June Services | Minister’s Message | Scam Alert | Brunswick Area Interfaith Council | Membership| Lifelong Spiritual Formation | Music Director | CHURCH BUSINESS: Board of Trustees | Annual Meeting | Auction | COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS: | Monthly Calendar | Summer Art Gallery | Last Hurrah | Side Door Coffeehouse | Brunswick Pride| Concerts for a Cause| All-Church Picnic | Holiday Fair | WORKING FOR JUSTICE:| Charities with Soul | Wabanaki Awareness | Immigrant Justice | Brunswick Teen Center | Habitat for Humanity | MUUSAN | Gun Safety | ART GALLERY | Parish Messenger Deadline
June Services:
June 7th – Herding Cats–and other lessons on Flourishing Together
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Choir
Our Soul Matters theme for the last month of this church year is Flourishing Together. This is also the date of our annual meeting, when we tend to the “business” of our congregation that empowers us to live out our mission. With so many different perspectives on just about everything, finding ways to work TOGETHER can feel like herding cats; and also, when it works, it demonstrates the potential of how much stronger, braver, smarter, and more creative we can be when we include everyone’s gifts and combine our efforts. Join us for worship, stay for the meeting.
June 14th – Pride Helps Us Flourish Together
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and the Brunswick Community Pride Choir
It’s Pride Weekend in Brunswick, and thus our annual Pride service. This year, in the midst of rising attacks on LGBTQIA+ people (especially our trans siblings), we’ll reflect on the ways that Pride–its history, culture, and charge–can help all of us flourish together.
June 21st – “Transformation may be too strong a word for my experience, but it’s certainly brought my awareness of privilege into sharp focus.”
Led by Cindy Parker
Music by Will Bristol
Please join us for the first of twelve summer services brought to you by the Worship Committee. Cindy Parker shares some stories and experiences from volunteering at The Gathering Place(TGP): “What do you do when an unhoused woman (wearing my husband’s old winter coat) demands that I find just the sandwich she wants from tomorrow’s rations and a new pair of winter gloves even though I see she was given a pair just yesterday? How do I respond to a man who is losing his apartment because no one will hire someone with felony conviction? What to say to the young mother living in a shelter who comes in for coffee after dropping her toddler at Head Start or the elderly man faced with a night outside in the cold rain? How can I then go home and cook dinner in my warm house, buy theater tickets, plan my vacation? When I began volunteering at The Gathering Place two and half years ago, I was responding to a request from one of the founders speaking at UUCB. I was ready to make coffee and let someone else make the decisions. And that’s what has happened, but I didn’t anticipate how hard that would be. What’s my responsibility to my less fortunate neighbor? How can I work for justice? Where do I fit into this very stratified society?”
June 28th – Human Flourishing and Spiritual Transformation: Inspiration from Islam’s Five Pillars
Led by guest – Celine Ibrahim, Ph.D.)
Music by Will Bristol
“There is nothing worthy of worship but the divine…” These are the words whispered into a Muslim newborn’s ear before any others. At the heart of Islamic devotional practices lies this single, inexhaustible conviction in divine oneness and the ensuing radical unity of all reality. From that first utterance, the Five Pillars unfold as a lifelong curriculum for approaching, sensing, and experiencing this radical truth claim, each practice designed to purify the self and steadily redirect the mind, body, and spirit toward deeper awareness. The testimony of faith orients a life toward truth and goodness. Prayer cultivates mindfulness, discipline, and a sense of belonging to something larger than oneself. Fasting the month of Ramadan binds communities together in shared endurance and mutual empathy. The giving of charity loosens the grip of greed and enacts our duty to care for one another. And pilgrimage — the arduous, exhilarating journey toward the sacred — is a contemplation of mortality and the possibility of spiritual transformation. Drawing on her scholarship in Islamic spirituality and her years of pastoral ministry, Celene Ibrahim invites us to ask what these ancient practices might teach us — about spiritual discipline, about generosity, and about what it means to flourish together.
Celene Ibrahim, PhD, is a cultural historian and scholar of Islamic studies, a Harvard-trained chaplain, and an award-winning author whose work sits at the intersection of Muslim feminist theology, global religious thought, and spiritual formation.
Minister’s Message
Flourishing Together
You know the feeling. You arrive on a Sunday morning at the corner of Pleasant and Middle Streets and have difficulty parking. You enter and scan for a seat; someone scoots over to make room. The air is warm with people. The sound before the service begins is the sound of a congregation that is happy to have shown up together. It’s my favorite kind of “sacred music”—that sound of people giving greetings, settling in for a seat, or engaging in conversations of substance and tenderness.
That is the scene in our physical sanctuary nearly every week. Combined with the synchronous groups gathering at the Eveningstar Cinema and the Highlands, that means that more than a third of the weeks in our program year, our total attendance has exceeded our building’s capacity. (This doesn’t even include the roughly 30-50 online viewers who join us “live” on Sunday mornings, or the many more who watch worship recordings at their own convenience.) I don’t tell you this to boast. I tell you this because it means something. It means people are coming — and coming back. It means something is happening here worth showing up for, worth scooting over for.
That’s even more impressive when viewed alongside the challenges the world has been dishing out. We’ve been asked to hold so much recently. The news has been relentless, the anxiety real, the losses — personal and collective — significant. A world gone mad has a way of making us want to contract, to protect what’s ours, to narrow the circle. And yet here we are, week after week, making room for one another and for those who will join us. What does it mean to flourish together in conditions like these?
At the center of our newly articulated UU Values is Love — not sentiment, but the animating force from which Justice, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence, and Generosity all flow. These aren’t a checklist. They are a portrait of what a community looks like when it is genuinely trying to flourish together. And flourishing, in this frame, is not private. It is not the sum of individuals doing well. It is something that happens between us — in the quality of our covenant, in how we receive one another across difference, in whether we are willing to be changed by what we share. Interdependence isn’t a consolation for the fact that we need each other; it is the whole point. Generosity isn’t an add-on virtue; it is what love looks like in practice. These values call us toward expansion, transformation, and the kind of pluralism that requires sustained effort and creativity.
We are still learning what flourishing together will look like for UUCB in the uncertain future. We don’t have it all figured out. But I watch you scoot over to make room, week after week, and I think we may be closer than we know. I am grateful — genuinely, deeply grateful — to be learning how to flourish with you.
Thank you for a wonderful year.
Kharma
Scam Alert
Scam emails pretending to be from UUCB staff, board members, etc. have recently been appearing in inboxes again.
This is an important reminder to be vigilant and skeptical of emails appearing to come from UUCB. If in doubt, delete it or reach out to Shirley.
Brunswick Area Interfaith Council (BAIC)
On Resisting Antisemitism, Christian Nationalism and All Forms of Hatred
BAIC took a strong moral stand at its May 2026 membership meeting in advance of the “Turning Point USA Faith” event in Portland on May 15. Its membership voted on a bold statement from the board that condemns the rising fear, division and violence in our communities and our nation. This comes in the wake of the rise of White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism, plus the increasing threats of hate and bigotry against members of our own communities.
We are fortunate to live in the greater Brunswick area where our faith leaders are forcefully speaking out and standing up to these threats.
BAIC’s membership includes 13 faith communities, 27 individuals as well as several service organizations. You are encouraged to join as an individual if you are interested. The annual membership drive begins soon.
Faith Woodman, UUCB representative, along with Rev. Kharma Amos (BAIC President) and Betty Robinson.
I strongly encourage you to read this important statement. It expresses values that we all need to uphold and support.
Brunswick Area Interfaith Council:
On Resisting Antisemitism, Christian Nationalism, and All Forms of Hatred
May 7th 2026
To our neighbors, congregations, communities, and beloved siblings across Maine,
Grace, peace, and courage to you.
In acknowledgement of rising fear, division, and violence in our communities and our nation, the Brunswick Area Interfaith Council feels compelled to speak clearly and faithfully.
We write today to condemn the growing realities of antisemitism, Islamophobia, Christian Nationalism, racism, xenophobia, anti-LGBTQIA+ hatred, and all forms of bigotry and dehumanization that threaten the dignity and safety of our communities.
We write especially in solidarity with our Jewish and Muslim siblings, who continue to experience threats, harassment, violence, desecration of sacred spaces, and the exhausting burden of living beneath suspicion and fear. We see you. We grieve with you. We stand beside you.
We also write to name plainly the particular danger of Christian Nationalism.
Christian Nationalism is not simply patriotism or personal religious devotion. It is a political and cultural ideology that seeks to merge religious identity, national identity, and systems of power in ways that exclude, dominate, and harm. It distorts Christianity into a weapon of control rather than a path of love, liberation, humility, and justice. It thrives on fear, scapegoating, historical erasure, authoritarianism, white supremacy, and the false belief that some people belong more fully than others.
As an ecumenical and interfaith coalition, we reject the misuse of religion to justify oppression.
As people of faith and conscience, we affirm that no nation, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or culture is more beloved by the Holy than another.
Our traditions may differ, but we share sacred values: the inherent worth of every human being, the call to care for the vulnerable, the pursuit of justice, the protection of human dignity, and the belief that love of neighbor is inseparable from love of God.
For our Christian siblings in particular, this moment requires more than private disagreement with extremism. Silence is not neutrality when communities are under attack. The call of discipleship is not passive. Churches and Christian leaders must actively reject and confront theologies rooted in domination, exclusion, supremacy, and fear.
To remain silent while antisemitism spreads, while Muslim neighbors are targeted, while immigrants are demonized, while queer and trans people are attacked, while racism and white supremacy are normalized, is to fail our sacred obligation to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Faith communities across Maine can and must be part of building another way forward.
We encourage all communities of faith, extending beyond our own BAIC membership, to:
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- Preach and teach openly about the dangers of Christian Nationalism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and religious extremism.
- Build authentic relationships across faith traditions, not only during moments of crisis, but as an ongoing spiritual practice.
- Support and protect vulnerable communities when threats or acts of hate occur.
- Invite and center Jewish, Muslim, Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ voices into community conversations and leadership spaces.
- Examine the ways our own traditions and institutions may have perpetuated harm, exclusion, colonization, or silence.
- Commit to trauma-informed spiritual care that recognizes the lived realities of fear, violence, discrimination, and generational trauma.
- Participate in public witness for justice through vigils, advocacy, education, and community organizing.
- Equip congregations to recognize misinformation, conspiracy theories, and extremist rhetoric before they take root.
- Teach histories that have too often been erased, including the histories of antisemitism, racism, ethnocentrism, xenophobia, genocide, and religious persecution.
- Practice courageous hospitality that moves beyond symbolism into real solidarity and shared action.
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We believe another world is possible. We believe communities rooted in compassion, humility, accountability, and justice can resist the politics of fear and division. We believe love is not weakness. Solidarity is not naïveté. Diversity is not a threat. And faith must never be used as a weapon against the very people we are called to protect.
The work before us is spiritual work. It is communal work. It is urgent work.
May we have the courage to tell the truth.
May we have the wisdom to reject hatred in all its forms.
May we have the compassion to protect one another.
And may we have the faith to keep building communities where every person is treated with dignity, safety, and sacred worth.
In solidarity and hope,
The Brunswick Area Interfaith Council
Membership
New Member – Régine Whittlesey
Born in Nantes, France, Régine arrived in Maine in 1974, as the first Amity Aide at Mt Ararat School in Topsham. There, she met her husband, David Whittlesey, an English teacher. They just celebrated their 50th anniversary with their four children and four grandchildren.
In 1980, they started their international life when David joined the Foreign Service. Throughout their diplomatic posts around the world (Iceland, Morocco, Washington DC, Bangladesh, Switzerland…), Régine has always been a teacher. While abroad, she also held volunteer responsibilities, working in the slums of Rabat, with the American Women Association, and the slums of Dhaka, with the United Nation Women Association, trying to alleviate the poverty of women and children.
Teaching has been her passion all along, even after her retirement in 2020 from Maine Coast Waldorf School, where, Will Bristol, our talented Music Director, was her French student! Régine helped found and chair Alliance Française du Maine where she is still active.
She recently discovered the UU Church community which matches so well their long-lived values. She is most happy to belong and help, in any capacity, to build a place for friendly human exchanges, based on fraternity and tolerance
Lifelong Spiritual Formation
Children’s Spiritual Formation
One of the comments that I hear most on Sunday mornings is, “I love the story you read for Time for All Ages!” So, it has become my June tradition to share an up-to-date list of titles with you all. I broke them down by our monthly themes. Thank you for another great church year!
Building Belonging
Welcome by Barroux
The Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney
Just Help by Sonia Sotomayor
Cultivating Compassion
Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Cambell
Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
Nurturing Gratitude
The Remembering Day by Pat Mora
Choosing Hope
The Little Mole Finds Hope by Glenys Nellist
The Librarian’s Stories by Lucy Falcone
A Woodland Winter Solstice by Abigail Gaines & Ellie Lewis
Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld
Practicing Resistance
The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith
Noni Speaks Up by Heather Hartt-Sussman
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts
Embodying Resilience
Small Shoes, Great Strides by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
The Koala the Could by Rachel Bright
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
Flooded by Mariajo Ilustrajo
Paying Attention
Come With Me by Holly M. McGhee
Silver Buttons by Bob Graham
Noticing by Kobi Yamada
Poems read during the Children’s Service on May 17, 2026
How to Tend to the Curiosity of Children
by Toben Cooney-Callnan
Start with the dirt.
Not the bagged stuff from the garden center,
but the damp, sticky, mud-pie kind that gets
caked into the knees of new blue jeans
and gets under your nails and stays there,
long after the bubble bath is over.
Scatter the seeds like glitter—
that chaotic, “we’ve lost control of the glue stick” kind of mess.
Plant the lettuce and the tomatoes, sure,
but leave room for the strange, wild things,
the ones that neighbor watches with tight lips.
Water everything.
Use the gray bath water if you have to.
Use tears, or laughter, or just whatever
song you have stuck in your head.
Then step back—
just one “Simon Says” step back.
Stay close enough to hear the whisper of minds turning.
Children don’t all bloom at once.
Some shoot up like Johnny Jump Ups,
bright as fresh Crayola and impossible to miss.
Others stay underground for seasons,
just quietly deciding
if the world feels safe enough to reach toward.
Sit beside them.
Watch curiosity climb whatever it can get its hands on.
Let their questions stop you mid-sentence:
“Why is the sky that color?”
“Do animals all speak different languages?”
“Do fish cry?”
“Why were words we’re not supposed to say
even invented in the first place?”
Watch them dig enormous holes for no reason at all.
And fill their pockets with the contents-
fistfuls of dirt, pebbles, acorns, rolly-pollies.
Watch the root of a half dead dandelion
become a show and tell about interdependence.
And when the garden finally breaks through—
wildly, unevenly, all over the place—
when those minds turn toward the wide, unfinished world,
don’t try to take the credit.
Just kneel there for a second.
Mud on your face.
Glitter in your hair.
Quiet and humbled
that you got to watch it happen.
Curiosity Is So Many Different Things
by River
Curiosity is so many different things. It’s what happens when your mind is intrigued and when your heart cares enough to start asking questions. Curiosity is something we need more of because if you have all the answers or think you do, you’re not really living. To truly live is to ask, get inspired and live life with an open mind. There’s so much around us and we just need to look around and get curious.
If you know me, you’ve probably noticed that curiosity and I are pretty good friends. It’s a friend that’s followed me throughout the years and brought up some deep thoughts like
- are chipmunks just baby squirrels?
- is rice just tiny spaghetti?
- Can I call a hotdog a sandwich?
but like I said, funny or not funny, curiosity is what makes life feel like a never-ending adventure and all you need is to be present and enjoy it.
What Is Curiosity?
by Jocelyn
Curiosity feels like an owl poking me with every question. When I am at school, or with a family member, is when I see the owl most. It shows up when I ask “how big is the universe or what is behind it?” Or about any science for that matter.
When I am brave, I explore the woods around my house, instead of sitting on the couch and watching a show. The woods is where I get the most questions and curiosity. Alone, I see much more in my community.
There, I wonder about dandelions blooming one day and closing the next, and why that happens, and does it help with their survival.
Sometimes, I have questions about trash on the side of the road even when it is just a little bit, I wonder who put it there and why.
I feel curious when I notice all the different shaped trees while others might just drive by the beautiful tree.
Curiosity helps me listen to myself and what I want and understand my perspective not someone else’s. I don’t always agree with the opinion or thoughts of some people, but I can listen and hear their perspective.
Curiosity connects me to my whole family and reminds me to stay myself, keep learning and keep exploring. My curiosity grows when I try to figure out something by myself and changes when someone tells me something new.
Curiosity, to me, is a way of finding myself in a mix of people because finding myself is what matters.
Thank you!
Music Director
Brunswick Pride Community Choir
As this church year comes to a close I’d like to encourage those interested to join me in on our final choir installment that is open to all: The Brunswick Pride Community Choir will be presenting two easy-to-learn songs on the Sunday 6/14 worship service as well as at Brunswick Pride on Saturday 6/13 around noon. There will be one rehearsal in order to learn these songs on Thursday 6/11 at UUCB from 7-8:30pm in the sanctuary. “Singers” and self-identified “non-singers” alike are encouraged to attend—let’s flourish together! Please register here so I know how many people to expect or by emailing me at .
UUCB Recorder Ensemble
The UUCB Recorder Ensemble is in its 2nd year and we now boast a membership of 10 plus recorder players! We play all styles of music, but mostly focus on Celtic folk songs and Renaissance/Medieval tunes as they lend themselves well to recorder playing. I do hope to do some Metallica soon though. It is a joy to get together on the first Sunday of every month to rehearse—when we definitely get more music playing done than chatting 😉 But this group is very fun to be a part of—I’d like to think that we are as much a group of spiritual support as a musical group.
Will Bristol, Music Director
he/him/his
Church Business
Greetings from the Board of Trustees
Time to plant. Finally. I haven’t raked all of the leaves yet, and they are wet. Perhaps they are really mulch and I can ignore them a bit longer. The yellow of daffodils and forsythia are fading but the dandelions are holding on. They do that all summer. My azaleas are a beautiful hot pink. I check daily to see what is sprouting, so do the deer.
Soon school summer vacation will begin, camps will open and lawn chairs will appear. I’m ready. As a former teacher I still run on a school calendar. I can feel the end of the year energy when the school bus stops in front of my house. The kids are wearing shorts, I’m still in a fleece. (I’m writing this in mid-May.) Sun screen and bugs spray, you know it’s nearly summer. Was that a black fly?
Our church year is winding down, too. Please come to our Annual Congregational Meeting after church on June 7th. We will vote on the new budget, welcome new board members and recognize members and friends for their amazing contributions. There will be time to discuss the budget and answer your questions. You can join the meeting from home using this Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/s/81151692256?pwd=Z5sUbDtMSw5HXvIVJJh3OECy3ARIPH.#success
Anyone curious to learn more about the budget is invited to our online Budget Forum on Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30. Here is the zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81151692256?pwd=Z5sUbDtMSw5HXvIVJJh3OECy3ARIPH.1
You are invited to our annual church picnic on June 21st at Stephanie and Ren Bernier’s home. Mem/Com is working to make this a special event. Hope for good weather.
The Building and Grounds Committee has spent hours creating and maintaining our beautiful garden and landscaping. Notice the changes and taming of our south lawn.
Thank you to our auction team. What a success! $10,000 and a magnificent celebration potluck.
And lastly, thank you Gretchen Kamilewicz for leading our team of Habitat walkers on another very successful fundraiser.
Joanne Allen or the Board of Trustees
Annual Meeting
UUCB Spring Auction
2026 Online Auction a Great Success!
The Spring Auction of Adventures, Events & Services drew to a lively close on Saturday, May 9 with a Celebration Potluck, a few live auction “items” and a 50/50 raffle. Penny Elwell and Maryli Tiemann pulled together the potluck with 20 volunteers and even more food contributions. We had to keep adding tables to accommodate the 80 diners. Following the meal, Steve Majercik and Irene Austin took the microphone as lively auctioneers egging on bidders to keep going higher. Musical accompaniment by Reg Elwell and Glenn Williams.
Backing up a bit to the earlier days of the Online Auction, over the two weeks of donations, 53 UUCBers contributed 70 “items” to the auction, and in the following two weeks 87 people: families, couples and individuals, made their bids. Some were disappointed to be outbid on their favorite selections. Unfortunately, that is a feature of auctions – and fundraising auctions at that. We thank all who contributed food and items and those who bid on them. So much generosity!
The bottom line was a significant contribution to the UUCB operating budget. The Online portion netted $7503, Live Auction $2255, 50/50 Raffle $186 for UUCB ($186 to Robin Hansen, the lucky duck!) and a thoughtful donation brought the auction proceeds to an even $10,000.
We couldn’t have done so well, or had so much fun, without contributions from so many people including this year’s Auction Team: Penny Elwell, Mike Heath, Sue Michaud, Maryli Tiemann, Rebecca Waddle and Betsy Williams, with technical help from John Robert O’Connor. Donors, bidders, cooks, cleanup crew, auctioneers and all support people really made the auction. Thank you to all.
Looking ahead to 2027, we need new people to join the team! It’s a short term commitment for a lot of fun and profit for UUCB. Anyone interested can – contact Betsy Williams, Sue Michaud or Penny Elwell.
Michael Heath, for the Auction Team
Community Happenings
June Calendar of Events
Summer Art Gallery
TAKE NOTE, UUCB ARTISTS
If you’ve been thinking of submitting one or two of your pieces for the Art Gallery’s summer exhibit in July and August, now is the time to take action! The amazing talents of so many of you always makes this an exciting show. Please send in the following information by June 15:
- Title (even if it is “Untitled”),
- Medium (oil, charcoal, fiber, etc.)
- Size, in inches
- Price, if you want to sell
- Email Anne Merrifield (amerri39@yahoo.c om)
- If you have a photo to send, that would be helpful. The only requirement is that the piece be ready to hang, preferably with a wire on the back.
Last Hurrah
Side Door Coffeehouse
Castlebay
June 12, 2026 @ 7:00 pm
The Side Door Coffeehouse is a venue for local musicians and others (professional and amateur) to share their talents, and for residents and visitors of the Midcoast community to enjoy great entertainment and conversation in a relaxed setting. Organized by a group of volunteers from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, the Side Door Coffeehouse operates on the second Friday of every month except August.
The Side Door Coffeehouse is a venue for local musicians and others (professional and amateur) to share their talents, and for residents and visitors of the Midcoast community to enjoy great entertainment and conversation in a relaxed setting. Organized by a group of volunteers from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, the Side Door Coffeehouse operates on the second Friday of every month except August.
Admission is $12 for adults and free for children 17 and under. Advanced tickets are available here.
The Friday, June 12th installment will feature:
- Open Mic signup at 6:45 pm
- Open Mic at 7:00
- Castlebay—8:30-9:30 pm.
Since 1986 Castlebay has been weaving together Maine’s nautical and British Isles legacies transporting their audience through time and across the Atlantic. Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have loved and researched traditional music for most of their lives and blend history, legend and experience into their personable performances. Finely crafted ballads with evocative imagery and beautiful melodies depict Maine characters, history, and life close to the elemental beauty of the sea and shore. Their renditions of traditional and original songs are supported with Celtic harp, 12-string guitar, fiddle & woodwinds.
Admission is $12 for adults and free for children 17 and under.
Brunswick Pride
Celebrate Brunswick Pride with Queer Spirit
It’s almost that time again, when the Brunswick Mall will welcome thousands of guests to celebrate Brunswick Pride. There will be entertainment on the gazebo stage from the Brunswick Pride Choir to drag performances and other performers. There will be booths with information from businesses, non-profits, and other groups (including Midcoast Humane Society who brings puppies to cuddle!).
This is an event for everyone – LGBTQIA+ people and our families and friends – and for all ages.
This is the fourth year for the Queer Spirit booth, which we participate in with several other communities of faith. In this booth, we hope to showcase the interfaith communities in our area who are intentional about welcoming, including, and fully engaging members of the LGBQTIA+ community. Our booth will include giveaways and information about various faith communities, Glittler Blessings, Button Making opportunities, Wand making, and photo opportunities with rainbow wings. And, of course, people from our various faith communities will be there to speak with and encourage all who come our way.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
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- Volunteer to Staff our Queer Spirit Booth. This year, in an effort to increase the relationship building opportunities between our various communities and to best represent all of the groups partnering on this, we are asking for ONE volunteer from each of the 7 faith communities for each hour of the festival. So, we need five UUCB representatives to staff the booth, as well as to assist with Set up (starting around 10 am) and Clean up (starting around 4:45). Sign up here!
- Donate ingredients for the “Candy Salad” that will be a giveaway at our booth. You can drop off any of the following at the church office before June 11: Sweethearts mini chewy candy, Airheads bites, Skittles.
- Join in with a group of volunteers from various faith communities as we work together to assemble “Candy Salad” and assorted other prep-tasks on Thursday, June 11, from 5:30 – 7:00pm.
- Sing with the Brunswick Pride Choir, which will have one rehearsal, conveniently timed at 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 11th
- Attend the festival on Saturday, June 13th between 12 – 5, and show your support!
- And if you haven’t had enough, please come back to UUCB on Sunday morning for our Pride worship where the Pride Choir will share their music once again.
Concerts for a Cause
The mission of Concerts for a Cause is to hold a series of concerts to raise money for the church and local charities while sharing a variety of quality music with the Brunswick area community. This season’s charities are Oasis Free Clinics and Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.
Low Lily – May 16th
On May 16th the amazing string and vocal trio from Vermont, Low Lily performed a concert to a very enthusiastic and appreciative audience, bringing Maine’s own Elsie Gawler along as a supporting act. Their violinist (Lily Sexton) was brand new, but she seemed like she had been playing and harmonizing with Low Lily for years. Elsie Gawler was great too receiving loud applause from her local fans. With 147 tickets sold, we raised another $968 for our charities and $142 for the church through refreshment donations.
Matt Nakoa – Last Concert of the Season – June 13th
UUCB Concerts for a Cause presents Matt Nakoa at UUCB on Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. This is the final concert of the season to raise money for Oasis Free Clinics and Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project.
Nakoa is a charismatic songwriter, singer, pianist, and guitarist who has garnered many songwriting awards, including Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious New Folk Competition and “Most Requested” at The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
A modern troubadour, he makes his home on the highways and concert stages of America, touring regularly with folk music icon Tom Rush in addition to his many solo concerts.
Matt grew up on a goat farm in central New York State and trained to be a concert pianist before accepting a scholarship to Berklee College of Music as a vocalist. After college, Matt moved to New York City and further developed his guitar chops while playing with his alt-rock band at local bars, then became the star of Manhattan’s famous Brandy’s Piano, with fans lining up around the block every Saturday night,
His remarkable piano skills transition from Chopin to honkytonk to rock in one set. His heartfelt original compositions on the guitar are nothing short of awe-inspiring. He has developed an uncanny ability to command the attention of any audience.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $10 for students/children and will be available at the church office, Gulf of Maine Books, or online at ticketstripe.com/mattnakoa.
Samples of Matt Nakoa’s Music:
Tumbleweed Tango (piano)
At Café Lena (piano & vocal)
Waltz in the Dark (guitar and vocal)
Sleepwalking Away (blues guitar and vocal)
Somewhere Else I Gotta Go (guitar, rock )
Beggar by the Weekend (official music video)
Water the Flowers (piano, guitar, vocal)
Last Night in the Nursery (piano and vocal)
Masquerade (classical piano)
If You’re Trying to Break My Heart (piano, rock)
All Church Picnic
From Danielle Triffitt, Director of Administration:
“Tedford Housing is best known in the community for its emergency shelter, but that is just one part of a broader continuum of care supporting individuals and families at every stage of a housing crisis. As the sole provider of homelessness services along Maine’s coast between Portland and Rockland, Tedford serves more than 200,000 residents across 40 towns—working with those experiencing homelessness, those who have previously been unhoused, and those at imminent risk of losing their housing. In December 2025, Tedford opened a new emergency shelter facility in Cook’s Corner, expanding capacity by 60% and now offering 24 adult beds and 10 family apartment units. Each guest partners with a case manager to create a personalized Housing Stability Plan.
Beyond shelter, Tedford’s homelessness prevention and outreach services provide rental assistance, security deposits, and heating support to help households remain safely housed. Permanent supportive housing offers safe, affordable apartments with ongoing case management for individuals and families who have previously experienced homelessness and face ongoing disabilities. During the winter months, Tedford also operates a low-barrier warming center, ensuring no one is left outside in Maine’s harsh conditions. Together, these programs reflect Tedford’s mission of helping people move from homelessness to home.”
Wabanaki Awareness
Each month throughout the current church year the Wabanaki Awareness focus group has posted in the church foyer, one of the Pejepscot Portage Mapping Project (PPMP) information posters. We’ve accompanied each poster with a question to invite the congregation to study these posters and reflect on the untold stories of the Wabanaki in this place we now call Brunswick. The June PPMP poster is: Blueberry Barrens; the accompanying question is: Why did large numbers of Wabanaki migrate to Brunswick in the summer? This will be the final poster for our poster/question initiative.
To find out the answer, click here.
We are in conversation with the Wabanaki Alliance Speakers Bureau about hosting (or co hosting with Curtis Memorial Library) a fall presentation and community conversation about Wabanaki Tribal Sovereignty in anticipation of the next legislative session. The Wabanaki Alliance is energized to push forward with its educational outreach in collaboration with work with faith-based groups and libraries as they take the sovereignty issue out into the wider community.
In addition we encourage those interested in better understanding the issues of importance to our Wabanaki neighbors (and therefore to all of us) to explore the resources found on the Wabanaki Alliance https://wabanakialliance.com and Midcoast Indigenous Awareness Group (MIAG) https://www.miag-group.org websites.
Immigrant Justice
ICE & Border Patrol
- ICE and Border Patrol continue to be a presence in Maine but sightings in the Brunswick area are down. ILAP reports that numbers in Brunswick and Bath are down but there is still ICE presence in Portland and Lewiston. According to MCHPP everything has returned to normal – immigrant families are returning to pick up food at the warehouse on Neptune Drive.
- Verifier and de-escalation trainings are offered once a month. If you are interested, please let me know. If you see anything unusual, please call the ICE Hotline 207-544-9989.
- Melt the Ice Red Hats – We continue to knit these iconic red hats! If you are interested in purchasing a hat for $20 or knitting a hat, please each out to Sue Mondabaugh at or Faith Barnes at . All proceeds to date have been donated to Mid Coast New Mainers Group.
Midcoast Literacy
Read Together Tutoring
For volunteers who want to help children, ages 7-14. We provide support for English language learners and fluent English speakers who are below grade level in reading. Tutors meet with students twice a week, year-round. A minimum 12-month commitment is asked of both students and tutors. (Yes, people do take short vacations, but our program is not a good fit for people who travel frequently or spend several months out of state.) It is a great fit for full-time residents who want to make a big difference in a young person’s life. We have waiting students in Brunswick, Bath, and Topsham.
Read Together Tutor Training
June 1, 3, and 5
9 Park Street, Bath
To sign up or receive more information, contact Katie Clark, or at 207-443-6384.
Mid Coast New Mainers Group
MCNMG is looking for driving coaches for our immigrant neighbors who have completed Drivers Ed and the 10 hours of driving instruction. These immigrants need more driving practice before they take their driving test. If you are interested in becoming a driving coach, please reach out to Carol Kalajainen at .
LGBTQIA+
Members of the LGBTQIA+ focus group have continued to be actively involved in a number of activities both within UUCB as well as within the Brunswick Community at large. Plans are actively underway for active participation in Brunswick Pride this June. In April, UUCB was a satellite location for the annual Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary in Syracuse, NY. A small but curious group of church members participated to learn more about our trans and nonbinary family, friends and neighbors and how better to support them. The focus group is working to be on the front lines for supporting our trans and nonbinary families and friends who have been targets of vicious attacks from a number of sides.
Brunswick Area Teen Center
Teens count down to summer
Music in April and Scoop-a-Thon Highlights
We started our month rallying kids for Music in April and ended our month marching them all down for gelato at the Scoop-a-Thon. In between all that we still had our usual jampacked calendar of events with such classics as Dinosaur Day, Help a Horse Day, Cheese Fry Day, Bubble Tea Day and much more! When all the dust settles at the end of April, we always make sure to take a minute for a nice big sigh of relief.
Community and Celebration at Scoop-a-Thon
That doesn’t mean we didn’t have a great time at the Scoop-a-Thon though! We see a lot of faces visiting us at the Teen Center over the course of a typical year, but the Scoop-a-Thon is one of my favorite days because we usually see just about everyone over the course of the 12-hour event and every single one of them is having a good time. From face paint and henna to hours and hours filled with performers, we had something for everyone to enjoy this year. We want to give a huge thank you to all the performers, sponsors, celebrity scoopers, volunteers, and the Bowdoin College Rotaract members for helping us pull it all together!
We also want to give a special shout out and thank you to Gelato Fiasco for once again hosting this event and donating so much to the Teen Center that day. This event wouldn’t be nearly as stellar without such an incredible community of people supporting it.
Looking Ahead: Summer Planning and Excitement
Now that we’ve cleared April, the inevitable summer countdown begins with the kids. We’re tempted to put something up to count the days for them, but we also enjoy listening to them re-do the math at the start of each week.
We’ve been fielding ideas for the summer, and we’ve got some pretty cool ones floating around already. A few of the kids are interested in starting a garage band and have gotten plenty of interest from other students. We’re planning to set up a space for the kids to learn to play whatever they want.
In addition, we’re excited that we’ll be hosting another Bowdoin Fellow, named Hawon, this summer! One of our kids suggested making a Teen Center movie or TV show while Hawon is with us. She happily offered to help with the filming and she has ample video editing experience. We have plenty of willing actors, but no one has taken a crack at a script yet.
We’re even crunching the numbers on a trip to Funtown this year since so many of them have been lobbying us to go! It’s overwhelmingly the top destination for the kids this year and we’re brainstorming a few ways to make it happen for them. All in all, we’ll have plenty of new ideas to throw at the wall this summer and we’ll just have to wait and see what sticks!
Summer Jobs and Staying Connected
We do have one slight impediment to our summer though. We’ve been hearing a lot about the summer jobs many of our regulars are trying to get and how they seemingly won’t have any time to visit us.
As much as we hope they can all find some gainful employment, we’re also hopeful they can manage to break free once in a while to join us. We’ll just have to do our best to make sure we always have plenty to do in case they get some time off and decide to stop by.
Taylor Carter, Teen Center Director
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
As a covenant church with Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers Maine, UUCB continues to support Habitat both with financial aid and with volunteers. This year we had twenty church members participate in the annual Spring Fundraising Walk. We raised $12,831, again making UUCB the number one team. We also have four church members who work at the Restore, helping to pick up items, cleaning donated items, and manning the cash register. More volunteers are always welcome at the ReStore. Money raised there and at The Walk go into building new homes and repairing older homes for people in need. Thanks to all who support this important work.
Maine UU State Action Network (MUUSAN)
T
he 132nd Legislature has ended. Many of you signed up, showed up, and spoke up. And you made a difference that was noticed! Read what one of our partner organizations said about us.
MUUSAN has been a trusted partner in advancing immigrant rights in Maine by mobilizing community members to engage in timely, values-driven advocacy [that reflects] the enduring truth that progress is driven by those willing to speak, to act, and to stand for others in pursuit of justice. Their membership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that our policies live up to our shared ideals and morals. Ruben Torres/Advocacy & Policy Manager/ Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
For the record: 13 of our 27 priority bills became laws, 3 of the 6 bills we opposed were defeated and 4 bills were passed on to be studied further. Two were passed but vetoed by the Governor. Go to MUUSAN.org and click on the Bill Tracker to see all the details, and to become a MUUSAN member or give a donation to support our work.
Thank you to all who participated in the essential public policy justice work!
Gun Safety Education and Awareness
EverOrange for Gun Violence Awareness
Saturday, June 6 | 10:30 AM
Brunswick, ME
Hosted by Maine Gun Safety Coalition
June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and this event will honor those whose lives have been lost to gun violence as well as offer opportunities to learn what each of us can do to help prevent gun violence in our communities.
Event speakers will include Arthur Barnard, Shenna Bellows, and many more. Free handgun lock boxes will also be available for homes with children.
Join us for this important gathering of remembrance, action, and community.
Art Gallery
June Art Gallery: First Light Camera Club
First Light Camera Club (FLCC), established in 1990, is based in Brunswick with membership open to individuals from any Maine community.
The mission of FLCC is to promote interest in the photographic arts and provide educational opportunities for members, including presentations from the larger photography community and local and regional field trips.
Members have a wide range of photographic experience, from beginners to professionals, and support sharing knowledge and learning within the field of photography.
FLCC offers numerous avenues for participation. Members have access to a private Facebook group where photographs may be shared for critique or simply to showcase new work. Additional opportunities include both formal and informal digital and print critiques, portfolio development projects, hands-on meetings, and one-on-one image consultations.
Deadline for July Parish Messenger
Please send your content to: on or before Sat, June 20th. Thanks!