Submissions must be in by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to be included in the newsletter. 
Thanks! 
Heather Thornton, Beacon Office Manager
Mid-Year report from the Board:
Several of the Board initiatives and priorities for 2016/2017 are well underway:
  • Support the RE programs and our fledgling high school group . Largely thanks to our rock star Director of Religious Education, Sakenya McDonald, a superb RE committee, and well-run OWL program, the Board has had to do very little for this initiative. But some of our votes and decisions this year have focused on this support.
  • Support our new settled minister in a successful launch.  Although Rev. Kevin Lawson is also supported by the Board appointed Committee on Shared Ministry and the all volunteer Worship Associates, advising our new minister and keeping him from scattering his significant energies to too many projects and requests has nonetheless been a Board responsibility. Beacon is truly blessed by a new minister with tremendous energy, heart, passion and drive, but the Board has also been delighted to discover an able administrator.
  • Support a growth mindset.  If we are to be the home for liberal, progressive initiatives that give action to our words and UU principles, we must continuously be in a growth cycle.  Unfortunately, we do not have an advertising budget this year, but this is truly OUR time.  We have rarely had a time more in need of who and what we are.  How do we manifest our ideals here in ourselves, at Beacon, and in our community?  AND to achieve our longed-for expansion, we must grow our beloved community.
  • Review, revise, streamline, and adapt the Beacon Policies and Procedures.  Yep, all 67 pages of them.  Because our community has lived in flux for some five years, because we haven't always had the tech savvy of some of the Board members. this task has gone undone for too long.  It is in our Beacon By-Laws that this is a responsibility of our Board.  This document has had many missteps: referred to missing Board minutes, one part directly contradicts another - etc.  We are well on our way to being finished with this task by June.
  • Keep the lights on and the website up.  Well. this last year for a lot of reasons, we had to adopt an austerity budget.  The highly successful annual auction, some savings here and there, and your generous donations have helped alleviate this.  But sometimes the Board has to make some heart-wrenching decisions.  We have to say "no", when we want to say "yes" and reward initiative and enthusiasm.  As always, there are unexpected expenses, and we appreciate all that every committee and committee chair, every staff member, our dedicated Finance Committee, and each of you - gentle reader - contribute to saving, to volunteering, to donating to keeping our ship aright.  Hopefully, thanks to our passionate and organized Stewardship Leaders, Paul and Trish Black, and each of you, next year's Board will not steer through these shoals.
A personal and deep thanks goes to my other Board members:  Vice-President Dennis Spurlin, Treasurer Anne Wittke, Secretary Theresa deBoer, members at large Christina Boyd, Amy Huntereece and newest member Ruth Roazen - and departing member Adele Coleman. I thank you for your wisdom, your time, your individual strengths and savvy, your gentle good humor. for keeping me from too many mistakes. A special thanks also, for last year's president, Carl Taylor, for his tremendous and tireless example.  
What a blessing you ALL are!  How much brighter our Beacon glows because of your willing heartlight.

Carol Hixson
'16-'17 Board President
~ Monthly Worship Theme ~ 
Where Do We Come From?
Ministers Musings
February 2, 2017
     

Where Do we Come From?
What (Who) are we?
Where are we going?
 
Greetings,

I share the image for our monthly themes for February, March and April, powerful image by Gauguin is considered by many to be his masterpiece, and online searches can provide interesting reading(s) and opinions of the work.  The Worship Associate Team and I considered the timely message as we look behind, look inside, and look to the future of Beacon. 

We are in the midst of our spring stewardship campaign, I hope you are enjoying these thoughtful questions of the week.  As I shared last Sunday, I was touched by the insightful responses to the first question and look forward to the coming questions and answers.

We have also held our first of the three community parties, by now you each should have been contacted and invited to participate, if you didn't receive a post card or phone call, please do reach out to our stewardship team, or contact the office, office@beaconuu.com and we'll get you "on the list" for one of the two remaining dates.  The first gathering was a heartfelt time of sharing, along with some fun party events, what's a party with Trish without some fun and laughter! 

I look forward to participating in the coming events, and encourage us all to be thinking about what Beacon means to us in our lives.  Community based on shared values, principles and actions is so very important in the challenging times we find ourselves within.  Truly, let us join together to Ignite our Beacon Light to become the vision we seek, a center for liberal religion and action in northern Arizona.

Blessed Be,
Rev. Kevin
Monthly Worship Theme Notes :

Our next three monthly service themes, February, March and April are taken from the artists Paul Gauguin's statement painted in the piece, " Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?  Gauguin inscribed the original French title in the upper left corner: D'où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous. The inscription the artist wrote on his canvas has no question mark, no dash, and all words are capitalized. In the upper right corner he signed and dated the painting: P. Gauguin / 1897. These words also appear in our hymnal, "Singing the Journey," within hymn #1003. 
Welcome, New Members!
warm welcome  to our three newest members from our Path class last Sunday:  Tory Syracuse, Charlotte (Char) Tarashanti and Lorena Cabellero Zeilman; and two new members from prior Path classes, Lore Dickey and Rachael Meredith.  We will be introducing them "properly" in a few weeks. So pleased and honored to have them all!
~ Upcoming Services ~
February 12, Rev. Kevin
"That's the Power of Love" 
 What's love got to do with it and I will always love you! Power, questioning and perseverance, truly what is the power of love? This service will look at how and why we love, from the romantic to the familiar, friendships and even love for our planet, our beautiful blue boat home.

February 19, Worship Associate Nancy Paxton
"Our Roots and Wings: Olympia Brown," 
Did you know that the first woman in the United States who was called to serve as a full-time minister was a Universalist: her name was Olympia Brown (1835-1926). Some of Brown's words are printed as Responsive Readings #569 and #578 in our hymnal. Discover more about where we come from by learning about this path-breaking woman and about the powerful commitment to social justice that connects us with her and other prominent Unitarian-Universalists in the past and present.    
Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration for Sunday, February 12.
Join us as we welcome a special guest, author  Myles Schrag as he presents "The Chocolate Angel", a wonderful story about an angel who finds her OWN way! We will have some wonderful chocolate treats and a lesson on finding one's own way in a sometimes tricky world.
Our 6-8 graders will continue working through the book, "What Do You Stand For" discussing ways to remain positive, focused, and faith filled.

PS. Yes, there will also be chocolate treats for the middle-schoolers.
Hope to see you on Sunday!

 
Volunteers are always welcome! Please email re@beaconuu.com to find out how you can contribute to our dynamic RE program.
Adrianne's Music Box
Congregational Hymns February 2, 2017

Choir Offerings this week:
May my life be as a song ...A song fills the air.  Lilting on any with ears to hear.  It flows gently, beyond around and through those not able to hear, yet still awakes the dark.  Softly serenades the stars, with no injury, no bite.  
Earth Song by Frank Tichelli.  It is most common for the composer to write commissioned music and spend weeks and weeks searching for the "perfect" poem.  This song was different.  Fran Tichelli knew he had to write something to express his growing disillusionment with the war in Iraq.  The poem and music are his expression of a longing for peace.  But also, the poem is a steadfast declaration of the power of music to heal. In the end, the speaker in the poem discovers that, through music, he is the embodiment of hope, peace, the song within the Song. Perhaps music has the power not only to nurture inner peace, but also to open hearts and ears in a world that desperately needs love and listening.
Congregational Music
#1002 Comfort Me The melodic line borrows from the Gospel Music tradition yet is chant-like with repetitious unison singing.   Over the past few decades, there has been growing evidence supporting the potential utility of music in medicine.  Singing and particularly, repetitious chanting can influence centers in the brain responsible for emotional regulation.
#1064 Blue Boat Home is a relatively new poem by Peter Mayer.  It is set to a much beloved Welsh Hymn tune that appears in many Christian hymnals, each with their own texts.  This particular setting paints a picture of a rocking boat with its lilting accompaniment.
Love Train  is a hit single by The O'Jays released in 1972, it reached number one on both the R&B Singles and the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1973, the same day that the Paris Peace Accords were signed.   It was The O'Jays' first and only number-one record on the U.S. pop chart. The song's lyrics of unity mention a number of countries, including England , Russia , China , Egypt and Israel , as well as the continent of Africa .
LET'S IGNITE OUR BEACON LIGHT!
 

Let's Ignite Our Beacon Light Question of the Week:

"How can our congregation continue to make a significant difference in our community?

Trish and Paul Black will be in the lobby before and after the service, ready to collect your answer to the question, if you wish to do so. The Stewardship Team will post the answers each week!

Conversations with Rev. Kevin
You should have received a postcard inviting you to one of three parties:  Tuesday, February 7, 6-8 pm; Saturday, February 25, 10 am- 12 pm; or Sunday, March 5, 11:45 - 1:45. Enjoy engaging in small group conversations with Rev. Kevin while sampling food and beverages along with live music! Childcare is provided for the Saturday and Sunday parties. 

If you did not receive an invitation, or need to change your date, please call Trish Black, 602-350-0592.


SJA (SOCIAL JUSTICE ALLIES) UPDATE
 
Justice District Assembly (DA):
Migrant and Borderlands Justice
March 31 - April 2
Sonoran Arizona & Mexico
~ An invitation ~
The Unitarian Universalist congregations in southern Arizona, the Baja Four, invite you to join us for a different kind of district assembly.
This assembly begins now, right where you are with Education about migrant and borderland justice in Southern Arizona. Join us this spring in the Sonoran Desert as thirty partner organizations offer interactive immersion experiences designed to Connect us to the social, environmental and spiritual facets of immigration justice. Then, gather with over 300 Unitarian Universalists for worship at the border wall as the Transformative capstone of our gathering.
But it doesn't end there. Yes, we will return to our homes, spreading out across our District once again...but we will continue what has begun. We will continue to expand our education. We will continue to deepen our connections. And we will continue to open ourselves to transformation, living out the justice we proclaim throughout the Pacific Southwest District and beyond.
We invite you to join us as we learn, connect, and transform our hearts, minds, and spirits together.
Structure for the weekend's events:
  • Friday evening, Mar 31: Opening session (time and location TBA)
  • Saturday, April 1, all day: Immersion excursions (when you register on line, choose from a menu of more than 15 options, ranging from workshops to expeditions into Mexico). Saturday's experiences are being organized by UUJAZ (UU Justice Arizona) network, of which Beacon is a member congregation.
  • Sunday morning, April 2: Worship service at the border wall with hundreds of other UUs-from Arizona, southern California and southern Nevada.
What's the hurry?
"Early bird" registration ($100 per person) closes Feb. 15; regular registration (closes Mar. 15. You'll need to arrange for lodging, too: hotel, camping or (limited) home hospitality.
To learn more about Justice District Assembly...
Go online to www.justiceda2017.weebly.com  for specifics about immersion excursions, suggestions for lodging and registration for Justice DA. Your choice of lodging location should be guided by your choice of immersion excursion, or vice versa.
 
Especially in the current political climate-and with Beacon's commitment to taking a public stance "in support of families of undocumented immigrants"-  this is an opportunity to deepen our insight into borderland justice issues.
 
Roz Clark, SJA (Social Justice Allies) Journalist
SIGN UP! 
Time for Circle Suppers at Beacon
Break bread with a few other Beaconites!

How it works:
  • Any member or friend of Beacon signs up (with your partner and family, if you wish) during the sign-up period (which ends Feb 20). You are signing up to participate in 3-4 potluck Suppers (or brunches or whatever) during March-May. Each Supper is held in the home of one member of the Circle; nobody hosts more than 1 Supper.
  • Paul Beier (paul.beier@gmail.com) assembles participants into "Circles" of about 6-8 persons, notifies all participants of the Circle to which they have been assigned, and recruits one person to be the Ringleader of each Circle.
  • The Ringleader of each Circle works with Circle to set the date for the first Supper at the Ringleader's home. At each Supper, the Circle selects a date and a host for the next Supper.
  • Continue for until everyone has had the opportunity to host the Circle (hopefully before the next Circles begin).
  • Is your home too small to host 6-8 people? No problem! We can work it out...
"A Beacon tradition for 30 years"
What to do:
Before Feb 20 , email paul.beier@gmail.com , with your
  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone (gotta have it!)
  • Names of other adults who will attend Suppers with you
  • Names and ages of kids who will attend suppers with you
  • Are you willing to have babies (kids <36 months) old in your Circle? Yes/No
  • Are you willing to have kids > 3 years old in your Circle? Yes/No
  • Any other information, such as: "only Sunday brunches" or "house too small for me to host" or "please put in circle with Barack."
If you can't remember if you already signed up for Circle Suppers, just sign up again - we will find the duplicates.
BEACON GOOGLE GROUP
 
If you are not on Beacon's exclusive google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. It is useful for spreading information about something going on in Flagstaff, informing others of social action activities,offering an item for sale or to give away, sharing enthusiasm about a book or movie, requesting information or recommendations -- and more! It's simple to sign up! Email Heather, our Office Manager, at  office@beaconuu.com.
Cheap Lunch Bunch!
The next meeting of the Cheap Lunch Bunch will be  Friday, February 10, 11:45 at the Himalayan Grill (801 S Milton Rd #3, Flagstaff) for their lunch buffet.  http://www.himalayangrill.com/
The following Lunch will be  Monday, Feb. 20, location to be determined. 
The Cheap Lunch Bunch is a group of Beacon members and friends, gathering to enjoy a quick cheap bite and conversation 
at one of  Flagstaff's many terrific eateries!
Call Anne Wittke at 606-2064 with questions, 
or to be added to the group's email list!
February's Share the Plate Partner 


The Poore Free Medical Clinic provides medical and 
dental care for those who do not have insurance.

Undesignated contributions to December's Sunday service offerings 
above $300 (which goes to Beacon's operational budget) 
will be presented to the Center. 

Nominate your favorite Non-Profit Group or Agency!
If you would like to nominate a non-profit project or agency whose values are consistent with Beacon's for the Share the Plate Program,  please fill out a nomination form. They can also be found on the bulletin board in the foyer.
 
For more information, contact Community Action Committee (CAC) chairs 
Katy Grant,  katygrantaz@gmail.com and Eric Burns  emburns34@hotmail.com 
Full Moon Heart Circle:
Friday, February 10, 2017 - 6:00 - 7:30 @ Beacon
This is our third gathering where we come together under the light of the full moon.  Would you like a quiet space to gather and share what's on your heart, to honor and listen to others?  Join with Rev. Kevin and others for this special monthly event; this intentional time for a deeper journey into joys and /or concerns.  We gather, call the circle, have a time of contemplation and reflection and then share in community that which is on our hearts and spirits, then we release the circle and go out under the glow of the full moon.
Beacon Calendar
Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, February 9
7:00 pm
Community Action Committee
Monday, February 13
6:30 pm
LGBTQI Community Youth Group
Friday, February 10
5:00 pm
Religious Exploration Team Meeting
Monday, February 13
6:30 pm
Full Moon Heart Circle
Friday, February 10
6:30 pm
Yoga
Tuesday, February 14
11:00 am
5:00 pm
Sunday Worship Services
Sunday, February 12
10:00 am
Children's Religious Exploration
Core Leadership Council
Wednesday, February 15
6:00 pm
Social Justice Allies
Sunday, February 12
11:15 am
Yoga
Thursday, February 16
11:00 am
Beacon Youth Group
Sunday, February 12
12:30 pm
Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, February 16
7:00 pm
Committee on Shared Ministry 
Monday, February 13
5:30 pm
Flagstaff Folk Project
Friday, February 17
7:15 pm

Beacon Office Hours

Minister, 
Rev. Kevin Lawson: 
Monday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Tuesday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Wednesday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
*Other times available by appointment

Director of Religious Exploration, 
Sakenya McDonald
Sunday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Tuesday - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Wednesday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
*Other times available by appointment

Office Manager, 
Heather Thornton
Tuesday: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Wednesday: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Thursday: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Last Sunday
Sunday, January 29
Attendance: 75
Plate Donations: $148.00