December 17, 2021
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
This Sunday's Service
Sunday, December 19, 2021
10:15 am Livestream and in-person
Mission: Joy and Other Things
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Reverend Bill Breeden
Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, our ministers will explore the documentary Mission: Joy about the unlikely friendship of two Nobel Peace Prize recipients, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu, who share lessons about how to create joy that they have learned through their challenging life experiences. Join us, along with Theodore Barker and Olympia Brown Bear, for some needed wisdom and whimsy in these times. Our Social Justice Moment will be provided by Marcia Veldman of the Green Sanctuary Task Force.

In-person Attendance: please register by clicking here.
Interfaith Longest Night Service
at First United Church
Sunday, December 19th, 2021
6:00 p.m.
Reverend Jessica Petersen Mutai
Reverend Kelley Jepson
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
The holidays can be a time of great joy and expectation. And, for those who have experienced loss, the holidays can also be a particularly painful time. Our deep feelings of loss and grief can feel contrary to the merriment surrounding us. The Bloomington community is invited to join together, with masks and social distancing, for a service of prayer, reflection, and remembrance planned and facilitated by folks from First United, UU Church of Bloomington, First Presbyterian Church, and Canterbury House (IU’s Episcopal campus ministry). There will be music, silence, and meditative activities as we hold space for those who are grieving at this time of year. If you are unable or uncomfortable gathering in person, you may join via Zoom Webinar by clicking here (Dial in number: (312) 626-6799; Webinar ID: 826 3681 0281).
Multigenerational Winter Solstice Celebration
Monday, December 20, 2021
6:15 p.m. Livestream and in-person
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Bill Breeden
Ray Fellman
All ages are invited to come share in this quiet, reflective service celebrating the returning sun. We will fully inhabit this place on our planet as we return to our annual practice of sharing a candlelit spiral procession to reconnect with the earth and its natural cycles. Music will be provided by Ray Fellman and our UU Children's Choir, directed by Jill Courtney. Registration is required, please click here!
Family Christmas Eve Worship Service
December 24, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Come experience the Christmas Story! Families are invited to join us for an interactive Christmas Eve worship service in the meeting room on Friday, December 24th at 4:00 p.m. There is also an online option available for families who wish to join us from home. 
  • Please register here to attend. Masks required. Space is limited to 50 people in the meeting room. (Online information will be sent to all who register to join us from home.) 
  • All who join us are welcome to bring a stuffed animal to be a part of the story. 
  • Also, everyone is encouraged to dress up as an angel, shepherd or animal. For those who visit in person, angel and shepherd headdresses will be available for anyone who wishes to use them. 
In-person Attendance at Christmas Eve Service
Registration is now available for the Christmas Eve Service on December 24 at 7:00 p.m. In-person attendance is limited to 50 people. Please click here to register if you would like to attend in person. Questions, please email office(at)uubloomington.org
Attention ALL AGES:
Please REGISTER for Religious Education!
As you may have heard, our congregation is switching to a new database. So at this time, we are asking everyone interested in religious education to register, whatever your age or life stage, and whether or not you anticipate enrolling in a program any time soon. We’ve tried to make this as easy as possible! All you have to do is click this link and fill out the information for our database. When you register you'll also receive a Patron Account for our RE Library, and you'll have the option of signing up for our Newsletter without needing to fill out an additional form! And, to make it more fun, anyone who registers by January 1 will receive a special gift in January 2022!
Updated guidelines for gatherings in the church
The NEST (Next Steps in Transition to reopening) Committee has updated the guidelines pertaining to gatherings in our church building. Those guidelines are available via this link.
The NEST Committee: Abby Gitlitz, Judy Klein, Rich LeDuc, Dan Lodge-Rigal, Jane McLeod, Sarah Sanchez, Melinda Swenson, Ann LeDuc, and Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Greet the New Year by being a Greeter!
Whether you have been a Greeter in the past, or are looking for a new volunteer opportunity, you are invited to sign up and greet on Sunday mornings. Here are the duties of Greeters. Questions? Email connect(at)uubloomington.org.
We Recently Sent 21-22 Pledge Statements Via Email
Please Download Your Statement Today
We successfully used our new database system to send Pledge Statements for 2021-22 pledges to everyone yesterday. Please note that there is a blue button to click on in that email to download your statement for your files. Please do so promptly. For security reasons, statements will just be available at that link until December 21. Please also note that this statement was for contributions toward your 2021-22 Pledge, which started in July 2021. In January, we will send statements of all contributions received for any pledge year during calendar year 2021. Happy Holidays, and thank you for your support!
--Carol Marks, Church Administrator
Our Folks...
We send our sympathy and healing thoughts to Jon Chaffin and his family and friends, on the recent death of his son Jared, who had served as a nurse at Monroe Hospital.
UU Freethinkers Meet December 19, 12:45 pm
The UU Freethinkers will meet this Sunday at 12:45 pm via Zoom for an open discussion of social, political, and theological/religious issues. If you'd like to join us, please contact Harold Ogren or Ann Watzel for the link to the Zoom meetings and to be added to our email discussion list.
UU Online Book Club reads...
The first half of The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow will be discussed at the January 3 Book Club meeting. The second half of the book will be discussed at the March 7 meeting. The 1619 Project will be discussed on Feb 7. If you would like to join the book discussions, sign up here. The UU Online Book Club meets the first Monday of each month at 6:30 PM via Zoom. If you have questions email connect(at)uubloomington.org.
Your Church Office Staff is Available Monday-Friday
You can reach a member of the church administrative staff each weekday:
Church Administrator Carol Marks, M-F, 10-4, 812-287-9615, admin(at)uubloomington.org
Office Assistant Monica Overman, T, Th, 10-1, Friday 12:30-3:30, 812-322-5546, office(at)uubloomington.org
Office Assistant Mandy Skinner, M, W, F, 10:30-1:30, 812-340-9981, office(at)uubloomington.org
We are not in the office at the church very often. The land line at the church, 812-332-3695, is checked for messages twice weekly.
Change of Address Back to 2120 N. Fee Lane
We are once again receiving all church mail at 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington IN 47408.
Donations for Beacon: Look for bins at the Portico entrance
Covid-19 Booster Vaccines are now available
The CDC has updated the COVID-19 booster eligibility guidance. For information on vaccine availability in Indiana, visit: coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine
Masthead photo by unknown.
Deadline for submissions to the Order of service and Friday UU Update
Thursday, 9:00 am, to office(at)uubloomington.org
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, Indiana 47408
Church mobile phone: 812-287-9615