Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492e
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E-News for November 4th - November 1th, 2021
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COVID SAFETY POLICY UPDATE
The leadership of Beacon wants to update you on our COVID safety policies, in light of the Delta variant surge. We will hold committee and team meetings on Zoom for the time being. We’ll continue with in person worship with masks and hand sanitizing required, regardless of vaccination status.
The Board and minister have agreed on a safety policy for other programming:
We welcome you to participate in choir if you are fully vaccinated and willing to wear a mask. Participation in small group gatherings such as dinner groups or adult RE (intimate groups in a small room) will also require vaccination and willingness to wear a mask. We will make adjustments to the policy, as needed.
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- Sundays at Beacon -
WE’RE BACK IN THE SANCTUARY FOR WORSHIP! JOIN US.
Masks required.
10AM Sunday in the Sanctuary
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For November 7th, 2021 - “Patching Chindis: On Brokenness" Among the multitude of Hindu deities, there is one named “Akhilandeshvari” - the “Never Not Broken Goddess.” She is anything but frail, though – she carries a trident and rides in on a crocodile! As humans, we are also “never-not-broken,” yet how do you relate to our brokenness? Do we despise it? Embrace it? Feel empathy for it? Want to soothe it? Do we allow ourselves to experience its intense pathos and pain and seek to transform it? In this service, we’ll ride along with Akhillandeshvari, as we explore these questions through an Eastern spiritual lens. We’ll also experience Kirtan chanting (a beautiful devotional singing practice originating in India) and engage with Rev. Robin in a ritual of healing. Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw.
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Beacon UU – YouTube sensation! 15 months, 63 recorded and edited worship services that you can tune into anytime you’d like for a first viewing or a re-viewing. Share our channel with friends you’d like to introduce to Beacon. See our virtual service history on the "Beacon UUC" Youtube Channel.
Come to the Post-Service Gatherings at 11!
Come to the Post-Service Gatherings at 11 am to connect, share joys and sorrows, and reflect on the service. These will be held in person, in the backyard of the church so that we may remove our masks.
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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.
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COME AND MAKE MUSIC AT BEACON!
The Beacon Choir is resuming its rehearsals and live performances in worship in September. We are so fortunate that Jason Drahos has joined us as Choir Director. You do not need to “audition” to join the choir. You are welcome if you are fully vaccinated and willing to wear a mask. Special singing masks are recommended. There are many available. Click this link to see one option for a singing mask.
Choir practice is every Thursday, 7-8:30pm, at Beacon.
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Are You All IN??
On September 26, we launched the “All In” initiative to embody our covenant by joining the efforts of a committee or team at Beacon. The sign-up sheets will remain in the social hall/kitchen. All hands, hearts and spirits are welcome.
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THIS SUNDAY: R U A UU?
Sunday, November 7, Just after the service
Have you been one without even knowing it? So many questions!?
Grab a coffee and meet with Rev. Robin after the service on November 7th for a one hour conversation about Unitarian Universalism and your own spiritual journeys to the door of Beacon.
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Name That Room! Let’s Get Creative!
Throughout the month of November, the Board is welcoming ideas for naming our meeting rooms here in our newly and beautifully renovated space. There are sheets in the Social Hall (what should we call that?!) where you can add your ideas. In December, we’ll have raffle style voting for the top ideas.
Some guidelines on names – Good choices would include features in nature (the Peaks Room, the Mesa), names that evoke a feeling or environment (ex. The meditation room) allusions to UUism and names of historic people (the Clara Barton Room, the Chalice Room) We’re not accepting suggestions for names of current or former congregants.
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Building and Grounds Day
Mark your calendars for a fun-filled B&G Workday on Nov 13 from 9 am to noon! It’s always a good fellowship activity, no experience required! We’ll be working mostly outside pulling weeds, raking and blowing leaves, and doing general clean-up activities. Everyone is invited to help keep our favorite church looking good! There will be coffee and individually wrapped snacks. Please bring gloves, hats, and water bottles. See you there!
Theresa deBoer
B&G Chair
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Religious Exploration
The 2020-2021 year Religious Exploration classes were a great success. We are so grateful for the dedication and creativity of our Beacon teachers, Dru Monroe and Stephanie Van Belle and their counterparts at Granite Peak UU in Prescott. Click "Check it out!" to learn more about what we just completed.
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Kids at Beacon- All are welcome!
We are now taking childcare volunteer signups for November and December! Volunteering for childcare involves working with the under-5 year olds who do not participate in CartUUns during class, and on off-weeks to help relieve Alexei. This takes place from 10am-11am, during the service. On some occasions, you will still be able to join the service due to lack of need for childcare. Please sign-up wherever you are able! Thank you for your help. A physical signup sheet is also available in the RE Room on Sundays. Sign up here!
Children and youth are always welcome in worship! We do ask that children over 3 years old wear a face mask while in the church building. There will be activity packets available for children during the service.
Religious Exploration is back at Beacon!
Note: There is a small error in this letter. Alexei's hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10am-3pm.
RE Offerings for November 7th, 2021
K-5th: Cartuuns
10am-11am
On Zoom or at Beacon
We will be watching Sanjay's Super Team and talking about prayer and world religions.
Meeting ID: 838 6517 8451
Passcode: beacon510
6th and up: D'oh God
11:30am-12:45pm
On Zoom
We will watch the Simpsons episode She of Little Faith (Season 13/Episode 6) on the Theme of Buddhism. Care for a little loving kindness meditation anyone?!
Meeting ID: 828 2774 0814
Passcode: beacon510
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Religious Exploration for Adults
Spirited Conversations with Rev. Robin
Join Rev. Robin for a new series of “spirited conversations” on topics such as possibility, trust, journey, wholeness, memory, story, and healing. We’ll use a rich treasure trove of materials drawing from different spiritual exploration programs similar to Touchstones. We’ll meet as a large group and in smaller breakout groups. The program will be 2 Thursdays per month, from 12-1:30 on Zoom. Bring your lunch! Early departures understood for work or life demands.
Spirited Conversations will resume in December.
Registration is not required for this program, but Rev. Robin would like an idea of how many people will be attending. Email minister@beaconuu.com to let her know.
Meeting ID: 733 037 2039
Passcode: 968647
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COMPASS: Navigating the Paths to Liberation Together
Offered by the UUA Congregational Life Staff
Saturday, December 11, 2021 On Zoom 10 am-6 PM
Sunday, December 12, 2021 On Zoom 10 AM – 1:30 PM
With so much uncertainty in the wider world, sometimes it can be hard to find one’s bearings. Join us to find our collective “compass” as we explore interdependence as a path to wholeness. Sliding scale registration fee $25-60 (Rev. Robin has funds available) Register here: https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/m1rjdxnn0zreqj2/
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The 3.5% Project for Social Change from Flagstaff College
Flagstaff College is initiating a community-wide Reading-Action Group as part of their new Flagstaff 3.5% Project. 3.5% is the portion of a population it takes to make social change. Participants will read Kim Stanley Robinson's, The Ministry for the Future, a book that has been called one of the most important books of our time. It's a fast-reading, fascinating novel, set in the near future.
We hope that anyone who wonders, “What can I do in the face of global climate change?” will join us. Over the course of 5 weeks, guest experts will offer deep dives into some of the strategies for stemming climate change. Erica Chenoweth of Harvard who came up with the 3.5% rule, will kick off the reading-action program on Oct. 19th. Bill McKibben, leading environmentalist, will speak on November 18th. Our focus: what we can do locally to make a difference.
There is no cost and we welcome everyone to become part of the 3.5% who can make a difference for good!
The kickoff meeting was Tuesday, October 26th.
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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. These are spoken during service every Sunday, or you can send them to Rev. Robin by Saturday night each week at minister@beaconuu.com to be shared.
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Joys and Sorrows - October 31st
Maryanne mourns a friend in Sedona who recently passed away.
Linda is grateful that, after a short quarantine due to exposure, her kids are COVID-negative and back in school.
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Porch Visits with Rev. Robin
(Weather Permitting)
Who is that minister in her "Soul" mobile? It's Rev. Robin! - ready to
come by for a visit on your porch, patio, or deck. She can be masked or unmasked, based on your vaccination status and personal comfort. 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
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Community Action Committee (Share the Plate) Returns
When in-person services ceased because of the pandemic, Share the Plate became a non-viable way to give money to non-profit service agencies in Flagstaff. The Board and Finance committee saw the potential for this to resume now that we are meeting in the sanctuary. The Committee composed of Susan Patrick, Joanne Parkes, and Lynda L. Dorweiler will accept nominations from congregants for 501c3 organizations to receive our donations. In the past years, (2016-2019), we have given over $3000 per year to several deserving agencies. It is our hope that the congregation can continue with helping these organizations reach their goals.
For October-December, Beacon will share the plate with Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Sharon Manor. Housing Solutions helps local residents identify and maintain safe, decent, and affordable housing. It offers counseling to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, credit counseling, pre-purchase assistance and works with AHC in constructing or remodeling homes using sustainable green building solutions.
Through Sharon Manor, the organization helps homeless victims of violence and their children on their journey out of violence and poverty and into economic independence, safety, health, and self-sufficiency. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women and their children in the United States. Local shelters play a critical role in helping families in crisis, but they are short-term in nature.
Housing Solutions is currently remodeling a hotel to provide transitional occupancy for the homeless.
The impact for 2020 showed
28 families obtained first-time home ownership
178 people received pre-purchase or credit counselling
113 received foreclosure assistance
25 rental units are occupied
78 found safety at Sharon Manor
Undesignated contributions to this quarter’s Sunday service offerings above $300 will be presented to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Sharon Manor. Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made through a form located in the office in the CAC folder or by contacting a CAC member.
CAC members are Susan Patrick, Katy Grant, Joanne Parkes, and Lynda L. Dorweiler.
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Activate at Beacon with the Social Justice Allies!
FAITHFUL DEMOCRACY
Get involved with Faithful Democracy, an organization bringing together people of diverse beliefs with a shared concern about the preservation of our democracy in the 21st century. The UUA and UUs for Social Justice are endorsers. You can use links on their website to access information, join initiatives, sign a Voter’s Covenant, and email your senator about the “For the People” Voting Rights Act (timely and crucial!)
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Together We Will, Flagstaff Postcard Writers weekly group
The postcard writers will be together every week on Wednesday at 7 PM on Zoom
Meeting ID: 841 1623 9939
Passcode: postcards
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SIDE WITH LOVE ACTION CENTER
The work that we do together to build a world in which all of us are free and thriving is interrelated. When we ground our spirits, grow our skills, and act strategically for justice in deep relationship with each other and our Movements, we choose to Side With Love.
Action Center is a place where we unite in work towards a world where we all thrive. Together we take action, Side With Love, and make deep impacts in this critical moment. Links for various action areas such as Democracy, LGBTQ and Gender Justice, and Climate Justice.
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Volunteer At Flagstaff Food Center With Beacon! |
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The Flagstaff Food Center is doing small group volunteers for their dinner service! Beacon is looking for a group of 5 volunteers to help out!
Volunteers are needed the 4th & 5th Wednesdays of every month, from 3pm-5pm. The dinner service is at the FFFC Kitchen (1903 N 2nd Street)
The dinner service is different during the pandemic. There is no indoor dining as we hand all the dinners out in to-go containers through a walk-up window. We need help from volunteers to portion meals into to-go containers, hand food out through our walk-up window, and wash serving pans.
Volunteer Safety: Volunteers are required to wear a mask, closed-toe shoes, and long pants, and to regularly wash or sanitize their hands and practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible. Gloves for food preparation and distribution will be provided to you at the kitchen. We have plexiglass installed at our walk-up window as a safeguard against COVID-19. We provide hand sanitizer and handwashing facilities and encourage regular use. We have enhanced cleaning protocols at our facilities and sanitize surfaces daily.
Sue Strobel will be organizing teams monthly, she can be contacted at 928 522-3284 (cell) or 928-526-5156 (home) if interested in volunteering!
More summer volunteer opportunities can be found here.
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The Hearth: November Nourish
November 17th, 2021, 6:30 - 8:00pm
In November, we celebrate thriving and joy in our communities as we also feel the grief of the seasons approaching. The Hearth is partnering with Nourish UU Dinner Church to bring you reflection, connection, and community. We'll be "sharing" the dinner hour together with a worship service led by Rev. Aisha Ansano. We will sing, reflect and connect deeply with our community. Bring a candle and a bite of food, a whole meal, or just a beverage!
The Hearth Socials are for Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color. We are centering everyone who identifies as a Person of Color, for example, People of African Descent, Caribbean, Native/American Indian, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latina/o and Hispanic, Middle Eastern/Arab, and Multiracial. Please feel free to invite friends and family who are UU - adjacent, even if they don’t identify as Unitarian Universalist.
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LOVE & JUSTICE: Abolition and Alternatives to Policing 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. Email Thoi to register for the next meeting.
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Lifespan Religious Exploration Resources for Learning About and Responding to Racism |
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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.
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Healing Racism and Murdoch Center Programs and Events
Healing Racism Arizona and the Murdoch Community Center in Flagstaff have several events in the next few weeks that might be of interest to the Beacon community. Healing Racism Arizona is accessible through Facebook. The live events for the Murdoch Community Center are also through Facebook
And can be watched afterwards on their YouTube channel Tune in here.
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Worship
Sunday, November 7th, 2021
10:00am
"Patching Chindis: On Brokenness"
Beacon Sanctuary
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Post-Service Gathering
Sunday, November 7th, 2021
11:00 am
In-Person at Beacon
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Choir Rehearsal
Every Thursday
7-8:30pm
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K-5th Religious Education
Sunday, November 7th, 2021
10:00am-11:00am
Beacon Classroom or Zoom
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6th and up Religious Education
Sunday, November 7th, 2021
11:30am-12:45pm
Zoom
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You can keep up with future Beacon events by checking out the Beacon calendar!
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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.
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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.com. Once 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.
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~ Beacon Office Hours & Contacts ~
Office Phone (928) 779-4492
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Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker
she/her/hers
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)
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RE Team
We have an incredibly strong team leading our RE this year.
Linda Ochi can answer your RE questions.
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Office Manager,
Alexei Besser-Gilbert
he/him/his
Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
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~ 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!
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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.
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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!
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Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News
Newsletter submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm
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