| 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, May 28 - 11:00 am
"Tongues of Fire: On Spirit and Social Justice and Why It’s Not Either/Or"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
As people of a liberal and liberating faith, we need not choose between spiritual and social liberation. In fact, rising from our core theology, the two are inextricably linked. We go back to our Unitarian and Universalist history, and remember why we are called to work for the liberation of all, not as a detour from spiritual seeking but as the very manifestation of our faith.
Participants: Rev. Diana Davies (service leader); Marshal Gimpel (worship associate); Steven Elkins (accompanist) and 1UC Choir
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| It's not too late to make or increase your pledge for our next church year! |
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Upcoming Sunday Morning Services - 11:00 am
June
June 4 - "The Transient and Permanent in Unitarian Universalism" (Rev. Diana) Using a famous sermon by Rev. Theodore Parker as a springboard, we consider what stays the same in the midst of change and what holds us together in times of growth, change, and conflict.
June 11 - "That'll Do, Pig, That'll Do" (Rev. Diana) On Life Post-COVID, Doing One's Best, and Embracing Good Enough
June 18 - "What Is Sikhism" (Guest: Saurabh Singh)
June 25 - NO SERVICE! All are invited to participate in the Pride parade and watch the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly worship streamed from Pittsburgh.
July
July 2 - Lay-led service (Suzanne Broadbent and Deborah Shinn)
July 9 - Lay-led service (Rebecca Schaller and Zel Scott)
July 16 - Lay-led service (Joan Chambers and Celeste Flemming)
July 23 - "What Is Baháʼí" (Guest: Terri Angier)
July 30 - TBD
August
August 6 - Lay-led service (Lori Jervis and Paul Spicer)
August 13 - Lay-led service (Clare Auwarter and Susan Bishop)
August 20 - TBD
August 27 - Seeker Series Part I (Rev. Diana)
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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, May 28 - 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, May 28 - 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 - Sunday, May, 28 - 10:00 am (Daniel Hall): Discussion of the proposed budget, prior to the Congregational Meeting.
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| Annual Meeting of the Congregation |
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The Nominating Committee Is pleased to announce the following candidates or church leadership positions for 2023-2024 church year:
Our nominees for officer are:
Catherine Webster, President Elect
Deborah Shinn, Clerk
Ron Wasson, Treasurer
Jeanne Parkhurst, Moderator
Gordon Greene, Parliamentarian
Our nominees for new board members are:
Coba Neitzel – term expires 2026
Doug Vincent – term expires 2026
Ann Meeks, replacing board member mid-term – term expires 2025
Our nominees to serve on the 2023-2024 Nominating Committee with Immediate Past-President, Marshal Gimpel and Board appointee Jean McLaughlin are:
Chris Gonzales (second term)
Ruth Gordon (second term)
Sarah Gray (first term)
Our nominee for Endowment Fund Committee is: Linda Wasson – term expires 2026
Respectfully submitted by the Nominating Committee,
Chris Gonzales, Ruth Gordon, Lynn Ann Wagner and Zel Scott
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Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) Budget
The Board of Trustees has approved a proposed budget for the next church year. Members of the congregation will have an opportunity to vote on this budget at the June 4 Congregational Meeting. The Board is presenting a balanced budget but it involves significant cuts in several areas and utilizes new income sources. It's very important that all members of the congregation understand the budget and that, as a community, we ensure that it reflects our values and priorities. The first version of the budget was already emailed and mailed in hard copy to all active members. Since that budget was shared, we received an additional $8000 in new pledges. This has allowed us to make one change to the proposed budget, returning 100% of the non-pledge offering to Change for Change.
There will be many opportunities to discuss the proposed budget, prior to the Congregational Meeting.
Thursday, May 25 -- 5:00 pm, Zoom only
https://zoom.us/j/99246817691?pwd=N1RtNEJaYUh6SkdSLzNWRnlWYXo3QT09
Meeting ID: 992 4681 7691
Passcode: 377483
Sunday, May 28 -- 10:00 am, Daniel Hall in-person only
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Orders Due by Monday, June 5th
Show Us YoUUr Pride with Our New and Improved First Unitarian Pride T-Shirts!
We are ordering white First Unitarian Pride Shirts with the logos (shown in picture) and wording on the front and back. Available in Adult sizes S-4XL and Youth sizes S-XL for $25 each. Please place your order by Monday, June 5th so we can get them printed and distributed in time for the Pride Alliance parade on June 25th!
Sign up and order yours now through Givelify here!
When you go to the link click on the total you are spending ($25/shirt), click the "Pride T-Shirts" button, then be sure to leave your t-shirt sizes in the "Add a message" area.
Questions? Contact Lynn Ann Wagner at flowerdancer@hotmail.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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| Lifespan Religious Exploration |
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June 5th through June 9th
SAVE THE DATE for Chalice Camp!
Every year in early June, we host a week long day camp called "Chalice Camp" that's been going for almost fifty years.
The dates for this years Chalice Camp will be June 5 through June 9! Mark your calendars!
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| Adult Education Classes & Courses |
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May 27, 10:00 am - 11:15 am
Only two more classes before the summer break!
Join me (Rev. Diana) for a gentle hatha yoga class that is accessible to people of all levels of experience -- including people who've never taken a yoga class before! This practice will feature a gentle warm-up, breathwork, and poses with modifications, focusing on the spine and neck.
Join us in person in Daniel Hall, or via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186974124?pwd=YU1iSWZlZVljQ0RUb0Ryd2FYVHdLZz09
Meeting ID: 881 8697 4124
Passcode: yoga
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Social Justice News!
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, NAMI joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Together, they fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected with mental illness.
NEWS FROM UUSC (UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE) – Last year, UUSC pledged our long-term backing for the work of Scalabrinianas Misión con Migrantes y Refugiados (SMR) by committing to a four-year grant.
At its Casa Mambré shelter, SMR provides housing, meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, and medical assistance to people in migration who are seeking refuge in Mexico City and Tapachula.
In operation since 1996, the original shelter’s roof was damaged by a recent earthquake, yet the building’s owner didn’t want to remodel. UUSC funding enabled SMR’s move to the Iztapalapa neighborhood, where the Casa Mambré shelter is now located in a new space — specially designed to increase their ability to provide services to families in transit.
Beyond physical care, SMR attends to people’s psychological and social needs — including workshops on gender-based violence, children’s education, and legal assistance for individuals in migration.
SMR’s approach to welcoming and solidarity is fundamental to integrating families into its community. This also involves national and international advocacy efforts promoting the human rights of people in migration and development of community activities to lessen discrimination, xenophobia, and exclusion.
Learn more about SMR’s critical work in a recent post on the UUSC blog! - We are grateful for the ways our members bolster UUSC’s partners like SMR with the essential resources needed to continue their important human rights work.
NEWS FROM RADICAL WELCOMING TEAM – Please note there are two PRIDE parades in OKC this year: June 4th and June 25th. Also, First Unitarian Church will be co-sponsoring the Pride community worship service at Mayflower on June 14 at 7:00 pm. Watch this space for additional details.
ACLU Status of Our Legal Challenges for Trans
Youth:
OKLAHOMA: Filed - Briefing: A binding legal
agreement will prevent Oklahoma from enforcing its ban on care for trans youth
as the court decides on our case to block it. We and our partners just filed
the agreement – and we're ready to hold Oklahoma's Attorney General to his
word.
NEWS FROM OK POLICY INSTITUTE - - Oklahomans with disabilities face long waitlists for home and community-based services More than half a million Americans are on waiting lists to receive long-term care in their homes. Most people on these lists have intellectual and developmental disabilities and sometimes need help with daily activities like cooking, maintaining a job or getting around town. Judy Woodruff spoke with families in Oklahoma waiting for the help they need. It's part of our series, Disability Reframed. [PBS]
If you are interested in becoming involved in social justice programs and activities, please contact Susan Bishop at (405) 623-4017 or sdbishop50@gmail.com
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May Change for Change
For the month of May our Change for Change recipient is the Thick Descriptions.
Thick Descriptions disrupts traditional educational methods with anthropology to help humans thrive where they are building stronger communities. Thick Descriptions partners with educational institutions and community organizations to teach the skills needed to build healthier and more sustainable communities.
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| Green Sanctuary/Green Minute |
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One of the most frustrating aspects of being environmentally aware is that we live in a terribly wasteful culture. This worsened during the Pandemic, when stores were cautioned against accepting reusable bags.
When my husband and I began attending First Unitarian in 2006, the church had recently achieved itss accreditation for the Green Sanctuary. We used the washable dishes, of which we have a full set. There were recycling containers placed around the building. Gourmet coffee and chocolate were, and still are, sold by members of the Sustainable Living Organization. The Unitarian Universalist Association has said that climate justice is one of the most important issues of our time. I think it is time we made a new commitment to the home from which we cannot move.
This will involve examining our practices. Are we using the dishes that fill our cabinets? Do we eat organically grown food, or raise our own? Are we buying food from places that have sustainable practices? Are we attempting to buy locally produced merchandise whenever possible? I thought I was doing pretty well on this, until I realized that the lilies I always love to buy at the grocery store might be imported, so I’m looking into growing them myself. And no matter what we do, we live in a state where 389,800 Oklahomans are employed in the oil and gas industry. It’s a challenge.
If you have an idea for the Green Minute, please email me please send it to me at lacorderagnew@cox.net.
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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 (Lori Jervis, Dex Marble, Tom Peryam, James Vaughn).
The Healthy Habits of Communication
- I tell my own story and let others tell theirs.
- When you communicate, speak for yourself and about your own experience. Trying to speak for others can be like a game of “telephone” where something always gets mixed up in the process. Your own experience is enough!
- I avoid “awfulizing” negative experiences.
- We sometimes tend to exaggerate negative experiences to achieve our goals (the goal may be trying to prove a point, trying to win an argument, getting sympathy, etc.) This can make something that was just a negative experience to seeming like something awful. Instead, try to state your experience just as it was and trust that you can still get your needs met.
- I say what needs to be said to the one who needs to hear it.
- No one can benefit from our feedback if we don’t share it with them. Don’t start a game of telephone by sharing your feedback with one person hoping it will somehow get around to the person who can do something about it. Who knows what the message will look like by the time it gets there! Your thoughts and experiences matter. Share them directly with the person who needs to know. It takes courage, and it is worth it.
- I devote at least as much energy to careful listening as to careful speaking.
- Intentional listening helps us understand others and softens our feelings towards them. It also opens us up to new ideas and perspectives. When we truly listen and understand someone else, we are changed by the experience. Let’s approach each interaction expecting to be heard and understood as well as to hear and understand others. We will all be changed for the better.
- If something prompts anger in me, I report it honestly in a way that invites positive solutions.
- We all feel anger. That is normal. And how we act on our anger matters. Anger can be useful because it tells us when there is work to be done. When we are angry, we must recognize it, acknowledge it, and then work to figure out what needs to be done. How can we turn it into something positive?
- I refrain from blaming and shaming.
- Blaming and shaming rarely bring us any closer to the solutions we seek. When we feel the urge to blame or shame, let’s work to slow down, take a step back, and remember to focus on our own experience, looking for solutions, and being the kind of people we want to be.
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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)
- Qigong - Every Monday and Friday, 12:15 pm (contact Janice Martin for information)
- 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 (contact 'Ebuka Ezeakacha for information)
- Membership Meeting – Thursday, May 25, 6:00 pm (contact Nathan Boone for information)
- Yoga with Rev. Diana – Saturday, May 27, 10:00 am, Daniel Hall (contact Rev. Diana for information)
- Fiber Connections – Saturday, May 27, 10:00 am, Eddy Room (contact Paula Geisinger for information)
- Proposed Budget Discussion - Sunday, May 28, 10:00 am, Daniel Hall
- UU Book Club – Thursday, June 1, 7:00 pm (contact Steve Gryglewicz for information)
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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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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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**********************************************************************************
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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CHURCH STAFF
Lead Minister - Rev. Diana K. Davies
Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration - Tim Atkins
Choir Director - Chukwuebuka ('Ebuka) G. Ezeakacha
Congregational Life Coordinator - Nathan Boone
Office Administrator - Marlies Grogg
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2022-2023
President of the Congregation - Marshal Gimpel
President-Elect - Marcia Woodward
Immediate Past President - Lynn Ann Wagner
Clerk - Deborah Shinn
Treasurer - Ron Wasson
Clare Auwarter Lorriana Lee-Knapp Larry Little Laura Lochner Ann Meeks Becky Tallent
Committee on Ministry
Lori Jervis Dex Marble Tom Peryam James Vaughn
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