This month’s edition is packed with goodies:
Sunday Service Information
Rev. Lori’s Message to the Congregation
Music Notes from Ellie R.
News from the Board of Trustees
The Wonder Box, Religious Exploration Notes for upcoming Sunday RE events
Celebrations of past events and a handful of new offerings coming to UUCSB this year
An Event Primer: How to reserve a space & How to get it on the website calendar
Calendar Highlights for the month and a look ahead to the fall/winter Coffeehouse offerings
All the ways you can support our beloved community
November’s Theme: Healing
Worship Services Sundays at 10 a.m. EST:
November 1st: Samhain - An Intergenerational Lay-led Service
November 8th: If We Are Going To Heal, Let It Be Glorious with Rev. Lori.
November 15th: Hard Times Call For Furious Dancing with Rev. Lori & Amanda A.
November 22nd: We The People with Rev. Lori and Anne W.
November 29th: It Takes All of Us with Rev. Niki and Matt G.
If you can’t join us in person, please tune in via our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@uucsb
Happy November to One and All!
Our theme for this month is healing. Goodness knows we all need some of that! With the election starting off our month there will be a HUGE need for healing regardless of the outcome! What has been broken will not easily or quickly be healed. Besides the big picture hurts and wounds, we all have places in our lives that need healing. It is not a linear journey and it is not a location that we arrive at. It ebbs and flows. We may think we arrive have healed adequately from one thing or another until something happens that triggers emotions that take us right back to a wounded spot. A moment of fear reminds us of other moments of fear. A moment of great pain reminds us of other moments of great pain. Not that we need get stuck in those earlier places. But they never fully let go of us. I will assert, however, that healing is a choice. Those are words you will likely hear a lot this month. It is important to feel the feels of pain and grief after being hurt. But I dont want to minimize or use trite expressions to suggest that there is goodness in all things if we look hard enough, because I dont believe we can whitewash suffering that way. Of course we can transform suffering. That is certainly one approach to dealing with pain and to point ourselves towards healing.
This month we will explore healing as an act of courage and resistance—healing ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and a world that is hurting. This is fully aligned with our mission, our principles and values. All healing starts with our selves and our own wounds. Being in community invites us to heal our way of being in relationship through practicing right relationship, and by living in community in right relationship, we become the alternative way of living in the world these days. We become the example and standard we demonstrate to and for the world. We will explore this through reflection, poetry, music, ritual, meditation and movement this month in worship together. Our blossoming community will celebrate it through our many ways of being together through the month. We begin our month of healing in the thin veil of Samhain and process through contemplation, movement, community, and mustering joy and courage to lead us into December!
With Peace and Many Blessings,
Rev. Lori
(She/Her/Hers)
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”
–Maya Angelou
Our November theme is “Healing.” In times like these, more than ever, we need to allow music into our hearts and souls, letting it carry us away, if only for a few moments. Whether we're singing along to our favorite songs in the car, belting out a tune in the shower, or raising our voices together in church or choir, music has the power to heal. It can lower stress hormones such as cortisol, calm our nervous systems, and stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and well-being. Music doesn't just lift our spirits. It nurtures our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Sing Out Love: You’ll find me talking a lot about our new virtual hymnal, Sing Out Love. Here’s a link so you can check it out for yourself: https://www.singoutlove.org/
Every member of our congregation is entitled to access the hymnal as part of our congregation’s subscription. If you’re interested, just send me an email requesting access and I’ll arrange for you to receive a link.
In October I led the congregation (with the choirs help) in 2 songs from Sing Out Love and there will be a couple more in November. Stay tuned!
Singing the Children Out: At least once a month, the children will join us in church for the first 15 minutes, and we’ll “sing them out” as they leave for their Religious Exploration session. We’ll introduce a new song approximately every three months, giving everyone plenty of time to become familiar with it.
Our first song is Know That You Are Loved. It’s simple, lovely, and has just a few words: “As you leave this space, know that you belong; know that you are not alone; know that you are loved.” When it comes time to sing it, Paul will play it through once and the congregation will sing it twice.
Rehearsals: Pick Up Choir typically rehearses on the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays of each month followed by singing in church on that day. Upcoming Dates: November 8, 22, December 13, 20 (rehearsal only) and Thursday, December 24 (at 2 p.m.).
Time: 8:45 – 9:45 We meet in the Parish Hall to start and we begin on time. Helpers arriving at 8:30 are appreciated.
Participation: ‘Pick up Choir’ means that you do not need to commit to every Sunday that we sing but if I can know in advance that you’ll be there it helps me plan for appropriate music.
Special Music: Do you like to sing solo or play an instrument? Special music is always a welcome addition to a service.
All are welcome who love to sing or who want to be involved with our Music Ministry.
For more information please contact me directly at uucsbchoir@gmail.com
Special Music for November
November 1st
Thomas Charles Clukey ~ Thomas Charles Clukey is a Maine-based singer-songwriter with roots in small-town life and a love for honest music. Raised in St. Albans and now living in Saco, Thomas writes songs about real people, real places, and the moments that shape us. His blend of Country, Roots, and Americana is simple, sincere, and built on stories from home. Photo credit to Melissa Warren.
November 8th & 22nd
The UUCSB Pick-Up Choir – Our choir, directed by Ellie Rolnick, will offer special music and often supports the congregational singing.
Make a joyful noise with us!
November 15th
TBD
November 29th
Doug Kolmar ~ With a voice as warm and inviting as your favorite old flannel shirt, Singer/songwriter, Doug Kolmar, explores the light and dark of humanity through a lens of compassion, with and insightful observation. He has released five full-length solo albums, and his songs have been recognized with awards from The Music to Life foundation, International Acoustic Music Awards, American Songwriter and Maine Songwriters Association. His latest record, ‘We’ll Be Fine’, was released in October 2025.
Beloved Congregation,
Two of the Board priorities for this church year are to ensure the fiscal health of the church and to explore effective leadership structures. Our Holly-Day fair is an opportunity to work on these priorities at the same time.
Since last spring some of you have heard the work "MOCHA" mentioned a few times. Some references may be to the yummy flavor, but around church it's probably about the delegation structure last year's Board learned about from some leadership training we had with the New England Region of the UUA. We are confident that by learning to apply this framework in our projects we can make leadership less onerous and communication clearer.
In early November we will post the names of people taking on roles in the our annual holiday fair and name their responsibilities. This event is one of our key fundraisers and has a lot of moving parts. We always want participants to feel good about working together for our beloved church and we want to make lots of money. MOCHA is designed to clarify roles so that we aren't stepping on each other's toes. Thoughtful pre-planning should entice a broader range of participants than our usual go-to folks. Look for the posting of who's who for this project on the Fundraising/Finance bulletin board at the front of the Parish hall. The graphic below will explain the general structures.
Please be thinking about how you can participate in this happy event and contact Pieter W., the Owner of this project.
Board meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, 5:30-7:30. November's featured committee is School Street Coffeehouse. All are welcome. Please contact any Board member if you have questions or concerns.
Love, Randa Thomas
Board President
Our Beloved Community
October’s calendar really highlighted the way our beloved community shows up for everyone, including our sacred animal companions! Not to mention how we strive to build intergenerational connections, for instance October’s Parent’s Night Out. There’s another one coming up, so get it on your calendars: December 19th from 4:30 to 7 PM.
Thanks to Sonja G. and Matt G. for capturing these events and sending the photos into the Messenger!
New Offerings at UUCSB
Welcoming Conversations: A New Monthly Gathering for Everyone
Starting November 1st, the Welcoming Committee is making space to talk, listen, answer and share. Grab a cup of coffee after church and visit. 11:15 - 12:45 PM.
Three New Offerings From UUCSB Member, Laurie Sivonen.
Laurie is offering three new ways to connect with the divine: November’s Mellow as Jello Meditation, A two-day Shamanic Journeying Training in January, and Monthly Shamanic Journeying Circles starting in February. Laurie is a Shamanic Practitioner, Reiki Master, Laughter Yoga leader, licensed clinical social worker and self-described imperfect human.
The time for this group will be set as interest is expressed and is an excellent way to continue your practice after the January training.
Got an Event? Here's How to Make It Happen!
UUCSB is growing, our programming is blossoming, and our calendar is filling up with wonderful activities, gatherings, and new ideas! It's an exciting time to be part of this community, and with so much happening, it's more important than ever that we all follow a few simple steps to keep things running smoothly.
Whether you're planning a one-time event or a whole series of meetings, here's how to make sure your event gets scheduled, publicized, and celebrated!
Step 1: Reserve your space. Contact Brian D. in the office to confirm your dates, times, and location. He'll check for scheduling conflicts and make sure your space is reserved. (admin@uuchurchsacobiddeford.org)
Step 2: Tell the congregation (and beyond)! Once your reservation is confirmed, it's up to you to get the word out! Fill out the online website form or email the Web Chaplain (uucsb.webchaplain@gmail.com). Once your event is on the website calendar, it will automatically appear in the Friday Flyers and The Messenger. If you need the Web Chaplain to push this event on facebook, make sure to let her know that, too.
Step 3: Share the joy! After your event, send photos, highlights, or a short write-up to both the Web Chaplain and Social Media Coordinator. Let's celebrate all the good things happening here!
One important reminder: These are separate steps! Telling Brian about your event doesn't automatically notify the Web Chaplain, and telling the Web Chaplain doesn't reserve your space. Each person has a different role, so please be sure to connect with both.
The bottom line: All this activity is a wonderful sign of a thriving, growing church! Following these simple procedures helps us stay organized, avoid confusion, and make sure every event gets the attention it deserves. A little teamwork and communication will help us keep all this wonderful momentum going!
Rev. Lori will be one of several guest officiants at a very special Thanksgiving week service.
Join the larger Saco/Biddeford community for an evening of gratitude, connection and prayer at First Parish Congregation Church UU on November 24th at 7 PM.
November Special Events at UUCSB
November 6th: First Friday Brown Bag Lunch
Please bring a lunch and drink and a snack to share if you wish. We meet at 12:00 in the green room…or in the parish hall if we can’t all squeeze in! Come by for some together time!
Kit making continues with an event on November 9th from 5:30-6:30.
We are collecting warm socks, hand and foot warmers, soft snacks, protein drinks, hat, gloves and hygiene items. These items can be dropped off in the hallway closet box designated for kit making.
Join us in support of the unhoused who live in encampments in Biddeford!
For questions, contact Rev. Lori.
November 19th at 5:30 PM: Mellow as Jello Meditation
Before the stress of the season hits, come pamper yourself with a deep guided meditation while being bathed in the healing energy of singing bowls.
Let Laurie know you’ll be there by donating to the event now: Click Here. $20 Suggested donation with the option to pay less (or more!). All proceeds go to keeping the church warm and the lights on.
November 24th: Women’s Songwriting Circle
6:30 - 8 PM
School Street Coffeehouse: Upcoming Shows
The School Street Coffeehouse team has been busy putting together an incredible line-up for Fall in Winter 2027! Read more about upcoming shows below, click on an event to learn more and help keep the energy and momentum growing by getting your tickets now and saving the dates on your calendars!
Around the Corner
Scroll through to see other upcoming UUCSB meetings and events.
Click on an event to learn more about it. For the calendar view, click here.
November 2026 Share The Plate: Saco Food Pantry
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 fund and the Saco Food Pantry. From their website:
The Saco Food Pantry opened its doors in 1982 as the Biddeford-Saco Council of Churches Food Pantry. It continued for many years as such, until the Council disbanded in 2002. At that time it incorporated and became the Saco Food Pantry, Inc. It is a nonprofit organization with a tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Saco Food Pantry provides food for local Mainers in need through short-term and intermittent help, and long-term help for those experiencing continued difficulties. It is run by a volunteer staff which includes a Board of Directors. It currently provides food for over 8,000 people a year, more than 96,000 individual meals!
Support UUCSB’s Bottom Line
By Mail: Send donations and pledge payments to: UU Church of Saco & Biddeford, 60 School Street, Saco, ME 04072
Anne W. has been working diligently to create the new UUCSB Pop-Up Shop! This unique venture is a unique way to support UUCSB’s bottom line while also having a bespoke boutique at your fingertips. This is a place to look for those hard to buy for friends or the hostesses with the mostesses when you’d rather not bring flowers or wine! The aim is to keep this store refreshing and growing so that it’s less “Pop-up” and more “favored standby” so, if you have some wonderful, gently used treasures that are ready for a change of scenery, you can contact Anne W. and she will gladly collect them and add them to the inventory.
The link to check out what’s currently on sale is: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/unitarian-universalist-church-of-saco-and-biddefords-shop-2
Two Ways to Donate to the General Operating Fund Without Spending an Extra Dime!
Are You Thinking About Becoming a Member of UUCSB?
To learn more about our congregation:
Attend informal Welcoming Conversations on the 1st Sunday of the month.
To learn more about our faith and practice:
Various aspects of Unitarian Universalism are explained in brochures kept in a rack as you enter the sanctuary. You are welcome to take these home. You can also talk with members of our congregation.
Our Church:
We are a voluntary association of those committed to this special religious community. We share common values, but we do not require or expect conformity to any specific religious beliefs. We welcome each person’s spiritual exploration and expression.
Our Church Administrator is Brian Dustin
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
8 to 10 am
(207) 282-0062 or (207) 632-4512
Congregants of UUCSB can find forms to add, change, or recommend items on the website in the Congregant Portal found in the footer of our website. Stop by and see Brian if you need the password.