Thursday, January 18
Young Souls Book Club
’s
January read is Muriel Barbery’s
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
. “
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
is a moving, funny, atmospheric novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.”
For more information, contact Lauren (webmistresslauren@gmail.com). YS Book Club meets every Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Saturday, January 20
Church Council meeting.
This is a gathering of all the lay leaders of All Souls’ many ministries, but all are invited. We learn more about the church and how we can strengthen our shared ministry and build the beloved community. 9:00 am-1:00 pm, Pierce Hall.
A Party for Kids of All Ages.
All four of the immediate members of the Hargrave/Hernandez family had birthdays within the past month. Let’s celebrate! This family-friendly event will have lots of activities for the young and young at heart, including face painting, games, a cake walk, a sing-along, and various arts and crafts. No fee, and no gifts expected. You may choose to contribute to the
All Souls Religious Endowment Fund
. We do need to know how many people are coming, so please RSVP to Meredith (higginsrfp@aol.com; 301-537-0654) with your names and the ages of your kids. Sat., Jan. 20, 2:30 – 5:30 pm, Pierce Hall.
Sunday, January 21
The World Needs Our Presence … and Our Absence
. Rev. Hardies. “In order to understand the world,” wrote Camus, “one has to turn away from it on occasion.” More than anything else, we must be fully present to both the beauty and brokenness of the world, if we are to help redeem it. But to be fully present over the long haul, we must sometimes take time away from the world. How do we strike a balance between engagement and retreat? 9:30 and 11:15 am.
|
|
Find Your Ministry Fair.
Come learn about all of All Souls’ many ministries and find out where you might fit into our community. After each service, Pierce Hall.
Join the
Silver Souls
in building the beloved community and working for service, justice, and spiritual growth. All are welcome. 12:45 pm, library.
The
Rainbow Souls
invite you (and bring a friend!) to stop by their table at the Find Your Ministry Fair. Then, immediately following the Fair, attend their monthly meeting (every third Sunday of the month) to learn about events already on the 2018 calendar and offer ideas of your own. Questions? Contact Andre (andre@broneist.com) or Ryan (ryan.williams757@gmail.com) and check out the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/rainbowsouls). 1:00 pm, Longfellow Room.
Transitions: Moving into Our Older Years - Health.
See details in ASD box. 1:00-3:00 pm, Eaton Room.
Young Souls brunch
at Pho 14. Questions? Contact Claire (claire.adrian.tucci@gmail.com). Meet in Pierce Hall after the Find Your Ministry Fair.
Mindful Souls
provides an opportunity to meet in community regularly at the church for meditation, followed by discussion led by congregants or others from our broader DC community. We welcome all who wish to attend. Every Sunday, 1 pm, classroom 2; second/fourth Sundays also at 11 am, Longfellow Room.
POSTPONED
: The
Reproductive Justice brunch
has been postponed. Contact Tracey (tzorpette@gmail.com).
Sunday, January 28
The “Me, Too” Wake-Up Call.
Rev. Parker. The “Me, Too” movement has brought renewed attention to how widely sexual harassment and abuse have impacted people’s lives—most often (but not only) women. What does it take for those harmed to find their voice, name their experience, and call for redress? How can and should our spiritual communities help foster healing, accountability, and positive change? What does this moment open up for all of us? Rebecca Parker’s ground-breaking book “Proverbs of Ashes,” co-authored with Rita Nakashima Brock, addresses sexual abuse theologically and personally from a feminist perspective. Rochelle Rice and the All Souls Jazz Combo will lead music. Following each service, Rev. Rob Keithan will convene a conversation for men to reflect on their response to the “Me, Too” wake-up call. 9:30 and 11:15 am.
How does All Souls fit into the larger UU community? Do we partner with other UU bodies? How can we magnify our impact in the world? Come to the next
Denominational Connections Committee meeting
, where we’ll begin our discussions of the 2018 General Assembly in Kansas City, MO. 12:30-1:30 pm, Longfellow Room.
|
|
Adult Spiritual Development
|
Transitions: Moving into Our Older Years
. As we move into our older years we navigate new opportunities and challenges. Join us as we consider both the pitfalls of aging and what it takes to be successful. The presentations and discussion will include transitions in health and housing that may occur, including the importance of social networks and financial issues, the ins and outs of family dynamics, choosing between medical intervention and palliative care and moving beyond the fear of losing autonomy. Wholeness, both material and spiritual, will be our framework. Led by Deb Rubenstein of Iona Senior Services. This Sunday, we’ll discuss health. The following Sunday (Jan. 28), we’ll reflect on this Sunday’s discussion. In February, we’ll address housing transitions in older years. Fee for series: $20 (scholarships available). Questions? Contact Elizabeth Fox (202-686-6581; esfoxy@gmail.com). Sun., Jan. 21, 1:00-3:00 pm, Eaton Room.
REGISTER
.
|
UU4Core II: Unitarian Universalist Spiritual Practices.
How do we shape our daily lives to reflect our spiritual commitments and our desire for spiritual deepening? What enables us to ground our lives in sustaining sources of beauty, hope, and courage, that we might resist injustice and embody love? Based on his doctoral research in this area, Rev. Hardies will teach a contemporary approach to spiritual practices first developed by our UU forbears. Mondays, 7:00-9:00 pm, Feb. 12-Mar. 19.
REGISTER
.
|
All Souls is excited to announce the start of
Beloved Conversations,
a powerful pathway for spiritual growth and relationship building that advances our dream of beloved community. A transformative curriculum grounded in spiritual practice and our UU faith, Beloved Conversations is a learning laboratory for how to live healthily in a multiracial, multicultural, theologically diverse community, and how to work for a racially just world, both within and beyond our congregation. Led by Dr. Mark Hicks, Meadville Lombard Professor of Religious Education, Beloved Conversations opens with a 1.5-day immersive retreat at All Souls (Fri.-Sat., Feb. 16-17), followed by eight 2-hour sessions, every other week, in small cohorts of 10-15 people. Your participation is invited and encouraged! For more information, contact Minister of Adult Spiritual Development Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker (
rparker@allsouls.ws
).
REGISTER
.
|
|
Children and Youth Religious Education
|
OPPORTUNITIES and EVENTS
- A Party for Kids of All Ages – Sat., Jan. 20, 2:30 – 5:30 pm, Pierce Hall. See above.
- Today - Finding Your Ministry Fair after each service
- Saturday, Feb 3rd – Teacher/Parent REfresher, following “Sunday Morning Summit”. Tips, resources, and sharing on working/playing with children of all ages.
- Saturday, Feb. 10th 9:30-noon 6th Grade OWL Orientation
- Friday, Feb 23rd- Intergenerational Games Night- Back by popular demand
- Sunday, March 18th- Children’s Clothing Swap
Contact Dolores Miller, Director of Religious Education for Children & Youth (dmiller@allsouls.ws; 202-517-1469).
|
|
The Board of Trustees is seeking applicants for an open position on its
Finance Committee
for a three-year term beginning this year. We are looking for a member with a strong background in financial planning and budgeting. Please submit a resume and statement of interest to John Strongman (jestrongman@gmail.com).
Ready to step up your involvement in the church? Enroll in the 5th annual
All Souls Leadership Course
, a course for people interested in developing their leadership capacity at All Souls and beyond. Participants will be exposed to new perspectives and innovative ideas in leadership; engage in reflective and collaborative exercises; and forge and strengthen relationships with other participants and members of the congregation. For more info, go to
www.all-souls.org/ldnc
, contact Susan Crim (
buck_crim@msn.com
), or visit the Leadership Table in Pierce Hall on Sundays during January. 2018 Course dates: Saturdays 2/10, 2/24, 3/20, 3/24, 4/7, and 4/21.
All Souls Refugee Support Initiative (RSI)
- RSI has many opportunities to engage. To join our volunteer list, send your name/contact info to email Pat Nyhan (patnyhan@gmail.com) with your name, contact info, and one or more of the following interests: advocacy/education; outreach/tabling; communications; fundraising; direct supports; mentoring.
- Our friend Kizito is completing his final examination to become a certified nursing assistant and is trying to raise $250 to cover his licensing expenses. VISA gift cards can help him cover these expenses. Drop them off at the front desk (attn: Laurie Ensworth).
- Ronnie Huete Salgado, a Honduran human rights activist and journalist seeking asylum in the US, seeks long-term housing. He could also benefit from gift/cash cards. If anyone knows of potential housing, please contact Laurie Ensworth (lensworth@verizon.net).
- The Asylum Seeker Assistance Project (ASAP) is recruiting volunteers to assist with our upcoming job-readiness training, which prepares asylum seekers for employment in the U.S. The training will take place Mon., Jan. 22 – Fri., Jan. 26, at ASAP’s office in Tenleytown. Volunteers are encouraged to come to a lunch at 12:00 noon and then co-facilitate breakout sessions. Specific instructions will be provided to volunteers on site. Contact Noah (noah@asylumprojectdc.org) for more info or to RSVP.
Reeb 5th Annual NC Moral March Trip.
Let justice roll down the highways to NC! Join Reeb Voting Rights for our 5th annual pilgrimage to NC to support prophetic resistance leader Rev. Barber and the Moral March. Our tradition of participating in the march began after Rev. Barber delivered a national call for support - coinciding with heavy voter suppression in NC after the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. This year we are also invited directly by the President of the NC NAACP, Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, to participate in a rousing service Friday night as well, a wonderful opportunity to deepen our partnerships in NC and show that our work is having an impact. We will leave on February 9 directly from All Souls, attend the service and then wake up to ready to march! Then we will buttress a gerrymandering-focused phone bank led by our long-time partner Democracy NC, replete with warm food and drink. After that, we turn back around & sleep in our own beds Saturday night, sated by justice. How much better does it get? Come join the justice train! Sign up in Pierce hall today or
online
.
The
All Souls ESL program
provides English language instruction, conversation, and community-building for adults Sundays 1:00-2:45 pm. This past fall, we had 43 registered students originally from Central and South America, Africa, and South/South Central Asia.
Like us on Facebook
and spread the word! If you are interested in joining our amazing team of volunteers, contact Sarah (
allsouls.esl.dc@gmail.com
). Thinking about teaching, tutoring, or helping run the program? All Souls ESL mandatory volunteer training is Jan. 28, 11-2, in the dining room. No need to register for the training; just drop in. Spring semester classes run Sundays from January 28 through April 23, 2018.
Believe in radical hospitality? Act on those beliefs!
Worship services can be magical, but they don’t happen magically. In addition to the ministers and staff, we depend on the time, effort, and good will of volunteer congregants. Interested in helping? You have a choice of roles to play, and each is important.
- Worship Associates speak from the pulpit five or six times a year to welcome the congregation and introduce the offering collection. Worship Buddies help setup before services. Training occurs once or twice a year. Contact Jana Owens (jana_owens@hotmail.com).
- Ushers welcome congregants and visitors, hand out the orders of service, and help everything run smoothly and safely. The commitment is only one service each month, so it’s a great way to get involved. Contact Mark Matthews (markhowardmatthews@gmail.com).
- Greeters welcome visitors and answer their questions, both before and after services. Really important, but easy—once a month commitment and no meetings! Great way to meet people, and you’re already qualified! Contact Sarah Puro (sarahpuro@yahoo.com).
- Counters receive the offering plates, tally the numbers, and lock everything away in the safe. You’ll serve once a month after the second service and meet a nice group of folks. Contact John Crowe (babaloo913@gmail.com).
- The Lunch Ministry nourishes the congregation with a homemade, healthy meal about once a month. Stretch your culinary skills! Visit all-souls.org/lunch or contact Jerri Husch (ascu.lunch@ gmail.com).
|
|
All Souls Church Unitarian | 1500 Harvard St NW, Washington DC 20009
202.332.5266| www.all-souls.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
