Nov 20, 2023
Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education
Rev. Erica Richmond, Parish Minister
Sunday sermon given November 19, 2023
Prayer by Rev. Marta Flanagan, Lead Minister
https://firstparish.info/
First Parish
A liberal religious community, welcoming to all
First gathered 1739
About the service: In this intergenerational Thanksgiving service, let's explore the flipside of Gratitude: asking for help. Scary! Humbling! We know. But the good news is that asking for help opens us up to an interdependence that can change the world. Children grades kindergarten and older are welcome to stay through the whole service---the service is designed to include them. And look forward to our annual cornbread communion!
Offering and Giving First
For the month of November, half of the offering supports the work
of Centro de Esperanza (Shelter for Hope) is a migrant family
shelter in Sonyata, Mexico, on the Arizona border. The shelter
provides a safe refuge for families fleeing gang violence,
religious persecution, and dire economic circumstances. In most
cases, families have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles
to keep their families alive and safe. El Centro provides safe
shelter, food, medical care, education, and legal and technical
assistance and protects families from drug cartels, human
traffickers, and others who would take advantage of them. Centro de
Esperanza is unique in that all these families are attempting to
seek asylum in the United States through legal channels. The
average wait time for a hearing with a U.S. administrator at the
border is 4-6 weeks. Currently the shelter can support 30 families
with an expansion plan in the next few months for an additional 30
families. The annual operating cost is approximately $100k and the
cost of the expansion is approximately $25k. The shelter was
started by U.S. citizens in Ajo, Arizona but is managed by
co-directors who are Mexican citizens.
The remaining half supports the life and work of this
Parish.
To donate using your smartphone, you may text
“fpuu offering” to 73256. Then follow the directions in
the texts you receive.