Sunday September 18, 10:30 AM: 

Where Do We Come From, What Are We,

Where are We Going? 

Rev. Lucy Bunch and Rev. Dr. Roger Jones, with Celia Buckley, Karen Gunderson, Meg Gunderson and Marion Randall. UUSS Choir with Music Director Anthony Tavianini, Pianist Irina Tchantceva. 

This Sunday we kick off our sermon series exploring UU history, recent trends and future possibilities for our religious movement. This Sunday we will consider the work of the UUA's Article 2 Commission, which is reviewing and revising the UUA's statement of principles, purposes and sources.  Our 2022 General Assembly delegates will reflect on what inspired them about the work of the Commission. 

Sunday September 25, 10:30 AM:

Belonging to the Future:

Trusting People We Won't Know

Rev. Dr. Roger Jones preaching, Rev. Lucy Bunch, Worship Associate Karen Sparrow, Music Director Anthony Tavianini, Pianist Irina Tchantceva

Let's consider our connections to those people we won't ever know, just as generations before us left us many legacies we can appreciate.

We don't have to found a state park or fund a new hospital wing, but we can show our faith in the future by actions we choose to take now. Also today we honor the late member Joan Osborn and late friend Richard Hayden for their legacy gifts.

Groups will begin the second week of October.

Registration closes on September 18.

* * Register Online **

You may contact Rev. Lucy Bunch if you have questions or go to our website: uuss.org/soulmatters.

Soul Matters groups meet twice a month to build connections and provide a place where participants can share and discuss what matters most.  Group activities are structured around monthly themes that are also used in worship and religious education.

These facilitated groups of 8-10 people will meet twice a month starting in October and ending in May.  We ask that if you join a group that you make a commitment to participate for the entire 8 months. 

Not ready for that long of a commitment?

New this year is an open group that will meet on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday on Zoom. No registration needed, just show up! 

Debrah joined us late last month as our new Bookkeeper, replacing Michele Ebler who has taken a position as an accountant for the San Juan School district. 

Debrah has served as the part-time bookkeeper for the UU Church of Davis UU for the past 6 years. She is now bi-congregational and brings all her knowledge and experience to us. We are delighted to share her with our UUs across the causeway. She handles all of our pledge payments and other donations as well as expense reimbursements, payroll and benefits, and paying bills to keep UUSS going. Debrah lives in Dixon with her husband and children.  She is in the UUSS office Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you are at church on those days, please stop by and say hello. You can also send her an email of welcome: debrah@uuss.org. 

Every month UUSS gives away half of our Sunday offering to a local not for profit organization. Who will be a Community Partner for the upcoming year is decided by the UUSS congregation in the fall after the Oct. 23 Congregational Meeting. To be eligible, the organization must be involved in helping the greater Sacramento community, and whose mission supports goal #2 from our strategic plan: Increase our presence and identity in the larger community by living our mission of being a force for healing in the world.

To nominate an organization, please complete the “UUSS Nomination for Community Partner” form by clicking the highlighted link or by picking up a form at the office. There is also a link to the form at uuss.org. Note: Current-year partners will not be automatically included; they must be re-nominated. Submit your nomination by October 1. Questions can be sent to partners@uuss.org

Delicious dinner, a live auction, entertainment, and raffle baskets! Our fall fundraising event returns to UUSS on Saturday, Nov. 12. If you love the Silent Auction, we need volunteers to help organize it. And we'll need everyone's offerings for it: dinners, outings, tickets, parties, instruction, rides or other services. Contact auction@uuss.org. Mark your calendar and consider helping to make this fun event a fundraising success! 

Come and see fellow UUSS members art show: Hidden Talent 

These UUSS members are the currently featured artists on the sanctuary walls. View their work and read about their artistic processes and sense of calling.

Contact Patricia Pratt of the Art Exhibit Committee at art@uuss.org 

A Performance Tribute Honoring Graciela Ramirez

September 17 & 18 

Wilkerson Theater 1723 25th Street Sacramento

Performing artists and poets come together for a focused performance tribute honoring the work and legacy of this local vanguard poet and champion of creativity, community, and the arts. Tickets: www.teatroespejo.com

Mabon Autumn Equinox celebration of harvest, abundance, & balance. September 18, 5:00pm. All are welcome! Celebration followed by potluck in Fahs Room/back patio area. Contact: cuups@uuss.org

Lectio Divina is Monday, September 19, via Zoom, at 10:00 AM:  

Our next discussion looks at baseball, kinda, but also at issues of identity and cultural loyalty. The means for this consideration is the poem, A Perfect Game, by Yesenia Montilla. It is online at: https://poets.org/poem/perfect-game

Hmm. Are cosmetic changes just cosmetic changes? Or do they have greater significance? Sammy Sosa is noted for his amazing athletic skill, but he created a philosophical furor in some areas when he decided to change his appearance. 

To be part of our Lectio gathering, join in the same way you would ‘attend’ our online UUSS Sunday service.

Note: At our first Evening Lectio group, attendance was sparse, but conversation was abundant and lively. The next takes place at 7:00 PM on October 11.  Our October morning gatherings are at 10:00 AM on October 3 and 17. Poems will be forthcoming!

“1 Degree of Separation, a Funny look at Depression and Suicide”

hosted by the UUSS Depression Peer Support Group

Lift Every Voice! Sunday, October 2. What keeps people from becoming involved in community and neighborhood organizations? Must we be split into communities of “us and them”? Join Jim Ewing and Max Soucia on Sunday, October 2, for a discussion after the service at 11:30 a.m. on the Covered Patio. Sponsored by Adult Enrichment. Look for the “Lift Every Voice” table.

Climate Justice - Join Marion Randall and Hazel Watson for a presentation and discussion of the City of Sacramento Building Electrification Strategy. 

We will meet in the Fahs Room, Sunday, September 18 at 12:15pm-1:30. Grab your coffee and come along.

Update from the UUSS Homelessness Resource Task Force 

The number of individuals who are without stable housing and need critical services in Sacramento Is increasing daily. In order to meet this community need, as well as be true to the values as outlined in out strategic plan, the Board Task Force on Homelessness Resources, the Ministers, members of the Program Council and also the newly formed Social Justice Coordinating Council have been reviewing the many ways we have been helping and in where we can increase our involvement. These include:

• Political Advocacy - working with community based organizations to urge city and county government to look for long term solutions
• Financial Support of Community Partners - many of our partners are directly and indirectly providing programs and services for the unhoused - click here to see our Community Partners 
• Using the UUSS Campus as a resource to help the un-housed
• Historically, UUSS has used our campus & facilities to support Family Promise for the 14 years prior to Covid. Family Promise is now using a different model to support their families - tiny homes and not individual congregations.
• Currently - during Covid, individuals and families living in vehicles used the UUSS parking lot - this became a problem for staff and neighbors, so UUSS stopped that practice
• Going forward - 
• In February 2022, the UUSS Board created a task force to draft policy and guidelines for using the campus for un-housed services
• One of the main findings of the task force was the need to partner with others doing this work including Sacramento County and Arden Arcade Homeless Resource Team (AAHART)
• Now that we have a draft policy and ideas of how we could partner with others, we need input from the congregation. Click here to see a draft of the policy and a description of potential partnerships.

You can contact the Homelessness Resource Task Force with questions or comments at homelesssupport@uuss.org and we will be available after the service on Sunday October 2 and October 9.

Homelessness Resource Task Force Members: John McMillan (Facilities), Glory Wicklund (Facilities), Jerry Houseman (Mercy Pedalers), Kathy Strickland (Mercy Pedalers), Krystal Gollaher (Staff) Christine Bailey (8PAT/Racial Justice), Lucy Bunch (Minister), Frances Myers (Board), Sally Wilkins (Family Promise) Anita Lundin (Congregation)

Sandwich Brigade September date for bringing sandwiches is Wednesday 9/21. Pls bring 15 lunches including a bottle of water for each lunch to: UUSS by 10am each Wednesday.

If you are new and would like to participate, lunches are: PBJ sandwich in a Ziploc bag, a fruit, (no apples), a granola bar or cookie and a napkin. Pls label lunch bag as. PbJ. Thank you for all of your support. --Sally Wilkins

Join the Voter Outreach team

Postcard writing Thursdays in September 

UU the Vote works with Reclaim Our Vote (ROV), a black-led organization working with local groups in Southern states and high-minority states like Arizona. They are using several methods to counter the "you can't vote" message that minority voters have received for generations and still receive. ROV has hired local people to register voters, and we writers and callers and texters will encourage those voters to go to the polls.

It's Easy to Participate and Make a Difference

Join Susan Jones and Theo White for postcard writing at the church on Thursdays 10 to 12 on the patio.  We will write to people of color who are registered to vote, but who don't vote in every election. This one is important!  Neat handwriting is the only requirement. 

Contact her at rov.sacvalley@gmail.com to get involved!

Channel your frustration and join us!

We extend our condolences to Carol Doehne and her children, Matthew and Jessica, who grew up at UUSS, on the loss of Edward F. Doehne, M.D., her father-in-law and their grandfather. He was the father of Ned Doehne, an active UUSS member who died in 2001. Memorial contributions are invited to be made to the Sierra Club. The service takes place this Saturday in Woodland. See the obituary at this link.