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Minister Summer Schedules
As we enter the summer months, Rev. Amanda and Rev. CTC will be taking time for vacation and study leave. June 26-July 21, Rev. CTC will be "on deck" while Rev. Amanda is away. July 21-July 24, both ministers are out of the office; you can reach out to Nikki Steele with any concerns and she can reach a minister. July 25-August 13, Rev. Amanda will be "on deck" while Rev. CTC is away. At any time you can leave a message about a pastoral emergency on the Pastoral Care phone: 571-277-4428. Happy summer!
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Slooooooooow-Down Driveway Time
UUCA is lucky enough to have a great parking lot and lovely long driveway to enter -- but with that we have increased car/human interactions. Please, drive very slowly up the driveway -- there are lots of people who may be moving along the driveway and in the parking lot. We have many campers this summer, and children move quickly!
Nikki is able to see the driveway quite clearly from the office and she has noticed a lot of cars speeding through this area. Some are using the UUCA lot as a shortcut, and we want to make sure they move slowly, not speed. Also, the driveway is a one-way only throughfare -- please, don't go down it to exit on George Mason, even though we know it feels quick!
Some additional safety measures are being implemented to help increase pedestrian safety along the driveway, so keep your eyes open. Thank you for helping UUCA keep everyone safe.
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Poor People’s Campaign in DC
10AM, Saturday June 29, National Mall
Join UUA President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, UUs for Social Justice and UUs from around the region to attend the Poor People's Campaign for the Mass Poor People's and Low-Wage Workers' Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. Review a promo video to learn more. RSVP with the PPC, then tell UU for Social Justice about your expected participation in this UU RSVP survey. UUSJ is organizing a UU meetup at 4th St. NW & Pennsylvania Ave. NW, on the SE corner, near the National Gallery of Art - East Building's footprint at 9:45 am so UUs can attend the rally together. If you would like to coordinate transportation from UUCA for this event contact suzanc825@gmail.com.
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A Conversation About Hate In America
Sun., June 30, 11:30am (following the 10:15am Sunday Service)
- What is HATE?
- Why do we HATE?
- What are a few Hot Button HATE issues in the US?
- How can we stand up against HATE?
Join UUCA member Daniel Rothbart for a presentation, followed by Q&A. We’ll touch on the basics and more pointed issues such as Hate Groups and Deradicalization. Please bring your ideas and questions. Expect a lively discussion. Dan is a professor at The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He has a professional and personal interest in Conflict Analysis and Peaceful Resolution and serves as Director of the Peace Lab and Co-Director of the Program for the Prevention of Mass Violence.
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Summer Green Mugs: Welcome, Newcomers!
This summer at coffee hour, we're putting out special green mugs for newcomers. It's simple: if you're new to UUCA and want folks to introduce themselves, take a green mug. If you see someone sipping from a green mug, introduce yourself!
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UUCA Week 1 Peace Camp
Thank you to everyone who made Peace Camp sail last week! It was incredible to watch each of you connect with the campers and one another and how each of those connections created opportunities to experience, learn, and practice Peace together.
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We are saddened to share that Gene Mulligan died June 10th. We send so much care to Gene's four children and their families as they navigate this time of loss. Gene had been a member, and truly a leader and builder, of UUCA since 1959.
Condolences may be sent to Greg and Jeanne Mulligan, 4100 N. Charles St. Apt. 414
Baltimore, MD 21218. A service is planned for later in the summer and will be announced here in Connections.
If you have personal news to share, such as births, graduations, special moments, or challenges, email careteam@uucava.org for support, or kackerman@uucava.org with announcements.
Are You In Need of Support?
Care Team Hotline: 571-277-4428 | careteam@uucava.org
When you attend a church for the first time, one of the questions you might ask is, do the people here look out for one another? At UUCA we have created a network of caring connections that will provide a supportive, compassionate presence when you may be struggling, alone, or in pain.
Our Care Team responds to concerns through careful listening, checks on you if you are ill and need help, is there to help you through life’s transitions, and provides food and other support services when you need that extra helping hand.
Our UUCA Ministers offer that unique spiritual guidance you might be looking for, and also offer one-on-one support when you may be facing an especially difficult time.
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More events listed below.
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Religious Education This Week
Religious Education Classes will meet Sunday. Check the schedule at the bottom of the stairs for class assignments.
Summer Sundays at UUCA—July Schedule
Join us for Summer Fun here at UUCA. Starting July 7, we will be offering four groups of Summer RE:
- Nursery Care—6 months to 2 years in Room 3
- Preschool—1st Grade: Story and Playtime in Room 5
- 2nd Grade and Older: Exploring Our Senses in Room 2/4
Here at UUCA we offer several ways kids can enjoy worship:
- Spirit Space: For kids 4 years and younger at the front of the Sanctuary.
- Fellowship Hall: Play space for toddlers and kids of all ages. Puzzles and coloring sheets for anyone!
Volunteer in Religious Education for Youth
We are currently recruiting volunteers for the 2024-2025 Religious Education program. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities or have questions, please contact LeeAnn at lwilliams@uucava.org.
Ready to volunteer? Click here.
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UU the Vote –Supporting Democracy
Mail your postcards to North Carolina by July 1 to support a coalition of Black activists and faith groups as they mobilize Black voters. Next Sunday we launch our first postcarding campaign for the general election. Reproductive freedom is on the ballot in Florida, and we are writing to Black women who are registered to vote in smaller cities and counties to ensure that they are not overlooked. Other groups will be targeting the large population centers.
Pick up a set of 20 postcards containing everything you need (e.g., postcards, postage) in the Fellowship Hall this Sunday after the service or make arrangements to pick up a set at other times by contacting Ellen at elltaylor41@aol.com. Postcarding materials cost $14 per set. A donation is suggested, but not required. Can’t postcard? Donate to support others.
Voter registration is one of the most rewarding actions you can take. Register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-voter-registration-training-tickets-924359473067?aff=oddtdtcreator for League of Women voter registration training and certification at UUCA on Sunday July 14 from 2:30-4. Open to the community so invite friends and register soon as this training is filling fast.
Phone banking is even more effective than post carding. Join us in person at UUCA or virtually to phone bank after the services on Sunday August 11 and August 18. We will be partnering with the Center for Common Ground on one of their campaigns to mobilize BIPOC voters in key states with a history of voter suppression. Snacks and training provided. Area UUs will be invited to participate virtually.
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2024 Fall Retreat in Capon Springs: September 27 - 29
JOIN US - Your friends from UUCA at this year’s Fall Retreat at Capon Springs, West Virginia, September 27 to 29!!
Capon Springs is an idyllic country retreat, far from the noise and distractions of city life, where every September we gather to enjoy three days of friendship, stimulating conversations and seminars, and hearty food. We enjoy morning hikes, book discussions and other (congregant-suggested and led) meetings in the afternoon, and games and star-gazing at night. All with your best friends from the UUCA congregation.
The Fall Retreat is a beloved tradition in the church calendar, and we hope you can make it a part of your annual traditions. All registration is done through the church’s web site; to reach this site, click link below:
CLICK HERE TO VISIT REGISTRATION WEBSITE
For more information, please contact Frank Brown, Registrar, at frankb915@gmail.com.
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Books Needed for the UUCA Library
All June! Find donation bin in Fellowship Hall
Help us revitalize the UUCA library! This Pride month, we're accepting donations of new or gently-used non-fiction books related to LGBT justice, spirituality, activism, and how-to-be-an-ally. We're also accepting kids picture books that celebrate LGBT identities and families. We're looking for books published in 2010 or later. Please bring book donations to the box in Fellowship Hall on Sundays. [Please note: Books not accepted for the UUCA library will be donated onward.]
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Young Adult Group On Pause For Summer
For any folks looking for this lively group, please know meetings are on hold until after Labor Day. Watch Connections for updates!
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Send in Photos from Your Group Gatherings
Do you meet for a Book Club, Covenant Group, Adult RE, or Committee Meeting? Please, send us a photo or two! Katie would LOVE to have some photos from your groups -- both posed and informal. Just use your cell phone camera -- they are so good now -- and email them in. Please ask permission prior to taking the photos and let people know they will be used for UUCA newsletters (and possibly on the website!) If possible, include the names of those photographed. Submit photos to kackerman@uucava.org.
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Affinity Groups Forming Now!
Are you looking to connect with like-minded people on a particular topic? Maybe building your community and friend network? We have a group for you! Click this link to sign up or lead a group. If you have suggestions for a group not on our list, let us know!
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UUCA Volunteers Needed!
Have you ever wondered how you can sign up to volunteer at UUCA? Mystery solved! You can sign up to volunteer by clicking the link HERE to get started on your journey. Please sign up today. Any questions, feel free to reach out to Nicole Haley at nhaley@uucava.org for support.
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Cozy Reads Book Club
Meets the 3rd Thursday of the month 7:00 PM, Zoom, Next meeting: Jun 20th, Zoom.
Do you enjoy chatting about good books? Or do you want to make some new connections here at UUCA? Join the Cozy Reads Book club at the next gathering. The discussions are lively, enlightening and not always about the book!
June 20, 2024 (last meeting for the year) -- The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
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Hopepunk Book Club
Next Meeting: July 11 7:00 p.m, In Person at UUCA
UUCA's Hopepunk Book Club reads speculative fiction that imagines positive futures, embraces kindness, and inspires hope in humanity's ability to solve our climate and economic problems. For July, we'll read Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers. Contact valarietbryant@gmail.com for more information.
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The Men's Book Group of UUCA
Bastille Day, Sunday, July 14, 2024, at 7:30 P.M. Zoom
Meet to discuss our fiction selections, two, maybe three, selections from the collection of Leo Tolstoy's later short works, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, translated from the Russian by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, a wife and husband team. They have translated many of the works of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, as well as some of Pasternak, Gogol, Pushkin and others. The book is available in new and used paperback and on Kindle. The stories I suggest we all read are these: The Death of Ivan Ilyich (53 pages), Master and Man (46 pg.), and as a bonus, Hadji Murat (really a short novella, (113 pages.) This last selection involves tribalism, colonialism and the conflict between European/Christian and Traditional/Islamic cultures in Central Asia, a clash which continues today.
We are still looking for a fiction title for the August 11, 2024 meeting.
Please let me/us know if you have any comments or additional suggestions for August--or later.
As always, please bring any titles you have read and would like the group to read and discuss in future months. The rules are that the person suggesting a book must have read the entire book (not just the opening chapter or an enticing review!), and that it must be available in libraries, or available in paperback or used, or in digital versions. We traditionally alternate fiction and non-fiction books, but if a majority wants to change that format, we could alter that 1:1 ratio.
Unlike the "Fight Club,'' the first rule of our Book Group is: Tell any reader who you think might be interested about attending our meetings about the Book Group.
If there are any questions about the group and its meetings, or if you want to be on our monthly email list, please email Ken Marshall at kenmar42@gmail.com or call him at (703) 533-8004.
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African American Book Sharing Circle
Friday, July 19, 7:00 p.m., Zoom link here
We will discuss Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. The book focuses on the events in the life of an American man living in Paris in the 1950’s and his feelings and frustrations with his relationships with other men in his life, particularly an Italian bartender named Giovanni whom he meets at a Parisian gay bar. With a sharp, probing imagination, James Baldwin's now-classic narrative delves into the mystery of loving and creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
For additional information, contact Pat Findikoglu (pfindikoglu@gmail. com) or Ann Ulmschneider (aulmsch@msn.com.)
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Monday: Meditation and Dharma Talk
7:30 pm-8:45 pm, UUCA Activity Room and simultaneously on Zoom
A meditation and dharma talk with an opportunity for sharing afterward is offered in partnership with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW). Held in the Activity Room on the lower level and simultaneously on Zoom. Subscribe to the email list on the IMCW page for the event to receive the Zoom link, topics, class cancellation alerts, and private access to the recorded talks.
Contact: Stig Regli.
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Wednesday: Hour of Silence
7:30 pm-8:45 pm, UUCA Room 20 (Youth Room)
Join us in Room 20 on Wednesday evenings for an hour of in-person silent sitting and/or walking meditation or contemplation, followed by mindful discussion. We enjoy this opportunity to ground ourselves in the middle of our busy week. Please arrive a few minutes early so we can begin at 7:30, and bring what you need to be comfortable.
Contact: Suzan Chastain.
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Friday: First Light Meditation
7:00 am-7:45 am, on Zoom LINK HERE
A half-hour silent meditation with an opportunity for sharing afterward, on Zoom. Contact: David McTaggart at dmctagg@gmail.com or Gregg Forte at gforte@mac.com.
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Newsletter deadline: Connections deadline for submissions is EACH Tuesday at 10 a.m. with publication on Thursday. See below on how to submit an announcement.
How to submit an announcement to UUCA's Connections newsletter:
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