Spiritually Open, Intentionally Inclusive since 1958
510 N Leroux
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-779-4492e
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E-News for April 21st - April 28th, 2022 |
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- Sundays at Beacon -
WE’RE BACK IN THE SANCTUARY FOR WORSHIP! PLEASE JOIN US.
Masks are optional. (Special seating area for mask wearers is available.)
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Service For Easter Sunday, April 24th, 2022, at 10 a.m.
“Value of Earth and Reverence for All Our Relations”
All are welcome! Masks are optional. (Special seating area for mask wearers is available.)
How do we assign value in our current society? How does our culture affect our relationship to nature? Our current ways of thinking and being have brought the climate crisis and global mass extinction upon us. How can we reorient ourselves to better ways before it is too late? Our guest speaker this morning is Stefan Sommer, Ph.D., a Science Communicator, film producer, author, and public speaker. He is a Founding Board member and speaker for the Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance and for NAU’s Sustainable Ambassadors Program. Sommer writes for the Arizona Daily Sun as author of the column “Spotlight on Climate” and served as executive producer of four award-winning PBS documentaries on biodiversity and habitat conservation. Hosted by Rev. Robin, with music from Jason Drahos and 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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Masks Are Now Optional
On March 21, the Board voted to no longer require masks in the main sanctuary during services. Coconino County’s Community Level is now Low based on the CDC classification which is determined based on three pieces of data: new COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and new COVID-19 cases. According to the CDC, counties in the Low and Medium category can consider going without masks in public indoor settings.
Congregants are welcome to wear masks during our services, and masks will be required in the social hall/kitchen during the service. Those who prefer to wear masks and sit in an area where others will be wearing masks can attend the service in the social hall. The speaker in the social hall/kitchen has been repaired so that the service will be fully audible and accessible.
We invite and encourage people to email or call Mary Poore, Board Member at Large, if these new changes are problematic or concerning for them. Mary’s email: m8c8p8@aol.com, cell: 928-699-8266.
Proof of vaccination to attend services was ended in March of 2022.
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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
I am writing on behalf of Beacon's Board of Trustees to urge you to attend the congregational meeting this Sunday, April 24. At this meeting, we will answer questions about the Endowment Plan and will vote for the members willing to serve on its board of governors. This endowment will ensure that Beacon will thrive in future. Please see the links below for more information.
Nancy Paxton, President of Beacon's Board of Trustees
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 (click on links below) for Beacon Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Flagstaff. 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 one other 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.
Qualifications for voters:
Each voter must have been a member of Beacon as of Monday, March 28, 2022 (28 days prior to this meeting). Proxy Voting: A member who is unable to attend the meeting may designate another member as a proxy by emailing secretary@beaconuu.com by noon on Saturday, April 23rd. The proxy counts toward making up a quorum. A member may represent no more than one proxy.
The entire proposed amendment to the by-laws can be found here.
A summary of the proposed Endowment Fund amendment can be found here.
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MAKING MUSIC AT BEACON!
Schedule change: The choir will rehearse at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 28th.
All are welcome to join the choir. Masks are optional.
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OUR OPEN DOOR
BEACON’S ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
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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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ANNUAL BEACON YARD SALE
JUNE 3RD AND 4TH, 2022
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Spring has arrived, and the 2022 Annual Beacon Yard Sale is just 6 weeks away! The Annual Beacon Yard Sale is scheduled over two days: from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 3rd and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 4th in the Beacon Backyard.
We will have lots of sale items and will need lots of help getting ready. If you are interested in volunteering or you have something to donate, please do let Dennis know. This is a great opportunity to work with members of the congregation to raise money for our annual budget. Thank you for supporting Beacon!
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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!
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.
YOUTH RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
For now, classes will remain virtual. We appreciate your support in volunteering for RE!
K-5th CartUUns
2nd and 4th Sundays
10am-11am
During each class, we watch a Pixar short; discuss values, thoughts, and feelings about the themes presented; and complete some related crafts and activities. Please join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82261886552?pwd=ZnNuY1lSVGxiVTRVREMzYldUaURTdz09
Meeting ID: 822 6188 6552
Passcode: beacon510
April 24: Feast
Feast is the story of one man's life as seen through the eyes of Winston, his best friend and dog. Discussions will focus on putting aside one's own desires in order to help others.
Middle School D'oh God
2nd and 4th Sundays
11:30am-12:45pm
Please join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83157068793?pwd=TEhDWE9KUlYzeEp0MlhIV2tManEwQT09
Meeting ID: 831 5706 8793
Passcode: beacon510
April 24:
We'll view the Simpsons episode "Bart Gets an F" (Season 2, Episode 1), an engaging episode on the themes of prayer and asking for help.
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION FOR ADULTS
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R U a UU?
One Sunday a month – Just after the service. Have you been one without even knowing it? So many questions?! Grab a coffee and meet with Rev. Robin after the service on the following Sundays for a one-hour conversation about Unitarian Universalism and your own spiritual journeys to the door of Beacon.
2022: May 8th, June 5th (with sessions resuming in September 2022)
Please stay tuned for notices about future adult education offerings.
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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 April 17th, 2022
Becky H shared her sorrow at the passing of her father.
Theresa D shared her and Dennis S's joy from their recent visit with
family and friends in Illinois.
Anne W is concerned about the loss of vision in her right eye
and the risks to her left eye.
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Please join us for
A Celebration of Mary Jo Rybolt's Life
on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Beacon
"Join us and share your favorite stories, music, and memories
to remember our Mom who is greatly missed."
Please contact Roz Clark (928-380-6502 or rozrich41@gmail.com) if you can contribute a tasty something to help tide the group over from 11 a.m. until after the memorial service. Mary Jo’s family will provide light refreshments following the memorial service.
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April-June 2022 Share the Plate Partner |
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Beacon’s community partner for April-June 2022 is
Northland Family Help Center (NFHC).
For April-June 2022, Beacon will Share the Plate with Northland Family Help Center (NFHC), whose mission is to provide safe haven, advocacy, counseling, and education to promote and restore healthy relationships.
Northland Family Help Center became a merger of Northland Crisis Nursery and Women’s Resource Center in 1991. In 1999, House Haven for Advocacy (H.A.L.O) and Women’s Resource Center opened two separate shelters for women and children with 36 beds.
- NFHC'S Domestic Violence Shelter provides safe shelter, crisis intervention, legal advocacy, counseling, and life skills training to those affected along with support for sexual assault and sexual trafficking (Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking)
- NFHC's Youth Shelter has 15 beds and offers shelter and respite care which is gender inclusive for unaccompanied children and youth.
- NFHC provides out-patient professional counseling services free of charge for eligible individuals, assistance in developing a personal plan, a healing environment, education in life skills, and toiletries, clothing and food.
- NFHC provides community education in sexual violence prevention including safe dates and training for alcohol-serving staff on interventions.
Undesignated Sunday morning offerings above $250 are presented to the chosen organization each quarter.
Beacon members are encouraged to nominate organizations and can fill out a nomination form located in the CAC folder in the office manager’s office. CAC members are Susan Patrick, Katy Grant , and Lynda Dorweiler.
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Would You Like to Serve as a Beacon GA Delegate?
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 represent Beacon as a delegate (members only)? We have funds in our budget ($250 per person) to cover the registration fees for each of two delegates to attend remotely.
By Sunday, April 24th, please contact President Nancy Paxton if you’d like to be a delegate: President@beaconuu.com
Learn more about GA at http://www.uua.org/ga The site also includes information about housing 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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BLESSING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS |
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From April 24th thru May 15th, in the coffee room there will be a sign-up sheet for donations (e.g., toothpaste, other personal hygiene items) for blessing bags for the homeless.
During the Sunday, May 15th service, the Director of Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS) will give a brief informational presentation. Following the service, if there is enough interest via the sign-up sheet, we plan to assemble blessing bags to be distributed through FSS.
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YOU CAN STILL JOIN REV. ROBIN IN THE 21-DAY STAND AGAINST RACISM CHALLENGE (WHICH STARTED APRIL 4, 2022).
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The SAR Challenge was created to help people better understand how racial inequity and social injustice impacts our community. Via email, the challenge provides participants daily tasks such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, and reflecting on personal experiences. By addressing issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership, we can connect with others to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. 2022 topics include critical race theory, living wage, film and TV, and reproductive justice.
Please be sure to let Rev. Robin (minister@beaconuu.com) know you are taking the challenge. Keep a journal or some notes during the challenge, and, when it concludes, we’ll meet together to discuss our experiences with the challenge and consider future action.
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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!
Volunteers Are Still Needed for April 27th.
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The Flagstaff Food Center is doing small group volunteers for their dinner service! Beacon is looking for a group of five (5) volunteers. 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 April 27th.
Currently, there is no indoor dining. All the dinners are distributed in to-go containers through a walk-up window. Volunteers are needed 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; regularly wash or sanitize their hands; and practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible. Gloves for food preparation and distribution will be provided at the kitchen to each volunteer. Plexiglass has been installed at the walk-up window as a safeguard against COVID-19. The center has enhanced cleaning protocols.
Sue Strobel is organizing monthly teams of Beacon UU volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Sue at 928 522-3284 (cell) or 928-526-5156 (home).
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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Watch the Earth Day Worship Live Stream
“Get Rooted, Get Ready!”
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Join UU Ministry for Earth for a special Earth Day worship service livestreamed on Facebook (no account required) on Friday, April 22, 2022, at 9 a.m.
The service’s focus will be our collective journey to being rooted and ready for climate justice.
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2022 UU Family Summer Camp
at Camp de Benneville Pines
Angelus Oaks, CA
Sunday, July 24 – Saturday, July 30 , 2022
Family camp is a wonderful time to come together in community and celebrate. Registration fees range from $350-$450 per person if registered by May 31st.
The 2022 Rainbow Family Camp is sold out! However, you can still get on the waitlist.
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UU Youth Camping Opportunities
at Camp de Benneville Pines
Angelus Oaks, CA
Elementary Camp (completing 2nd- 5th grade)
Sunday, July 3–Saturday, July 9, 2022 $649 per person if registered by May 31st
CIT Program (14-18 years old)
Sunday, July 3–Saturday, July 9, 2022 $500 per person
Junior High Camp (completing 6th-8th grade)
Sunday, July 10–Saturday, July 16, 2022 $649 per person if registered by May 31st
Senior High Camp (completing 9th-12th grade)
Sunday, July 17–Saturday, July 23, 2022 Register online to get a spot on the waitlist.
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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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Worship Service
Sunday, April 24th, 2022
10:00am
“Value of Earth and Reverence for All Our Relations”
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 |
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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? Pleae 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: 10:30 am - 3:30 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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Emails have been received from a false address pretending to be Rev. Robin.
As a personal habit, always check the sender's email address before responding.
Avoid this scam!
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If you are not a member of Beacon's dedicated Google group, you are missing out on an important communications link within our congregation. The BeaconUU Group is useful for sharing information about goings-on in Flagstaff, especially social justice events; offering an item for sale or to give away; expressing 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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