Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492e
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E-News for March 10th - 17th, 2022 |
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- Sundays at Beacon -
WE’RE BACK IN THE SANCTUARY FOR WORSHIP! JOIN US.
Masks required
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Service For March 13th, 2022, at 10am
"Sliding Doors and the Lives We Didn't Live"
All are welcome! Masks required
Have you ever noticed that all of the stories in our lives that we re-write tend to have happier endings, sometimes even mythic? What is the allure of imagining do-overs of glory?
As we round the corner to one year of pandemic reality (and colliding with Daylight Savings Time and the Ides of March, to boot), we'll explore how the very modern preoccupation of imagining alternate selves can be fuel for fantasy and escape, but also fodder for regret and despair. We’ll ask: “How can we reckon with and make peace with the lives we have led and are living now without gazing into a murky ‘what if’ crystal ball?”
Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, preaching, with Worship Associate Pia Driessen-Knittle. We’ll hear our Beacon choir, under the direction of Jason Drahos, and piano pieces from Austin Shaw.
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Beacon UU – YouTube sensation! 15 months, 63 recorded and edited worship services that you can tune into anytime you’d like for a first viewing or a re-viewing. Share our channel with friends you’d like to introduce to Beacon. See our virtual service history on the "Beacon UUC" Youtube Channel You can also view past sermon descriptions and PDFs on our website here.
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YOUTUBE RECORDINGS ARE BACK!
We want to stay connected to you even if you are not comfortable right now attending in-person worship. The following 2022 sermons have been uploaded to YouTube:
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RELAXING OF OUR COVID SAFETY GUIDELINES, MARCH 2022
On February 28, the Board revisited our safety policies and made some changes based on Public health shifts. We will continue to require masks and hand sanitizing for worship and other gatherings. The need to provide proof of vaccination has been dropped for now. We will continue to have some social distancing in the Sanctuary. We will resume choir rehearsals and we will sing our hymns (masked). Committee meetings will continue to take place mostly on Zoom. This policy is not a judgement of personal health care decisions. It is an institutional policy to safeguard the well-being of the community. Thank you. We’ll continue to adapt and update this policy along with new public health developments.
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Please note: We recommend that you donate to Vanco directly from a bank account to save us the fees associated with credit card donations. More for us to sustain our congregation.
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MEETING FOR A CONGREGATIONAL VOTE
Date & Time: Sunday April 24, 2022, at 11:30 AM (after the Service)
Location: In person at 510 N Leroux St., Flagstaff
Purpose: Vote whether to approve the Endowment Plan for Beacon Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Flagstaff, which you can access at HYPERLINK (forthcoming). Also, if approved, elect initial Governors of the Plan
Agenda:
- On entering the room, voting members sign in with the Secretary. If, in addition to voting on your own behalf, you have registered as a proxy for another voting member on or before April 23, make sure the Secretary verifies that you can cast an additional vote.
- Introduce Board.
- Verify a quorum of 25% of members present in person or by proxy. State that approval requires a majority of votes cast.
- The authors of the Endowment Plan, who intend to serve as initial Trustees, make a brief presentation.
- Q&A and Discussion
- Vote on the Endowment Plan.
- If the plan is approved, vote to approve the initial Governors of the Endowment Plan.
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MAKING MUSIC AT BEACON!
The choir has resumed Thursday 7 p.m. rehearsals
and will sing in the service on March 13th.
All are welcome to join the choir. Masks are required.
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Leadership in a Church Community
Written by Wendy Bruun
Who greets visitors on Sunday mornings? Who tends to the church property? Who prepares the church budget? Who reviews and updates Beacon policies? Who facilitates OWL for our youth? Leaders do all of these things and more. Unlike other churches that may have a robust hired staff to take care of the business and activities of church, Beacon relies on its professional minister, lay leadership, and many volunteers. From social and spiritual activities to managing the budget and facility, from religious education and OWL sexuality education to choir and worship service planning, there are opportunities sprinkled throughout Beacon for each of us to lend our talents. And because we are a smaller congregation, it is important that each of us offer our time and skills to the vibrant community that is Beacon.
Sometimes we may want to step up and lead a project or activity, and other times we may need to step down and step back - such is the cycle of the seasons and the cycle of our lives. Over the last 14 years, I have been a RE teacher, RE committee chair, Board President (twice!), Leadership Succession Planning Team member (several times), OWL volunteer and educator, Auction committee member, and Stewardship chair. I enjoy short-term project based involvement as well as standing committee work. I enjoy the opportunity to get to know other members and friends through service to Beacon. And there were years I wasn't involved in anything because of the other events of my life. Seasons and cycles.
If you haven't found your niche, or haven't served in a leadership role for a couple years, we invite you to consider which opportunity might be your calling for this year. You don't need to be an expert and you don't need to be a trained leader. A willing spirit and a commitment to serve is the first step to getting involved.
Interested but don't know how to get started?
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Visit the Beacon website to explore involvement or standing committees.
- Call or email a Leadership Succession Planning Team member and we will gladly help you find an opportunity that matches with your skills and interest. LSPT members include: Barry Brenneman (chair), Char Tarashanti, Dennis Spurlin, Jeremy Young, Lisa Skow, Theresa DeBoer, and Wendy Bruun.
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OUR OPEN DOOR
BEACON’S ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
On Sunday March 6, we kicked off our annual stewardship campaign with a service led by Rev. Robin. Her sermon is entitled, “You Were Never Not Coming Here,” and the service will include testimonials from Beacon members.
Come walk through our open door to be enriched and supported.
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Welcome to our new Office Manager, Paula Czernicki!
Paula has joined our staff, as of February 28. Paula spent her career as an educator and administrator, and we are so glad to have her on board with us at Beacon. Stop by to say hello Monday and Thursday, between 10 and 3.
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
The 2020-2021 year Religious Exploration classes were a great success. We are so grateful for the dedication and creativity of our Beacon teachers, Dru Monroe and Stephanie Van Belle and their counterparts at Granite Peak UU in Prescott.
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Kids at Beacon- All are welcome!
For now, classes will remain virtual. We appreciate you support in volunteering for RE!
Children and youth are always welcome in worship! We do ask that children over 3 years old wear a face mask while in the church building. There will be activity packets available for children during the service.
Religious Exploration is back at Beacon!
RE Offerings for March 13th, 2022
K-5th
CartUUns
10am-11am
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82261886552?pwd=ZnNuY1lSVGxiVTRVREMzYldUaURTdz09
Meeting ID: 822 6188 6552
Passcode: beacon510
THE ZOOM LINK HAS CHANGED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE RE YEAR. Old Zoom links will no longer work.
March 13th
The students will be watching a short called Purl and discussing inequality and fitting in.
Middle School
D'oh God
11:30am-12:45pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83157068793?pwd=TEhDWE9KUlYzeEp0MlhIV2tManEwQT09
Meeting ID: 831 5706 8793
Passcode: beacon510
THE ZOOM LINK HAS CHANGED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE RE YEAR. Old Zoom links will no longer work.
March 13th
The Middle/High School D'oh God Class will watch a Simpsons episode entitled "Today I am a Clown" (Season 15, Episode 6). This episode will explore the Jewish tradition of a bar and bat mitzvah. Discussion will include comparing it to other Coming of Age rituals. Please join us!
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Religious Exploration for Adults
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A Faith For All Seasons
Liberal Religion and the Crises of Life
A five-part reading and discussion group with Rev. Robin
On Zoom, Thursdays from 12-1:15 PM,
Remaining Date: March 17th, 2022
In his book, A Faith For All Seasons, the Rev. William Murry writes that “no religion is worthy of its name unless it provides a vision of meaning and purpose for the individual’s life and help in times of personal crisis.” Murry wrote his landmark book in 1990 to refute the idea that Unitarian Universalism is a “fair weather faith” that fails to provide these resources. Especially as we continue to move through and reflect on our individual and communal experiences of the pandemic, this book provides a clear and valuable framework for meaning making. In this program, we’ll read each of the five brief chapters in Murry’s book and explore a wide range of provocative questions in the accompanying study guide. Topics include: The resources of a Liberal Faith, and chapters devoted to the Crises of Meaning and Purpose, Pain and Suffering, Loss and Grief, and Death. All materials will be available to download here, on the Beacon website.
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Share Your Joys and Sorrows- Chime In!
One way we can sustain connection during this time apart is by sharing our personal joys and sorrows. These can be small things or large things that effect your life. These are spoken during service every Sunday, or you can send them to Rev. Robin by Saturday night each week at minister@beaconuu.com to be shared.
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Joys and Sorrows from March 6th, 2022
Paul shared that hundreds of Russians bravely protested their nation's war against Ukraine and encouraged those present to attend the Sunday noon gathering at Flagstaff City Hall in support of Ukraine.
lore is elated that his mother's immunotherapy treatment is going well and that the retreat he recently attended was very helpful.
Lise's cousin who had been hospitalized with covid finally has returned home, 40 pounds lighter, but should be fine.
Jan is celebrating the arrival of her TWELFTH great-grandchild: Luca Rafael Pina.
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A “Best Wishes” Sendoff for Roseanne and Dorothy
Please join us on April 3rd at 11:15 AM, after our worship service, for a “Best Wishes” sendoff for Roseanne Fulcher and Dorothy Rissel. They are headed to Knightdale, NC, for their next chapter in life! They have been a committed, engaged part of Beacon’s community, joining us in 2008 during their first year in Flagstaff. They jumped right in with chairing the stewardship campaign. In the years since, they have served on the Board, the Choir, and the Caring Circle; organized after-school art classes at Kilip Elementary; and helped with Keep Flagstaff Together.
If you would like to bring something edible to share, in order to minimize contact, please prepare your offering into individual servings (i.e., cookies, individual fruit cups, etc.), wrapping each in advance. Single serving bagels and cream cheese, individually wrapped, will also be available.
If you choose to capture your best wishes in writing, too, feel free to bring a card, your favorite quote, photo, or joy-filled story or memory to give them.
Weather permitting, our plan is to gather in the backyard.
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Memorial Service for Mary Jo Rybolt
May 1st, 2022 at 12pm
We will host a memorial service for Mary Jo Rybolt with refreshments before and a reception afterwards on May 1, 2022 at 12pm at Beacon. Requests for help with the reception will be forthcoming.
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January-March 2022 Share the Plate Partner |
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Beacon’s community partner for January-March 2022 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, and ethnicity the shelter serves any adult experiencing homelessness.
In 2014, FSS became a year-round shelter serving those in need every day and night of the year, providing personal and behavioral crisis response, onsite health clinic, and helping clients move from crisis toward self-sufficiency.
The Shelter sees 2000 unduplicated individuals per year: 20% are vets, 40% are women (98% of the women have experienced domestic violence), and 21% are older than 55. Largely thanks to FSS, 86% of the individuals do not return to homelessness.
Undesignated contributions to this quarter’s Sunday service offerings above $250 will be presented to Flagstaff Shelter Services.
Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made by using the designated form in the CAC folder (located in the office) or by contacting Susan Patrick, Katy Grant, or Lynda L. Dorweiler (CAC members).
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General Assembly Registration is Open.
The Annual General Assembly will take place June 22-26, 2022, in Portland, OR.
The GA is multi-platform with all sessions available on line. We are entitled to two delegates to vote on important denominational matters during the GA plenary sessions.
Would you like to attend GA? Would you like to serve as a delegate (members only)? We have funds in our budget to cover the registration cost for our two delegates to attend remotely. ($250 per person)
Learn more about GA at http://www.uua.org/ga Information about housing is on the site also if you chose to attend in person.
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Activate at Beacon with the Social Justice Allies! |
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The Social Justice Allies meet monthly on Zoom to discuss issues and actions. If you wish to join them, contact the convener Paul Beier. paul.beier@nau.edu
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Side with Love Action Center
The work that we do together to build a world in which all of us are free and thriving is interrelated. When we ground our spirits, grow our skills, and act strategically for justice in deep relationship with each other and our Movements, we choose to Side With Love.
Action Center is a place where we unite in work towards a world where we all thrive. Together we take action, Side With Love, and make deep impacts in this critical moment. Links for various action areas such as Democracy, LGBTQ and Gender Justice, and Climate Justice.
Dive into the Side with Love’s annual 30 Days of Love here:
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Volunteer At Flagstaff Food Center With Beacon! |
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The Flagstaff Food Center is doing small group volunteers for their dinner service! Beacon is looking for a group of 5 volunteers to help out!
Volunteers are needed the 4th & 5th Wednesdays of every month, from 3pm-5pm. The dinner service is at the FFFC Kitchen. (1903 N 2nd Street) Beacon's next volunteer date is March 23rd.
The dinner service is different during the pandemic. There is no indoor dining as we hand all the dinners out in to-go containers through a walk-up window. We need help from volunteers to portion meals into to-go containers, hand food out through our walk-up window, and wash serving pans.
Volunteer Safety: Volunteers are required to wear a mask, closed-toe shoes, and long pants, and to regularly wash or sanitize their hands and practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible. Gloves for food preparation and distribution will be provided to you at the kitchen. We have plexiglass installed at our walk-up window as a safeguard against COVID-19. We provide hand sanitizer and handwashing facilities and encourage regular use. We have enhanced cleaning protocols at our facilities and sanitize surfaces daily.
Sue Strobel will be organizing teams monthly, she can be contacted at 928 522-3284 (cell) or 928-526-5156 (home) if interested in volunteering!
More summer volunteer opportunities can be found here.
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Book GroUUp Spring 2022
3rd Wednesdays 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Join UUJAZ each month for a justice-centered book discussion from the perspective of our Unitarian Universalist values.
Purchasing your books from the UUA Bookstore, InSpirit, supports the work of our faith tradition.
Book GroUUp is free to all our monthly sustaining donors. If you wish to join but aren't a donor, you can contribute a suggested donation of $10 per group. If you aren't financially able to donate, join us anyway!
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2022 Rainbow Family Camp
Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22, 2022
Rainbow Family Camp is back! Rainbow Family Camp is a fun-filled weekend where families with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parents and guardians come together for friendship and fun with other LGBTQ families.
Proof of vaccination will be required prior to arrival at Camp. Currently, masking is required for all indoor activities except for while a camper is sitting down to eat or drink. Unfortunately, at this time only campers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed on the campus. Sadly, that means children not yet vaccinated or ineligible for vaccination will not be able to attend.
Registration to attend opened on March 4, 2022.
Prices includes lodging, all meals, activities, and supplies. A $75 per person non-refundable deposit is required to confirm registration.
Adults ages 19 and up: $175 per person
Teens ages 13 - 18: $160 per person
Children ages 5 - 12: $140 per person
To make camp affordable, you can even make monthly payments!
This event sells out super-fast, so get registered early!
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The Arizona Faith Network offers many opportunities to enroll in free webinars and sign on to many actions and initiatives across the spectrum of social justice issues.
Events include programs on “Empathy, Exhaustion and Social Change,” Circles of Hope, Healing and Humanity, and meetings of various teams addressing voting rights, criminal reform, hunger issues, racial justice, and indigenous rights. Find out more: https://www.arizonafaithnetwork.org/
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YA New Series – Becoming S.A.G.E. – Spiritual Activists for the Earth
Arizona Interfaith Power and Light is excited to announce the launch of a new interview series called “Becoming S.A.G.E. – Spirited Activists Greening the Earth.” We interview the Sages among us who are engaging in faithful advocacy living out AZIPL’s mission to mobilize people of faith and conscience to care for our common home and work for climate justice. Find out more (including YouTube links) at http://www.azipl.org
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Lifespan Religious Exploration Resources for Learning About and Responding to Racism |
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This painful moment in time calls us to focus our learning and reflection on allyship to people of color, understanding white privilege, and reflecting on how we can part of a systemic sea change and solution in our society.
Beacon has provided resources for all ages addressing how we as individuals and as communities can learn about and respond to racism. For the full list of resources, activities and community meetings, visit Beacon's Religious Exploration pages.
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Healing Racism and Murdoch Center Programs and Events
Healing Racism Arizona and the Murdoch Community Center in Flagstaff have several events in the next few weeks that might be of interest to the Beacon community. Healing Racism Arizona is accessible through Facebook.
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Live events for the Murdoch Community Center are also through Facebook
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And can be watched afterwards on their YouTube channel Tune in here.
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Worship Service
Sunday, March 6th, 2022
10:00am
"Sliding Doors and the Lives We Didn't Live"
Beacon Sanctuary
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You can keep up with future Beacon events by checking out the Beacon calendar!
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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.
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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
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Minister,
Rev. Robin Zucker
she/her/hers
Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 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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Office Manager
Paula Czernicki
she/her/hers
Mon: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wed: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thurs: 10:00 am - 3:00 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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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 dedicated 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!
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Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News
Newsletter submissions must be submitted by Wednesday at 4:00 pm
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