Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492e
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E-News for June 2nd - 9th, 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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Service For Sunday, June 5th, 2022, at 10 a.m.
We Are UUs: An Occasional Series -
“So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut’s Humanism”
ALL are welcome! You BELONG at Beacon, spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958.
In a 1980 speech at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Indianapolis, renowned novelist Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. declared: “Doesn’t God give dignity to everybody? No, in my opinion. Giving dignity, the sort of dignity that is of earthly use, anyway, is something only people can do. Or fail to do.” Throughout his life (including a harrowing chapter as a war prisoner in Dresden), he channeled his evolving free-thought philosophy into such noted work as Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions. This morning, we’ll explore the enduring legacy of this self-described “Christ-loving Atheist” and his trademark phrase, “So it goes.” Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Mark James and music from Bailey Cunningham, Jason Drahos, Kim Angelo, Anne Wittke, and Barry Malpas.
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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:
Walking the FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LABYRINTH (not at Beacon)
on June 12, 2022
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Labyrinths have been part of many cultures around the world for 3,000 years. Walking a labyrinth in community with music (as Beacon has done each late spring since 2013) is a special shared meditation. The Flagstaff Community Labyrinth, perched on the edge of a small cliff, is made of 15 tons of lichen-covered lava boulders. It has a path length of a quarter mile. Photos and much more information on the web. Children are welcome to walk the labyrinth with a spirit of reverence, or to visit nearby Sawmill Park under the supervision of parents. Wear good walking shoes (no high heels). Sorry, the labyrinth is not wheelchair-accessible. Three parking options and a google map are available on the “Where is it?” page of the Flagstaff Labyrinth website.
COME TO THE OPEN HOUSE AFTERWARDS AT PAUL AND MARYANN’S HOUSE
Following the meditation, mingle with other Beaconites on Maryann and Paul’s fully-enclosable deck just across the canyon from the labyrinth (140 E Paseo del Rio, Apt 1; park on the street at the corner of Paseo del Rio and Calle Contenta). Instead of driving, you can walk down into the canyon below the labyrinth, walk east on the FUTS for about 300 feet, then ascend the stairs built into the south canyon wall (on your right); the meeting place atop the stairs will be well marked.
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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.
Please plan to attend the Annual Congregational Meeting:
Date & Time: 11:30 AM on Sunday June 19, 2022 (after the Service),
Location: In person at 510 N Leroux St., Flagstaff
Purpose:
- Vote to approve the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
- Vote on proposed changes to the Beacon bylaws.
- Vote to approve Board members for Fiscal Year 2022
- Vote to approve members of the Leadership Succession Planning Team for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
- Vote to approve members of the Ministerial Search Committee.
Proxy Voting: If you cannot attend the June 19 meeting in person, you can ask another Beacon member to serve as your proxy voter. A member can serve as proxy for only one other Beacon member. The Directory on the Members-only section of our website lists all members as of mid-February. When someone agrees to serve as your proxy, please state this in an email to paul.beier@nau.edu (Beacon’s Secretary) and CC your proxy.
For the Agenda, Proposed Changes to Beacon bylaws, and Brief Bio Sketches of Nominees for Board Officers, the Leadership Succession Planning Team, and the Ministerial Search Committee, please click here.
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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 THIS 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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DRU AND STEPHANIE’S YEAR IN REVIEW!
Thank you to Stephanie, Dru, and Alexei! For a summary of our two remote RE classes this year as well as feedback from the youth, please click here.
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 years past.
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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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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 $750 per quarter (above $250 per month) 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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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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GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
JUNE 3-5, 2022
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Friday, June 3rd is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, followed by Wear Orange weekend on June 4th and 5th.
- On Friday, June 3rd, join the Flagstaff Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America BLOOD DRIVE and WEAR ORANGE COMMUNITY EVENT.
- Post on Social Media.
- Decorate your home to turn Flagstaff orange.
For more information, click here.
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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 $400-$500 per person.
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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 $699 per person
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 $699 per person
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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Worship Service
Sunday, June 5th, 2022
10:00am
We Are UUs: An Occasional Series -
“So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut’s Humanism”
Beacon Sanctuary
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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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