Today At Your Fellowship
Thursday, November 10, 2022
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This Weekend @ AUUF
Thursday 11/10/22
7 am - 5:30 pm Private Rental
2-3:30 pm Hungry Book Club
5:30 pm Auction Planning Meeting
5:30 pm Board Agenda Setting Meeting
6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal
6:30 pm CYRE Team Meeting
Friday 11/11/22
7 am -5 pm Private Rental
12:00 pm Freethinkers on Zoom
Saturday 11/12/22
8:30 am AA Slap Happy Group at AUUF
10:30 am Music Together Mountain Song
1 pm Private Rental
6 pm - 10 am Sunday High School Youth Lock-in
Half Portion Recipient for November is STAR
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Sunday 11/13/22
9:00 am Virtual Forum
11:00 am Sunday Worship Live at AUUF & on Zoom
12:30 pm The Alliance
12:45 pm 5/6th & 9/10th Grade OWL
2:30 pm Worship Associate Meeting
4 pm Anchorage Friends Meeting
Monday 11/14/22
4:30 pm Private Rental
6:30 pm Fireweed Sangha of Mindful Living
Tuesday 11/15/22
5:30 pm Jerry's Group
5:30 pm Finance Committee Meeting
6 pm Community Connection -Private Rental
7 pm Stewardship Meeting
Wednesday 11/16/22
4 pm Music Together Mountain Song
6:30 pm Board of Directors Meeting
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Virtual Forum
9:00 am Sunday, November 13, 2022
November at the Forum
We have another exciting variety of Forum programs scheduled for November. Spread the word, and join us on Sunday mornings. Speakers’ bios and photos can be accessed from the AUUF Home Page under Sunday Services or in the butterscotch-colored box in the left-hand column, “Sunday @ Zoom.”
On Sunday, November 6, the beginning of the week including Veteran’s Day, we had an excellent presentation from Dr. Michael Livingston: “Finally Honoring Pvt. George Fox’s WWII Sacrifice.” Mike is the former Cultural Heritage Specialist and current Healthy xx with the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association. If you missed it, you can find a recording of his talk (together with the slides he presented) along with other Forum podcasts—thank you, Ken Winterberger—by going to the blue box in the left column of the AUUF Home Page under “Stay Up to Date,” or directly to the podcast page.
This Sunday, November 13, our speakers will be Bert Lewis, President of the Friends of Stewart Trail, together with Nancy Pease, the legendary mountain runner, who is also a specialist in land use issues and a passionate advocate for trails. They will be talking about “Public Access to the Chugach Range and the Fight to Re-open the Stewart Trail,” including an update on a judge’s recent ruling affirming public access to the Stewart Trail and what that means.
The following week, on Sunday, November 20, immigration law specialist, former West Point professor, and MacArthur Foundation Fellow (“genius grant” recipient) Margaret Stock will talk to us about who gets refuge from wars. Current and recent wars raise many difficult issues—Russian men seeking asylum as a result of conscription for the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian families displaced by that same war, and the fate of Afghani citizens who helped American troops but were left behind in the wake of US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
On the final Sunday of November, the 27th, we may or may not have the results of all the races from the November 8 general election, but we’ll have a chance to hear from Alaska’s most prominent political consultant, Jim Lottsfeldt. With current and former clients including US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich, Governors Bill Walker and Sarah Palin, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and many others, he has a wealth of knowledge about the running of political campaigns and insights on the campaign season we’ve just been through
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As always, we encourage you to send your ideas for either programs or specific speakers to the Forum Committee Chair John McKay at mckay@alaska.net, or pass them along to other Forum Committee members: Dennis Arashiro, James Dryden, Heather Flynn, and Lynn Hallquist, and Rev. Lise Adams Sherry.
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Sunday Worship at AUUF and on Zoom
11:00 am Sunday, November 13, 2022
Many of us have been discussing adding the 8th UU Principle that encourages us to actively work for anti-oppressive and anti-racist practices. But did you know that it’s in our UU national bylaws (article 2) that we need to re-examine our UU principles at least every 15 years? A commission was appointed a couple of years ago with this very task and we’ll be voting on their ideas at the next General Assembly. In the meantime, they’d like our feedback so please come listen on Sunday and we’ll let the Article 2 Commission know what we’re thinking.
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Worship Services in November
The theme for worship this month is Change. Part of the purpose and goal of any congregation is to provide a place where folks can be open to personal transformation, and we can work to put our loving ideals out into the world to create a Beloved Community. We already have pockets of Beloved Community in many places, but the only way to make it manifest through the wider world is through hard work and, yup, Change. We hope you’ll join us for our Sunday worship services at 11 am (the Forum and its excellent topics continue online at 9 am) and offer us feedback on topics and changes you’d like to see in our future.
Oh, and look for news of a change about how we’d like to practice gratitude more explicitly in our congregation. We have a lot to be grateful for, and our willingness to experiment and try new ways of being is just one of AUUF’s gifts for which I’m thankful.
Blessings, Rev. Lise
Nov. 20, 11 am, in-person, and Zoom
The Gifts We Have Are Many—a multigenerational service
Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, Dr. Ray Macfarlane, Director of Learning and Exploration
It’s our annual gratitude service. Instead of celebrating the old misleading Thanksgiving story, we’ll do our best to honestly reflect on how we can change our norms of inclusion and appreciation. We’ll also (formally) introduce our Gratitude Tree!
Nov. 27, 11 am, in-person & Zoom
This I Believe
Michele Champion and Cassie Thomas, Worship Leaders
Join us as several congregation members share their personal theology/cosmology and how it has changed over time.
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50 Days to go! Have You already joined AUUF’s mystery donor’s Construction Loan Challenge? We are already 34% of the way to our Goal.
Donations are rolling in and being matched dollar-for-dollar. AUUF’s mystery donor has pledged to match donations towards our building’s balloon loan payment up to $50,000. By capturing this challenge and paying now, we will save ~$42,000 in interest on the loan. This is a significant savings for us and our children. Let’s go into the future almost debt-free!
Make your tax-deductible donation by check, securities, or online (use the “LT Loan Principal Only” box at AUUF Online Donations).
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Alliance Annual Holiday Sale
December 4th, Sunday 10:00-4:00
To celebrate Holidays AND OBSERVANCES
IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY
Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa,
Christmas, New Year's Eve, World Religion Day, Yule, Omisoka
Come one, come all!
Do your holiday shopping early.
Buy gifts that show you care,
for family, friends, co-workers…
Donated gift quality items can be brought to the Fellowship
on Saturday, December 3rd from 3-7 pm
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Another Chance to Sign Up For Finding your way to Fellowship!
Are you pretty new to AUUF? Have you been coming for years and are thinking of becoming a member of AUUF? Have you actually joined but never did the Finding Your Way into Fellowship class or just want to come support the new folks? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we invite you to attend the next “Finding Your Way into Fellowship” class! This is an opportunity for you to learn a whole lot more about UU and AUUF and see how it might fit with your own spiritual journey. This class is usually done in three sessions. Typically, we’ve done them midweek. This next time, we’re going to try having them right after Sunday services. We’ll provide lunch, or partake in a Soup Sunday and then start the class. Our plan is to go from 12:30 pm-2:30 pm on January 22nd, 29th, AND February 5th.
To sign up or ask any questions, please email connections@anchorageuuf.org. We do need a minimum number of folks to commit to attending before we can offer it as it is mostly done with AUUF volunteers and we want to respect their time. Please sign up if you are sure you want to attend. While you will learn a lot in this class, we’re pretty sure you’ll have a lot of fun, too! We hope to see you there!
The Connections Team
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Anti-Racism Team Corner
White Supremacy Culture Discussion Series
AnchorageUUF & UUFFairbanks
January-March 2023
Many antiracism activists and scholars have adopted the term “white supremacy culture” to refer to the dominant American culture in a way that highlights its systemic racism. What is meant by “white supremacy culture” and how does it differ from white supremacists as individuals? What are the characteristics of white supremacy culture? Are there ways to change how we participate in white supremacy culture to avoid perpetuating it? Exploring these and other questions about white supremacy culture can help us deepen our individual and institutional understandings of, and commitment to, the work of dismantling racism. AUUF and UUFF together are offering an opportunity for this exploration in a five-part discussion series facilitated by Student Minister Becca Bernard. Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:00pm: January 12, January 26, February 9, February 23, and March 9. Zoom only. There will be short, engaging reading assignments before each session, so if you might like to participate, please RSVP to Becca at rbernard.ak@gmail.com.
Alaska Black Caucus Community Conversation
Sunday 11-13-22 7-8 PM
Join the Alaska Black Caucus Education Committee for a conversation with Commissioner Heidi Teshner, Acting Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development.
Race by Spirit & Place (Nov. 2022)
Powerful Conversations on Race is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race, racism, and the resulting impact.
Date and time: Sun, November 20, 2022, 3:00 PM – 5:15 PM EST
Location: Online
About this event: Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but a space for the community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race. This is an immersive experience. As such, we'll spend a considerable amount of time in small groups to dialogue with each other about these topics. All dialogues are virtual and occur on Eastern Standard Time / Eastern Daylight Time. For the November 2022 dialogue, we will watch and discuss Part 1 of the documentary Exterminate All the Brutes, which dives into the historical context of white supremacy and whiteness. The documentary is 1 hr. long followed by 1 hr. of dialogue. Registration ends at 12 noon day of the event.
Spirit and Place is a community initiative of the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. For more information about our programming check out the website for up-to-date information.
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Greeting Training November 20th
Do you remember your first visit to AUUF? Did you feel welcomed? I’ll never forget the welcome I got from Shirley Dickens. She made me feel like this was, indeed, the community I was looking for. We need a large group of folks willing to be greeters and we will train you! We plan to have our next training on Sunday, November 20th right after the service. We’ll provide some food and help prepare you to feel comfortable providing radical hospitality! Please sign up if you can come to the training so we have enough food!
For questions or to sign up, email connections@anchorageuuf.org.
Thank you in advance for helping AUUF practice radical hospitality!
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Soup Sunday, Nov 20th - Eat Well and Do Good! |
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Support Children’s Social Justice Projects at Soup Sunday, coming up Nov 20th! ~12:30p. Contact DrRay@AnchorageUUF.org if you can help set up, bring soup, bread, serve, clean up, want to donate, or have questions!!
Children & Youth, Learning & Exploration
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Adult Learning & Exploration Groups Groups/ Chalice Circles
Adult Learning & Exploration programs are starting up, and it's time to sign up for groups!
You may have heard them called by many different names: Small Groups, Chalice Circles, Covenant Groups, Listening Circles, Covens…. Whatever we call them, being part of a group is an opportunity to build connections, to listen and to be heard by others. Members covenant to support and be present together for a period of time, and can be a great way to build community, engage meaningfully with each other and enrich the AUUF experience.
Groups may be informal or structured, and are generally made up of 5-12 people. Some groups may meet in person, at the fellowship, in people’s homes, in nature, or out in the community working on service projects. Groups decide together how their connection will look, and within the facilitator's availability, where, when and how often to meet. Generally, most groups meet for one to two hours, every week, every other week or monthly, depending on what the group decides. Share your ideas about what a good and engaging connection group looks like for you!
Thank you to everyone who has signed up already! So far we have two groups:
So far, we have two groups organizing:
In-person and on zoom, Thursday evenings
On zoom, date/time TBD, likely a weekday or Sunday afternoon - a great chance to connect with UU’s around Alaska!
Let us know your availability and interests! New members may join throughout the year, but we need enough people in each group to get started!
Sign up using this link for Groups!
*** From one of the Small Group Facilitators:
Looking for a chance to connect with others outside of Sundays? We are starting a new small group (aka chalice circle). We will be meeting on Thursday evenings -- roughly every other Thursday, with adjustments as necessary to account for holidays -- from 7-9 pm in person at my house in West Anchorage. We have room for a few more.
To sign up, please fill out the registration form. You can email (susano@reevesamodio.com) or call (907-952-1668) if you have questions about what a small group is or how this group will operate.
The exact schedule of our Thursday group will be determined by the group, but my guess is that we will meet for approximately 10-12 sessions between December and May. You don't need to commit to attending every meeting – people travel, get sick, or something else important comes up – but these groups work best when people try hard to come as much as possible.
The group will determine the topics as we go along. We may use some of the Soul Matters materials, as well as pick some topics of our own. Topics will likely be broad life issues that invite people to reflect and listen deeply to others as they reflect . . . . like winter, gratitude, belonging, change, passion. We will use a structured active listening approach (rather than unstructured conversation); this ensures each person gets a chance to speak and to be listened to without judgment. We will build in some casual time for conversation, too, just to help us get to know each other I love small groups as a way to connect with people. I hope someone out there looking for some community sees this and decides to join.
Susan Orlansky
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The November Half Portion offering goes to STAR
Sexual Trauma Prevention and Response
Since 1978 Star has been responding to the needs of survivors of sexual assault, while integrating prevention and education programs with a goal of reducing harm to all Alaskans. All STAR services for survivors are free of charge.
We are excited to share an update about House Bill 5, also known as the consent bill.
Last year we reported that we were assisting with this initiative introduced by Representative Geran Tarr. HB5 included a long-awaited update for the definition of consent and ultimately, making it easier to convict perpetrators of sexual violence. The bill also addressed the timeliness of processing sexual assault examination kits.
Nearly four years after its inception, the bill made it to the House Finance Committee on May 17 - just before the end of the 2022 legislative session. That same day, Rep. Tarr worked with Representative Sara Rasmussen to add the language into House Bill 325. HB 325 addressed a legal remedy regarding revenge porn, making it actionable for victims to file a domestic violence protective order in response to this horrific crime. The Senate voted unanimously to pass the amendment and the bill, then the House voted unanimously to concur with the bill’s changes. Governor Dunleavy signed the bill into law in July.
Click on the Half-Portion note or Donate/ Pay
at the bottom of the home page.
Enter your donation under
“Half-Portion for Social Action”
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Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
(907) 248-3737
Minister, Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, ( she/ her) 907-248-3737 x2, RevLise@anchorageUUF.org
Office hours are usually Tues, Th & Fri 10 am - 2 pm
Shellie Gooden, (she/ her) Congregational Administrator, 907-248-3737 x1 Admin@anchorageUUF.org AUUF
Office hours are usually Mon-Thurs, 10 am - 2 pm
Please call before coming.
Kelly Spring, (she/ her) Communications Specialist, Communications@anchorageUUF.org
Kelly's remote office hours Mon-Fri 9 am -1 pm
Dr. Ray Macfarlane, Director of Lifespan Learning & Exploration, DrRay@AnchorageUUF.org
Office hours are usually Tues/Thurs 10 am - 2 pm, remote Wed 10 am - 2 pm Please confirm for appointments.
Connections@AnchorageUUF.org
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