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Beacon Spiritual Theme of the Month
~ Faith ~
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Submissions must be in by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to be included in the newsletter.
Heather Thornton, Beacon Office Manager
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Please get your donations rolling in!
Click
here
to view the auction donation form.
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~ From the Board ~
FY '17 (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017) was a year with what was often described as an austerity budget. With good management and the generosity of the congregation, we ended the fiscal year with a surplus of $17,415.61. Congratulations to us all!
The Finance Committee recommended to the Board the distribution of the $17,415.61 surplus as indicated below. The Board approved this distribution at its meeting October 25, 2017.
- Reimburse Cassie Dakan and Nora Timmerman $250 each for Adult OWL Training $ 500.00
- Write checks to the CAC partners for Jan, Feb and March 2017
Jan Flagstaff Shelter Services $ 270.70
Feb Poore Free Medical Clinic 215.
Mar JLB Project 398.07
Total
CAC
$883.77
- Add to the Sabbatical Reserve to bring it to $5,000 4,000.00
- Restore roof repair funds to Building Maintenance Reserve 5,200.00
- Increase funds in Building Expansion Reserve 6,831.84
Total
$17,415.61
If you have any questions about this, ask a Board member!
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~ Touchstones Journal ~
November Theme
Faith
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~ From the Ministers Desk ~
I will miss being in the pulpit with you this coming Sunday, our first gathering for the new
month and our new Spiritual Theme and Exploration of Faith. As you know, my mother passed away in
September, and I will be in Phoenix this weekend for her JOYful Celebration of Life, Saturday
November 4th.
For those who might not have met my mother Joy, on her visit's to Beacon in the last year and
our Installation service last spring, she was a lifelong church attendee, with a strong sense of
faith. It seems fitting to me, that the month in which I say goodbye, is also a month in which we
together explore what is faith.
How do we draw upon faith to withstand the trials and tribulations of this human life, and what
does it portend in the post-lived experience or the afterlife. Please enjoy reading Rev. Kirk
Loadman-Copeland's introduction to our spiritual exploration theme for November FAITH. I
look forward to being with you all in the coming weeks as together we share, explore and deepen
our faith.
Grateful to be on the Journey with you,
Rev. Kevin
Association Sunday - November 12, 2017
Special note regarding our upcoming service on Sunday November 12, this is our Fall UU Association Sunday; I will be speaking about the Promise and the Practice of our Faith. This year I invite you to read please the following link for further information from our new UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray. She expresses the ongoing work of the UUA and all of our sister congregations as we work towards becoming a more rich and vibrant, multicultural and multiracial faith community.
There will be a special second offering on Sunday November 12, all proceeds will go towards the UUA's goal of funding BLUU. (see article for more info) It is being requested that all members consider a $5 gift, which will be generously matched so that Beacon might achieve the requested $10 per member balance in support of this national UUA Cause for Black Empowerment, Racial Recognition and fully supporting the work of BLUU. Of course, if you wish to contribute more than $5 please feel free to do so. The matching grant will be dollar for dollar received towards this campaign, up to Beacons noted amount of 114 members at $10 per member, therefore a goal of $1,140.00 for this special UUA effort. I look forward to speaking on this special Sunday, being with all of you and seeing how Beacon can support our National UUA Outreach for Black Lives Matter.
Peace, Rev. Kevin
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~ Religious Exploration ~
Hello Parents, Families and Friends,
Beacon will be providing childcare at the home of Jack and Kay Doggett during the auction. (Thank you Jack and Kay). If you would like to make a reservation for a child or children and for any further information, please call or text Roz Clark who is serving as our childcare coordinator (thank you Roz). Her number is (928) 380-6502
Jack and Kay's address is:
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~ Music Box ~
#1008
When Our Heart is in a Holy Place
by Joyce Poley
"When we hear our voices in each others words, then our heart is in a holy place."
#1037
We Begin Again in Love
is a sung, responsive reading
from A Litany of Atonement, by Rev. Robert Eller-Isaacs, #637 in
Singing the Living Tradition
"We forgive ourselves and each other and begin again in love"
Rob reports that he wrote the atonement in the first person, which gives it a much different power ("I forgive myself and others, and begin again in love"). That version was deemed too intimate for our hymnal, where the litany was changed from first person singular to the "we" of first person plural.
Yom Kippur (day of atonement) is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar year. It's ritual practice helps bring us closer to the essence of our souls. I have chosen this sung responsive reading (atonement) to bring us close to ourselves. To help us stop and take-care in
the journey, practice forgiveness and let go of things that no longer serve us.
#1058
Be Ours a Religion
words by
Theodore Parker
(August 24, 1810 - May 10, 1860), American
Transcendentalist
and
reforming
minister
of the
Unitarian
church. A reformer and
abolitionist
, his words and popular quotations would later inspire speeches by
Abraham Lincoln
and
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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~ Social Justice Allies ~
For your calendar:
The next SJA meeting will be Sunday, November 19, following the service.
The agenda will include a report on the UUJAZ (UU Justice Arizona) network Issues and Action Day held at the UU Church of Surprise October 14. Faith Moore, Margie Goulden, Susan Immel, Rev. Kevin Lawson and Roz Clark participated in the day-long programming and will share their perceptions of how we might deepen and broaden Beacon's engagement with UUJAZ.
On Thursday, November 9, at 8:00pm in Room 136 of the NAU Liberal Arts Building (Building #18):
"The Bisbee Deportation of 1917: Songs, Words, and Images." With the 100 year anniversary of this dramatic and little-known chapter in labor history, Charlie King and Candace Cassin recreate this startling episode in which over a thousand striking miners were "pulled from their beds in the middle of the night, loaded into cattle cars and shipped to the New Mexico desert, never to return to their jobs, homes or families."
Free and open to the public, this program is sponsored by the departments of History, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ethnic Studies, and Latin American Studies. The presentation will be in English.
Charlie King Press Release
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~ Community Action Committee
Northland Family Help Center
"You can pretend to care, but you can't pretend to show up!"
...and show up Beacon volunteers did last Friday to re-package dry products (i.e. flour, sugar, salt and rice) at the Family Food Center Food Bank, our October community partner. Many thanks to Steve Zeldes, Mark James, Jeff Pickens, Faith Moore, Carleton and Bill Sheppard, Bill Owen, Roger Sleeper, Nancy Paxton, Kevin Parkes, Paul Black and Roz and Rich Clark.
Beacon's community partner for November is
Northland Family Help Center (NFHC):
Northland Family Help Center's mission is to provide safe haven, advocacy, counseling, and education to promote and restore healthy relationships.
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NFHC'S Domestic Violence Shelter provides safe shelter, crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, and life skills training to those affected.
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NFHC's Youth Shelter offers shelter and respite care, family reunification, case managements, and life skills training.
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Overview Northland Family Help Center provides out-patient professional counseling services free of charge for eligible individuals.
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NFHC's Legal advocacy personnel provide training and advocacy to women fleeing intimate violence.
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~ In Community ~
Rich Clark shared appreciation for 14 volunteers who worked at the Flagstaff Food Bank.
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~ Path To Membership ~
The Congregational Vitality Team is hosting a Path to Membership Class at Beacon after the service on Sunday, Nov 12. If you are new to Beacon, or have been visiting for a while but would like to know more, we would
love
to have you attend this class. We will be providing a light lunch and a chance to get more information about Beacon and Unitarian Universalism. Reverend Kevin and our Board President will be joining us for the class. We hope the information will guide you in considering whether you would like to become a friend or a member of our Congregation. NO PRESSURE! It is fun to get to know other folks who are new to Beacon and hear a bit about our history and structure.
Please let us know if you would like to attend and tell us about your dietary restrictions so we can plan accordingly for lunch. You can email Dru Monroe at
edrumonroe@gmail.com
or sign-up with the greeter at church
on Sunday
. We hope to see you there!
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~ Auction! ~
Get ready for Beacon's "Everything Flagstaff" 20
th
Annual Silent & Live Auction!
Auction date: Saturday, November 4, 2017
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Aspen Valley Golf Club, 1855 N. Continental Dr.
Free admission, childcare, hors d'oeuvres, desserts, door prizes, fun!
Please take a look at the attachment - you just may start to salivate. Be sure to bring your print out to the auction. We request that you bring cash or check to pay for your goodies at the end of the auction. Can't wait to see you on
Friday, Nov. 4, at Aspen Valley!
And would you like free childcare during the auction? Beacon will be providing childcare at the home of Jack and Kay Doggett during the auction. (Thank you Jack and Kay). If you would like to make a reservation for a child or children and for any further information, please call or text Roz Clark who is serving as our childcare coordinator (thank you Roz). Her number is (928) 380-6502
Jack and Kay's address is:
4707 E. Hightimber Ln
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~ Building Expansion ~
Beacon Financial Capacity Study for the Proposed Building Expansion
An important step in our planning for our building expansion is to assess our financial capacity for funding the project. Beacon UU Congregation has hired Kay Crider, a congregational stewardship consultant, to conduct a professional financial feasibility study in early November. The results of her study will serve as a guide for Beacon's next steps in our building expansion planning.
Kay will prepare a summary report for the congregation. The results of the study will be reported to the congregation at a meeting on
December 3.
In a congregational meeting our membership will vote on whether to move forward with a capital campaign, which would likely be conducted in early spring, 2018. If so, it will be combined with our annual stewardship campaign.
The expansion plans include:
- More space for fellowship and religious exploration
- Moving our minister's office to the first floor
- Improving our common spaces and infrastructure
It's important that the feasibility study survey a representative cross-section of our congregation. About 20 per cent of our members are being invited to participate. Kay Crider has given us guidelines for who she wants to survey and invitations have gone out to that group.
These confidential interviews will be conducted at the church
November 9, 10 and 11. The results will:
- Clarify how much our members know about the expansion project
- Help identify issues that need to be resolved
- Estimate what financial support to expect
Interviews will take approximately 45 minutes and participants comments will remain confidential. Participation with partners as couples is encouraged.
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~ Beacon Art ~
ECO-PRINTING
These wall hangings were created by a process known as "eco-printing," sometimes referred to as "botanical printing."
The process uses the tannin in the leaves to print onto the fabric, usually silk though lovely results can happen on linen, wool and cotton also. Applying pressure and heat forces the tannin in the leaves to migrate to the fabric. Mordants of iron, soy milk, copper or alum make the prints permanent.
Because the prepared "bundles" of mordanted fabric and leaves need to be steamed or boiled in water, I often use a turkey roasting pan for that step in the procedure. A visitor recently saw this on my stove with steam coming out of it and asked what I was cooking. When I replied, "a blouse," she looked at me with concern. She obviously didn't know me well to consider this a strange response! And she needn't worry that I use that pan for food. It is dedicated for use with leaves.
Artists often use some rather strange equipment, techniques and products to make their vision become a piece that can be shared. We use precautions with anything that could harm our art or our health.
Anyone want to guess why I'm saving all my avocado pits and skins? Or why I never throw away onion skin? You'd be surprised what lovely colors can come from food waste!
Sharon Richards
928-774-7610
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Beacon Calendar
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Sunday Service & Religious Exploration
Sunday, November 5
10:00 am
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Community Action Committee
Thursday, November 9
4:30 pm
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Yoga
Tuesday, November 7
11:00 am, 5:00 pm
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If you would like to submit a calendar event, send an email to
office@beaconuu.com
. With all requests, please indicate the following: proposed start and end time of the event, the space/room preferred, and a rough group size. On the occasion of a cancellation or rescheduling of an event, please let the office know in a timely fashion to ensure that your event is correctly represented in the newsletter and order of service. Thank you!
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~ Classifieds ~
Sunday cash counters needed! You've been looking for how you can help out at Beacon, here's your chance! We're seeking to build a pool of cash count volunteers to work in teams of two, for one half hour after service to count the offering and prepare cash count sheet. Please contact the office with your interest. Thank you to those who have expressed interest, we need three or four more people to schedule a training, and are looking forward to implementing this program in the coming weeks!
Photos!
Requesting photos with permission to use them on the Beacon website! Photos can be of congregational events (please make sure everyone in the photo is named so that I can obtain a release to use them!), the church itself, the grounds, or even just of around town! Help us show the public the beautiful community that is Beacon UU!
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Beacon Office Hours
Rev. Kevin
Lawson:
Tues: 11:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Weds: 11:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Other times available by appointment
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Director of Religious Exploration,
Amy Hunterreece
Sun: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Tues:
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Thurs:
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Office Manager,
Heather Thornton
Tues: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Weds: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thur: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
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(928) 779-4492
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~ Website Members and Friends Access ~
Interested in accessing the directory and board documents on the Members and Friends page on
BeaconUU.com
? You can get the password over the phone (928-779-4492) during regular office hours, or by requesting it from a board member after Sunday Services.We will not be providing it by email.
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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.
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~ Fundraising the Easy Way! ~
We have added new, easy ways to give back to Beacon!
Do you shop at Fry's? Use the Beacon phone number, (928) 779-4492, at checkout, and Beacon receives donations from Fry's through their Community Rewards program!
Or, use smile.amazon.com! Just set Beacon as your charity of choice, and when you use the smile.amazon.com portal to shop, Beacon receives donations from Amazon.com!
Do you know of other passive fundraising methods? Let us know at office@beacon.com!
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