The cultures we're born into have a lot to say about gender roles. And religious ideas are always woven into culture (even in societies that don’t pay much attention to religion). What has our own religious tradition taught about “women’s roles” over the decades? What are we teaching now?
We are inviting up to 50 people to attend worship in person. To sign up for this Sunday, go to: rsvp.church/r/eJ7rm65u. To make our Meeting House as safe as possible, we ask that everyone be vaccinated and wear a mask while inside. Seating in the Sanctuary has been adjusted for safe distancing, and the ventilation system can accommodate many more than 50 people. We are glad to welcome those who are comfortable attending in person.
The service will be live-streamed from the Sanctuary at 10 a.m. The link will be shared on our website, uusociety.org. If you miss the livestream, a recording will be available on our YouTube channel.
All are welcome to Outdoor Coffee Hour at 11 a.m. in front of the Meeting House, and Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:15 a.m. at this link: bit.ly/3j4RxJ9.
Open House Funday Sunday
for Children & Families
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
Sunday, March 20, 10-11 a.m.
This Sunday, we invite the children of our congregation to come get reacquainted with, or visit for the first time ever, the spaces here that are "for them." We’ll open up the Nursery, the Library, the Spirit Play Classrooms, and the Community Room, with toys, games, craft materials, puzzles, and even ping pong at the ready.
Families are invited to circle up at 10 a.m., light a chalice together, share introductions, joys, and sorrows, and then head off to explore. We’ll reconvene for a closing song just before 11, and those who want to can join the coffee hour which will be served above, either in the front vestibule or outside, depending on weather.
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
Last week started off our 2022/23 Stewardship Campaign, and we are truly excited to see where this year's campaign takes us. Since the kick-off on March 6, we have had 33 pledges for nearly $54,000! That's a great start, but we still have a ways to go to reach our goal of $504,416, a 4% increase over last year. This past Sunday, we had a moving testimonial from Mark Kuprych. Mark shared how this congregation gives him a sense of belonging and always has his back. Does that sound familiar?
Every year I get questions from members wondering how much they should pledge. In the letter you received last week, we gave you two good ideas for figuring out your pledge amount: Using the UUA Contribution Guide, and Increasing your pledge by the amount of this year's cost of living which is 5.9%. But in addition, many people are curious about how much other members are pledging. So here's a little chart so you can see where you fall in the pledge amounts of this congregation. Perhaps you can move your pledge up to the next highest section or maybe you can move higher up within your section.
For more information about pledging to the First UU Society of Burlington, please go to the Sharing Your Treasure page on the website, or look for the Golden Piggy Bank on our homepage. If you're ready to make your pledge right this very minute, just complete this pledge card! Please contact Christina at xina@uusociety.org or 802-862-5630 ext. 2200 if you have any questions.
5th & 6th Grade OWL Class
Erika Reif, Director of Lifespan Faith Development
We hope to offer a comprehensive human sexuality class for this age group this spring. There would be 11 sessions held sometime between March 27 and June 5. Whether or not we do is very dependent on families being enthusiastic about participating! Details are still being worked out, but most of the classes would likely be held after the service on Sundays, in-person, and there would also be 2 or 3 virtual sessions at another time of the week TBD by the group. Interested parents, please fill out this form or contact Erika (erika@uusociety.org) for more information.
From the Racial Justice Team:
Work with Vermont Interfaith Action
Vermont Interfaith Action (VIA) seeks to create a more just and compassionate world through community organizing. Volunteers from member congregations around the state are working together to effect change and promote social justice. Members of our Racial Justice Team are participating in VIA’s work to fight white supremacy and systemic racism. VIA’s racial-injustice work addresses inequities in business, land and housing ownership, and public safety through impact on the legislative process.
From January to June 2022, VIA’s Local Organizing Ministries in these three areas will be testifying in support of bills:
H406 - Creating Cultural and Economic Empowerment Centers for People of Color to support BIPOC owned businesses
H232 - Adds two non-white members to Vermont Housing Conservation Board
H273 - Creates grants for marginalized people to buy land and homes
You, too, can learn how to testify in front of the legislature! We’ll teach you how. To learn how you can support these important bills and other work toward racial justice, contact Pam Laser, plaser@hartlaser.net, or Peggy Owen Sands, slumgullyon@gmail.com.
Meal Train for Rowan!
Thank you to all who have signed up for Rowan's meal train! There are still days available at mealtrain.com/1d15mw. Please consider sharing a meal with our Ministerial Intern, Rowan, and her family! Rowan and Caitlyn are very busy with new baby Seneca, and would be grateful for help with meals.
Christina Fulton, Director of Operations & Finance
This year's GA will be a multi-platform event. You can attend in-person in Portland, Oregon or online from your very own home. Either way, GA 2022 has lots to offer. This year's GA will be held from June 22-26.
Delegates - FUUSB receives 9 delegates for GA, members of the congregation who attend business meetings during GA and vote on behalf of our congregation. If you would like to be a delegate, please contact Christina as soon as possible.
Mary Williams, Society Administrator
We are seeking article submissions for the next Steeple newsletter! The deadline to submit articles is April 4, and the word limit is up to 400 words. If you would like to write about a FUUSB project or team for the upcoming issue, or have questions, please email mary@uusociety.org. For details on the Steeple, visit uusociety.org/information/stay-connected. Thank you!