"Our Digital Building–Join the Conversation"

Dear Ones,

What was the meal you ate that was ridiculously delicious? Mine was on a rare date night with my wife (#toddlerparenting) when I devoured charred eggplant tostadas. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. If you have never had a charred eggplant tostada, and this restaurant’s particular preparation, you have no way of really knowing the joy, nourishment, and hospitality I remember in my body even as I just type these words. 

This is the problem with our current website. Our website feels like a menu - mostly lots and lots and lots and lots of words to describe something that really needs to be experienced with our whole beings. I dream of a website as an online portal through which people can actually taste and see what it’s like to be a part of our beloved community. I want it to be the functional equivalent of me bringing you with me for those charred eggplant tostadas so we can enjoy them together and you want to have more too.

We just went through a renovation to our building to bring it into alignment with who we are as a community now and who we strive to be. Now is the time to do the same for our digital building, aka our website and all its accompanying online architecture of communication. We are building a team to do this work with me and our board member Emily Bijnagte at the helm. 

As a first move towards redesign, we need you to take a few minutes to fill out this survey about your current experience with our website and online communications. This survey will be open through November 17th. We are so grateful for your wisdom and willingness to share it in this way. 

In gratitude,

Rev. Ashley Harness-Jimenez 

Assistant Minister

Intro

"Scooching Over"

Sunday Worship

This Sunday, Nov. 12, 9 & 11 a.m.

Sunday, Nov. 5 Recording

Donate to Sanctuary Fund

Cycle of Life

Fall Programs

Young Adults

How to Talk to People

Square Dance

Ministry for the Future

Wellspring

Meditation Group

Daytime Connections

Improv for Seniors

Pastoral & Community Care

Grief & Caregiver Groups

Faithful Action

AFA Clothing Drive

News

Joyce Food Shelf

Gilda's Club

Buy A Journal

Community Events & Affiliated Orgs:

Hats for Unhoused People, AUW, 12-Step Spirituality

Some email programs truncate long emails; watch for "message clipped; view entire message" or similar at the bottom of this email if you don't see all contents listed.

Sunday, November 12

In-person at 9 a.m.; In-person & Online at 11 a.m.



"Scooching Over"

As a kid and now as a parent, the word “scooch” carries at least two meanings. It can mean scooch, as in move along and get out of here, and it can also mean scooch, as in scooch over and make room for whoever might be joining us. This Sunday - we’ll explore the spiritual practice of scooching over to make room as one way of embodying our Unitarian Universalist belief in the worth and dignity of every person. Join us for worship this Sunday, Nov. 12, in person at 9 and in person and livestreamed at 11 a.m.

IN PERSON AT 9 & 11 A.M.

This Sunday, we worship in person at 9 & 11 a.m. Masks are welcome but not required in the sanctuary; please review our Covid-19 Gathering Guidelines. 

ONLINE AT 11 A.M.

This service is live-streamed at 11 a.m. Watch the livestream here. 

CHILDREN & YOUTH

If you have not yet registered your family for this year of Religious Education, please register your family today. All families — new and returning, with babies through high schoolers — must register each church year.

AFTER WORSHIP

Coffee Hour in the Social Hall

Visit with old friends and meet new ones over coffee and cookies in our social hall.

"Staying at The Table"

• Watch the Nov. 5 service on YouTube
• Nov. 5 full service podcast
• Nov. 5 Rev Jen's sermon

Podcast Archive | Recording Archive | Sermon Archive

Give to Our Sanctuary & Resistance Fund

We are hoping to raise the legal fees necessary for our family in sanctuary–a total of more than $14,000. While we will also turn to our partners for support–we are hoping that together we can do whatever we can to continue our support for the Contreras family. 100% of your donations will go toward our Sanctuary & Resistance Fund and toward the legal fees needed to expand the radius of safety for this family beyond the walls of this church and into the community.

Donate here.

Our hearts are with the family and friends of Rita Franchett, beloved member of our congregation who died on October 31st at the age of 93, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Rita’s life will take place at First Universalist this spring. Rev. Ashley will hold space this Sunday from 12:30-1:30 in room 207 for anyone who’d like to gather to talk about Rita and her death, and as always, your ministers are here for one on one conversation, as well.



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

Young Adults

Media Show & Share

Sunday, Nov. 12- 12:45-2 p.m. at church

RSVP Requested

We all consume so much and such interesting media these days: books, podcasts, YouTube series, etc. Come show and share what you’ve really been digging recently–with no obligation to add anything to “your list.” This is purely a moment to nerd out about who you’re reading and learning from, your latest podcast binge, or a niche topic, and we will rejoice with you! You never know- perhaps someone else might be yearning to connect over it, too!

Hosted by Mats Jacobsson, First U Community Member

Young Adults Program Brainstorm

Sunday, Dec. 3- 12:45-2:45 at church

RSVP Requested

What are the unique spiritual needs, tasks, and joys of life in your 20s and 30s? How are we as a community meeting those needs already and what is missing? Liz Farmer and Rev. Ashley Harness invite you to bring your ideas, hopes, and dreams to share over lunch.

Young Adults are folks in their 20s and 30s in varying social/cultural life stages. We are in school, job-searching and working, single, married, partnered and dating, with kids and without, newly moved to the area and longtime residents. We gather about twice a month for structured and unstructured conversation, spiritual practice, and activities.

"How to Talk to People" Workshops

Three Saturday mornings; coffee at 9:45, conversation from 10-11:15 a.m.

Registration Requested

Nov. 11 - How to Make Small Talk

Feb. 24 - The Infrastructure of Community

April 27 - How to Not Go It Alone

There is much talk about community in our church. Yet many members report that they don’t feel a sense of belonging here. Activities and groups can help. Good communication is also crucial. But what’s between these things? A warmth, a sense of comfort, ease, and a preemptive assumption that all people do belong here. These workshops, based on three different episodes from The Atlantic podcast How to Talk to People, are meant to open us up to possibilities in moving toward deeper relationships through talking and listening, and to brainstorm about ways that church gatherings and infrastructure could facilitate these kinds of interactions and relationships. The first workshop, on Saturday, Nov. 11 is on "How to Make Small Talk." What are barriers and strategies to small talk, and how do we engage in it (or go beyond it) in a multi-generational, multicultural community of faith?

Register for one, two, or all three. We encourage listening to at least part of the podcast episode (or reading the transcript) before attending. 

Facilitated by member Nancy Nyquist Potter and Membership Coordinator Liz Farmer.

Square Dance

Sunday, Nov. 12, 2-4 p.m. RSVP Requested

Come one, come all to First Universalist’s Fall Barn Dance and Social (without the barn)! There will be rousing LIVE MUSIC, square dance calling and mixers, space and time to chat with old friends and new, potluck snacks, activities (and supervision – by request) for kids, and no other agenda.



Coffee, water and tea will be provided. If you’re inspired, bring a snack to share. Feel free to dress “creatively!” To request childcare from the church, please fill out the form here by Nov. 5. Masks are optional. Let us know you’re coming, and tell your friends to join us!

"The Ministry for The Future" Book Group

Tuesdays, Nov. 14, Jan. 23, April 23; 6-7:30 p.m. at church

Registration Required

Please join us for a careful, caring conversation of Kim Stanley Robinson's breathtaking and inspiring 2020 epic, The Ministry for the Future. This deeply researched speculative fiction is a work of page-turning prophetic imagination that reads like an account of our "faster than expected" experience of global ecological and civilizational crisis, written with loving compassion and keen insight.   No other work of fiction or nonfiction explores the human predicament in a way that is both thoroughly researched and inclusive of how this crisis looks and feels for people - and for the more-than-human beings - all around the earth. This book study will be helpful and encouraging as we carefully reflect on the unfolding global polycrisis and the many possible local and global human responses. How do we do life together as a faith community living within an extinction event? How do we hospice what is passing away while helping to midwife a future we do not fully control? Let's kindle the gentle flame of imagination in our hearts and minds this fall and winter as we read The Ministry of the Future. Facilitated by Gary Hoover and Rev. Arif Mamdani

Wellspring Spiritual Practices

Every other Tuesday, starting Nov. 14 and through May, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at church Registration Required

This is a special opportunity just for Wellspring alum – that is, anyone who has already participated in a year-long Wellspring group – to take a deeper dive with a new circle of spiritual companions. We believe that spiritual practice is essential to spiritual living and to our spiritual development as Unitarian Universalists. It is our foundation for being in the world and being of service to others in times of pain and joy. We will engage in spiritual practices that help us move toward these states of consciousness, among others: wakefulness, gratitude, compassion, awe, stillness, presence, connection, and wholeness, and an ability to hold the travails of life in a larger container. The homework for each session includes pre-work - usually at least one reading, plus a chapter from Awakening Together by Larry Yang.

Co-facilitated by participants on a rotating basis; Coordinated by Lynn Wilbur and Amy Zimmer, First U members.

Tuesday Meditation Group

Weekly Practice: 8:45-10:15 a.m. online and in-person; Monthly learning sessions on Nov. 14, Dec. 12

You are invited to meditate with our lay-led practice group. None of us are experts. Our practices come out of our own experiences, and we share inspiration from many sources including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Tara Brach, Tai Chi, Loving Kindness, poetry and more. We don't follow one method or another, but we do share what we learn with each other. After meditation we practice deep listening to hear from each person, if they choose. No registration required. Email Sara McMullen for Zoom details.

Daytime Connections

Thursday, Nov. 16, 9:45 coffee, 10 a.m. program in the Social Hall and on Zoom, 11:30 optional lunch

Register here by the Monday before the program 

Dementia Friends: How can we actually help a friend or loved one who is living with dementia? How can we turn an expanded understanding of dementia into behaviors which support these individuals and their caregivers? Colleen Fritsch, our presenter from Dementia Friends organization, will offer practical strategies and more. Join us.

Improv for Seniors

Fridays 10-11:30am, November 17th- December 22nd (no meeting November 24th)

RSVP REQUESTED

Staying responsive and fluid can get harder as we age and get a little set in our ways.  Improvisation is a fun and creative way to stretch our ability to yes to surprises, and to engage with other people.  This time together will include improv games and opportunities to create scenes together.  Regular attendance is preferred but not absolutely necessary.  All abilities welcome. Teacher: Rev. Meg Riley started doing improv in classes for people over age 55 ten years ago, and wishes she had done it decades earlier.  Friends from her classes will assist in leadership. 

Grief Group (online)

Sundays, Nov 19, Dec 3, Dec 17, 4-5:30 p.m. on Zoom

A gathering for those who are grappling with the web of feelings associated with loss. A group of souls who share, listen and care. A community interested in exploring new life invitations. Come as you are, when you feel moved to attend on any or all dates. We will be here for you. Facilitated by Mark Caswell (he/him/they/them), a member of First Universalist Unitarian Church of Minneapolis and an aspirant on ordination track within the UUA. He attends United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and lives in Minneapolis. He finds grounding in meditation, poetry, watercolor painting, and practicing deep listening. He also holds a BFA in Theater Design from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Email Rev. Arif Mamdani for Zoom details.

Caregivers Group (online)

Sundays, Nov 12, Dec 10 1-2:30 p.m. on Zoom

Caring for a family member who needs special care is a demanding and often unseen or unacknowledged role. Whether you’re caring for an aging parent or a child with a chronic health condition, join the Caregivers group for mutual support, connection, and community building. When we gather, we’ll light a chalice, have time for introductions, and share a reading, then move into deeper sharing, support, and reflection. Come as you are, when you feel moved to attend on any or all dates. 

Facilitated by Rev. Arif Mamdani.

Email Rev. Arif Mamdani for Zoom details.

AFA Winter Clothing Drive

Thanks to all who brought underwear for our October drive! Now we are seeking new gloves, gloves for texting, leggings, and warm socks, as well as new or gently used t-shirts and hoodies. Please bring items to the First U Social Hall on Sunday, November 12 and 19.

AFA is a public charter high school serving students in the Phillips neighborhood; many experience housing and food insecurity. AFA is a long standing Faithful Action Community Partner and First Universalist congregants have generously supported a Food and Clothing Closet for AFA students for over 10 years. Contact Cindy Marsh with questions.

Thoughtful Giving to Joyce Food Shelf

With the holidays approaching, you can help the Joyce Uptown Food Shelf to serve our food-insecure neighbors. Your brown paper grocery bags are appreciated--the shoppers use them to take home groceries.

• Traditional holiday foods like canned pumpkin, cans of evaporated and condensed milk, canned cranberry sauce, boxed stuffing mix, and shelf-stable gravy can make a holiday meal special.
• Ramen is always appreciated.
• Oil isn’t often available but is needed for meals like Rice-a-Roni.
• Spices or salt and pepper are treasured.
• Tea bags and coffee let people know you care.
• Sugar and flour are wonderful staples.
• Tuna and crackers make a good lunch.
• Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake.
• Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated.
• Feminine hygiene products are a necessity and always welcome.
• Lots of folks love Stove Top Stuffing.

Please drop your nonperishable items off on the shelves in the church lobby.

Superhero Project Reaching Out

On November 1, the Visual Arts Committee provided an opportunity for Gilda’s Club Twin Cities to visit the Breast Cancer Superhero Portrait Project exhibit. Gilda’s Club Twin Cities is a welcoming community, a place to go for free support for everyone living with any type of cancer – people of all genders, teens and children — along with their families, friends and caregivers. Their program is a one-of-a-kind evidence-based program of social and emotional support. Artist Barbara Porwit explained how the exhibit originated and developed. She also highlighted a few stories from women in the paintings. Dressed in his own superhero costume, Ryan remarked that men with breast cancer are often forgotten, so he has become a spokesperson for them. Barbara’s goal is to have the exhibit expand to include a more diverse group of individuals.

Support Our Youth by Buying A Journal

Our 10th graders recently returned from their pilgrimage to Boston to learn more about their UU ancestors.

As you heard on Sundaay in worship, this is a formative trip for our youth that connected them deeply to the people, the history and the possible future of our shared tradition.

We invite you to purchase a journal with art from one of our high-school youth, illustrating our worship theme for the year. They are available on a sliding scale and all proceeds will benefit the Boston Pilgrimage Fund.

Buy a Journal

Hats for Unhoused People

Think big, warm, and wooly! Are you a fiber artist who knits/crochets/weaves/felts? Donate your handmade hats at First Universalist, October through January. Donated hats will be distributed to local schools, shelters, and community service agencies that serve people in need. Sizes requested: Large and XL,

Time frame: October - January, Drop-off site: Basket by the elevator (see photo), Contact: Barb Melom • More Info

AUW sponsors activities for people who identify as women, non-binary and/or gender fluid.

Registration Now Open for AUW Fall Mini Retreat

November 18, 2023 11 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

"Enhancing Wellbeing and Resilience, Mindfully"

AUW invites those who identify as women to a November 18th afternoon at First Universalist Church, filled with resilience strategies to help manage health and wellbeing challenges, be they major or every day. Luncheon is followed by Keynote speaker, Mariann Johnson (pictured here), a wellbeing and mindfulness instructor at the Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota, who will discuss the Bakken Center’s six-dimensional wellbeing model and explore mindfulness as an innate capacity that can be strengthened to promote wellbeing and resilience. Mariann has studied and practiced mindfulness meditation for over 25 years and is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor through Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Before dedicating her professional life to teaching mindfulness, Mariann served as an organization development consultant and mediator, working with leaders of Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Her writings on mindful leadership have appeared in the Huffington Post and Mindful Magazine.



Three breakout sessions, following the keynote, will offer different strategies with solid ways to enhance resilience. Our closing session provides an opportunity to connect with others and reflect on opportunities for progress.

Join us to nurture deep-rooted friendships and begin new ones!

Registration: AUW Members $10, Non-members $20 - Another great reason to join AUW!

For further details and to register, click here.

Hiking Group: Meets most Saturdays at a park or trail head. For questions or to get on the hiking group mailing list, contact: Marie Sorensen, phone / email, or Lynn Richardson phone / email.

November 11, 2 pm. Lakewood Cemetery, 3600 Hennepin Av So, Mpls, MN 55408

Meet by Chapel. Park on side of road. Lynn will lead.

November 18 - no hike. AUW Mini-Retreat at First U. Come to the event. 

November 25, 2 pm. Lake Harriet, Minneapolis. Meet at the bandshell. Marie will be out of town. Unsure if will be a leader. Thanksgiving weekend.

Game Group: Meets at the church on the second Thursday of each month to play board games and socialize. You are welcome to bring snacks to share and a game you would enjoy teaching others. To receive email updates, contact Anne Frenchick. The next game night is November 9. Neither Lisa nor Anne will be available to host that night, but the room is reserved and anyone is welcome to show up!

Women Who Read: We read books written by women. We host an in-person and a virtual meeting on the fourth Monday of each month. Request an email invitation to our next meeting and be added to our email list by sending your name and email address to Abbie Finger. The next meeting will be November 27. We will be discussing Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus. Location of the in-person meeting is available to those on the mailing list. The Zoom version of the meeting convenes online at 7:00 pm.

Give or Take a Book!

To share books we love and build more literary connections, we are going to start a new project. If interested please bring 1-2 books (no more!) to share with someone at the monthly book club. Pick a book to take home. To help make connections pls put a post-it note on the book with your name and the reason you liked the book. (Post-it notes will be available). If a book you brought is left over please take it home or it will be donated to a Free Little Library. Any questions or ideas contact Nora Whiteman.

These meetings are intended for people who are actively working any 12-step program. The program is focused on the 11th step and the practice of Centering Prayer Meditation. 

Weekly on Zoom

and

First Saturdays of each month, 9:30 a.m. to noon, in person at First Universalist

In-person 12-step spirituality meetings gather in the church on the 1st Saturday of each month, ending on May 4, 2024.

In-person and Zoom meeting details are available here.



Church Office & Building Access

The church office is open on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The door bells are not monitored outside of this time. Access to the building at times on other days can be arranged by contacting Jim Poulter, Building & Office Manager, at jim@firstuniv.org.

Based on ongoing monitoring of COVID levels in Hennepin County, masking is welcome, but not required, inside the building—including the sanctuary. Learn more about our Covid and Community safety policies on our website.