Submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to office@beaconuu.com 
in order to be included in the newsletter. 
~ Sunday Service, May 19, 2019 ~ 
Cultivating Compassion
With Worship Associate Mark James
Compassion is an opening up of the heart to the recognition of other's distress. By cultivating our ability to respond with compassion to the distress of others we may ease their suffering and simultaneously our own as well. Town Hall meeting will follow service.
  

~ Monthly Touchstone Theme: Mystery  ~ 
~ Town Hall  ~

Remember Town Hall after Service on May 19.

A separate mailing will be sent with Agenda, draft bylaw changes and the proposed budget.  
It will be helpful if you print the Bylaws and budget.

Snacks will be served.

Dora
~ From the Minister's Desk ~

Dear Beacon UU Congregation Members and Friends,

At this time, I wish to share the difficult news that I will not be returning to my role as your minister.

There is an ol' county song that speaks to the journey of life...

            "Well it's a strange old game you learn it slow
            One step forward and it's back you go
            You're standing on the throttle
            You're standing on the brake
            In the groove 'til you make a mistake
 
            Sometimes you're the windshield
            Sometimes you're the bug
            Sometimes it all comes together
            Sometimes it all falls apart..."                       

 - Mark Knopfler / Mary Chapin Carpenter
 
My personal life journey recently has had aspects of the latter, that is to say, feeling the part of the bug and sensations of it all falling apart! Please know that I am doing all right, and Gary and I have taken a short road trip up to Oregon to see his mother (age 91) who fell and broke her hipbone last week. So...this unexpected opportunity is a disguised blessing to see family and loved ones, and to have gotten to see some beautiful countryside along the drive.

Recently, as the song lyric makes metaphorical reference, I hit a personal windshield and I am still processing some significant mental and emotional health concerns. A sign for me that I had hit "this windshield" was that I got emotionally triggered and lost perspective, and then sent some angry emails to some leaders in the congregation. It was an emotionally reactive error and mistake. In anger and emotional distress, I crossed a line that you have every right to expect your minister would not cross. I am sorry.

I wish to extend my sincere appreciation for our Board of Trustees who has honored my need for personal space to begin a period of personal recovery and healing. Again, I am grateful to our Board and our President Dora Harrison for sharing good care, and offering kind support for my mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Goodbyes are always tinged with difficulty and many feelings, I offer my sincere apology, that my leave taking for mental and emotional health concerns prevents my returning to be with you all. Thank you for the many gifts during my three years of my first ministry position with you. 

Hopefully, I look to the future, that with a period of personal restoration and time in nature, time with family and loved ones and some time in caring therapy and counseling I will return to my ministerial pathway and the journey I still feel called to explore within Unitarian Universalist Ministry.

I offer my blessing upon your next steps with interim ministry, the completion of the building expansion and the continued presence for liberal religious community to have a viable place in Northern Arizona.

Grateful to have been on the journey with you, and now to separate and journey forward apart,
- Rev. Kevin
~ Religious Exploration ~

One more Coming of Age picture to share! I am so grateful for the dedication, love, and growth that was present this year with this amazing group of youth and volunteers!

May we know once again that we are not isolated beings but connected in mystery and miracle to the universe, to this community, and to each other.

What were the numbers last week ? 11
~ YARD SALE LIMITED ~
Save the date!   Saturday, June 8, 7 am to noon

Our annual yard sale is a big money maker for Beacon.  And it's loads of fun!

Yes, we'll be under construction but the show will still go on!  Dora has graciously offered the use of her driveway, just around the corner at 5 East Fine Ave.  Because our space is severely limited this year, please be very selective in what you donate.  No clothes, no computer electronics. 

Please volunteer to help on Friday from 4:30 on for sorting and pricing, during the sale on Saturday, and for clean up.  Call Bill Owen, 526-0086, if  you need to have something picked up.

Bill Owen, 2019 Team Leader
~  Social Justice Allies (SJA)   ~

Beacon SJA and NAIC (Northern Arizona Interfaith Council) will co-sponsor a community presentation about Somos America by Sharon Kopina, a leader of this 501c3 humanitarian aid organization. This program will be at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, at the corner of Elm and Beaver Streets.
We are grateful to Epiphany Church for allowing us to use their Parish Hall while Beacon's expansion project is in process. Entry to the Parish Hall is behind the church building. There is also parking in that lot as well as on both sides of Elm St..
Sharon will share current developments at the border as well as how this organization is working to mitigate the challenges asylum seekers face when they are delivered from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Phoenix bus station. These immigrants, many of whom are parent(s) with small children, will have 1-4 day bus trips from there to a sponsoring family member or friend with whom they will stay during the immigration process.
While we will invite other community organizations' members to donate travel-food items and diapers for these travelers-like we did at Beacon last month-we are not expecting repeat donations from Beacon folks! However, if you missed the opportunity at that time to donate the specific items needed, watch Beacon Weekly E-news and googlegroups for that updated list.  
 
Flagstaff's newly formed League of Women Voters (LWV) will present their first educational event Thursday, May 23, 6:00pm, at Charly's in the Weatherford Hotel, corner of Aspen and Leroux downtown. Dinner and discussion will feature Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen. Her topic will be "Voter Rights and Voter Suppression in Arizona".
 
Registration is required: register at  lwvflagstaff.bpt.me .  The price is $25 per person. Cash or check will be accepted at the door. For further information, you are invited to contact  lwvflagstaff@gmail.com .
 
Other important dates for your calendar:
  • May 19 (this Sunday) following the service: Budget Forum, providing an opportunity to participate in a discussion about the proposed budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year (as well as other topics).
  • June 2 (Sunday) following the service: SJA meeting .
  • June 8 (Saturday): Beacon's Annual Yard Sale at Dora Harrison's garage/driveway (5 E. Fine).
  • June 9 (Sunday) following the service: Beacon's Annual Congregational Meeting. We will vote on the budget, new members of our Board of Trustees and by-law revisions. (You must have been a Beacon member for 28 days to be eligible to vote.)
In community,
Roz Clark, SJA Journalist
construction_hard_hat.jpg
~ REI Building Project Update ~

The demolition of the loft in the sanctuary is scheduled to take place Thursday and Friday of this week, May 16 and 17. We are still planning to hold Sunday service and the Town Hall in the sanctuary this Sunday, May 19. The ceiling may not look pretty in the back, so just keep looking toward the front! We should be able to continue to use the building on the weekends and evenings through the summer, but don't plan on using the building during the day in the middle of the week.

Our contractor Mike Loven and architect Steve Dorsett will be on hand to introduce themselves and say a few words at our town hall, before we get started on discussing next year's budget.

Just a reminder to stay out of the backyard, unless we need to utilize the exit in an emergency.


Theresa deBoer
REI Building Project Manager
~ Joys and Concerns ~
 Sunday, May 12, 2019

Ruth R. - Shared joys and sorrows during this 'Season of  Changes' in her life. Her daughter graduates from High School, this is her mother's first Mother's Day without Ruth's sister, and Ruth  quit her job and is 'jumping hoops' for  graduate school. 
Alisa A. - Expressed several joys:  to sing with Beacon choir, for  Isaac graduating from FALA & heading to college, and  that her partner Kevin is here today.
Kim - Expressed sorrow that a f riend's husband with an Alzheimer's  diagnosis took his life this week.
Dan D. - Shared that he has had  16 years of wondering how to celebrate Mother's day after his mother passed. His mother collected bells and so he brought of of her bells & rang it for her.
Kevin - Expressed that there have been  challenges in their relationship over the past few weeks and wants to thank Alissa for being such an amazing partner.
~  This Month's Share the Plate Partner   ~

For May, Beacon will Share the Plate with Northern AZ Interfaith Community Leadership.  NAICL/NAIC is a non-partisan interdenominational organization dedicated  to building leadership for civic participation across lines of race, class, age, and religion and organize for issues that advance the common good.  

The group has sponsored a fall candidate accountability session for candidates running for the Flagstaff City Council and State Legislature.  They meet regularly with the current City Council members and support immigrant students and their families in efforts to promote student's post-secondary education. 

Undesignated contributions to this month's  Sunday  service offerings  above $300 will be presented to NAICL/NAIC.  Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made through a form located at the bottom of the stairs in the CAC folder. 

CAC members are Steven Patrick, Susan Patrick, Susan Strobel, Joanne Parkes, and Lynda Dorweiler.
~ Save the Date ~

Sunday, May 19 - Budget Town Hall, (Discuss draft budget with members of the Board and the Finance Committee)

Sunday, June 9 - Annual Congregational Meeting 11:30am - 1:00pm.

Saturday, June 22 - PRIDE in the Pines (**if event coordinator found).

Wednesday, June 19-23 - UUA General Assembly.  General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend .

** Event and Volunteer Coordinator needed for Pride in the Pines 2019.
Are you looking for a small(ish) role to help support Beacon's community outreach?  We are recruiting for this years Event / Volunteer Coordinator to organize, recruit and support Beacon's participation in PRIDE in the Pines 2019. Please contact Rev. Kevin if you'd would like to serve in this role. We'll need an event coordinator prior to our purchasing booth rental space.
sepia_stacked_hands.jpg
~ Volunteers Needed ~

Food Center Meal Service: 4th Wednesday of each month, contact Sue Strobel for more information.
~ Beacon Calendar  ~


Website Tour
Thursday, May 16, 2019
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Town Hall
Sunday, May 19, 2019
 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Choir Practice
Thursday, May 16, 2019
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Piano Practice
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
5:15 pm - 6:15 pm
Folk Project
Friday, May 17, 2019
7:15 pm - 9:45 pm
Qi Gong
Tuesday,May 21, 2019
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Worship & Religious Exploration
Sunday, May 19, 2019
 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Board Meeting
Wednesday May 22, 2019
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

 
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!
~  Beacon Office Hours  ~
Minister, 
Rev. Kevin  Lawson 

Tues: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Wed: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Thurs: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Or by appointment
Director of RE, 
Amy Huntereece

Sun: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wed:  8:00 am - 12:00 pm
 Or by appointment 
  Office Manager, 
April Yax

Tues: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment
Office Phone (928) 779-4492
~ Unitarian Universalist Seven Principles ~

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a "living tradition" of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from  sources  as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.  Learn more at beaconuu.com!


~ 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 our Office Manager, at  office@beaconuu.com.
~ Beacon Website Tour ~
May 16, 2019 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM


Learn what the Beacon website can do for you.  Look behind the website to see how much it is being used, how access is controlled, and who has what access.  Ask questions about what more it can do for you.  This forum is open to all Beacon members, friends, and visitors.  Bring your own device or not.  Please RSVP to  Webmaster@BeaconUU.com .