UUFF eNews - Week of November 24, 2021
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UUFF's 11am Service this Sunday
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Sunday, November 28th, 11am Zoom Service: "Holiday History: Victorian Christmas" - led by Renée Janski. Did 1840's Victorian England invent Christmas as we know it today? Did the Royal Family invent the Christmas tree? Why are there dead birds on Victorian Christmas cards? All this and *more* explained!
Your leadership and staff care deeply about your health and safety, so a few important rules have been established for in-person attendees of UUFF's 11am Sunday Services:
(a) masks are required for EVERYONE in the audience;
(b) there is no audience participation in singing of hymns, but we can hum along vigorously!;
(c) seating is limited to allow for social distancing, so you if you aren't a part of the service crew or a greeter, you MUST reserve your seat in the Sanctuary by registering via the link highlighted in pink above. The form is set to automatically stop taking reservations when the capacity limit is met.
UUFF is not be offering childcare for the time being, and Religious Exploration classes and Meditation will continue to be online-only. There will be no Coffee Hour, but all are welcome to bring their own food & drinks to enjoy while visiting together OUTSIDE after the service.
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Sunday, 11/28/2021, 10am - Adult RE 10am Discussion Group (via Zoom)!
Topic this Sunday: "Bridging Political Divides: A Tale of Two Karens"
While many Americans are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to find common ground with people of opposing political views, there are individuals who are managing to do just that. An organization called Braver Angels, which was formed following the 2016 election, is seeking to “not just depolarize politics, but to reimagine what it means to be American.” Join us as we explore the story of two Karens and what it means to be a "Braver Angel."
Meeting ID: 826 5484 5854
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Please keep RJ (Ronda Jean) and her wife, Renée Janski, in your thoughts and hearts as RJ undergoes knee surgery today. Please send your good vibes and healing thoughts. We wish RJ a speedy recovery. ALSO, Renée and RJ celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday! Congratulations!
Notes/cards can be mailed to:
Ronda Jean
2857 E. Weston Pl.
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Suzanne Miltich is gearing up for a big move after 25 years in her lakeside home. She was recently diagnosed with Lower Body Parkinsonism and has some mobility problems, so she would love some help sorting, carrying, packing things for donation, and eventually moving. Help is welcome for any amount of time during any stage of the process. Contact Suzanne by email (suzanne@dhsc.com) or call 479-925-6275.
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UUFF Announcements, Events, and Opportunities
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SAVE-THE-DATE: UUFF Congregational Meeting for Members - 12/19/2021
UUFF Members, please mark your calendars and plan to attend the Congregational Meeting that is set for Sunday, December 19th, 2021, beginning at NOON (after the 11am service). The purpose of this meeting is to vote on the proposed 2022 budget and new board members. Please keep an eye out for accompanying documentation that will be sent out in a special email to members soon. Thanks in advance for making the time to attend this important gathering.
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Please CLICK HERE to read Kate Kowalski and Steve Krogull's "Gratitude Moment" that was recently shared with the congregation during the 11am service. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us, Kate and Steve! We are so glad to have you as a part of this fellowship!
UUFF's 2022 Stewardship Pledge Drive is in full swing. For your convenience, below are the important links relating to the 2022 Pledge Drive. THANK YOU for supporting your UUFF community by turning in your 2022 pledges by November 30th!
Let us know if you have any questions by responding to uuff.ar@gmail.com
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All are invited to attend the first ever Religious Naturalists of Unitarian Universalism (RNUU) Service THIS EVENING (11/24) at 7pm on Zoom. UUFF's own Steven Gaines and Jori Costello both have active roles in the service, and Steven is part of the planning team for this and future RNUU services and events!
Tonight's 7pm Service is titled "The Sacred Depths of Gratitude: A Naturalist Worship Service."
The Facebook event (see link below) invites us to "Join the Religious Naturalists of Unitarian Universalism as we gather virtually to worship together in song, story, and spirit; reflecting on rewilding, rewinding, and rooting ourselves in an embodied gratitude in tune with the more than human world."
To view the event on Facebook, click the link below:
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Razorback Football Gameday Parking Fundraiser – volunteers needed for the last home game of the season!
Guiding football fans to park in UUFF's parking lots for a fee is a fun and easy fundraising opportunity for UUFF. A few more helpers are needed for the final home game on Friday, November 26th (meeting at 12:30 for the 2:30pm game), so please contact Gene Vinzant (genevinzant@gmail.com) if you are interested in lending a hand and/or have any questions - or you can just show up!
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Our Children’s Religious Exploration class for ages 5-11 is using the Soul Matters curriculum, which you can learn more about HERE.
Parents can find activities in the weekly email, and children are invited to take part in every-other-week online meet-ups, which are ON HOLD until after the December 5th Stone Soup Sunday so that performance rehearsals can take place each Tuesday evening in November.
Our theme this month is Holding History. There is a principle called “Seven Generations,” which talks about the importance of looking back in order to move forward in a deeper way. It is a principle passed down in history from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois), which is one of the first and longest lasting participatory democracies in the world. The idea of the Seven Generations is to be in relationship with the three generations before you and the three generations that will come after you. The message for us is this: When you truly honor those who came before you can't help but feel a deeper responsibility to those who come after. This message of responsibility is captured well by a website called Indian Country Today. “It is possible that many of us have known or will know our great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Even if we aren’t fortunate enough to have been in the physical presence of those who came before us, we usually have stories, songs, and photos that have been shared so that we feel a connection. We also want to make sure our kids and grandkids are healthy, safe and aware of where they come from. So, counting our own generation—ourselves, siblings, and cousins—we are accountable to those seven generations, ...” It’s all a beautiful reminder that holding history inevitably involves holding responsibility or as Ron (Deganadus) McLester puts it: “This means that our choices, our behaviors and our mistakes reverberate that far throughout history.”
For questions or to be added to the email list for CRE, please email stephmacbentley@gmail.com
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Calendar of UUFF Events for November 24th - December 2nd
Thursday - Saturday (11/25-11/27) - Administrator out of town on vacation (UUFF closed for Holiday)
Thursday, 11/25 - 10am-12pm - No UUFF Grounds Work due to holiday
Sunday, 11/28 - 9:45am - Sunday Meditation Group - Zoom (Ines)
Sunday, 11/28 - 10am - Sunday Adult RE Discussion Group - Zoom
Sunday, 11/28 - 11am - Main Sunday Service - Zoom & UUFF Sanctuary!
Sunday, 11/28 - 3-4pm - Search Committee Meeting - Zoom
Tuesday, 11/30- 6:30pm - UU Stone Soup Play Rehearsal (CRE/YRE) - Zoom
Thursday, 12/02 - 10am to NOON - UUFF Grounds Work (unless it is raining) - UUFF
Thursday, 12/02 - 7pm - Justice Team Meeting - Zoom
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Justice Spotlight: Week of November 24, 2021
Last week we wrote about the essential climate provisions in the Build Back Better bill, which are aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Jeff and Dina Nash went last Tuesday to visit with Rep. Steve Womack’s staff about the climate protections in the Build Back Better Bill. The bill passed the House last Friday, but not with the help of Mr. Womack’s vote. Womack thinks it contains socialistic policies that are dangerous for our country, as he put it in an Op Ed to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Mr. Weaver was very polite and explained that Rep. Womack is not to be nudged towards this bill. Nevertheless, we must represent ourselves and our UUFF Congregation and speak our truth to power. This week, the Senate takes up the bill, and we want to talk with you about the Elder Care feature of this critical piece of legislation.
Elder Care is a large item in the Build Back Better Bill, which will likely come up for a vote these next two days! In-home care has for decades had long wait lists and is too expensive for millions of low-income elderly and disabled Americans to pay for out of pocket. In this bill, Democrats intend to add $150 billion to Medicare to increase availability of in-home and community-based services for seniors. You may have heard of the possibility of family caregivers being paid to stay home from their other jobs to take care of their aging or disabled family members - this is the bill that will make that happen! It also will pay for more specialized in-home or nursing home care when people need extra help, physical therapy, occupational therapy to recover from a stroke or accident, etc. Most of us have known seniors and/or people with disabilities who needed these things to stay in their home or to survive in assisted living, rehab, or nursing care. Just think of how this could positively affect so many lives.
Also in the bill is the very controversial Family Leave provision, which provides for up to 30 days paid leave for an employed person needing to leave work to take care of an ill family member. There has been a serious tug of war about this, and Sen. Joe Manchin does not want it in there. I have an idea this is also the view of most Republicans who represent us. The U.S. lags behind other civilized countries regarding our policies on family leave.
Over 95% of Americans, 79% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 67% of Republicans favor the Elder Care policy. This level of citizen support gives Republicans no excuse to vote no for fear of it hurting their campaigns.
The policy comes after the Coronavirus tore through nursing homes, killing over 139,000 residents and exposing the country’s fragmented and antiquated way of “protecting” the elderly from an epidemic and of paying for elder care. Infusing more dollars into the program is a key priority for Biden, who proposed it to be a larger amount initially.
Action before Thanksgiving Day: Please CALL your Senators to support this bill. Senator John Boozman: 202-224-4843; Sen. Tom Cotton: 202-224-2353; Sen. Joe Manchin: 202-224-3954; Sen. Krysten Sinema: 202-224-4521. Speak slowly to the person taking your message, and ask them to vote FOR the Build Back Better Bill this week. Tell them that you want seniors protected by having more available help to stay in their own homes, family leave, and for all of us to be protected by the critical climate change measures in the bill. Leave your whole name, address, phone, and say you are a constituent. Thank you (you or your loved ones could be the ones needing to use these services).
Marquette Bruce is appreciated for a successful campaign she waged last week to support City Council Member Teresa Turk on getting a total of $300,000 set aside by the city to purchase land conservation areas and green spaces to preserve carbon sinks within the city and help cope with climate change. Marquette used social media to let hundreds of people know to call their council members to ask them to vote for it, and it worked! If you want to learn how to better use social media to get your message across, call one of us! And it would be nice if we all called our city council person and thanked them for their unanimous YES vote last Tuesday night.
Dina Nash, 501-554-2200
Marquette Bruce, 512-965-2122
Co-Leaders, UUFF Justice Team
The Justice Team meets via zoom every 1st Thursday of the month at 7pm, and everyone interested in justice is more than welcome to attend!
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UUFF Main Contact Info:
Phone: 479-521-8422
Email: uuff.ar@gmail.com
Mailing Address: 901 W. Cleveland St. / Fayetteville, AR 72701
UUFF Typical Weekly Office Schedule (Fawn's Hours): Usual Office Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, roughly 10am-3pm. Will be on Thanksgiving vacation and out of town Thursday-Saturday (11/25-11/27) of this week. Disclaimer: Hours are subject to change based on Administrator vacation, illness, working from home, holidays, etc.
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Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville | 479-521-8422 | uuff.ar@gmail.com| uufayetteville.org
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