Are you searching for the perfect Christmas gift for that special person in your life who cherishes the memories of the MUUF community? Or perhaps you're looking for a unique keepsake to remember the building you love? Look no further! We have just the item to bring a smile to their face and a warm scent to their home. Introducing the Commemorative "MUF" Mug Candle! We have taken our beloved, classic coffee mugs—featuring the iconic, old MUUF logo—and repurposed them into a delightful, hand-poured soy candle. Each candle is a unique piece of MUUF history, filled with a Snowy Citrus  scented organic soy wax and fitted with a clean-burning cotton wick. The crisp, invigorating citrus scent is blended with hints of winter freshness, making it the perfect aroma for the holiday season. When you purchase a MUF Mug Candle , you aren't just buying a charming gift; you are directly contributing to the future look of our shared space. The entire proceeds from the sale of these candles will go toward the purchase of brand new coffee mugs featuring our updated logo.  It’s a wonderful way to honor the past while investing in our future!How to Purchase and Pickup: Don't wait—these unique, limited-edition items are only available while supplies last! There are two convenient ways to purchase: you can order today, and we will have your candle set aside for easy collection, or you can buy one directly at the building on Sunday during our gathering. All pre-ordered candles can be picked up this Sunday. For those who simply want a piece of ceramic history, we are also offering the empty, retired MUUF mugs with the old logo. These are ideal for collectors, crafters, or anyone who just needs a new favorite coffee cup!

As children move through the 4th and 5th grades, they begin asking bigger questions about themselves, their bodies, their friendships, and the world around them. Our Whole Lives (OWL)  is designed to meet them right where they are—offering honest information, caring guidance, and a respectful space to learn and grow together. From February 1 through April 26, 2026 , this ten-week class will meet on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Through conversation, activities, and reflection, participants will explore topics like values, body image, gender and sexual identity, peer pressure, social media and internet safety, consent, and healthy relationships. Everything is presented in developmentally appropriate ways that emphasize dignity, compassion, and self-respect. We’re especially grateful that this class will be led by OWL-certified facilitators Caroline Blanchard and Bruce Meyers . Their experience and thoughtful approach help create a classroom environment where kids feel safe to ask questions, share ideas, and listen to one another—knowing they will be met with respect and care. Because families are an important part of this journey, a required parent orientation on January 25  will introduce the curriculum, explain how OWL works, and provide time for questions and conversation. Many parents find this orientation reassuring and helpful as they support their child’s learning at home. OWL is more than a class—it’s an opportunity for young people to build confidence, strengthen their values, and develop skills that will support them well into their teen years and beyond. We warmly invite families with 4th–5th graders to consider being part of this meaningful experience. Sign up today as space is limited. If you have any questions, please reach out to Nick ( nwallwork@muuf.org )

Your Service Auction Committee would like to announce that we raised $34,700! We are so grateful to everyone that volunteered, donated and purchased. It’s a Fellowship effort! Just a reminder that the payment deadline is December 31st. Questions? Contact us at serviceauction@muuf.org

This holiday season, skip the big box stores and find gifts that truly matter. We invite you to join us for a special weekend of conscious consumerism at the Morristown UU Fellowship. Whether you are looking for handmade art that celebrates diversity or fair-trade goods that support global non-profits, we have two back-to-back opportunities to finish your holiday shopping while supporting our values. Both events will take place in Chu Family Hall at Morristown UU Fellowship 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ Kick off the weekend by discovering unique gifts and supporting local LGBTQ+ artists and makers! This festive gathering is filled with handmade treasures, art, crafts, and one-of-a-kind items you won't find anywhere else. Come get into the holiday spirit, shop local, shop queer, and spread some cheer. Proceeds from this market benefit the work of the Fellowship to create a welcoming and inclusive community. The Market will Feature over 30 Vendors, booths from non-profit partners, our Community Bake Sale and Hot Chocolate Bar, and drag performances from Cookie Doe. On Sunday, join us for our beloved annual tradition featuring local and global non-profit vendors. This is your chance to buy socially conscious gifts that give back to the world. Come browse incredible goods from vendors including: Global & Artisan Goods: PeaceWorks, House with Heart, Mayamam Weavers, Seeds to Sew, and The Sharing Foundation. Local Art & Makers: Willow Faith Art, Robin Lennon, and Glass4Good. Don't miss the Junior High Bake Sale and our exciting Basket Raffle!

At our service last Sunday , we showed how our Unitarian Universalist values with LOVE at the center have shaped this work. You will see twelve of our children spread light through our congregation, guided by a story from our Unitarian roots in Transylvania about a village that built a church with their own hands to share their light, within families, within their faith community and build that light to shine out into the world. Even as Bob Scott has been gathering and sharing the Fellowship's history, which we will celebrate at our tea party on January 31, we are continuing to build our own legacy, with many ministries, illustrated by the hands of our young folks cupping sparkling lights as we sang together in our Meeting Room. In the last few days since we sent our Giving Tuesday end of year appeal, and including your generous Sunday Plate gifts for our dedicated donation to the Mortgage Prevention Fund that the Board approved for last Sunday, we already have received $2799, reducing our need to around $203,000. If you didn't get or haven't read our Giving Tuesday end of year appeal , here's what we said: "We need additional pledges and gifts of $206,000 to be paid by August 2026 to pay off the construction loan on time. Mortgage Prevention is funded separately from the Operating Budget. They are connected, though: A mortgage of $206,000 would add about $20,000 per year to our Operating Budget, for 15 years. Pledges would have to increase by 5% annually for 15 years. This Giving Tuesday, please consider a gift to pay off the loan, with no lingering mortgage! Especially if you haven’t given before. Perhaps you are required to make a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account by the end of this year? Perhaps you haven’t decided on your year-end giving for tax year 2025? What a boon NO Mortgage would be for the future! PLEASE GIVE! As Campaign Chair, it has been and is my mission for these remaining months, and last few thousand (!!) dollars of the campaign, to find ways to be joyful together. So we have had 2 musical fundraisers this Fall. These raised several thousand dollars – but equally important, they generated priceless joy as explored how our new spaces enhance our community's togetherness. We have sought to keep things happening – not just for the reward of the amounts raised, but to make sure the Campaign remains top of mind as we live through the promise of having a place that we all can gather together at once! Mark your calendars for one more concluding celebration – our Art Show and Gala (fancy party with fab music and art and food) at the end of February! Having sent our Giving Tuesday message, we will take a beat, and let you decide your year end giving. Then we’ll see where we are, but most likely after the New Year, I and Paul and Helene and Tim and Candice and others will be following up with requests for a visit or a chat to ask you to consider what gives you joy, and how you can make it manifest. We also will be respectful if you already have told us you are just done with this darn campaign, or if you simply can’t give even a first gift. Please feel empowered to tell us so and realize you don’t need to explain. We are already so overwhelmed with your generosity. Our hearts are lifted up whenever we see you flowing into the Loe Courtyard or see you meeting in the Ferm classroom or running down the hill outside Chu Hall, or chatting earnestly in the Uhrhane-Wilson Welcome Gallery. Wherever we end up with this campaign, after the Gala on February 28 we will update our Donor Wall one more time, to make sure everyone is included! Thank you for the joy.

GIFTS OF CONSCIENCE HOLIDAY MARKET Sunday Dec. 14,  11 AM  –  3 PM   FREE ADMISSION Buy Socially Conscious Gifts and Donate to local Community Partners. Some information on offerings from our local and global non-profit vendors and their missions: ·       PeaceWorks – Handicrafts and Coffee - Supporting communities in Nicaragua overcome poverty and exploitation. ·       House with Heart – Felt ornaments and scarfs benefitting A Children’s Home in Nepal. ·       Mayamam Weavers – High Quality Textiles – a collective of Guatemalan female artists, makers and businesswomen ·       Willow Faith Art – eclectic multi-media artist donating profits to TransLifeline.org ·       Sharing Foundation – Unique bags – Caring for Cambodia’s Children ·       Robin Lennon – Uncommon Artwear wearable art is contributing profits to twobytwomedia.org ·       Seeds to Sew – Handmade crafts from Kenya supports sustainable income for women and funds education for girls in rural Kenya. ·       Glass4Good – local MUUF artist Margaret Malishchak creates beautiful glass pieces and all profits to charity – OneTreePlanted restores forests and nurtures communities. Local Social Justice Partners include Days for Girls, Morris Mutual, Nourish NJ and RAMP - Refugee Assistance. Also featuring: Junior High Bake Sale and Basket Raffle! Buy Socially Conscious Gifts and Donate to local Community Partners.

Our Welcoming Team are the first folks many visitors talk to when they come to Morristown UU Fellowship. Welcoming volunteers greet people, answer questions, provide nametags, and give first impressions of our Fellowship and its culture of welcoming. Can you volunteer to staff the welcome table once a month? We have two volunteers each Sunday to welcome guests, and our team needs more members. We'd love to have you join us in this important ministry. It's fun, easy and vital to our Fellowship. Contact Noelle Jensen or anyone at the Welcome Table on Sunday mornings for questions and to volunteer. Thanks for your consideration!

Two organizations started in the last three months of 1955. One was the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship in October 1955. The other was the Masterwork Chorus, which selected its first musical director, David Randolph who would lead until 1993, to conduct a Mozart festival. Founders of both organizations included Fellowship members. When Randolph’s hiring was announced in the November 24 issue of “The Madison Eagle” two of the members of the chorus executive committee which selected him were Jean Merritt (May 24,1925-June 1, 2006) and Joan Wetton (Aug. 11, 1921-May 7, 1998), who both joined the Fellowship on January 6, 1956. Shirley May, who led Masterwork for decades, but did not join the Fellowship was mentioned in the Fellowship’s newsletter of February 1956, in what appears to be a list of activities by people associated with the congregation. She would maintain an association with the Fellowship through the years. In fact, when the first newsletter was issued by Marshall Deutsch in December 1955, he noted that five Fellowship members—technically not members as no one had signed the membership book when this was written—were also Masterwork members, presumably including Merritt and Wetton. From newspaper article, add more names, more than five: Stuart Lloyd, Ruth Lloyd, Marshall Deutsch, Edward Zajac, and Ted Newlin—all mentioned in January 1956 as participating in a Mozart concert. With a smaller number of singers chorus in the early months than currently, the Fellowship represented a significant part of the Masterwork membership. The December newsletter also pointed there was one New Jersey Symphony member and two members of the Colonial Little Symphony. One of the members of the Colonial Little Symphony was Gerald Quinlan, a professional flautist (and schoolteacher) who was likely also the New Jersey Symphony member. In addition, the newsletter noted membership included “the organist and choirmaster of Episcopal church.” That was Fellowship first president, Marsh Steiding, who also designed the lectern still in use. Outside of the hymns, Steiding was the most frequent accompanist in the Fellowship’s first two years and was one of a good supply of pianists who could handle classical music. This music included a lot of Andantes, Largos and Nocturnes, slow movements presumably to fit a religious tone with scherzos and allegros for offering and postlude selection. John Doczi, more usually a violinist in public performances, could also handle the pervasive selections such keyboard selection as the Andante from the second act of “The Magic Flute” and the “Chorale from Kreuzstab Cantata”.

Biochemistry Literacy for Kids is an online web-based set of 24 lessons in elementary biochemistry developed by Dr. Daniel Fried, a Yale Biochemistry PhD. Dr. Fried breaks ground in introducing advanced concepts in biochemistry to young people through focused online learning. Combined with hands on modeling of molecules using a modeling kit that supports Hydrogen bonding, the course has features that are not available elsewhere at this age level. There is no mathematics beyond arithmetic needed. I will be available on a coming Sunday (TBD) to do a demonstration and walk through of the course using Lesson 0 and part of Lesson 1. By the way, you can access Lesson 0 for free at any time at biochemistryliteracyforkids.com . The walk through will take about 25 minutes and will be showing the lesson content on a large TV screen (web casting). After that, as interest dictates, I can show a video modeling the manufacture of the lipid sacks used to carry the mRNA in the COVID19 vaccine into the cells for replication. The enrollment form is available here .

The most wonderful time of the year is here, and that means it's time to start finding those truly special gifts! Forget the big box stores this holiday season and join us for the Queer Holiday Maker's Market —a festive gathering dedicated to celebrating and supporting our vibrant local LGBTQ+ artists and makers. Discover the Magic: 30+ Incredible Vendors Await! We are absolutely thrilled to announce that this year's market is bigger and better than ever! You'll have the chance to explore a dazzling array of handmade treasures, unique art, custom crafts, and so much more, all thanks to over 30 talented vendors  from the community. A Whole Lotta Art Dragondealer/June Paints Long Gone Art Bent Queer Shop Artistic Mischief Salut Strega 3eib and Zeit Ouijas Curiosities Gail Kelly Art inklings baby Scolarice Art willow faith art Amy Rovine The Plant Lady drawnbybrie izzy lee originals Wilson Mountain Studio Dolloddity Garden State Tait Sharkboy Stuff The Sassy Gay Store Shades of Gold Aura and Ivy Funky Foliage & More Fairy Kraft Mother Pop★Culture Watches Zerhenity Designs Jessie Reulbach Art PUCK PRODUCTS: PUCK MAGAZINE Chrissy McIntyre  Knight Blooms Spaz Out Loud Diane Koslow Every purchase you make directly supports a local LGBTQ+ artist and small business owners, making your holiday shopping meaningful and impactful. Get Your Tickets Now! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to discover unique gifts and connect with the heart of our creative community. Tickets are selling fast, and we want to see you there! Secure your spot today and ensure you're first in line to snag the best finds. We can't wait to celebrate the season with you! Come ready to shop, socialize, and show your support for local queer talent.

Join us for a cozy afternoon of holiday cheer! We’ll gather to watch a beloved Christmas classic featuring some very familiar felt friends who bring heart and humor to the season’s most timeless story. Bring a plate of your favorite holiday cookies to share—homemade or store-bought, all are welcome! Come enjoy the warmth of community, a sweet spread of treats, and a movie that reminds us of generosity, joy, and the true spirit of the holidays.

Are you passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for learning, connection, and community for the adults of our Fellowship? The Adult Programs Committee  invites you to join us as we plan and support engaging programs throughout the year, including Small Groups, Religious Education, and other special events. Join Our Next Meeting: When:  Tuesday, December 9th at 7:30 PM Where:  On Zoom (Meeting link will be provided upon RSVP) Bring your ideas, creativity, and a spirit of teamwork as we help shape enriching experiences for our Fellowship's adults. Leadership Opportunity: Committee Chair We are also looking for one or two people to Chair the committee . This is a great opportunity to help guide our vision and collaborate closely with staff and volunteers to ensure our adult programming thrives. All are welcome—come be part of the team! If you want to join us or learn more, please contact Nick .