In the Know: March 28, 2024

In the Know

March 28, 2024

Don't forget to bring a flower on Sunday!

Upcoming Services

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Worship Services:

9:00 am (in-person only)

11:15 am (in-person and via Zoom)

Flower Communion

Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr., Minister

Rev. Anastassia Zinke, Minister

Join us this Sunday for our annual Flower Communion where we give and receive a flower from nature as an example of our diversity and the many unique ways we connect one to another. Music by Josh Long and the Worship Ensemble. Flowers for the pulpit are donated by Andrea Kuhn.

In person and/or live-streamed via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/9691712043

*Please fill out the Virtual Connection Card.*

Missed last week? See Past Sermons

UUCA Blog

Pledge Drive: We Are Rounding Third and Heading Home - Heather Millar
Congregational Update From The Board 3/24/2024 - Nicole Bruno, At-Large Board Member
Voter Mobilization Organizing School - Rev. Anastassia Zinke, Minister
UUCA Feedback Form - Board of Trustees

Sunday, March 31

Morning (9:00 am)

Mindfulness Practice Group

9:00 am - 10:00 am

UU Sisterhood Room (formerly the Young Room)

Middle Hour (10:15 am)

Coffee Hour

Enjoy coffee from the deck and watch the children hunt for eggs!

10:15 am - 11:05 am

In the Atrium

Spring Egg Hunt

Meet under the magnolia tree after the first service. For children.

10:15 am - 11:05 am

Magnolia Tree and Picnic Tables

Hospitality

with the Lighthouse Shelter

10:15 am - 11:05 am

Wendi Winters Memorial room

(formerly the Library)

Announcements & Events

Welcome Our New

Director of Administration,

Linda Epps!

Linda brings over 20 years of experience in administration and human resources to our UUCA community, including payroll processing, accounting, notary services, and executive administration. She looks forward to applying her immense skill set as our Director of Administration.

Linda is originally from Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is the youngest of 5. She was raised in an active Christian home and her family has a long history in the Baptist Church. Her father is a pastor as was her great grandfather. Several of her uncles and cousins are deacons.

Linda has been married 21 years and has two adult daughters Sasha and Danielle, and she has been blessed with 4 grandchildren. Linda has lived in Oyster Harbor, Annapolis since 1992 which is one of the first African American Waterfront Communities in the city. Her joys are her husband, grandchildren, gardening, music, cooking, and baking specialty cakes!

When you see Linda, please give her a warm UUCA welcome! You can reach her at: lepps@uuannapolis.org.

Your pledge supports Membership programs!

Learn how from our

Membership Coordinator, Laura Schrank.

Do You Like Thinking about Money?

Two important committees at UUCA are recruiting new members: our Finance Committee and our Endowment Committee. These are both committees that report to our Board of Trustees.

The Finance Committee provides assistance and oversight regarding our operating funds and budget - (they get down in the weeds). The Endowment Committee oversees our endowment, including when and how we spend its funds. We are looking for members of all ages, races, and identities.

To learn more, contact, Kari Alperovitz-Bichell, Nominating Committee Chair, or Caroline Hadley, Endowment Committee Chair, or Staff Warren, Finance Chair.

UUCA needs you!

We are calling for nominations for leadership positions: UUCA secretary, UUCA finance officer, 2 UUCA board members-at-large, 4 nominating committee members. All positions start June 2024 and have two-year terms.

Interested? Or just curious? check out information on the UUCA website, or ask Kari Alperovitz-Bichell, chair, or any Nominating Committee member.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis

Is Opening New Doors!

Sun. 4/14 at 11 am

Join us for a Sweet Celebration! You're invited to a short program and ice cream social as we open our new doors and atrium with community and sweet treats. Please note this event will be in place of the 11:15 am service and is open to the public! Zoom link

Middle Hour: 4/14

Calling Parents of Free Range Adults!

Calling Parents on Active Duty!

Calling People who are happy to have other people's children around!

Let's talk about how a multigenerational community is a Beloved Community!

A Faith Formation Presentation

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend; congregations must certify annually to have voting delegates.

General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct the business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles.

Funding GA Registration: The UUA is committed to the goal of making General Assembly accessible to the maximum number of attendees possible. Financial support is available as well as volunteer opportunities to offset the cost of registration for GA 2024.

Be a GA Volunteer

Register for 2024 Virtual General Assembly

Find out more: General Assembly 2024.

Beyond Sunday Announcements

Join our

Right Relationship Committee (RRC)

Our UUCA RRC supports the congregation’s overall health by fostering an understanding of covenantal practices, different approaches to engaging in conflict, and the supports available within UUCA. We continue to welcome members to the RRC so we can reflect the multifaceted diversity within our congregation. Valuable skills or experience for this work include: conflict resolution, facilitation, counseling, trustworthy congregational leadership, and work that includes communicating confidential information. Contact Jim Shettel.

Registration Now Open!

Camp Beagle 2024 Registration Form

July 8 -July 12, 2024

9 am - 3 pm

Register your child or youth for a science, music, and outdoor adventure-filled week at Camp Beagle. We spend our week learning science, basic survival skills, music, and how to be curious. We spend our mornings outside and then go in for the afternoons.

Joshua Long, our outgoing Director of Music Ensemble's is releasing his new album We are Earth.

Come celebrate the release of his album with a live concert. There will be performances by Joshua Long and his band, the Worship Ensemble, and more! A Portion of the proceeds will go to UUCA Music Programming. Tickets are on sale at

bit.ly/weareearthrelease.

Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024
Time: Doors 6pm, Show 7pm, VIP meet and greet 6pm
Location: UUCA sanctuary, VIP meet and greet in the Jordan Family Sanctuary (formerly the Faith Formation Sanctuary).
Contact: Joshua Long or Nicole Bruno

SACReD Curriculum:

Faithful Support of Reproductive Freedom

Deepen your understanding of the connection between faith, racism, and reproductive ethics. Identify strategies and actions for liberation within religious communities and the larger world. In November, Maryland will have a referendum about whether to protect access to abortions in our state constitution – it is a critical time to learn and to act. The course will be offered in seven 2-hour sessions on Zoom, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, on Monday evenings: April 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6, 29, and June 10. Participants are required to attend at least 5 of the 7 sessions including the first one. Sign up via the connection card or by emailing azinke@uuannapolis.org.

Let's Make Our Space Sparkle!

Save the date for April 13, Saturday, from 9-12 for our annual Spring Cleanup. This is even more important this year as we celebrate our reopening! More info to come. Questions? Contact Dianne Moreau or 443-994-4154.

Join Gallery 333 for a RECEPTION

on Friday, April 19

from 6-8 pm!

"Enchanting the Everyday" by Rachel Frazier reveals fleeting moments of beauty and magic that constantly surround us and challenges viewers to look for those moments in everyday life.

Interested volunteers, please contact gallery333curator@gmail.com. Email or attend the event to purchase art.

Sign up by 4/7 for All Church Retreat, 4/26-28! Fri eve - Sun noon @ Camp Hashawa, Westminster MD. Cost: $90/adult, $85/child (5-13yo), & under 4yo - free; includes 5 meals & 2 nights lodging.

Email James with registration questions or Merriam for other questions. Attend the Middle Hour Session on 3/24 and 4/7 to learn more.

The Soul of Aging

May 17-18 AND June 21-22

Led by Cindy Atlee. We approach “the art” of aging creatively and intentionally; exploring the many soulful invitations our maturing years offer us. Ideal for those who yearn to understand, surrender to, and be transformed by the aging process -- regardless of our numerical age! We use poetry, story, music, and art to explore: your visions of aging, living your unlived lives, completion & forgiveness, your relationship with time, how to nurture your mystical nature, and the notion of befriending your own deaths. Using the Circle of Trust® approach, we learn how to listen deeply to one another and how to create safe spaces for honest sharing and self-discovery. All food and refreshments will be catered. The retreat-like structure allows participants to experience a deeper, extended community. You can take some time to retreat into Muir Woods for personal time to recharge. The new cost for the program is $150 for UUCA members and $200 for non-members (including meals and materials). Some scholarships are available.

Help Lead Worship!

Unitarian Universalists have a tradition of shared, democratic leadership – this even applies to our worship services. Apply now to be a worship leader at UUCA. Help shape and inform our services by sharing your values and life experiences and by serving as one of our spiritual leaders.

Worship Leaders Application

Join the Worship Ensemble!

Do you love to sing and cultivate Beloved Community? Join the Worship Ensemble Tuesdays 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm! Attendance to all rehearsals/services is not mandatory to participate. To learn more about this joyful opportunity, please contact Josh Long at jlong@uuannapolis.org.

Join the Tech Team!

We are seeking Zoom-savvy congregants who can serve as Zoom Moderators for our Sunday Worship Service and Middle-Hour. Zoom Moderators help welcome our online community and keep the service running smoothly online. The commitment would be once a month. With 40-60 online attendees each Sunday, this is an important role! You can remote or be in the Wendi Winters Memorial Room (formerly the Library). If you are interested in serving, please contact Melanie Keller.

BLOOMS FOR UUCA

Looking for a way to Volunteer in a meaningful way to UUCA?Join the Flower Committee to brighten our Sanctuary as Spring arrives! Many of you have commented on how much the arrangements add to the beauty of our Services each and every week. We all would miss them if the blooms suddenly disappeared! We need more help to cover each week. Volunteer to bring Flowers once every two or three months. Vases are provided and Trader Joe's, Lidyl and Sam's Club etc offer very reasonable bouquets if your garden is full of vegetables, not flowers. Do join us! Email JuliaTower.Trio@gmail.com to join for a Trial (limited) Membership-we need you!

Join One of Our

Covenanted Groups

These groups are open to new members:

Annapolis, 4th Mondays @ 6:30 pm
Crownsville (ZOOM), 4th Mondays @ 7 pm
Severna Park, 4th Thursdays @ 6:30 pm

Email Rev. Anastassia to join.

Learning Our Land (LOL’fers)

We meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month to care for our grounds. Please join up! 8 am - 10 am, and beyond. Notify Margaret Martin.

Amnesty International

Group 284

Second Sunday of the month

12:30 - 3 pm

Black Lives Matter room

(formerly Angebranndt room)

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who are committed to creating a future where human rights are enjoyed by everyone. United by our shared humanity, we know that the power to create positive change is within all of us.

Mindfulness Practice Group

There are multiple events on different days that happen each week.

Stay updated!

Thursdays

in the Sanctuary

6:30 pm- 8:30 pm

Sundays

in the Young room

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Sundays

via Zoom

4:30 pm to 5:10 pm

Wider Community and UU News

7:00 pm ET, about 90 minutes. Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs and Rev. Karen Van Fossan. Register in advance.

World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness that 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water. We are honored to welcome Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs and Rev. Karen Van Fossan into a conversation on this important and sacred day. They are defenders and protectors of water; two spiritual leaders in our UU movement who will help us build a heart-centered approach to a right relationship with Mother Earth and her waters. More info.

Current Trends in Violence Against Houses of Worship
FBI Baltimore Field Office
Responses to Hate Crime Events Against Houses of Worship
US Department of Justice/Community Relations Service
United Against Hate Outreach Program
US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland
Faith-Based Information Analysis and Sharing Organization Overview
National Executive Director, FB-ISAO

Contact oemoutreacg@aacounty.org.

Looking For Something

To Do This Summer?

Learn about UU Summer Camps for children, youth, and all generations. Camp Beagle is July 8th-12th! It is time to register, click to learn more.

All Souls Author Event:

The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future

Wednesday, 4/3, 7:00 PM

at All Souls and Online.

All Souls is pleased to welcome New York Times bestselling author, leading scholar, and commentator on religion and politics, Robert P. Jones, talking about the 2024 Election and his new book. Taking the story of white supremacy in America back to 1493, and examining contemporary communities in Mississippi, Minnesota, and Oklahoma for models of racial repair, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy helps chart a new course toward a genuinely pluralistic democracy. It also explains how the founders could build the philosophical framework for a democratic society on a foundation of mass racial violence--and why this paradox survives today in the form of white Christian nationalism. Tickets Sliding Scale $0-100 with In-Person and Online Options. Book Sales, Signing, and Light Reception to Follow. Register Here.

In the DC Area?

Save the Date for Voter Mobilization Organizing School

Sat. 4/27, 10 am - 3 pm at All Souls Church

Join with other UUs from DC, MD, and VA for the first-ever organizing school! We are all more effective when we gather together in our power. Youth are welcome. This event offers programming to several age groups in conjunction with the organizing school! Learn more.

Meet with Your Ministers

Rev. John: You can set up a meeting by emailing him.

Rev. Anastassia: You can see her availability and self-schedule using this link - calendly.com/revaz.

Join a small, informal group for some spiritual direction and reflection time on Wednesday mornings at 9 am
Set up a 30- or 45-minute individual meeting
Set up a 90-minute committee or leadership meeting.