Our Mission:
“We gather as a welcoming, caring community to nurture mind and spirit, celebrate diversity, and work for justice.”
Have a friend who would enjoy our community? Invite them to join our mailing list.
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Sunday Morning Experience
Join us for Worship Online at 10:30 am
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Sunday Worship - A New Normal
Sunday, March 21, 10:30 am
Please join us this Sunday, March 21, as we continue exploring this month's theme of commitment.
Join us for Conversation:
Beginning at 10:15 via Google Meet. This will be our space to chat and socialize before and during the service. We will also share Candles of Community immediately following the service in this same meet.
Stay with us after the service:
There will be conversation via the same Google Meet after the service and Candles of Community for coffee hour and fellowship.
Watch the Worship Service:
Our Sunday morning service will be available live
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Sunday, March 21, 9:30 am
Kids (and their grown-ups), join us this Sunday for our K-5 religious education program! All through the month of March, we will be exploring the theme of commitment. Our Soul Matters curriculum is specifically designed to keep kids engaged and curious over an online platform. So come along for stories, activities, and fun!
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Sunday, March 21, 11:45 am
Welcome to our Middle and Senior High Youth from our PrairieUU and the local community to gather together. Join us for conversation, spiritual growth, and social activities.
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Sunday, March 21, 11:45 am
All are welcome. The March theme is commitment. It is helpful to do one spiritual exercise from the monthly packet, prior to the group meeting so you can share your experience. Here are the Commitment spiritual exercises:
- Five Commitments to Yourself
- Commit to Creating a Helpful Habit (or Ending and Unhelpful One)
- Deepen Commitment to Allyship
- Commit it to Memory
- Find Commitment in our Recommended Resources
Below you will find information to get the monthly Soul Matters small group packet.
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If you have an active PrairieUU gmail account click here to access the March small group packet.
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If you do not have a PrairieUU gmail account, or can’t access it, please contact RhondaW@Prairieuu.org to get this set up.
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If you are unable to get the documents and want to start using them, email JanetS@prairieuu.org.
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What You Missed:
If you missed Worship over the last few weeks, you are invited to visit our Facebook page, YouTube or on our website to view our services.
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Ralph Waldo Mouse Says:
"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time."
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From the Board of Trustees... |
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Healing thoughts for you:
I am saddened by the pain and hurt that many of our members have shared with me. My hope is that our community will reach out to each other with love and care, seeking a new understanding about why others are hurting. Our Covenant says we are " a welcoming and loving community". We are of course individuals with our own perspectives and understandings. So we have to make daily efforts to be that loving community. Sometimes we get it wrong, sometimes right. I ask you to remember when our community got it right. Also, reflect on why we got it wrong recently and help suggest ways to get it right again.
Thanks to those of you who are staying at the table to help in the healing process. The Board ,COSM and I are open to your suggestions. Share with one or all of us. Ideas we have heard for next steps will be discussed in the Board meeting on March 17, 2021. We will then take the ideas to the Congregational meeting on March 28, 2021. Please be there to guide us.
AJ, Susan E and I have written a letter of apology to all of our members. We have/will recognize/d the contributions of those who have left our community in candles. I personally apologize for not asking us to stop, breathe and reflect before continuing a discussion that was harmful to members of our beloved community. I will ask to meet with all those I know were harmed and hurting. I have appreciated those of you who have reached out to meet with me and share your concerns and ideas for returning to right relationships.
In love and covenant,
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From the Finance Committee ... |
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"Save on Your Taxes, While You Support Prairie."
Members of Prairie will soon have the opportunity to support the church financially with pledges for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in July 2021. The annual Stewardship Drive (Canvass) will begin on April 4. In planning how to support Prairie financially, you might be able to do this and also save on taxes. The requirement of taking a distribution from a traditional IRA, which everyone age 70.5 or older must do annually, may be met with a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD.) When the check for the distribution is made out to and sent to a non-profit organization, such as Prairie Unitarian Universalist Church, you do not need to pay taxes on the funds.
One should not take the distribution personally and then try to give it to the organization. Since deduction of charitable donations from the adjusted gross income of federal taxes is now more difficult, this is an easy way to avoid paying taxes on a required distribution and to support Prairie.
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PrairieUU Habitat Build Day 2021
By summer we should have somewhat of a return to regular life, so as PrairieUU's liaisons to Habitat Interfaith Alliance, we've signed Prairie up for a Habitat build day.
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Hours are generally about 8 am - 4 pm, but we'll provide details and a sign up link when it gets closer.
As they have throughout the pandemic, Habitat Metro Denver will be following all Covid protocols appropriate for the time.
Thank you for your help adding this to the Prairie calendar and newsletter. (We may only have 5 slots, in which case we should have no trouble filling them.)
Thanks, and stay well,
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Major Developments in Elijah McClain Case
Read more by clicking here.
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Attention Douglas County Residents!
The Douglas County School District is considering the adoption of a new Board policy regarding Educational Equity. You may have read about the struggles of Black Students in DCSD or of Black administrators. No one in our community should be having to deal with racial slurs and demeaning behavior with few or no disciplinary action or consequences. The policy was created by a newly reformed Equity Advisory Council made up of students, community members, teachers and school district leadership. They know the district has a lot of work to do. After a work session a few weeks ago, the Board of Education had their first public reading of the new Educational Equity Policy on Tuesday night. It is a policy that commits to leadership and support for students, staff and our community to ensure that we are authentically and meaningfully inclusive.
Please take time to read over the policy and ask any questions you may have and/or give feedback here. It's an easy way for Prairie to live out our principles in the community. If you would like to join us in calling the Board to action and amplifying the voices of Black Students and staff please consider giving public comment at the next Board of Ed meeting on March 2nd.
Please let Melissa know if you have any questions.
Please click on the links within this announcement or find out more here:
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Rethinking Thanksgiving
In a follow-up to the January Congregational Meeting- be sure to read Melissa’s important message here.
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Reading Material
Need some reading material to get you through these next few months? Want to educate yourself on anti-racism and white privilege? Check out the new Justice League reading list here.
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The Justice League needs YOU!
With the pandemic continuing to impact unemployment, eviction rates, and homelessness, our community needs information on rights and resources. We’re creating an informational flyer to be distributed at apartment complexes and need volunteers to help distribute. If you are able to help, please contact Kim or Melissa.
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If you are looking for more racial justice information see the following:
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Hello Fellow Shoppers - Sign up for Scrip NOW!
Shop with Scrip’s gift card program makes earning money for PrairieUU easy! You buy full value gift cards, and the retailers give a rebate of 2-20% back to PrairieUU.
With over 250 brands that offer gift cards, that can be sent right to your email INBOX or right to your home, this is a great way to purchase gifts for others, staying out of stores completely! Click here to sign up!
Sincerely,
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Support PrairieUU - Amazon Smile
If you shop on Amazon, please remember to use the special link and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchases to PrairieUU! This is through the Amazon Smile program. http://ow.ly/8zJi50BOssx
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Support PrairieUU - King Soopers Rewards Program
Our assigned Non-Profit Organization (NPO) number is UC596.
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Tech Talk
Tuesday, March 16, 4:00 PM
During this time that we may not be able to get out and be with our family and friends, communications via Video Conferencing, and social media are needed more than ever. If you have a question or can you help someone else with Tech? Computers, Phones and Tablets? During this hour we work through getting you up and running to be in better communications with our PrairieUU community and your other personal networks.
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MUUved to Action
Tuesday, March 16, 6:30 PM
MUUved to Action is a sub-group of our Justice League that meets weekly as a result of being called by our BIPOC community and members to "not sleep through the revolution". We meet to address the urgent and immediate calls for justice action in our community. We have attended protests, written position statements, made phone calls and written letters to public officials and business owners, provided public comment, attended public meetings and had invited guests from the community to provide depth to our understanding of complex justice issues and solutions. We are joined by other Denver Metro UUs and community members. We currently meet virtually on Tuesday nights from 6:30-8 via Google Meet. All are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Melissa B.
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Finance Committee
Wednesday, March 17, 5:30 pm
Our Finance Committee is vital to the life of the congregation. The committee with the Board of Trustees oversees the overall financial health of the congregation as well as fundraising, canvass (pledge drive), and auction. If you would like more information or to RSVP please contact us.
Agenda items this month will include the current state of Prairie's finances, potential ways to generate additional income, and a discussion of initial plans for the preparation of a draft budget for the next fiscal year.
Our Finance Committee is vital to the life of the congregation. The committee with the Board of Trustees oversees the overall financial health of the congregation as well as fundraising, canvass (pledge drive), and auction. If you would like more information or to RSVP please contact us.
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Board of Trustees
Wednesday, March 17, 6:30 pm
This Board Meeting is now from 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm. The Board will open the meeting to members/friends at 6:45 pm. All are invited to attend the entire meeting.
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Healthy Living Small Group
Friday, March 19, 1:00 pm
Join Pastor AJ and others in our community as we engage in a healthy(ier) living time together. We will meet once a week to share ideas, recipes, what works and what doesn’t about exercise. This will be a time to connect Mind, Body and Soul. If you are interested, please join Pastor AJ’s Facebook group UU Healthy Living. Finally, Pastor AJ is also joining Weightwatchers and is inviting you to join with him. If you are interested, there are a couple of special promos that are now running but end tonight. For more information, check with Pastor AJ or sign up with Weightwatchers directly.
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Core Team
Monday, March 22, 6:30 PM
Ever wonder how Sunday mornings come together? You are welcome to come and find out and even join our Core Team. The Core Team is a compilation of individuals and representatives from the Justice League, Hospitality, Membership, Communications, and many more. All are welcome.
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MUUved to Action
Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 PM
MUUved to Action is a sub-group of our Justice League that meets weekly as a result of being called by our BIPOC community and members to "not sleep through the revolution". We meet to address the urgent and immediate calls for justice action in our community. We have attended protests, written position statements, made phone calls and written letters to public officials and business owners, provided public comment, attended public meetings and had invited guests from the community to provide depth to our understanding of complex justice issues and solutions. We are joined by other Denver Metro UUs and community members. We currently meet virtually on Tuesday nights from 6:30-8 via Google Meet. All are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Melissa B.
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PrairieUU Men's Group
Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 pm
The Prairie Men's Group meets monthly online on the 4th Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Topics vary from month to month. Check the Prairie website calendar to join the discussion.
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Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 PM
This is space for Middle/Senior High Youth and 20something Young Adults from our PrairieUU and local community to gather together. Join us for conversation, spiritual growth, and social activities.
Please join us on Wednesday, March 24 to view: Star Trek
The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
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PrairieUU Congregational Meeting
Sunday, March 28, 2021, 11:30 (after Candles of Community)
This is an important meeting. We will move to suspend the section of the bylaws referring to our nominations process so we can trial our new Leadership Development process and suspend term limits so elected members can stay in their positions this next year. Additional agenda items include: electing members to the COSM and sharing an update on plans for restoring right relationships and healing will also be discussed.
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Community
Information and Resources
If you have other community resources that we should share, please let us know.
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From the UUA President - You Are Held In Care
To view the announcement from Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, UUA President, click here.
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UUA Guidance on Gathering In-Person When COVID-19 Subsides
The UUA continues to carefully monitor developments with testing and vaccinations. Last May, we recommended congregations plan for virtual operations until at least May 2021. By now, we recognize this timeline will likely be longer. As the Biden administration develops a coordinated federal response, we expect it will be March before we have a reasonable sense of the vaccine horizon and timeline for when we might reach herd immunity. In the meantime, our current UUA Guidance on Gathering offers recommendations for specific metrics to monitor in your own community as you consider decisions about gathering when the pandemic subsides.
The full link to the UUA press release can be viewed here.
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Bill's Be-Cyber-Safe Box - Episode 3
Bill’s Be-Cyber-Safe Box, Episode #3. What is “privacy” in cyber world? How can you protect yours? How is it different from cyber “security”? Why should you care?
Let’s assume you haven’t been doing anything that’s against the law, and don’t think you have anything you wouldn’t want others (a trusted friend or life partner for example) to know.
That still leaves a lot of stuff that should stay private; like maybe a photo of you in an old yearbook, or your half-naked self doing something silly. I’ll let you fill in things that live inside your smart devices that should not go public. Make a list of your own private stuff and then move all digital versions of it into a folder named “Private”. That folder can then be locked so that it is only accessible with a password. Any file can be encrypted, but that becomes tedious. All your passwords should be kept in your private folder. Give a trusted friend or partner the single password that opens your “Private” folder. Keep a copy in a safe place so you don’t get locked out.
Here’s a short You-tube video that explains digital privacy and how to protect yours. Credit to Josh and Absolute ® . Learn who collects your personally identifiable information. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YIPQrEWOeY
The next episode will address what security means in our digital world and why that matters.
Privacy for minor children is very important, and should be supervised by adults who care.
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Hello Virtually Close Friends!
Those who are now eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccines in the current phase are:
(We are currently in Phase 1B.3). . .
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On Monday, March 8, CDC issued new recommendations for fully vaccinated people. These recommendations may be modified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to be more in line with our current public health orders. In the meantime, please continue following local Public Health Orders and masking guidance.
Go to Tri-County Health Department's website for more information on vaccination, COVID-19 or to reach out with a question: tchd.org
Be well!
Yours (from at least 6 feet away),
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COVID Assistance Funds and Resources |
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Arapahoe County Rent and Mortgage assistance for Covid related loss of income, click here for more information.
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Douglas County is offering Covid-19 assistance funds to individuals and families. Please click here for more information.
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City of Aurora Covid-19 resources please click here for more information.
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Parker Covid-19 information and resources - please click here for more information.
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Support PrairieUU
Click on the images below to learn more!
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Follow and Connect with us! |
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Get the most out of G Suite in your workplace with training guides, tips, customer examples, and other resources.
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To connect via a computer simply click the links provided.
To connect via a phone or tablet you will be prompted to download the Google Meet app.
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We Look Forward to Hearing From You |
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Newsletter & Announcement Contributions
All requests for the Monday newsletter and Orders of Service are due on Wednesday at 12 pm. (PLEASE NOTE: All submissions are subject to editing for content and space.)
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Office Hours - M-Th 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Phone/Text: 720-549-0530
Schedule an Appointment via Google Calendar
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General Office Hours
Mon-Thur - 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
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Office Hours - M-Th 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Phone/Text - 720-549-0531
Schedule an Appointment via Google Calendar
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Committee Emails
LifeSpan - Religious Exploration for all ages
Membership - Visitors, becoming a Covenantal member
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Mailing Address:
PrairieUU Church
P.O. Box 1684
Parker, CO 80134
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