@ Come one, come all to the Coffee Hour Carnival for UNICEF on Sunday, October 27th, from 11:30-1:00 p.m! Following worship, everyone is invited to come to Unity Hall where you will find games of all sorts, face painting, the Pocket Person, and a cakewalk. Tickets for games cost $.25 (cake walk a little higher), and may be purchased at the door. UNICEF cards and gifts will be for sale. Instead of Coffee Hour in the Dining Room, goodies, coffee, and juice will be available (at no charge) in the Chapel. Plan to stay and play at the Carnival! If you don't feel like playing any games, you could simply make a contribution to UNICEF, or buy tickets and distribute them among the children.

Our friends from Wesley United Methodist will be our guests. All proceeds of the Carnival go directly to UNICEF. The YRU2 (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) and the Religious Education Committee co-sponsor this event.

If you have agreed to bake a cake for the cakewalk, please bring that cake to Unity Hall before 10:15 a.m. If you have agreed to provide some food for the Coffee Hour, please bring it to the Chapel by 10:15. a.m. Thanks in advance for your contributions.

@ Answering Questions Between Sundays: The UUA has posted a website designed to help parents and other adults answer religious questions raised by children and youth. It is called "Between Sundays - Answering Kids' Questions" and is a project of the Church of the Larger Fellowship. If you are interested in exploring this site, go to: www.uua.org/clf/betweensundays/ Let me know what you think! -Diane Mirick

@ Children's Choir: The Children's Choir will rehearse at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 27th, in the Sanctuary in preparation for singing in the worship service this Sunday. Director: Nathaniel Needle

@ Thanks for the Spooky World Tickets! The Sunday School and YRU2 are grateful to Eduardo Morales and to Polar Beverages for the opportunity to sell discounted tickets to Spooky World. The sale raised $260, which will be divided between the youth group and the Sunday School special events budget. Thanks very much!

During the week of October 13-20, First Unitarian was among a coalition of 31 churches providing shelter, food, and hospitality to homeless families. Our church hosted six homeless families: 7 adults and 8 children, ages 1½ to 10.

Our congregation pulled together and offered much support. Thanks go to many people, from the folks who put an offering into the basket, to the people who sponsored meals and stayed overnight. Overnight hosts were: Marjorie Ropp, Tom Schade, Justine Beaudoin, Kris Johnson, Peter Eisemann, Maureen Shaughnessy, Margaret Hunt, Liz Gustavson, and one who prefers to be anonymous. Dinners were made and served by Mary Ryan and Anne Chaffee, Pat Nishan and Sue Jacques, Bonnie Harmon and Kathy Corkery, Nancy Wilson, Dick Harris, and A.J. and Charlotte Overton, Lorna Pezzanelli and Charlotte Boutillette, Stacey Hill-Niambele, Beckley Alley, Danna Peterson, Liz Gustavson and Mayumi Lincicome. Child care helpers (which one of the guests said had not been provided by any other church and were greatly appreciated) were Jonathan and Ellen Dahlberg (their Bio train set was loved by the kids), Kate Palaces Narita, whose pumpkin carving was a big hit, Ben Corkery and Joe Harmon, Kathleen Cammarata, who shared her artistic talents, Lorna Pezzanelli, Gwen Gustavson and Dana Lincicome. Supplies were purchased by Helena Sarty, Lee Kalwat, Joan Russo, Mary Frandsen, Corol Ellms, Susan Anderson, Joy Nicholson, Frances Krauss, Adria Bernardi and Carol Lucas. Ed and Peggy Hunter and Paul Ropp helped move in the beds and belongings.

Church members and their guests are welcome at any or all of these sessions…no special expertise or preparation required. This week's topic is "Compassionate End-of-Life Care," with discussion leader H. Brownell Wheeler, MD, along with Bill Densmore.

Since 1996, First U member Brownie Wheeler has devoted much time and effort to improving the health care system's treatment of people with terminal illness. Now this is being extended to a broad-based community effort. The Central Massachusetts Partnership to Improve Care at the End of Life is a five-year project to move Central Massachusetts toward the long-range vision that: All persons in Central Mass. live their last days in this life as comfortably as possible, in the setting of their choice, according to their expressed wishes. Both they and their families are supported by a caring community.

A Planning Committee led by Brownie and Bill has been working since early this year to develop specific plans to reach this goal. We plan to outline these plans for your review and advice. Brownie Wheeler is Professor and Chairman of the Depart. of Surgery, Emeritus of the UMass Medical School and Past President, Worcester District Medical Society.

Other Upcoming Religion In Our Times Programs: 11/10 Nuclear Power - Friend or Foe? - James Muckerheide; 11/24 Compassionate End-of-Life Care-Part II; Making Your Wishes Known - Janice B. Yost, EdD, with Bill Densmore; 12/8 Cultural Creatives - Are You One? - Virginia Swain

Don't forget to join the Assessors and our co-hosts, the Membership Committee for breakfast on Sunday.

Renew your Spirit and renew your financial commitment to First Unitarian by making as generous a pledge as you can. Plan to attend one of the Spirit of Renewal Annual Pledge Campaign Breakfasts: October 27th from 8:45-10:00 a.m.; and, November 3rd from 8:45-10:00 a.m.Invitations have been mailed! Please call Justine Beaudoin at (508) 835-8870 if you have not received yours.

Children are encouraged to attend and childcare will be provided from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

REMINDER…The GC will hold a Listening Forum on Sunday, November 3rd, from 12:00-1:10 p.m. in the Chapel.

The Governance Review Committee needs your input. We have been reviewing the current system of governance at First Unitarian. We now believe that some changes are necessary to move our church forward and meet the changing requirements of our congregation. Before we make a formal proposal to move from the concept to the implementation phase of any governance changes, we need your input. (See last week's newsletter for details.) Your participation is encouraged and appreciated.

Please plan to join us for this important discussion. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of us on the GC. Steve Knox, Mary Melville, Eduardo Morales , Brian Ota, Paul Ropp, David Rynick, or Vivian Shortreed.

The following item was voted upon at the monthly meeting held on October 20, 2002:

* To encourage and support new initiatives consistent with the mission and covenant of the church, while also recognizing the need for coordination and oversight of these initiatives, the Prudential Committee hereby appoints the three Prudential Committee members-at-large as the Program Committee, to accept suggestions from the congregation for new activities or endeavors, to facilitate the implementation of these suggestions, and to provide oversight and coordination, as appropriate, for new initiatives.

If any member of the congregation has a particular interest he or she would like to pursue through the auspices of the church, he or she should contact one of the three Prudential Committee members-at-large: Frank Thoms, Jesse Anderson, and Trish Mallard. Upon receiving any suggestion or proposed initiative from a member of the congregation, the Committee will confer and take appropriate steps, either to facilitate the proposed initiative, or to bring the matter to the Prudential Committee for approval if they deem that the proposed activity requires Prudential Committee action.

The other items voted upon were as follows:

* Accepted three new members.
* Voted to donate the November 17, 2002 plate collection to the Joy of Music Program whose members will be performing at the service on that day.

The Committee also heard finance-related reports from the Trustees of Parish Services and the Treasurer. Two options for a ramp from the Chapel into Unity Hall were described briefly prior to cost estimates and further details to be presented at a later time by the Building and Grounds Committee.