We often say in church that there’s a lot going on here at First Unitarian. And indeed there is—all you need to do is look at the weekly enews or pick up the Sunday Bulletin or look over the Path to Engagement publication to see the long list of things that the church offers. Everything from classes to retreats to small group experiences. Everything from choirs to social justice groups to many volunteer experiences. Indeed there are many opportunities, but paradoxically, all those options can feel a little overwhelming when you are new. Making connections in our large community can still feel like a challenge.

We hope to make that process of making connections a little easier with a new series of classes we’ll be offering beginning  a week from Sunday, on Feb. 17. They will be called First Connections and they will be offered most Sundays. They will happen after the second service, beginning at 1 p.m. and going until 2:30 p.m. And they will have two main purposes—to introduce new folks to some area of church life, like our social justice work, or the way to do worship here, or aspect of our history—as well as to be a forum for new people to get to know each other and meet church memebers. Building community, after all, is one of the most important parts of making connections in the church.

Now I should say here that while these are especially designed with newcomers in mind, everyone is welcome. I expect that some of the long time folks will be interested in getting to know something about some aspect of church life and to connect with others. So join us whether you have been here a short time or a long time.

Here is a lineup of the classes and areas of exploration the next few weeks:

Feb. 17,  Our Liturgical Year

Come and learn about the flow of our church year, beginning with Homecoming Sunday and concluding with Community Sunday and our annual Flower Communion. What are the things that mark our yearly cycle? Learn about the traditions that shape our community.

Feb. 24, The History of Our Church

Did you know that our church was founded by a group of women who wanted a voice for Liberal Christianity in Portland? Learn about them and how their legacy continues in our church to this day.

March 3, Our UU Ancestors

Learn about our Unitarian and Universalist ancestors and how those traditions live in our modern-day faith. Learn about some of those who shaped those traditions and how shape what we do today.

March 10, All-Church Dialogue on Mass Incarceration

We’ll gather before the church dialogue to meet other newcomers and then take part in the All-Church dialogue on Mass Incarceration. A good way to learn how this part of our Social Justice program and an important issue facing us.

March 17, Social Justice 101

Just what does it mean to be a justice seeking church? And how does all that happen in our Social Justice program? Learn about this core part of our church mission and ways to get involved in justice work—inside our walls and in the larger community.

March 24, Spiritual Practice for Beginners

Ever wonder what a spiritual practice is? Hear from some fellow congregants about what they do for spiritual practice and how you might explore what this means.

March 31, Primer in UU Theology

How do we articulate our theology from a UU perspective? What does that look like for us as a faith tradition? What would it look like for us as individuals to explore our own theology?

April 7, How the Church Works

Facilitated by members of our Board of Trustees, come and learn about how our church is governed, how money budgeted and spent, and how the church is supported financially.

April 14, First Church Nomenclature

Ever wonder what a Narthex is? Or who sextons are and what they do? Come and learn the meaning behind some of the names we use around the church and where they come from. Rev. Thomas Disrud

Easter, no class

April 28, Q and A with Rev. Bill Sinkford.

Join with fellow church members to special session with the Senior Minister—bring your questions.

May 5, Our Church Home.

This session will include a tour of the church facility and some of the history of our facility.

May 12, Mother’s Day, no class

May 19, Our Learning Community.

As Unitarian Universalists we strive to be lifelong learners. Come and learn about our education programs for all ages RE program

May 26, Memorial Day, no class

As a minister here, there are a couple themes that I hear often when it comes to making connections in the church. That it really is a challenge in our large community, and that when you are able to make those connections that you are a lot more likely to find community and fulfillment here. I hope these classes will increase the odds of that happening.

So I hope you will check them out. You don’t need to come to them all but you are most welcome to do so. The classes will be led by First Unitarian ministers, staff, and lay leaders.

In gratitude for the community we have here at First Unitarian and in hopes for making the connections among us stronger every day.

Rev. Tom Disrud