SHARE-THE-PLATE THIS SUNDAY, January 31st:
This Sunday’s Offering is one of our periodic Social Justice Share the Plate Sundays. The “extra” offerings today (loose offerings, we sometimes call them) - those that aren't part of our pledges - are allocated half to our Social Justice Committee’s UU’s Helping People programs and a half to support the operation of our church.
Today’s Share-the-Plate contributions will go to the St. Pete Free Clinic’s Family Residence Center where un-sheltered families are housed and provided with intensive navigation services to overcome the barriers of obtaining permanent housing. Last year, 98 families received support from the Free Clinic Family Residence. For more about the program, see:
The need has never been greater.
Thank you for your support. – The UUSP Social Justice Committee
How to Give
Mail a check to 100 Mirror Lake Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Att: Financial Secretary. Write the name of the fund or Annual Pledge on the memo line of the check.
On our UUSP website, click Giving and then Donate Now, create a profile and choose Other Contributions
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After the service, move over to Zoom for
our virtual Coffee Hour.
Bill Motter facilitates 25-30 people tuning in to see how everyone is doing, giving everyone a chance to check in.
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How can I share?You can type it into the “Comment/Chat” bar during Sunday's Service or click below.
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Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month,
5:30 -7:30 pm.
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The Boards
January's Newsletter
- Transitions
- Board Meeting Highlights
- Meet the Board Members
- Sharon Winters
- Susan Burnore
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OUTDOOR EVENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC
The Board has approved policy and protocols for hosting outdoor events at UUSP during the pandemic. Events need to be sponsored/hosted by a church committee and follow a set of COVID19 protocols. The interior courtyard and back playground and picnic areas are available. Paul and Sarah Craig expect to resume hosting of outdoor YouTube worship service viewing later this winter/early spring.
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Check out the January 28 Newsletter
with Project Updates including repairs and tenting.
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Sunday Morning Women's Discussion/Covenant Group
9:15-10:15am
January 31: "Image 'Breaking Free': What Would that Look Like"?
To contact the discussion leader by email,
Click the button below
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February 7
Pastor Jack 9:15am
Discussion Group
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February 1: Contemplative
“To Be Great,” M. L. King, Jr
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Noon Zoom Cafe Check-In,
February 2 (Tuesdays only)
Luncheon Check-In -
Announcing a new plandemic as an experiment: our weekly noon check-ins now will be just on Tuesdays (rather than alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays, which got confusing).
Topics: Personal check-ins and views on the news.
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February 8: Legacy Letter Workshop - See
the UU Ways to Give area for
registration information
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Contemplative Meditation Readings
Learn how to meditate here. |
Adult Religious Studies
Zoom Discussion
Beginning February 10
10am & 7pm
For 7-8 sessions, we will discuss selected quotes from the book Universalists and Unitarians in America:
A People’s History, by former
UUA president John Buehrens.
(More information in the Religious Education Area below)
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UUSP Building Security
Over the past year, we've had several issues with building security and have taken steps to change a few locks, add a key lockbox and security cameras.
NEW POLICY: Effective February 2, Office Administrator Cathy Norris will start changing codes for the Arlington Ave. gate and tower entrance ramp key lockbox on a quarterly basis.
We need your help to keep our facilities secure and safe for our staff:
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If you have church keys that you no longer use, please place them in an envelope for Cathy and mail to the office or drop in the front ramp mail drop.
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If you access the Arlington Ave. gate and/or tower entrance key lockbox, contact Cathy for new key codes. Once you're on the access list, Cathy will alert you via email when codes are about to be changed.
Cathy will issue keys on a very limited basis; in most cases, we'll encourage church members to use key lock boxes to access the building.
Thanks for your help with this. — Sharon Winters for B&G
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Pastor Jack's Weekly Message |
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Dear UUSP community,
Thank you for your many caring words in response to my news about a July 1st transition. I’m so glad I don’t have to say good-bye yet. And Alisun and I are already anticipating future years of returning for some winter weeks in St. Pete to walk the beaches and visit UUSP.
Such a beautiful congregation in such a beautiful city. I expect a wonderful future for UUSP - uplifting the spirits of increasing number of members and of the wider St. Pete community.
The coming five months will be rich in memories for me – and, I hope, rich in meaning for you and our congregation. There is much to look forward to, be it the rest of the church year or UUSP’s many years to come.
With great appreciation,
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Wednesday Zoom Adult Religious Studies
Religious Studies Discussions
February 10 (10am & 7pm your choice)
For 7-8 sessions, we will discuss selected quotes from the book Universalists and Unitarians in America: A People’s History, by former UUA president John Buehrens.
This book is a good exploration of the views and lives of the people who participated in our particularly American religion. Buehrens tells the people’s story through seven stages of Universalist and Unitarian history, from early Revolutionary America to current Insurrectionary America - a history of search for truth and meaning, which may tell us something about how we can influence our future.
Weekly quotations for discussion will be sent on each preceding weekend. Full copies of the Introduction and Chapter 1 can be emailed to you if you’d like – just email me that you’d like them. (After that, you can order the whole book if you like, from the UUA Bookstore and on Amazon Kindle – or just rely on the selected discussion quotations I’ll email.)
On the 3rd Wednesdays, we’ll forego meeting so folks may attend the African American Heritage Association monthly presentations.
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Sunday Children's Religious Education:
January's Theme for
RE is Imagination.
Our faith talks a lot about using reason to analyze the world and using action to change the world. But UU religious educators remind us that we also need to nurture our imaginations so we can dream up new worlds. Whether through stories like Lord of the Rings or classic fairy tales, there is something powerful about using our imagination to visit and create new places. It allows us to transcend our limits and indulge in an escape now and then. It also allows us to learn life lessons while in a pretend world.
So what’s one of the ways our faith guides us into becoming a people of imagination? It tells us to
“Use your imagination to visit and dream up other worlds!”
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What? - You aren't receiving it the
RE Weekly Newsletter?
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Click below for the newsletter & lesson. |
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Don’t forget our covenant groups continue to meet monthly, these days mainly on Zoom. We currently have eleven covenant groups in the congregation with over 100 people participating. A Covenant Group is a group of 10 or so people who gather regularly (at least monthly) to share and converse about how life is going for the individuals in the group and often for our wider circles of life. Contact Pastor Jack for help to join a group.
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Building a Community in a
Pandemic E-vents
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GUEST AT YOUR TABLE (GAYT)
The UUSC’s long-standing fundraising and educational program are wrapping up this Year’s campaign. During this month you have met our four guests.
Now is the time to collect your donations. Remember that our four guests are making a real difference to those suffering injustice around the world through your donations. As we conclude this year’s program — we want to encourage you to make a generous donation to continue their important work.
It is so easy to give:
- GivePlus+ app: select Social Justice - GAYT and make your donation
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Via uustpete.org. Click on the Giving dropdown and select “Donate Now.” Logon to the Online Donation page. Enter the amount you want to donate next to Social Justice UUSC/GAYT
- Send a check to the Church Office. Make out a check to UU St Pete and write GAYT on the MEMO line.
- Call Karen Coale 727 204-9141 to pick up your donation.
Please be generous. Thank YOU!
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STAY ALERT:
We are entering the FAST lane!
Explanation: The Pinellas County Commission has backed down from its promise of funds for Affordable Housing for Low-Income Families. It has also retarded the development of a much-needed One-Stop Service Information Center for dangerous mental health emergencies. And, it continues giving Pinellas County citizens thousands of life-inhibiting arrest records for simple misdemeanors by under-utilizing Civil Citations. These are the three concerns our 40-congregation interfaith coalition is addressing.
FAST Rally is March 8 (via Zoom) to hear the research and strategies we hope to follow. Our big Action is March 22 (via Zoom) to ask County officials to explain and change their intentions and practices.
Click below if you would like to be put on our UUSP/FAST contact list and/or get the Zoom invitation for the March Events.
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Save the Date: February 27, 2021
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Thank you for your interest in
Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg!
Stay Safe and Stay Well!
Kelli DeGraw, part of your Communications Team.
Feedback and suggestions are welcome
(reply to this email)
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Our UUSP staff members will continue their duties safely, cautiously to the fullest degree possible.
Thank you, Cathy, Jeanay, Jon, and Ciera! And many volunteers!
During this challenging time, may we remember that we need to pay close attention to how everybody is doing and how we can help.
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Our mission is to be an inclusive, evolving religious community
that inspires spiritual and intellectual growth to make our world a better place.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg
727.898.3294
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