Every year, as we begin the New Year, we hold a ritual space to name and recount the losses we've experienced in the past year. This year, more than ever, the ritual of our Remembrance Sunday worship feels so important, and we invite you to join us for this service this coming Sunday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m.

Personal grief has also woven together with collective grief. In yesterday's evening worship service, following a day of violent insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., we held space for all of the feelings that were stirred up - rage, anxiety, grief, uncertainty, and more - and together, we reflected on what anchors and holds us during trying and traumatic moments. While we don't typically share Wednesday evening worship recordings, I invite you to watch the recording from yesterday's service here.

And remember: we are here for you. Call the church at 612-825-1701 to speak to a minister if you need to. Reach out to one another. We’re going to get through this together in community. 

If you find yourself wanting to talk with someone about what is stirring for you on a Sunday morning, please speak with one of our care companions in a confidential breakout room after the service. You can join here.

Small groups and fellowship hours now funnel through one zoom space. Join here.

Religious Education classes for children and youth in Kindergarten through 9th grade meet at 11:15 a.m. Senior high youth groups meet at varying times in the afternoon. Advance registration required. More information.

Over the course of three consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning Jan. 13, Julica will be leading a three-part Wednesday worship series on change, using Martha Beck’s Change Cycle to explore how we navigate and make meaning of change, both personally and in our institutions.

Julica says: "In preparation, please view this 8-minute video to learn more about this model, so we can engage it together in worship. I look forward to unpacking and making meaning together!"

Enter the Wednesday Zoom webinar here. (webinar ID: 117-312-320). To join by phone (audio only), dial 1-312-626-6799 and enter the webinar ID.

Post-service Care Companions space (opens at about 7:30 p.m.): enter here

If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy­, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, or if you would like support, contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701.

Listen to the podcast here or watch the entire service on YouTube.

Especially to white allies: If you’re feeling overwhelmed with what comes next, and would like to learn and practice in community, we invite you to sign up here to receive information about an opportunity to discuss defunding the police with other First Universalist community members.

As we move into 2021, clear that we cannot return to “normal,” how will we actively “choose change,” re-imagine our lives, our purpose, the structure of our society, and the things we focus on? The answer to these questions rests in choices both small and large. Change sometimes feels impossible, but we forget that change is dynamic, alive, lurking in every corner, and is happening all around us, all the time. Change can begin when we speak the truth, when we turn toward the feeling rising in us, rather than push it away, when we name what is real for us, and listen to what is real for others, and when we stop, and take a breath, before we respond. In her book, Parable of the Sower, science fiction writer Octavia Butler writes, “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” These words invite us to consider: What does it mean to choose change? To step fully into the “God flow,” the river of change, wide awake, and let it work on us, and us on it, as it shapes our relationships, spirit, and the course of our lives? When it comes to choosing change, the poet John O’Donahue offers these questions to reflect on: “Where could I have exposed myself to the risk of something different? Where did I allow myself to receive love? What reached me today? How deep did it imprint? What did I avoid today?” 

Join us next Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. on Zoom to learn more about Phase 2 of our comprehensive building renovation plans. We are thrilled with the results of Phase 1, which included a full remodel of the Education Wing, Offices, and Cummins Room (watch the video tour here if you haven't already), and we anticipate completing Phase 2 of our renovations by September of 2021. Phase 2 will include renovation of the Sanctuary, Social Hall, and Atrium, as well as repairs of the exterior of the building and new sloped sidewalks for greater accessibility. Our focus will be on increasing inclusion and improving accessibility, enhancing beauty and a greater sense of welcoming, addressing needed repairs, upgrading our live streaming capabilities and our air-handling systems, and reducing our environmental impact. 

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. to learn more about the timing, design, finances, and team responsible for Phase 2. We're looking forward to being with you, and a recording will be made available immediately after the meeting for those not able to attend. Zoom information for joining the meeting will be made available in next week's Liberal.

We are delighted to welcome Allison Connelly (she/her) as our new part time Communications and Worship Tech Assistant. Allison will be working with Communications Manager Jenn Stromberg and other folks on the worship and communications teams to produce written and audio/visual materials and content. Her role includes assisting with the Weekly Liberal newsletter, social media, worship services, and the website. She will also be assisting with the technical end of live-streamed worship services a couple of Sundays per month.

Allison was raised Catholic and now finds a spiritual home in radical, lay-led Catholic communities and in the United Church of Christ. Her writing can be found in Dear Joan Chittister: Conversations with Women in the Church (TwentyThird Publications, 2015) and in Liberating Liturgies 2.0 (Women’s Ordination Conference, 2020). Allison and her fiancée, Brooklyn, plan to move back to the Twin Cities in 2021, and look forward to larger apartments, colder winters, and better coffee.

Registration for the next round of Sunday Small Groups closes this Sunday, Jan. 10! If you were thinking about signing up, now's the time to do so. There's room in our group for folks with varied identities, as well as our group for trans folks. Small groups meet on Zoom for an hour right after the Sunday service, and the next round of groups will meet for six weeks starting on January 24.

Questions? Contact Arif or Liz. 

The care team at First Universalist is here to help in a whole lot of ways—from phone calls to say we’re thinking about you to a listening ear when you need someone to accompany you through whatever’s happening in your life. COVID-19 has changed some of the ways we provide care, but there is a lot we’re still doing. Here is one of the ways we’re here to provide support:

WE CARE MEALTRAINS

Sick? Surgery? Caring for a family member or welcoming a new child? Something else? Sometimes, what helps more than anything is having church members bring healthy nourishing meals to your home. As one of our members recently said “it was such a gift to receive meals when my mom was sick. I could focus on taking care of her and when I wasn’t, I could just be with my family without worrying about getting dinner on the table.” Contact arif@firstuniv.org to get set up with a Meal Train.

(If you’re brand new to us or testing the waters, we invite you to first attend First Step—a brief orientation offered every first and third Sunday of the month—drop into our post-worship fellowship hours, or sign up for a Sunday Small Group (see above).)

Mondays, Feb. 15, 22, March 1, and 8; 7–8:30 p.m. w/ George Dow and Phillip Muessig

Sundays, March 7, 14, 21, 28; 12:30–2 p.m. w/ Channing McKinley and Emily Wallace

Mark your calendar for noon on Wednesday, Jan. 27 for Take 2: Honor the Earth & the Food We Love!, a program from the Environmental Justice Committee’s Food Solutions Team to engage congregants in taking steps to adopt climate friendly food habits. You may remember the title from a similar program last November. We’re doing it again to persuade 200 congregants to join with millions across the globe to reduce food waste and eat less meat and more plant foods. Why? Because they are among top three highest impact solutions to global warming. The program includes a few 6-minute presentations that include “testimonies” from our First U community, a love letter to food, and time to reflect and share our next steps. You’ll leave with practical tips, resolve, and tools to help you on your path forward. Check out this preview and sign up here by January 25.

Congregant Roberta Haskin shares: The stop line 3 subcommittee of the Environmental Justice team invites you to action!

Starts at 6th Ave SE at the entrance to the bridge."

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. Arif know (arif@firstuniv.org)

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. 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. Contact Rev. Arif Mamdani at arif@firstuniv.org.

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 any of the ministers on staff. 

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 situation. Learn more here: What Is a Mental Health Navigator? And get started here.