Strengthen your faith and connect with our community.
Join us for worship, Sundays at 10 a.m.
Pine Grove Elementary School
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December 16: Don't Fear the Dark
Join Prairie member Andrew Paschetto for an informal service focusing on meditation and its use in stabilizing the mind during cycles of stress and change. Please dress comfortably as we will be sitting in meditation for about 25 minutes. If you have a meditation cushion, please bring it. If you have an object that helps you focus, like an image or a crystal, and are ok sharing it, you’re invited to bring that as well.
Polar Express Sunday!
For all kids and those young at heart wanting to come to church in their PJ’s…..join us for the annual reading of the Polar Express and decorating of Ginger Bread Houses, complete with hot cocoa and candy canes.
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This week's theme in Hospitality is A Christmas Surprise!
Bring your favorite Christmas treat to share with our Community, family and guests! Cindy will be assisting the children decorating Gingerbread Houses during Polar Express.
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Friendly Reminders:
- Children must have adult supervision at all times and should only be in designated areas rented by Prairie in the school.
- All doors are to remain shut and locked from 9:30am - 12:30pm (end of service)
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Christmas
Eve
Retro
Cookie
Party
Hospitality is pleased to announce our Retro Cookie Party as the theme for social hour Christmas Eve. Please enjoy a trip down Memory Lane and bring your favorite childhood cookies to share with our community, family and friends. We will be featuring a Community Christmas Cookie Tree as our centerpiece. Simply leave a hole in the top of a cookie you wish to place on the tree and we will thread it with ribbon so it can be placed on the tree. Cookie-cutters maybe substituted.
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CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS DECORATORS FOR CHRISTMAS EVE!
Help is needed to decorate our Sanctuary for Christmas Eve service. If you are able, please email John Kelty at
jkelty@prairieuu.org
.
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December Holiday Opportunities
Dec. 16th:
Don’t Fear the Dark
Dec. 23rd: Christmas Caroling
Dec. 24th: Traditional Christmas Eve Service
Dec. 30th: Kwanzaa~A Multicultural Celebration
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UUA White Fragility Study Guide Now Available!
Whether you are participating in the Prairie study group led by Andrew or not, we encourage everyone to read White Fragility (
now a NYT Best Seller
).
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Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser
Attached is the
list
requesting volunteers for the Habitat's
Books for Bricks
Fundraiser. Please review the list for accuracy, volunteer for any openings that you may be able to fill and enlist the aid of others who might also be willing to help with this important fundraiser.
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UU Service Committee’s (UUSC’s)
Guest at Your Table Program - Please Help!
Collection boxes available during Fellowship. This annual intergenerational program raises support for and awareness about key human rights issues. This is an opportunity to celebrate grassroots partnership, support human rights, and learn about the “guests” in at your table. This year we focus on the refugee crisis at our border. Partnering with grassroots allies along the Central American migration trail, UUSC addresses root causes, supports courageous refugees in transit, and protects the right to seek asylum.
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December 14 (Friday) – Racial Justice Film Series:
Doctrine of Discovery
Where did the idea that European white people could and should take over land where whole societies had existed for thousands of years in the “new world”? What role did Christianity play? And how does this paradigm from the 15th century continue to affect the way we think, act and legislate today? Advance your intercultural sensitivity, make new friends, and join in a robust conversation during the potluck and film discussion at First Plymouth UCC. 6:30pm to 9pm. Contact Kim for more info or to carpool.
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December 23 (Sunday) – Service Sunday – Christmas Caroling
Get into the holiday spirit and join us for Christmas Caroling at Cory Leddy’s place: Life Care Center of Aurora,
14101 E Evans Ave, Aurora, CO 80014
. We’ll meet at church at 10 AM: provide directions and welcome visitors. Santa hats and jingle bells are optional.
NOTE:
Please meet us at the church by 10:30 or meet us at Corey's place by 10:45am.
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Kwanzaa Puppet-Making Party
Maurice invites all Prairie children and youth to stop by to:
- Learn about Kwanzaa, including its racial justice roots
- Learn a Kwanzaa song to perform in the Kwanzaa Service on 12/30
- Help make puppets to be used in the performance
- And eat pizza, of course
Be on the lookout for invitations!
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Next Meeting - January 6
After Fellowship
12:25pm, location TBD
We will discuss our actions plans for 2019. Please come with
three suggestions
for new Justice League leadership (nominees do not have to be current Justice League participants) and three suggestions for Service Sundays.
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Mark your calendars!
Work off those extra holiday pounds by MARCHING!
Imagine all the steps you will get in! Womxn’s March 1/19/19 and MLK Marade 1/21/19. Watch for details in the coming weeks.
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Appreciative Inquiry
Continues in January!
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Prairie UU Church embarked on a year-long Appreciative Inquiry process in September where our congregation chose 5 general topic categories to focus on in the months ahead related to Community, Spirituality, Social Justice, Youth, and Home. The purpose is to establish a new vision and direction for Prairie.
The Discovery Process is the second of five steps in the Appreciative Inquiry process.
Meetings will be held during the middle hour again on January 6 and January 13 to uncover the best of what is, what has been and what additional work can be done to reaffirm and increase these strengths in our community – all focused on the 5 Topic Choices.
Please mark your calendars on the date(s) that may work for your schedule
. The sessions will take less than 1½ hours. See the dates and topics scheduled and sign up for no more than 1 session per Sunday. People signing up for a Topic will get seated first. You may attend sessions at both or either of the remaining Sundays. If you can’t attend the Session of your choice and would like to provide input on any of the Topic Choices, complete a short Questionnaire (below). Feel free to complete and print the completed Questionnaire and bring it to the Session if you like. Prairie Vision team members can also set up a time to interview you on these topics/questions if you prefer.
Questions?
Contact Vision Team facilitators Jennifer Drybread at 303-688-6620 or Susan Ermisch at 303-619-8536.
Select the dates and sessions you wish to attend (links below). As attendance fills up for each session, those sessions will be removed from the list. PLEASE NOTE! Because of the way this form works, you will be able to sign-up for sessions ALTHOUGH they might already be full (6 people per topic/session). If this happens, we'll do our best to inform you. We apologize but we don't have the technology/time required to fully program a response form like that. If you wish to respond on a topic but are unable to attend, please refer to the links in the newsletter for the online response forms for each topic.
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Marketing Committee Announcements
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Great Holiday Gift Idea...
Prairie T-Shirts Have Arrived!
No matter your size or style preference, we have it for $20! Or if you'd prefer to use your own 100% cotton t-shirts, blouses, or hoodies to be “Prairie-ized,” that's just $10! See Brenda Peterson during Fellowship this Sunday and get your Prairie on! All proceeds go toward promoting Prairie in the community!
We still have lots of Prairie Gold shirts available for sale for both men and women together with a smaller assortment of other colors and styles. Brenda will be sending out shirts to be printed the second week of January with an expected return by the end of January.
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Find Prairie: Facebook and Instagram!
Share, like and comment! And, let us know what you think. We look forward to seeing you online!
Follow Us:
Instagram -
@PrairieUUColorado.
Facebook - facebook.com/PrairieUU
(Or click links below!)
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Other News & Announcements
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State of Prairie Congregational Meeting - Jan., 20th at 11:30 am in the Gym
Please attend the State of Prairie Congregational meeting. We will be reviewing our proposed 2019 budget, and provide other updates about Prairie.
Janet Stevens, Board President
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Old Magazines STILL Needed - Please Bring to Church on Sunday!
Maurice needs old magazines for a major art project. Have extras? Please bring on any Sunday and give to Kim or Maurice. Thanks, in advance, for your contributions to this project!
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Converting a Great DRE
to a Great Minister
Sunday, December 16, former
Director of Religious Education
(DRE)
Kristin Famula
will
be visiting Prairie. Kristin just completed her first quarter as an aspirant at Iliff School of Theology as a “JOURNEY” (hybrid online/in-person student).
Kristin was DRE for Prairie for seven years, leaving in 2013 when her husband Jason was transferred to Nevada. Kristin is currently DRE for Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada in Reno.
During Kristin’s tenure at Prairie, the religious education program had 70 children and youth registered. She activated the idea of Full Community Education (which we still use), founded the middle school Retreat, implemented “Summer of ServUUs” where all ages of youth participated every summer Sunday in service and social justice activities, was the chaplain and a cabin counselor at Prairie’s high school summer camp, created and offered the first multigenerational peacebuilding class with Kelly Dignan, and more! As Kristin says, Prairie helped form her first years as a UU professional, and has played an integral role in her ongoing leadership in Unitarian Universalism.
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The Prairie board has approved splitting the offering plate with Kristin to help offset theology school expenses. Iliff will match any money raised. If you are not planning to attend the service, please consider donating money to Kristin’s education by mailing a check to Prairie or go to the Prairie website click on “Give”, “Select Funds”, choose “Special Contribution” and specify for Kristin.
Kristin was a great DRE for Prairie, and will be a great minister.
Supporting Kristin becoming a minister is a sound investment!
Above photos: (top) Teens in 2013, (bottom) Polar Express 2009.
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Upcoming Choir Rehearsal - Dec. 16th
If you like singing, come and be a part of the Choir! (No rehearsal on the 23rd)
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Prairie Stitchers Group - 3rd Saturday Each Month
The Prairie Stitchers Group meets in a member’s home on the third Saturday of each month to stitch and chat. Whether you knit, crochet, spin, embroider, cross-stitch, quilt, loom knit, or would like to learn any of these needle arts, you are welcome to join. Contact Emi Duke for more information about the location and time of our next Stitchers meeting at
knitter504@gmail.com
.
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WhaleCoast Alaska 2019
Have you ever dreamed of visiting Alaska? If so, WhaleCoast Alaska 2019 is for you! Four Alaska UU congregations invite you to experience our eco-cultural and spiritual program this summer.
See Alaska through the eyes of local UUs, with friendly homestays and unique tour activities. See wildlife, including moose, bears, caribou, whales, bald eagles, sea lions, seals, and otters. Visit Denali National Park. Experience Native Alaskan culture.
Discounts for groups of 8 or more.
We would love to share our Alaska with you!
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We look forward to hearing from you:
Newsletter and Announcement Contributions
Your contributions are always appreciated! All requests should be sent to
prairie@prairieuu.org
.
To streamline incoming notifications, please put the word 'announcement' and/or 'newsletter' in the subject line of your email.
Please make a note of our new production schedule deadlines for contributions:
- Weekly email newsletter deadline Tuesday at noon.
- Order of Service and Sunday Announcements deadline Wednesday by 5pm.
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There's nothing simpler than giving while you grocery shop!
Go to our fundraising table during Fellowship Hour
or see Margaux Jones to purchase your $20 re-loadable card.
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Mailing Address and Mission
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Prairie UU Church
7424 South University Blvd. Unit E-135
Centennial, CO 80122
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Our Mission:
We gather as a welcoming, caring community to nurture mind and spirit,
celebrate diversity, and work for justice.
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