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Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492
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- This Sunday at Beacon -
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Sermon
"Evangelism in a Liberal Key"
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker
Is it any wonder that the word "Evangelism," which means literally "preaching of the gospel," has an uncomfortable ring to many religious liberals? For many reasons, some valid and some stereotypical, we tend to associate evangelism with religious bullying and intolerance, with corruption and hucksterism, with rigid creeds and finger-pointing. In some cases, this is accurate. Yet, at its best, evangelism is about proclaiming "good news," sharing a vision, helping others to heal and grow, and giving public voice to a dream. And in this very best sense, we, too can become evangelists under a billowing, open-air, distinctly liberal UU tent. Come join the revival! The choir will sing special music.
~ Please join us after the service ~
Articulating Our UU Faith
Getting to "The Point" about Unitarian Universalism
A One-hour interactive workshop with Rev. Robin
March 8, 2020 ~
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Beacon
Quick! What is Unitarian Universalism? If you are hemming and hawing and not sure where to begin to describe our unique, free-form faith, then come to the multi-purpose room for a chance to toss around some ideas and write your own "elevator speech."
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~ Monthly Touchstone Theme: Forgiveness ~
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Spotlight this Week!
Wine Tasting Party
Saturday, March 7th ~ 7:00 pm
Beacon is having a party! We will have eight different types of wines to sample. You will learn about great medium-priced wines and wine making. We will also provide beer, soft drinks, snacks, and water. In addition, we will give away some free bottles of wine as door prizes. The party is part of our Stewardship Campaign this year. We will be asking attendees to make pledges for the upcoming fiscal year. This is a great opportunity to bring your partners and friends and meet some new people. This party is all about building our Beacon community.
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Remaining Beacon Stewardship Events
Save the Dates
Beacon's annual stewardship pledge campaign is still going on. Stewardship and fundraising supports everything that a faith community does and calls us into deeper connection with each other. Stewardship is more than just planning our congregation's annual finances and budget. It is rooted in our faith principles and inspires our generous support of Unitarian Universalism, as well as our commitment to Beacon as our congregational home and the place where we seek our vision of a welcoming and loving community. Be sure to mark your calendars. Sign up electronically below, on a paper sign-up sheet found at social hour or in the Beacon office, or you can email office@beaconuu.com.
- Wine Tasting Party on Saturday, March 7th - 7:00 pm ~sign up here~
- High Tea on Sunday, March 22nd - 3:00pm ~sign up here~
- Celebration Potluck on Sunday, April 5th after the service ~sign up here~
Members are welcome to participate in these events to share their 20/20 Visions with the Beacon community and to complete their annual pledge forms.
For more information you can check the
Beacon calendar
, the
UUA Congregational Stewardship Q&A
, the
UUA Fair Share Giving Guidelines
, and the
Beacon Stewardship website
.
Dennis Spurlin
Stewardship Co-chair
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Activate at Beacon for Progressive Electoral Values
Hosted by Swingleft.org
Sunday, March 15th at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Attendees will be representatives from Flagstaff groups that are focused on electoral issues from a progressive perspective. These will include - Swingleft.org, Fairvote.org, Indivisible.org, The League of Women Voters, Democrats of Coconino County, Voteforward.org, and others. Each organization's speaker will highlight what the group does best and how locals can activate and mobilize. A town hall style discussion will follow about ways to connect between groups, organize, and plan future forums and meet-ups. An information table for materials will be available.
Janine Gelsinger, Executive Director of UU Justice Arizona will preach in the service at Beacon UU that morning at 10 a.m. (with Rev. Robin Zucker assisting). about our own "UU The Vote" effort and how it intersects with other electoral initiatives. Light refreshments will be served at the forum. Please share this information within your groups, Facebook friend circle and other venues.
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Save the Date!
Building and Grounds Work Day
March 21, 2020 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
We will be focusing on the front and side yards, and some interior tasks.
Breakfast treats provided!
Theresa deBoer, B&G Chair
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Social Justice Allies
Immigration Awareness Series at NAU
NAU No More Deaths, in collaboration with Latin American Studies and (STAC) Student Activities Council, is sponsoring a number of powerful
Immigration Awareness Series events during the month of March.
As noted below, most events are in the Liberal Arts building, Room 120, however Friday, March 27 events are in other locations. Please see link for further details about all these events.
- Tuesday, March 10, at 7:30 PM in the Liberal Arts 120, screening of Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra's new film, The Infiltrators (2019).
- Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 PM in the Liberal Arts 120, screening of Alex Rivera's award-winning film, Sleep Dealer (2009).
- Tuesday, March 24, at 5:30 PM in the Liberal Arts 120 journalist Todd Miller reads from and presents his new book, Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border around the World (2019).
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Friday, March 27, ALL DAY LONG, in du Boise Center Aspen A, B, C & Juniper Room, an interdisciplinary conference:
Critical Approaches to Migration, Bordering, Diversity & Justice-From Analysis to Action
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Friday March 27 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm at MOCAF (555 Blackbird Roost #5): Borderlands, Mixed Media Art event exploring how front line communities are experiencing, reflecting and engaging with social injustices of the Borderlands.
For more details on these events, please click
here.
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Religious Exploration
"Horton Hears a UU: Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss"
Our Religious Exploration program, "Horton Hears A UU: Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss" continues in March with these books and life lessons for Pre K-5. Sharing the story, discussion, drama, crafts and videos bring these timeless stories to life in the multi-purpose room.
March 8th, 2020
~ "The Sneetches"
We'll talk about inequality and judging others. We'll write a poem together about fairness, Watch the 12 minute Sneetches video and Make Self Portraits!
(This RE lesson was scheduled for February but will be repeated due to low attendance)
March 15th, 2020 ~ "Gertrude McFuzz"
What can happen when you are self-centered and greedy (even with feathers!)?
March 22nd, 2020 ~ "Green Eggs and Ham"
We are always learning and growing, especially when we are willing to try new things.
March 29th, 2020 ~ "Horton Hears a Who"
"A person's a person no matter how small." Have you ever had someone try to silence you or belittle you because you were small?
Religious Exploration for Middle Schoolers - Building Bridges
.
Building Bridges Updates:
Surprise! Steve Ochi was able to get a small group of Building Bridges kids to our local mosque after all in February! He reports they were warmly welcomed and had a very interesting time. Ask Rhys and Trent if you want details!
Sunday, March 8, 2020 ~ We will study Native America spirituality with an emphasis on the beliefs of the Navajo and Hopi tribes. We hope all interested Middle School students will join us at 10am upstairs at Beacon!
"OUR WHOLE LIVES" at BEACON UU CONGREGATION
Real World Sexuality Education for Young People
OWL is a widely acclaimed lifespan sexuality education curriculum, developed jointly by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC). OWL provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information for all ages about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality. The course does not adopt a specific religious perspective Classes are facilitated by dedicated Beacon UU members who have received training and certification through the UUA. You can learn more about our program at Beacon here:
https://www.beaconuu.com/our-whole-lives-owl/
and
read all about OWL on the UUA website,
www.uua.org/re/owl
.
All 7
th
and 8
th
graders in Flagstaff are invited to participate in the program. Regular attendance is expected. Because of the nature of the program materials, a parent orientation is a requirement for ALL participants.
Attendance at one Parent Orientation is REQUIRED
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Sunday, February 23, 12 noon - 2 PM.,
OR
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Tuesday, March 3, 6:00-8:00 PM
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If you missed these orientations, please email OWLFlagstaff@gmail.com to schedule an alternative orientation time.
Our OWL program for 7
th
and 8
th
graders will be held from 1:00 - 5:30 PM on
All meetings will be held at Beacon UU Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff, Az 86001
Requested sliding scale donation for the 7
th
/8
th
grade class materials
$75-$125 (Beacon members), $100-$150 (non-members)
Questions or additional information? Contact OWLFlagstaff@gmail.com
~ Volunteering for Beacon's Religious Exploration Program ~
The RE program for children ages 0 to 12 is up and running for the new year. We have a few very dedicated volunteers already signed up to assist us in the classroom on Sunday mornings. We could still use a few more to complete our schedule through May, 2020. The only requirement is that you show up and offer to supervise as a responsible adult in the room. Very little teaching is required of you as we have a regular teacher in the classroom to lead the lesson. You may be asked to hold or read to a child or help them with a task.
If you haven't already done so, you will be asked to give information to us so that we can do a simple background check on you. Otherwise, all you need to do is pick a date or two and, if you don't mind, fill out our volunteer form which you can download from a link here and return it to Rev. Robin, Linda Ochi, or Kay Johnson. Or send us an email regarding your willingness to help out. Thank You.
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UU Game Night and Potluck
Friday, March 27, 2020 ~ 6:00 pm
Join other Beacon members and friends for games, friendship and great food at Beacon. If you have any questions please email Anne Wittke at wittke.anne@gmail.com.
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Chalice Circles
Sunday, March 22 11:30am - 1:00pm
Tuesday, March
24 7:00pm - 8:00pm
All are welcome!
The theme for March is Forgiveness. This month's Touchstones journal link can be found here.
Touchstones Chalice Circles are designed to meet our needs for belonging (intimacy) and meaning (ultimacy) by building friendships and providing opportunities to ponder life's questions, small and large, with others who share the common values of our UU Principles. All are welcome.
Chalice Circle continues to meet on the 4th Sunday & Tuesday of each month. Discussion examines subjects as provided in the monthly journal of Unitarian Universalism,
Touchstones.
To meet the needs of the congregation, we have made attendance open.
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UUA General Assembly
Providence, RI. June 24-28, 2020
Rooted, Inspired & Ready!
We are in touch with our theological roots, we are engaged in transforming our faith and we are fired up to take action in the wider world. Featuring Naomi Klein, 2020 Ware Lecturer.
We have funds designated to help send Beacon congregants to GA!
Speak to Rev. Robin. For more information visit
https://www.uua.org/ga.
Pacific Western District Assembly
San Luis Obispo, CA. April 24-26, 2020.
"The Climate of Justice"
Registration is now open. We have funds to help defray the cost of registrations for both Assemblies. Contact Rev. Robin,
minister@beaconuu.com
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Joys and Concerns
March 1, 2020
Robin shared the joy of Beacon's OWL program being covered in a Daily Sun article this week.
Steve shared the sorrow for a dear friend who has cancer and will undergo chemo and surgery, as well as a joy for his youngest who underwent successful surgery in Boston.
Ruth shared the joy that her daughter turns 19 on March 10th.
Adam shared a joy for two friends.
Linda shared a sorrow for David R. whose father passed away and a joy for the sanctuary's wall hanging and metalwork.
Nancy shared the joy of having fun music at Beacon.
Gabe shared a joy for Donna Russell's caring efforts for family members.
"Let us remember that everyone is fighting their own private battle. We don't always know what it is, but because we're human we know it to be true. May we be kind, compassionate, flexible and forgiving with one another." - Rev. Robin
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March
Share the Plate Partner
Beacon's community partner for March 2020 is Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS). Established in 2006 by concerned citizens, business owners, and faith-based organizations, FSS provides critical shelter, food, and access to resources for Flagstaff's most vulnerable people. Regardless of faith, mental health or sobriety, the shelter serves any adult experiencing homelessness.
In 2014, FSS became a year-round shelter serving those in need every night of the year, providing personal and behavioral crisis response, and helping clients move from crisis toward self-sufficiency.
Congregational members can nominate an organization to be a community partner. Please pick up a form from the CAC folder in the Beacon administrative office or contact a member of the committee and provide supporting documentation for your nomination. Members of CAC are Joanne Parkes, Susan Patrick, Steven Patrick, and Lynda L. Dorweiler.
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Our Caring Connections
Confidential Pastoral care is available to all members and friends, new and longstanding. Our Caring Circle works with our minister to offer support, practical assistance, and companionship. Please let us know (through our team, staff, musical or affinity groups) of needs for a listening ear and caring connections. Contact Rev. Robin or Dorothy Rissel at
dorothy.rissel@gmail.com
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Rivers of Change, Prophecy and Possibilities
Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology
March 13-14, 2020
Tamaya Resort, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico
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Book Discussion Group
The Christian Gospel for Americans
- David Griffin
Tuesday, March 17th - 6:00 pm @ Beacon
Opportunity to read and discuss a new book by David Ray Griffin, author and Professor of Religion and Theology.
Discussion group to be lead by Marcus Ford, retired NAU Professor of Philosophy and recent presenter at Beacon UU.
In
The Christian Gospel for Americans (2019), David Griffin considers the question, "is it possible to be a Christian in the 21 century and, if so, what does this entail for citizens of the US?" Answering these two questions forces one to consider a good deal of modern science, on the one hand, and a good deal of history--both the history of first century, when Jesus lived, and the last couple of centuries of American history. How should Christians understand other religions, how should they understand American foreign policy, and how should they engage in issues involving human-caused climate change and species extinction?
David Griffin is one of the most innovative and bold thinkers of our time. This book will give you plenty to think about. It might even make you reconsider what you thought you knew for sure.
Anyone interested in reading and discussing this provocative exploration of Christian belief and ideology, please join in. Contact Mark James at ndjames@aol.com with questions.
The group of interested participants will meet for six gatherings starting in mid-March, tentatively on Tuesdays, at an agreed upon time determined at the first meeting.
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WhaleCoast Alaska 2020
Have you ever wanted to visit Alaska? If so,
WhaleCoast Alaska 2020
is for you! 4 Alaska UU congregations invite you to experience our unique environmental and spiritual program this summer. See Alaska through the eyes of local UUs, with friendly homestays and unique tour activities. See wildlife, including moose, bears, caribou, whales, bald eagles, sea lions, etc. Visit Denali National Park. Experience Native Alaskan culture. Our program is truly the best way to visit Alaska! Tours led by Dave Frey, member of the Fairbanks UU congregation and Alaska travel expert. Find out more about this Alaskan trip of a lifetime. For complete info go to:
www.WhaleCoastAK.org
, email dfrey@whalecoastak.org or call 907-322-4966. Discount for groups of 8 or more. We would love to share our Alaska with you!
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Volunteer Opportunity
The Flagstaff Area National Monuments are recruiting Volunteers-In-Parks (VIPs) to help
support a number of activities at Walnut Canyon National Monument during our busy spring break season. Volunteer activities include helping young visitors become Junior Rangers, helping to manage overflow parking, and serving as Ro
ving Rangers on the trails.
Dates
: Our immediate need is March 7th - April 26th. However, once you have been trained VIPs can volunteer year-round.
Hours: Our times of greatest need are typically during the middle of the day - especially Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We are hoping to find volunteers that can commit to durations of 2-4 hours.
Training: We will provide on-site training to volunteers. These volunteer training sessions will be set up at the convenience of the volunteer, and potentially in small groups depending on the number of interested participants.
Interested parties should contact the Walnut Canyon
lead park ranger Ryan Carpenter at
Ryan is in the office Tuesday - Saturday.
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Flag Friends
Anne Wittke is in charge of a group called FlagFriends, that she and another person took over from Joy Danfin. This group encourages local folks from Flagstaff to make friends with foreign students attending NAU for anywhere from a semester to 4 years, and the students have a wide range of interests, from hiking, chess, traveling, music, to you name it.
Flagfriends.org is a website that students and hosts sign up on, so potential hosts can browse the list of students and propose matches. Students can't see anything unless someone proposes a match, so your private information is protected. The website does have some shortcomings, but I much prefer that to having to match students and hosts by hand! I just need to find more interested hosts so the students don't spend all their time here unmatched.
To sign up, go to the website, fill in the forms, and respond to the automatic email to verify your address. We have gotten a number of new students signed up this week.
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Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, March 5, 2020
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
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Our Whole Lives
Saturday, March 7, 2020
12:00 pm - 5:30 pm
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Wine Tasting Party
Saturday, March 7, 2020
7:00 pm
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Worship, RE & Child Care
Sunday, March 8, 2020
10:00 am - 11:00 am
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Articulating Our UU Faith
Sunday, March 8 2020
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
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Finance Team Meeting
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
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Coming Up: UU Potluck and Game Night
Friday, March 27, 2020
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
If you would like to submit a calendar event, send an email to
office@beaconuu.com
. With all requests, please indicate the following: proposed start and end time of the event, the space/room preferred, and a rough group size. On the occasion of a cancellation or rescheduling of an event, please let the office know in a timely fashion to ensure that your event is correctly represented in the newsletter and order of service. Thank you!
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Everyday Ways to Support Beacon UU
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.
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? 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
Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker
Mon: 11:00 am - 4:00 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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Director of RE
Our engaging programs for all ages continue while
we search for a new Religious Exploration Director.
Rev. Robin can answer your RE questions.
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Office Manager,
Ben Jefferies
Mon: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Wed: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Thurs: 9:00 am - 2:00 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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The Fall 2019 issue of UUWorld contained an article by Rev. Christian Schmidt called "Gift card scammers targeting congregation." https://www.uuworld.org/articles/church-gift-card-scam
Last year Beacon's web service provider, Dreamhost, notified the Beacon webmaster that there was malware on our site. The Constant Contact plugin we use for folks to sign up for our newsletter was infected, so the webmaster immediately removed the plugin. It was apparent that email lists in our Constant Contact online account had been compromised because several Beacon newsletter recipients received phishing emails at about the same time of the notification from Dreamhost and the article in UUWorld.
This year Constant Contact has provided a new plugin and our website is no longer infected. However, our email lists compromised last year are probably still on the market being bought by spammers and scammers. This could account for the recent spate of phishing emails sent to Beacon newsletter recipients.
Here are a few simple checks to help avoid falling victim to a phishing email.
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Verify the email address of the sender. If it doesn't match delete it. Hackers may spoof an email sender's address to look like someone you know. If the email seems unusual and purports to be from someone you know, look for inconsistencies like word choice, spelling, signature styles, etc.
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Verify every link's destination before clicking it. Hover over the link to make sure the web address is the one you want to go to. Be wary of
urgent
requests and do not click a link or reply to the email unless you have verified the request through other means of communication.
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Be very suspicious if the email requests payment by gift card or bit coin. If you click a link that requests credit or debit card numbers or bank account numbers do not respond without verifying the destination of the web page.
If you fall victim to internet fraud visit
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/on-the-internet
for help. In addition to phishing and spoofing, malware and scareware is used to solicit funds from victims. Ransomware is also frequently delivered through phishing emails. A spoofed email may contain a link to a bogus web page that appears to be from your financial institution requesting your login credentials and account numbers. Do
not
enter Personal Identification Information (PII) online without confirming the web address. Malware may be inadvertently downloaded from web sites linked to from an email. Most ransom emails are bogus however, ransomware that locks up your computer can be a serious matter. You can minimize your risk with antivirus software, frequent backups, and caution when using email and the web.
Welcome to the Information Age
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If you are not on Beacon's exclusive Google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. It is useful for spreading information about something going on in Flagstaff, informing others of social action activities, offering an item for sale or to give away, sharing enthusiasm about a book or movie, requesting information or recommendations -- and more! It's simple to sign up! Email our Office Manager, at
office@beaconuu.com or Visit:
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/uuflag
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Newsletter submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm to office@beaconuu.com
in order to be included in the newsletter.
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