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Stay tuned for our October BoT Newsletter! The next monthly virtual meeting is on
November 17, 6:30-8:30 pm.
To receive the agenda or link in advance, contact Bill Motter.
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Weekly Message from Rev. Ben |
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"My video message for the week. I'm flying back to Florida tomorrow and I hope to see you all at the YouTube Live worship service this Sunday!"
Blessings, Rev. Ben
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Please write to Rev. Ben for any reason - joys, concerns, etc. He would love to hear from you. Feel free to email him here.
Please help us spread the word:
Stay home, Stay Safe, &
Stay connected.
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Children's Religious Education |
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Heads up: Let's step outside the box and decorate a trunk! Promise it will be fun! We have 11 cars so far! Can we make it to 12? Check out this link for some stellar ideas and join the fun. We can't wait to see the decorations come up! P.S. There will be a contest of the best-decorated trunk voted by the people of the city! Dinner will be served to volunteers afterward! If you don't want to decorate a trunk, come out and lend a hand for the set-up!
Respond to this email to sign up!
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Check out our Calendar on our website to check out what's going on here at our
UU St Pete!
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Dear Fellow Member,
My name is Rev. Ayliah Canon and I am your Membership Coordinator here at UU St. Pete. I am reaching out to you to let you know that I see you and I am holding space for you until we can all return safely to in-person worship activities. Although the safety of our congregation necessitated that we pause, you are all missed very deeply. First, Let me assure you. We are still here. For many of us, the church is more than a building. It is a significant part of our UU identity, and I fervently believe that we will be back inside soon, safely, and joyously, and what a grand celebration it will be. As you may be aware, our congregation has seen some exciting changes during this pause, and with these changes, we are creating a new vision for our service to the community. This is where we need your help. read more.
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Buildings & Grounds:
Renew - Restore - Rejuvenate
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- The Kitchen Rehab
- Flower/Lounge/Narthex/Tower Projects
- Mirror Lake Historic District Proposal
Get all of the updates in October's Newsletter
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(Re)Connecting through Congregational Engagement |
Over the next several weeks members of our congregation will be reaching out to every one of us to (re)connect. It has been a long 18 months and we are ready to dig in! While we would like to connect in person, you may prefer to connect remotely. It’s your call. These one-on-one connections are meant to be personal and most of all to let you know that we, as representatives of UU St. Pete, are listening! As those reaching out to our members are volunteers, please make every effort to respond and welcome them. (Re)connecting is the responsibility and desire of all of us. See you soon! |
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Severe Weather Survey Results |
We received 23 responses to our survey and were hoping for much more. However, we did get some useful information.
Eight families said they had extra rooms to offer to shelter those in early evacuation zones.
Ten families live in early evacuation zones - Two of those have now been matched up with other congregants while six families have plans in place and do not need help from UUSP.
The remaining two families had sought shelter at UUSP during Hurricane Irma and, because of certain complications, we have not yet matched them up with any UUSP families.
In addition, eight families said they could provide help in the event of a storm by taking people to the store to stock up on supplies or driving people to shelters or whatever may be needed.
The Care Committee is grateful to all who responded and we are happy to have the list of helpers available for future needs.
Care Committee
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Check Us Out On Instagram!
Last week, Jessica Sanchez of FAST met Rev. Ben for the first time. She shared the post on her Instagram page!
"Welcome to the FAST community, Rev. Ben! He is just one of many new clergy who joined us for our clergy caucus yesterday, which unlike this meeting was on Zoom. We look forward to a time when we can all gather together safely!"
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Supporting Racial Equity in St. Petersburg
Last week several congregation members joined a virtual community conversation on the impact of structural racism and efforts to dismantle it in St. Petersburg. Commissioned by the Mayor’s Office, an investigative team composed of local academics, long-time residents, and two students convened last spring to study the issue. With over 100 participants, the community conversation was meant to get broader comments & feedback before the report is presented to elected officials and finalized.
Participants were asked to respond to two questions: What are your observations and experiences with racism? What can be done to address & work toward dismantling system racism in St. Petersburg? Learn more about the conversations here.
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YOUR Vote Matters: St Pete Election — Nov 2, 2021
In addition to electing a new mayor and filling five City Council positions — this election has seven proposed amendments to the City Charter on the ballot. A Commission is appointed to review the Charter which is our Constitution every ten years, and this Commission has proposed seven amendments.
Please take the time to understand them before voting. A reliable resource is the non-partisan League of Women Voters’ Pinellas Voter Guide . It is suggested you focus on the A Yes Vote Would and the A No Vote Would sections.
These amendments have the potential to impact many of our citizens, for example:
#1: amends election rules so each City Council Member is elected by only voters in the Member’s district
#2: changes process for establishing city districts to align with FL Constitution
#3: creates Chief Equity Officer post, and #4: funds that post
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Ways of Giving
We give in gratitude for each other, for our time together, for our sacred space, for those in our wider community, and for those who lead us to be our best selves.
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Members and friends set up a plan to make a gift from
their estate to the
Endowment Fund of UU St. Pete. Leaving a portion of the assets one has accumulated over the course of a lifetime ensures the continuation of the spiritual home that they have come to cherish and perpetuates our UU values.
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Leading & Supporting UUSP
Are you interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism and furthering our important work within the congregation and in the larger community?
One of this year's Board priorities is to encourage our members to get more involved and, as willing, take on leadership roles. Be it serving on a project team, chairing a standing committee, or serving on the Board of Trustees, we're always looking for fresh perspectives and new energy.
The UUA Southern Region is offering several online workshops this fall:
Primer Leadership Experience: introductory series for emerging congregational leaders, Nov. 3 or 6th; click here for an introductory video and here to register.
Essentials Leadership Experience: for those well-grounded in the faith; 3 sessions Nov.-Jan; click here for full details and here to register. Minimum 2 UUSP attendees.
Click here to learn more about the Southern Region's leadership training events.
UUSP-sponsored scholarships are available to congregation members. Contact Board member Sharon Winters with questions and to get involved.
Click here for the October Newsletter.
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Thank you for your interest in
Unitarian Universalist Church of
St. Petersburg!
Be Safe and Be Well!
Kelli DeGraw,
part of your Communications Team.
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Thank you to our
UU St Pete contributors & many volunteers!
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Our mission is to be an inclusive, evolving religious community
that inspires spiritual and intellectual growth to make our world a better place.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg
727.898.3294
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