Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492
- This Sunday at Beacon -
E-news for January 14 - January 31st

January 17th Service
"I am German, but I am not a Nazi: My Personal Journey in Anti-Racism Work"
“White Privilege,” “White Supremacy,” and “White Fragility” are all terms we heard frequently in 2020. Pia Driessen-Knittle, Beacon UU Worship Associate (and NAU Advisor) will share a personal reflection on her journey in the Anti-Racism movement in America (and in Arizona in particular).
Pia Driessen-Knittle preaching and Rev. Robin hosting. Music By Roomie Wood and Rebecca Prizznick.

Tune into the Service via the  "Beacon UUC" Youtube Channel.

Watch Parties will be Discontinued.
Come to the Post-Service Gatherings at 11!
Our watch parties at 10 am were an interesting experiment, but they will be discontinued for several reasons, including technical difficulties for those watching (video lag, freezing screens, poor audio quality). So, here’s a great alternative. Watch the service on YouTube on your own schedule (maybe even at 10 Am on Sunday!) and then come to the weekly Post Service Gathering on Zoom at 11 am to connect, share joys and sorrows, and reflect on the service.

~ Please join us after the service ~
Join our post gathering discussion by clicking the link below
Passcode: 968647
Or call +1 669 900 6833 and enter Meeting ID: 733 037 203
January 24, 2021
"Whooshing Up: Can America Be Moral?”
In his book, Moral Freedom: The Search for Virtue In A World of Choice, published back in 2001, social critic Alan Wolfe asks: “What is the difference between right and wrong? What does it mean to lead a good life? How binding is the marriage vow? What are your obligations to an employer? To your friends? To yourself? Is it always immoral to tell a lie? Alan Wolfe asked Americans around the country such questions in his intriguing exploration of our collective character, testing prevailing notions of the culture war. Twenty years later, we’re facing an even broader divide regarding notions of “moral freedom” and this murkiness threatens the stability of our nation. In this sermon, in the wake of riots in Washington DC and the inauguration of President Joe Biden, we’ll check the vital signs of our society’s ability to “whoosh up” to access our best selves in moments of decision and action (and we'll discover how to activate this process, too). 

Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Mark James. Music from Roomie Wood and Stephanie Galloway

Tune into the Service via the  "Beacon UUC" Youtube Channel.

Watch Parties will be Discontinued.
Come to the Post-Service Gatherings at 11!
Our watch parties at 10 am were an interesting experiment, but they will be discontinued for several reasons, including technical difficulties for those watching (video lag, freezing screens, poor audio quality). So, here’s a great alternative. Watch the service on YouTube on your own schedule (maybe even at 10 Am on Sunday!) and then come to the weekly Post Service Gathering on Zoom at 11 am to connect, share joys and sorrows, and reflect on the service.

~ Please join us after the service ~
Join our post gathering discussion by clicking the link below
Passcode: 968647
Or call +1 669 900 6833 and enter Meeting ID: 733 037 203
Please note: We recommend that you donate to Vanco directly from a bank account to save us the fees associated with credit card donations. More for us to sustain our congregation.
Share Your Joys and Sorrows- Chime In!

One way we can sustain connection during this time apart is by sharing our personal joys and sorrows. These can be small things or large things that effect your life. Please send these to Rev. Robin by Thursday night each week at minister@beaconuu.com Or,be in touch and we can record a short Zoom- recorded snippets to include in the service.
 Only first names will be used. Or, you can share your joys and sorrows live at our
Post-Service Zoom Gatherings, Sundays at 11.

Porch Visits with Rev. Robin
Who is that masked minister in her "Soul" mobile? It's Rev. Robin! - ready to
come by for a socially-distanced
visit on your porch, patio, or deck.
Trailhead meet-ups and easy hikes, we could even meet at a park, or walk in your neighborhood. You decide! Just give a shout-minister@beaconuu.com 
or 978-505-7245
Spotlight This week

We’re hiring!

Part-time Office Manager position to begin as soon as possible. Please pass on the posting and job description to potential interested candidates.

Caring and Connected Team Calling!

We have created a "Caring and Connected" Team to keep us in touch during this time of virtual church and physical distancing. Members and friends of Beacon received another phone call and/or an email from one of our team leaders to connect in early December. As always, Rev. Robin is here to talk with you, come by for a masked porch visit, and help you with pastoral or practical needs. minister@beaconuu.com or call 978-505-7245.
Beacon Buzz
Beacon Buzz meetings will be discontinued until we can meet back together in the fall!
Small COVID-Safe Soiree Circles have formed. Signs Up still open.
Remember Circle Suppers - the popular program offered at Beacon where each circle was semi-randomly assembled, and the members took turns hosting the gatherings? 
We are now offering a new version that we call "Soiree Circles."
Paul Beier is the organizer. Gatherings are COVID-safe due to their small size and will be held outdoors. If you want to laugh together, share stories, deepen old friendships, 
make new friends who share your principles and experiences, this is a great way to do it! face-to-face and not on zoom.
To learn more about how the program is organized and how to host these gatherings and to sign up using the online form, click on the links below. So far, we have had 11 families sign up for the program. Members of all ages are welcome to participate. See Flyer here

Here’s an update on our Holiday Gift appeal from
We have received 20 gifts totaling $7,290
Beacon Online Yard Sale
The Beacon yard sale is back! After decades of annual yard sales, between the pandemic and the backyard construction project, we were unable to hold our annual yard sale on the first Saturday in June 2020. Our back yard is done, but the pandemic is not. Our temporary retreat to an online community may have lasting benefits once we return to Beacon in person, after everyone has been vaccinated. We may still be able to hold our annual yard sale in the Beacon back yard on Saturday, June 5, 2021, by facilitating a distancing protocol and requiring masks. However, whether we do or not, we can begin now by donating our yard sale items to the Beacon Online Yard Sale.

The traditional Beacon yard sale project requires a new plan. The Beacon remodel eliminated the cottage where we once kept donated items and we now have limited space in a new storage shed. While small items may be stored at Beacon, larger items such as furniture may need to be stored by the donors. A year-round online yard sale would offset our new storage limitations.

Donors are needed. You may make a donation to the Beacon Online Yard Sale by sending an email to yardsale@beaconuu.com, using the Yard Sale Donation Form Here. You’ll need to print out the form and fill it out manually, then scan it and attach it to the email. Or you can just write the information listed on the form directly into the email. You may store your donation in the Beacon storage shed, if there is room, by contacting the Beacon office for the key. Items valued at less than $10.00 will not be sold online. If you have books to donate, you may store them in the Beacon storage shed, but there will be a separate project for selling them online. 

Thank you for supporting Beacon!

Dennis Spurlin
Leaders Apply Here!!

Next June, Beacon will meet to elect new members to the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Succession Planning Team (LSPT). Beacon members will be needed to fill vacancies for Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members at Large on the Board, and one term on the LSPT.
 
Members of the LSPT and Members at Large on the Board are elected for two-year terms. The Vice President is elected to serve one year as President Elect and a second year as President. The Secretary and Treasurer are elected for one-year terms. In accordance with our bylaws, no person shall serve on the Board for more than four consecutive years, nor in the same office for more than two consecutive terms.
 
Interested Beacon members should contact an LSPT member (Char Tarashanti, Dennis Spurlin, Dora Harrison, Jeremy Young, Lisa Skow, Paul Beier, or Theresa deBoer) if you are willing to be nominated for an opportunity to serve your Beacon congregation.
BEACON BUZZ
News From the Beacon Board
The Board will be including a short summary of our board meetings in this newsletter to help keep members informed of important decisions made at our monthly meetings. Beacon members have access to the entire set of Board minutes via the Beacon website but we are hoping that this summary helps with communication.
We would like to ensure that everyone knows that in May 2020, the Board was very pleased to review a recommendation from the Transition Team and make a decision to extend Rev. Robin’s Interim minister contract from a two year contract to a three year contract and that her tenure with us was extended from July 31, 2021 through July 31, 2022. We regret that we didn’t make a splashy announcement of this important decision at the time!
What is the Transition Team?
During the Tenure of an Interim Minister, a Transition Team is assigned by the Beacon President to meet with our Interim Minister to assist them settle into Beacon and the Flagstaff Community. The team is a resource for settling in, serves the Congregation obtaining feedback about apprehensions, dissatisfactions, and encouragements with the Interim Minister and is a sounding board for the Interim Minister with a goal for helping her/him and the Congregation be successful and have a smooth transition to the long term goal of a settled minister. 
Your Transition Team consists of Joanne Parkes, Katie Grant, Andy Hoag, and Skip Brimlow. Please feel free to contact any of these individuals with any feedback you have regarding our Interim Minister. 
Staff Transitions
We wish Jexi the very best as she ends her time as our Office Manager and begins a new full-time job in Winslow, near her home. The job listing for the Part Time office manager position can be found in this e-news

Rebecca Prizznick will be ending her time with us as pianist/accompanist in mid January. We will miss Rebecca’s superb musicianship and her warm energy. We are fortunate that Stephanie Galloway, a fine pianist-organist-choral director known to many at Beacon, will be joining us for the remainder of our virtual ministry. We will seek a new live accompanist for Fall 2021.
Religious Exploration

We encourage Beacon families to continue Religious Exploration at home!  

Our Imaginative and Inspiring Religious Exploration Programs 

We're excited to have formed a Religious Exploration collaboration with the Granite Peak UU Church in Prescott, AZ which is going wonderfully well. Read the update in this column. You can learn about both of the programs we're offering, CartUUns and The Fifth Dimension below, on our website, and on the program website  here.

Religious Exploration for Children
~Beacon at Home~

Cartuuns
For our younger kids (K-5, and younger as appropriate), we have chosen CARTUUNS, which explores UU values and principles through Disney and Pixar short films, such as the award-winning "La Luna." We are screen sharing through ZOOM with families from both churches. 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM twice a month on Zoom.
Upcoming classes: 
January 24th "Bao"

Religious Exploration for Middle/High School Youth

The Fifth Dimension 
For Middle School/Junior High(and older or slightly younger, as appropriate), we are collaborating on another Imagine-RE program called The Fifth Dimension. Through classic Twilight Zone episodes (created by Unitarian Rod Serling), we are exploring social and political issues relevant to youth. Students become deeply engaged in the topics and engrossed in the storytelling and "sci-fi" twists in episodes like "Eye of the Beholder" and "Enough Time At Last." We are screen sharing through ZOOM with families from both churches. The lessons are stand-alone and can be joined from week to week. Please take a look at the link and let us know if you'll give it a try.
Contact Dru Munroe at edrumonroe@gmail.com
5th Dimension 11:30 am-12:45pm
Upcoming classes: 
January 24th, 2021 11:30 AM Arizona
Most Inspirational and Motivational Eight Minutes of Your Life
Passcode: 510

"No preparation for the class is required! Youth can just join the meeting at the scheduled time and you are ready to go!" 

Religious Exploration for Adults

Brene Brown's Daring Greatly: How The Courage to Be Vulnerable 
Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead" 

Six 75 minute "lunch and learn" sessions, led by Rev. Robin Zucker, Minister at Beacon UU, Flagstaff. Thursdays, 12-1:15 (or 1:30 as the group chooses) PM (Arizona time) 
On these dates: November 5 and 19; December 3 and 17; January 7 and 21. 
Zoom Link here. Passcode: 968647 
A complete workbook/journal is available to download as a pdf from the beaconuu.com website Adult RE page You may participate in this program without reading the entire book, as the exercises in the workbook include excerpts. Other materials will be provided to download from Rev. Robin. If you require us to print a copy of the workbook for you, please let us know.  We'll share our reflections from the text and workbook and have small group confidential discussions in breakout room.
Please let Rev. Robin know you'll be taking this journey with her. minister@beaconuu.com
Transform YoUUrself
Evenings of January 9th, February 13th, and March 26th, 2021
Youth and adult participants will be led to examine different types of leadership, what it takes to be an effective leader, conflict resolution skills, ways you can help foster youth leadership in our communities, and some self-evaluation and insight into the type of leader you’d like to be. We’ll also give you resources for local, regional, and national leadership opportunities including include a panel discussion & Q&A with current UU leaders and interest focused small groups. How to lead during these surreal times and how to spiritually nourish that leadership will also be explored.

Leads: Kellie Burden, MDD youth board & Jessica Laikeman, DRE & Camping Ministries Director.
~ Monthly Touchstone Theme: ~ Consolation and Desolation
Touchstone Chalice
Chalice Circle Meting
January 26th, 2021
7PM
Consolation and Desolation:
The past year as well as the past two weeks have brought a feeling of desolation to all of us. In contrast one seeks to balance this feeling with consolation. To do this, one needs compassion and kindness. We now need to seek mending both of our bodies and our spirits. Join the discussion on January 26 as we explore ways of caring. 

Touchstones Chalice Circles are designed to meet our needs for belonging (intimacy) and meaning (ultimacy) by building friendships and providing opportunities to ponder life's questions, small and large, with others who share the common values of our UU Principles. All are welcome.

Discussion examines subjects as provided in the monthly journal of Unitarian Universalism, Touchstones. To meet the needs of the congregation, we have made attendance open.
~ Beacon Connections ~
Social Justice Allies
Anti-Harassment Training

Hollaback is a nonprofit on a mission to end harassment - in all its forms. They provide free trainings throughout the year to give people the resources to respond to, prevent and intervene in instances of harassement. If you are interested in participating in a training or learning more, please visit the following link:
UUJAZ Upcoming Events
  • UU Day at the Legislature: Virtual February 15th, with additional dates TBD This year, to keep everyone safe, DATL is going VIRTUAL! We are bringing in incredible partners and amazing speakers... and we need to know if you are coming so we know what appointments to schedule! Will you fill out your registration survey and RSVP by January 18th?Register here.
  • Book GroUUp 3rd Fridays, 12-1:30 pm What legacy will you leave your beloved: your children, grandchildren, congregation, community, and/or country about how you worked to dismantle systemic racism during your lifetime? What will you bequeath to your beloved? What is your hope for their future, for Beloved Community? Join Rev. Tina Squire and Steve Kraynak on the third Friday of each month for a justice-centered book discussion from the perspective of our Unitarian Universalist values. Here we will use reading, conversation, and writing to answer these questions. February 19, 2021: Discuss The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin March 19, 2021: Discuss Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates April 16, 2021: Discuss BREATHE – A Letter To My Sons by Imani Perry May 21, 2021: Read aloud our own letters we've written to our Beloved. Register here.
  • Beloved Conversations: Spring 2021 Register on Feb 1st, course begins March 15thThe first phase of Meadville Lombard's Beloved Conversations anti-racism curriculum, Within, will open for registration in February. Within focuses on the internal work that each of us needs to do as we engage racial justice. Within work will include individual Lessons, using videos, music, and readings, accompanied by reflection prompts and suggested conversations with Critical Friends chosen by the participants; bi-weekly small group conversations in a Learning Pod; and larger, monthly, facilitated Meaning-Making Sessions on Zoom. We hope you join us to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice, to heal the impact of racism on our lives, in order to get free together. Registration coming February 1st.
  • Race Matters in the Supreme Court Tuesday’s March 9th, 16th, 23rd from 4-5:30 pm As UUs, we recognize the existence of many realities and even more so, how those realities are interwoven. The connection between law and race is one of these ever-present truths. Join Political Science Professor and UU, Howard Tolley for three 90 minute sessions examining the impact of race, political ideology, legal principles, and personal preference on the selection of Justices and the decisions they reach. Register here.
  • Multikulti: Removing Unconscious Debris From the Soil of the Soul Thursdays, Feb 4th-March 11th, 6:30-8pm In our present Time of Tumult, Rev. Anthony Johnson offers a container and powerful methods for exploring the “Ism’s” of race, gender, class, religion and more, that challenge our culture, our communities, and our relationships. Six sessions of learning, unlearning, feeling and sharing about our differences; moving us toward creating change - in ourselves and the world around us. Register here.
  • Love & Justice: Abolition and Alternatives to Policing Every first Wednesday, 6:30pm UUs proclaim that no one is outside the circle of love, therefore, our goals are also abolitionist goals. Join UUJAZ team member Thoi every first Wednesday of the month in actively resisting the systems of policing and incarceration while building relationships and community with other passionate UUs in Arizona. Register for our next meeting, January 6th, here.
  • Trans Inclusion in Congregations from Transforming Hearts Collective UUJAZ is thrilled to provide access to this online course on radical welcoming for all AZ UUs, thanks to a generous grant from the UU Funding panel. This course on transformational culture shift counts towards your annual Welcoming Congregation renewal. Contact us for your free login code (usually $125 per person) to explore this course at your own pace, or create a group at your congregation to take it together! If you’re interested in taking this course through UUJAZ, Janine Gelsinger is happy to schedule a time to facilitate. Contact her at uujaz.director@gmail.com.


A Special Message from Rev. Robin about BIPOC Allyship

Dear Beloved Community,

America is on fire with rage, weary from a pandemic, and aching with despair. Along with the rest of our country, we've read and heard so many devastating accounts over the past week, the most heart-rending from people of color coping with another case of murderous systemic racism in our country. I do not need to (nor, am I entitled to) add anything to their experiences or parse what they have to say about racism. They live it. 

...To read the full message on our website, please click here

Lifespan Religious Exploration Resources for Learning About and Responding to Racism

This painful moment in time calls us to focus our learning and reflection on allyship to people of color, understanding white privilege, and reflecting on how we can part of a systemic sea change and solution in our society. 

Beacon has provided resources for all ages addressing how we as individuals and as communities can learn about and respond to racism. For the full list of resources, activities and community meetings, visit Beacon's Religious Exploration pages.
~ Wider Community ~
This Week at Beacon ~
Worship
Sunday, January 17th, 2020
10 am - 11 am
"I am German, but I am not a Nazi: My Personal Journey in Anti-Racism Work"
Post-Service Gathering
Sunday, January 17th, 2020
11:00 am
Worship
Sunday, January 24th, 2020
10 am - 11 am
"Whooshing Up: Can America Be Moral?"
Post-Service Gathering
Sunday, January 24th, 2020
11:00 am
Cartuuns
Sunday, January 24th, 2020
10-10:45am
"BAO"
Fifth Dimension
Sunday, January 24th, 2020
11:30am-12:45pm
Most Inspirational and Motivational Eight Minutes of Your Life
Passcode: 510
Chalice Circle Meeting
Tuesday, January 26th, 2020
7pm


money_piggybank_money.jpg
Everyday Ways to Support Beacon UU 
1. When you go to Fry's grocery store, use the Beacon phone number (928 779 4492) as the Alternate ID when it asks for it at the beginning of checkout, and you will get shopping discounts for Fry's members, as well as donating a percentage of your expenditure to Beacon. You can also sign up for an individual account if you prefer that, or want to take advantage of the gasoline discounts. You have to pick Beacon as your beneficiary when you set up your own account.
2. If you shop on Amazon, please use "Amazon Smile" and choose Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation (do not abbreviate UU) as your recipient. We will receive a 0.5% for every purchase and that can add up! Remember that you have to start each shopping session at smile.amazon.com for us to receive the donation. 

3. Another online fundraiser is  igive.comOnce again, create your own account with a user name and password, then select settings, my cause, and type in Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation (do not abbreviate UU). Then you can order from any of the hundreds of organizations listed under igive. There are also coupons listed online you can use when ordering from some organizations.

4. Basha's has a special debit card that you can charge up before shopping, and a portion of what goes through the debit card gets donated to Beacon because that card is tied to Beacon. Ask Anne Wittke for further information.

Have other ideas for our income incubator? leave them on a card in the bin in the lobby, or send them to Rev. Robin. 
Beacon Office Hours & Contacts ~
Office Phone (928) 779-4492
Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker

Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment:
978-505-7245 - talk and text (confidential line) 
Get to know Rev. Robin at www.uurobinzucker.com
Director of RE 

Our engaging programs for all ages continue while we search for a new Religious Exploration Director.

Rev. Robin can answer your RE questions.
Office Manager,
Yeximar L Cramer
 
Mon: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Wed: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thurs: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

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!
You no longer need to forward your spam emails to spam@uce.gov, because the Federal Trade Commission is now collecting spam through a honeypot, which is an online trap. This change makes it more efficient for the FTC to collect spam that is deceptive or violates the CAN-SPAM Act. This change saves tax dollars, your time, and helps the FTC collect deceptive and illegal spam. If you lost money to a scam that started with an email, please report it at ftc.gov/complaint. There, you can also report spam you receive. Read more about how to limit spam, phone calls, and mail

~ Beacon Google Group ~
If you are not on Beacon's dedicated 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 or Visit: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/uuflag
Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News

Newsletter submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm 
to office@beaconuu.com in order to be included in the newsletter.