| First Unitarian Connection |
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| Sundays at First Unitarian Church |
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Sunday, January 7 - 11:00 am
"Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
A list of famous UUs will include names like William Ellery Channing, Louisa May Alcott, John Adams, Margaret Fuller, Theodore Parker, and James Reeb. Henry Whitney Bellows isn’t as well known, but he played a major role in organizing Unitarianism as a denomination. In the years after the Civil War, Henry Whitney Bellows worked to build an institution that would connect different “flavors” of Unitarianism – including the Transcendentalists – through shared practices and common theological principles. Some others saw this organization as a threat to their non-creedal faith. This tension between institution-building and radical independence still exists within Unitarian Universalism today. How can we hold our differences and our shared values in a delicate balance, to build strong institutions (including congregations) while celebrating our lack of creed?
Participating in Sunday's service:
Service Leader: Rev. Diana K. Davies, Lead Minister; Worship Associate: Susan Bishop; Choir Director: Chukwuebuka "Ebuka" Ezeakacha; Accompanist: Steven Elkins Kennedy; Technical Support: Tammy Epperson and Ellisya Ravencroft; Announcements: Marcia Woodward; Ushering Team: Exploring Spirituality Group
(The purpose of the Exploring Spirituality Group is to explore our spiritual lives in a safe environment. The group utilizes a covenant and format to guide the meetings. This group meets the third Friday of the month at a member’s home to discuss and share ideas regarding a topic. Individuals volunteer to facilitate the meetings and they determine the topic. If you are interested in finding out more about the group, please contact Lu Ann Faulkner Schneider.)
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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.
Please note: There will be no child care for the Christmas Eve 7:00pm service.
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Sunday, January 7 - 10:00 am
Sunday Morning Meditation (In-Person)
Please join us for meditation practice in the Buddhist tradition (lower level, in Corley Commons).
All are welcome; no meditation experience necessary!
For more information contact Lori Jervis.
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Sunday, January 7, 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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Ornament Sale!
We're starting up a new tradition in January - our Ornament Sale! We're going to sell the ornaments we created during our Blessing of the Greens Service and that were used to decorate our holiday trees. (The plastic wish ornaments will stay year to year.) Every year we're creating more ornaments, so let's sell them after the holidays each year!
We're suggesting a donation of $5 dollars for 2 ornaments. We'll be selling them in Daniel Hall after worship the Sundays in January (or until they're all sold!) We're going to take these proceeds and put them in our Chalice Camp account! So help fund this year's camp and take home some beautifully decorated ornaments for next year's tree!
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
January Theme
Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?
January 14 - "The Man, the Dream, the Movement"
January 21 - "Brave and Besieged Bodies"
January 28 - "Loneliness and Community"
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A BIG HUGE THANK YOU
A GIGANTIC THANK YOU to my little elves who came and helped take down the seasonal decorations at the church.
Maureen Harvey, Lana Henson, and Larry Little... I don't know what First U would do without you!
Also, Larry Little was nice enough to take the mittens, scarves and hats from the mitten tree to the Homeless Alliance.
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Transition Tracker News!!
I am happy to announce that the contract with the minister who
will be with us from March 18 to June 18 has been finalized. She is
Reverend Dr. Suzanne Redfern-Campbell of Albuquerque NM. Here is how Keith
Kron, our UUA Transition Advisor, describes her: “She brings a wealth
of experience to ministry having served congregations of all sizes and for
a variety of durations…She brings a calm, seasoned eye to ministry, has a
natural pastoral presence, and has spent much of her time working as an
accredited transitional minister.”
In recent years she has served 3-month stints in Golden CO and Fairbanks AK
while their ministers were on sabbatical. Before that, she served UU
congregations in Brighton MI, Las Cruces NM, and as interim minister in
Colombia MO and Danbury CT. All of this was after she retired from
full-time ministry!
Her years of full-time ministry were as associate minister
in Vancouver BC and Weston MA, and as minister in Cottonwood
Heights UT and Studio City CA. (I’m mentioning
all these locations because some of you may have had contact with
her before.) Rev. Dr. Redfern-Campbell started as a lawyer and practiced law
for 7 years in the Boston area.
She has had a long term interest and involvement in social justice issues. And she has a very collaborative view of her role in supporting our church’s
continued growth and transition to an interim minister. By
all indications, Rev. Dr. Redfern-Campbell is an excellent fit for our congregation.
There will be a Q&A session after the January 14 service at 12:15 pm in the sanctuary in case you have any questions about Rev. Dr. Redfern-Campbell or other aspects of the ongoing transition process.
- Marcia Woodward
President of the Congregation 2023-2024
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From the Yarbrough's
A sincere thank you to our wonderful church community for surrounding us with your loving care, concern, thoughts and prayers after the recent passing of our beloved John, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, friend.
We appreciate all the calls, cards, hugs, messages, meals and visits. A special thank you to Rev. Diana, Marlies Grogg, Steven Elkins Kennedy, choir members, Ellisya Ravencroft and the Alliance for providing a beautiful Celebration of Life service and reception. You helped make this difficult life change more bearable and we are grateful.
With love,
The Yarbrough's - Marianne, Carmen, Pam, Jon and Family
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News from Befrienders
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.
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 Reception team.
- 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 online.
Our next Befriender meeting will be Thursday, January 11th at noon. This will be an in-person meeting in the Eddy Room for the team leaders.
If you are interested in joining any of these teams, please let Susan Bishop know at sdbishop50@gmail.com.
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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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Every Wednesday - 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.
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Thursday, January 4, 7:00 pm
UU Book Club
This Thursday, January 4th, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm is book group. We will be discussing This Tender Land
by William Kent Krueger.
In February, we will be discussing the Trae Crowder and Corey Ryan Forrester book, Round Here and Over Yonder. In the meeting, we can discuss upcoming books for March, etc.
Also, if you haven't voted for your Favorite Book(s) in 2023, you still have time before the meeting when the results will be revealed.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88051248829?pwd=dHhUZjJIenozazJ1K1pNNEVOWHhlUT09
Meeting ID: 880 5124 8829
Passcode: 398265
For more information or if you have questions, please contact Steve Gryglewicz at stgryg@yahoo.com.
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Tuesday, January 9, 11:30 am
The 1UC Alliance Brown Bag Luncheon/Program/Meeting (In-person or via zoom)
Join us for our first Alliance meeting of 2024 on Tuesday, January 9th!
We will have a brown-bag lunch at 11:30 am and at noon we will welcome Connie Schlittler from North Care, a leader in the OKC mental health care community. We will have our monthly business meeting after the presentation.
Newcomers and visitors are always welcome!
For more information contact Maureen Harvey.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/92600917353?...
Meeting ID: 926 0091 7353
Passcode: 931009
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The Tuesday Adult Ed. Discussion Group will be taking a break during the holiday season. They will resume classes on Tuesday, January, 16, 2024 (The Alliance Brown Bag Luncheon/Meeting is Tuesday, January 9).
If there is something you would like to present on a future Tuesday, please let Ron Wasson know at wassonr@sbcglobal.net.
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January Change for Change
For the month of January our Change for Change partner is Not Your Average Joe.
Their mission is to inspire the community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities in the creation of exceptional coffee in an encouraging atmosphere.
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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.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 15TH: MARTIN LUTHER KING CELEBRATION: There will be a breakfast, followed by a Silent March to the Capital, and a parade/celebration.
JANUARY 20TH 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm: BOHEMIAN CAFÉ NIGHT! Mark your calendars now to join in a celebration of all the social justice teams to the musical entertainment by Miss Brown to You. Come join us for a night of dancing, eating, and having fun. There will be raffle prizes as well. (See Below)
NEWS FROM UUSC (UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE) . Our partners in Eastern Europe are on call, answering hotlines and connecting women facing violence with resources for safety — including shelter, medical and legal assistance, employment, and other critical care for survival. UUSC is working hard to provide protections and dignity for asylum-seekers as they migrate to Mexico and the United States. Community support can make a significant difference for people trapped in a cruel immigration process. UUSC funding helps partners to create more welcoming spaces and provide safe pathways to freedom.
FROM FREEDOM OKLAHOMA: Youth Action Month (YAM) is right around the corner, and we can’t wait to see what young Oklahomans are creating in their communities! ‘But, what is YAM?,’ you say?
YAM is a reminder that youth belong in Oklahoma. YAM is cataloged resources, videos, and tips to assist 2SLGBTQ+ young people in finding and using their voice and their power. YAM is modules and activities that provide you with the tools you need to enact change in YOUR community in a multitude of ways. YAM is about celebrating the work young Oklahomans have done and will do in the future to make Oklahoma better for all of us
1UC Recycles! Look for the blue bins lined with plastic bags throughout the church. Deposit your paper, cans, and plastic bottles. The kitchen and Daniel Hall have compost buckets that can take food waste including meat and even napkins! There is a separate blue bin for glass in the hallway west of Daniel Hall.
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Saturday, January 20, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Bohemian Cafe
Join us on Saturday, January 20 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm in Daniel Hall for the "BOHEMIAN CAFE".
The Social Justice Committee sponsors this special fundraising event every year so they can continue their work in the community.
Featuring the music of Mary Reynolds & Louise Goldberg of "Miss Brown to You".
There will be raffles with prizes, yummy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
$15 entry (includes a plate of food)
$50 entry (includes unlimited food and drink)
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Help Us Keep Our Building Safe
Please, if you exit the building through a door that is locked, make sure that the door is completely closed and locked behind you. If you are one of the last people out of the building, please help us make sure that all doors are fully closed and locked. And if you are holding an event at the church, please do not prop exterior doors open or unlock them and leave them unattended. And when you are done, don't forget to lock the door!
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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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First Unitarian Covenant of Healthy Communication
“We need not think alike to love alike.” One of our Unitarian Universalist ancestors, Francis David, spoke those words more than 400 years ago to describe the foundation of our unity as a religious community. To this end, we, the people of the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City, agree to the following:
* I tell my own story and let others tell theirs.
* I use “I” statements when expressing my own views, always mindful that my thoughts, opinions, and experiences may not be shared by others
* I check the accuracy of my perceptions and assumptions.
* I avoid “awfulizing” negative experiences.
* I say what needs to be said to the one who needs to hear it.
Communicate directly with the person or group involved, instead of gossiping or speaking negatively about others in the wider community
* I devote at least as much energy to careful listening as to careful speaking.
Listen actively and seek to understand the perspectives and opinions of others
Be curious, appreciative, and informed about perspectives that differ from my own.
Recognize and honor the diversity of beliefs and spiritual paths within our community, including the words and ways people choose to express their spirituality
Honor the contributions and needs of those who have been historically marginalized in the larger world and in our congregation and seek growth in our ability to be welcoming.
* If something prompts anger in me, I report it honestly in a way that invites positive solutions.
Be forgiving and loving when I or others make mistakes
Apologize, when warranted, and seek to make amends
Call on congregational resources when help is needed
* I refrain from blaming and shaming.
Assume that others act with good intentions
Be respectful and kind in our words, tone, and body language
Use email, social media and other forms of electronic communication with respect, kindness, and special care.
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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)
- Wednesday Night Meditation - Beginning January 3 - Every Wednesday, 6:00 pm, Meditation Room - Corley Commons (contact Larry Little for information)
- Choir Rehearsal – Every Wednesday, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary (contact 'Ebuka Ezeakacha for information)
- UU Book Club – Thursday, January 4, 7:00 pm (contact Steve Gryglewicz for information)
- Family Board Game Night and Potluck - Saturday, January 6, 5:00 pm, Daniel Hall (contact Keith Daniels for information)
- 1UC Alliance Brown Bag Luncheon and Program – Tuesday, January 9, 11:30 am (contact Maureen Harvey for information
- HRWG – Tuesday, January 9, 6:30 pm (contact Scot Harvey for information)
- Racial Justice Team Meeting – Wednesday, January 10, 11:00 am (contact Becky Tallent for information)
- Befrienders – Thursday, January 11, 12:00 pm (contact Susan Bishop for information)
- Fiber Connections - Sunday, January 14, 12:00 pm, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- Q&A Session - Sunday, January 14, 12:15 pm, Sanctuary (in regards to Rev. Dr. Redfern-Campbell or other aspects of the ongoing transition process)
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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 Emily Hildebrandt Lorriana Lee-Knapp Larry Little Ann Meeks Doug Vincent
Committee on Ministry
Rebecca Daniels Lori Jervis Liz Pillar-Little Tom Peryam Derrick Wagner
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