Sunday, May 26, 11:00 am, Sanctuary

"Not for the Doctrine, but the Music" (Choir Sunday)

Join us in person or watch on YouTube.

Alexander Pope, an 18th Century poet and essayist, wrote of people who “to church repair, not for the doctrine, but the music there.” Pope saw this as unfortunate, but many would disagree. On this, the Choir’s last Sunday until fall, Rev. Sue’s sermon will explore the connections between music and the life of the spirit.

Participating in today’s service:

Service Leaders: Rev. Sue Redfern-Campbell, Transitional Minister;  Worship Associate: Maureen Harvey;  Chalice Lighter:  Sundra Flansburg; Call to Offering: Lori Jervis; Choir Director: Chukwuebuka "Ebuka” Ezeakacha; Accompanist: Steven Elkins Kennedy; Technical Support: Tammy Epperson and Ellisya Ravencroft

Sunday, May 26, 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.

Sunday, May 26 - 10:00 am - Daniel Hall

Proposed Budget Talk

Join us for “2024-2025 Budget Discussion" in Daniel Hall.  

Have questions about the proposed 2024-2025 Budget? Attend the Budget Q & A session at 10:00am in Daniel Hall.

For more information contact Ron Wasson

Sunday, May 26 (immediately after the service) Daniel Hall

Coffee, Lemonade and Conversation

Join us after the service in Daniel Hall for coffee, lemonade and conversation.

Sunday, May 26, 12:15 pm, Sanctuary

Q&A - Discussion on "What's Next" for the Minister position

Do you have questions about our minister search? Join the Search Team this Sunday at 12:15 pm in the Sanctuary for a Town Hall-style meeting where you can get your questions answered! Learn more about what our options are at this point and how they might play out.

From Rev. Sue

I was as shocked and saddened as you were, when I first heard the news that First Unitarian had not matched with an Interim Minister for the next church year. To my mind, this church has everything going for it, and I spread that word at the transition ministers' end-of-April gathering. The failure to find a match has a great deal to do with the circumstances of this year's search, and nothing to do with any shortcomings on your part.

Although no congregation is perfect, this is one of the healthiest congregations I've served - and I've served many, and seen even more. You're blessed with highly gifted staff and equally talented laity. Your ministries in the wider community are vibrant and transforming. Strangers who enter here quickly find a welcome. You're financially healthy. And, although a church is far more than its building, and can even be a church without one, your building and grounds are beautiful and inviting.

Your interim search team has wisely pivoted to seeking a contract minister. As Marshal Gimpel pointed out on Sunday, this has some disadvantages, but also some very significant advantages. This person may be found quickly, or it might take some time. But I firmly believe that excellent congregations deserve excellent ministers - and that sooner or later, they find them. I have faith that the right person will appear when the time is right. I also have faith in you: that you'll continue your fine ministries in this beloved, hurting world of ours - and perhaps even discover new paths of ministry. That is my hope and prayer for you, now and for the future.

Love and blessings,

Rev. Sue

Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 pm

Board of Trustees Meeting

Board of Trustees meeting:  Everyone is welcome to attend.

See board documents here.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/97199144268?...

Meeting ID: 971 9914 4268
Passcode: 541007

For more information contact Marcia Woodward at marcia_woodward@verizon.net

Early into my time with First Unitarian I was watching Rev. Jonalu Johnstone preach, and I heard a small voice in the back of my mind that said, “You should do that too.” I immediately dismissed this voice and thought there is no way that I can be a minister. I have a life here in OKC, I am about to get married, and I have a professional life to attend to as an attorney for the state.

I officially joined the church in January 2014, served on the Board of Trustees for about four years during some very tumultuous times, served on the Interim Search Committee, the LifeSpan Faith Exploration Director Search Committee, a number of other committees, and served as the chair of the 1UC VOICE committee for several years. During this time, even in the most difficult moments of church life, I still felt a call toward ministry.

In September 2020, I started seminary at Meadville-Lombard Theological School. Because of COVID, it became a remote program and I was able to maintain my deep relationships within the congregation and add Rev. Diana as my formal mentor. In August 2021, my family and I moved to Massachusetts to serve my ministerial internship and over the summer we will be moving to Wilmington, North Carolina where I have been called as their settled minister.

Throughout my time away, my love for 1UC and appreciation for all the ways the members and friends of the congregations helped form me into the minister I am on the precipice of being has not wavered. This is why I have requested to be ordained by this congregation. I was made into a Unitarian Universalist at this congregation, I was able to identify the key role social justice would play in my ministry through my work with VOICE, and I was shaped into the type of minister I would be through my work with the Board and the variety of committees I served on as well as through the important relationships I formed and still maintain.

I would simply not be on the path I am on today without having first walked through the doors of our wonderful and welcoming church. I don’t think I can articulate all the ways in which I have grown as a person and have been made better by my association with this congregation.

I am forever grateful for this church, and I often mourn deeply the distance I now must have from the congregation because of my position and location. However, I still feel tied to and a part of this place. Whether it be by meeting with Scot Harvey and Tim Atkins at General Assembly, my frequent phone calls with Janice Martin and Sundra Flansburg, or the occasional treat of getting to Zoom with Luann Faulkner-Schneider, Linda Wasson, Lorriana Lee-Knapp, Paula Geisinger, and Linda Lewis Watkins (my beloved Healthy Lifestyles group). I still feel a connection and pull to this beautiful place and I would be forever grateful if you all allowed me to continue that connection as the place that ordains me. This is the place that formed me, therefore what better place can there be to take the first official step on my journey as a minister?

--Alyssa Lee

The week of June 3 - June 7

Chalice Camp 2024

Howdy Folks!

The 51st Annual(ish) Chalice Camp 2024 will be June 3rd-7th! Zel is back as our Camp Director, and our theme for Chalice Camp 2024 is "Rebirth and Renewal."

Some important dates:

-Registration Deadline is Saturday, May 18th.

-Training for Counselors and Adult Volunteers is Sunday, May 19th from 1 to no later than 3pm at the Church. We will have pizza lunch and meet down in the Youth Room after RE. For anyone who can't make it, let us know, and we will attempt to zoom from the training.

Chalice Camp 2024 will run June 3rd-7th. It will take place at our usual location, Central Oklahoma Camp Center: 1 Twin Cedar Ln, Guthrie, OK 73044

Register online using this url: https://1ucokc.breezechms.com/form/b953a89273

Although it is still too cost prohibitive to rent a bus, we’re looking at how to have a more community feel to getting to/coming back from camp. This year we are strongly encouraging folks to carpool from the church, so we can go to camp together. We're going to use the same system as last year.

Carpooling Option: Drop off at the church will begin at 8am each morning. At 8:30 sharp, we will leave for the camp. Pick up will begin at the church at 4pm. From 4-6pm we will have aftercare available in the chapel - we’ll be showing a movie each day. Kids will need to be picked up by 6pm. We will need folks willing to drive, especially if you’ve got a bigger car/van/SUV!

If you need a carpool to the church to make the carpooling pickup time, let Tim know and we will see who lives in your area that could help get your kiddo to church and the camp!

Drop Off Option: Now, if you live really close to the camp and not the church, you can meet us at the campsite directly, but your times are slightly different. If you’re doing this, note that Camp will start at 9:30 - kids should be dropped off at the camp 9:15-9:30. Pickup time for the camp is 3pm at the campsite.

During registration, we will ask you if you’re choosing the carpool option (which we hope!) or the drop off option. We will also ask if you’re willing to help carpool from the church to the campsite (and we can help subsidize gas costs if need be, just Tim know.)

This year, families are invited to join us Friday at Noon for a picnic lunch/cookout! Food will start at noon, and at one you can join us for activities like crafts and the pool!

We're attempting to keep the costs the same as last year:

Costs for Members of First Unitarian: One Child is 200 dollars, 175 for each additional sibling
Costs for Non-Members of First Unitarian: One Child is 225 dollars, 200 for each additional sibling
Cost for High School (Grades 9-12) Counselors: 75 dollars
We are offering a 25 dollar discount if you are willing to be one of our carpool drivers from the church to the camp.

And no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. Reach out to Tim if the finances are a problem - we can give full scholarships, partial scholarships, figure out payment plans, whatever you need.

2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month - 6:00 pm

Wednesday Night Meditation

Interested in meditation but can't quite make it on Sunday mornings? Or maybe you just want more meditation? We are adding a Wednesday night session to our schedule (6:00 pm - 7:00 pm) in the meditation room in the lower level (Corley Commons).

For more information contact Larry Little.

Tuesday, June 4, 11:30 am - Daniel Hall

Special Meeting - "Cybersecurity and Scamming"

The Alliance is hosting Kris King on Tuesday, June 4th, at noon to give a talk on "Cybersecurity"

This is an important topic as the scammers are becoming more clever every day and we need to stay ahead of them! 

Bring a brown bag lunch at 11:30 am. There will be no business meeting. 

Maureen

UUs at Pride 2024 Celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ Folx!

Please note, there are TWO Pride parades First Unitarian will be participating in, in OKC this year.

The 39th Street Pride Parade will be held on Sunday, June 2nd starting at 6:00 pm. To join us in walking the parade or riding in the First Unitarian trailer, we will be lining up at 5:00 pm. We will meet at the parade lineup on the outside southbound lane of N.Classen Blvd., north of NW 39th Street. Look for our banner or familiar faces in the lineup on Classen. First Unitarian youth will be decorating our trailer for the parade, please meet at 4:00 pm on N Classen Blvd.

The Pride on 39th Festival runs from Friday, May 31st through Sunday, June 2nd on NW 39th Street, click here to learn more about the festival and parade: https://www.prideon39th.com/

The OKC Pride Alliance Parade will be held on Sunday, June 30th starting at 11:00 am (no worship service at First Unitarian this day). To join us in walking the parade or riding in the First Unitarian trailer, we will be lining up at 10:00 am. We will meet at the parade lineup on Walker Ave., more information to come. Look for our banner or familiar faces in the lineup. First Unitarian youth will be decorating our trailer for the parade, please meet at 9:00 am.

Pride Alliance Pridefest runs from Friday, June 28th through Sunday, June 30th at Scissortail Park, click here to learn more about Pridefest and the parade: https://www.okcpridealliance.org/

If you want to join in celebrations and don’t want to walk/ride in the trailer, bring out your favorite chair and join the folx watching and cheering along the parade routes! All are welcome! All are loved!

First Unitarian Church is co-sponsoring the interfaith PRIDE Community Worship Service at Mosaic Community Church on Wednesday, June 26th. See upcoming newsletters for more information.

Need further information?  Contact Lynn Ann Wagner for details at flowerdancer@hotmail.com.

Memorial Garden

Are you familiar with our Memorial Garden? Established in 1987, our tranquil garden, located on each side of the entrance to the church from the Allen Courtyard, holds cremated remains and provides a place for congregants to honor and memorialize the lives and memories of their loved ones.

Beautiful slabs of granite with bronze plaques identify the deceased. The east side of the garden will be in use soon.

You can prepay for a portion of your ashes to be interred in the garden. There is a one-time fee of $275, BUT the price will rise to $300 on July 1.  If you think this is something you might be interested in, send your money to the church office.

News from Befrienders

Befrienders relies upon donations. Those donations are used to provide cards, stamps, and items for memorial receptions. If you wish to make a donation, please send a check and put Befrienders on the purpose line of your check. Thank you.

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, and we provide the receptions following memorial services.

Befrienders have teams assigned for specific roles.

• Lana Henson leads our Cards of Well Wishes team and can always use extra hands to write cards to our members who are ill or who are recovering from surgeries.
• Ginny Boykin leads our Memorial Receptions team. She calls on folks to bring food for the receptions.
• Patti Kate leads our Transportation team and is looking for folks to be added to her list of people willing to be drivers for anyone needing a ride to a doctor’s appointment, therapy appointment, etc. She is actively recruiting for folks to be on her team.
• Kathy Nyswonger leads our Visitation team. She, along with others, actively go out and visit with members who are unable to get to church or some of the social events. She is actively recruiting for folks to be on her team.
• Meal Trains – we don’t have a team leader yet for this team of people willing to step up and provide a meal to an individual or family. Much of the work of the leader is organizing the Meal Train on line. If you are interested, please contact Susan Bishop for more info,

If you are interested in joining any of these teams, please let Susan Bishop know at sdbishop50@gmail.com.

The next meeting of Befrienders is Thursday, March 14 at noon in the Eddy Room.

Meet your Health, Safety & Security Committee Team!

Larry Little, chair, Tammy Epperson (IT),Ellie Ravencroft (IT), Keith Daniels (Security), Scott Forbes (Security), Frank Roesler (Safety), Dirk Neitzel (Health), and Todd Hildebrandt (Health)

The mission of this committee is to evaluate and improve the health and safety of people attending worship services and implement security programs for activities/events at the church or sponsored by the church.

This team of volunteers works behind the scenes and is invisible to most. 

This one team actually is responsible for the three parts in its name:

Health:
Team members track trends in hospitalizations and cases levels of infectious disease threats such as influenza, RSV, Covid, Monkey Pox and recommend mitigating actions, such as immunizations, masking, even going to virtual services under extreme situations to Church leadership. As you know the three first aid kits are monitored to ensure supplies are available when needed, and the team ensures the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is charged. Fire Department First Aid/CPR/AED training at the Church was conducted a year and a half ago and will be scheduled again this Fall. Additionally, a health team expert on geriatric issues spoke at an Alliance luncheon last year.

Safety:
Team members work with the Facilities Group to identify and eliminate hazards found in the Church or on Church Grounds, such as tripping hazards. Yellow warning tape was placed on all stairs, yellow paint highlighted outside steps, parking signs and handicapped parking signs were updated for parking around the Church and recently red parking cones have been utilized to avoid parking congestion. The 911 emergency call cards in pews are courtesy of your Safety Team.

Security:
Building security is a primary responsibility. Unseen by everyone except Marlies on the external security cameras (thanks to Ron Wasson), team members come by the Church when it’s closed to ensure all doors are locked. And those checks supported the Facilities team’s decision to replace a door that refused to close. Security team members developed the comprehensive First Unitarian Emergency Operations Plan which provides plans and procedures as to how to respond to natural disasters, acts of vandalism, disruption of Services, including de-escalation and monitoring Services for suspicious behavior (not appearance). Efforts are being made to provide professional security training to team members and Church leadership. MalCare security software monitors our 1uc.org website to prevent malware and hacking attempts. Efforts are also in progress to educate the congregation about spoofing and phishing attacks.

And now that you know what your Health, Safety and Security Committee does, please contact Larry if you’re interested in joining.

1 in 3 people will develop shingles: according to the CDC, vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia (burning pain in the nerves and skin), the most common complication from shingles. Fortunately, the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing shingles in people with healthy immune systems.

Are you in either of these two groups? The CDC recommends two doses of the shingles vaccine (separated by two to six months) for the following groups:


• Adults ages 50 and older
• Anyone 19 years or older who has a weakened immune system because of disease or therapy

May Change for Change

For the month of May our Change for Change partner is ReMerge Oklahoma.

Mission Statement:  ReMerge of Oklahoma County is a pre-trial diversion program that serves high-risk, high-needs mothers facing non-violent felony offenses in Oklahoma County. ReMerge is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit dedicated to restoring women to their families and the community. They seek to impact Oklahoma’s high rate of female incarceration and to serve as a model to the power of rehabilitation.