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Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492
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Please click on the links below to read more about Beacon's Action Plan:
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- This Sunday at Beacon -
May 31st, 2020
Virtual Service
"Solitude and Grief in the Time of Covid"
Hosted by Rev. Robin, with Worship Associate Mark James preaching
Music from Gabriel Hernandez and Rebecca Prizznick
The challenges inherent in living through this time of Covid-19 demand sufficient time for solitude; time without human obligation. Wendell Berry declares this is best found in wild places. But refuge can also be found in quieting of the mind, in meditation. In these quiet spaces inner voices become audible. There, both joy and grief may reveal themselves and inform our compassion. Let's visit them, both together and in solitude.
Lyrics and Unison readings will be visible in the service recording.
~ Please join us after the service ~
Virtual Social Hour on Zoom at 11:00 am
Or call +1 669 900 6833 and enter
Meeting ID: 675 489 291
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Joys and Concerns
While Beacon maintains our Social Distance, please email Reverend Robin if you would like any Joys and Concerns shared with the congregation. Please submit the Joys and Concerns to
minister@beaconuu.com by Thursday at 12:00 pm for inclusion in that Sunday's worship.
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Spotlight this Week!
Circle Suppers at Beacon
Circle Suppers, a Beacon tradition for 30 years, is starting again this summer. Beaconites can sign up to participate in 3-5 small group potluck suppers (or other meals), between June and August. We are making provisions for either outside or zoom gatherings to accommodate your needs. Full details are listed below in this newsletter.
If you would like to participate, please
sign up using the online form below by Sunday, May 31st. Contact
paul.beier@nau.edu with any questions.
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Religious Exploration
We encourage Beacon families to continue Religious Exploration at home!
Religious Exploration for Children
~ Beacon's RE program is taking a couple of weeks off. We will have more RE at Home offerings starting June 7th. ~
Religious Exploration for Middle/High School
Beacon's programming for Youth, "Building Bridges" also wrapped up last week. One participant said of the program:
"Building Bridges helps you keep an open mind so you can hear people out about what they believe. It helps you realize there is no one right faith."
To read all of the participant and teacher reviews of Building Bridges, click
here.
Religious Exploration for Adults
A special thanks to all those who participated in the "Lunch of the Transcendentalists... and Rev. Robin" program. Rev. Robin will continue Adult Religious Education programming at some point in June.
"OUR WHOLE LIVES" at BEACON UU CONGREGATION
Real World Sexuality Education for Young People
OWL has been postponed until in person meetings are once again possible. For attendees of the 2020 OWL Program, please keep an eye on your email box for updates from the coordinators.
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Annual Congregational Meeting - Sunday, June 14, 2020
In the next few days, Beacon members should receive email invitations with the meeting agenda and links to the Zoom meeting. They will also receive postcard reminders to attend the annual meeting to vote on the budget and slate officers. Please watch for your invitation and check
https://www.beaconuu.com/annual-town-hall-and-congregational-meeting/
for additional information. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Beacon Board President at
president@beaconuu.com
.
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Beacon Stewardship
There are members of our congregation especially impacted by this coronavirus pandemic. While we wait to see if we're touched by the virus, other health concerns are put at risk. Some of us have lost income, and others are providing financial support to family members and others who have lost income. A stewardship campaign to solicit pledges for next year's Beacon budget may not register high on a list of priorities for some of us.
However, Beacon will likely be adjusting to a new normal during FY 2020-21, to meet the needs of the Beacon congregation and the Flagstaff community. Beacon has a long
history
of support for our community on a meager budget. It has and will survive hard times as long as we remain a connected community - connected with Flagstaff and each other.
Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation
510 N. Leroux St
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
OR
Thank you all so much for supporting our Beacon community.
Dennis Spurlin
Stewardship Co-chair
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Beacon's Stories Project
This week's featured writer is Carl Taylor. Please follow the link to read his story. May the stories ease your isolation, provide some entertainment and help you feel more connected to other Beacon members during this time of social distancing! We plan to provide a story each week until we run out!
If you would like to contribute to this project, send your 1000 word or less story to Dru Monroe at
edrumonroe@gmail.com or write to ask for more information. Don't miss this chance to share a part of yourself with our loving Beacon community!
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SIGN UP Time for Circle Suppers at Beacon
Break bread with a few other Beaconites
"A Beacon tradition for 30 years"
COVID-19 sure has made it hard to stay connected. As an avid dancer, I am dismayed that I will likely have a full year without my traditional 12 evenings and 4 full weekends of gliding around a room from one partner to the next, swirling with locked eyes, and cheering the band at the end of every song. I also miss spending time with you at Beacon services and events! As Rev Robin reminds us regularly, Beacon is and must be "always connected." Our labyrinth service provides a wonderful opportunity to meet in person. Circle suppers are another great way to connect.
Any Member or Friend of Beacon can sign up (with your partner and family) by Sunday May 31. You are signing up to participate in 3-5 potluck Suppers (or Brunches or Happy hours) during June-August. Then I will assemble participants into "Circles" of ~6-8 adults, notify you of the Circle to which you have been assigned, and assign one person to be the "Ringleader" of each Circle. With social distancing, we offer two options for each circle. (1) Virtual (online) Circle Option: participants take turns acting as host (meaning you welcome the guests, give them a video tour of your meeting space, and moderate the conversation). It really does work! (2) In-person option: The Circle gathers in person with a host with suitable outdoor space where you can space family groups at least 6 feet apart. For either option, your Circle decides when to meet, and whether and how food will be consumed. Because all credible news stories indicate that outdoor meetings with social distancing have extremely low risk, I will sign up for the in-person option.
"The rules" - Nobody has to host more than 1 Supper. If you are afraid to host a Zoom meeting, someone in your circle will help, or you can choose to participate without hosting. Hosting is also not required for in-person meetings, so please sign up even if your home too small to host 8 people. The Ringleader of each Circle works with Circle to set the dates and rules for the real or virtual suppers. The meetings continue through the end of August, until all persons who can host have done so.
By Sunday May 31st, use this
online form to provide your name, email, phone number, and the names of partners or family members who will participate with you. The form will ask which type of Circle you wish to join, and other questions that help me assemble Circles. The form also lets you provide other information, such as "my house is too small for me to host" or "I will be gone all of July" or "please put me in a circle with Barack" or "please don't put me in a circle with Donald." If you have questions, please email
paul.beier@nau.edu or text me at 928 699 3578 and I will call you back.
Always Connected,
Paul Beier
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Social Justice Allies
Thank you to Beacon members and friends who participated in last week's impressive Zoom gathering of interfaith participants from across the state! A total of 350 participants-80 of whom were from northern Arizona-had the opportunity to hear and watch responses by special guest legislators Raul Grijalva and Tom O'Halleran. Titled "From Crisis to Recovery", the May 21 session was hosted by leaders of the Valley Interfaith Network--think NAIC (No. AZ Interfaith Council), but based in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Questions focused on the double whammy of Covid-19 and the resulting economic downturn, the big challenge was "How can we be sure that the most vulnerable Arizonans, e.g. poor people, people of color, immigrants, those who are homeless, are not left behind?" While there were no silver bullets offered, both O'Halleran and Grijalva agreed to continue to communicate with our collective organizations to pursue possible solutions.
In fact, Monday, June 1, 6:30 PM there will be another Zoom event, this one looking at Covid-19's "Impact to our Economy and State and Local Budgets." Guests for this gathering will be David Lujan, Director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and George Hammond, Director of the Economic and Business Research Center in the College of Management at the University of Arizona.
You will receive the Zoom meeting information and more details when you register.
RSVP at:
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~ Monthly Touchstone Theme: Sabbath ~
~If you enjoy the Touchstones Journal, here's a virtual event you may wish to attend~
Touchstone Vespers at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY
Every Wednesday 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST (4-5 PM Arizona time)
Details and Zoom links at:
Other ongoing UU small spiritual exploration groups that will be meeting virtually are listed on the www.communitynowuu.org website, such as:
- Sanctuary Boston small group gatherings on Mondays 3:30-5:30 PM (Arizona time)
- UU Wellspring online - two hour sessions meeting every other week, beginning April 7. 4-6 PM (Arizona time)
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Chalice Circles
Chalice Circles for May has already happened. Stay tuned for our June time and date as Char and Lynda take on leadership of these circles. June's theme is "Good and Evil".
All are welcome!
The theme for May is Sabbath. 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.
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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PLUS: Beacon has funds for 3 registration fees!
Beacon would love to be fully represented at GA this year! Rev. Robin has funds designated to pay the full registration fee ($150) for 3 Beacon Delegates!
Speak to Rev. Robin if you are interested in serving!
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UU Justice Arizona Network
UUJAZ has several ongoing campaigns that we would encourage members to look into and contribute to.
Justice in the time of Pandemic
From the $11,000 of #ShareMyCheck funds raised in Prescott to be distributed to undocumented folks and mixed status families... to the trucks, SUVs, and vans full of supplies driven by UUs in Phoenix to the Black Mesa community on the Navajo Nation, UU's have been showing up and living our values during this pandemic! Have you taken action for justice in the past few months? Please take our two-question survey by June 13th. Links are also provided to participate now if you'd like... and then check your action off the list!
UUJAZ Book Group
Friday, June 19th at 12:00 pm
Its more important than ever to stay justice centered in our faith, as decisions made now will affect climate justice and structural inequity for years to come. Join Rev. Tina Squire the third Friday of each month at noon for a book discussion.
June will feature On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal, just in time for author Naomi Klein's Ware Lecture at this year's GA.
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Virtual Worship
Sunday, May 31, 2020
10:00 am - 11:00 am
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Virtual Social Hour
Sunday, May 31, 2020
11:00 am
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Worship Associates Meeting
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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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
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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
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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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You no longer need to forward your spam emails to
spam@uce.gov
, because the Federal Trade Commission is now collecting spam through a honeypot, which is an online trap. This change makes it more efficient for the FTC to collect spam that is deceptive or violates the CAN-SPAM Act. This change saves tax dollars, your time, and helps the FTC collect deceptive and illegal spam. If you lost money to a scam that started with an email, please report it at
ftc.gov/complaint
. There, you can also report spam you receive. Read more about how to
limit spam, phone calls, and mail
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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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Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News
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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