| First Unitarian Connection |
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| September 7 - September 13 |
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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, September 10 - 11:00 am
"Water Ceremony/Ingathering"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
In this UU water 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. We’ll also welcome our newest members. Please join us for this special day.
Participating in Sunday's service:
Service Leader: Rev. Diana Davies, Lead Minister; Time for All Ages: Tim Atkins, DLRE; Worship Associate: Liz Pillar-Little; Choir Director: Chukwuebuka Ezeakacha; Accompanist: Steven Elkins Kennedy; Technical Support: Tammy Epperson and Ellisya Ravencroft
New members recognized: Emily Dunagin, Ashley and Michael Krukowski, Jeff and Laura McCanlies, and Gayle Townley
Returning members recognized: Valerie Atkinson, Beth Autrey and Whitney Streets
During this service, we will say farewell to our Congregational Life Coordinator, Nathan Boone. Participants: Chair of the Membership Committee, Lorriana Lee-Knapp, and Representative of the HR Working Group, Kate Elliott
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We Wish You All the Very Best, Nathan Boone!
Sadly, this week we say farewell to our beloved Congregational Life Coordinator, Nathan Boone. Nathan has served this congregation since 2019. For many of our newer members, he was one of the first people they got to know at First U. During the COVID pandemic, Nathan helped to keep us connected through fun get-to-know-you Zoom lunches and other innovative programs. He helped to make our online auctions and church fundraisers huge successes and he kept our social media presence super creative and fun. We will miss his dry sense of humor and his warm presence, but we are happy for him to have a wonderful opportunity to serve Community Pathways as their new Assistant Director of Operations. We wish you much happiness in your new job, Nathan!
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Hello everyone! After four years of working here, I am leaving First Unitarian for a full time position. Thank you for welcoming me with arms wide open when I first started! We have been through so much together - a pandemic, ice storms, learning how to use Zoom, loss and pain, just to name a few. Thank you for pushing me to be a better person. When I first started working here, I thought things were as good as it could be for a church. Little did I know how much work we needed to do! And we've done a lot. I am proud of our new members who have joined in the recent years. It has been beautiful to see you plant roots. So I will say "so long" but not goodbye. I hope to return in a few months and see you all on Sunday mornings. I have cherished my time getting to know many of you. Feel free to stay in touch by reaching out to my personal email: nhboone@gmail.com
This Sunday, September 10 will be my last day working as a staff member. I hope to see many of you as I can. Thank you again and see you soon!
Love,
Nathan Boone
Congregational Life Coordinator
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
September
September 17 - "To Learn Is to Change: Launching a New Year of Learning"
September 24 - "All the Broken Pieces: On Imperfection and Yom Kippur"
October
October 1 - Animal Blessing
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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, September 10 - 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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Fellowship Dinners are Back!
Coming soon!
Fellowship Dinners Sign-Up!
Some 25 years ago our church began a popular fellowship program called “Dinners for Eight” or “Fellowship Dinners.” People who sign up are grouped in units of 4, whether 4 couples or some singles. Once a month they get together for dinner in homes on a rotating basis.
More details will follow soon, but just know that this great opportunity to get to know some church members or friends is coming!
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| Lifespan Religious Exploration |
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RE Begins September 17!
It's time to register your students for the upcoming RE Program Year! We ask for these annually to make sure no medical info has changed. Please fill it out online (just click on the "register here picture")
Read all about this year's program, including our curriculum, in our family guide below!
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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, and we provide the receptions following memorial services.
Befrienders relies upon donations. Those donations are used to provide cards, stamps, occasional meals, 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.
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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, September 7- 7:00 pm
UU Book Club
Join in on Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 pm for UU Book Club.. We will be discussing Endurance by Alfred Lansing. I hope everyone puts some thick seal steaks on the grill and a huge pot of penguin blubber hoosh, just to set the mood.
Also, for October we will read and discuss An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten. We can talk about setting up a schedule for the next few months including these following books we came up with in the last meeting:
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Horse by Geraldine Brooks
- The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
- Future Humans by Scott E. Solomon, Ph.D.
- Any other books we can think of
Contact Steve Gryglewicz for more information at stgryg@yahoo.com.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88051248829?pwd=dHhUZjJIenozazJ1K1pNNEVOWHhlUT09
Meeting ID: 880 5124 8829
Passcode: 398265
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Tuesday, September 12 - 11:30 am
Alliance Brown Bag Lunch and Program
Mark your calendars for our first meeting of the 1UC church year, Tuesday, September 12th. Bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy conversation at 11:30 am. Our speaker will begin at noon, followed by our Alliance meeting.
The speaker will be Katie Lenhart from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She will educate us in regards to the new "988 Mental Health Lifeline."
Don’t forget to pay your yearly dues of $10, and we encourage you to bring someone new to our gathering.
The Alliance Board will be providing dessert. I hope everyone is well, and has had an enjoyable summer.
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September Change for Change
For the month of September our Change for Change partner is First Parish Malden – Gender Affirming Health Care Programs.
Their Mission: To advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Promoting justice, freedom and equality in the larger society. They speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are at stake.
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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.
NEWS FROM OKLAHOMA WATCH: - According to a report from the Violence Policy Center, Oklahoma ranks second in the nation in the rate of women murdered by men at 3.28 per 100,000 people. For homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 65% of female victims were shot and killed with guns. The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office reported 118 domestic homicide victims in 35 counties in 2021. 75 were male, 43 were female.
Oklahoma now has the least-vaccinated kindergarteners in a seven-state region, Paul Monies reported.
The latest available survey, from 2021-22, shows that 3.5% of Oklahoma kindergarteners aren’t vaccinated. That’s up from 2.4% the year before. The state has three exemptions to the public health law requiring vaccinations: medical, religious and philosophical. The spike isn’t from medical necessity; that number has remained flat at 0.5%, so about 86% of children who aren’t protected against diseases such as measles, chicken pox, smallpox, polio, whooping cough, mumps and others are unvaccinated because their parents opted out. Medical experts blame that on misinformation spread largely through social media.
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RACIAL JUSTICE NEWS: (Cited from CAIR’s weekly email newsletter) Friday, September 15th is National Muslim Voter Registration Day! We are looking for volunteers for the day to serve at our local mosques and help Muslims get registered to vote! More information can be found below.
Join us for CAIR Oklahoma's first-ever Women's Day Out event on Friday, September 15th! This women-only event is a great opportunity to connect with our Okie Muslim sisters and Afghan neighbors. This event is free and open to the public, however, RSVP is required. Register here.
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| Reproductive Justice News |
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Have you contacted your legislator to let them know your opinions about this?
Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe: Oklahoma is enforcing a pre-Roe ban that prohibits abortion entirely, except when “necessary to preserve” the life of a pregnant person.
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Earth Academy 2023- 2024
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Do you know a high school student who is passionate about the environment and service to community? Encourage them to apply!
What is the Earth Academy Program? - The Earth Academy program is a unique opportunity for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to connect with the community and the environment. Participants gain an understanding of a variety of environmental topics through monthly interactive sessions and service opportunities.
Complete the application below to apply for the 2023 - 2024 Earth Academy class!
Application Deadline: September 11, 2023
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Welcome new Committee!
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: Rebecca Daniels, Lori Jervis, Tom Peryam, Liz Pillar-Little, James Vaughn, Derrick Wagner
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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)
- Tuesday Discussion Group – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am (contact Ron Wasson for information - see article above)
- Bell Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 5:45 pm, Sanctuary (contact LaDonna Hunt for information)
- Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary (contact 'Ebuka Ezeakacha for information)
- UU Book Club - Thursday, September 7, 7:00 pm (contact Steve Gryglewicz for information)
- Board Retreat (for current Board Members) – Friday/Saturday, September 8 & 9 (contact Marcia Woodward for information)
- SLO Meeting – Sunday, September 10, 10:00 am, Eddy Room (contact Rob Hamm for information)
- Fiber Connections – Sunday, September 10, 12:00 pm, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- Interfaith Youth Tour – Sunday, September 10, 12:00 pm (contact Tim Atkins for information)
- 1UC Alliance/Brown Bag Lunch – Tuesday, September 12, 11;30 am, Daniel Hall (contact Maureen Harvey for information)
- HRWG - Tuesday, September 12, 6:30 pm (contact Scot Harvey for information)
- Racial Justice Team - Wednesday, September 13, 11:00 am (contact Becky Tallent for information)
- Befrienders - Thursday, September 14, 12:30 pm (contact Susan Bishop 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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