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, June 4 - 11:00 am
"The Transient and Permanent in Unitarian Universalism"
Join us in person or watch on YouTube.
Using a canonical 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.
During this service, we will also honor our Member of the Year.
Participants: Rev. Diana Davies, Tim Atkins, Steven Elkins Kennedy
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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 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)
July 16 - Lay-led service (Joan Chambers and Celeste Flemming)
July 23 - "What Is Baháʼí" (Guest: Terri Angier)
July 30 - "What is Rissho Kosei-Kai Buddhism" (Guest: Rev. Kris Ladusau)
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, June 4 - 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, June 4 - 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 -
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Annual Meeting of the Congregation |
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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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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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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
Chalice Camp!
Chalice Camp begins June 5 and runs through June 9!
For more information contact Tim Atkins, DLRE.
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Adult Education Classes & Courses |
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Tuesday, June 6 - 11:00 am
Tuesday Discussion Group
Debbie Allen will be leading next class.
Check with Ron for information.
Let Ron Wasson wassonr@sbcglobal.net know if you have something you would like to present sometime in the future.
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June Change for Change
For the month of June our Change for Change recipient is the The Exodus House.
The Exodus House is a key part of Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries. Its mission is to offer opportunities for ex-offenders to have a healthy, nurturing, and accountable environment where they may begin their life again. Individuals are accepted into our program while still incarcerated through an application process. We have individualized treatment plans and upon completion of our 6 month program they can take all furniture and household goods to their new residence. While living at Exodus House, residents are responsible for paying their utilities. Rent is not charged but monies are collected each month and deposited into a savings account and returned to them upon leaving or graduating. Exodus Houses currently have a 1.7% recidivism rate over the past 4 years.
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Social Justice News!
JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH!
- 4TH June – Pride Parade on 39th St. at 5:00 pm. 1UC will have a trailer decorated so come show your support for our LGBTQ+ siblings.
- 14th June – Flag Day
- 19th June - Juneteenth at Scissortail Park.
- 25th June – Scissortail Park Pride Parade @ 11:00 am.
WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? Not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free at the close of the Civil War. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas. Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday in the United States, and one that is celebrated differently across the states. It is not a federal holiday celebrated in Oklahoma.
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.
From the RADICAL WELCOMING TEAM
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]
19.2% - Rate of Oklahoma children who are food insecure. More than 183,000 Oklahoma children, or about 1 in 5, lack consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. [KIDS COUNT]
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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News from the Radical Welcoming Team |
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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.
Radical Welcoming Team members will also be taking Pride T-Shirt orders on Sunday, June 5th after the annual meeting in the back of the sanctuary if you would rather pay by cash or check.
Questions? Contact Lynn Ann Wagner for information at flowerdancer@hotmail.com.
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June 2023
Pride Events in June!
UUs at Pride 2023 Celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ Folx!
Please note there are TWO Pride parades First Unitarian Church of OKC will be participating in, in OKC this year.
The 39th Street Pride Parade will be held on Sunday, June 4th 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. and 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. Contact Mordikai Hornpetrie on the day of the parade at 405-439-5839 if you have a hard time finding us.
The Pride on 39th Festival runs from Friday, June 2nd through Sunday, June 6th 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 25th 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. from Robert S. Kerr. 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. Contact Ellisya Ravencroft on the day of the parade at 405-208-0746 if you have a hard time finding us.
Pride Alliance Pridefest runs from Friday, June 23rd through Sunday, June 25th 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 in the participating folx watching and cheering along the parade routes! All are welcome! All are loved!
First Unitarian Church is co-sponsoring the PRIDE Community Worship Service at Mayflower Congregational UCC Church on Wednesday, June 14 at 7:00 pm. RSVP here: https://fb.me/e/TncQbAm3
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Green Sanctuary/Green Minute |
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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)
- Annual Meeting of the Congregation – Sunday, June 4, 12:00 pm (immediately after the service)
- Chalice Camp – June 5 through June 9 (contact Tim Atkins for information)
- Befrienders – Thursday, June 8, 12:00 pm (contact Susan Bishop for information)
- Anne Marie Grassmann Memorial Service – Saturday, June 10, 11:00 am, Sanctuary
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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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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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