The Compass, February 18, 2026
- Feb 18
- 7 min read
With the fiscal year almost coming to a close and the Annual Meeting scheduled for May 17, the Nominating Committee will be seeking people for the following positions:
Treasurer—Deb is retiring as of June 30
Two vacancies on the Board of Trustees
Please let a trustee know if you would like to volunteer.
We also need one more volunteer for the Nominating Committee ASAP!
Did you miss Sunday Service? Watch it here!
Sunday Service
This Sunday, we welcome guest Colleen De Vincentis—spiritual counselor, teacher, and healer.
By-Laws Committee
A mailing has been sent out to notify the membership, but please save the date for March 1, 2026.
We will be holding a FINAL in-person meeting after church to discuss changes to the by-laws before they are voted upon at the Annual Meeting on May 17, 2026.
Arts & Culture Nonprofit Meetings Scheduled
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford is forming an art & culture nonprofit! We will be facilitating a series of meetings to discuss details, board members, grants, and more.
Meeting Three: Virtual, March 4 at 7 PM. The Zoom link is on the church calendar.
What does it mean to be a people of Embodying Resilience?
February 22: Finding Resilience through Humor, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Side with Love Week 5: Exploring Possibilities
Something to watch together as a family.
Something to do together as a family
Family vision board activity: Dreaming Forward: A Late Winter Vision Board Activity
Dinner Conversation Prompts:
Who did we notice today?
Where did we see care happening?
What do we want to be accountable for in our community?
30 Days of Love Week 4: Exploring Possibilities
REFLECTION
by India Harris, UU the Vote 2026 Lead
How do we lean into the unknown while remaining rooted in our values? This is the tension at the heart of our faith, calling us both to question boldly and to remain grounded in our commitment to justice, equity, and the inherent worth of every person.
Exploring possibilities requires us to cultivate what James Luther Adams called “prophetic imagination or the capacity to envision what could be, even when the present feels overwhelming. It means analyzing power structures not just to critique them, but to understand where transformative change can take root. When we engage in power analysis, we’re asking: Who holds power? Who is excluded? And critically, how might we redistribute power toward collective liberation?
This work demands courage. It asks us to experiment with new programs, new partnerships, and new ways of being in community, knowing that some efforts will flourish while others will teach us through failure. Program development becomes spiritual practice when we approach it with humility and a willingness to learn.
But discernment isn’t about chasing every opportunity. It’s about asking: Does this align with our deepest values? Does it build power with those most impacted by injustice? Does it move us closer to the world we’re called to create- one where all people can thrive?
Our Unitarian Universalist principles ground us: justice, equity, compassion, and the interconnected web of all existence. These aren’t abstract ideals- they’re the compass by which we navigate uncertain terrain.
When we center solidarity with marginalized communities and commit to political education that sharpens our understanding of systemic injustice, we can move forward with both boldness and integrity.
The possibilities before us are vast. Our calling is to explore them faithfully, together, with hearts wide open.
Explore Side With Love's 30 Days of Love series below:
Meditation Time Travel to 2050
By adrienne maree brown
please join me to time travel to our panelists.
drop into your breath, into your body, and feel yourself, briefly, in the present moment.
now draw your energy back and fling yourself forward, future ward, through space and
time.
feel the chaos of leaping over years and decades with only glimpses of place and people.
and now let yourself land.
hello – welcome to 2050.
it is YOUR birthday in 2050, so happy birthday to you!
how old are you?
are you in the flesh? are you ancestor?
awaken and fill into that body and feel what you know to be true right now, today. feel the
ease of a good life still unfolding.
what is this future you grateful for?
what is your birthday suit? naked? spectacular tech? organic and comfortable?
where do you live? on earth? on a space station? on another plane?
if you’re on earth, are you in the u.s.? is there a u.s.?
what is beautiful about the place you call home? how do you know you feel home?
what is the relationship between inside and outside?
what does the world look like outside your window, or vid screen? green? outer space?
both?
when you’re thirsty, what do you drink, what do you eat to start your day?
where does that food and drink come from?
how do you offer gratitude for the abundance of this world?
what does your life feel like?
do you work on something beyond your home and land?
when you leave your home where do you go, and how do you get there?
do you feel free? how do you know?
safe? how are you safe?
healthy? what does healthy mean?
satisfied? how do you feel and know you are satisfied with this world?
this world is shaped and reshaped by movements, movements that you participated in, and
still create change inside of, though in different ways.
what are you grateful to have contributed to the shaping of this world? bring your attention
to yourself and say thank you for all you gave. and all you received.
how have you been changed?
what impossible battles have been won?
what endless cycles have ended?
what impossible battles are still being fought, or navigated?
what impossible creations are now commonplace?
what has been your best mistake?
how do you feel about facing the end of your life? or beginning of your ancestry?
is there anything else you absolutely must do?
let that fill you up completely, so anyone here in 2050 can feel that absolute commitment in
you.
it’s your day: how do you let in the celebration of others?
what does your community do to celebrate?
we get together to reflect and think and be brilliant, so here we are.
welcome to the panel.
THEOLOGICAL CONVERSATION
This conversation focuses on social media, digital innovation, and experimentation in congregational life. Rev. Brandan Robertson and Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford explore how churches can faithfully engage digital platforms to build connection, communicate values, and extend ministry beyond physical walls—while remaining grounded in theology and relationship.
Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford has served as Lead Minister of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church since August 2014, following her ministry at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, a multi-site congregation. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist, she earned her Master of Divinity, summa cum laude, from Houston Graduate School of Theology, completed a dual internship with Northwoods UU Church and the Church of the Larger Fellowship (the UU online congregation), and trained in hospital chaplaincy at Methodist Hospital of Houston.
Before entering ministry, Rev. Joanna worked professionally in marketing, a background that deeply informs her leadership in digital strategy, online engagement, and social media innovation for churches.
For General Assembly in 2026, we are creating a virtual “everywhere GA” with both online and distributed in-person options that will allow Unitarian Universalists to participate in whichever way works best for them. This new format will reduce travel costs and environmental impacts, offer optional in-person connections, streamline production costs, and provide a more flexible schedule for participants.
We know there is a deep need in this moment to build and sustain community as Unitarian Universalists. Given the strain that our congregations and individual UUs face in the current political climate, when travel brings increased risks and person-to-person connection remains important to our continued thriving, we are leaning into this creative approach.
To maintain safety, accessibility, and equity, the UUA is offering several ways to engage with the content and connections offered at this virtual GA, including fully virtual participation streaming live across many time zones.
By experimenting with smaller, more localized gatherings we can uphold the value of equity for GA participants around the country and production quality that supports the experience of online attendees. Truly, we can be together everywhere as we build the courage and capacity to Meet the Moment.
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
FREE Events Happening at UUNB
Being Human takes place every Friday at 11 AM. Please use the parking lot door.
There is still 1 class left!
Understanding US Government, taught by Fairhaven resident and local attorney Ellen Nelson, Esq.
Registration is required. See the event details by clicking on the "Register Now" button below.
Save the date! You won't want to miss this.
All proceeds to benefit Humanity at Work's rapid response team.
Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Elise Rapoza, Secretary
Trustees
Camilla Brooks
Niko Tarini
Mary Rapoza
Jack Vitale
Committee Chairs
Staff
Rev. Karen Leblanc, Minister
Yasmin Fle-fleh Vincent, Director of Religious Education
Randy Fayan, Director of Music
Jessica DeCicco-Carey, Administrator
Tony, Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
John Manning, Sunday Sexton
Mari Fay-Martin, Sunday School Teacher
Sam Angelini, Sunday School Teacher
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12
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