In this Messenger
October Services:
October 4 – The Courage We Share: An Animal Blessing Service
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Choir
As we celebrate our annual Blessing of the Animals service (including leadership from our children/youth), we’ll take some time to reflect on the courage we share. In other words, the ways in which we are able to encourage one another – across species – to live life more joyfully, fully, and courageously. We invite your animal companions to join us, if they are leashed, well behaved, and won’t be stressed out by a lot of people and other animals. If they would rather stay home, you can bring a photo, collar, or other object that represents them. There will also be a memorial table set up, so if you have pets you have lost and wish to honor, please bring a picture.
October 11 – The Courage to Engage
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Pop Up Choir
It takes a special kind of courage to join a community, and even more to decide to jump in, volunteer, and make it your own. At UUCB, we encourage everyone to find authentic ways to bring our best gifts in service to our broader community. It takes the individual AND the community working together to help us reach our fullest potential together. Let’s claim our courage and find new ways of engaging.
October 18 – The Courage to Believe
Led by Rev. Elder Diane Fisher
Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Choir
Believing in ourselves and our community to make a difference, to change the world, to change ourselves requires believing that it is possible. We must have courage to look deeply and see what we need to believe about ourselves , what is helpful and what we need to let go of. This hard work and it takes great courage.
October 25 – The Courage to Remember
Led byRev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and the UUCB Worship Band
Join us as we summon the courage to remember our past, honor its wisdom, and garner strength for the future. It is not always easy to remember — especially when grief marks our remembrances. This time of year, people of various spiritual and religious traditions recall the saints, all souls, and our own dearly departed loved ones. We recall their lives, their legacies that live on in us, and we move through this into the future with purpose. Beyond our individual rememberings of our ancestors, it can take courage to remember our shared history–the good, the bad, and the tragically inhumane of it. What do you need to remember (for the sake of the present and future) that may require courage?
Flowers for Worship
Minister’s Message
On Courage
Some mornings, courage looks like nothing at all. It looks like getting up. Making the tea or coffee. Answering the email you’ve been dreading. We tend to save the word “courage” for the dramatic moments — the leap, the confrontation, the brave risk. But I’ve come to believe that the deepest courage is quieter than that. It’s the courage it takes simply to remain here, tender and awake, in a world that gives us so many reasons to go numb.
It takes courage to be alive right now — to let the news in without letting it harden you, to keep loving people and places you know you could lose, to stay soft when everything around you seems to be asking you to armor up. It takes a different, harder-won courage not to give up: to keep tending the garden, the relationship, the justice work, the faith, when the results are small and the exhaustion is not.
And then there is a third kind, harder still—the courage to show up with intention. Not just present, but purposeful. Not just enduring the day, but choosing, again and again, to meet it with authenticity and openness—to say the true thing, to do the loving thing, to keep our hands open when closing them would be so much easier.
I don’t think any of us arrives at that kind of courage by accident. It has to be practiced, the way a muscle is built—quietly, repeatedly, mostly unseen. I wonder: What is it, for you, that turns fear into willingness? A few minutes of stillness before the day claims you? A chat with a good friend? A walk, a poem, a name you say aloud when you need to remember who you are?
I don’t think courage is something we either have or don’t. I think it’s something we return to, the way we return to silence or breath, or to the table, or to each other. Some days courage is grand; most days it’s small, almost imperceptible. All of it counts.
This week, I invite you to notice one moment where you did the harder, truer thing; and to ask yourself, gently, what helped you get there. Whatever practice steadies you into that kind of courage, may you keep at it and may it give you strength.
Blessings,
Kharma
Committee on Ministry
Celebratory Announcement
This summer, Rev. Erica Baron, our Regional Representative from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), nominated our very own Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos for the 2026 Westwood Grant—an award given to ministers who have brought an entrepreneurial spirit toward spreading the UU faith and nurturing UU congregations.
Specifically, Baron cited Kharma: “For embracing some bold experiments to address [UUCB’s] need for more space, especially the use of the cinema; and leading the congregation in thinking about ways to include everyone who wants to be a part of the community in the future.”
Kharma noted feeling awkward about being singled out for what she considers to be UUCB’s shared ministry, but we are grateful for this affirmation of her role in it. Kharma plans to use the $2,500 award to cover the tuition for saxophone improvisation camp during her sabbatical at the end of this church year.
Brunswick Area Interfaith Council
BAIC Food Insecurity Update
The Brunswick Area Interfaith Council (BAIC) met after a summer break on September 8, and heard sobering news about increasing food insecurity in Brunswick and across Maine from guest speaker Heather Arvidson, Program Director of Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. She focused on the lengths MCHPP takes to help fill the gap in food insecurity as federal cuts in food program funding and new SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) regulations make it harder for individuals and families to get enough food. She offered to help anyone applying for SNAP benefits. She especially encouraged the elderly, who may need assistance filling out the online form, to reach out to her for help.
MCHPP works hard to meet the needs of the hungry regardless of whether they live in Cumberland County or not. There is a growing increase in people who rely on the food pantry, she said, and people drive long distances to pick up food. MCHPP has served at least 9,000 individuals in the last year, and offers extensive and varied services in Brunswick and surrounding towns, allowing people a number of different ways to access free food.
The Bath Area Food Bank, a separate organization from MCHPP, serves Bath, West Bath, Woolwich, Arrowsic, Georgetown and Phippsburg. There are plenty of opportunities to donate and volunteer at either organization.
Arvidson also focused on statistics about food insecurity, which show that a significant number of people in our communities are hurting financially, are food insecure and the numbers are growing. When the latest data was collected in 2024, many Mainers couldn’t feed their families without help. Things have only worsened since then. In 2024, one in seven Mainers struggled with food insecurity, which is the highest in New England. Also,12% of the residents of Cumberland County were food insecure compared to 14% statewide. The child rate of food insecurity in Cumberland County had grown for the two previous years to nearly 16% or 8,820 children in 2024. That year the state total was 20% or 50,610 children. Sagadahoc County’s rate was 13% overall, and the child rate of food insecurity was 19.6% or 1,300 children. These numbers are even more staggering when you look at the 2024 poverty percentages combined with people who are below the federal ALICE (Asset Limited Constrained Employed) threshold. ALICE households earn above the federal poverty line, but still struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, transportation and healthcare. Seven percent of Cumberland County residents live in poverty and 27% are below the ALICE threshold for a total of 34% of households. In Sagadahoc County, 12% live in poverty and 25%, are below the ALICE threshold for a total of 40% of households.
In other news, BAIC is sponsoring a song event just before the election on Sunday, Nov.1. It will take place on the Brunswick Mall late in the afternoon. Look for details closer to the date. Once again, the popular Martin Luther King breakfast will be held at the United Methodist Church in Brunswick on Monday, January 18, 2027. BAIC is a co-sponsor.
BAIC is made up of clergy and lay representatives from congregations in Brunswick, Bath, Topsham, Georgetown, Harpswell and Richmond. UUCB’s minister, Kharma Amos, is the council’s president this year. Betty Robinson and Faith Woodman are UUCB’s lay representatives. Please ask any of us if you have questions about BAIC or want to help with BAIC events.
Faith Woodman
Lifelong Spiritual Formation
Adult Spiritual Formation
Love at the Center UUA Common Read
The Unitarian Universalist Association has chosen Love at the Center: Unitarian Universalist Theologies as its 2026–27 Common Read. Edited by Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, the book brings together UU writers with different experiences and theological perspectives. They ask what it means to place love at the center of our faith and what that asks of us in practice.
There are several copies of the book available to borrow from the UUCB Adult Formation Library for those interested in reading it. We will engage with the Common Read in several ways this church year. One opportunity will be small group conversations using the UUA’s Rings of Love framework. The rings offer five ways to explore the book and our own experiences: love within me, between us, among us, beyond us, and the love that holds us. They give us room to consider personal spiritual life, relationships, congregational life, our work in the wider world, and what sustains us through it all.
These Exploring the Rings of Love conversations will take place on the third Tuesday of each month, October through May, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Merrymeeting Bay Room. Details about other Common Read opportunities will be shared during the year. Whether you read the book on your own or join a conversation, I hope you’ll find a way to take part.
Children’s Spiritual Formation
Volunteers Needed for Children’s Spiritual Formation
Children’s Spiritual Formation meetings give our children and youth a chance to build relationships, ask questions, and explore UU values together. We’re looking for volunteers to help lead meetings on Sunday mornings.
Volunteers come with a range of backgrounds and experience. You don’t need to be a teacher or have a particular kind of religious knowledge. Volunteers are supported by the Lifelong Spiritual Formation Director and the Children’s Spiritual Formation Committee.
If you’re interested in learning more, please come to one of three CSF Volunteer Info Sessions in the Merrymeeting Bay Room:
- October 6, 5–6:30 pm
- October 15, 5–6:30 pm
- October 18, 11:30 am–1 pm
We’ll talk about what happens in CSF meetings, what volunteers do, and how you can get involved. You can also read more about the program on the UUCB website.
Music Director
Benefit Concert for ILAP
Hi all,
Since the month of October’s worship theme at UUCB is courage, highlighting this October benefit concert for our Maine immigrant community seemed particularly appropriate. Consider this event a way to encourage those who need legal aid that there is support for them by your presence and/or a monetary donation. If you are unable to attend in person, please consider nevertheless donating to the event’s beneficiary ILAP here. And, also if unable to attend, you can sign-up on this form to potentially later receive a video recording of the event.
Saturday, October, 24th, 7-9pm.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
Woodford’s Congregational Church
202 Woodfords Street, Portland
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick and Woodfords Congregational Church of Portland are proud to announce a concert to benefit The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) at 7 pm on Saturday, October 24th at the Woodfords Church. This eclectic and exciting concert will feature a wide variety of music, poetry, and dance presented by Maine artists from a diversity of cultural backgrounds and life experiences.
Musical artists include Madeleine Hanna and the Jawahir Arabic Music Ensemble performing song and dance from Lebanon, The Pihcintu Multinational Girl’s Choir along with the band Akiwacu, featuring the voices of children from 16 different countries impacted by war, famine, and turmoil, and Hadithi Abdulle, oud player and singer from Somalia, presenting music on the theme of resiliency and personal testimony. Poetry will be shared by Jeri Thériault, a Franco-American poet from Maine, and Richard Blanco (via video)—selected by President Obama as the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. Signed copies of his poetry suitable for framing will be available by donation. The evening will be topped off by the Singing Resistance chapters of both Portland and Brunswick-Topsham who will lead songs developed in 2026 as resistance cries in the face of the Minneapolis ICE occupation. Pulling this all together will be our amazing emcee: Brunswick comedian, Mohamed Awale.
Donations will be accepted at the door and go directly to ILAP as well as to presenting artists who have been impacted by recent immigration activity. ILAP is Maine’s only statewide provider of free immigration legal services. ILAP advances justice for Maine’s immigrants through free immigration legal services, community outreach, and advocacy.
Please join us for this unique and inspiring concert to benefit Maine’s immigrant community!
Cash based-donations accepted at the door with proceeds going to benefit ILAP and performers in need.
Membership
New Member Spotlight
Sharing photos and bios of our new members to celebrate our growing community. Contact Betsy Roper if you’d like to appear on this page in a future issue!
Linda Muller
I grew up in Upstate New York, playing in the dairy barn, fields and woods in Sauquoit, N.Y. Studying to be a family nurse practitioner, I lived in Massachusetts and San Francisco. A job at the Richmond Area Health Center brought me to Maine in 1986. My work since 1974 until 2020 has been in health care which I practiced as a service to my fellow human beings.
I first visited UUCB around 1990 since my Quaker Meeting wasn’t celebrating Christmas. My second husband and I were married in Durham Friends Meeting in 2002. Together we have created a blended family with my son Nick and Jim’s daughter Katey. I enjoy hiking, cross country skiing, swimming, yoga and having a garden. I joined UUCB this year, drawn by its values and the spiritual uplift of vibrant singing and music.
Circle Suppers
Fall Circle Suppers Coming up – Saturday, October 10
Circle Suppers are planned for Saturday, October 10. These suppers are arranged by the Membership Committee. This is a great opportunity for both long-time and new members to get better acquainted in a comfortable small group setting of 6 to 8 people in someone’s home. Meals are informal, “pot-luck” style with the host providing the main course and others bringing appetizers, sides and desserts. Beverages may be provided by both the hosts and guests. Timing will be arranged and communicated by the hosts.
We can have several Circle Suppers happening at the same time. All we needare h osts and participants. For the October Circle Suppers, a special “Family” supper could be planned if there is interest and a host. The start time for the Family gathering would be 5:00 to accommodate earlier bedtimes. Sign-up sheets are available at the Visitor’s Table. Forque stions or to sign up to host or attend as a guest, contact Laura Piampiano, . (207) 751-0466.
Circle Suppers are a great way to feel part of the UUCB community. Be in touch and join a group for an enjoyable evening. Bon appétit!
Ambassador Hats
If you see someone walking around wearing one of these cool hats during Coffee Hour, feel free to approach, introduce yourself and ask a question or start a conversation. We’d like to get to know you and make you feel welcome, whether you are just visiting or you would like to have more information about UUCB.
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed
Please help keep Coffee Hour going after UUCB services. To volunteer for setup and cleanup, scan the QR code below, open the SignUpGenius link, and follow the instructions. You do NOT need to login or create an account. Providing your email is optional and private; if included, you’ll receive a reminder three days before your session. More details are on the sign-up page. Bookmark it or use your browser history to return.
No login or account is required. Providing your email is optional and private; if included, you’ll receive a reminder three days before your session. More details are available on the sign-up page.
Questions or Need Help? Contact Steve Martin at 207-227-3270 or , or Linda Mallard at 207-729-2608 or .
Board of Trustees
Greetings from the Board of Trustees!
We are pleased to welcome new board members Tammis Donovan and Ted Rooney (who will serve as Treasure). Many thanks to our outgoing board members Joanne Allen and Catharine “Cuffy” Chase!
Earlier in September, committee chairs, staff, and the board met for a leadership retreat. Led by Toben, with help from Kharma and Will, we deepened understanding of our values as a lens to guide our actions, talking through real world examples together. It took courage to really listen and to be heard. Who knew that this moving spiritual experience could come from serving on a committee? (Another recent “spiritual” experience of sorts was holding a rock from the planet Mars. So cool! I felt Mars-y)
Perhaps YOU are looking for a way to serve? It truly takes all kinds of leaders, thinkers, and doers to support our church and remain grounded in spiritual practices. Come learn about opportunities at the Committee Fair following church on October 11th.
If committees are not your thing, we hear you. You can still get involved in different ways, such as volunteering for the Holiday Fair, helping with hospitality, or volunteering to work with our amazing youth. We can help you find a meaningful way to serve that works for you!
As a reminder, we are again livestreaming our services at the Eveningstar Cinema (149 Maine St). The chairs are comfy, the popcorn is free – you can worship with other UUCB folks in a more intimate setting while also being close enough to walk to UUCB after the service for coffee.
We hope to see you at the Committee Fair on October 11th and appreciate what each of you bring to UUCB!
Marsey Caswell
UUCB Board Member
Community Happenings
October Calendar of Events
Events are held at UUCB unless otherwise noted.
Side Door Coffeehouse
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.
The Friday, October 9th installment will feature:
- Open Mic signup at 6:45 pm
- Open Mic at 7:00
- Sigrid Sibley at 8:30
Featured Performer on Friday, October 9th: Sigrid Sibley
S
igrid Sibley is a native of Poland Spring, Maine where she was raised on a small homestead with backyard chickens, fruit trees, and a busy family garden. She began songwriting at age 14, finding roots in bluegrass, Americana, and traditional music. Her songs draw on common folk themes, as well as her love for nature, agriculture, and life in Maine.
As a solo artist and with her band, Sigrid performs across the state and beyond. Past performances include the Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME; the Maine Cheese Festival in Pittsfield, ME; the Word Barn, in Exeter, NH; and the Poland Spring Resort summer concert series. Sigrid studied Music Education with a focus in Composition at the University of Southern Maine. During her time at college she met and collaborated with local musicians in Southern Maine, including several who contributed to her debut album, Old Faithful Dreams, released in May 2025. The first single of her album, Never Knew Love, was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Maine Songwriters Association contest. Sigrid is currently a member of One Longfellow Square’s inaugural class of LEAF fellowship. Information on upcoming shows can be found online on her website or by joining her monthly newsletter.
Purchase tickets ahead of time here.
UUCB Committee Fair
Sunday, October 11 after Church
What better way to get to know others and experience UUCB’s wheels turning, than serving
on a committee! Committee representatives will be present after the service on October 11th to fill you in on the many ways you can participate.
Did you know you can browse all our committees on the UUCB website?
https://www.uubrunswick.org/our-work/committees/
Fundraising Steering Group / Art Gallery Committee / Building and Grounds Committee / Committee on Ministry / Communications Committee / Finance Committee / Membership Committee / Nominating Committee / Pastoral Care Committee / Personnel Committee / Children’s Spiritual Formation Committee / Ushers and Greeters / Working for Justice Steering Group / Worship Committee
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 Tedford Housing and Midcoast New Mainers.
The Tom Rush Concert Recap: Everything You Could Ask For and More
Tom Rush played for an invitation-only Concert for a Cause on September 19th. This sold-out concert was received by audience members as one of the best concerts they had seen in a long time. They were awed by Tom’s musicianship and stage presence, touched by the nostalgia of their youth, and unleashed from the troubles of the world by laughing at his funny stories.
Concerts for a Cause presents YARD SAUCE – October 24th
Yard Sauce is a Maine-based, acoustic string trio with VIRTUOSIC mandolin, guitar, and fiddle skills, and beautiful harmonies. They play old-time, bluegrass, country and folk traditions (including Shaker music).
Callie Brennan
With 2 Master’s degrees in music and violin, Callie has performed in orchestras all over the world. She recorded a film soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios and and has appeared on stage with well-known artists such as Bela Fleck and The Indigo Girls.
Currently Callie plays with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Portland String Quartet and as a duo with celebrated pianist Laura Kargul.
Jeff Christmas
Master of Music from the Boston Conservatory who made his way from pop guitar to musical theater to jazz bands to opera to Americana and just about everything in between.
Jeff was raised in North Carolina and has lived in California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and South Carolina before moving to Portland. Jeff brings all of these regional and genre ingredients and eagerly mixes them into the gumbo that is Yard Sauce.
Currently, Jeff is a teaching artist of strings, voice, and music enrichment at 317 Maine in Yarmouth.
Chris Moore
After graduating with a degree in acting from Skidmore College, Chris moved to New York City, where he worked as a performance artist, musician, puppeteer, and on the staff of the Arts at St. Ann’s in Brooklyn.
Chris has composed, performed, and recorded music for dance, film, TV, and theater. He has also performed as a classical soloist and was awarded a Maine Arts Commission Fellowship for songwriting.
He is currently the Director of Music Education at 317 Maine in Yarmouth.
Tickets
Adults: In advance $25, at the door $20. Students/Children: $10
Available after church services, during the week at the church office or Gulf of Maine Books, and online at https://ticketstripe.com/yardsauce
Playdate With Your Inner Artist!
Come enjoy a liberating morning of art making with church family and friends. On Saturday, November 7, from 9:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. you are invited to explore a variety of activities, including acrylic painting, collage, mandala making, a community Earth Loom, and perspective photography (using your smart phone or tablet). No artistic talent or experience is expected—just a playful, curious spirit. We’ll provide all the materials, and artists will be on hand to lend support. Refreshments will be provided. Participation is free. Adults only. Please leave the littles ones at home. Registration details to follow.
Holiday Fair 2026
SAVE THE DATE! – This year’s fair will be on Saturday December 5th
We need volunteers! This only happens with YOUR help, and we appreciate all new and returning volunteers. Please block time on your calendar in Nov/Dec for baking, cooking soups, crafting, making wreaths, and on Dec 5 for selling, serving, organizing, and cleanup. More info will be sent in the weekly emails.
Our new co-chairs are busy and learning from the team. For questions, please contact: Robin Jellis, ; Elizabeth Lucy Forrest,
Crafts – Questions and ideas: email Rebecca Waddle () and Betsy Williams ()
Jewelry – We accept donations every Sunday, year-round, in the jewelry box at the Membership Table. For questions, contact Lisa Durrell ()
PREPARATIONS FOR THE JEWELRY ROOM START EARLY! An afternoon of sorting jewelry for the Holiday Fair….. Nancy K., Sue B., Susan S., Diane D., Lisa Durrell, Kathleen C., Sue S., Beth R., Adair D.
White Elephants – Save these items for the fair.
Santa Project
Contact: Sharon Brown and Kathy Jacques
Greetings friends!
UUCB will begin taking donations for the 2026 Christmas Santa Project on November 1st. Santa Project donations are used to purchase non- alcohol/non-tobacco Hannaford Gift Cards in $5 and $10 increments. All of the gift cards are given to The Gathering Place for use by their 100-plus unhoused folks and people living on the street.
These gift cards can be used for food, prescriptions and other necessities at Hannaford’s only. Santa’s helpers will be in the back of the sanctuary to accept your cash or check donations each Sunday starting November 1st through November 29th . Thank you in advance for your most generous donations.
For more information, please see Sharon Brown or Kathy Jacques.
Charities with Soul Program
October Charity: Midcoast New Mainers
MidCoast New Mainers is a small, local, all-volunteer non-profit that has been helping to empower New Mainers as they rebuild their lives since late 2016. We partner with other community resources and are actively engaged with the local schools, Curtis Memorial Library, TEAN, Midcoast Literacy, Oasis Clinic, Midcoast Hospital, Merrymeeting Adult Education, the Town of Brunswick and the Welcome Center on the Landing.
Even as we continue to offer support to the families who arrived in the summer of 2019 as they rebuild their lives in our community, we are seeing families coming into our area weekly (as the Town also anticipates 60 new families being moved from hotels in Portland to new housing in Brunswick this fall). All of these families need material and logistical support- everything from beds and computers to help enrolling their kids in school which we help provide. In addition, our programs to help move people toward greater independence are seeing success: 23 people have availed themselves of our scholarship programs for drivers ed in the past year, both adults and teens; our post-secondary textbook scholarships are beginning to be used by recent high school graduates, and this summer we again offered camp and summer enrichment scholarships to school-aged kids. We were able to offer five area eight-graders $500. scholarships to offset the cost of the Freedom Tour, a Bath YMCA (Freedom Tour – Bath Area Family YMCA (bathymca.org)
And we are partnering with the YMCA in Bath to offer swimming lessons to teen and adult New Mainers.
We appreciate your support of our efforts to support New Mainers as they seek to rebuild their lives and as we, together, work to create a safe, vibrant and diverse community where all can thrive.
Working for Justice Leadership Team
WFJ Listening Sessions
Wanting the full congregation to be aware of the work of WFJ and for us to know about your justice concerns, we are inviting you to some Listening Sessions to be scheduled after church. The first session is 9/27, 11:15, in the May Sarton room. Each meeting will have representatives from the WFJ Leadership team and Chairs of several of our Focus Groups available to share your social justice concerns and ours.
Working for Justice Fair
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 11:15-12:15
in the Merrymeeting Bay Room
WFJ will be hosting a fair to introduce all the many wonderful groups and programs that sit under the WFJ umbrella to our congregation. Each Focus Group will have a table to share materials and talk about their mission and activities. Come learn and sign up to join a group if inspired! We look forward to seeing you there!
Take Action Teas are back!
Thursdays, starting October 1st, 12:00 noon
in the Merrymeeting Bay Room
For the month of October our Thursday Take Action Teas will focus on Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activities in collaboration with MUUSAN’s UUtheVote program. The activities will focus on Maine elections, though there will be opportunities available if you want to work in other state elections. Please join us at our first Tea, October 1st, to choose activities we want to focus on as a congregation and as individuals. For more information, contact Faith Barnes. or Betsy Williams, (MUUSAN liaison).
Working for Justice Focus Groups
Earth Justice
Contact: Jackie Cressy Meetings held as needed.
The Earth Justice team works to increase awareness of environmental issues and encourage individual and community action.
Upcoming Event: International Climate Action Day
OCTOBER 24th
Join people around the globe in celebration of International Climate Action Day!
This day of climate change awareness and activism is observed around the world every October 24th , calling on individuals, communities and governments to take meaningful steps to tackle the climate crisis. Click here for how you can make small, thoughtful adjustments to daily habits and choices that will contribute to a brighter and better future for us all.
Wabanaki Focus Group:
Monthly meetings, schedule to be determined. Contact Cathey for the October date if you’d like to attend.
Purpose: to raise awareness among ourselves and others within the congregation and the wider community of the Wabanaki presence and long history in Maine, particularly this place we call Brunswick. We wish to give voice to current Wabanaki concerns and be guided by Wabanaki voices to find our way to serving as allies in support of those concerns.
Recent Events
Wabanaki Trival Sovereignty
On September 16th we collaborated with the Wabanaki Alliance Speakers Bureau and Curtis Memorial Library to bring Maulian Dana Bryant, Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance and Sage Phillips, Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator to speak to the issue of Wabanaki Tribal Sovereignty in Maine. The event filled the Morrell Meeting Room at CML!
Working together
This fall we are talking with Toben Cooney-Callnan, our Adult and Children Spiritual Formation Director, about working together to engage UUCB children as well as adults in learning about Wabanaki presence and concerns.
Looking forward to the spring, we are working with the UUCB Art Committee and the Earth Justice Committee to present art as well as information from Free the Andro about the importance of opening Maine’s rivers to the free passage (and therefore the ongoing vitality ) of the fish that are central to Wabanaki culture and food sustenance.
Immigrant Justice
Meeting schedule to be determined
The purpose of this group is to educate each other not only about volunteer opportunities but also current events and legislation that affect the New Mainers in our communities.
Upcoming Event:
Mainely Palestine: Teaching In and Reaching Out
Saturday, October 3rd, 9:00am-6:00pm at UUCB
Mainely Palestine will bring the history and rich culture of Palestine to life with speakers, dialogues, art, music, film and more! It aims to show the links between the Palestinian crisis and the issues that confront us as Mainers, and to explore how we can best be in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Upcoming opportunities:
Read Together Tutor Training (to work with children)
Dates: September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Midcoast Literacy Offices at 9 Park Street, Bath, Maine
For more information or to sign-up for the Fall Read Together tutor training, contact Katie at
English Language or Basic Literacy Tutor Training (to work with adult English language learners or fluent English speakers who need basic literacy help)
Dates: October 6, 2026 – October 8, 2026
Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Location: Midcoast Literacy Offices at 9 Park Street, Bath, Maine
For more information or to sign-up for the October training, contact Diana Krauss at
Immigrant Defense Hotline, Operator Training
Provided by Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition
October 5, 5:30-6:30 pm
Many of the Hotline operators and anchors who signed up to volunteer back in January have since become less available, and we’ve been finding the Hotline understaffed. Please consider signing up here for this essential service to our immigrant neighbors.
Teen Center Advocates
Contact: Cuffy Chase, Meet only when needed
The purpose of our group is to support the Brunswick Area Teen Center (BATC), which provides a free and safe space for teens to engage in creative outlets, share their talents, hang out with friends, and participate in an abundance of activities put on by staff.
Next Snack Collection: Sunday, October 4th
From the BATC Newsletter:
At the end of each summer, we take time to reflect on what we learned from trying new activities and visiting new places with the kids.
Of all the places we visited, Fort Popham quickly became the clear favorite. The kids wanted to return almost every week, so we encouraged them to keep exploring other destinations as well.
We were also surprised by how many kids enjoyed simply walking around town. These outings gave them time to explore at their own pace and enjoy local spots together.
- Stopping by the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College
- Picnicking on the mall
- Browsing a few local stores
Upcoming Events: Harvesting produce from the Teen Center gardens and planning for fall trip.
Art Gallery
October Art Exhibit: Barbara and Craig Snapp
Our featured artists for the next two months are Barbara and Craig Snapp, beloved church members who have so kindly shared their art with us many times in the past. The Snapps, married and explorers of Maine for over 50 years, began to truly focus on capturing Maine’s beauty through their art upon permanently moving to Brunswick in 2003. Barbara works with paint and soft pastels, and Craig is a photographer. Please enjoy a selection of their extensive works in the Fellowship Hall and the May Sarton room.
Parish Messenger Deadline
Please send your content for the October Parish Messenger to: on or before Sat, October 17th. Thanks!