Greetings!
Sometime last month I read an article about preparing for Minnesota winter in this time of pandemic. The article had all kinds of good ideas, like: make sure you have some really comfy pants, take care of that nagging health issue you’ve been avoiding, do the final steps of setting up your work from home space (if you are working from home), and basically take care of anything that might be harder to take care of a few months from now when the weather is colder or pandemic restrictions become stricter again. All of that was good advice, but the line that really stuck with me was this one: If you are not already in therapy, get in now.
Now I know that therapy isn’t the right thing for everyone and that the cost of therapy can be prohibitive, but the essence of the message was clear. Now is the time to cultivate additional layers of support so that when the harder times come, those connections are already in place. Maybe that looks like trying spiritual direction for the first time, or joining a group at church. Maybe it looks like making our Wednesday evening worship service a regular part of your week, or joining a recovery group. Maybe it looks like establishing or re-establishing that weekly Friday night Zoom call with friends or family, or joining an online exercise class. Maybe it means bookmarking the resources in this column and committing to using them in the months ahead.
Whatever this looks like for you, I hope you will consider adding some extra layers of support as we move into the months ahead. As Minnesotans, we know the annual ritual of bringing out the bins of winter stuff and sorting through to see what still fits, what needs to be replaced, and what might need an upgrade. It’s time to do that same sorting and upgrading with our spiritual, mental, and physical resources, too. Think about it as layering up for winter. What practices, relationships, and routines do you need to add, upgrade, or reinforce with a few extra layers as we move into the months ahead?
We don’t know how long this pandemic or this crisis in our democracy will last, but we do know that these are extraordinary times. We can make it together, letting our values shine through as we extend boundless love and care to ourselves and each other. Let’s layer up, friends. We’re going to need it.
In gratitude,
Rev. Jen
|
|
Resources: Caring for Ourselves and Each Other |
|
You know that we are here for each other in times of crisis, but did you know we are here for each other all the time, too? Whether you are in an intense time of need or you could just use a little extra support, when one more layer might make the difference between shivering and struggling through on our own and feeling cozy and cared for, we are here for each other. Here are some of the ways you can layer up this winter:
Spiritual Care - Your ministers and program staff are here for one-on-one confidential conversations of support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us to connect.
Counseling - The Walk In Counseling Center offers free counseling by phone or computer. Find out how to “walk in” here.
Cycle of Life - Every Sunday we name the challenges and joys that we are experiencing. If you have experienced a loss, are living with a new or ongoing health concern, are celebrating a transition, or would like us to name your joy or sorrow in worship on Sunday, please let Rev. Jen know. (jen@firstuniv.org)
Grief Kits - Have you or someone else you know in our congregation lost a loved one? Please let Rev. Jen Crow (jen@firstuniv.org) or Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) know so that a package full of love and support can be delivered to your home.
Love Kits - Are you or someone you love ill? Is your family struggling? Do you live alone or feel isolated? Do you know someone else from church who might answer yes to any of these questions? If so, please let Rev. Jen Crow (jen@firstuniv.org) or Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) know so that a package full of love and support can be delivered to your home.
Meal Trains - Sometimes receiving a meal one time or over the course of a couple of weeks can be just the thing to lighten the load and remind us that we are loved. If you or someone you know at church would welcome a meal to help them through a difficult time, or if you or your family have experienced a loss or are living with an illness or injury and having someone else do the cooking for a bit would help, please let us know. You can contact Rev. Jen or Rev. Karen, or contact our Congregational Care Coordinators, Nick (nicholasnier@gmail.com) and Julia (jskow@fastmail.com) directly.
Minister’s Emergency Fund - For many of us, these are difficult financial times. If you need help with a car repair bill, making rent, a doctor’s bill, groceries, gas, a mortgage payment, affording your medication, a bus card, or any other financial situation - please be in touch with any staff member. We have financial resources available, and we can get a confidential check to you quickly. Please contact Rev. Jen Crow (jen@firstuniv.org) or any of the ministers on staff.
Winter Buddies - Would it help to get a regular phone call from someone who cares? What about a check-in over zoom or phone once a month, or once a week? Our Pastoral Visitors are a group of congregants who provide confidential companionship and support to fellow members and friends of the church. They offer compassionate presence through a one-time call or an on-going relationship. Please contact Rev. Karen (revkarenhutt@gmail.com) if you’d like to be connected with a companion.
Mental Health Connect - www.mhconnect.org - Need help finding a therapist? Want to learn more about particular mental health conditions and resources? Check out Mental Health Connect, a local organization supported by congregations like ours, that provides community-based resources, support and education to improve access to mental health services and connect individuals and families with the services they need.
Mental Health Navigators - If you are trying to access therapy or counseling services, navigate the insurance system, speak to a financial counselor, connect with housing services, or support loved ones with mental illness, a Mental Health Navigator can help. They journey alongside you to help remove barriers and complexity so that you can gain access to the right providers and resources for your unique situation. Navigation and follow-up services are free, confidential, and tailored to your individual situation. Learn more here: What Is a Mental Health Navigator? And get started here.
UUs in 12-Step Recovery - Want to build community and share support with other Unitarian Universalists in 12-Step recovery? Connect with Dick Young (dickyoung1@comcast.net) or Rev. Jen (jen@firstuniv.org) to learn more and join in.
Community Groups for Families:
|
|
Upon registering for Religious Education, families were invited to let us know what kinds of small groups would be of interest to them and their kids. Our first round of these small groups for families will meet weekly for six sessions beginning next week.
Mark your calendar and watch for the Zoom information to groups you expressed interest in joining, which will be sent out via email this Friday, October 9.
To participate, make sure you've registered your child(ren)/youth for Religious Education or email Lauren Wyeth, Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at lauren@firstuniv.org.
|
|
1) Rainbow Kids and Families
Tuesdays, Oct. 13 to Nov. 17, 7-8 p.m.
LGBTQ+/Rainbow kids, parents and families gather for a chalice lighting and story, followed by a chance to get to know one another in three smaller breakout groups.
2) BIPOC/Multiracial Kids and Families
Wednesdays, Oct. 14 to Nov. 18, 6-7 p.m.
Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Multiracial kids, parents and families gather for a chalice lighting and story, and a chance to get to know one another in three smaller breakout groups.
3) Neurodiverse and Diverse Learners and their Families
Thursdays, Oct. 15 to Nov.19, time TBD
Neurodiverse and Diverse Learners gather for a chalice lighting and story, followed by a chance to get to know one another in three smaller breakout groups.
4) Single/Co-parenting/Solo Parents and Caregivers continue weekly meetings
Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
This group offers spiritual support, meaning-making and community. Facilitated by congregant and fellow single mom Sara Smalley.
More groups will be rolled out soon, including:
- Parents and Caregivers as Sexuality Educators
- Spiritual Care for Parents and Caregivers who are struggling, or with kids who are struggling
- Skills for White Kids Building Beloved Community
- Antiracist Parenting
|
|
MULTIGENERATIONAL WORSHIP
Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.
Mental Health Sunday: "Soul on Deck"
Rev. Jen Crow
In these extraordinary times, we are called to care for ourselves and each other with extraordinary discipline and extraordinary tenderness. This week in worship we will explore how we might lean into vulnerability and expand our resources as we name the mental health challenges of this and every time.
Connect to our live streamed worship between 9:55 and 10 a.m.:
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, OCT. 11
Welcome: Rev. Jen Crow
Chalice Lighting: Jill Farris & Michael, Beatrice & Sylvia Torres
Message for All Ages: Julica Hermann de la Fuente
Humming Meditation: Aimee K. Bryant
Prayer: Rev. Justin Schroeder
Music: "Spirit of Life" Sarah Lindsay and Franco Holder
Sermon: Rev. Jen Crow
Candle Lighting Ritual
Offering Recipient: Mental Health Connect (give here)
Offertory: "Flight Song" Dr. Randy Buikema and the First Universalist Choir
Closing Words
"Go Now in Peace" Aimee K. Bryant and Franco Holder
|
|
POST-SUNDAY WORSHIP MEETINGS (OCT. 11)
~11 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour
After Sunday worship, join us for virtual coffee hour for all identities (Meeting ID: 212 168 092 Passcode: 383174) or dial: 1-312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID and passcode.
~11 a.m. BIPOC Virtual Coffee Hour
For those who are Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, People of Color: Join here (Meeting ID: 825 3313 5300; Password: 982432) or dial: 1-312-626-6799 and enter the meeting ID and password.
~11 a.m. Pastoral Visitors Space
We know that worship can take us into deep and surprising places. If you find yourself needing to talk with someone about what is stirring for you on a Sunday morning, please speak with one of our pastoral visitors in a confidential breakout room after the service. You can join here.
~11 a.m. UU the Vote
Our UU faith guides us to stand together to ensure that all communities have their voices heard. To help those in the First Universalist community find actions to take and organizations to support, the First Universalist Election Action team is hosting post-worship Zoom meetings on Sundays and Wednesdays until the election. Join here.
|
|
WEDNESDAY EVENING WORSHIP
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.
Rev. Jen Crow
Our Wednesday, Oct. 14 evening service concludes Mental Health Week at First Universalist. This midweek worship experience for adults and older youth is a brief time (20-30 minutes) of connection, centering, and reflection, to help us find and keep our balance during this time of pandemic and physical distancing.
Connect to our live streamed worship between 6:55 and 7 p.m.:
|
|
Watch Services from Past Sundays |
|
Sunday, Oct. 4:
"250 Years of Universalist Heritage and Its Meaning for Our Time"
Sermon by Rev. Justin Schroeder
Reflections & summary by Liz Farmer:
This past Sunday, UUs across the country celebrated 250 years of faith in “love over fear” and the belief that in being loved, we learn to love. As a response to the theologically severe idea of original sin in Calvinism, Unitarian Universalism holds space for complexity in religion, in communities, and in ourselves.
Culturally, however, UUs (and our country as a whole) have not moved beyond binary ideas of good/bad, right/wrong, socialist/capitalist, theist/atheist, heaven/hell.
This is where the adoption of the 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism, developed by Paula Cole Jones and Bruce Pollack-Johnson, becomes essential. With the seven principles alone, it is possible for someone to “be a good UU” and never consider racism and oppression on a systemic level. The Eighth Principle of Unitarian Universalism calls UUs to root out these “hells” in specific and concrete ways. After 250 years, UUs still believe that in being loved, we learn to love. The Eighth Principle is a present-day road map to doing so. To learn more, listen to the Podcast or watch the entire service on YouTube.
|
|
Art: "The Liminal" by Dawn Carlson Conn | Design: Janet Mills
Ordination is one of the most important traditions of our Unitarian Universalist faith. As representatives of the members of First Universalist Church, in April 2020, our Board of Trustees made the decision to ordain Arif Mamdani. Their decision represents our faith in and support of his ministry. A formal invitation will be emailed soon but we wanted to let you know that you are invited to share in this extraordinary milestone in Arif’s ministry.
The Ordination of Arif Mamdani
During our Sunday Zoom service
October 25 at 10 a.m.
Sidewalk Reception Follows
drive by ~ walk by ~ roll by
|
|
Update on Our Intern, Barrington Walker, Jr. |
|
After a period of discernment, our Ministerial Intern, Barrington Walker, Jr., has decided not to continue his internship at First Universalist Church. While this news is disappointing, it is clear that this is the right decision for Barrington, at this time in his life and formation. Working remotely from the East Coast was not exactly the internship that Barrington (or we) had anticipated when we interviewed him in January 2020. Our thoughts are with Barrington as he discerns the next right steps in his life and ministry and we wish him well. Our thoughts are also with Barrington’s Ministerial Internship Committee, as they had been preparing to accompany him throughout the year, witnessing and shaping him in his ministerial formation. We offer our deep gratitude to his Internship Committee: Karin Wille (Chair), Sarah Lindsay, Ralph Wyman, Leila Ambrus, Michael Dotson, and Meg Riley.
We recognize that this news will have varying levels of impact with different parts of our congregation, and we are especially present to the disappointment that may come up in our communities of color. Barrington’s ideas for his ministry with BIPOC folks were exciting for many of us, and we mourn that loss. If you are in need of pastoral support, please reach out to one of us.
Our commitment to being a teaching congregation remains and we hope to have an intern for the 2021-2022 church year.
Revs. Jen Crow and Justin Schroeder
|
|
The Power of One-On-One Conversation |
|
In a world rife with noise from news to social media feeds—that diminishes our collective morale—StoryCorps understands the power of a one-on-one conversation. StoryCorps’ One Small Step provides a framework for people who hold different viewpoints to explore what they have in common and calls to Americans to take, “One Small step” towards fostering a culture of listening.
First Universalist Peace Action Circle, in collaboration with StoryCorps, invites you to participate in a virtual, recorded and facilitated conversation with another person in our community who you might not otherwise have the opportunity to talk with. We challenge you to engage in these crucial connections and to learn what we have in common that outweighs our differences.
In December, StoryCorps will begin thoughtfully matching community members for conversations that will take place in January. To sign up to participate, complete the online screening questionnaire by December 11, 2020.
Take, “One Small Step” towards fostering a culture of listening. We challenge you to engage in these crucial connections and to learn what we have in common that outweighs our differences.
Please email TCPeaceLiteracyEduc@yahoo.com when you have completed the survey so that we, in partnership with StoryCorps, can keep you informed. We will be sending out individual invitations and encourage referrals to friends and associates outside our First Universalist community. Our goal is to recruit a diverse group.
- Cathy Manning
On behalf of First Universalist Peace Action Circle
|
|
Racial Justice Change Team Seeking New Members |
|
Over the past few years, the Change Team has been pleased to support the anti-racism and anti-oppression work of First Universalist, including serving as the catalyst to adding POCI ministers on staff. The Change Team is looking forward to establishing clear racial justice goals and accountability for the board, the staff, and the congregation.
The Racial Justice Change Team serves as a committee of the Board of Trustees, which gives it the structural authority necessary to effectively review institutional racism and white supremacy culture as it lives in the work of our church.
The membership is made up of two Board members, four congregational members, our Director of Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism, and a Co-Senior Minister. Change Team members serve for a three year term with an option to serve another three year term.
The Change Team is currently seeking candidates that want to join us in this important work! If interested, please apply here by the Oct. 31 deadline.
All current members of the Change Team have served three years, since its inception. Two congregational members will be leaving in January, and we're looking to add three new members.
As a committee of the Board, members are appointed by the Board, but the Change Team will be making recommendations to the Board based on applications and interviews.
The overall time commitment is monthly meetings - 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month - with a few hours of work in between. The team currently meets at this time, but it can be changed to accommodate all members of the team.
We are hoping to have our newest members join us at our January 7 meeting.
Karin Wille (Co-Chair), Richard Spratt (Co-Chair), Sarah Hedge (BOT), Ben Miles (BOT), Kayci Rush, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Justin Schroeder and Jennifer Crow
|
|
Rev. Karen Hutt to Moderate United Theological Seminary's Radical Death Series |
|
Racial Disparities in the Death Positive Movement
United Theological Seminary
Sat, Oct. 17, 2020 at 6 p.m
Americans have a tough time talking about death. We hide death, obscure death and serve one another platitudes about death that serve to make us feel better. Throughout Europe and the US, Death Cafes were created over the past few years to give people an honest place to explore death without judgment, dogma or sentimentality.
Join Rev. Karen Hutt in her other job as VP of Student Formation and Innovation at United Theological Seminary, as we explore the Radical Death and Racial Disparities of Access." See below for registration and access.
|
|
Piano Lessons with Franco Holder |
|
Hello friends! Do you find yourself wanting more time to relax and unwind? Have you wanted to learn a new skill or brush up on an old one?
Come learn how to play piano! First Universalist pianist Franco Holder is now offering lessons to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.
|
|
Virtual Meetings & Gatherings |
|
UU The Vote
The 2020 election season is in full swing. With voter misinformation, suppression, and concerns due to health and social distancing, it is more important than ever to organize, educate, and mobilize voters. Our UU faith guides us to stand together to ensure that all communities have their voices heard. To help those in the First Universalist community find actions to take and organizations to support, the First Universalist Election Action team is hosting post-worship Zoom meetings on Sundays at 11 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. until the election. Meeting ID: 849 1124 9389 Passcode: uutv
|
|
Women's Ritual Circle: Open Rituals this Fall
Friday, Oct. 16 & Saturday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Women (cis and trans) interested in earth-based and pagan spirituality are invited to the upcoming open rituals of the Under Northern Skies Women’s Ritual Circle. This circle is open to newcomers on Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 31. For women who choose to join the circle, there will be a commitment ritual on Saturday, Nov. 14, after which the circle will close to new members until fall of 2021. The group is currently holding rituals via Zoom, beginning promptly at 7:30 p.m. and meeting for about an hour. Contact Beth at belovedporcupine@gmail.com for more information and the Zoom information if you would like to attend.
|
|
Ongoing Meetings for Adults |
Weekly Meditation Group
Tuesdays, 9–10:15 a.m.
The Weekly Meditation Group is meeting by Zoom Tuesdays from 9-10:15 with an extended learning session once a month. Our time together contains seated meditation, walking meditation and sharing. Reach out to Martha Easter-Wells a mm3second@aol.com to sign up and for Zoom information.
Third Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
The Young Adults group (for those in their 20s and 30s) is now gathering on a monthly basis. Connect with fellow young adults after Wednesday worship on the third Wednesday of the month for conversation and fun. (Meeting ID: 137 172 572)
Thursdays, 5-6:30 p.m. (weekly)
AUW members are staying connected via a weekly Zoom "Happy Hour."
Meeting ID: 834 7301 7986. Password: 557571
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m., weekly through the end of December
All people in or interested in 12 steps are welcome, this includes Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, CODA, etc. The workshop includes meditation, Centering Prayer meditation instructions, a short talk and small groups. Meeting details available at 12stepspirituality.org
|
|
Ongoing Meetings for Children, Youth & Families |
Single Parents Gathering
Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Single Parents Gathering with Rev. Sara Smalley - Parents/guardians who are single and/or co-parenting gather for mutual support and spiritual sustenance. Email Sara to be connected to the group at smalley.sara@gmail.com.
Parents of Babies and Preschoolers (ages 0-4 years)
Thursdays at 8:15 p.m.
Parents/guardians of little ones gather with Lauren for mutual support and spiritual sustenance. Email Lauren at lauren@firstuniv.org to be connected to the group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
