Worship This Week
10 a.m. March 29, 2026
March 29th:
Palm Sunday & Passover : Branches of Hope and Doorways of Freedom ~ An Intergenerational Service.
Led by Rev. Lori
For our Sunday security, we lock the doors at 10:05. Ushers will monitor the doors until 10:15.
Church Activities This Week
Unless indicated otherwise, these activities welcome all members and friends.
Full calendar below with links to these & other upcoming events.
Friday, Mar. 27th @ 4:00 - SURJ Biddeford Saco Social Justice Demonstration at Saco Transportation Center
Saturday, Mar. 28th @ 10:00 AM - No Kings Day Rally
Saturday, Mar. 28th @ 4:00 PM - Passover Seder
Sunday, Mar. 29th @ 10:00 AM - Worship (Click Here to Live Stream)
Sunday, Mar. 29th @ 11:15 AM - Community Forum: Meet, Greet. & Ask: Tips & Tools from Your “Let’s Try It” BOT
Sunday, Mar. 29th @ 6:30 PM - School Street Coffee House Presents the Yoga Ti Band
Wednesday, April 1st @ 10:00 AM - BOT Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, April 1st @ 5:00 PM - Harbour Singers
Thursday, April 2nd @ 6:00 PM - SBGM Dine Out
Friday, April 3rd @ 9:00 AM - Worship Ministry Meeting
Friday, April 3rd @ 12:00 PM - Brown Bag Lunch
Friday, April 3rd @ 4:00 - SURJ Biddeford Saco Social Justice Demonstration at Saco Transportation Center
Office Hours
Administrator
Brian Dustin
Mon/Wed/Fri 8-10 AM
Caring Needs
Message from Rev. Lori
Hello Good People!
It is a busy weekend for us at UUCSB! A Seder on Saturday at 4:00pm hosted by Ellie Rolnick and Rev Niki. An intergenerational Sunday with 2 holiday observances and 2 sets of rituals.
I sometimes have to pause when we celebrate different traditions to consider if we are appropriating another’s tradition. This weekend is about learning, developing solidarity with folks of traditions that might not be our own, and kinship with other community members. Ellie’s foundation is Jewish and so her experience of the Seder over her life will inform our time together on Saturday for sure. Which feels authentic and beautiful to me. Many of us are from a Christian tradition and so Palm Sunday is not something outside of our experience. AND, everyone has their own experiences and ideas about holidays and traditions. All of those are welcome in our Church. Sharing them deepens us all.
Both of these holidays are so relevant right now. Passover was about strangers in a strange land trying to escape persecution. Palm Sunday was about confronting peacefully the oppressive state. There are very tough parts of those stories for sure. But there is much hope and inspiration to be gleaned as well. The gathering in community to remember the hope and the faith and the courage to move forward in the face of all things. The strength to point yourself towards freedom in the face of challenge. These are the ideas I would like you to contemplate as we head into Sunday. Community, hope, faith, courage, and freedom.
They gathered with palms, hoping for a new world.
They gathered at the table, remembering the night freedom began.
One story tells of courage in the face of empire.
Another tells of a journey out of bondage into possibility.
Both remind us: liberation is not only past history.
It is a path we are still called to walk—together.
Liberation is a path we are always called to walk. Please reflect on that sentence. Speak it out loud and in your head. Notice what words stands out to you from that Sentence. Ask it what it has to tell you today. Bring that word with you through your weekend and to the service. There will be a test!
Peace and Blessings,
Rev Lori Whittemore
(she, her, hers)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco Biddeford
Circle Suppers are Back!
We are excited to be reviving the Circle Suppers that were part of our church life until the time of COVID. Our first Circle Supper will be held on Saturday, May 30. We encourage you to sign up for a fun evening.
What are Circle Suppers? They are small (6+) potluck dinners, held in members’ homes, which bring friends, newcomers, and members of our congregation together to share food and get acquainted. These dinners are a good way to bring people closer, to get to know people in ways that we cannot on Sunday mornings or at committee meetings, and to get a mix of different people than we might normally encounter.
Are you interested in attending a Circle Supper? April 5th is the deadline to sign-up.
What an incredible community!
Over Halfway there!
We’ve discovered that our beloved church organ is in need of vital repair which was not factored into the budget. This amazing instrument is part of the beating heart of our small but mighty church and we want to keep it going strong for years to come. Please help in any way you can. For online donations please follow this link. ***
***NOTE: Zeffy, our online fundraising platform, does not take any of the proceeds donated online! Plus, you get an auto generated tax-deductible receipt!
Upcoming Events
So many amazing chances and variations of ways to gather in community together this week!
Saturday, No Kings Day! AND Passover Seder!
Sunday, Intergenerational Worship! A Community Forum with our B.O.T. AND, rounding out the weekend, Yoga Ti Band at the School Street Coffee House!
And that’s not everything happening this week! Click on a square below to find out more about all the great upcoming UUCSB events!
These UUCSB meetings, community events, and important deadlines are just around the corner.
Learn more by scrolling through & clicking on a square or check out our full calendar over here!
Ongoing activities
Share the Plate: March
Each month, UUCSB chooses an organization to split weekly donations made by congregants during the course of Sunday services. As many of you attend virtually, we are providing an online venue for these donations.*
This month, we ask for donations to be split between UUCSB’s general operating fund & Age Friendly Saco. From their website:
Age Friendly Saco’s mission, “A Community for a Lifetime”, is to promote active aging by optimizing opportunities for health, engagement, and safety while removing barriers that prevent our citizens from remaining in their homes as they age. This will be accomplished through engagement with community organizations as well as collaboration with the City of Saco and the recruitment of community volunteers for the delivery of services that will empower residents to remain in and engaged in their community as they age.
*Zeffy, our online donation portal is 100% free for UUCSB. And, you will receive an automatic tax-deductible receipt.
Coming in April: We Will Share the Plate with MUUSAN:
“The Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network (MUUSAN) is a statewide advocacy and public policy network anchored in our Unitarian Universalist faith and animated by its principles. This legislative ministry links Maine's 26 Unitarian Universalist congregations to promote just, humane laws and policies in keeping with our UUA Seven Principles.” To get a head start on April’s Share the Plate, donate to UUCSB & MUUSAN here.
School Street Coffeehouse Fundraiser
School Street Coffeehouse is pleased to offer special edition stickers, donated by Thomas Clukey, as part of a $1 fundraiser.
Stickers will be available at Coffeehouse events, open mikes, and during Social Hour on Sundays. For those of you at a distance, stickers can be obtained by mail with a $1 donation and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Every sticker purchased will support and give visability to the Coffeehouse, helping sustain this brand new tradition at UUCSB.
Please note: Each Friday, the current Friday Flyer posts at 9 AM and the previous week’s Flyer is archived. Rev. Lori’s weekly messages remain online in the form of reflections. You can find the archive here.