Weekly Connections Newsletter

First Unitarian Church

Weekly Connections

Upcoming Virtual Worship Services

Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 10:00 AM

Opening Doors through Empowerment

Please join us for this once a year, once in a lifetime rite of passage led by our Coming of Age youth

Worship Service at 10:00 AM

Children’s Worship at 9:30 AM

Our Leap of Faith rite of passage service led by our 5th Graders

Sunday, June 21 at 10:00 AM

Rev. Bob Renjilian's Final Sunday with Us

This service also includes our Bridging Ceremony for our Senior Youth

Worship service at 10:00 AM

with Children's Worship at 9:30 AM

Goodbye Celebration at 11:00 AM

Meet us online (live-captioning also available there)

or if you do not have access to the internet, call 646-876-9923,

and use meeting ID #5852719070

Gratitudes, Joys and Sorrows

Tamara Pineda passed away in the hospital on June 7 with her husband Dave by her side, after an extended illness. Her creative and courageous spirit touched all who knew and loved her. To live in hearts that love is not to die.

Care for our community is our first priority right now. If you are ill, have been hospitalized, have decided or are ordered to self-quarantine and need food or other supplies, or are simply worried about how you will respond to these needs, please reach out to Rev. Bob and our pastoral care team at Caring@RochesterUnitarian.org or 585-270-0851 .

This Week's News and Reminders

The Social Justice Ministry welcomes their new members: Paul Minor, Kristi Reisch, Tracy Nemecak, Louise Alexander, and Rachel Koegal!

Are you between the ages of 18 and 35 and looking for spiritual connection with your peers? The UU Young Adult Group is meeting over Zoom on Friday, June 12 at 6:30pm . If you are interested, please email Enri or Jenna .

Under the Elder Tree , one person each week tells their life story, in half an hour or so, and then we ask questions and reflect on how our lives intersect. Our story-tellers are usually elders (defined however you choose) but everyone is welcome to attend: Facilitated by Rev. Libby Moore; join us Saturdays at noon in the church’s Zoom room . This Saturday, June 13, Sue Schwardt will be our guest. Interested in sharing your story? Contact Libby .

A grief support group for spouses and partners who are coping with the death of their loved one will begin June 10 . This group, led by Rev. Lynn Acquafondata, affiliated community minister, will be held online for four weeks. The group will meet from 1:00-2:30 PM Wednesdays June 10, 17, 24 and July 8 . Call Rev. Lynn to register: 585-330-1340.

Are you new to First Unitarian? Did you discover us through our online worship services and want to learn more? Please join us for UU 101 : An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism and First Unitarian Church, this Sunday June 14 at 11:30am . We will be meeting through this Zoom link . We will have 45 minutes or so to talk about UU faith and what opportunities you have to connect with our community. No need for prior registration, just join us through the link provided. Next offering will be on June 28. For more information about First Unitarian and our membership classes contact Shannan Foos .

The Criminal Justice Ministry invites you to attend the Teen Empowerment 2020 Virtual Community Luncheon on Wednesday, June 17 at 12:00pm . Individual tickets cost $45. Click here for more information and to register .

Join the Spiritus Anti-Racism Coalition (SPARC) and the First Universalist Initiative for Racial Equity (FIRE) as they cosponsor the Juneteenth 5K Run/Walk (to be completed virtually on your own!) on or before June 19 . This walk/run commemorates the emancipation of chattel slavery in America, while calling for racial justice and equity for the black community! Proceeds will support creating the Rochester Civil Rights Heritage Site at Baden Park. You can register to participate here . Support our First Universalist colleagues by helping them reach their fundraising goal. Go to this link and click on their name in the list of Top Teams. Questions? Contact Tom Perry . For more information, watch this video .

UU Wellspring Group Starting Online, June 23 . Wellspring is a spiritual deepening program that originated in our church and has been seeded in congregations across the US and Canada. It is a program that explores how the foundations of our faith support us throughout our life. Considering the difficult challenges around us, this may be the perfect time to participate. Rev. Tina Simson, Minister Emerita at First Unitarian, will co-facilitate along with a member of First Unitarian’s Wellspring Advisory Team. Rev. Tina has facilitated this program online for religious professionals for the past 3 years and the format works well. There are a total of 20 sessions, meeting every other week, starting June 23, 2020, 6:30-8:30pm . If you are interested in joining this program or have questions, please contact Rev. Tina . Find more information about the national program here .

Voting Information : If you are a registered member of a political party that has multiple certified candidates for federal, state, or local office, you are eligible to vote in that party's primary election on June 23. An overall list of candidates in Monroe County can be found here . You can vote in-person at a polling site (sites may be new because of COVID-19), or in-person at an early voting site . You may also request an absentee ballot be sent to you by using this online form , or by printing this form and mailing it in. You can check the box for “Temporary illness or physical disability” because of COVID-19 concerns. If you intend to apply for an absentee ballot, do so as soon as possible, as the Board of Elections will get increasingly busy as the election nears. You may, as some already have, receive an absentee ballot for the Democratic presidential primary separate from primaries for local races. Some in the area might receive a 3rd ballot if you are involved in a special election in Congressional District 27. Ballots must be postmarked by June 22.

Attention UU Golfers: Sign Up Now for our 2020 UU Open, Sunday July 26 at Parkview Fairways, Victor . We’ll meet at 12:30pm at Parkview for warm up events, then tee off in groups starting at 1:00pm. After we finish our 9-hole best-ball event, a picnic dinner will follow in their spacious outdoor pavilion. You have your choice of driving a 1-person cart or walking this easy circuit. A $40 riding ($35 walking) fee includes everything. Keeping the pandemic in mind, we will observe the 6 feet minimum social distancing recommendation - not hard to do on a golf course! And then we'll have a big pavilion to spread out in. The entire event will be outdoors. Please e-mail Paul Suwijn (or call 585-899-9225) to sign up – TODAY!

Calls to Action

The Plate Committee would like to invite congregants to suggest local organizations to receive donations from our collection. You can submit suggestions by filling out this form .

RAIHN Update: After a pause due to the COVID-19 virus, the Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network is providing temporary shelter to families at a local Comfort Inn. Host congregations have no contact with the families, but will provide gift cards for dinner purchases and some groceries. Because of our congregation's generosity, we are able to cover these expenses for our July 6-12 host rotation. Though there are no volunteer opportunities this time, here’s another way to help: consider donating toys and games for the kids. RAIHN suggestions: gender-neutral coloring books (crayons not needed), small metal cars or trucks, and educational card games. For drop off info, contact Sue Gilday .

"First Unitarian Church is a member of Rochester Alliance of Communities Transforming Society, Inc. (Roc/ACTS). As a member of this alliance, our congregation works together to create systemic change by empowering citizens to shape the political, economic and social decisions in our community and beyond. The following letter from Roc/ACTS, reflects the anguish and anger we feel at the unspeakable injustice toward a black man. Let our congregation rise up, stand together and continue to pledge our commitment to change through activism and deep listening". Jon Horne and Ellie Stauffer serve on the Roc/ACTS Board. For more information call or text Roberta Buckle (585-704-8385) or Penny Townsend-Quill (585-503-5301).

The Environmental Justice Ministry invites you to learn about the Green New Deal and how its implementation will impact the community both environmentally and socially. Click here to learn more from the EJM.