Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown

Worship Services

2026

August 30 - Chaz Holesworth

Losing Your Religion, Finding Meaning

Author and poet Chaz Holesworth shares his deeply personal journey growing up in Kensington amid poverty, addiction, and the trauma of a fundamentalist Christian upbringing. Through decades of questioning, reflection, and exploration, he has sought to move beyond fear and religious certainty in search of spiritual meaning, authenticity, and human connection. Join Chaz as he reflects on healing from religious trauma, embracing curiosity, and discovering meaning beyond the boundaries of organized religion.

August 23 - Rev. Jo Green

Six Months Later: Reflecting on Our Journey

Rev. Green returns for a meaningful follow-up to her January service on endings, beginnings, and the intentions we set for the year ahead. Together, we’ll revisit those hopes and aspirations, reflect on how our journeys have unfolded over the past six months, and explore what we’ve learned through a spiritual and Unitarian Universalist lens. Whether you participated in January’s ritual or are joining us for the first time, all are welcome. Please join us for this special Zoom service as we gather for a time of reflection, renewal, and looking ahead.

August 16 - Allan Pallay

Engaging with Nature as a Source of Spiritual Experiences

What makes an experience truly spiritual? Today we explore that question through the lens of the natural world. Drawing on both a lifelong curiosity about how nature works and personal experiences in largely natural places, Allan will reflect on the ways that learning from and immersing ourselves in nature can inspire awe, deepen our sense of connection, and nurture our spiritual lives

Our Third Sunday Potluck follows the service. Please bring something tasty to share.

August 9 - Emily Quarles-Mowrer

Blessing the Backpacks

A new school year represents growth and change. Please join us as we honor those whose curiosity will be nurtured in the coming year, and those who support seekers of knowledge in their journeys. We will begin the service with a blessing of the backpacks (and purses, laptop cases, briefcases, etc.) that accompany us into our new adventures this fall. After the blessing, we will reflect on the ways that love is at the center of transformation and the search for truth and meaning. Please bring a backpack or another vessel of your hopes for the new year. We will also be collecting school supplies to donate to the community.

August 2 - Diane Awenydd-Evans

Harvest Celebration

Today, we celebrate the first harvest and beloved community with a drumming circle. Please bring any percussion instruments you wish, as well as any songs or chants you’d like to share, for this allages service.

July 27 - Chad W. Towarnicki

The Whales in Our Lives

Every year for the past 13 years, I’ve started rereading Moby-Dick on my birthday. This year, I read it through the lens of the Unitarian Universalist Principles. Join me as I share my reflections on this Great American Novel, uncover connections to the UU Principles, and sprinkle in some intriguing whaling lore. Together, we’ll embark on a voyage to harpoon the whales in our own lives (metaphorically speaking).

July 19 - Emily Quarles-Mowrer

Stronger Together

Robert Ingersoll said, “We rise by lifting others.” We are constantly exposed to media that splits us into groups and reminds us of the ways that we are different. The groups can be based on anything from our biology to our biases, our beauty standards, or our income bracket. What if, instead, the algorithms were set to show our shared humanity? Join us as we think about how we can widen our welcome.

Our Third Sunday Potluck follows the service. Please bring something tasty to share.

July 12 - Rev. Cheryl Meinschein

Compassion at Life’s End

It was back in 1990 when Dr. Jack Kevorkian, also known as Dr. Death, was involved in his first medically assisted suicide – this time for an Alzheimer’s patient in Michigan. Since then, the ethical issues surrounding medically assisted suicide have only gotten more complicated as the practice has gotten more widespread. Today, we will be taking a look at those complications.

July 5

No Services

June 28 - Jessica Matthews

When the World Gets Loud, Look Down: The Grounded Wisdom of Our Plant Neighbors

Our Seventh Principle calls us to respect the interdependent web of all existence, but how well do we know our non-human neighbors in that web? This Sunday’s service looks at foraging not just as a skill, but as a spiritual practice of attention and gratitude. We will get a chance to meet our plant neighbors hands-on using live, foraged specimens. We will also learn how we can help them thrive, and how they can help us: from treating poison ivy to making plant teas that soothe our nervous system. Come learn to read the landscape and deepen your relationship with our local ecosystem.

June 21 - Emily Quarles-Mowrer

Rediscovering Wonderland

We often envy children for their boundless curiosity. As children, we were encouraged to explore the world, but as adults, we are often more concerned with answers than with questions. Walt Disney said, “Ideas come from curiosity.” Join us as we consider the ways we can approach the world—and each other—with fresh eyes.

Our Third Sunday Potluck follows the service. Please bring something tasty to share.

June 14 - Rev. Dr. Sandra Fees

Who Are We to Be Joyful?

Writer Brené Brown poses this question, reminding us that many people feel they do not deserve happiness. Join us this morning as we explore the spiritual significance of joy and the reasons to consciously choose it.

June 8 - Israel Elias Colón

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Through the work of Poetry in Motion and the upcoming Bluebird Journal: Purpose, Israel Elias Colón explores the idea of finding purpose within pain through the combined disciplines of poetry and martial arts. After experiencing violence at a young age, his search for protection led him to martial arts, while poetry became a cathartic outlet for emotional expression through rhythm, structure, and what he describes as “rhythm as emotional architecture.” This service reflects on how trauma, when approached with honesty and intention, can become a source of wisdom used to guide, protect, and empower future generations.

May 31 - Robert Carrasquillo

Safe

Through personal stories from his childhood growing up in North Philadelphia, this sermon reflects on how poverty and fear shape the ways children learn to survive. It explores the lasting impact of those experiences, as well as the search for healing, belonging, and the importance of communities where people can finally feel safe.

This week was originally scheduled for Holly Brinton: Balancing the Mind, Body, and Spirit with a Gentle Chair Yoga Practice.

May 24

No Sunday Services

May 17 - Rev. Yvette McDonnell

Tapping Into Our Dreams

Consider moving beyond the boundaries of the material world into the mysterious dream world, where the veil between the physical and spiritual is at its thinnest, and explore the possibilities that lie within our sleep.

May 10 - Rev. Cheryl Meinschein

Divine Feminine

So often, at least in Christian circles, it is the male aspects of divinity that are emphasized. This morning, we will explore the maternal and feminine images of the divine across various world religions.

May 3 - Diane Awenydd-Evans

Celebrating Beltane

Join us for a Beltane ritual celebrating the blooming of nature. Diane will lead the Fellowship in this seasonal celebration, including the traditional dance of the Maypole. This will be an outdoor service (weather permitting) and children are welcome to participate. No hymns or Story for All Ages.

March 29 – Diane Awenydd-Evans

Understanding Wicca & Paganism: Beliefs, Practices, and the Reality of Magick

Diane Awenydd-Evans will present an introduction to Wicca and Paganism — explaining common tenets, what practitioners believe, what they do, and addressing the question many people ask: Is magick real?

Lay Leader—Monica Buckley 

March 22 – Chad W. Towarnicki

This I Believe: “Waking Up” to Spirituality

From 12 years of Catholic schooling to questioning it all, it turns out I had a very direct path to the UU Fellowship in Pottstown. Early exposure to the Transcendentalist writers and the great outdoors allowed for a spiritual connection that often went overlooked as I was “finding myself” through early adulthood. Now, with a firm understanding of UU, looking back at those formative works has proven to be a stepping stone to understanding myself as a husband, a dad, and a member of our community at UUFP. Apologies in advance for the survey-review of American Lit.

Lay Leader — self-led

March 15 – Emily Quarles-Mowrer

This Life Is More Than Just a Read-Through

The Britannica website translates the Latin phrase “Carpe diem” as “pluck the day,” as if our days were grapes on a vine to be picked and eaten one by one. The concept of savoring our time seems foreign in our infinity-scrolling culture. Join us as we contemplate what it means to spend our time wisely.

Lay leader — self led

March 8 – JD Stillwater

Mystery: Koans of Science

Today’s culture war pushes us to perceive spirituality and science as enemies, holding up a false dichotomy between reason and mystery. The universe, as science reveals it, speaks only of inherent unity and holds up Mystery as both muse and ground of reason. 

Lay Leader — Emily Quarles-Mowrer

March 1 – Liss Rinker

Exploring Religiosity and Spirituality in the LGBTQ+ Community

Religiosity and spirituality play significant roles in the lives of many LGBTQ+ individuals. Understanding the interaction between faith and sexual or gender identity is essential to foster acceptance and inclusion within religious communities. This presentation explores key aspects of religiosity and their impact on LGBTQ+ people.

Liss’s Bio: Liss Rinker, LPC, is a mental health professional dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ clients navigating religious conflict and moral injury. Their work focuses on the psychological impact of non-affirming environments and the development of “spiritual fluidity” as a coping mechanism. Having presented extensively on the challenges of faith-based rejection, Liss provides clinicians and community members with actionable frameworks for reconciling religious heritage with queer identity. Their current research explores the role of communal belonging in the long-term mental health outcomes of LGBTQ+ people of faith.

Lay Leader — Ann Tomalavage

February 22 – (Cancelled due to weather)

February 15 – Emily Quarles-Mowrer

Sitting with the Unknown

At this time of year, many of us are making "to-do" lists of new habits to acquire. Krista Tippett, founder and CEO of The On Being Project, offers a different perspective on New Year's resolutions. Instead of setting goals or tasks, she invites us to explore a question. Join us as we consider how holding a question at the center of our lives for a year can help reframe challenges and open us to new experiences and ways of engaging with the world.

February 8, 2026 - Rev. Cheryl Meinschein

Choosing Hope in Uncertain Times

In the faith tradition I follow, the four Sundays before Christmas focus on hope, joy, peace and love. This year, I found myself gravitating especially toward hope. Maybe it's the cold winter, or maybe it's the tenor of the times. This reflection is inspired by Practical Optimism: The Art Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being by Dr. Sue Varma. This Sunday we'll explore her insights and recommendations for cultivating hope in uncertain times.

February 1, 2026 - Jessica Matthews

The Spirituality of Rot: How I find Truth and Meaning in Dirt.

What if your kitchen scrap bin is actually a vessel for a spiritual journey? This service explores why soil is the essential, living hear of the interdependent web we are called to respect. Whether you're a climate activist or simply someone who likes to eat, we are all connected by the ground beneath us. Let's move past the guilt of footprints and into the actional hope of becoming dirt-rich!

January 25, 2026 - (cancelled due to weather)

January 18, 2026 (cancelled due to weather)

January 11, 2026 Israel Elias Colon

Following Your Inner Compass

A poet, educator, and community organizer will reflect on the theme “Following Your Inner Compass.” Drawing from his personal journey through creative writing, interfaith exploration, and years of working with youth, Israel will explore how listening to one’s inner compass can reveal shared values across belief systems and lead us toward lives of purpose and service. Through storytelling, poetry, and reflection, this multigenerational service invites us to consider how curiosity, compassion, and care for the next generation can guide us forward-especially when the path isn’t always clear.

Bio: Israel Elias Colon is a writer, educator, and community organizer based in the Philadelphia area. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of Project Bluebird and Bluebird Arts Collective, organizations dedicated to empowering young people through creative writing, literacy, and trauma-informed arts programming. Drawing from his own life experiences, martial arts practice, and exploration of spiritual traditions, Israel’s work centers on helping youth find their voice, follow their inner compass, and transform difficult experiences into sources of growth and self-expression.

January 4, 2026 Rev. Jo Green

Every New Beginning

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” is the lyric in a favored song on the radio.  The great mystery of change is upon us.  We are at the juxtaposition of an ending and new beginning, yearly, congregationally, and individually.  What are the great questions we have about the mystery of this time of year?  We will have a ritual to write down what wonderful change you wish to see this year.  Have paper and pen ready on Zoom and these supplies will also be provided in person. Join us in this ritual service of endings and beginnings.

December 28, 2025 UUFP Community Event,

Join adults and children in a community event: a smorgasbord of tasty treats and games galore.

Christmas Eve Service, Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Come celebrate a traditional Christmas Eve with favorite stories and carols at a special 4pm service

December 14, 2025, Diane Awenydd Evans

Thoughts on the Necessity of Hope.

At this dark time of year, at this dark time in history, it is easy for people of good conscience to slip into despair. Despair is the enemy. It paralyses us and prevents us from finding joy and faith. Holding onto Hope is a necessity especially in times of darkness and fear. Let’s talk about Hope and how we can hold onto it and where we can find it if we have misplaced ours.