RELIGIOUS EDUCATION UPDATES
Facebook Live with Adrienne Summerlot Tonight
Join our Director of Religious Education, Adrienne Summerlot, on Facebook LIVE tonight, Friday, December 18th at 7pm as she shares one of her family's favorite stories, The Animals' Santa.
We hope you will stop by the Family Breakout Room this Sunday during Coffee Hour to show and share your holiday crafts and traditions.
Now that Winter Break is here, we hope you will visit our Winter Play webpage for activity ideas, visit the virtual Christmas Room, listen to read alouds and much more.
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Sunday, December 20, 2020
10:15 am Livestream
Bright Morning Stars Are Rising
Reverend Dr. Susan Swaney and Music from the UUCB Car Choir
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, and Reverend Dave Clements
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Join us for a worship service filled with music, stars, and stillness. Even in the midst of a pandemic we will have music and images from our Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Choir through the magical technology of a Car Choir, directed by Reverend Susan Swaney with pianist Ray Fellman, aka The Gift. There may be mention of two planets meeting in the nighttime sky as well. The car choir is made possible by a planned giving gift from the late Reverend Dr. Clarke Dewey Wells. |
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Monday, December 21, 2020
6:15 pm Livestream
Winter Solstice Celebration
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Dave Clements, Reverend Emily Manvel Leite and Brooke Opel
with special music by:
Ray Fellman and Our UU Children's Choir, directed by Jill Courtney
All ages are invited to share in a quiet, reflective virtual service celebrating the returning sun. We will fully inhabit this place on our planet as we join together through live streaming and reconnect with the earth and its natural cycles.
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Thursday, December 24, 2020
7pm Livestream Christmas Eve
6:50pm Gathering Music Begins
In the Stillness of Light
Candlelight Vespers Service
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Dave Clements,
Reverend Susan Swaney
The UUCB Car Choir
Join us, via livestream, for a creative rendering of our traditional Christmas Eve service. We give this night to ourselves and others as a gift, embracing the stillness of our souls within the magic of music, bells, spoken word, silence and candlelight. In this worship service may the stillness of the holy night bless you and all beings of this planet.
Special guest musicians include The Loftman-Cusacks, Scott Hogsed, Sylvia McNair, Carrie Newcomer and The Gift formerly known as Ray Fellman.
Please send a photo of those in your household holding a lit candle or candles (or other illuminating object) in the darkness. These images will be shared during Silent Night at the conclusion of the service. Send your photos to: media@uubloomington.org by December 23rd at 7:22pm. We need to see one another even when we cannot be together. Send this gift of love.
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Early Bird Coffee Hour at 9:15 am
Bring your coffee and join us at 9:15 AM to relax with friends and enjoy your coffee before the service. Click on this link to register for the early bird coffee hour and receive the Zoom link.
-- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
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Connect with our UU Community during Virtual Coffee Hour
Everyone is welcome to join us after the worship service, until 12:30 pm, for engaging conversation in Virtual Coffee Hour.
Breakout Conversations:
- Winter Play Families (All ages welcome!)
- General Discussion
Email connect(at)uubloomington.org if you would like to host a breakout conversation on the topic of your choice. --Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
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UU Freethinkers meet December 20, 12:45 p.m.
The UU Freethinkers will meet this Sunday at 12:45 p.m. via Zoom for an open discussion of social, political, and theological/religious issues. If you'd like to join us, please contact Harold Ogren, ogrenh (at) gmail.com, to get the link to the Zoom meetings and to be added to our email discussion list.
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Seeking Volunteers for Postpartum Support Network at the UU Church - Register by Dec 21
The Reproductive Justice Task Force is working with Maternal Advocates Resource Alliance (MARA) in looking for a team of 2-4 volunteers for MARA’s Postpartum Support Network, funded through IU’s Center for Rural Engagement. The goal is to bring postpartum support knowledge to our UU community, following women for the first year after giving birth. Training is on six Wednesday evenings via Zoom, beginning Jan 27th. Register by 12/21 by contacting Nan McKinley at 626-824-8955, fiddlernan (at) gmail.com.
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Events Next Week
Monday, 12/21, 6:15 p.m. Winter Solstice Celebration on livestream and Facebook
Thursday, 12/24, Away in a Manger Service (viewable on video, link available in 12/24 Update)
Thursday, 12/24, 7:00 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve service on livestream and Facebook
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Our Folks . . .
Our congregation is saddened by the death of Terry Loucks who died last week. A passionate scientist and sailor, Terry carried a copy of the periodic table in his wallet as a sacred text. Our hearts are with family and friends of Terry.
Our caring hearts are with all those suffering from Covid within our congregation and beyond. May a spirit of healing bless you in mind, body and soul.
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Visit with the Connections Coordinator via Zoom on Dec 22
On Tuesday, December 22, from 1-2 pm, join the Connections Coordinator, Ann LeDuc, via Zoom to ask questions, or just to visit. Newcomers and current congregation members are all welcome to drop in. Additional ways to contact Ann are via email at connect(at)uubloomington.org or phone at (812) 720-3688. Use this link to drop-in and talk to Ann on Dec 22, 1-2 pm. In the new year, Ann's open office hour will switch to Fridays, 3:30-4:30 pm, starting January 8.
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How Much Do I Owe on My Pledge?
When Will I Receive a Giving Statement for 2020?
Wonder of wonders! You can find this information by logging in to the church database. Here's how!
(We will also send out paper statements of 2020 donations by January 31, 2021, but you can print out your own statement sooner by using these instructions.) If you need help, please contact Monica or Mandy at office@uubloomington.org.
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UU Singles Events Coming Up
We are a group of single adults within the UU Bloomington community who meet occasionally for various kinds of connective events as a group. We'd love to have you join us! Our events take place over Zoom. Contact Marie Deer for the Zoom link and to join our email list. For updates on UU Singles upcoming events, consult the December 15 Prologue here.
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Special "Friday" Updates Arriving on Thursdays: Dec. 24 and Dec. 31
We will be publishing Friday Updates on Thursdays for the next two weeks. These will be edited early and cued up to send automatically on those two dates, since we will be out of the office. If you would like an item to appear in either the Thursday, December 24, Update or the Thursday, December 31, Update, please send it to office (at) uubloomington.org by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 22. Regular Friday Updates will resume on Friday, January 8.
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Please Get Your Zoom Ducks in a Row for the Next Couple Weeks
If you are continuing to meet on one of the church's Zoom accounts for previously scheduled gatherings from December 24 through January 2, please be sure you have your Zoom links squared away by December 23. Administrative staff members Carol Marks, Mandy Skinner, and Monica Overman and Connections Coordinator Ann LeDuc will not be available December 24-January 2 to troubleshoot on Zoom meeting technical problems. Questions through December 23, please contact Monica or Mandy at office (at) uubloomington.org, as they are the Queens of Zoomage for our congregation.
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Donations for Shalom Community Center
Until the end of March, Shalom Community Center guests would really appreciate the donation of tents, sleeping bags, coats, hats, blankets, socks, and gloves, as well as macaroni, coffee, and hygiene supplies. Donations may be left in the bins, under the portico at the church. Donations are collected every day. Thank you.
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DECEMBER DONATIONS: UU Hunger Task Force will be collecting food for the Community Kitchen Christmas Dinner |
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Help the Community Kitchen put on a holiday feast for those in need this year! Please drop off donations in the bins on the north side of the church (Portico entrance).
Requested items:
- 300 cans of green beans
- 200 cans of cream of mushroom soup
- 100 large cans of sweet potatoes
- Other canned vegetables
- 120 cans of tropical fruit, 120 cans of mandarin oranges, 120 cans of pineapple
THANK YOU AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE UU HUNGER TASK FORCE.
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Beware Email Fraud
Our ministers, staff, lay leaders, and board members will never send you email asking you for any money besides your pledge payment! This also means they will never use email to ask you to buy gift cards for them or anyone else.
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Deadline for submissions to the Order of service and Friday UU Update
Thursday, 9 am, to office (at) uubloomington.org
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Masthead photo by John Woodcock. |
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Mailing address during covid:
UU Church, PO Box 1158,
Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158
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