Our Sunday services are at 9 and 11am, in-person and on Zoom,

followed by in-person and Cyber Social Hour, immediately after both services.

In light of the current high incidence of flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses as well as COVID, we remind people that the current protocol strongly encourages (though doesn't require) wearing masks at the church. Read WBUUC's Current COVID Protocol

Church-Related Closings & Weather Notifications

Sunday, Feb. 5 | Balancing Vulnerability with Streaks of Steel with Rev. Roger Bertchausen and live music from The OK Factor. During each of these services, we will hold a Ceremony of Gratitude for Rev. Sara Goodman with a reception in the social hall to follow each service. Please see below for our congregational gift options for Rev. Sara.

Sunday, Feb. 12 | Saying Goodbye with Rev. Sara Goodman and live music from The WBUUC Choir, directed by Jody McCormick.

Sunday, Feb. 19 | with guest preacher Rev. Alicia Forde and live music from The Jaime Staska Trio.

If you are visiting for the first time or bringing a guest or returning after an absence, feel free to register below so that our welcome teams can prepare for your arrival.

https://wbuuc.org/sunday-worship/.

The Nursery is available during worship to care for children ages 6 months through 3 years. Registration is required: https://wbuuc.breezechms.com/form/22-23RE

As a symbol of our gratitude to Rev. Sara, her ministry, and her time at WBUUC, we are asking for submissions of messages, memories, reflections, good wishes, artwork and more from members and friends. These pieces will be compiled into a book and presented to Rev. Sara the February 12 services when she leaves us.

To submit something online: https://wbuuc.breezechms.com/form/revsarabook

We are collecting donations for a cash gift to give Rev. Sara and her family. This cash gift will be presented in a single payment. If you’d like to contribute, you can do so in three ways:

• Write a check to WBUUC with Sara in the memo line
• Online: https://wbuuc.breezechms.com/give/online, select Sara
• Text to give - Text “Amount Sara” to (651) 615-5551. (For example, if you want to give $25, put this in the text: 25 Sara)

We thank you Rev. Sara.

We were pleased by the amount of interest in our Lead Minister position! We watched a lot of on-line sermons, held Zoom conversations with six excellent prospects and invited three to meet with us in-person between mid-Feb and late-March. Each one is a good, solid minister. We expect to have a final candidate to introduce to the community early-April. Thank you all for your support and good wishes!

Opening retreat is tomorrow, Feb. 2, at 1pm then the first and third Thursdays of the month at 1pm, through 2023

Our Wellspring program is returning this year! With a focus on spiritual deepening, this program can also enliven your understanding of the foundations of Unitarian Universalism, and be a stepping stone to deeper involvement in the life of the congregation. This is a big commitment program, running about 10 months. Participants will attend opening retreat starting at 1pm tomorrow, Feb 2 with Rev. Sara. Our facilitators, Jean Doolittle and Rev. Roger will continue to facilitate the small group meetings for two hours twice a month on the first and third Thursday of the month at 1pm.

If you would like to find out more, you can follow this link: https://uuwellspring.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sources-Program-Overview-April-2022-1.pdf, or email Rev. Sara (revsara@wbuuc.org). If you think you'd like to commit to the class, you can register by following this link: https://wbuuc.breezechms.com/form/Wellspring23

Feb. 2, 2023 | 5:30-7:30pm

Century College - East Campus: Lincoln Mall

Learn how to create more inclusive practices as employers, peers, faculty and faith communities. Information will be provided by the Minnesota State Services for the Blind. And hear first hand about the struggles of individuals with a vision impairment. Sponsored by Mahtomedi Community Education in collaboration with Many Faces*. For more information and to register, go to https://manyfaceswblarea.org/ Visit the site often as programs are added frequently.

*WBUUC is a member of Many Faces of the White Bear Lake Area, a dynamic local organization that offers programs.

What can we do, besides worry, about climate change?

WBUUC has an action plan, and you can be a part of it.

Our church will add more solar collectors to the building’s roof to reduce use of power plant electricity and lower carbon emissions.

You can help make this happen! Contribute to the Climate Action Fund based on your carbon emissions from vacation travel. Use the calculator on WBUUC’s website to figure a donation that will offset CO2 emissions from vacation travel by car, airplane, or cruise boat. And please click Submit so we can count the total number of participants.

Learn more and calculate your carbon offset: https://www.wbuuc.org/solar/

Click here to see the Winter/Spring 2023 Supper & Soulwork Schedule

Join us for an upcoming Supper & Soulwork – these Wednesday night evenings of fellowship and food provide all-ages with a chance to connect mid-week, share a meal, participate in various activities and/or special programming, and most importantly, be together.

Next Supper & Soulwork is February 8 and will be a potluck.

We had hoped to host a cooked dinner next Wednesday (2/8), but haven't found someone willing to lead the Cook Team so we are making the switch to a potluck!

Follow this link to let us know that you're coming and tell us which dish you're planning to bring. If you can show up early to help with set-up (or stay late to help with clean-up), please let us know that also:

https://bit.ly/2-8-23-potluck

Evening Schedule:

5:30 Potluck Meal

6:30-7:30pm Soulwork for all ages

6:15-7:45pm Nursery Care

6:30-7:30pm Parent Circle

7:15-9pm Board Meeting

Click here to see the Winter/Spring 2023 Supper & Soulwork Schedule

Feb. 7 | 7-9pm | In-person & Zoom

WomenSpirit meets the first Tuesday of the month, October through May. Focused on exploring our spirituality, WomenSpirit is open to all who identify as women. Join us in-person or on Zoom this month as we use story, poetry, meditation and music to explore Earth as a spiritual resource. Contact Carol at 651-253-4200 / carol.marsyla@gmail.com to RSVP so I can get the Zoom link or materials to you

WBUUC has a new Social Justice Partner – Open Arms. The special collection taken this past Sunday is for Open Arms. And, you can still contribute. This non-profit organization provides nutritionally appropriate meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, Cancer, ALS, MS, ESRD, CHF, and COPD. In its 35 years of operation, Open Arms has delivered over 10 million free meals locally to clients and their families. Fresh food from local CSAs and farms is used in the meal preparation. 

A second meal preparation facility just opened this month in St. Paul to augment the Minneapolis site. You are invited to visit Open Arms for an open house on February 4, 2-5pm, at the new St. Paul facility, 380 E. Lafayette Frontage Road. Enjoy a tour, activities, and get volunteer information.

Volunteers are needed! Openings exist for many positions including cooks, bakers, food prep, driving, delivery, farm work and more.  

Thank you for any contribution and your support of the work WBUUC does to support others through critical organizations in our community. 

It’s a simple notion, people who are sick should not be without food. 

At Open Arms, we believe that food is medicine, and there’s always room for one more at our table. 

You can give in three ways:

• Online: http://bit.ly/give-to-wbuuc - indicate Open
• Send a check or leave a check in the office lock box with Open on the memo line
• Text to Give by text to 651-615-5551 the “amount” Open (ex, if you want to give $25, put this in the text: 25 Open)

Feb. 18 | 10am - 2pm | Zoom

Join Dr. Paula Cole Jones and MUUSJA on Zoom to cast an informed vote on the proposed 8th Principle & updated UUA congregational covenant (Article II). Register at https://bit.ly/PCJ_0218 Agenda will be sent to registrants but plan to attend from 10am to 2pm with rest breaks. Those who participate on Saturday morning will be invited back on Tuesday, Feb. 21st from 6 to 8pm for optional further discussion with your circles (young adults, BIPOC UU's, RE teachers, social justice teams, etc.) Requested fee to offset costs is $50 payable to www.muusja.org/donate. Scholarships are available. Contact director@muusja.org with questions.

If you would like to have a joy, a sorrow, or a life event shared in our time of meditation and prayer in the Sunday service, please complete this form. You may also use this form to request prayers, ask for support from the congregation, and just to let us know what is going on with you. https://wbuuc.breezechms.com/form/MeditationRequest

Meeting with Ministers

We invite you to contact us directly to make an appointment for an in-person or Zoom meeting. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the days on which we concentrate appointments though we will also make available other times if these weekday times don't work for you. Questions or to make an appointment with one of us, contact us.

Building Hours

Tue/Wed/Thurs: 10am – 5pm

Fridays: often open – best to confirm before arriving

Mondays: typically closed or open by special arrangement only