Submissions must be in by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to be included in the newsletter. 
Caleb Alexander, Beacon Office Manager
~ Sunday Service, August 5 ~ 
"The Courage to Continue on the Journey"
With Rev. Kevin Lawson

Rev. Kevin is in the pulpit and will speak to the strength of community and engagement, this first Sunday after the communities Building Expansion vote 
and our next steps on the journey.

~ Touchstone Theme: Unity & Diversity ~ 
~ Congregation Votes Overwhelmingly for Option B ~
 
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It's Option B by a Super Majority Plus! Many thanks to all of you who attended the Congregational Meeting last Sunday to select the Building Expansion Option. Sixty-five percent of the congregation was present - a great turnout. And as you know Option B was selected by a very strong and convincing vote.

And now, I am just repeating what you already know, but because Option B was not the plan when the Capital Campaign was conducted, the pledges of all donors had to be confirmed. The confirmation process started last Sunday with many of the donors turning in cards noting their intent. During the past week, the remaining donors were contacted and we have heard back from all but two, which is quite remarkable. A big thanks goes to Holly Taylor for taking on this task. Ninety-two per cent of the donors were able to maintain their pledge and three donors increased their pledges for an overall shrinkage of approximately 6%. This is a number in line with many fund-raising campaigns. 

So, overall the news is most encouraging. The contractor's estimate can be covered, the required ancillary costs to be paid by Beacon are covered (such as moving gas lines, etc.), and with the addition of the Capital Reserve Fund, the discretionary items can be covered. Of course, we will have to be very careful to stay within the estimates. There is almost always a surprise or two in a construction project. But, we are on our way! We met with the architect and the contractor Thursday, August 2, to update the time frame and get the design process started. Contracts will be signed within the next several days/weeks. 

Our journey continues. There may well be some bumps along the road; what construction project doesn't have bumps? Carl and Theresa will be calling a Building Team meeting and Celebration this next week to start organizing the work that must be done to get ready for the actual construction. Tasks include cleaning out the attic storage, organizing the items in the attic, and cleaning out the cottage and more. Anyone who would like to be involved in this, please let Theresa know ( tadeboer@outlook.com). 

Again, thanks for your generosity, commitment to Beacon and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to an exciting year.
 
Gratefully,
Dora Harrison
President of the Board of Trustees
~ Upcoming Website Update: August 15, 2018 ~

Beginning mid-August, all public and logged in users will see changes to the tabs and lists of menu items. Recent security updates now allow for grouping of public and protected menu items in the same tab. Improvements to navigation are intended to be more intuitive and better accommodate the different devices like phones and notepads. Since March 1 st of this year, the Beacon newsletter has included a weekly request for members and friends to register on the Beacon website. At the end of April, it was announced in the newsletter that access was changed to require registration to see the directory and protected documents. On June 30th, emails were sent to unregistered members and friends to request that they register. Now that everyone has had an opportunity to register, it is time to update the content, add functionality, and improve navigation for the website to take advantage of the added security. Please contact WebMaster@beaconuu.com if you have any questions or need assistance.

Dennis Spurlin
Vice President, Beacon Board of Trustees
~ Beacon Summer Retreat Day ~

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Beacon Summer Day Retreat with Char Tarashanti & Rev. Kevin
Saturday, August 4, 2018, 9:00 am - 2:30 pm, No Fee
Brown Bag Luncheon

9:00 am - 9:30 am Gathering
9:30 am - 11:00 am Small Group Breakouts:
~ QiGong with Kayla Smith in the Sanctuary
~ Time in Nature with Paul Beier*
~ Rock'n'Soul with Char Tarashanti in the Kitchen
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Brown Bag Lunch / Open Time
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Large Group Activity with Amy Huntereece in the Sanctuary
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Small Group Breakouts:
~ Brain Gym with Christina Boyd in the Sanctuary
~ Stories & Meaning with Rev. Kevin in the Purple Room
~ Games & More with Caleb Alexander in the Kitchen
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Group Closing & Ice Cream Social!

* Regarding Time in Nature activity: Please wear appropriate clothing for being outdoors in the expected weather, including sturdy shoes suitable for walking on uneven ground. Optional items: drinking water, small folding chair, or small item to lay on while you sit alone in the woods for 30 minutes. 
~ Religious Exploration ~

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On Sunday we will begin a new curriculum called Wisdom from the Hebrew Scriptures. "This program offers multigenerational workshops based on eight stories from the Hebrew scriptures. Some of these stories are well-known and others less so. Some have been told to children in Sunday school classes and Hebrew school for generations; others will be unknown even to some adults. Some of those narratives fit well with contemporary Unitarian Universalist values and others are more challenging in both the theology and the values expressed. All of these stories offer wisdom that can help people of all ages grow in spiritual depth and understanding."
 
Backpack Blessing Ceremony, Sunday, August 5th
Also, we will honor our children returning to school with the annual  Backpack Blessing Ceremony . Please remember to bring your backpack to church with you  for a special blessing to kick off the new school year!

OWL (Our Whole Lives) Class Coming This Fall 
This curriculum for the K-1st (5-7 year old) class provides developmentally appropriate information to support parents in educating children about birth, babies, bodies, relationships and families. Some of the goals of this class are to strengthen and support each child's sense of self and self-esteem, to help children appreciate their bodies as good and beautiful, private and special, and to help children gain understanding and accurate information about human sexuality, reproduction, and gender identification. 

If you are interested contact Mary Poore at  m8c8p8@aol.com  or (928) 699-8266. For more information  check out the OWL program on the Beacon Website

If you have any great ideas that would help support our Religious Exploration program, please do not hesitate to let us know!  
 
Amy Huntereece, Director of RE, re@beaconuu.com 
Kay Johnson, RE Committee Chairperson,  kayjandbillt@aol.com
~ Social Justice Allies (SJA) ~

Calendar Alerts
Northern Arizona Interfaith Council (NAIC) Cluster Meeting
Thursday, August 9, at 6:30 pm, at Beacon
Representatives of NAIC's member institutions--Beacon, Federated Community Church, St. Francis de Asis, Epiphany Episcopal, Living Christ Lutheran Church and others--will gather at Beacon for (1) updates on education, immigration, and housing efforts and (2) planning for fall accountability sessions with candidates for City Council and the State Legislature to learn their positions on these priorities. 

This is a convenient opportunity for Beacon members, friends, and visitors to learn about NAIC's collaborative social justice work and Beacon's involvement. 

Next Regular SJA Meeting
Sunday, August 19 to follow service at about 11:15 am
This meeting's agenda will include Beacon's new Policies and Procedures for Political Activity and planning for an information forum on several City-proposed tax propositions. All are welcome. Snacks will be provided. 

Roz Clark
SJA Journalist
~ Community Action Committee ~
 
Beacon's community partner for August 2018 is the Hozhoni Foundation. The Hozhoni Foundation is a leading provider of services and advocacy for people with disabilities. Residential, Vocational and Educational services are provided to assist individuals in achieving their maximum potential. Ultimately every person with emotional, physical, or developmental disabilities has not only the opportunity but the right to experience life to its fullest.

Undesignated contributions to this month's Sunday service offerings above $300 (which goes to Beacon's operational budget) will be presented to Hozhoni Foundation.

Lynda Dorweiler
Community Action Committee Chair
~ Upcoming Events ~
 
Service and Potluck Luncheon in the Park  
Sunday, September 2, 2018 - Labor Day Weekend
All Members and Friends are invited to this annual gathering for Food, Fun and Fellowship. This year the Worship Associates and the Board of Trustees have selected to gather during Labor Day weekend. We have reserved the Community Ramada at Bushmaster Park, where we have gathered the past two years.  See you in the Park! 
~ Joys & Concerns ~
 
Roz and Rich Clark celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary!

Carleton Sheppard reported that Jan Nelson would appreciate hearing from us. Unfortunately, Jan is having a hard time adjusting to her new home in Portland.. 

Roseanne and Dorothy asked the Beacon community to keep Gus Millor in our thoughts as his sister Magda is in home hospice.

Dennis Spurlin thanked Rev. Kevin and Gary for new lights in the Beacon sanctuary.

Andy Gould appreciated coming home from visiting family.

Laura Carter is back from Kenya where she says everyone doesn't understand what is happening in America. They also are happy to be back in Beacon with all that is going on.

Rev. Kevin shared the joyful news he performed the marriage ceremony for Kat Wiltsee and Kelsey Vaughn, Tuesday, July 24 in Sedona. The service was held at the Peace Park in Northwest Sedona at sunset. It was a beautiful service. We wish Kat and Kelsey all happiness in their new journey together as a married couple. 
~ Beacon Calendar ~
 
Beacon Retreat Day
Saturday, August 4

9:00 am
SoulCollage: Companion Suit
Saturday, August 11
8:30 am
Worship & Religious Exploration
Sunday, August 5
10:00 am
RE Committee Meeting
Sunday, August 12

8:30 am
Newcomers' Orientation
Sunday, August 5

11:30 am
Worship & Religious Exploration
Sunday, August 12
10:00 am
Yoga Practice
Tuesday, August 7

11:00 am & 5:00 pm
Leadership Success Planning Team Sunday, August 12
11:30 am
QiGong
Tuesday, August 7
6:30 pm
Committee on Shared Ministry
Monday, August 13

5:15 pm
Finance Team Meeting
Wednesday, August 8
6:30 pm
Eckankar: Sound of Soul
Monday, August 13

6:00 pm
NAIC Meeting
Thursday, August 9

6:30 pm
Yoga Practice
Tuesday, August 14
11:00 am & 5:00 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: 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Tues:  1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Or by appointment 
  Office Manager, 
Caleb Alexander

Wed: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Thurs: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Fri: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Or by appointment
Office Phone (928) 779-4492
~ Beacon Political Activity: Policies and Procedures ~
 
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On June 27, 2018, Beacon's Board of Trustees unanimously approved (1) Policies for Political Activity and (2) Procedures for Political Activity for Beacon UU Congregation. Policies are adapted from the UUA publication,  The Real Rules: Congregations and the IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying and Election If you wish to read any of the content, the document is available in full,  simply click here.
~ 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 Caleb, our Office Manager, at  office@beaconuu.com.