December 9, 2021
This Week
Worship
Sunday, December 12th
9:30 only
A Very Unitarian Christmas
Join all ages as we explore the Christmas holidays through story and song. This service highlights the words and music of Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists from the 19th century to today!

Join us for Worship at 9:30am in person or online: the link will be on the Live Oak homepage: www.liveoakuu.org.

No Fellowship Time this week.

Congregational Meeting
Join us for the for the Congregational Meeting on December 12, 2021
In this year's meeting we will discuss the 2022 budget, endowment awards, updates from the Executive Committee, Capital Fund updates, and more! The Congregational Meeting will occur immediately following the Pageant around 10:30 am. We will be meeting in the Sanctuary and Remotely https://youtu.be/2UB4OCK4jd8
Share the Plate
Our December Share the Plate recipient is the Minister’s Discretionary Fund at Live Oak. This fund enables Rev. Joanna to respond to members facing an immediate hardship or others who seek help from our church. Rev. Joanna has used the fund to address such needs as travel expenses to a parent’s funeral, school tuition and Covid-related medical expenses.

Go to the Donate link on the Live Oak website’s home page. Use the drop down menu to designate your donation for “Share the Plate”. In addition to those designated donations, half of all undesignated gifts in December will go to the fund.
A Few Words from the Minister
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...
Reflections and photos from Sunday. Read more



A Few Words from the DLFD
(Director of Lifespan Faith Development)
RE Choices
Introducing RE Choices, an adapted format for Sunday morning faith development to serve all ages. Read more

Special Notices
Faith Development 12.6 to 12.12.21
This week's updates for faith development... Read more

Selfies with Santa!
Selfies with Santa returns to Live Oak Saturday December 11 from 10:00 am - 2:00. This year, Santa will be outside our front doors. Sign up to reserve a time with him and be sure to bring your camera or smartphone.

This event is free and open to the public. Please share widely on neighborhood groups and with friends. Our Facebook event page is at https://fb.me/e/2EZclRnQR.


Enrich Live Oak Social Justice
Bring your Secret Sauce
The Live Oak Social Justice Ministry team is meeting Sunday, 12/12/2021 from 2-3pm on Zoom. This meeting is our first following changes to allow more focus on justice and more inclusion. Bring your energy, interests and passion for social justice. Bring a friend! Your engagement is important to enrich Social Justice at Live Oak. Read more

Here’s the agenda for the meeting. Zoom link is on What's Happening page.
For questions or concerns, contact Wayne Gregory.
Women's Labyrinth Group on Zoom
Sunday, December 12, 6:30-9 p.m
Join us for a sharing circle followed by a finger labyrinth walk. We are exploring the three-fold path of the labyrinth: Releasing, Receiving, and Returning. This month we will focus on Returning: bringing back into our daily lives the insights and wisdom that we receive on the labyrinth. Feel free to bring a song, a poem, or a short reading. The group is open to women high school age and older. The Zoom link with be sent via email for those who are on the email list for the Women’s Labyrinth Group. If you need a copy of the Live Oak Labyrinth and/or the Zoom link, contact: Linda Webster

NOTE: The Women's Labyrinth Group will meet in-person at the Live Oak UU Church on Sunday, January 9, 2022, for a sharing circle inside and a labyrinth walk outside.
Blue Christmas Vespers
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 7 pm, Live Oak sanctuary
Are you "feeling blue" this holiday season? Join us at Live Oak for a contemplative service of reflection and sharing. All are welcome.

Because members may be sharing private sorrows, this service will not be livestreamed. If you are unable to attend but would like an online version of this service, contact Rev. Joanna at minister@liveoakuu.org.

Bookworms on Zoom
December 15th at 7:15pm
We will be discussing “The Truth About Animals,” by Lucy Cooke. The Zoom link will be on the What's Happening page.

Winter Solstice In-Person Labyrinth Walk
at Live Oak Labyrinth
Tuesday, December 21, 3pm
Please join us at the entrance to the Live Oak UU Labyrinth. Light is returning, just as we are returning to the Live Oak Labyrinth! All are welcome—adults and children. We walk on the shortest day to prepare for the longest night on the Winter Solstice. We also celebrate the return of the light—the spark of the divine light in each one of us, the warmth of community, and the promise of renewed hope for 2022.
NOTE: Masks are optional outdoors for vaccinated persons. Masks are required for unvaccinated folks. For more information: Linda Webster,

Rabbi and Reverend Team Up for Good Cause
Last Sunday, Reverend Joanna and Rabbi Rebecca Reice joined together again to present "An Interfaith Holiday PJ Storytime. To a masked, pajama-clad audience made up of Live Oak and Shir Ami members, (plus an online zoom audience), the clergywomen read "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins" by Eric Kimmel, "Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story" by Cynthia Rylant, and the always popular, "The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming, A Christmas Story," by Lemony Snicket. Take-home goodie bags filled with milk, cookies, and other gifts were provided to every child, courtesy of Shir Ami. The program solicits donations of new pajamas and books that are distributed through PajamaProgram.org to children in foster homes and homeless shelters.
Why Did They Plant Trees?
On Saturday morning, the young and hard working members of our church made an investment in their future. Planting 2 trees now will result in the yearly absorption of 150 pounds of carbon dioxide when mature. These are the type of actions the newly formed Live Oak Environmental Awareness Group are committed to accomplishing.
JOIN US - WE WELCOME YOUR IDEAS. The next Zoom meeting will be Thursday, December 16 at 6:30pm. Check the What’s Happening webpage for the meeting link.
Questions, contact Chris Mihealsick

Seeking: Your Pandemic Experiences
Religious historian and writer Diana Butler Bass has been talking about how after the 1918 pandemic, churches didn’t write anything about their experience. It’s like they just wanted to move on and forget about it. I know we’re not at the end yet, but I want to begin creating a repository of videos by members sharing a little of our experiences, things we learned or realized, and our hopes for the future based on this experience.

Excerpts from some of these videos will be used in our online worship service December 26. So, here’s what I need from you ... read more

Ted Lasso Coming to Live Oak in January
Our January worship series will be drawing inspiration from the TV show on the Apple+ app, "Ted Lasso." You don't need to have seen the show to enjoy this series, but if you'd like to see it, but haven't budgeted for another streaming service, email minister@liveoakuu.org and ask for the "Ted Lasso Scholarship." If you're a Live Oak member, we'll get you all set up.

2022 Spring Campout April 8-10
Let's gather at Cedar Breaks Park on Lake Georgetown for our first church campout since fall of 2019!
All Live Oak members and friends are invited! Camp for the weekend or join us just for the day and the evening potluck on Saturday April 9. Our campouts are casual and unstructured, except for our traditional potluck supper on Saturday evening, hopefully followed by a campfire if there’s no burn ban. If you’re not a camper but want to be, or if it’s been a while since you’ve camped, join our camping facebook group and ask all your questions!

Make reservations here. Be aware that sites are filling up quickly, especially for the spring. Some of us already have lakefront sites reserved from #12 – 26 and maybe past that. If you have a national parks pass, you can use it at this Corps of Engineers park!

Feel free to contact me, Jen Swan, with any questions.
HELP DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO OUR NEIGHBORS
Live Oak Church will be distributing food to our neighbors at Fresh Food Friday and need volunteers to help.

* Thursday, December 16th @ 1:00 p.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m. food needs to be separated into smaller quantities for distribution. Meet at Hill Country Community Ministries, 1005 Lacy Dr., Leander, TX 78641

* Friday, December 17th @ 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in the Live Oak parking lot. This is when we distribute the food to our neighbors. Volunteers are needed to set up, direct people to the drive through area, collect client information, and place food in the client’s trunk. You do not need to remain the entire 2 & 1/2 hours.

HCCM has asked for 7 people for each activity. We are asking you to please let us know if you will be able to participate in either activity, so we know if we have enough or too many people.

To RSVP or for any questions please contact Donna Durbin.
Live Oak Seniors' Coffee Hour
Join Rev. Joanna for Coffee hour on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 10:30am. The Zoom link will be on the What's Happening page. Here are the topics for December:
12/2 Memories of Joy
12/16 Unexpected Gifts
LiveOakUU.org Pages to Visit:
Worship Service & Fellowship Hour: http://www.liveoakuu.org/
Community Outreach & Social Justice: http://www.liveoakuu.org/justice/
The deadline for the weekly e-newsletter and the Sunday announcements is midnight on Tuesday. The submission form can be found here
If you have any questions or comments about this Newsletter please email: editor@liveoakuu.org