We hope you’ll join us in these newly-listed activities and check previous This Week, This Month announcements for additional upcoming events. Some are educational, some are purely social and some are both. Inter-generational activities include children of all ages, while other activities are for adults only. Check the details to see if childcare is provided.

• Sunday, November 23, 2008 — A Feast of Gratitude. Join us for our Intergenerational Thanksgiving service, and share your thoughts on giving and gratitude. Please bring a fresh fruit or vegetable to fill our cornucopia. Feast on one another’s thoughts, words and offerings! (Intergenerational means all ages; Peggy Meeker, our Director of Religious Education (DRE), will be involving our children and youth in the service. Nursery care will be available.)
• Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 11 AM — 134th Union Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at 1st Unitarian Church with Rabbi Matt Field, Temple Beth El, preaching. Come one, come all to the 134th Annual Thanksgiving Day Interfaith Thanksgiving service, proudly the oldest continuing interfaith service offered in the United States. This service was started by the congregations of First Unitarian Church of Rochester, First Universalist Church of Rochester and Temple B’rith Kodesh more than a century ago, to share together in the universal religious impulse to give thanks! Participating congregations now also include Temple Beth El, Temple Sinai, Islamic Center of Rochester, Baptist Temple Church, First Baptist Church of Rochester, Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, and Third Presbyterian Church. A reception will follow the service at 1st Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Road South. Please join us for this beautiful celebration!
• Thursday, November 27, 2008 — Thanksgiving Dinner at 1st Universalist. Dinner is around 4:00, but we’ll need help with preparation and set up. Please sign up if you plan to come, and let us know what you’ll be bringing. We’ll also need donations of turkeys or money towards the purchase of turkeys. Contact Karl. We hope to see you there!
• February 2009 – Service Auction at 1st Universalist. Get out your knitting needles, polish your silver and social skills, inspect that white elephant in the basement or at your office. It’s not too early to start thinking about the church’s annual Auction and what treasure you’ll be contributing for sale. If you have questions, contact Jane Chronis. Volunteers are welcome.

Here are some new events and activities you might like to put on your calendar. See our previous Outside 1st Universalist announcements for other upcoming events.

• Christian Faith and LGBT Experience 2008 with William Stacy Johnson, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and author of “A Time to Embrace: Same Gender Relationships in Religion, Law, and Politics”

  Join the Rev. William Stacy Johnson for these events:

  • Saturday, October 4, 2009 – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm — Community Forum on Marriage Equality at the Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street (corner of East Avenue), Rochester, NY. Professor Johnson will offer a keynote address. The day will include panels, an information fair and networking opportunities.
  • Sunday, October 5, 2008 – 8:30 am and 10:45 am — The Rev. Johnson will preach at the Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street (corner of East Avenue), Rochester, NY.

• October 10 – 19, 2008 — Image Out: The Rochester Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Festival. Please go to www.imageout.org or pick up an Image Out magazine for more info.

• October 17 & 18, 2008 — Rummage Sale at First Unitarian Church on Winton Rd, Rochester. Donations will be accepted October 11 – 15. Call 271-9070 for details.