearns Matthews Concert is November 15! The Early Bird rate of $40 is extended through 11/9. This concert benefits the Mortgage Prevention fund. Snacks and drinks are available for a suggested additional donation! Please publicize widely outside the Fellowship using the Facebook Event and other materials available here and on request from drww@muuf.org !

Social Justice Council Update If you are interested in taking part in social justice activities, sign up to be part of the MUUF Rapid Response Team by emailing socialjustice@muuf.org . We will keep you informed of local pro-democracy events in the area and opportunities to volunteer on social justice initiatives at MUUF and with our partners. We are looking to grow our numbers. We urge you to stay involved with social justice actions in New Jersey by participating in UU Faith Action NJ’s ACTION HOUR every Friday at noon through December 12 (except for the day after Thanksgiving). UU Faith Action NJ and the Social Justice Council support The People’s Legislative Agenda’s seven priorities for the lame duck session of the New Jersey legislature: Legislation to support immigrants’ rights and protection New Jersey voting rights legislation The Climate Superfund Act Codifying of rights to gender-affirming care Reproductive healthcare insurance Rehabilitative Release and Second Look Use of Force policy Click here for more information . Sign up for email and text alerts. Are you interested in helping with the MUUF Food Drive, which begins in January? If so, please contact us at socialjustice@muuf.org . If everyone takes one small action, we will change the world!

Our 70th Anniversary celebration will be an all-ages Tea Party to be held in Chu Hall on Saturday, January 31st from 2:00 till 5:00pm (Rain date is Feb 7th). Tea party attire is encouraged but not required, and those who wish to are invited to bring their own tea cups and/or tea pots and tea to share. Stories of tea sets and our MUUF history will be on the menu, along with treats and fun activities. More info coming soon. The Party Registration link will be posted soon in the newsletter and online. Invite your friends and former members to come help us celebrate! We’re looking for volunteers to help with setup, serving, and cleanup, so join us in hosting this not-to-be missed event! More hands make light work, so sign up and help spread the fun as well as the work. Sign up here!

Service Auction Schedule: In-Person Bidding will begin at the Saturday Kickoff and continue on Sunday during Coffee Hour until noon. Online Bidding will take place from Monday (11/10) at 10am to Sunday (11/16) at 9pm. To view the catalog, visit the Service Auction website and go to "Catalog Grid or Catalog List". For online bidding (starting Mon. 11/10 at 10 am), visit the Service Auction website at the above link. Need Help, Questions? Contact us at serviceauction@muuf.org

The Solar Panels were turned on yesterday, Tuesday, November 4th! Below are some screen shots of the website where we can monitor the electric production and ensure that all of the panels are functioning. This screen shows the energy that has been produced and the environmental impact. This screen shows the panels on the roof and how much energy they are each producing. Congrats to the Solar Team and everyone involved in this!

Our Discussion Groups at Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship are thriving, and there’s still room for you to join! These gatherings offer a welcoming space to reflect, connect, and explore life’s questions with others in our community. Our Sunday group , which meets from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, is especially flexible. New participants are welcome to jump in anytime. Upcoming sessions include November 16 and 23, December 14, January 11 and 25, and the group will continue through May. The Monday group meet from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and are also already underway, with upcoming dates on November 10 and 24, December 8 and 22 (tentative), January 12 and 26, and continuing through May. Starting in January, we are excited to launch a new online Thursday Discussion Group from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. We are currently looking for one or two leaders for this session, so if you’re interested in helping facilitate or know someone who might be, please let us know. Scheduled dates for the Thursday group are January 8 and 22, February 5 and 19, March 5 and 19, April 9 and 23, and May 7 and 28. It’s never too late to join a Discussion Group! Whether you’re a returning participant or considering joining for the first time, these gatherings are an opportunity to nurture curiosity, build relationships, and strengthen our UU community. Come for the conversation, stay for the community, and discover the joy of meaningful connection. For more information or to join, please contact Nick .

The Parkinson Support Group meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at the Fellowship. The meetings are at 10am in the Family Room. Meetings are open to all. Contact Steve Kreha with any questions. Parkinson's Support Group