| First Unitarian Connection |
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Note: When the newsletter is sent via email, the text may be truncated. To be sure you are seeing the entire newsletter, please click on the "view in browser" link near the top of the message or scroll to the bottom where it says [Message clipped] and click on: View entire message
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| Sundays at First Unitarian Church |
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Sunday, August 20 - 11:00 am
Seeker Service Part I - "UU Theology According to Barbie"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
As we transition from summer into the regular church year, we offer three special services (our “Seeker Series”) specifically designed for those who are new to Unitarian Universalism, as well as those who may be longtime UUs but are still learning about our faith. Our first service in this series considers how the new movie Barbie speaks to UU values. All are welcome and encouraged to wear pink!
Spoiler Alert: You won't need to have seen BARBIE to understand the sermon, but the sermon WILL include details about the film! Be sure to bring your Barbies or Kens with you!
Participating in Sunday's service:
Service Leader: Rev. Diana Davies; Worship Associate: Cortney Custer; Music: Sarah Gray and Ellisya Ravencroft; Accompanist: Steven Elkins Kennedy; Technical Support: Tammy Epperson and Ellisya Ravencroft
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
August
August 27 - Seeker Series Part II: "Now I Am Become…? Science and Unitarian Universalism" (Rev. Diana)
September
September 3 - "Ghosts in the Machine: AI and Unitarian Universalism" (Rev. Diana)
September 10 - Ingathering/Water Ceremony
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September 10
Official Start of the New Church Year - Join Us for Ingathering!
The official start of our new church year is September 10. Once again, this service will feature a water ceremony. In this ceremony, everyone brings a small container of water that represents a journey (real or symbolic) they’ve taken over the summer. It might be water from a trip to the ocean, or from a favorite fishing hole. It might be rainwater collected after a storm, or water from a beloved pet’s bowl. We gather all these into one container, to symbolize the way we come together as individuals on our separate paths but form one community. Please join us for this special day.
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Child Care and Nursery
The Childcare Rooms are open from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm each Sunday morning. (10:00 am to 11:00 am for childcare for any adult programming happening and 11:00 am to 12:30 pm for worship.)
Childcare will be taking place in the nursery and attached preschool room.
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Sunday, August 20 - 10:00 am
Sunday Morning Meditation (In-Person)
Please join us for meditation practice in the Buddhist tradition (lower level, next to Corley Commons).
All are welcome; no meditation experience necessary!
For more information contact Lori Jervis.
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Sunday, August 20 - 10:00 am
Adult Ed
Each week there are two options for 10:00 am Adult Ed:
- Our meditation group that meets downstairs in the Corley Commons - Meditation Room
- Our main Forum like programming will take place in the Eddy Room every Sunday at 10:00am (except the 3rd Sunday of the month it will be in Daniel Hall) and the topic will change each week.
This Sunday - Presentation from Sustainable Living Organization: Update the congregation on the proposed Kitchen Policy (which goes before the Board in September), to discuss a plan for training the use of kitchen appliances to all the various groups in the congregation, update on current OKC recycling policies, and Green Sanctuary.
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Sunday, August 20, 12:15 pm in the Eddy Room
New Friend Gathering
Have you wanted to check us out but haven't been able to, or maybe you've come a few times and would like to learn more? This is the event for you! Our Congregational Life Coordinator invites you to our New Friend Gathering this Sunday at 12:15 pm. We will be meeting in the Eddy Room. One of our greeters will show you where to go if you want to hang back in the sanctuary after the service. We look forward to meeting you!
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News from Befrienders
Befrienders is ready to assist members of our church who are recovering from surgeries or illnesses by offering cards of well-wishes, meal trains, transportation to church or medical appointments as well as arranging for visitations.
Steve Weston recently took a fall and is currently at the Mercy Rehab Inpatient facility located on Westbound Memorial, just east of McArthur Blvd. He would enjoy folks coming for a visit between the hours of 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
Buzz Forsythe is home from his stint in the hospital and would love for folks to come up to Edmond to visit him. Give him a call first to let him know you’re planning to visit.
Kathy Nyswonger is our Visitation Team leader and she’s ready to begin encouraging folks to visit some of our long-time members who can no longer attend church activities. Please contact her and let her know you would be willing to be a visitor.
Contact information can be found in Breeze.
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First Unitarian Cares!
If you (or someone you care about in our community) would like a caring card, a ride, a meal delivered to your home, a prayer, or a pastoral visit, please fill out a pastoral care request form on our website: https://1uc.org/connect/pastor... or contact Rev. Diana or Susan Bishop (chair of the Befrienders).
Please contact Rev. Diana directly if you need financial assistance. The Minister's Discretionary Fund is available for anyone who needs emergency financial support. In the past, the fund has been used to help cover rent, groceries, fuel, home repairs, medical costs and other needs. Allocations from this fund are completely confidential.
Requests for support from this fund have risen significantly. If you have financial capacity, please consider making a gift to the Minister's Discretionary Fund. Thank you!
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| Adult Education Classes & Courses |
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Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - August 17 - 20
2023 Freedom Fiesta Celebration
You are invited to the 2023 Freedom Fiesta Celebration – 65th Anniversary of the OKC Sit-ins.
On Aug. 19, 1958, high school history teacher Clara Luper and the NAACP Youth Council in Oklahoma began sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters at the Katz Drugstore. This sit-in led to numerous other demonstrations at lunch counters, cafeterias, churches, amusement parks, marches, voter registration drives, and boycotts.
The Clara Luper Legacy Committee and OCU Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invite you to attend the four-day celebration as we remember the impact of the OKC Sit-ins.
- Thursday, August 17 at Oklahoma History Center, 6:00 p.m. – We've Come This Far by Faith
- Friday, August 18 at Oklahoma Contemporary, 6:00 p.m. – Freedom Story and Art Show
- Saturday, August 19, begins at Frontline and ends at Kaiser's, 9:00 a.m. – March and Sit-in Reenactment
- Sunday, August 20 at Fifth Street Baptist Church, 6:00 p.m. – Freedom Fiesta Celebration Program
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Saturday, August 19, 5:00 pm
Family Game Night/Potluck
Like board games? Come join us at the monthly family boardgame potluck from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday, August 19th.
We'll have a projector running Nintendo games for the kids!"
All ages welcome!
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UU Book Club Update!
For September 2023, we will be discussing Endurance by Alfred Lansing. In our last meeting, we came up with the following book for October: An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good
by Helene Tursten.
Also. mentioned in the last meeting were the following books we can consider in the future:
- Horse by Geraldine Brooks
- The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I heard about this book on NPR's Science Friday, and it sounds really interesting, well, it does to me anyway: Future Humans by Scott E. Solomon, Ph.D.
- Steve Gryglewicz
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| Saturday, September 2, 9:00 am |
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| OKC Beautiful "iNaturalist Training and Nature Walk" |
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| Sustainable Living Organization |
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News from Sustainable Living Organization
This has been a hard summer. We’ve experienced some of the worst extreme heat on record: July 2023 is the hottest month on record, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever. In Texas, incarcerated human beings have been struggling to endure the extreme heat without air conditioning. Agricultural workers, construction workers, roofers, outdoor workers, and those who work in unairconditioned spaces are all at increased risk of heat-related illness and death with no federal protections for heat. Temperatures are too high for birds and other wildlife to cope. Ocean temperatures exceeding 100 degrees threaten marine life. As of today, the US has had 15 confirmed billion-dollar weather/climate disaster events, including 1 flood, 13 severe storms, and 1 winter storm resulting in 113 deaths.
Our next SLO meeting will be on Sunday, August 20. We are on the church calendar for the 10:00 am Forum that day. It’s the 1st of Rev Diana’s Seeker Services, which generally bring new visitors to the church.
On that day, SLO plans to update the congregation on the proposed Kitchen Policy (which goes before the Board in September), to discuss a plan for training the use of kitchen appliances to all the various groups in the congregation, update on current OKC recycling policies, and Green Sanctuary. We learned that we have an adequate budget to acquire services for composting kitchen waste, and perhaps glass recycling, from Fertile Grounds, all thanks to our sales of coffee, tea and chocolate! So, buy SLO products so we can do more to help the church GREEN UP even more! Details available by that meeting.
If you need a copy of the kitchen policy proposal or want to take a date to sell goods at the SLO table on a Sunday, or just have questions, feel free to email, text or call Tempie Nichols-Rood.
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August Change for Change
For the month of August our Change for Change recipient is the SISU Youth Services
SISU YOUTH SERVICES - “Together, we can end youth homelessness." - Their vision is to end homelessness and hopelessness among transition-age youth in Oklahoma City. We can support Oklahoma City's unhoused youth by making a donation or signing up to volunteer. With our support, it helps them deliver the best care and plan for the growing future.
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CHANGE FOR CHANGE needs your help. Did you know that anyone can suggest a worthy local non-profit in our community? Do you know how?
- Check out the 1uc.org website and click on the justice tab
- Then click on Community Partnerships and click on the application in green in the middle of the page.
- Submit the application to Deborah Shinn or Anne Murray, or leave it in the office Social Justice mailbox. Or you can email the completed application to them. They can be found in Breeze.
OK LGBTQ+ NEWS - Freedom, as in a future bound with each other: How can we work as a movement to build community with both feet firmly planted in Oklahoma? How can we work so that future generations don’t feel they must leave to be safe, can’t imagine leaving this place they call home? It’s a question we're carrying into this Fall, and next session, and the work beyond that.
Last year during our annual Freedom OK Leadership Summit, we asked you to reimagine with us. This year, we have reimagined our fall programming, under the leadership of Mataia Blackwell and Taylor Raye, and our Leadership Summit has evolved into what we’re calling The Freedom Sessions conference. Register today!
NEWS FROM OK POLICY INSTITUTE: Educare shows positive impact on early learning, study finds: A groundbreaking study titled “Kindergarten through Grade 3 Outcomes Associated with Participation in High-Quality Early Care and Education: A RCT Follow-Up Study” with Tulsa’s Educare has unveiled a transformative solution to the persistent student achievement gap in education. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Commemorating 65 Years of Clara Luper’s Historic Sit-Ins: Commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Sit-Ins, the 2023 Freedom Fiesta is proudly presented by the Clara Luper Legacy Committee. In 1958, Clara Luper and a group of young African American students staged a series of sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in downtown Oklahoma City, protesting against racial segregation and demanding equal treatment for all. [The Black Wall Street Times]
Column: Oklahoma is a leader in the clean energy revolution: Our long overdue national pivot away from fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal is accelerating with a speed that experts find astonishing. [Lance Janda Guest Column / The Lawton Constitution]
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6 week class; Tuesdays at 6:30 pm
Racial Justice Team class - "White Privilege"
Do you
understand what “white culture” is? Join the Racial Justice Team for “White
Privilege” facilitated by Rebecca Schaller, Lonney Corder-Agnew and Maureen
Harvey.
Every Tuesday -Through August 22nd from
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
The curriculum is from the United Church of Christ and involves
short readings, writing and discussion to help us better understand the culture
we live in.
To sign up contact Rebecca Schaller at rebeccaagnesschaller@gmail.com
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| Saturday, August 26th - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm |
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| The Freedom Sessions |
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The Freedom Sessions conference is a one-day convening of 2SLGBTQ+ communities from around the state where we learn and develop best practices for organizing, community care, power building, and sustaining our movement for liberation together. The conference is virtual with in-person options and centers 2SLGBTQ+ folks of all ages.
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Welcome new Committee on Ministry members!
Members of the Committee on Ministry are nominated by the CoM and selected by the Board of Trustees. Our newest members (joining as of July 2023) are Rebecca Daniels, Liz Pillar-Little, and Derrick Wagner. They join Lori Jervis, Tom Peryam, and James Vaughn. Dex Marble is rotating off at the end of this church year. Thank you for your service on this important committee, Dex!
The function of the Committee on Ministry is to monitor on a regular and continuing basis the effectiveness of the church’s ministry, acknowledging and praising areas of strength, and assessing the reasons behind areas of perceived weakness or dissatisfaction, so that we, as a congregation, can grow into our full potential and fulfill our mission. If you have any questions about the role of the Committee on Ministry or have concerns, praise, or ideas about the ministries of this church, you are welcome to reach out to a member of the CoM.
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Note: Most meetings continue to meet via Zoom but some groups may elect to meet in the building. Please contact the meeting organizer directly if you are uncertain of the location.
- Sunday Morning Meditation – Every Sunday at 10:00 am, Meditation Room (Corley Commons – contact Lori Jervis for information - see article above)
- Adult RE – Every Sunday, 10:00 am in Daniel Hall (contact Tim Atkins for information - see article above)
- Tuesday Discussion Group – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am (contact Ron Wasson for information - see article above)
- Bell Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 5:45 pm (contact LaDonna Hunt for information)
- Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm - beginning August 23 (contact 'Ebuka Ezeakacha for information)
- Racial Justice Class: “White Privilege”- Tuesdays, 6:30 pm Through August 22, via Zoom (contact Rebecca Schaller or Maureen Harvey for information)
- BRUU – Wednesday, August 16, 7:00 pm (contact John Schneider for information)
- Radical Welcoming Team – Thursday, August 17, 6:30 pm (contact Lynn Ann Wagner for information)
- Exploring Spirituality – Friday, August 18, 6:00 pm (contact Lu Ann Faulkner-Schneider for information)
- Family Game Night/Potluck – Saturday, August 19, 5:00 pm, Daniel Hall (contact Keith Daniels for information)
- SLO Meeting – Sunday, August 20, 10:00 am, Daniel Hall (contact Tempie Nichols-Rood for information)
- New Friend Gathering – Sunday, August 20, 12:15 pm, Eddy Room (contact Nathan Boone for information)
- Healthy Lifestyles – Monday, August 21, 7:00 pm (contact Lu Ann Faulkner-Schneider for information)
- Youth Lock In – Friday, August 25, Youth Rooms (contact Tim Atkins for information)
- Fiber Connections – Saturday, August 26, 10:00 am, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- 1UC VOICE Meeting – Sunday, August 27, 9:00 am, Eddy Room (contact Maureen Harvey for information)
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| It's not too late to make or increase your pledge for our next church year! |
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Current Safety Level: Masks Are Encouraged
Masks are optional at all church events but are always welcome and encouraged.
- If you choose not to wear a mask, it is especially important that you do not attend services or events if you have any symptoms typical of COVID, flu, or RSV. Please stay home and join us online.
- Please continue to wash your hands frequently. And please be sure to throw away used tissues. Don't leave them in the pews.
- No one should ever be pressured into removing their mask. Please honor everyone's choice.
- If you haven't yet had your latest COVID booster please get it now!
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If you have a newsletter article you would like to submit please email your article to mgrogg@1uc.org no later than Tuesday (the day before the newsletter goes out) by 5:00 pm.
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**********************************************************************************
In order to save printing and mailing costs and to conserve natural resources, the Annual Report will not be mailed by default to all congregants. Instead, it is available online. Please contact Marlies Grogg (mgrogg@1uc.org) if you would like to receive a hard copy of the Annual Report.
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Did you know that you can access all church policies and procedures as well as Board meeting minutes on our new website? Just go to 1uc.org, and click on the "members" link in the upper right-hand corner (just to the left of the Facebook and other social media icons). This will open a page that says "Protected: Members." The password is @600NW13thSt [Note: the password is case-sensitive; do not put in additional punctuation or spaces.]
From here, click on "church documents." All official policies and procedures can be found in the "policies" folder. The bylaws and Board of Trustees meeting minutes are in the "governance" folder. Please disregard the "website SOPs" folder, which is for administrative use only.
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CHURCH STAFF
Lead Minister - Rev. Diana K. Davies
Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration - Tim Atkins
Choir Director - Chukwuebuka ('Ebuka) G. Ezeakacha
Accompanist - Steven Elkins Kennedy
Congregational Life Coordinator - Nathan Boone
Office Administrator - Marlies Grogg
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023-2024
President of the Congregation – Marcia Woodward
President Elect – Catherine Webster
Immediate Past President – Marshal Gimpel
Clerk – Deborah Shinn
Treasurer – Ron Wasson
Clare Auwarter Lorriana Lee-Knapp Larry Little
Ann Meeks Coba Neitzel Doug Vincent
Committee on Ministry
Rebecca Daniels Lori Jervis Liz Pillar-Little Tom Peryam James Vaughn Derrick Wagner
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