Join Us for Worship, Sundays at 10 a.m.
Our Mission:
“We gather as a welcoming, caring community to nurture mind and spirit, celebrate diversity, and work for justice.”

Sunday Worship:
October 20th – Giving as a Way to Heal

Everyone, all ages - please join us THIS Sunday, October 20th, to help collect and sort supplies for Ready to Work/Bridge House and Aurora Warms the Night. Additionally, we will have a service idea exchange and Open Space Clean Up!
 
One Sunday a month, Prairie members and their guests put their faith into action by working for justice in the community. As Unitarian Universalists, our faith calls us to be agents of social change. Guided by our principles, we connect to that which is larger than ourselves and discover how that connection transforms us and calls us to walk beside our partners as we endeavor to create the Beloved Community.
 
With this in mind, please attend our shortened service on October 20 on the subject of self-care through giving. We’ll then gather, sort, and distribute much needed resources for our neighbors. Please see the needs below: all contributions are welcome!
 
  • Thermal underwear
  • Warm socks
  • Hoodies/sweatshirts
  • Warms hats 
  • Warm gloves
  • Scarves
  • Blankets
  • Tarps 
  • Boots (snow and work)
  • Hand warmers
 
Questions? Contact Justice League co-chairs – Melissa, Nancy or Kim at PrairieUUJusticeLeague.
Fall Festival - Day of the Dead/Día De Los Muertos
October 27th
Hospitality is excited to announce the theme for this year's Fall Festival will be Day of the Dead/Día De Los Muertos, which is about our ancestors. We will celebrate with a potluck – bring a favorite dish from your ancestors or a traditional Dia De Los Muertos dish.

Perhaps you have a recipe that reminds you of your Mom, Grandma or Great Aunt Jewell? What was your Grandpa's favorite food? For Dia Del Los Muertos recipes, check out ideas on Pinterest or Google. 

There will be a signup sheet, as well as information available in Hospitality this Sunday. Also looking for setup/cleanup volunteers for that day! Questions? Please conta ct Cindy , or via Facebook Messenger or text at 720-305-3437.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ALTAR - Please bring pictures of anybody you would like to honor on our special Day of the Dead altar which will be placed as a side altar with our "silent candles" for Fall Festival.
Choir Schedule
 10/20 – Rehearsal 9:15, Performance
10/27 – No rehearsal
Welcome to Prairie UU
A Note from Pastor AJ
As many of you know Denard and I both got the flu this past week. I would like to thank you all for your well wishes and help. I would especially like to thank Fran and Dave for helping us with some errands on Saturday because I was not up to driving, and Melissa and Andrew for jumping in to help with Sunday’s service. Thank you for being a loving and caring community.
In Service,
Pastor AJ 
Prairie's Administrative Assistant, Linda Kulinski will be Leaving Us
The members of Prairie's Board of Trustees sadly announce that our beloved administrative assistant, Linda Kulinski, is leaving at the end of this month. Linda has served our congregation for the last year and has eagerly assumed responsibility for many critical tasks. We will miss her quiet efficiency, reliability, patience, and good humor. She has been a tremendous asset to our congregation, and we are so grateful for her service.

Your Board
Do you have a question for the Committee on Shared Ministry,
Board or other leadership teams?

We are very interested in receiving your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We would like to let you all know that we have devised a few new communications channels for you to connect with members of PrairieUU leadership. 

We have a new phone number - 720-549-0530.
Contact the Board via  Board@PrairieUU.org  
Clark Huff, president,  ClarkH@prairieuu.org
Vivian Littlefield, VP,  VivianL@prairieuu.org
Brenda Peterson, Secretary,  BrendaP@prairieuu.org
Rob Nelson, Treasurer,  RobN@prairieuu.org

Ministry Opportunities
Childcare Providers Needed
We need a new team of providers.   Until we have recruited the team, we may need volunteers to assist on Sundays. Please email Susan Ermisch if you are interested in helping and/or you have recommendations for future providers.
Church Management Software Study
This past week the Board of Trustees voted to purchase a church management software within the next 3-4 months. The goal is to have a place to securely house all essential data - membership, financial, canvass, scheduling, etc. We are looking for one or two people to help Clark, Pastor AJ and Renee our Accountant look at possible options by testing some demo/beta versions to see what will best fit the congregation. Please contact Clark or Pastor AJ if you are interested in helping.
Community Building
Catherine Silwebbe
Emma Heisler
Jim Rogo
Michael Meads
Mollie Martin
Nancy Long
Robert Rogers
Scott Mulder
Thomas Heisler
Living Well with Mental Health Issues
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m to learn more about Living Well with Mental Health Issues. Parker Road Fire Station, 7320 S Parker Road. Weather and Attendance permitting.
Prairie Stitchers
The Prairie Stitchers meets 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. Time 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, locations vary. Learn more about Prairie Stitchers.
The Suggestion Box
As we continue this adventure of transition together, Pastor AJ and the Committee on Shared Ministry want to let you know that they are very interested in your feedback. We want to encourage you to communicate with us in a variety of ways ~ meetings, phone, email, etc. We also want to invite you to give feedback through our new online Suggestion Box in addition to the physical suggestion box available Sunday mornings. Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing. All information will be collected and reviewed by Pastor AJ and the Committee on Shared Ministry and then passed on to the appropriate committee or team, as necessary.
PrairieUU Communications Workshop 
October 17th, 7:15 - 9:00pm
Parker Library in the Loft
Want to know about PrairieUU's new communications systems including G-Suite? Pastor AJ will be hosting a in-person (with an online option via google hangouts) workshop on October 17th to help with the transitions and questions you may have. Please let Pastor AJ know if you are interested so that he can send you an online invitation (if you can’t attend in person.) If you are attending in person please bring your electronic toys (Laptops, tablets, smartphones etc.)
Coming Up
Movie Matinee: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
October 19th, 12:45 pm
There are always two sides to every story. Join us for an afternoon of fairy tale adventure as we engage and alternative Sleeping Beauty story. We will be viewing the next chapter in the Maleficent story together through Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG). Pastor AJ and Denard will be at the Regal UA Meadows, Littleton for a 12:45 pm showing and if you want to sit with them in seats E7 & E8. If you missed the first movie Maleficent (2014) , it is available on Amazon Prime, TNT, and TBS. For more information contact Pastor AJ.
Fall Festival
October 27th
Join us this on the 27th as we build an Ofrenda in honor of the Day of the Dead. Bring pictures of loved ones who have passed on. We will be celebrating our UU prophets and ancestors and memorializing our loved ones that have transcended from this physical world to the next. We will celebrate with costumes, a parade, and games for all ages. Don't be shy, this morning will be filled with joy, laughter, and celebration of the life of those who are with us both in the physical and not so physical world around us.
Prairie Cares
Caring Circle
If you have a pastoral concern to share, please let us know at   Linda .
Share the News!
Have a friend who would enjoy our community? Share this link with them and invite them to join our mailing list.
Restorative Listening Circles
We will be engaging in a new process that will be available to our members, a Restorative Listening Circle. Based in UU values, the goal of the spiritual Restorative Listening Circle is to facilitate deep listening, learning, and trust, promoting living in covenant as a community. The underlying goal for Prairie’s culture is to maintain loving relationships, respect, listen, hear, understand perspectives of all by truly understanding grievances, compassionately identifying agreement, compassionately identifying disagreement; seeking consensus, developing a mutually respectful action plan which maintains/restores loving relationship, implements the action plan, and evaluates the effectiveness of the plan for achieving the goal.
 
Please contact Pastor AJ or the COSM with any questions or to request a circle.
Calling All Quilters or Wanna Be Quilters!
New member Lucille Hughes is an experienced quilter and would like to share her expertise and love of quilting with other interested folks. Carol Foster is excited about this opportunity and is exploring the idea of a monthly "Prairie Quilter's" group. Please email Carol or talk to her at service if you're interested. Let's get stitching! 
Justice League
Prairie's Justice League Library
Prairie's Justice League Library is now available. We have a wide variety of
Justice-related books are available to check out during Fellowship. Please see a Justice League member for details and recommendations. Be looking for a growing Children's Section!
Individual Intercultural Development Plans
Prairie has committed to learning about and working toward eliminating systemic white supremacy and the culture that perpetuates it. To that end, we are encouraging our community to create Individual Intercultural Development Plans (IDPs.) The purpose of IDPs is to develop actionable goals and to work toward them by supporting and holding one another accountable. It’s an important first step in our justice work together. Please contact  Melissa Bishop  or  Nancy Long  or a Justice League member for more information about how to get started. The Justice League spends time every meeting discussing IDPs and you are always welcome to join them. See the Prairie announcement and eblast for details about our upcoming meeting. Learn more about our efforts for racial justice and Prairie’s Intercultural Development Inventory here.
We Believe Survivors Fund
Prairie Unitarian Universalist Church is committed to centering the needs of survivors of sexual assault and abuse. We know that when sexual assault and abuse happens in relation to people in a position of trust, particularly through a church or other religious organization, that the trauma can be especially profound. Prairie is participating with other UU churches in Colorado to provide crisis support to help survivors navigate the various systems they may come in contact with legal, organizational, healthcare, etc. 
 
Additionally, Prairie has established a dedicated We Believe Survivors Fund to assist survivors with the costs of mental health support and legal fees. While we recognize that this in and of itself is not likely to completely cover either the financial and emotional costs of survivorship, our hope is that survivors will know that here, they are believed and supported.
 
Donations are tax-deductible and while they are made to Prairie Unitarian Universalist Church, they will be allocated to the We Believe Survivors Fund to be distributed by our Fund Administrator or Prairie’s Executive Board’s designee. Survivor and donor anonymity will be protected.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault or abuse at the hands of someone connected to a church and in a position of trust, please contact our Fund Administrator and fellow survivor Melissa Bishop Click here to donate to the We Believe Survivors Fund.
Upcoming Justice League Events
In the Pink Fashion Show and Luncheon
October 19th
I n support of our community partners at Ready to Work/Bridge House, the Justice League invites you to consider this fundraiser in support of breast cancer research. To be held at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church ( 1500 S. Dayton, Denver ). Tickets are $20. Contact Maurice Murray for more information at 303-356-9014 .
Service Sunday: Helper’s High-Way
October 20th
Did you know that giving of yourself is a form of self-care? In fact, studies show a correlation between giving behaviors and low blood pressure, lower stress, increased self-esteem, and decreased sadness/depression. Longevity. Happiness. The Justice League invites you to join us for a very interactive Service Sunday Smorgasbord where we will showcase a variety of “ways” to achieve a “helper’s high.” From a clothing and supplies drive for Ready-to-Work to tips for “slactivism” to an overdue Open Space Cleanup, you will have opportunities to give of yourself as you feel comfortable doing so – and share ideas. Contact Nancy , Melissa , or Kim if you have any questions. Families with children and friends of Prairie are invited and encouraged to attend.
November 16th
Support Habitat for Humanity in a Trivia Night Fundraiser on November 16th at the Savoy (2700 Arapahoe St, Denver 80205). Doors open at 6:00 pm, game starts promptly at 7:00 pm.

The cost is $20/per person. If you preregister and prepay Deena Lawrence or Jim Rogo you get VIP status: skip the check-in line and go straight to your reserved team table.
 
Form a team of 4-6 people or register individually and we will get you on a team.
Support Prairie
New King Soopers Rewards Program Benefits Prairie
Be sure to get your King Sooper Cards registered with the Community Rewards Program. Calisse will be at church this Sunday to assist if you need help.

Prairie is enrolled in the King Soopers or City Market Community Rewards Program. Our assigned NPO (Non-Profit Organization) number is UC596 .

To Use the King Soopers or City Market Community Rewards Program:
Please visit the appropriate link below..

Once logged you can search for Prairie Unitarian Universalist Church either by name or UC596 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and, a  loyalty  card.

*Customers must have a registered King Soopers or City Market  loyalty  card account to link to your organization.
*If you do not have a King Soopers or City Market  loyalty  card, please get one at the customer service desk at any King Soopers or City Market.
We Look Forward to Hearing From You
For further information please contact us at  Linda or our Minister AJ Blackwood or call AJ at 720-549-0531.

Newsletter and Announcement Contributions
Your contributions are always appreciated! All requests should be sent to Linda 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 5 pm.
Call, Text, Smoke Signals?
Pastor AJ’s communications are now set-up. If you would like to contact Pastor AJ you can do so via a variety of methods. His general office hours are Mon-Thur 10:00 am – 9:00 pm but if you need to contact him outside these hours please let him know.

Phone/Text at 720-549-0531
Schedule an Appointment via Google Calendar
Chat via Google Hangouts
Connect via Facebook & Twitter

Prairie Board Contact Information:
Clark Huff , President
Brenda Peterson , Secretary
Rob Nelson , Treasurer

Sunday Worship:
Pine Grove Elementary 10450 Stonegate Parkway Parker, CO 80134
Mailing Address:
Prairie UU Church 7424 S. University Blvd. Unit E135 Centennial, CO 80122