Dear Jenn,

Why are the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Principles and Sources part of the association’s bylaws? 

That question likely strikes you as odd for a few reasons. A) it sounds like something only a particularly nerdy seminarian would know, and even that, likely only long enough to answer the question on a test and then forget, and B) you might reasonably wonder why on earth a religious organization would include in its bylaws something as inspiring and grounding as the principles that ground us as UUs and the sources of truth we have covenanted to hold sacred amongst us. 

As it turns out, our principles and sources are in fact written into our bylaws, and they are in the process of being reconsidered, and will be up for a first round of amendments and votes at this summer’s General Assembly. We were planning to write to you about this, but when we received the following from Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, our association’s president, about the work of the Article II commission, we thought we’d instead share what she wrote. See below for more ways to learn about and get involved in Article II work.

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"New Proposal for UU Principles and Purpose"

By Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, UUA President

This article originally appeared in the January 2023 UUA Newsletter

Happy New Year! I am sending you care as we begin another year. This, 2023, is an important year for Unitarian Universalism. 

We are currently in a multi-year process to consider changes to our UUA Principles and Purpose. This process began in 2020 when the UUA Board appointed an Article II Study Commission. This is a dry name for such important work. The reason is our Principles, Purpose, covenant and Sources are contained in Article II of the UUA Bylaws.

Our seven Principles and six Sources – which we know and love – were adopted in 1985. They offered a substantial (even radical) change from what preceded them. The changes came through years of effort by UU women, particularly the UU Women’s Federation, to push for greater gender equality in UUism, support for women in the ministry and to eliminate sexist language from our Bylaws, hymns, and yes, from the version of Article II passed in 1961 (at the time of consolidation). 

But the changes didn’t just address gender, they made significant language changes that reflected the times. It removed language of God, man, and brotherhood and added the language of interdependence and the Sources reflecting the growing theological diversity of our tradition. 

As a lifelong UU, coming of age after these changes, I am grateful. They changed our movement in ways that were important for the success of women leaders, ministers, and for me, as our first elected woman President. These changes, at the time, brought fierce dissent. But more, they inspired excitement and possibility. 

Why do we need a review of the Principles and Purpose?

In the mid-2010s, the ground began to shift again – much as it did in response to the women’s movement. The emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the election of Donald Trump with his racist and misogynist campaign, and the urgent calls to confront white supremacy culture in our own movement – all of these compelled UUs to ask questions about whether our Principles reflected fully who we are and who we need to be. 

By the 2017 General Assembly, there were multiple grassroots efforts to change our Principles. The first was overwhelmingly adopted, to change “prophetic women and men” to “prophetic people” to move beyond gender binary. There was also a proposal to change the first Principle from “the inherent worth and dignity of all people” to the “inherent worth and dignity of all beings.” This proposal was ultimately tabled as delegates grappled with the reality that we still had a lot of work to do on living the first Principle for people. Discussions of the Eighth Principle were also happening and by 2020, hundreds of UU congregations had adopted it! The Eighth Principle recognized the need to go beyond aspirational principles to commitments to dismantle systems of oppression – calling us from aspiration to action.

It was within this context that your UUA Board appointed an Article II Study Commission to integrate these conversations and lead a discernment process for our whole Association about core values, covenant, and purpose. The Board gave the Commission a broad charge to review, change, or reimagine Article II to “enable our UUA, our member congregations, and our covenanted communities to be a relevant and powerful force for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice.”

After two and a half years of study and conversations with thousands of Unitarian Universalists, the Article II Study Commission submitted their report and proposal to the UUA Board of Trustees for its January 20th meeting.

Read the Report and Proposal Here

This spring, congregation delegates and the Board can propose amendments to the proposal. The proposal and amendments will be considered at General Assembly this June and a majority vote is required to continue consideration at GA 2024. If any of the delegate amendments are accepted, and if the proposal receives majority approval, then the Article II Study Commission will make any necessary changes to create a final draft for consideration at GA 2024. The final proposal will require a two thirds majority vote at GA 2024 to be adopted.

Seven years ago, when I was beginning my campaign for UUA President, I approached the process with an intention to be open to the process while letting go of outcomes. My hope for us as Unitarian Universalists is that we approach discernment about Article II with similar openness. May we enter our conversations with a spirit of curiosity, holding off attachment to outcomes, and listen with our whole hearts and to the fullness and diversity of voices in our community. May the process itself deepen our understanding of and commitment to our faith.

-- Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray

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If you’d like to learn more, please consider joining MUUSJA’s workshop on Article II (information and sign up below, in the Affiliated Organizations & Community Events section), and/or come to one of the sessions about Article II at our April and May Community Dinners at church.

In faith,

Rev. Arif

Rev. Arif Mamdani

Associate Minister

First Universalist Church of Minneapolis

Intro

Proposed Changes to UUA Principles & Purpose

Sunday Worship

Sunday, Jan. 29, 9 & 11 a.m.: "Who Said 70 Is the New 50?"

Happening After Worship

Sunday, Jan. 22 Recording: "When's Your Shift for the Revolution?"

Jan. 22 Cycle of Life

News & Features

Return Again Retreat

Covenant Development Team Seeks Members

Visionary Goals Process Intro

Minneapolis Winter Parking Restrictions

Foundation Nominations Due 1/27

Shaping the Future of Music Ministries at First U

Calendar

Sign Up for February through May Programs

UU Wellspring Deep Questions

LGBTQ+ Circle

Parents/Caregivers of Babies & Preschoolers

OWL for Adults 25-40

Divorce Small Group

Legacy Circle

UU Wellspring Reads: Sacred Earth

Habitat for Humanity Builds

Affiliated Organizations

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Sunday, Jan. 29 — 9 & 11 a.m.

"Who Said 70 Is the New 50?"

Aging is a multi billion dollar industry in the United States. It influences our daily choices, our presentation of self to the world, our allegiances and values. How is your aging process going? What are you noticing? What are you holding onto and what are you letting go of? Are you assuming these questions are for older adults? Nope, they are for all of us at any age. 

Worship leaders: Rev. Karen Hutt, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Rev. Ashley Harness, Aimee K. Bryant, and Franco Holder

ORDER OF SERVICE

IN PERSON AT 9 & 11 A.M. (masks required in sanctuary)

This Sunday, we worship in person at 9 and 11 a.m. Masks are required in the sanctuary for ages 2 and up; please review our Covid-19 Gathering Guidelines. Can you usher or greet? Sign up here!. Please note that Winter Parking Restrictions are now in place in Minneapolis. More details in the News section below.

ONLINE AT 11 A.M.

This service is live-streamed at 11 a.m. Join the Zoom livestream here (Webinar ID: 861 805 984) or watch on YouTube. The recording will be available here after worship.

CHILDREN & YOUTH

Childcare for Nursery through Pre-K starts at 8:45/10:45 a.m. Registered children and youth in K through 12th grade begin their morning in the sanctuary with their families before being dismissed to Religious Education Classes. All ages are always welcome in the sanctuary! Learn more here.

Sign Up Sunday

10–11 a.m. & noon–1 p.m. in the Social Hall, Zoom option at noon (join here)

Learn about the variety of ways to get involved and get connected at church through volunteering, justice teams, and other opportunities for fellowship and spiritual growth. Members from our Faithful Action Council, our Community Partners in justice work, small group leaders, fellowship opportunities and church volunteer teams will be excited to chat with you about what they’ve got going on and how you can join them.

Future of Music Ministries Listening Session

1 p.m. on Zoom (join here)

Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout and congregant volunteers are conducting a community-wide creative brainstorming process about our music ministries and what they might become. This is the final of several gathering opportunities in January to provide input. See details in the News & Features section below.

Young Adults Gathering: Afternoon of Board Games

1–3 p.m. at church RSVP Requested

Young Adults (20s & 30s) gather for an afternoon of friendly competition and a snacks potluck. We’ll have some games to get us started. Bring a favorite game to teach if you’d like, and a snack to share if you’ve got it! Hosted by Maria Heath, First U community member

Caregivers Group

1–2:30 p.m. on Zoom REGISTER HERE

Caring for a family member who needs special care is a demanding and often unseen or unacknowledged role. Whether you’re caring for an aging parent or a child with a chronic health condition, join the Caregivers group for mutual support, connection, and community building. Facilitator: Rev. Arif Mamdani, Associate Minister

From Sunday, Jan. 22:

"When's Your Shift for the Revolution?"

Exploring and reflecting on our relationship to both the impacts and the causes of environmental injustice as UUs can be challenging and also incredibly rewarding. An exceptionally rich resource for that exploration is Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt's chapter in the book Justice on Earth, which Meleah mentioned in her sermon. It is one of many thought-provoking and spirit-stirring reflections in Justice on Earth on what Unitarian Universalism teaches and offers us on our own journey. You can also access Dr. Betancourt's essay, "Ethical Implications of Environmental Justice," here.

This past Sunday was the first of four “Justice Sundays” happening monthly January through April and featuring the work and voices of congregants involved in our justice work. In this service members of the Faithful Action Council share how and why UUs are involved in justice work and an invitation to consider where you are involved and where you might be called as we sign up for our shift in the revolution. (Special thank you to Rev. Ashley Horan for permission to use her phrase “taking shifts for the revolution.”)

Watch the Jan. 22 service here

Listen to the Jan. 22 podcast here

Podcast Archive | Recording Archive 

We hold Zoe Beck in our love and care as she awaits a cancer diagnosis. We pray that the news comes swiftly and that it is as she hopes. May she know and feel that our love surrounds her and that she is not alone.

If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, celebrating a joy­ or marking a sorrow, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life on Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.

In Buddhist communities, it is said that members of the community who undertake a retreat generate positive effects not just for themselves, but for the whole community.

That spirit was very much on our hearts and minds last Sunday as over 100 people gathered in person and online for the church's Return Again retreat. After opening worship led by Rev. Karen Hering, the larger group split into small groups and spent the rest of the morning reflecting together on changes and transitions in their lives over the last year. After a delicious lunch as a large group, we returned to small groups to engage with similar questions about what the future might hold and how folks were anticipating these coming changes in their lives. The retreat wrapped up with a brief closing worship (you can watch a short, one-minute clip from closing worship below) and an energy of centered contemplation and aliveness. The feedback and post-retreat evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to future retreats!

A Note from the Covenant Development Team:

In the Jan. 12 issue of the Liberal, we described our work and asked for volunteers to join the team. We are still accepting applications and encourage members to consider joining us in this important work. Having a Right Relations Covenant is crucial to a church our size. You can find the article in the January 12 Liberal - it's the second item in the News and Features section. Please review it and consider joining us. 

Thursday, Feb. 2, 6:30–7:30 p.m. on Zoom

Zoom info will be available here next week

You’ve been hearing about the process of developing new visionary goals for the church. These goals are what the board uses to discern and guide the church’s overall direction, and from that, staff use the board’s direction to develop their annual work plan. If that process sounds pretty technical, it isn’t. We are church. We exist to transform people and transform the world, and so the process of developing our visionary goals is a covenantal process of relationship in which we listen together, in small groups, to what we long for for ourselves, our relationships with each other, and the impact we have in the larger world. In other words, we do theology together, listening for where love is calling us in our diversity and similarities, listening for where love is flowing and lifting that up so that our board can help to steward us toward the future that is seeking to emerge from among us. The visual and artistic amongst us might best imagine this as a vision board that we make together that guides our lives together over the next five years.

Join Laura Park, Managing Director of Unity Consulting, as well as members of the board of directors for this session on Thursday, Feb. 2 where you will learn about the process, how it works, what it produces, and be among the first to sign up for one of the workshops in mid-February and March.

The City of Minneapolis is implementing winter winter parking restrictions restrictions beginning at 9 p.m. today, Thursday, Jan. 26. 

This means that parking is not allowed on the even side of non-snow emergency routes until April 1 (or until restrictions are lifted if conditions improve earlier). 

Here at church, that means no parking on the church's side of Dupont or on the even side of nearby avenues, and no parking on the north side of 34th Street. 

If you drive to church, we encourage you to plan extra time to find street parking on Sunday mornings. We also encourage you to consider carpooling and/or using public transit if you are able.

The First Universalist Foundation Board is accepting nominations through this form until Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, from First Universalist congregants (regardless of membership status) and senior high youth in the church. One (1) person must submit a nomination backed by two (2) co-signers. Nominee organizations that are selected will then be sent our grant application.

The Foundation is soliciting nominations of organizations that address racial justice, climate justice, and human rights. We are also interested in organizations whose leadership includes Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), women, or individuals from disenfranchised communities. This year we are particularly interested in supporting organizations with smaller budgets and newer organizations or initiatives which are addressing the disparities that recent events have laid bare. Organizations that have not applied for a grant in the past are encouraged. Historically the Foundation has given out grants ranging from $5,000 - $20,000.

Please note our mission statement and giving criteria which heavily inform our decisions, available on the church website.

Questions? Please email: foundation@firstuniv.org

Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout has worked with Shelley des Islets, Ann Kay, Shelley Thron, and Lou Quast to design and launch a community-wide creative brainstorming process about our music ministries and what they might become in the years to come.  

You're invited to one of multiple opportunities we are offering to gather your input on this important development. Please pick the one that works best for you and weigh in!:



• Sunday, Jan. 29: online listening session via Zoom at 1 p.m.;
• OR, fill out this Online Survey, which will remain open through January 31.

We will be asking about aspects of music you have enjoyed here or elsewhere. We will be asking about things you would like to see here in the future. We will be asking about elements of our music ministry you would like to participate in, as well as those you would like to experience, both within the Sunday service and more broadly at First Universalist. Plan to provide your input in whichever means works best for you. We need your ideas!

Deepen your connections at church through one or more of the wide variety of opportunities we're offering now through May. Get details about all of our Winter/Spring Programs and register today!

Here's an overview:

EVERYBODY IN

• Sign Up Sunday is this Sunday!
• Community Dinners continue one Wednesday per month February through May
• Join us for an Intro to our Visionary Goals Process on Feb. 2

SMALL GROUPS, BOOK GROUPS & CLASSES FOR ADULTS

Adult OWL for Ages 25–40, UU Wellspring Reads: Sacred Earth, UU Wellspring Deep Questions, Poetry Lovers Reading Circle, LGBTQ+ Circle, LGBTQ Spirituality, and a Kate Tucker Sermons Circle

FAITHFUL ACTION: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT

Habitat for Humanity Build Days, Relationships Evolving Possibilities, Sunday Afternoons with the EJ Team, Intro to the Intercultural Development Inventory, Remembering Singing Water - One Voice Mixed Choir Film Presentation, Climate Resilience and Faith, Drawdown EcoChallenge, and Abolition 101

BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR

BIPOC Book Group: Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace and Dinner Church for BIPOC Folks

SENIORS

Daytime Connections and Legacy Circle

YOUNG ADULTS

Monthly post-Community Dinner Young Adult Breakout Groups, Afternoon of Games, Lunch & Loop, Lunch & "Crafternoon," and Springtime Nature Experience

CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES

Parents and Caregivers of Babies & Preschoolers, Family Hearty Parties, Families with Babies & Preschoolers Meetup, 2nd–5th Grade Overnight, and Young Families Easter Party

ARTS & SPIRITUAL PRACTICE GATHERINGS

Meditation and Chi-gung

PASTORAL & COMMUNITY CARE

Divorce Group, Grief Group, Caregivers Group, and Estate Planning

FOR VISITORS AND NEWCOMERS

A Place to Start, Newcomers Circle, and Membership Classes

Details and registration for all of these and more are available here!

Every other Tuesday, starting Jan. 31 through September, 6:30–8:30 p.m. at church

Registration Required

This is a special opportunity just for Wellspring alumni—anyone who has already participated in a year-long Wellspring group—to take a deeper dive with a new circle of spiritual companions. The Deep Questions program alternates between sessions on the seven UU principles (and the proposed Eighth Principle) and sessions on the deep questions of our lives, offering a total of nineteen sessions. The homework for each session includes pre-work - usually at least one reading, plus a chapter from one of the books, Welcoming the Unwelcome, by Pema Chödrön, or The Seven Principles in Word and Worship, edited by Ellen Brandenburg. Facilitated by Lynn Wilbur and Amy Zimmer, First U members

Thursdays, Feb. 2, 16, March 2, 16, April 6, 20, May 4 & 18; 7–8:30 p.m. on Zoom 

Registration Required

This small group of LGBTQ+ folks offers a way into intentional community, with the same people committed to meeting together for eight sessions. This small group uses the Sunday service message as the basis for personal reflection, and invites us to practice deep listening and sharing from our hearts as we support one another’s spiritual growth.

Facilitated by Cathy Strub, First U member

Thursdays, Feb. 2–March 30, 7:45–8:45 p.m. on Zoom

Registration Required

Join us for an hour of spiritual sustenance, companionship, validation and laughter as we navigate life with littles with as much grace and humor as we can muster. Attend as often as you wish or are able. Sign up to receive Zoom info and a weekly email reminder before each gathering. Facilitated by Chris Tanita and Liz Erickson, First U members

Saturdays, Feb. 4, 11, 25 and March 4, 11, 18 & 25, 9–11 a.m. at church

Registration Required

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is our comprehensive, values-based UU sexuality education program, with curriculum available for many age groups. Whether you grew up with very restrictive and minimal sexuality education or grew up UU and experienced more expansive sexuality education, Adult OWL is for you. Please join us in the spiritual work that is sexuality education! We invite people in the age range of 25-40 years on a journey of exploring gender, relationships, sexual pleasure, and more. We will explore a different topic each week, while being in covenant with one another, and holding one another's experiences. We encourage participants to come to every possible class to get the most out of the experience. This small group is a closed small group so that vulnerability and trust can be built. Future Adult OWL classes will be offered for additional age ranges. 

Facilitated by CT Neal-Herman and Claire Tralle, First U members and certified OWL instructors

Saturday, Feb. 5, 1–4 p.m. Opening Retreat, in person at church

Sundays, Feb. 19, March 5, 19, April 2, 16, 30, and May 14, 4–5:30 p.m. on Zoom

Saturday, May 21, 1–4 p.m. Closing Retreat, in person at church

Registration Required

Are you recently divorced or currently going through a separation or divorce? Would it be helpful for you to meet with others and work through some questions to help you process and harvest the meaning out of this challenging experience? If so, this group might be just what you are looking for. If you’re wondering if this is the right place for you, it probably is.

Facilitated by Rev. Ashley Harness-Jimenez, Assistant Minister

Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 21, March 7, 21, April 4 & 25, 10–11:30 a.m. on Zoom

Registration Required

A legacy circle is a group of eight to twelve seniors who have already written their legacy stories, or who intend to finish their story before the end of the circle. They meet by Zoom once every other week, using a simple format. Before each Zoom session, the facilitator sends the stories of two volunteers from the circle to all the other participants. The other participants come to the session ready to ask those two volunteers some open-ended questions about their life stories. Each volunteer is in the spotlight for about half an hour. The resulting discussions have been frank, deep, and humorous in turn. 

Led by Dick Rueter and Ray Dillon, First U members

Thursdays, Feb. 9, 16, 23, & March 2, 6:30–8 p.m. at church

Registration Required

Newcomers Circles create a rich, supportive environment in which to share and grapple with our emerging UU values, theology, identity, and sense of belonging. This 4-session gathering is a caring and structured group to dig deeper into Unitarian Universalism and further connection at church and before “taking the leap" to membership. Newcomers Circle is intended for those who are discerning if they will continue their spiritual journey at First Universalist. Facilitated by Jane Jordan, First U member, and Liz Farmer, Coordinator of Membership and Congregational Connections

Thursdays, Feb. 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9 & 16, 6–8 p.m. at church

Registration Required

Sacred Earth combines the wisdom of indigenous understandings of reciprocity with the sacred earth, and with spiritual practices that connect our spirit to nature. As we move through the reflections and practices, you may find spiritual healing by creating a more intimate relationship with the natural world. The sessions, two books, readings and spiritual practices are the core of the Sacred Earth experience. The work of this UU Wellspring program, Sacred Earth, and in particular the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose text we’ll explore together, is focused on spiritual engagement to develop our relationship with the earth. Facilitated by Dallas Rising and Gary Hoover, First U members

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is a long-standing Faithful Action Partner of First Universalist, and the First U Habitat Crew is excited to have our first three work days scheduled for 2023. They are:

• Thursday, Feb. 2 in North Minneapolis
• Saturday, March 4 in North Minneapolis

The work day typically runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with lunch provided. Each work day is limited to 10 volunteers. There will be heat in the building but it is often uneven. Layered, warm clothes are your best bet.

Sign up to volunteer here. Registration for February is open and there are just three spots left!

Submitted by Karen Wills

Be in the know & prepared to cast an informed vote at General Assembly! Paula Cole Jones (originator of the 8th Principle & member of UUA Article II commission) leads a Zoom forum on Saturday, Feb.18 hosted by MUUSJA, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with rest breaks. Saturday participants are invited back on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Central for optional breakouts with your circles (e.g., RE teachers, social justice teams, young adults, youth). Requested donation to offset costs is $50 (or what you can) and can be made here.

Register here

AUW sponsors activities for people who identify as women, non-binary and/or gender fluid.

AUW Winter Potluck – February 4

We’ll meet for a meal and socializing in the Social Hall on Saturday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a dish to share! No need to register, just come. For questions, contact Anne Frenchick.

AUW Spring Retreat – April 28-30, 2023

The theme is Badass Women; it will be held at Camp Courage near Annandale. Registration is open and fees are reduced this year! Go here for more info and to register.

Hiking Group:  Meets most Saturdays at a park or trailhead. For questions, contact Marie Sorenson. January 28, 2pm: Lakewood Cemetery, 2pm; 3600 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis. Meet outside by the Chapel. Park on driveway there. February 4, 3pm: Wood Lake Nature Center, 6710 Lake Shore Dr. Richfield. February 11, 2pm: Normandale Lake, near 84th & Chalet Rd, Bloomington. Go south on Chalet Rd. and you will run into a big parking lot across from Lake. Meet by parking lot entrance. 1.9 loop with small active waterfall.

Game Group: Meets at the church on the second Thursday of the month to play board games and socialize. Request an email invitation to our next meeting and be added to our email list by sending your name and email address to Anne Frenchick. Upcoming date: Feb. 9, 7 p.m.

Weekly Happy Hour: This online Zoom gathering is a way to stay connected with AUW friends. We meet at 7 p.m. every Thursday. Hosts are Liz and Carol. Here is the Zoom info to tune in: Evening Happy Hour

Women Who Read: We read books written by women. We host an in-person and a virtual meeting on the fourth Monday of each month. Next meeting is on Feb. 27. Request an email invitation to our next meeting and be added to our email list by sending your name and email address to Abbie Finger.

First Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.–noon in person at church

12 Step Spirituality meetings will gather in our church on the 1st Saturday of each month beginning on Oct. 1, 2022 and ending on May 6, 2023. The meeting focuses on people who are actively working a 12 step program. It is focused on the 11 step to the practice of Centering Prayer Meditation. Meeting details are available at 12stepspirituality.org.

Saturdays, 9:30–10:45 a.m. online via Zoom

This weekly online meeting focuses on people who are actively working in any of 12 Step programs. It is focused on the 11th step through the practice of Centering Prayer Meditation. Meeting details are available at 12stepspirituality.org.

In our Nov. 17 newsletter, we shared our updated Covid Community Care Policy, which went into effect on Monday, Nov. 21.

Our full updated Covid policies are available here. A summary of updates to our masking policy is as follows:

Highlighted Updates: 

• Masks continue to be required in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings and for special services for everyone ages 2 and up 
• Masks are optional in the rest of the building outside of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings/for special services, and at all other times and for all other church activities, when Covid community levels are Low or Medium, with the following exception:
• Masking will be required in classrooms and small groups when a participant reaches out to Lauren Wyeth, Director of Spiritual Growth for All Ages, in advance to make that request. Lauren will hold the name of the person making the request confidential, and will alert the group leader and participants that masks are required for that in person small group or class. 
• When Covid community levels are High, masks are required throughout the whole church building.

Church Office & Building Access

The church office is open on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The door bells are not monitored outside of this time. Access to the building at times on other days can be arranged by contacting Jim Poulter, Building & Office Manager, at jim@firstuniv.org.