Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life was not long, but his impact on our society has been massive. What do you remember about him – from your own life, or what others taught you? Reflections on how each of us might apply Dr. King’s teachings in our own life, even today.
Join us for worship in person in the Sanctuary, or online. The livestream link and order of service will be shared at bit.ly/FUUSBWorship, or visit our YouTube channel. While inside the Meeting House, masks are strongly encouraged.
Following the service, all are welcome to Coffee Hour in the Community Room.
Children & Youth This Sunday!
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Sunday, January 15, 10 a.m., Community Room
After beginning the morning together in the Sanctuary reflecting on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement, children and youth are invited downstairs where our Director of Youth & Creative Arts Ministries, Rev. David Ruffin, will will lead us in a full group embodied exploration of singing and sounding our way toward our center and our collective liberation. If you don't know David yet, this website describing his work with the voice will give you some idea of how special a morning this will be!
Second Sunday Circles
Sharing Circles Coordinating Team
Grab your coffee and meet at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the Sermon, Readings, and Benediction as a small group. Gail Beck will facilitate. Looking forward to seeing you! The next monthly meeting, on January 15, will be in the Parlors, or join us by Zoom at this link: bit.ly/3Db6Hb9 (meeting ID: 875 4572 7264, passcode: 849701).
Game Night This Saturday!
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Saturday, January 14, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Community Room
Our multigenerational Game Night is back this Saturday! All ages are invited to play, eat, and be together.
We have lots of games at the ready, but feel free to bring the one you want to play. In the past we've done jigsaw puzzles, Dominoes, Ticket to Ride, Rumikub, Azul, group card games, Pictionary, and more. There are generally several things happening at once. It's okay to come with a group of friends and the intention to play a particular game. You can bring children and play with them or have them play with childcare staff while you try out a game with an older crowd. Make it what you want!
We'll have a "no-stress" potluck; you can wow us with your culinary skills or pick up a loaf of bread and a tub of hummus from the market. The point is to have fun together and not go hungry. We'll have decaf and tea available, plates and utensils.
Come for a little bit or stay the whole time. Come ready to make new friends and reconnect with the old! Please wear a mask when not eating.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance
A limited number of free tickets will be available in the office at FUUSB this Sunday morning, January 15, first come, first served. Free tickets are also available at City Market, Fletcher Free Library, and ECHO Leahy Center. For more information, visit gbmrc.org/mlk2023.
Online Facilitator Trainings
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Whether you are an experienced circle facilitator who would like to grow in the role, or a circle member who might like to give facilitating a try, there are online trainings available starting in late January! Soul Matters, the source of our spiritual theme content, is offering a 2-hour single session "New Facilitator Training" on January 21. A 4-session once a month "Advanced Facilitator Training" begins in February. Our members who have participated in the past have had great experiences! Visit their Trainings Page to find out more. Please contact [email protected] if you want to take part. We have lay leadership development funds to cover session fees.
From the Ministerial Search Team
Tom Hyde
We've finished our initial review of minister application materials, and we're looking forward to starting initial interviews soon.
At our Monday meeting, each person on your Search Team talked about their criteria for deciding between ministerial applicants. Then we got to talk about the applicants, and apply those criteria. It feels good to be combining what we learned from you in the listening sessions and congregational survey with our own judgement to come to a consensus.
We'll be meeting frequently to continue discussing the candidates, and to interview candidates by Zoom. Then, late winter/early spring, we get to do in-person interviews with three candidates. Feel free to ask any of us about the process! As a reminder, we can't share anything that could lead to identifying a candidate.
Celebration of Rev. Tricia on June 11
Jonathan Sands, Transition Team
Please save the date of June 11, when Reverend Tricia will lead our 10 a.m. worship service for the last time as our Developmental Senior Minister. Festivities following the service will include tributes, activities, presentation of gifts, music, and a potluck lunch. Stay tuned for ways that everyone can be involved in our congregational gifts to Rev. Tricia. At this time, we are specifically seeking key helpers to coordinate, prepare, and clean up the potluck. Also much appreciated would be someone to coordinate the creation of a simple video full of thank-you messages. Please email Jonathan Sands or Lindra Moerdykto communicate your interest in any way.
Socially Responsible Santa Update & Thanks!
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
Thank you to everyone who contributed this year to our Socially Responsible Santa program! This year we collected $4500 and were able to provide cash gifts to 22 families.
So thank you to each and every one of you who make this very special program possible. And also a big thank you to Ellen Wollensack, who provided some much-needed elf magic to the program this year.
FUUSB Holiday Schedule
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, FUUSB offices will be closed for the holiday on Monday, January 16.
Invitation from Rev. Alison Miller at First Unitarian Portland:
Our keynote speaker is Rev. John Buehrens. Rev. Buehrens served as UUA President, 1993-2001. A prolific author, his most recent one about our heritage is CONFLAGRATION: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice (Beacon, 2020).
Rev. Buehrens will offer a keynote on the first Unitarian Transcendentalist on the Pacific Coast, the Rev. Thomas Starr King. He exemplified key spiritual practices of the Transcendentalists that need renewal among us today: personal reflection (often in the form of keeping a journal), and deep interpersonal connections crossing conventional boundaries.