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All Souls Unitarian Universalist E-Letter
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This week's editor:
Beth Woods
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office hours
Administration office hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm.
Minister's office hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-3pm and evenings and weekends by appointment.
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 service this week
01/19 ~ seven ways of looking at
pointless suffering
We can all, without much effort, think about ways that we have encountered suffering - in our own life, in the larger world, and in the areas of social justice, which animates many of us. How come that happened? How? Why? What in the world? As we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., our community minister, Rev. Roger Butts will explore with us seven different approaches to trying to make meaning, come to understanding around the question of pointless suffering. Rev. Roger serves as a chaplain at Penrose Main and as an affiliated community minister with All Souls.
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all souls news
church security
In order to maintain proper security for the church, the current door codes will be deactivated on January 31st. If you wish to continue your door code, you must contact Bart Weinberger
or
security@assuc.net. Please include your name, your current code or new one if you wish to change, and the reason for your request. Appropriate reasons would be leaders of teams, covenant groups, staff members, etc. This will be a yearly event for All Souls. It is our goal to reduce the huge number of door codes that are currently operational to a more reasonable number. Thank you for your help in this matter. -- Security Team
care team
The All Souls Care Team is looking for new members. The Care Team responds to people in the congregation who are experiencing crisis or significant life changes (for example, sickness, pain, tears, joy or happiness). Team members make phone calls and conduct visitations, among various other services. Being a Care Team member can be a meaningful and rewarding experience. If interested or for more information, please contact Rev. Nori Rost or Betsy Fay-Saxon.
endowment update
At the Fall 2019 Congregational meeting, the transfer of our endowment to the Unitarian Universalist Common Wealth Fund (UUCEF) was approved. The Board officers along with the endowment and finance teams prepared and submitted the subscription application to the UUA in late December, which was approved by the UUA in early January. We also transferred $20,000 from the endowment to the UUA to set up the account. Over the next few months, the endowment team will be transferring our endowment funds to the UUCEF. Check out the UUCEF fund details at uucef.org. If you have questions on the process or how you can contribute to our endowment, please contact Jay Hatfield or Gary Harrison.
The next Newcomer Potluck will be held at 6pm on Friday, 1/17. This is a great opportunity for all members, new and experienced to come together for some fellowship and good food. If you are a member, bring a dish to share. Contact Lyne Hannan with questions.
NOTE: The Artist and Hobbyist gathering is cancelled this 4th Thursday, January 23rd. The group will resume the 2nd and 4th Thursdays in February. This gathering is meant to be friendly, relaxed, fun, and of course...creative. Bring in your favorite art supplies or hobbies and a brown bag lunch on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at ASUUC. Creative time is 10-11:30am, followed by a social lunch. Please email Pam Brown
with your contact information (name and phone number) if you are interested.
Our affinity groups are open to all! There is no enrollment period and no fee required. Friends are welcome! These groups share a common interest and provide opportunities to connect and deepen our fellowship outside of Sunday Service. Perhaps one is for you? For more information, please click here.
4-week
loving kindness challenge
Starting this Sunday, MLK weekend, until Valentine's Day, RE is having a 4-week loving kindness challenge! Each week brings in a new theme and new activities to spread your loving kindness to yourself, your family, your friends, and your community. RE is inviting the whole congregation to take up this challenge with us! To access the challenge, you can click here,
pull up our website and download the pdf from our Religious Exploration page, or find the link on our ASUUC Community Facebook page. All registered RE kids will receive the challenge pdf via their parents email, and will also get a printed copy in church this Sunday. Prizes will be given to all KIDS who complete the challenge. Any adult that completes the challenge will get a smaller but just as exciting prize! Join us in spreading loving kindness!
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religious exploration
honoring MLK
To honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and work this weekend, in RE we will explore the ways in which we feel the most ourselves by being a part of a group and working for the greater good. We'll practice the skill of working for justice as a group, taking our 6th UU Principle into action. Today will be a day to find and feel the integrity of "we."
loving kindness challenge
Starting this Sunday, MLK weekend, until Valentine's Day, RE is having a 4-week loving kindness challenge! Each week brings in a new theme and new activities to spread your loving kindness to yourself, your family, your friends, and your community. RE is inviting the whole congregation to take up this challenge with us! To access the challenge, you can click here, pull up our website and download the pdf from our Religious Exploration page, or find the link on our ASUUC Community Facebook page. All registered RE kids will receive the challenge pdf via their parents email, and will also get a printed copy in church this Sunday. Prizes will be given to all KIDS who complete the challenge. Any adult that completes the challenge will get a smaller but just as exciting prize! Join us in spreading loving kindness!
volunteers
The new sign-up genius for February and March is now available for RE volunteers! Click
here to access the sign-up or check your email for the link if you're a registered volunteer. Any size commitment is welcomed! We can't do RE without YOU!
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children
Last week the kids explored the concept of integrity by finding their courage. Our youngest kids read "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon" by Patty Lovell and practiced what it means to stand tall. By standing tall the kids walked around using eye contact, walking with shoulders back, standing tall, shaking hands and offering compliments using a strong voice. They also learned the song, "Love Surrounds Us" and sang a few rounds. Our older kids also practiced standing tall and explored their inner voices by drawing a picture of what makes them feel courageous. They also read the story, "Odd Velvet" by Mary E. Whitcomb. Both stories celebrated ways of being yourself!
Next week we'll be looking at our monthly theme of integrity by finding and feeling the integrity of "we." We'll be learning more about MLK Jr. and his message of love. We'll explore the feeling of being one of many and lifting up how integrity is also about being integrated with the "wider we." Furthermore, we'll kick off our 4-week loving kindness challenge: each classroom will be making a Love Chain, filling each link with things about themselves and others that they love and making a chain to display in their classrooms.
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youth
Last week, Youth Group discussed the theme of integrity through their eyes. They also started brain storming for their youth-led service in May!
Next week we'll be starting our Guest In the Classroom initiative, inviting in a guest speaker(s) once a month to talk with Youth Group about many different topics. This month we're so lucky to have representatives from Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission coming in to speak with Youth Group about non-violent communication. Our guests will be discussing the work they do with PPJPC and they have a non-violent communication exercise for Youth Group.
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joys & concerns
joys
None to report this week.
concerns
Karla expressed the following concern: I'm sad that our
Peace, Liberty, and Justice
banner has gone missing from the Great Hall. I hope it's only a metaphor for what's happening in our world. I hope they'll rise again, both at All Souls and in the world.
Anonymous writes: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been more than 550 earthquakes and aftershocks recorded on Puerto Rico since the beginning of the year, of which more than 500 have been of magnitude 2 or higher.
Mind you, Puerto Rico is still awaiting $8 Billion in aid from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Please keep Puerto Rico in your hearts, and look into helping the island with aid of your own.
Nori asks that everyone please keep Georgia Nelson in their thoughts and prayers. She experienced a grand mal seizure which left her with significant injuries. She's currently scheduled for surgery at Memorial and is in ICU.
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local activism & awareness
Editors' note: Occasionally, changes are made to these events after publication. Please click on the links provided if you are interested in attending something, to make sure the details have not changed.
Thank you!
1/18, 9:30-11:30am, at Colorado Technical University, "Voter Suppression in Colorado: What You Need to Know." Voter suppression is a strategy used to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing specific groups of people from voting. In 2013, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Shelby v. Holder that voting laws had resulted in voter suppression and discrimination. The AAUW Colorado Springs Branch Public Policy committee members have developed a program to address the means by which voter suppression is manifested in our election process. Deb Walker, Executive Director Citizen's Project, will lead the program which will include active interaction. All who wish to will participate in discerning and exploring the variety of voter suppression tactics. RSVP is required as seating will be limited!
1/18, 9:30-11am, at High Plains Church, "From Fear to Faith - Activating Religious Commitment in Public." This adult education class of six 90-minute sessions, will take place from 9:30-11:00am on Saturdays. The times we live in are deeply troubled and our communities are divided. We seem to have lost the interest and ability to seek the common good, the well-being of all. Our socioeconomic system appears increasingly to be ill-suited for maximizing the conditions and opportunities for all to thrive with healthy, happy, and harmonious lives. Yet, into this mix come persons of deep commitment in the progressive religious tradition and belief in the strong moral values that it promotes. We explore issues and questions about how our religious traditions can influence our lives as citizens and shape our participation in the public life. Our interest is nurturing a faith that animates our desire to improve the quality of life for all. The first session covers politics and religion - a
look at The Seven Principles of the UUA and what is meant by the common good.
1/18, 2-5 pm, at All Souls, Sign Making Party for COS Womxn's March. Join us for a sign-making party leading up to the COS Womxn's March 2020! We will have markers and poster board; feel free to bring other materials or just yourself. We'll be featuring a BAKE SALE! Please consider supporting the march this way. All proceeds will go to pay for permits and space.
1/25, 2-5pm, at City Auditorium, "2020 COS Womxn's March."
The COS Womxn's March serves as an opportunity for Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region to come together in solidarity, to celebrate, and to keep momentum for progress alive! Like the national movement, we aim to harness the political power of diverse women and our communities to create transformative social change, and we are committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.
2:00p.m. - Kickoff & keynote address, featuring a musical performance by our very own Heidi Cooper!
2:30 - March downtown. Indigenous Womxn will lead us!
3:30 - Afterparty featuring inspiring speeches, amazing performances, and more from local womxn.
There will also be food trucks, beverages, and tables featuring local organizations so you can stay connected and involved all year long.
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community news
Editors' note: Occasionally, changes are made to events after publication. Please click on the links provided if you are interested in attending something, to make sure the details have not changed. Thank you!
free medical care & prescriptions
People sometimes face the stark choice between food and medicine.
As costs of prescription drugs continue to rise and the numbers of uninsured continue to rise, providing a source for life-saving prescription drugs becomes critical. In Colorado's El Paso & Teller Counties, Open Bible Medical Clinic & Pharmacy also serves as a Community Pharmacy dispensing free prescription medication to our neighbors who are uninsured. Residents of the county can qualify for our services if they are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. 10am-2pm every Thursday and 9am-1pm every Saturday.
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all souls board of trustees
Wendy Mike, President
Justin Lincoln, Vice President
Jim Michali, Treasurer
Kathleen Brannan, Secretary
Judie McMath, Past President
Terry Schultz, Member-at-Large
Sarah Bethke, Member-at-Large
Evony McKenna, Member-at-Large
Jay Hatfield, Member-at-Large
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e-letter deadline
The deadline for each week's e-letter is Wednesday at noon, barring something truly unexpected, such as a last-minute cancellation. Other items submitted after deadline will run the following week. Please help us inform you by honoring the deadline. Thank you -- Tamsin & Beth
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