contact Laura to add info

Our Fellowship meets every Sunday (September - May) at 10:00 am at the

Headwaters Peace Center

1826 Mikrantip Rd SW

Bemidji, MN 56601

For more information contact:

huuf@headwatersuu.org

Join us by zoom using the link above or following this sign-in information:

Meeting ID: 960 3461 6935 Call in number: 1 (312) 626 6799

Click here for Google directions

January 7, 2024

Circle of Love

An interactive/Meditative Musical Service

speaker/musician - Aaron Tank

Speaker and coordinator - Social Justice Committee

Aaron Tank is a musician/songwriter, originally from Turtle River, MN. Aaron has lived in Duluth, MN since 2015. Aaron is also a spiritual seeker who incorporates universal/spiritual themes in his songs. Aaron often uses a meditative atmosphere to create music and write songs and he hopes that others might find inspiration in the songs and that the songs might serve as a catalyst for meaningful thought, reflection and discussion.

Aaron will be offering an interactive/meditative musical service where people will have a chance to respond to various songs and potentially discuss various topics that might arise.

January 14, 2024

“Wabi Sabi: The Beauty of Imperfection.”

speaker - David Liedl

coordinator - Barb Houg

Love’s liberation does not come from the obliteration of our imperfections, foibles, idiosyncrasies, and mistakes. Rather, liberation is achieved through integration. Integration is the path of compassion where tenderness, humility, and love are born. We will have a fun time as we explore together an ancient, Japanese aesthetic principle called wabi sabi, a Sufi poem from Rashani, and the lyrics of Rascal Flatts 2004 song, “Bless the Broken Road.”

There is a hollow space // too vast for words // through which we pass with each loss, // out of whose darkness // we are sanctioned into being. Rashani

David Liedl is a familiar face to our fellowship. A former Franciscan brother, David now provides respite care and individualized support for people living with dementia. He also has an active practice as a spiritual director. He is a musician, potter, artist, gardener, cook, and baker. In September he shared with us what it means to be a welcoming community to people with dementia. Today he invites a conversation related to our theme this month of “Liberating Love.”

January 21, 2024

This I Believe

speakers - Laura Dropps, Michael Meuers, and Angie Ness

coordinator - Paul Kivi

Today we'll enjoy another one of our "This I Believe" panels, featuring a handful of members sharing how their spiritual journeys have led them to HUUF.

January 28. 2024

To be announced.....

speaker - Kat Klement

coordinator - Paul Kivi

Kat Klement, PhD, is a professor at BSU specializing in social psychology and women's studies. More info will be forthcoming on her topic.

Religious Growth and Learning Committee Meeting

Please join us to share your thoughts, ideas and input on Religious Growth and Learning at HUUF.

Bring your ideas:

of ways to help expand classes
ways to offer opportunities for other ages
how to offer OWL sessions
of whether we should offer a summer camp!

Your ideas are crucial to help expand RGL!

Meeting Sunday, January 14, 11:20am after Sunday service.

Childcare will be available if needed.

Please contact Susanne for any questions or items you want added to the meeting agenda.

Susanne Rabel

Phone 218-209-7155

Email susrabel@gmail.com

Welcome to The Gift of Liberating Love!

Each Sunday includes an exploration of how love does more than just make us feel comfortable and safe but pulls us to something greater:

Sunday, January 7th -

Love Pulls Us: We explore the differences between comforting love, the type of love that feels good and allows us to feel safe, love that is offered through hugs and smiles and high-fives from family and friends (the kind of love that children are probably most familiar with), and liberating love, the

kind of love that pulls us to take action or make choices.

Sunday, January 14th -

Love Pulls Us Upstream: We explore how love is like a magnet and pulls us upstream. In other words, love calls us to fight the system, not just the symptoms of a problem. We explore how our faith reminds us that it is not enough to just pull people out of the river, but as UUs, we are called to go upstream and find out who or why they are being thrown in.

Sunday, January 21st -

Love Pulls Us Back To The Table:

We explore how love is like a magnet and pulls us back to the table. In other words, love holds

us together and calls us back to the metamorphic table when fighting and encourages us to work

it out.

Sunday, January 28th -

Love Pulls Us Toward Beauty:

This Sunday we will explore how love pulls us to accept ourselves, knowing that we will never be perfect. In our society, it can be easy to get stuck in the idea of perfectionism and the thought

patterns of “I have to be perfect to be enough, to have value, or for people to like me.” Our faith

reminds us that self-acceptance is like a magnet and pulls us back to a place of accepting ourselves, loving our imperfections, and, in doing so, creating space for us to love ourselves.

HUUF Committee Links

Can you help??

The United Way of Bemidji Backpack Buddies Weekend Food Pack program is currently serving 622 children weekly through the local schools. This is a 40% increase from the 2022-2023 school year. This sudden increase was unexpected for their agency.

During the month of January HUUF will be passing an extra basket during services to collect funds to support the Backpack Buddies Program.

You can donate cash or write a check made out to: United Way of Bemidji Area and designate it to the Backpack Buddies Program in the note section. Donations to Backpack Buddies can also be made through the donation link on our website and also shared on zoom each week. Just make a note indicating that your donation is for Backpack Buddies.

In the Bemidji area, 1 in 5 children experience food insecurity and hunger. United Way's Backpack Buddies program was developed to help ensure children in Beltrami and Clearwater Counties have access to nutritious, non-perishable, and easy-to-prepare food at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Food packs cost between $5-$6/pack, which is a cost of $3,500 every week. Any amount of money HUUF can collect will help the United Way continue this valuable program through the rest of the school year.

Thank you!!

Finance Committee's Budget Meeting

The HUUF Finance committee has begun meeting to create the 2024-25 fiscal budget for HUUF. On January 7th, after Fellowship, the Finance Committee is requesting to meet with committee chairperson(s) and others to discuss the future budgets of each of HUUF's committees. The new fiscal year begins in July 2024 and the proposed budget is due to the Board in February.

Also, please remember to submit any reimbursements to Laura D, our Treasurer, within 45 days of the transaction(s) in order to be processed.

A lovely New Year's Eve service was enjoyed by all.

Goodbye 2023

Welcome 2024.

UUA Article II Study Commission

Final Proposed Revisions of the UUA Bylaws

After extensive engagement with UUs across our faith tradition, the Article II Study Commission have completed their Final Proposed Revision to Article II of the UUA Bylaws. A link to the final document is included at the end of this article. This link also includes information about submitting any new amendments. There is a deadline of 5pm ET on February 1, 2024 for submitting any new amendments.

At the UUA General Assembly 2024, UUA's will come together and vote on whether to adopt this revision as the new Article II of the UUA Bylaws.

Final Proposed Revision to Article II