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Ordination of Rev. Sophia Doescher, First Parish in Cambridge Assistant Minister
On Sunday, April 19, the congregations of First Church in Belmont and First Parish in Cambridge ordained Rev. Sophia Doescher, First Parish's Assistant Minister. This meaningful ceremony marks the completion of Rev. Sophia's ordination process and affirms the UU community's support of her religious leadership.
Ordination Service on Sunday, April 19, taking place at First Church in Belmont
On Sunday, April 19, the congregations of First Church in Belmont and First Parish in Cambridge ordained Rev. Sophia Doescher, First Parish's Assistant Minister. This meaningful ceremony marks the completion of Rev. Sophia's ordination process and affirms the UU community's support of her religious leadership. Rev. Sophia shares a few words of gratitude and invitation below:
Thank you to all who could join me at my ordination! It was a celebration brimming with joy and love! A beautiful reminder of how our ministries and our communities are woven into the fabric of Unitarian Universalism; connected to all who have come before, and all who will come after. I'm incredibly grateful for your love and support at the ordination, and the thoughtful cards and conversations I've had with so many of you since.
If you were unable to attend but you would still like to experience the ordination, here is a link to the recording:
https://www.youtube.com/live/IAMKI3fVHGI. As one of the ministers said in the ordination, this is a ritual that we can participate in across time!
Growing Together! Giving Together! Stewardship Campaign FY2026-2027
This year’s stewardship theme is Growing Together! Giving Together! And that’s exactly what we’re experiencing at First Parish. Our community is growing—in spirit, in connection, and in the ways we show up for one another and for the wider world. Every act of generosity helps nurture that growth and sustain the ministry we share.
Your pledge is more than a financial commitment. It is a statement that this community matters—that worship, justice, care, and belonging are worth sustaining together. We invite you to reflect on what First Parish means in your life and to consider a commitment that helps us continue growing together and giving together.
This year, the Stewardship Team has set a goal of $425,000 in pledges for FY27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), an approximately 15% increase over our current pledge total. Reaching this goal will allow First Parish to continue growing and to respond faithfully to the needs of our community during these challenging times.
TO MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK
This year’s stewardship theme is Growing Together! Giving Together! And that’s exactly what we’re experiencing at First Parish. Our community is growing—in spirit, in connection, and in the ways we show up for one another and for the wider world. Every act of generosity helps nurture that growth and sustain the ministry we share.
Your pledge is more than a financial commitment. It is a statement that this community matters—that worship, justice, care, and belonging are worth sustaining together. We invite you to reflect on what First Parish means in your life and to consider a commitment that helps us continue growing together and giving together.
This year, the Stewardship Team has set a goal of $425,000 in pledges for FY27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), an approximately 15% increase over our current pledge total. Reaching this goal will allow First Parish to continue growing and to respond faithfully to the needs of our community during these challenging times.
TO MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK
From Rev. Rob - Celebrating our 390th Birthday…and More!!
Dear First Parish,
I hope you’ll join us this Sunday for a special celebration of our congregation’s 390 th Anniversary! On February 1, 1636 our religious ancestors met for the first time to call our congregation into being. We’ll celebrate after service on Sunday with lunch and birthday cake!
My message this Sunday is called On Holy Ground. It’s inspired by our spiritual ancestor Henry David Thoreau, who challenged the prevailing religious views of his time (and our own) by insisting that, “Heaven is under our feet.” With these words, Thoreau encourages us in our religious search to “get our head out of the clouds,” as it were, and discover the sacred all around us. This Sunday we’ll explore what it looks like to build our spirituality not from thin air, but from the solid matter of our beautiful world. I hope you’ll join me, Sophia and the First Parish Choir for this special service.
Finally, building on last Sunday’s powerful witness to the inhumane events unfolding in Minnesota, we invite you after service to hear from First Parish members Susan Leslie and Bruce Pritchard, who recently returned from a weekend of faith-based protests in Minneapolis.Susan and Bruce will share what they witnessed and learned there, and how we can respond.
Friends, we live in a world that is too beautiful to praise with just one voice, and too broken to mend with just one pair of hands. That’s why we need one another, and communities like First Parish.
I look forward to us being together this Sunday in the midst of difficult times.
Dear First Parish,
I hope you’ll join us this Sunday for a special celebration of our congregation’s 390th Anniversary! On February 1, 1636 our religious ancestors met for the first time to call our congregation into being. We’ll celebrate after service on Sunday with lunch and birthday cake!
My message this Sunday is called On Holy Ground. It’s inspired by our spiritual ancestor Henry David Thoreau, who challenged the prevailing religious views of his time (and our own) byinsisting that, “Heaven is under our feet.” With these words, Thoreau encourages us in our religious search to “get our head out of the clouds,” as it were, and discover the sacred all around us. This Sunday we’ll explore what it looks like to build our spirituality not from thin air, but from the solid matter of our beautiful world. I hope you’ll join me, Sophia and the First Parish Choir for this special service.
Finally, building on last Sunday’s powerful witness to the inhumane events unfolding in Minnesota, we invite you after service to hear from First Parish members Susan Leslie and Bruce Pritchard, who recently returned from a weekend of faith-based protests in Minneapolis. Susan and Bruce will share what they witnessed and learned there, and how we can respond.
Friends, we live in a world that is too beautiful to praise with just one voice, and too broken to mend with just one pair of hands. That’s why we need oneanother, and communities like First Parish.
I look forward to us being together this Sunday in the midst of difficult times.