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March 30, 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 13
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What's New? A Message from the Pledge Team
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Our 2017-18 Pledge Team: Jeanne Guignon, Jane Baudelaire, and Zack Steven. |
With all of the exciting news about the Capital Campaign this year, you many be wondering "What about the Annual Campaign? Are we still having Pledge Day?" Or perhaps (and more likely) you haven't given it much thought yet. The purpose of this update is to put your mind at ease! Members of the Pledge Team (Jane Baudelaire, Jeanne Guignon, and Zack Steven) have been hard at work making pancakes, supporting the efforts of the Capital Campaign, and yes - planning the Pledge Day celebration on
April 26
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While the Capital Campaign allows us to make significant progress toward our visionary goals, the annual campaign is what keeps the salaries paid, the lights on, and the programs running while we bring those goals to fruition. It is crucial that we continue to fund the near term operating needs of the church, even as we envision our future and begin to build it.
A successful campaign depends upon on the participation of each member of our community - that's why this year the Capital Campaign and Annual Campaign are being conducted in tandem. That means that when you visit with another church member to consider your Capital Campaign contribution, you will be invited to make your annual pledge at the same time. Easy!
Our goal for this year's Annual Campaign is to invite all members and friends of First Universalist to make a contribution, and our hope is that in doing so we will be able to maintain the level of last year's operating budget.
Please Save the Date for Pledge Day on Wednesday, April 26 from 4-8 p.m. at church! It will be a celebration of our community, including dinner catered by The Sioux Chef, bingo for all ages, a bouncy house, and fellowship. If you haven't been to Pledge Day before, you can learn more about the vision for it from
the video we created last year. See you there!
In gratitude,
The 2017 Pledge Team
Jane Baudelaire, Jeanne Guignon, and Zack Steven
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| SUNDAY WORSHIP AT FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH |
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Sunday, April 2, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Sharing Sunday*
"Seeking Transformation?"
Rev. Justin Schroeder
Karen Armstrong writes: "Religion is not about accepting twenty impossible propositions before breakfast, but about doing things that change you. It is a moral aesthetic, an ethical alchemy. If you behave in a certain way, you will be transformed." When we dare to move beyond the known patterns and perceptions of our lives, letting the alchemy of love, listening and justice do its work, then we will be more than changed. The base metals of our lives will be transformed into something precious and flourishing. This is the purpose of religion, and the meaning of a religious life: to be transformed. Join us this Sunday, as we begin our exploration of "Transformation," April's worship theme.
*This Sunday is Sharing Sunday - children 4 years old through 5th grade attend the first part of worship with their families. Childcare will be available for children ages 6 months through 5th grade only.
Due to Spring Break, there are no Religious Education classes for children or youth.
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| April Worship Theme: Transformation |
Sunday, April 9, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink
Recent Sermon Podcasts
March 26, 2017
"Risking Hope"
Rev. Jen Crow
March 19, 2017
"The Space Between"
Rev. Margaret Weis
March 12, 2017
"Not for Ourselves Alone"
Rev. Justin Schroeder
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Moving with Heavy-Heartedness Circle
Tuesday, April 4, 7-8:30 p.m., Cummins Rm
In periods when we experience heavy-heartedness we risk being overwhelmed and shutting down, or responding with anxiety, anger, and/or lashing out.
In February we held a powerful ritual to help us ground ourselves in a third way to be: one in which we feel what we feel, but remain conscious and connected.
Join us on April 4 to deepen and practice what was begun in February: being present, conscious, connected and moving forward despite heavy-heartedness. You're welcome even if you didn't attend the original ritual - a recording can be accessed
here
.
The session will be led by Patrick Dougherty and Michael Dotson.
We will reconvene the larger ritual on April 13 to continue to access our heart/mind center, making promises for our faithful action moving forward.
RSVPs appreciated.
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Lend-A-Hand & Spring Clear Out Day
Thursday, April 6, 9 a.m.
In an effort to tidy up some of our storage areas, the April meeting of Lend A Hand will be dedicated to clearing things out.
If you are a group or committee that stores things here, please email Bree Mattson at bree@firstuniv.org
. We won't get rid of anything that you're still using and want to keep, but we'll need to know before April 6.
Everyone is welcome to join Lend A Hand and SPIFF on April 6 at 9 a.m. to help with the clear out. The morning will start with bagels and coffee and then we'll get to work. Come help us keep our church clean, orderly and looking good! To participate, email Sandy at sandy@firstuniv.org.
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MN350 Presentation on
Enbridge Line 3 Crude Oil Pipeline
Sunday, April 9, 1-3 p.m., Cummins Room
The same government and corporate interests that work to threaten the safety and well-being of Muslims, immigrants, and other sectors of the population are also backers of fossil fuel projects that are destroying our planet and our communities. Enbridge Energy, a Canada-based firm, wants to push through yet another massive crude-oil pipeline that would be a disaster for the climate, would cross protected treaty territory, and would threaten water supplies across Minnesota.
This project, the Line 3 pipeline, would replace a deteriorating existing pipeline, nearly doubling its capacity. The Environmental Justice Team has invited Kathy Hollander and Justin GreyDay of the activist group
MN350
to clarify the major issues for Line 3.
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From Heavy-Heartedness to
Living Our Intentions
Thursday, April 13, 7 p.m., Sanctuary
In February, First Universalist members offered a beautiful service of singing, music, truth telling and reflection, as we named the heavy heartedness we were experiencing. Together, we held space for one another and found ways to move with and in spite of our own heavy heartedness. We set an intention that over the course of 40 days, we would contemplate and discern how we would faithfully move forward.
Please join us on April 13 at 7 p.m. when we reconvene in song and reflection, naming how we will move forward with resolve, commitment, and love.
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Daytime Connections: Resilience
Thursday, April 20, 11 a.m., Social Hall
Given the increasing uncertainties, losses, and challenges of aging, how can
you
be
resilient?
Drawing on her research related to family resilience,
Joan
Patterson
will guide us through an exploration of resilience
-
what it means, who has it,
how
they
got
it and most of all,
how YOU can tap you own capacity for resilience.
Program begins at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at 1 p.m. A $5-10 donation is encouraged.
To register contact Sandy at sandy@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.
Through
Daytime Connections
, older adults empower each other to live intentional, joyful, purposeful, and spiritually fulfilled lives.
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Racial Justice and Our UU Faith
Saturdays, April 22 and 29, 9-11:30 a.m., Cummins Room
Join us for a workshop exploring a framework and tools for understanding race, racism, and whiteness and the spiritual imperative that drives our racial justice work. This is a distilled experience of the 24-hour training offered by Dr. Heather Hackman.
This is a two-part workshop offered on Saturdays, April 22 & 29, from 9-11:30 a.m., and led by Clemma Muller.
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| Mark Your Calendar: Pledge Day is April 26 |
Our Annual Campaign is happening alongside the Capital Campaign this year, and the Pledge Day tradition continues! Please join us on Wednesday, April 26, 4-8 p.m. here at church for a free celebration of our community, including dinner, games (bingo!), a bouncy house, prizes, and more. Our goal is to have all pledges made by Pledge Day so that the budget for the coming year can be finalized. Details to follow, but please save the date!
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| Congregational Budget Meetings: April 30 & May 2 |
The Board of Trustees will share a draft budget with the Congregation at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 30 at a Congregational Budget Meeting, which will be held in the Sanctuary. After a presentation of the budget and its rationale, there will be an opportunity for questions. An additional meeting to share the draft budget will be held on Tuesday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cummins Room. The board will prepare a final version of the budget for presentation to the Congregation at our Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at 11:30 a.m. (following the one 10 a.m. service).
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Photos from Our Capital Campaign Kickoff Party
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 Thank you again to the more than 600 members and friends who joined us at our Capital Campaign Kickoff Party earlier this month to celebrate our community and our vision for the future.
If you took photos at the event, would you be willing to share them?
Upload your own photos and check out the more than 200 photos that have already been shared here: 1stucapitalcampaignkickoffparty.shutterfly.com/
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 by Liz Short
Have you seen the posters up in church over the last two weeks? They have highlighted two of our youth and one of our families, telling their stories about what they love at First Universalist. Would you like to share yours? If so, we'd love to hear it!
Sacha Muller and I are the Spiritual Emphasis co-chairs on the Capital Campaign Steering Committee. Our job is to keep us focused on the work of the church, to remind us that we enter into this fundraising endeavor to strengthen our community and enhance our ability to do good in the world. To that end, we are reaching out to you. We would love to hear your story, to learn about your experience at First Universalist, what you love and what keeps you coming back.
Would you be willing to write a testimonial? We would love to hear from you and share it with our entire congregation. When paired with a picture, we can meet each other through our words and images, strengthening our community one story at a time.
We want everyone to be represented in these stories: children, youth, families, singles, new members and long-term ones - everyone has stories to tell, and we hope to capture many of them.
The more stories and photographs we collect, the more we get to meet each other and deepen our relationships. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see an entire wall at church covered with the words and images of our beloved community? Imagine: a wall that's not a barrier but, rather, an invitation to open hearts!
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Get to Know The Sioux Chef
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 Since October, we've been sharing our kitchen with The Sioux Chef, a catering company dedicated to revitalizing indigenous food systems and knowledge, and bringing back Native American cuisine. They are renting our space while they work towards opening their own restaurant and starting a nonprofit to support indigenous food education.
Owner Sean Sherman and his staff have gotten a lot of attention in the media recently, including this video that has been making the rounds on social media sites. Watch it to learn more about The Sioux Chef and to catch a glimpse of our kitchen and social hall! |
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Scholarships to the People's Climate March in Washington D.C. on April 29
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 On April 29 - the 100th day of the Trump Administration - the People's Climate March will take to the streets of Washington, D.C., to show the world and our leaders that we will resist attacks on our communities, our climate, and our planet. People will come together from across the United States to build our movement. We will demonstrate our power and resistance at the gates of the White House.
Our community partner MNIPL, along with MN350, TakeAction MN, Sierra Club, and other local partners, are coordinating buses for members of Minnesota communities to head out together to Washington for the march.
You can obtain information on the bus trip, including three different overnight options, here. Trip details can be found here.
The
Faithful Action Council
has matched an earlier contribution to the church's Environmental Justice Team
, establishing a $500 fund to
subsidize bus transportation for congregants who want to participate in the March.
The amount of the First Universalist "scholarships" to individual travelers will depend on the number of responses.
You don't want to miss this moment!
There are three options for overnights, but roughly speaking, we will be away from Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, April 26, 27, or 28 through Sunday, April 30.
If you are interested but have concerns about the expense involved, you are invited to ask the Environmental Justice Team to help defray that expense. Email Stan Sattinger at sattin501@gmail.com with your contact info; first come, first served.
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Calling Housing Heroes and Advocates: Support Affordable Housing, End Homelessness
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 First Universalist is going to St. Paul on Tuesday, April 18 to advocate for affordable housing and to end homelessness as part of Habitat's "Habitat on the Hill" annual event. We will learn about housing need and proposed legislation investing in housing, and then meet with legislators in small groups led by a Habitat expert. It will be easy, and you will be in community doing important work that only we can do. People of color are disproportionately shut out of affordable housing and are most likely to experience homelessness. Public investment in affordable housing, shelter, and services provides a strong financial - and moral - return, providing better outcomes in education, income, job stability, health, and safe neighborhoods, and reducing racial disparities in housing and income.
Please join Rev. Justin and First Universalist's Habitat leaders in St. Paul on
April 18. Register
here and send a note to Joan Naymark at
jnaymark@gmail.com so we can coordinate a meeting place and possible car-pools. Thanks for all you've done, and all you will do, to make this world more equitable place. Endorsed by the Faithful Action Council.
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Church Leadership Applications Due Sunday, April 2
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The Nominating Committee is actively recruiting candidates for leadership positions on the Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board, and the Nominating Committee itself for the next church year. We believe the congregation is full of untapped talent and we encourage people to step forward and share their skills!
To qualify for any of these positions, you must be a member in good standing of the church. Elections occur at the Annual Meeting on June 4.
The application deadline is April 2, 2017. Applications should be submitted to nomination@firstuniv.org.
For position descriptions and to download the application form,
visit our website
.
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Donations Wanted for Book/CD/DVD/Video Game Sale
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Please consider supporting the Youth Cultural Exchange program by donating your used media items. Drop off your gently-used Books, CDs, DVDs and Video Games in the social hall April 2 or 9. The sale will take place on Sundays, April 23 and 30.
This summer, twelve First Universalist 8th and 9th grade youth will travel to Nicaragua where they will live with local families to gain cultural understanding and forge lasting cross-cultural friendships. Your donations and purchases will help us bring the twelve Nicaraguan host siblings to Minnesota for two weeks in 2018.
Questions?
Contact Eric Schaefer at
612-414-7515
or
eschaefer1@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your support!
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Cycle of Life and Pastoral Care
Let Us Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, contact Sandy DiNanni at
sandy@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701. If you would like support, call the office at 612-825-1701 or contact any member of our
Pastoral Care Team.
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Congregational Care: Caring Corner
Write a note to a congregant who could use support! There are cards available in the library, which is located off of the Social Hall. You are welcome to stop by and write a card at any time. Just leave it in the basket and the church will mail it for you. Learn more about congregational care on our website.
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Planned Giving & the Heritage Circle
Please let us know
when you designate First Universalist Church as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan so we can thank you for your generous commitment and welcome you to the Heritage Circle. The church office and the Planned Giving Committee can help you. Learn more on our website.
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| RESOURCES & CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Join Our Mailing List
Subscribe to
The Weekly Liberal
here.
Sign up to receive our weekly Children Youth & Family Ministries news
here.
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Church Office Hours
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Sundays
8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Closed Fridays and Saturdays
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Weekly Liberal Submissions
We encourage you to submit news!
Do you have an announcement that you'd like published in
The Weekly Liberal? Please fill out our
online submission form. Edits for length and/or content may occur.
The Weekly Liberal is compiled and edited by Communications Manager Jenn Stromberg. Past issues, publication deadlines, and policies can be found on our
website
.
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Contact Us
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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