All Blog Posts (276)

Masonry restoration soon to reach new heights!

I am thrilled to report that the next phase of the Preservation Project is about to begin.

Scaffolding will rise from the roof of the…

A Celebration of Life!

Champagne, Desserts, Friendship & Merriment Guaranteed



Join us at 10pm on April 8 at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia for a Celebration of Life remembering Desiree Hines. THIS IS A CELEBRATION! Wear your happiest of spring colors and be prepared to party.…

With 4 days left in our Stewardship Campaign, we're starting to see some real progress: together, we've pledged more than $140,000 towards our 2013–2014 church year.

Can't get enough Unitarian Universalism? Want to learn from the ministry of other UU churches so you can help our congregation and denomination grow? Want to meet hundreds of amazing people all wearing chalice necklaces or t-shirts?

Register for the 2013 Joseph Priestley District Assembly today! This annual assembly brings together Unitarian Universalists from across the district (PA, DE, MD, DC, VA) who are interested in learning new ways to live out and grow…

A few months ago, about a dozen members and friends of First U gathered over three weeks in the Shared Ministry Suite to share, to learn, and to express their frustration and anger over what was unanimously considered to be a powerful and ground-breaking book:  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.  In recent weeks, the issue of mass incarceration…

NATALIE JOY (STEIN) PERKINS, died suddenly on February 13, 2013 at age 57.

A graduate of Lower Merion High School, New York University and the New School for Social Research, Natalie was the beloved daughter of the late Anna and Martin Stein. She is survived by her husband Gary Perkins, sister Carol Stein, and cousins Mimi Lenenberg, Joseph, Richard, Ruth and Fredi…

As of Friday, March 10, we've collectively pledged $91,695 towards our 2013–2014 church year. We still have a ways to go to reach our $200,000 goal by Sunday, March 24, but more than one hundred members of our church family have yet to pledge. We can do it!

An anonymous donor has promised to pledge $100 for every new pledge that comes in before 4 PM on Saturday, March 16. In other words, your pledge--of any amount!--will automatically…

First U's 3rd Annual Holiday Book Drive was a resounding success, thanks to abundant donations from members and friends of our congregation, and to the work of our fantastic book drive coordinator, Bijan Makarechi.  The Andrew Jackson Elementary school library and classrooms will receive a total of 120 books donated by First U -- 

including three…

Dear Members and Friends of the First Unitarian Church,



I hope this note finds you healthy and happy. I certainly am – the last six months have been the most peaceful and productive time in my life. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. I’ve come to believe that if everyone received a sabbatical there would be world peace!



I am particularly…

Just like the tiny cuttings that have flourished in Rachel's windowless office, we know that our community can do great things even in adversity. As we welcome back Reverend Nate for the final seventeen months of his tenure, let's commit to pledging $200,000 together for the 2013–2014 church year.

With just three weeks left in our Stewardship Campaign, more than a quarter of our members and friends have together pledged $75,507. If you haven't yet pledged, you're not…

(Text for those who like to read!)

Life is a blessing. Part of the joy of being human is being able to at least partially appreciate the miraculous beauty that is inherent in our world, and the holiness found in all of creation. Part of the joy of being human is having the ability to relate in such nuanced ways, especially to other people. But with that…

When the world is in chaos, we can return to our center and maintain a sense of calm in a sea of unrest. If we allow ourselves to be thrown off by every piece of disturbing news that comes our way, we may be relying too much on our emotions. When our feelings and thoughts activate each other in a hectic way, we become caught up in the confusion that surrounds us. However, locating the stillness at the center…

As most of you know we are working with Urban Tree Connection (UTC) to promote food justice, food security, and healthy eating in a neighborhood in West Philly.  UTC has allied itself with Neighborhood Foods to be able to offer an amazing CSA (Community Supported…

Sunday, February 24 was the official halfway point of our eight-week Stewardship Campaign, so we're getting ready to race to the finish. As of this Sunday, we'd collectively pledged $61,821 towards the 2013–2014 church year--almost a third of the way to our $200,000 goal!

We know that an eight-week Stewardship Campaign is a long campaign, with plenty of time to misplace your pledge card. Fear not--there are always extra pledge cards…