Upcoming Sunday Services
Sunday Services at begin at 10:30am and end around 11:45am. You can join us in person or on Zoom.
In person, at 67 South Randolph Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
On Zoom, using your computer, tablet or smartphone: https://zoom.us/j/327711271. On your phone, dial in at +1 646 558 8656. If asked, enter Meeting ID: 327 711 271. The password is 12601.
Upcoming Sunday Services
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
The Program Committee is responsible for coordinating Sunday morning worship services. Our pastoral care minister, Reverend Diane Diachishin, conducts at least one service a month. Other services can take many forms: guest ministers or speakers, panel discussions, multigenerational, musical, poetical, theatrical, meditative, experiential. We hope to enrich, enliven and expand perspectives and spirits.
We welcome feedback and suggestions! Please feel free to contact us at programs@uupok.org
OCTOBER'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: COURAGE
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OCTOBER 25, 2026: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Spiral Web
Sometimes life presents us with lions and tigers and bears: situations, challenges, and obstacles that can be intimidating or scary. Courage doesn't mean being fearless: it means showing up and facing these, even when we're afraid. What are you afraid of? What would showing up look like? And how might showing up foster connection and community? We'll explore some possibilities and have some fun doing it, using the framework of the Wizard of Oz (old school version). It's our Halloween service, so feel free to come in costume!
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NOVEMBER'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: HEALING
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NOVEMBER 1, 2026: Hudson Valley Buddhist Vihara
Vice Secretary and Resident Minister, Rev. Deepananda Thero
With Paula Greenspan
Hudson Valley Buddhist Vihara is a Theravāda Buddhist temple rooted in the ancient teachings of the Buddha and Sri Lankan Buddhist traditions. Resident monks from Sri Lanka share the Buddha’s teachings and guide the community toward mindfulness, compassion, wisdom, and inner peace.
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NOVEMBER 8, 2026: STANDING FIRM IN TURBULENT TIMES
REVEREND DIANE DIACHISHIN
"Being human is a Guest House. Every morning, a new arrival. Be grateful for whatever comes because each has been sent as a guide for beyond." Mary Oliver
How can we stay grounded when the going gets rough? Let's look at different perspectives as we navigate storms together as people of faith.
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NOVEMBER 15, 2026
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NOVEMBER 22, 2026
THE ANNUAL THANKSGIVING BREAKFAST
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NOVEMBER 29, 2026: WORLD AIDS DAY
Reverend Kyle Applegate
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DECEMBER'S SOUL MATTER THEME: AWE
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DECEMBER 6, 2026: AWE IN ANTHROPOLOGY
STEPHANIE ROBERG-LOPEZ
Pat Lamanna
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DECEMBER 13, 2026
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DECEMBER 20, 2026: WINTER SOLSTICE
Spiral Web
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DECEMBER 24, 2026: CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
5PM
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DECEMBER 27, 2026: THE FIRE COMMUNION
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JANUARY'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: THRESHOLDS
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JANUARY 3, 2027: EPHIPHANY
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JANUARY 10, 2027
REVEREND DIANE DIACHISHIN
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JANUARY 17, 2027
JANUARY 24, 2027
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JANUARY 31, 2027
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FEBRUARY'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: COMMITMENT
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FEBRUARY 7, 2027
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FEBRUARY 14, 2027
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FEBRUARY 21, 2027
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FEBRUARY 28, 2027
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MARCH'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: BALANCE
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MARCH 7, 2027
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MARCH 14, 2027
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MARCH 21, 2027
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MARCH 28, 2027: EASTER
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APRIL'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: EMERGENCE
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APRIL 4, 2027
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APRIL 11, 2027
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APRIL 18, 2027
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APRIL 25, 2027: PASSOVER
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MAY'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: PLAY
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MAY 2, 2027
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MAY 9, 2027: MOTHER'S DAY
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MAY 16, 2027
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MAY 23, 2027
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MAY 30, 2027
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JUNE'S SOUL MATTERS THEME: HORIZONS
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JUNE 6, 2027
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JUNE 13, 2027
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JUNE 20, 2027
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JUNE 27, 2027
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What to Expect on Sunday Mornings
During the pandemic, we met exclusively on Zoom. Since we resumed meeting in-person, our services have been hybrid, with some of us in person and some on Zoom. Very occasionally, due to weather or other events, we meet just on Zoom, but we try to let people know as soon as possible when that is going to happen.
Sunday services typically include opening words, welcome & announcements, the chalice lighting, an opening song, "Words For All Ages," the singing of the children to their classes, the sharing of joys & concerns, the passing of the collection plate (accompanied by a hymn), the sermon or activity, an opportunity for congregational reflection, a closing song, and closing words.
On two Sundays a month, children and youth stay in the sanctuary for the first twenty minutes of the service. "Words for All Ages," usually in the form of a story, often told by the Minister, concludes their time in the sanctuary, and they are then released to go to Sunday School. Once or twice a month, there will be a multi- generational service when the children and youth remain in the room and we all worship together.
From time to time, we actually have an activity and even make things during a service. These services are a real opportunity to engage with the world around us in a tangible way, whether it is making meals for those experiencing food insecurity, connecting with the environment more directly. Such services also serve to forge interpersonal bonds between congregants. Below is a photograph of birds happily feasting on all-natural bird feeders made during our March 17, 2024 service, A Host of Sparrows.
Following the worship service is the Fellowship Hour, a social hour during which refreshments, including Fair Trade coffee and tea, are served. On the third Sunday of every month, we also host Third Sunday Lunch. Every other month, this lunch takes place at a local restaurant, while on the other Sundays it's pot-luck or something simple at the Fellowship.
Hospitality Hour
Since 2002, we have been participating in the Interfaith Program of a very special fair trade coffee company called Equal Exchange. It is the only coffee we serve during hospitality hour following the Sunday service.
Equal Exchange is a for-profit Fairtrade worker-owned, cooperative headquartered in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Equal Exchange distributes organic, gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by farmer cooperatives in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Founded in 1986, it is the oldest and largest Fair Trade coffee company in the United States. Dedicated to concepts of economic justice, the highest paid employee of Equal Exchange may not make more than four times what the lowest paid employee receives.
Essentially, Equal Exchange brings together the producer and the consumer in an equitable and meaningful way. The middleman (in the case of coffee, called Coyotes), and establishes a more direct connection between the producer and consumer.
