| 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, October 8 - 11:00 am
"Your Life (National Coming Out Day)"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
This service is co-created with the Radical Welcoming Team in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day.
We celebrate the many quiet and not-at-all-quiet, courageous ways 2SLGBTQIA+ people live their authentic lives.
Your name is not a song you will sing under your breath.
Your pronouns haven’t even been invented yet. …
Choose to carve your own heart out
of the side of a cliff.
Choose to spend your whole life telling secrets you owe no one
to everyone, ’til there isn’t anyone who can insult you
by calling you what you are:
you holy blinking star.
You highway streak of light
falling over and over for your hard life,
your perfect life,
your sweet and beautiful life. — “Your Life,” by Andrea Gibson
Participating in Sunday's service:
Service Leaders: Rev. Diana K. Davies, Lead Minister and members of the Radical Welcoming Team, including Lorriana Lee-Knapp, Larry Little, Wendy Pitt, Ellisya Ravencroft, and Lynn Ann Wagner; Choir Director: Chukwuebuka "Ebuka" Ezeakacha; Accompanist: Steven Elkins Kennedy; Music: 1UC Choir; Technical Support: Caleb Pinson
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
October
October 15 - "Quiet Courage" (Part I)
October 22 - "Quiet Courage" (Part II)
October 29 - "When the Veil Is Thin: Remembering the Dead"
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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, October 8 - 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, October 8, 10:00 am
Sunday Morning Coffee Hour
We’re making a slight tweak to our Sunday morning pre-service programming. Instead of the “Forum”, we’re thinking of it as “Morning Coffee Hour.” In addition to our wonderful Meditation Sunday mornings before service, you’re now also welcome to hang out in Daniel Hall from 10:00 am - 11:00 am, grab a cup of coffee, and chat with your fellow congregants about whatever’s on your mind.
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Sunday, October 15, 12:15 pm, Eddy Room
New Friend Gathering
Have you wanted to check us out but haven't been able to? Perhaps you've come a few times and would like to learn more. This is the event for you! We invite you to the New Friend Gathering on Sunday, October 15 at 12:15 pm in the Eddy Room. If you would like to hang back in the sanctuary after the service, one of our greeters will show you where to go. We look forward to meeting you!
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| Lifespan Religious Exploration |
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I am starting a new column in the Newsletter that will explain the steps we will be taking to transition to a new settled (permanent) minister to replace Rev. Diana.
The goals of this column are, first, to describe the transition process and timeline, and then to keep you up-dated all along the way on what’s happening.
I’m sure most of us would like to have the perfect settled minister take over the day after Rev. Diana leaves. It might seem simple enough to just advertise now for an opening in March of ‘24. But it turns out it’s not that simple, as I found out when I had a discussion with our UUA Transition Advisor, Keith Kron. And it turns out that doing that could also lead to a slew of
problems.
Based on many years of experience, the UUA has a very specific schedule that has new ministers (interim and settled) starting on August 1 of each year. There are certain tasks that both a congregation and a minister candidate have to complete before then, and a detailed timeline for them. Thus each party knows what to expect of the other party. Potential ministers know they will have adequate time to plan for this new stage of their life, and the congregation can take the necessary time to figure out what kind of minister will match its current needs and its vision for the future. Preparing for an interim minister takes 6-7 months, and for a settled minister, a year and a half.
These schedules also mean that the congregation knows exactly when a pool of qualified candidates will be available. If we look for a candidate at the wrong time, we may find no one is looking for a job then, or the few who are might not be the best candidates for us. If we don’t take the time to complete all the recommended steps for transitioning to a new minister, candidates may feel the congregation has rushed the process and not prepared adequately, a risky situation for a minister who may be uprooting and moving from another state.
So the idea here is that we want to do everything we can to ensure that we have access to the best candidates and that they will find a position here to be appealing.
Next time: Do we really need an interim minister?
Marcia Woodward
President, Board of Trustees
Note: The Board of Trustees will be offering some Town Hall-style meetings soon where you can ask questions about this process. Watch for announcements in the Newsletter
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| On Preparing to Say Goodbye - A Letter from Rev. Diana |
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Fellowship Dinners
Signup has begun for our coming popular social activity, Fellowship Dinners! 13 units signed up last Sunday, many people expressing their pleasure that these dinners will resume! We will be in Daniel Hall taking reservations for the next 4 Sundays. Also, to sign up or to ask questions, please email Barbara Gallivan, bgallivan@cox.net,405-209-7386. Registration will close on October 15.
The beauty of this program is getting to know people of our church whom you may not know now in a small-group setting. Some of us have participated for decades because we enjoy it so much!
There will be four dinners, in November, January, February and March. You and your partner will be placed into a rotation schedule where you will have dinner with three other couples or singles, different people each month. If you are single your participation is welcome. And if you can pair up with another single, that enhances the experience.
There are four parts to each meal, and each month you will bring one of the components. This will also rotate, so that one month you will be the host, opening your home and providing hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Next you will provide the main dish. Another month you will bring a vegetable and dessert. The fourth assignment is salad and bread.
Your home or dining spot doesn’t need to be fancy; just do what is comfortable for you. Please don’t let a concern about that deter you from signing up!
I look forward to dining with you! -Barbara
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October 26 - October 29
Dracula!
1UC member, Lana Henson is performing in the play "DRACULA", Hidden Gems first production! Six Performances. One Weekend.
10/26 7:00 pm
10/27 7:00 pm
10/28 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
10/29 2:00 pm & 6:30 pm
(Bram Stoker's Dracula adapted for the stage by Liz Lochhead. This has been modified to a PG rated production.)
Located at 1111 SW 89th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73139 Building 12! For tickets click here.
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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, October 5, 7:00 pm
UU Book Club
Join us Thursday, October 5, at 7:00 pm, where we will be discussing, An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten.
Our books for the next couple months will be:
- November 2023 - Horse by Geraldine Brooks
- December 2023 - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
For more information please contact Steve Gryglewicz at stgryg@yahoo.com
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8805...
Meeting ID: 880 5124 8829
Passcode: 398265
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October Change for Change
For the month of October, our Change for Change partner is Freedom Oklahoma.
Freedom Oklahoma advocates and organizes across Oklahoma and within the 39 sovereign tribal nations that call this land home to build a future where all Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and fuller spectrum of people whose sexuality or gender or romantic identity exists beyond a heteronormative, binary framework (2SLGBTQ+), have the safety to thrive.
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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.
FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER IS BANNED BOOK WEEK: First Unitarian is creating a wonderful library of banned books. You can be assured that if a book mentions sexuality, sex, racial references in US history, the book is probably banned in Oklahoma schools. This year’s theme for Banned Book Week is “Freedom to Read”.
NEWS FROM UUSC (UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE) Last time we wrote you, Revs. Dave Dunn and Jeff Jones were in jail after stopping construction at Cop City in Atlanta with their bodies. We are happy to share that all 5 who were arrested were released from jail with misdemeanor charges! Additionally, Rev. Christina Branum-Martin, Rev. Misha Sanders, and other UUs joined others to deliver over 116,000 petition signatures collected by the Cop City Vote Coalition in support of letting Atlantans decide if they want Cop City at all. The City of Atlanta is trying a legal appeal to avoid verifying signatures, a decision that Senator Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams both criticized as deeply anti-democratic.
We're grateful to be part of a movement that won't cede ground to fascism, increased militarization of our public safety, and destruction of our green spaces.
As Unitarian Universalists, we hold deeply to the truth that there is no one singular right way to live and love. We see this flourishing in the work to Stop Cop City: some folks put their bodies in front of construction equipment while others tediously match thousands of referendum signatures one by one while others bring food and care for babies.
Our call to collective liberation includes all this and more – we root deeply in spiritual practice for strength and courage, we send cards and food and song as our prayers, we summon the courage to show up and out of our comfort zones again and again, and we also rest in the dark peace of night when we need it.
NEWS FROM SLO: Energy Efficiency Day 2023 is this Wednesday! Learn how you can take action and help spread the word about the benefits of reducing energy waste:
- Make the switch to LED
- Seal Those Leaks
- Heat and Cool Efficiently
- Maintain Your HVAC System
- Maintain Your HVAC System
- Turn the Electronics Off
- Winter Tip: Invite the Sun In
- Summer Tip: Close Blinds and Shades
- Clean Your Clothing Efficiently
- Clean Up Your Dishes Efficiently
NEWS FROM VOICE: Mark your calendars for October 10th and plan to grab a sandwich, soup, salad or drink at Panera Breads on NW Expressway across the street from Baptist Integris Hospital. Between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm, bring a copy of the flyer announcing this easy fund-raiser for VOICE. 20% of all sales during those hours (you must have the flyer or a picture of it on your phone) will be credited to VOICE! (see article below)
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| Radical Welcoming Committee |
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We are celebrating 2SLGBTQ+ History Month all of October!
First Unitarian explicitly welcomes people who are two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (genderqueer)/questioning, intersex, and asexual/agender plus all other sexual orientations and gender identities (2SLGBTQIA+). We recognize that many 2SLGBTQIA+ people have experienced rejection and pain in other religious settings, so we must be clear about our welcome. First Unitarian is striving for radical inclusion, and creating spaces that honor and support every part of our identities, backgrounds, and experiences. We value diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity and see them as a precious gift. Ours is an inclusive religious community that works for 2SLGBTQIA+ justice and equity as a core part of who we are. All of who you are is loved, beautiful, honored, welcome, and will be affirmed and supported when you step through our doors.
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1UC VOICE
There’s a lot going on the 1UC VOICE Team. We’re working on 5 issues: Predatory Lending, Criminal Justice, Education, Mental Health, and Housing.
There’s a fund-raiser at Panera Bread (across from Integers on NW Expressway) On October 10 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Be sure and bring a copy of the flyer in order for VOICE to get credit. We’re keeping a close eye on the new Thunder Arena plans and our annual fund-raiser “VOICE Gala of Gratitude” (or click on the picture below for tickets) is coming up on Friday, October 27. See Maureen Harvey or Sundra Flansburg for tickets.
Our next meeting will be Sunday,October 29, 9:00 am in the Eddy Room.
Contact Maureen Harvey for more information (mharvey5@cox.net).
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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, October 5, 7:00 pm (contact Steve Gryglewicz for information)
- Fiber Connections – Sunday, October 8, 12:00 pm, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- Befrienders – Tuesday, October 10, 12:00 pm (contact Susan Bishop for information)
- HRWG – Tuesday, October 10, 6:30 pm (contact Scot Harvey for information)
- Racial Justice Team – October 11, 11:00 am (contact Becky Tallent for information)
- Radical Welcoming Team - October 12, 6:20 pm (contact Lynn Ann Wagner for information)
- Reproductive Justice – Saturday, October 13, 11:00 am (contact Laura Lochner)
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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
Office Administrator - Marlies Grogg
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023-2024
President of the Congregation – Marcia Woodward
President Elect – Cathy 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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