Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492e
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E-News for May 26th - June 2nd, 2022 |
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- Sundays at Beacon -
WE’RE BACK IN THE SANCTUARY FOR WORSHIP! PLEASE JOIN US.
Masks are optional. (Special seating area for mask wearers is available.)
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SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2022
There will be NO LIVE SERVICE AT BEACON ON MAY 29. Dip into our Beacon YouTube library (link below) or watch the livestream of the 10:30 a.m. UU Congregation of Phoenix service. The worship Zoom link can be found on their home page: https://www.phoenixuu.org/
There will be an ALL-CONGREGATION, ALL-AGES PICNIC beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 29th at Bushmaster Park. ALL ARE WELCOME – MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND NEWCOMERS. Bring some food and beverages for yourselves (and to share, as desired), and feel free to invite friends who might feel at home at Beacon. To reduce waste, please bring your own plate, napkins, silverware, and drinkware to the picnic. We’ve reserved the ramada closest to the Thomas Drive entrance.
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Beacon UU – YouTube sensation! 15 months, 63 recorded and edited worship services that you can tune into anytime you’d like for a first viewing or a re-viewing. Share our channel with friends you’d like to introduce to Beacon. See our virtual service history on the "Beacon UUC" Youtube Channel You can also view past sermon descriptions and PDFs on our website here.
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MAKING MUSIC AT BEACON:
A NEW CHOIR DIRECTOR!
We’re thrilled to announce that Andrez Alcazar will be joining us as Choir Director in September. Andrez is a student at NAU, an avid singer who directs the male acapella group on campus. Andrez will be with us this summer as accompanist/musician until Austin Shaw returns in mid-August.
Lift up your voice…It's going to be a fabulous year for music at Beacon! All are welcome to join the choir. And it’s a great way to introduce friends who like to sing to Beacon.
Beginning September 6th, Choir Rehearsals will be held on TUESDAY nights at 7 PM.
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BEACON SPOTLIGHT:
WALL HANGING FOR CHURCH ENTRYWAY
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The Aesthetics Committee is seeking a skilled artisan from within the Beacon community to provide a wall hanging or ideas for a wall hanging for the eastern wall of the Church entryway.
The hanging should express the concepts of our covenant/principles either in word and/or symbol.
Please send your ideas to Lynda L Dorweiler, Chairperson, Aesthetics Committee, ldorwei@gmail.com.
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Please note: We recommend that you donate to Vanco directly from a bank account to save us the fees associated with credit card donations. More for us to sustain our congregation.
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IMPORTANT MEETING TO ATTEND
We need your input.
At the Annual Congregational Meeting after the service at 11:30 a.m. on June 19, we will ask you to cast formal votes to
- approve the budget
- the new members of Beacon's Board for 2022-23
- the candidates for the Search Team committee for Beacon's next minister
- other important governance issues.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this important event.
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ANNUAL BEACON YARD SALE
JUNE 3RD AND 4TH, 2022
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Spring has arrived, and the 2022 Annual Beacon Yard Sale is NEXT WEEK. The Annual Beacon Yard Sale is scheduled over two days: from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 3rd and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 4th in the Beacon Backyard.
Yard sale items have been rolling in since last summer, and the shed still has room for additional furniture items. Some items have been sold on Craigslist, and other items are still posted. You can check them out here.
We will have lots of sale items and will need lots of help getting ready. If you are interested in volunteering and/or you have something to donate, please do let Dennis know. This is a great opportunity to work with members of the congregation to raise money for our annual budget. Thank you for supporting Beacon!
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A huge thank you to Stephanie Van Belle, Dru Monroe, and Alexei Besser-Gilbert for sustaining a superb virtual Religious Exploration program for us again this year. We wish Alexei well as he returns to his hometown of Chicago to pursue his next chapter in life.
OWL WEEKEND IS COMING JULY 29-31
Stay tuned for more information about our OWL (Our Wholes Lives Sexuality Education) weekend for youth completing 8-10 grades this school year. If you’d like to register a participant, please contact Dru Monroe at edrumonroe@gmail.com. You can learn more about OWL on our website here.
We’ll be meeting this summer to plan Religious Exploration programs for children, youth and adults, beginning in the fall.
Click here to check out our RE programs from past years.
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Kids at Beacon - All are welcome!
Children and youth are always welcome in worship! There will be activity packets available for children during the service.
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS
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R U a UU?
One Sunday a month – Just after the service. Have you been one without even knowing it? So many questions?! Grab a coffee and meet with Rev. Robin after the service on the following Sundays for a one-hour conversation about Unitarian Universalism and your own spiritual journeys to the door of Beacon.
The next RU a UU? is June 5, 2022.
Please stay tuned for notices about future adult education offerings.
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Share Your Joys and Sorrows- Chime In!
One way we can sustain connection during this time apart is by sharing our personal joys and sorrows. These can be small things or large things that effect your life. These are spoken during service every Sunday, or you can send them to Rev. Robin by Saturday night each week at minister@beaconuu.com to be shared.
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Joys and Sorrows from May 22, 2022
Dora announced that, after decades of living in Flagstaff, she will be moving to Florida by next winter.
Marsha and Bill are joyous over their son's recent engagement.
Nancy is celebrating her stepson's graduation from Purdue.
Andy is happy to be back in Flagstaff at the Peaks with Rita for the summer.
Theresa reported that Dennis is recovering from major oral surgery.
Robin shared that Jason will be directing his last concert for the Flagstaff Master Chorale and expressed gratitude for his service to Beacon.
Paul gave Dora a hug for all in thanksgiving for her service and friendship over the years.
Robin is concerned about gender rights, the recent mass shooting in Buffalo, and the continued conflict and suffering in Ukraine.
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April-June 2022 Share the Plate Partner |
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Beacon’s community partner for April-June 2022 is
Northland Family Help Center (NFHC).
For April-June 2022, Beacon will Share the Plate with Northland Family Help Center (NFHC), whose mission is to provide safe haven, advocacy, counseling, and education to promote and restore healthy relationships.
Northland Family Help Center became a merger of Northland Crisis Nursery and Women’s Resource Center in 1991. In 1999, House Haven for Advocacy (H.A.L.O) and Women’s Resource Center opened two separate shelters for women and children with 36 beds.
- NFHC'S Domestic Violence Shelter provides safe shelter, crisis intervention, legal advocacy, counseling, and life skills training to those affected along with support for sexual assault and sexual trafficking (Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking)
- NFHC's Youth Shelter has 15 beds and offers shelter and respite care which is gender inclusive for unaccompanied children and youth.
- NFHC provides out-patient professional counseling services free of charge for eligible individuals, assistance in developing a personal plan, a healing environment, education in life skills, and toiletries, clothing and food.
- NFHC provides community education in sexual violence prevention including safe dates and training for alcohol-serving staff on interventions.
Undesignated Sunday morning offerings above $250 are presented to the chosen organization each quarter.
Beacon members are encouraged to nominate organizations and can fill out a nomination form located in the CAC folder in the office manager’s office. CAC members are Susan Patrick, Katy Grant , and Lynda Dorweiler.
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BEACON'S ENDOWMENT PLAN APPROVED
The Board was very pleased to see so many of our members in attendance at the congregational meeting on April 24, 2022, where we discussed and approved Beacon's new Endowment Plan. This plan was developed by Rich Clark, Mary Poore, and Holly Taylor. It was then circulated to all our members and revised in response to their comments. In spring 2022, it was reviewed and enthusiastically approved by Beacon’s Board. Forty-eight members attended the congregational meeting, far exceeding the quorum of 23 members that is currently required for Beacon to conduct official business. Rich Clark presented the Endowment Plan, and Mary Poore and Holly Taylor answered questions. Carl Taylor proposed two minor changes in the wording of the plan which were immediately accepted by the Endowment Committee. The plan was then approved unanimously, with all 48 members voting in favor. The Endowment’s Board of Governors: Rich Clark, Mary Poore, Holly Taylor, Barry Brenneman, and Steve Zeldes, was then unanimously approved, thus marking an important step to ensure that Beacon remains a strong and vibrant congregation in the years to come.
The amendment, as approved, can be found here.
A summary of the Endowment Fund amendment can be found here.
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Legacy Giving Tip – Did You Know?
You don’t have to confess your age, but if you are 72 or older, you may be required to pay federal taxes on the RMDs, “required minimum deductions,” that you now must take from certain types of your invested retirement funds. Did you know that you may be able to reduce your tax bill by contributing to Beacon’s stewardship campaign or to Beacon’s new Endowment Fund? See your tax consultant for more specific individual advice about whether you could benefit both Beacon and yourself by adopting this tax strategy.
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ANNUAL UU GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Annual General Assembly will take place June 22-26, 2022, in Portland, OR. The GA is multi-platform with all sessions available on line. Grace Ditsworth and Lynda Dorweiler will be serving as Beacon UU's GA delegates.
Learn more about GA at http://www.uua.org/ga The site also includes information about housing if you chose to attend in person.
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BLESSING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS
Well done to all of us for collecting and donating so many supplies for our blessing bags for the homeless. And special thanks to Gini Kelley for coordinating the project.
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ACTIVATE AT BEACON WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE ALLIES! |
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The Social Justice Allies meet monthly on Zoom to discuss issues and actions. If you wish to join them, contact the convener Paul Beier. paul.beier@nau.edu
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Midterm elections are all about turnout, and handwritten letters have proven to be an effective way to encourage voters to participate in our democracy. We're writing voter turnout letters now to send to voters in October.
Getting started with Vote Forward is easy:
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Visit votefwd.org/dashboard to complete your Vote Forward registration. If you need help, take a look at our instructions.
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When your account is approved, log in at votefwd.org.
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Choose a key state or district letter writing campaign, and “adopt” voters on your Vote Forward dashboard.
- Download, print, and prepare your letters.
- Keep your finished letters somewhere safe.
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Mail your letters on October 29—right before Election Day when they’ll have the greatest impact.
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Side with Love Action Center
The work that we do together to build a world in which all of us are free and thriving is interrelated. When we ground our spirits, grow our skills, and act strategically for justice in deep relationship with each other and our Movements, we choose to Side With Love.
Action Center is a place where we unite in work towards a world where we all thrive. Together we take action, Side With Love, and make deep impacts in this critical moment. Links for various action areas such as Democracy, LGBTQ and Gender Justice, and Climate Justice.
Dive into the Side with Love’s annual 30 Days of Love here:
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Volunteer At Flagstaff Food Center With Beacon!
Volunteers Are Needed for June 22nd.
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The Flagstaff Food Center is doing small group volunteers for their dinner service! Beacon is looking for a group of five (5) to seven (7) volunteers. Volunteers are needed the 4th & 5th Wednesdays of every month, from 3pm-5pm. The dinner service is at the FFFC Kitchen (1903 N 2nd Street). Beacon's next volunteer date is June 22nd from 3:30-5:45 p.m.
It's now a hybrid operation with To-Go meals and Dine-in service.
Volunteer Safety: Volunteers are required to wear a mask, closed-toe shoes, and long pants; regularly wash or sanitize their hands; and practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible. Gloves for food preparation and distribution will be provided at the kitchen to each volunteer. Plexiglass has been installed at the walk-up window as a safeguard against COVID-19. The center has enhanced cleaning protocols.
Sue Strobel is organizing monthly teams of Beacon UU volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Sue at 928 522-3284 (cell) or 928-526-5156 (home).
More summer volunteer opportunities can be found here.
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2022 UU Family Summer Camp
at Camp de Benneville Pines
Angelus Oaks, CA
Sunday, July 24 – Saturday, July 30, 2022
Family camp is a wonderful time to come together in community and celebrate. Registration fees range from $350-$450 per person if registered by May 31st.
The 2022 Rainbow Family Camp is sold out! However, you can still get on the waitlist.
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UU Youth Camping Opportunities
at Camp de Benneville Pines
Angelus Oaks, CA
Elementary Camp (completing 2nd- 5th grade)
Sunday, July 3–Saturday, July 9, 2022 $649 per person if registered by May 31st
CIT Program (14-18 years old)
Sunday, July 3–Saturday, July 9, 2022 $500 per person
Junior High Camp (completing 6th-8th grade)
Sunday, July 10–Saturday, July 16, 2022 $649 per person if registered by May 31st
Senior High Camp (completing 9th-12th grade)
Sunday, July 17–Saturday, July 23, 2022 Register online to get a spot on the waitlist.
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UU Youth Camps in the West
through Pacific Western Region UU Youth Ministries
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Both camps are open to Middle & High School Campers! Click on the links for more information.
QUUest Camp - Our week-long, residential camp in the mountains. July 3-9, 2022, Casper, Wyoming
Camp Blue Boat - Our week-long, residential camp in the Pacific Northwest. July 17-22, 2022, Ellensburg, WA
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The Arizona Faith Network offers many opportunities to enroll in free webinars and sign on to many actions and initiatives across the spectrum of social justice issues.
Events include programs on “Empathy, Exhaustion and Social Change,” Circles of Hope, Healing and Humanity, and meetings of various teams addressing voting rights, criminal reform, hunger issues, racial justice, and indigenous rights. Find out more: https://www.arizonafaithnetwork.org/
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YA New Series – Becoming S.A.G.E. – Spiritual Activists for the Earth
Arizona Interfaith Power and Light is excited to announce the launch of a new interview series called “Becoming S.A.G.E. – Spirited Activists Greening the Earth.” We interview the Sages among us who are engaging in faithful advocacy living out AZIPL’s mission to mobilize people of faith and conscience to care for our common home and work for climate justice. Find out more (including YouTube links) at http://www.azipl.org
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Lifespan Religious Exploration Resources for Learning About and Responding to Racism |
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This painful moment in time calls us to focus our learning and reflection on allyship to people of color, understanding white privilege, and reflecting on how we can part of a systemic sea change and solution in our society.
Beacon has provided resources for all ages addressing how we as individuals and as communities can learn about and respond to racism. For the full list of resources, activities and community meetings, visit Beacon's Religious Exploration pages.
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No Live Worship Service
Sunday, May 29th, 2022
All-Congregation, All-Ages Beacon Picnic at Bushmaster Park at 11:30 a.m.
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You can keep up with future Beacon events by checking out the Beacon calendar!
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Everyday Ways to Support Beacon |
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1. When you go to Fry's grocery store, use the Beacon phone number (928 779 4492) as the Alternate ID when it asks for it at the beginning of checkout, and you will get shopping discounts for Fry's members, as well as donating a percentage of your expenditure to Beacon. You can also sign up for an individual account if you prefer that, or want to take advantage of the gasoline discounts. You have to pick Beacon as your beneficiary when you set up your own account.
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2. If you shop on Amazon, please use "Amazon Smile" and choose Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation (do not abbreviate UU) as your recipient. We will receive a 0.5% for every purchase and that can add up! Remember that you have to start each shopping session at smile.amazon.com for us to receive the donation.
3. Another online fundraiser is igive.com. Once again, create your own account with a user name and password, then select settings, my cause, and type in Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation (do not abbreviate UU). Then you can order from any of the hundreds of organizations listed under igive. There are also coupons listed online you can use when ordering from some organizations.
4. Basha's has a special debit card that you can charge up before shopping, and a portion of what goes through the debit card gets donated to Beacon because that card is tied to Beacon. Ask Anne Wittke for further information.
Have other ideas for our income incubator? Pleae leave them on a card in the bin in the lobby, or send them to Rev. Robin.
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~ Beacon Office Hours & Contacts ~
Office Phone (928) 779-4492
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Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker
she/her/hers
Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Or by appointment:
978-505-7245 - talk and text (confidential line)
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RE Team
We have an incredibly strong team leading our RE this year. You can direct your RE questions to Linda (lindaochi31@gmail.com)
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Office Manager
Paula Czernicki
she/her/hers
Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
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~ Unitarian Universalist Seven Principles ~
Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a "living tradition" of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. Learn more at beaconuu.com!
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Emails have been received from a false address pretending to be Rev. Robin.
As a personal habit, always check the sender's email address before responding.
Avoid this scam!
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If you are not a member of Beacon's dedicated Google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. The BeaconUU Group is useful for sharing information about goings-on in Flagstaff, especially social justice events; offering an item for sale or to give away; expressing enthusiasm about a book or movie; requesting information or recommendations -- and more! It's simple to sign up:
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Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News
Newsletter submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm
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