FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
Weekly Connections
Newsletter
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HAPPENING THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021 |
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Children's Worship at 9:30 AM
Sheila Schuh, Director of Religious Education, leads
Worship Service at 10:00 AM
Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan, preaching
Celebration of Will Hayes
Following the service, all are invited to an online gathering celebrating and thanking Will Hayes for his 12+ years of service to First Unitarian Church.
A special welcome to our sibling church - Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion, NY, joining our services throughout the month of January. We are enriched by your presence!
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Our church's main Zoom link, for all Worship Services, Wednesday night programs, and Elder Tree on Saturdays. No internet? Call 646-876-9923 and enter meeting ID #5852719070.
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Rev. Shari's Installation at First Unitarian!
On Sunday, January 31 at 10:00 AM there will be a very special service: The Installation of our called lead minister, Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan. Originally scheduled as an in-person service in March 2020, this special ceremony is an important spiritual acknowledgement and demonstration of commitment for both the called minister and their congregation. Let’s all be there!
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EVENTS THROUGH JANUARY 23, 2021 |
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Elder Tree - Saturday, January 16 at 12:00 PM
This week's Elder Tree welcomes John Keevert, longtime member and social justice leader. All are welcome to join us in our main Zoom room. If interested in being a future guest, contact Libby Moore.
In Memoriam: Doug Evans - Saturday, January 16 at 7:00 PM
All are invited to this service honoring the life and memory of longtime member Doug Evans. It will be held live online on the church's main Zoom link. If you don't have internet, you can still join via phone: Call 646-876-9923, and enter meeting ID #5852719070. "To live in hearts that love is not to die"
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Celebration & Gratitude for Will Hayes
Sunday, January 17 after service
All are invited to an online gathering celebrating and thanking Will Hayes for his 12+ years of service to First Unitarian Church. We will gather right after this Sunday's worship service in the church's main Zoom room. We're also putting together a Digital Thank You Card where you are invited to share a note of thanks, special memory, photo or video for Will. Let us gather in gratitude for the many ways Will has touched our lives. We hope to also see you all at the gathering this Sunday!
Wednesday Night Programming: Vespers - Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 PM
Each Wednesday evening we offer mid-week programming. All are welcome to join us next Wednesday for a Vespers Service, where we join together in solidarity and candlelight, to lay down the burdens of the day and ground ourselves in beloved community. Join in on the church's main Zoom link.
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Our online events calendar lists all of our upcoming events that are open to the public.
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We are delighted to share that RE alum Oksana Miller recently got engaged to Sabinka Bok. Congratulations to both!
The Samuelson-Via family is in need of meal support. If you can help, sign up here. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Our hearts continue to hold the family of Doug Evans. See this week's events (above) for his memorial information.
Grief group to cope with death of a spouse or partner: This monthly grief group meets online for anyone who needs support following the death of a spouse or partner. It is led by Rev. Lynn Acquafondata, affiliated community minister. Group meets online on the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 PM. Contact Rev. Lynn at 585-330-1340 to register or for more information.
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We’re here if you need us! Pastoral Care is available through our Pastoral Care phone line 585-270-0851 or reach out via email.
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CALLS TO ACTION & OTHER REMINDERS |
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The Gilbert Spirit Fund needs your help!
We are looking for qualified applicants to apply to receive funds to continue their social justice work or projects promoting art and music or building partnerships to support the goal of world peace. Organizations with a connection to members of First Unitarian will be given preference. If you belong to or know of such an organization, please let them know of this opportunity. It is a way of actively supporting their efforts by letting them know of a potential source of funding. Requests for approximately $500 - $5,000 will be considered. The deadline for applying is March 1, 2021. All applications this year are on-line and can be found on our website with guidelines for applying. Questions? Please contact Christine Gordon or call 585-377-9002.
Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 PM - Help us make a video!
Be part of the buzz! Help create a video that will be part of the welcome for Rev. Shari's Installation ceremony. All are welcome! Join via Zoom at Church's main Zoom link or call 646-876-9923, and enter meeting ID #5852719070.
Zoom Tips!
Some have asked how to hide closed captions on Zoom. Here's how: Click on "CC" at the bottom of your screen, then select "Hide Closed Captioning." Also, while the choice to have your video on or off is completely up to you, if you do choose to have it on, we'd love to see your beautiful faces and eyes rather than your ceilings.
Board of Trustees News
Minutes from the December meeting of the Board of Trustees have been approved and are available here.
Sing in the New Year - January 27 at 7:00 PM
First rehearsal of the new year! All are welcome to sing with the First Unitarian Choir! Our Zoom Rehearsals feature a variety of musical and spiritual activities, including gentle vocal workouts, learning new songs, building musicianship skills, opportunities to listen deeply, and time for discussion and fellowship. Music reading skills are helpful but not necessary. E-mail Thom Snell to RSVP and receive the Zoom link!
Our work is made possible by your support
If you are a pledging member or friend and would like to make a payment towards your pledge, you can do so easily online using Simple Church. If you're not a member and you'd simply like to make a one-time online donation, please use Simple Give. We are truly grateful for every donation made!
Connect with us on Social media!
On the church's YouTube channel you can view past services, Elder Tree stories, and more. Our Facebook community is a place to build community, to ask for and offer help, and to share resources. If Instagram is your scene, we post there weekly as well.
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220 Winton Road South
Rochester, NY 14610
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