Love In Action
April 1, 2020
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All events are open and drop-ins are welcome, unless otherwise stated. If no contact person is listed, call or email the office with questions.
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This Sunday, join us in worship online at 10:30am. During this special service, you will get to hear from our Board of Trustees, about their relationship to All Souls, their vision, and why our congregational community is one of contribution, gratitude, and belonging. Next Tuesday, our All Souls' Board will finalize our budget for the upcoming year, so it can be presented to the congregation for a vote during our May 17 congregational meeting. All Souls is not just a building or a Sunday morning service. All Souls is an alive community that seeks to further justice outside our walls, and embrace one another in love. This Sunday we invite to join us in hearing each others’ stories about life, belonging, homecoming and healing. Join us
here
, or by dial
ing +1 301 715 8592.
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Embrace Love In Action
This is the time of year when our All Souls' Board of Trustees develops the 2020-2021 budget for the operations of our community and facility. These decisions allocate money to our justice-making efforts, or to our lights, or Sunday morning music, or to ensuring that we can provide benefits to our staff; to make sound decisions we need each of our members to pledge. Pledging is one of the most significant acts of membership: through it you have a voice, and demonstrate mutual responsibility as well as individual contribution. This pledge is how you indicate your support of how we are putting love into action towards each other, and the wider Indianapolis community.
Currently, we have received pledges in a total amount of $315,719 from 133 households. Over a third of these pledgers were able and willing to increase their pledge!! THANK YOU!
We have yet to hear from 84 households. These final pledges are so significant towards meeting our pledge goal of $350,000. This will enable us to offer a pay increase to our staff (not given for 2.5 years), increase our programming and justice capacity, and to cover the costs associated with our upcoming ministerial transition.
In normal times, it is easy to hand in your pledge card. With our building closed, we ask that you make a pledge online
here
.
A
fair share giving guide
is available to you, and
pledge stewards
can help answer any of your questions. Thank you for your generosity
.
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Are you In The Know?
Gmail often clips the newsletter message and some important announcements don't get seen. Make sure to click "view entire message" at the bottom of your email to ensure that you are getting our full newsletter.
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Introduction to Immigration Law and Policy Live Online Workshop (FREE).
1-2:30pm
Wednesday, April 1
and
Thursday, May 7.
This workshop is offered by the Center for Congregations. Immigrant Outreach Attorney Laura Pontius will help you learn more about immigration laws and policy and present a “bird’s eye view” of the immigration legal system. Topics covered include how to: facilitate congregational conversations about immigration, accessing local and statewide resources to support immigrants, strengthening your ministries, deciding on policy and discuss or advocate on immigration matters, help your members connect with local and regional immigrant advocacy organizations, equip your congregation to engage and respond in compassion to our immigrant neighbors, partner with local community resources to help local immigrants to know their rights and receive legal assistance, obtain green cards or other benefits.
Register
here
for April 1 and
here
for May 7.
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Twilight Zone Tuesdays!
Middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults are invited to join us for Twilight Zone Tuesdays! Rod Serling, a Unitarian, used his science-fiction TV show to explore thorny ethical topics. Each week at 12pm, we'll share lunch and discuss an episode on Zoom!
4/7 The Brain Center at Whipple's
These episodes are available streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, and can be purchased for $1.99 per episode on various other platforms. Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link
families@allsoulsindy.org
!
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Cereal and Connection during Covid-19, Friday, April 3 10:00am
We all need points of connection, human relationship, and a place to share laughter and sorrow. Pour a bowl of your favorite breakfast cereal or cozy up with a warm drink, and join us via Zoom for some conversation. Bring a funny joke, a meaningful poem, or simply your whole self to share. You will be able to join us via this link:
https://zoom.us/j/502444105.
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Virtual Coffee Hour, Sunday, March 29, 11:30am
It can be easy to feel disconnected and alone in this time of social distancing. Please join us for our virtual coffee hour through Zoom. This will be an informal, unstructured time to talk about whatever is on your mind. We will transition straight into coffee hour from our Zoom service. Join us via the same link as the service:
https://zoom.us/j/412806814
.
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Meditative Writing and Reflection Zoom Circle. Sunday, April 5, 9:30am
If this time of isolation has you feeling more reflective and invested in your interior life, you are not alone. Join us for a Zoom reflections circle.
We will begin with a brief chalice lighting and then introduce ourselves. Then each person will have a chance to share what they have been writing about, and what the prompt arose in them. This is the Zoom link to join:
https://zoom.us/j/777217158
.
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Show and Tell Storytime, Friday, April 3, 1:00pm.
J
oin us on Zoom
!
Bring art supplies and something to share. We'll be reading When the Sun Rose, a story about imaginative play, and then doing some imagining of our own!
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Dear Martin
, By Nic Stone
April 5, 11:45am
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Church Mail
The All Souls mail is still being collected. Feel free to send in checks, pledge cards, and correspondence. Please indicate in the memo line or on Paypal's message section what the contribution is for. We are always happy to head from you.
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Narcan Training Rescheduled
All Souls and the Marion County Public Health Department has postponed all events. We will reschedule our Narcan training day for the summer. Direct questions to
programs@allsoulsindy.org.
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SCRIP Card Orders
SCRIP cards are not available right now unless previously ordered. Cards that were ordered with an invoice and instructions for payment will be mailed. Email
sandyrei@aol.com
with questions.
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Rummage Sale
The rummage sale has been postponed. An exact date has not been determined but we are aiming for Fall. Please save your donations and we will let you know as soon as we set a new date.
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Trans Day of Visibility
Tuesday March 31, was Trans Day of Visibility. In remembrance of this day we want to highlight a guest blog by Charles Hayes on his experience as a trans person. We honor the gender journeys of all our trans family. Check out Charles' blog "What I Want People to know About Talking to Their Trans Friends"
here
.
Read a "Prayer for Trans Day of Visibility" from TRUUST (Trangender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together)
here
.
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Diversity and Inclusion Team
Interested in social justice? Consider joining the Diversity and Inclusion Team.
This group has historically been involved with benchmark justice projects like winning a transit victory for Indianapolis, and helping to block the expansion of prisons in Indiana. The team will chose areas of justice-making to focus on for the year like immigration, incarceration, or reducing gun violence. We will work in partnership with other organizations like Faith In Indiana and Indy Pride to create real change in the world around us.
We will meet once a month and work with All Soul's Coordinator of Programs and Communications, Nasreen Khan, on community advocacy. Email
Nasreen for more information at
programs@allsoulsindy.org
.
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Donations and Volunteers Needed
The No Questions Asked Food Pantry needs volunteers to help drop off bags of food to those who cannot get to the pantry. The top needs for donations other than food are: diapers, wipes, trash bags and cleaning products. To volunteer contact Satchuel Cole, 317.527.6426 or
operationcarekit@gmail.com
.
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All Souls Feedback Procedure
All Souls Unitarian Church is guided by the seven UU principles, including our beliefs in mutual respect and democratic process. Thus, we strive to respond to serious concerns with an interest in resolving them as well as possible to the satisfaction of all parties. Concerns should be communicated to the senior minister or the president of the Board of Trustees. Feedback and suggestions can also be submitted on the connection cards.
A concern usually falls into one of three categories:
1.Preference: A member wishes for a change in some aspect of congregational life, such as choices of music, decorations, publications, religious education curricula and sermons. Some of these choices are steered by policy governance, but other choices may be influenced by member input. At the least, personal preferences will be acknowledged, and, pending similar input from multiple members, may lead to changes in the indicated aspect of congregational life.
2.Performance: A member provides input about a shortcoming in staff, key volunteer, or ministerial performance of duties, such as not replying to an e-mail in a timely manner, lapsing in attendance at committee meetings, exerting too little initiative in pursuing a social justice project, or not exercising due diligence in studying a problem before making a decision.
3.Policy: A member or group brings to the attention of the appropriate person that they think there has been a violation of board governance policy, non-compliance with government regulations, or failure to report something essential to the Board.
All Souls will provide regular reminders of the way to submit a concern or suggestion. Confidentiality will be respected, especially concerning personnel issues or possible criminal behavior. The full procedure can be found on our website
here
.
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Words from Our Director of Community and Children's Programming
It was lovely to join so many of you in worship this past Sunday. I've missed your faces! I've been blessed to chat about nature with our youngest members, and engage in challenging discussions about censorship, discrimination, and whether a human being can be obsolete with an inter-generational cross-section of members and visitors during our Twilight Zone Tuesdays and George discussion groups!
Aidan Hamilton and I also got to spend quality time with our Coming of Age youth on Sunday! We talked about after-life beliefs and concepts of theism using popular culture lenses like The Good Place and The Simpsons. In short, while I may be physically isolated from you, your spirits and intellects are a constant presence in my home and in my heart. I hope you're all getting some outdoor time this week, and hope to see you in one of our Zoom sessions soon!
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General Assembly Registration Now Open
General Assembly is the annual national gathering of Unitarian Universalists. Please join us Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 2020 in Providence, Rhode Island for this 5-day immersive experience. The theme is
Rooted, Inspired, & Ready!
Registe
r
by March 15 for the lowest rates. Congregant scholarships available. Contact Helen Dwyer at
hdwyer1492@msn.com
. Discount housing registration has opened and goes fast. Click
here
for information.
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Regional Assembly 2020, April 18, Rockford, IL.
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In Our Hearts, Thoughts, and Prayers
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We hold all the victims of Covid-19 and their families in our hearts, and we thank all the doctors, nurses, grocery store workers, delivery persons, and others who are helping our communities during this time.
If you would like our community to hold a deep sorrow or joy of yours, or to share with us a significant update in your life, please email
Shelley Carver
.
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For events happening in the next 7-10 days, submit your notice for the Wednesday
In the Know
E-mail Blast by Sunday 5pm to
weekly@allsoulsindy.org
For announcements and events happening in the current month, submit your notice for the Sunday's
OOS
Insert by Tuesday. 12pm to
weekly@allsoulsindy.org
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