August 2018
The Flame
The Monthly Newsletter of First Unitarian Church of Omaha
Page 2
Pages 4 & 5
Page 13
Sunday Services
Church Events
Ways to Help
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Church Services Sunday, August 5 at 10:30am “Unitarian Universalist Justice in the Middle East” Sharon Conlon Sharon went to East Jerusalem and the West Bank last year—70 years of conflict! Learn how UU congregations all over the US are actively working for justice in Palestine/Israel through Unitarian Universalist Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) chapters. Sharon will discuss working with UU Church of Lincoln to start a NE state-wide chapter. Sunday, August 12 at 10:30am “Fixing Our Relationship with Dying” Megan Gustafson Once upon a time, Death used to be accepted as a normal part of life. Now that we have come to view Death as an enemy, everything is out of balance. How do we get it back? Sunday, August 19 at 10:30am "The Web of Life: Spending Time with Robert Weston” Rev. Ron Knapp, Minister Emeritus I have had some illustrious predecessors as minister of First Unitarian Church. I think of one of them, Robert Weston, as being the “Unitarian Poet Laureate” of the twentieth century. Sunday, August 26 at 10:30am “What Does Creativity Mean (to me)?” Dr. Patricia Soto What do gene editing, the smoothness of the surface of an aircraft and the delicate sponginess of fresh bread have in common? I would share my thoughts on how creativity threads human expressions, from the arts to physical sciences.
A Note on Sunday Forums: The Sunday Morning Forums take the summer off. The first forum in the fall will be on Sunday, September 9th, and its focus will be the NEW Soul Matters Programming that will begin this fall. See page 14 of this issue for more details about Soul Matters. First Unitarian Book Orders: It’s NOT too late. Order your copy of our Anniversary book, Pillars & Dreams. See page 16 for details. Be Part of First U History Barb Dewell and Nancy Scott have generously offered to create a special quilt featuring all church members (and children). To find out how you can be involved (we need you!) please see page 7.
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Letter from Our Church President In June, I asked the Board to approve reestablishment of the Right Relations Team. When I was on the board circa 2011, it was during a time of great congregational conflict. I was on a sub-committee of the board to develop policies and procedures to create a Right Relations Team. Utilizing resources from other congregations and the UUA, we created binders of information and trained the initial three members. At some time after I left the board, the Right Relations Team disappeared. A congregation needs to practice right relations at all times; during times of great growth and joy as well as during times of conflict and turbulent change. We are in this for better AND for worse. We do not build foundations for easy times; we build them for times of great difficulty. It is by far more difficult to build while also dealing with new structures, which is what we are having to do now. This June, the board also initiated setting up the Governance Team again, which is a required team per our bylaws. The last time the governance team existed, to my knowledge, it was lead by the formidable Alex Nather (who is heartbreakingly missed for numerous reasons). When the members of that team stepped away, the board did not replace them. This team is REQUIRED by our bylaws and has been vacant for years. We need this knowledgeable team of bylaw experts and policy fanatics in order to continually revise our documents to make sure they are accurate and relevant, as well to assist new board members and leaders in learning and following them. The two most significant conflicts that have occurred this year are direct results of not having these two vital teams functioning over the past several years. At our May congregational meeting, there were many people hurt, confused and frustrated because the names of candidates, save the President, were not included in the annual meeting notices prior to the meeting. A Governance Team would have helped make sure our bylaws and policies were known and followed by all parties. We are currently in the middle of an enormous Right Relations conflict. Over the past two years, conduct by many people in the private church Facebook group has caused hurt feelings, tears, resignations, and stains on our reputation as a congregation. Social media allows humans to write things that are vicious, heartless, thoughtless, and unfeeling that they would never say to a friend or acquaintance in a face-to-face interaction. There has been hate speech, cyber bullying, inaccurate assumptions, personal attacks; needless to say we are out of covenant as a congregation. We need to work on the basics of compassionate communication, active listening, and taking responsibility for the impact of our words and actions. We need these foundations to support us in our anti-racism and anti-white-supremacy work, which we are called to do by our members, the UUA, and the world, in these turbulent times. In July, the Board and MTC jointly approved creation of the LOV Task Force, who will help us re-establish these vital foundations and catalyze anti-racism education and social action. Read about the LOV task force in this newsletter on page 7 and watch for updates in the e-news. Thank you to all the amazing individuals who are advising and working on this vital task force! Every single friend and member of the congregation needs to sit up and take notice and join in these efforts. Every one of you is needed at this critical time to keep our foundations strong and to help build newer and better and more beautiful structures. Only together can we successfully work toward radical love and inclusion. “The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple. The church is not a resting place, the church is a people. I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together.” —Avery and Marsh Peace, Maria Wallace, President
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3F Book Bonanza Wednesday, August 1 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. For August, we will read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Please reach out to Denise (denise.allain@yahoo.com) if you have questions. CommUUnity Night: Church Potluck and Cookout Offsite Friday, August 3, 5-9pm at Bellevue Berry Farm and Pumpkin Patch (1101 S 48th St., Bellevue). We will have play areas, hay rack rides, a bonfire with hot dogs and s’mores. Cost: $6/person (kids under 2 years old are free). Please bring cash with you for admission. We will provide hot dogs, hot dog buns and ketchup and mustard. We will have veggie dogs as well. Please bring a side with you if you can. Also, if you need assistance with the entrance fee to the Berry Farm, please email the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org. We do not want anyone excluded from this event. Thank you. WAYS TO HELP: Church Work Day Saturday, August 4 9am to noon. See page 9 for details. We need helpers! Note: The Teams Meeting scheduled for August 4 has been cancelled so members may attend Ruth Nickin’s memorial reception which will be held offsite at One Pacific Place Apartment Clubhouse, 1365 S 101 St. on Saturday, August 4, 1-3pm. For more information, please click here. Our next Teams Meeting happens October 6. Young Adult Group Sunday, August 5 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Classroom. This group welcomes everyone ages 18-35 from all over the Omaha metro. This month’s discussion will be led by Klyde Warren where we will discuss Lammas Day—reaping the fruits of our summer labors. Please contact youngadults@firstuuomaha.org with any questions. CUUPS Lammas Ritual Sunday, August 5 at 6:30 in the Common Room. With the waning
Church Events
summer days signaling the reward for all the work done over the year, come join us for Lammas, led by Stephen Switzer and Klyde Warren while we celebrate all that we've accomplished. Please arrive no earlier than 6 or later than 6:15 for discussion prior to the Ritual. A potluck will be held afterwards. Please bring something to share. Childcare will be provided. People’s Film Festival Monday, August 6 at 7pm in the Common Room. We will watch Stare Into The Lights My Pretties. We live in a world of screens. This film investigates these questions with an urge to return to the real physical world, to form a critical view of technological escalation driven by rapacious and pervasive corporate interest. Covering themes of addiction, privacy, surveillance, information manipulation, behavior modification and social control, the film lays the foundations as to why we may feel like we’re sleep-running into some dystopian nightmare with the machines at the helm. Because we are, if we don’t seriously avert our eyes to stop this culture from destroying what is left of the real world. Compassionate Communication Group (Practice Group) Tuesday, August 7 at 7pm in the Common Room. Using Compassionate Communication developed by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD. Please join us even if you have not attended a session yet. For information, please contact Suzanne: nvcsuz@gmail.com. The Flame Newsletter Deadline August 15 at noon. Word limit: 200. Send submissions to admin@firstuuomaha.org. Women’s Religious Studies Covenant Group Thursday, August 16 at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. This group meets the 3rd Thursday of each month. Our book is Lifecraft by Forrest Church. We welcome all self-identified women, and if you are interested, please contact Rae: raeb1@hotmail.com.
Game Night Hosted by the Young Adults Group Friday, August 17 at 6pm in the Common Room. All are invited to join the Young Adults for this event. We will have childcare! Bring snacks and board games. Leadership Talk Back Sunday, August 19 at 11:30am in the Common Room. The MTC and the Church Board want to hear from you. Have questions? Suggestion? Please join your church leaders at a table in the Common Room during coffee hour. First Steps: A Class for Visitors Sunday, August 19 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. Join us for an informal introduction to Unitarian Universalism and our community. All are welcome! See page 6 for details. People’s Film Festival Monday, August 20 at 7pm in the Common Room. We will watch Bill Nye: Science Guy. Bill Nye is a man on a mission: to stop the spread of anti-scientific thinking across the world. The former star of the popular kids show "Bill Nye The Science Guy" is now the CEO of The Planetary Society, an organization founded by Bill's mentor Carl Sagan, where he's launching a solar-propelled spacecraft into the cosmos and advocating for the importance of science, research, and discovery in public life. WAYS TO HELP: YES Meal Prep Monday, August 20 at 9am in the kitchen. We will serve chicken and rice casserole, fruit and dessert. See page 13 for more information. Book Club Monday, August 27 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. At this meeting we discuss what we read over the summer. Questions? Contact Dave at drichardson821@gmail.com. This annual event is well-attended and also serves as a welcome to new book clubbers. So even if you have not attended before please check us out. Our September 24th book is Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker.
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Church Events Continued...
Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, August 28 at 6:30pm in the Common Room, Join us to discuss anything and everything related to Taoism! As Taoism is best understood through practice rather than theory, the goal of this group is to provide a participatory space to explore how Taoism is applied in daily life, with an emphasis on experience. For more information, contact Geoff at gerickson03@gmail.com.
Brush Up Nebraska— Not happening this year Neither First Unitarian nor our partner Countryside Community church will participate in the Brush-up Nebraska Paint-a-thon this year. Neither church was able to put together enough skilled volunteers, but both organizations are committed to trying again next year. Recurring Events Women's Religious Studies Group This group meets every Thursday, except for the 3rd week of the month at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. We’re reading Idiot's Guide to Philosophy by Jay Stevenson. For questions or information, please contact Linda Parker, lparkerlib@gmail.com. Insight Meditation Every Thursday, 5pm to 5:50pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. Join us for meditation. If you're new to meditation, you may wish to attend our Dharma group first (meets at 6pm/same location). Dharma Chautauqua Every Thursday, 6pm to 7:30pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. This group reflects a free exploration of ideas and practices found within Buddhism, mindfulness, and spiritual, psychological, and recovery literature. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month in the Conference Room at 11:30am. If you've played before, come for some entertainment and time at the game table. Novices welcome too. Contact Scott Kemper at scott.kemper@gmail.com.
YRUU (Youth Group) No meetings in the summer months. Parent/Youth Meeting on W ednesday, August 29 at 7pm in the Common Room. Questions? Contact Geoff at gerickson03@gmail.com.
Anniversary Celebration Sunday, September 30 after the Sunday service. Join us as we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of our beautiful and historic church. More information will be shared next month.
Choir Rehearsals We do not rehearse in the summer months. Interested in joining the choir or need more information? Contact Choir Director William at choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org.
Teams Meeting Saturday, October 6 at 2pm in the Common Room. All church leaders and volunteers are invited to attend this meeting organized by the MTC (Ministry Team Council). New leaders’ manuals will be handed out at this meeting. Note: we will not meet in August.
Future Events Get Connected Fair: A Small-Group Sign-Up Extravaganza. Sunday, Sept. 9 during Coffee Hour in the Common Room. Various small discussion groups, including those focused on the Soul Matters topics, will showcase information about their groups and meetings during coffee hour. This will be a great opportunity to plug in and meet new friends at First Unitarian! Be sure to save the date! Next AHA Meeting will be Thursday, September 13th We will resume meeting on Thursday, September 13th. AHAST (the AHA Steering Team) will continue to meet throughout the summer on the third Thursday of every month at 7pm in the Common Room. If you are interested in helping plan programming for next year’s AHA meetings, please join us. We will meet again on August 16th. Questions? Contact aha@firstuuomaha.org. POPS: Parents of Preschoolers Saturday, Sept. 29 at 5:45pm in the Common Room. All parents of preschoolers (from littles through primary grades) are invited to attend POPs Nights to connect with other parents from both First and Second Unitarian communities. Childcare is provided onsite. Bring a dish to share and BYOB. Grown-ups will gather in the Common Room. Kids will eat and play in the nursery. Kindly RSVP (for adults and children) to Sarah Eades Hamilton (email: seades.hamilton@gmail.com).
Blessing Bag Day Friday, October 12, 9am to 11am. See page 8 for information. Heart & Hand Annual Auction Friday, October 26. See page 14 for details. Donations can be accepted now. Email auction@firstuuomaha.org for details. See page 13 for ways you can get more involved at First Unitarian!
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New to Our Church? Join us for an informal introduction to Unitarian Universalism and our community. The First Steps Class will take place on Sunday, August 19 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Classroom (downstairs on the west side of the church by the nursery). If you are interested, RSVP to Carrie at coordinator@firstuuomaha.org or stop by the Welcome & Engagement Table (in the Common Room downstairs) on the 19th and we’ll get you to the right room. Grab a cup of coffee and we will see you there!
Pathways to Membership—Save these dates! Sundays: Sept 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. This six-week class will take a more in-depth look at what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and to be a member of First Unitarian Church of Omaha. Class is open to anyone interested in learning more about our church—non-members and members alike! Questions? RSVP to Carrie Helmberger, Membership Coordinator at coordinator@firstuuomaha.org. Learn more about church membership at our website: www.firstuuomaha.org/membership.
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Living Our Values Task Force Communication On Tuesday July 10th, a joint meeting of the Board of Trustees and Ministry Team Council unanimously approved the formation of the “Living Our Values Task Force.” The LOV Task Force has the broad purpose of working collaboratively with the church leadership to create a culture where anyone drawn to our Unitarian Universalist values will feel welcome in our church. The Board and MTC believe that this task force can help our community improve our ability to live our values. The Living Our Values (LOV) Task Force will help the Board to establish and staff the Governance and Right Relations Teams (by August 1, 2018), clarify the organizational structure of First Unitarian Church of Omaha (by December 31, 2018) and work to establish relationships and connections with organizations and individuals in our congregation and beyond to ensure the needs and concerns of marginalized communities are being included in our church’s efforts. The LOV Task Force will be working on steps to create and further a strategy that will include but not be limited to: A confidential congregational survey to obtain a better understanding of key demographics as well as feedback on critical issues that will inform the future of our church culture
Identify and facilitate opportunities for our congregation to educate themselves and each other
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Identify and facilitate opportunities for our church community to take action within our congregation and in our broader community
During this time community members are encouraged to send questions, feedback, and issues of concern to the LOV Task Force via email at lov@firstuuomaha.org. Any feedback will be collected and evaluated for inclusion in a cumulative report to church leadership. Please Note: receipt of individual messages will be acknowledged and considered. However, the task force may not provide detailed responses. The current LOV Task Force Members are: Sarah Copeland, Shawne Johnson, Peg Pidgeon, and Ben Wallace. The Governance Team will be chaired by Kim Dunovan and the Right Relations Team will be chaired by Nadine Keith.
Quilt Project for Church Anniversary
Be part of the Anniversary Quilt Project celebrating our church and its members! THE GOAL: to cr eate a lovely quilt that contains a squar e for each chur ch member (childr en of member s can also have a square). There will be special squares to honor our beloved members who have passed away. Barb Dewell and Nancy Scott have volunteered to work on this project and hope to have the quilt ready by spring for a special event. If you can help with sewing, please contact the church office: 402-345-3039 ext. 101, admin@firstuuomaha.org. WHAT WE NEED FROM CHURCH MEMBERS: Find a piece of fabric that is special to you—it could be an old t-shirt or a favorite color. Any fabric store sells “fat quarters” which are inexpensive. Note: the fabric must be 100% cotton. You will sign your name on the square. If your signature is hard to read, you can just print your name on the square. AFTER YOU HAVE YOUR FABRIC: During the month of September, Barb Dewell and Nancy Scott will have a table set up in the Common Room during coffee hour each Sunday. Come to the table, sign your fabric and then give the square to them. If you can’t find a fabric, don’t worry! They will have selections available to you at the table. Right now, the thinking is that each square will be 4 inch x 4 inch. That may change. More details about this project will be shared in the enews soon. DEADLINE TO HAND IN YOUR FABRIC: Sunday, October 7th. That is the last Sunday Bar b and Nancy will be in the Common Room with their mater ials. If you need more information or have questions, please contact the church office—we will put in touch with Nancy and Barb. Thank you for helping us create a special memento during this anniversary year.
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The Promise and the Practice of Our Faith Campaign Imagine what our faith would look like if we upheld and centered the history, the perspectives, the voices, and the leadership of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalists...
What is ‘The Promise & the Practice’?
It’s a turning moment; a choice to listen deeply to the stories in our movement that have not been heard, and taken to heart, by all Unitarian Universalists. It’s a lamenting of what our Unitarian Universalist tradition and congregations have lost by being unable – or unwilling – to center people of color (or even, at times, to merely include them). The Promise and the Practice is a celebration of our shared commitment to live into a new chapter in the story of our UU faith.
The Promise and the Practice of Our Faith Campaign is our opportunity to take the lead as a faith
denomination in addressing our history of upholding white centeredness. Together, we can collectively work to dismantle it and amend a long broken promise to the Black Lives within our Association. Join the UUA and its congregation as we do something different in this extraordinary moment to connect our finances with our theological values as we enter a new chapter within our faith.
How does the congregational match work?
In order to qualify for a match, each participating UU congregation must collect or raise at least the equivalent of $10 per member (as self-reported on the pledge form). The First Unitarian Church of Omaha Board of Trustees voted at its June meeting to take part in this campaign. Our congregation has submitted its pledge and NOW we are asking for your donation please. Our goal is $2,440.
Every gift matters. The UUA wants each and every congregation to be part of this vital work for our faith. If our congregation is able to meet the threshold of $10 per member, your contribution will be matched, dollar-fordollar, by generous donors.
Make your donation by writing "BLUU" in the memo line of your check (make your check out to First Unitarian Church) or fill out the insert in this Sunday's order of service and leave cash and the insert in an envelope or fill out the form below. Thank you! For more info, visit: www.uua.org/giving/areas-support/funds/ promise-and-practice. Mary Kay Peters, church member, has more to share about this effort. ————————————————————————————————————————————
Name: ________________________________ Amount of donation to First Unitarian Church’s The Promise & The Practice of Our Faith Campaign Pledge: $ _________ Please send this form and your check to First Unitarian Church of Omaha, 3114 Harney St., Omaha, NE 68131
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What Being a Member of First Unitarian Church Means to Me By Harriet Major
Deciding to become a member of our beautiful church has enriched my life as few other decisions have. I think I've been a UU person for many years, but never had made an effort to formalize this belief. My first reaction upon signing the membership book was one of freedom and relief. I no longer had to believe what a religious authority told me was the truth. I was free to find my own truth along with a group of others who were on the same, or similar, or different path as I. This community was thoughtful, fun, kind, interesting, and intelligent, and I loved the feeling of connection with like-minded members and friends. Sunday morning services have provided me with ideas and thoughts to contemplate for the rest of the week. Our Sunday music is beautiful and sometimes fun. The many activities of my church are intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, especially our Women's Religious Studies and its Covenant Group. I have found the seven principles of our church to be guidelines not only for my personal life but also as a world citizen. The many volunteers and our great staff help to make First UU the wonderful church of which I am a proud member.
Sarah Joslyn Society By Deb Duggan
Acting on her own excellent idea, Dixie Lemon, church member, established the Sarah Joslyn Society in 2004 to encourage, enable and thank those who wish to leave a bequest to the church. Her gentle prods, witty articles and pithy sayings ("You'll never miss the money") have helped the membership grow from 32 original members to more than 75 who have named the church in their estate planning. Membership in this Society requires no on-going effort on your part. There are no dues, no tasks, no committees nor office holders. After your first commitment, you're a member for life, and you get to attend a special gathering, usually in mid-October, and bask in the warmth that comes from having done something important to help ensure the financial security of the church. Come join us! Contact Deb at 402-553-5477 for more information. Thank you!
New Nursery Manager: Andrea Laudi Hi! My name is Andrea Laudi, and I am very excited to be your new Childcare Coordinator! I was born and raised in Minnesota, but am currently living in Omaha where I am a full-time student at Creighton University. I will be a junior this fall, and I am a biology major and medical anthropology minor. I have recently switched my area of study from pre-med to education, as I have always had a passion for teaching, and so I am now thinking secondary or university level for my future career. I have always loved working with kids and am excited to combine this interest with my ability to manage and maintain organization through this position. I look forward to meeting you all! Email Andrea at childcare@firstuuomaha.org.
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Hope in Action
Our church believes in community, and that is what Hope in Action, a sub-team of the Caring Team, is all about. Any one of us might need assistance, and we want to make it easier for you to ask for support and easier for you to offer support when others are in need. WHO IS SERVED? Church members, friends, regular attendees and their spouses are eligible for assistance from Hope in Action.
WHO CAN HELP? Everyone! Hope in Action is an opportunity for everyone in our church community to support each other by sharing knowledge, skills and resources. Hope in Action will use church communications, including the enews, to let our church community know when help is needed to respond to a request for support. And we will report back to the church community about how we were able to respond. All communication will be done in a manner that maintains the degree of confidentiality requested by the person seeking assistance. WHAT SUPPORT CAN BE EXPECTED? Hope in Action is there when people are dealing with a medical problem, need transportation or help around the house, can use assistance with referrals to social service agencies or just need someone to talk to about the ups and downs of life. Our response will vary depending on the type of support that is needed in our church community and what resources we have available. Although Hope in Action is not able to respond to emergencies, short-term financial assistance may be available for lodging, food, clothing, medication, transportation and utilities. Financial disbursements are not made directly to the person making the request for assistance.
HOW TO ASK FOR SUPPORT Requests for assistance must be made directly by the person needing help. Hope in Action does not respond to any anonymous or third-party requests for assistance. Here are the ways you can ask for support from Hope in Action. You may send an email to hopeinaction@firstuuomaha.org or use the Hope in Action link on the church website. Or, you may simply complete a Caring Card, located in the church pews and place it in the offering plate. WHO DECIDES WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE OFFERED? Hope in Action will use a team approach, so at least three members of Hope in Action must participate in determining the nature of the response.
Ministry Team, which pur chases bus tickets and food cards and gives out blessing bags to people who come to the church door from our area. Your change makes a difference! Thank you for your generosity!
SHARE THE PLATE
Each month one-half of the loose currency collected in the offering plate is donated to a local cause that advances important principles of Unitarianism. Our Share the Plate recipient for August is Siena/ Francis House. Go to this website for more information: http:// www.sienafrancis.org/. The Siena/ Francis House welcomes, shelters and empowers individuals experiencing homelessness to navigate their own path to safe and appropriate housing.
COMMUNITY MEALS OTOC Events Every Saturday, churches in our area join together to cook a meal, serve their neighbors and bring a sense of community to our neighborhood at First Baptist Church. Our church has committed to the following Saturday for Community Meals: Sept. 22nd. Please mark your calendar and contact me if you are interested in helping. We will need people to help with desserts, cooking, serving and cleaning up. Thank you to everyone who has already helped with meals earlier this year. Thanks! Diane Withem, dianewithem@gmail.com.
CHANGE FOR CHANGE
Each week generous people put change in the collection plate. This change goes to the Sunday School kids who decide what to do with the money. In the past they have helped Community Meals and International Bridges for Justice. The kids are now donating this change to the Neighborhood
See OTOC events at this web page: www.firstuuomaha.org/otoc.
Share the Plate 2019
Do you know a nonprofit organization that should be considered for a month in our Share the Plate program? Organizations should be nonprofits and should have a local impact. Please let the MTC know by the end of August. The MTC makes the decision in the fall for the next year’s schedule. The form to fill out is here: http://docs.wixstatic.com/ ugd/6ac81d_60d1e8c496734397b892c bca2823df70.pdf. Please email completed forms to mtc@firstuuomaha.org or mail the form to the church office.
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Ways You Can Get Involved Church Work Day: Volunteers needed! Saturday, August 4, 9am to noon. See page 9 for details.
Another Way to Help: Give a Lift
As our congregation grows, it is apparent that some of us are not able, or reluctant for health or safety reasons, to drive to church. The Caring Team would like to help make it easier YES Meal Prep: M onday, A ugust 20 at 9am in for everyone to get to church. As a first step, we will extend the kitchen. We will serve chicken and rice cassean opportunity for those who drive to put themselves on a role, fruit and dessert. Want to help? Contact Kim at call list for those wanting a ride. kjcallaghan@hotmail.com. Can’t help with the meal, but want to donate? There’s a marked donation box in the Common Room. In August, we’re asking for donations of new socks for the youth. Almost every month Kim and her team prepare a meal for Youth Emergency Services (YES). See this website for more info: www.yesomaha.org.
Blessing Bag Day 2018 Friday, October 12. Each year we gather to put together Blessing Bags so the church office can hand them out to people in need who visit our church for assistance. Come put together the bags on Blessing Bag Day and/or donate much needed items to the cause. See page 8 for the list of donations needed. This list will be updated on the web page: www.firstuuomaha.org/blessingbags.
Now you will find cards in the pews at church on which you can indicate willingness to request or receive a request for a ride. For drivers, this is not duty nor a commitment. It is simply an indication that we may be willing to give an occasional ride to someone who does not live too far from us, usually in our or an adjacent zip code. We can always decline a request, no guilt. Sometimes we don’t plan to attend church on a particular Sunday. Sometimes we have plans for right after church. Sometimes our car is full. For some of us it is not possible to offer at all because of other church, work, or other commitments. Those of us requesting a ride will have a list of several people we can call and understand that sometimes no volunteer driver will be available.
For safety reasons, we will limit this effort to church members and frequent visitors. We will not ask anyone to pick up Brush Up Nebraska—Not happening this year strangers to the congregation. We will ask those requesting a Neither First Unitarian or our partner Countryside ride to church to call by Saturday, so that there are no lastCommunity church will participate in the Brush-up minute requests. At this time, we will limit this effort to Nebraska Paint-a-thon this year. Neither church church on Sunday, rather than extending it to other church was able to put together enough skilled volunteers, but both organizations are committed to trying again activities. However, let’s all continue with the informal process of giving rides informally to those who want or need next year. them! Stream Team: Ever y Sunday we str eam our service for those who are not able to join us in person. Are you interested in learning how to operate our Apple MacBook Pro computer and the WireCast software? If so, please let Bill Ross know and we will get you started. Training will vary depending on what experience you have. Email Bill at Bill@ross.vg.
Wakonda Tutoring: Fir st Unitar ian is looking for volunteers to tutor at Wakonda Elementary School this fall. The time slot is 2:00-3:05pm, Monday-Friday. The need is great for volunteers. Wakonda had received a major grant, but the funds are running low. The Omaha Public School District has cut its budget. More helpers will be needed this fall. Volunteers are vetted by OPS, so the sooner volunteers apply the better. If you are interested in participating for one or more days a week, please contact Mark at mark.loscutoff@gmail.com. Heart & Hand Auction: Donations accepted now and helpers needed! See page 14 for details.
We will be looking at this again in a few months, to see if we are meeting congregational needs. And the Caring Team is interested in your feedback. Send it to louisekjeffrey@hotmail.com.
Ways to Help: Sanctuary Task Force The Omaha Area Sanctuary Network (OASN) made a commitment to sponsor a family of six when the husband (Moises), who had been in detention in Georgia, was granted humanitarian parole so he can be free while going through the asylum process. Moises’ release happened very suddenly on Sunday, May 13th. A condition of parole is that the parolee is not allowed to have a job for the first six months of his parole. They may be able to get some assistance from local food pantries but this is very limited. Now the group is preparing meals for the family and they need people to help cook and deliver the meals. To sign up or learn more, please go to: www.firstuuomaha.org/sanctuarytaskforce or email Jeri at jeri.thurber@gmail.com.
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“Soul Matters” Is Coming to the First Unitarian Church of Omaha! By Mike McAtee, Soul Matters Team Leader
I’m happy and excited to announce that the Ministry Team Council agreed at its April meeting to adopt the “Soul Matters Sharing Circle” program beginning with the 2018-2019 church year! The Soul Matters Sharing Circle is a network of UU congregations who have adopted the Soul Matters’ small-group curriculum. As with other smallgroup programs, its main goal is to foster circles of trust and deep listening. However, Soul Matters adds five components. One of the most important of these is that the Soul Matters small groups “are designed as a companion program to a congregation’s worship and religious education ministries.” I invite you to go to the Souls Matters website (https://www.soulmatterssharingcircle.com ) to learn more about the program and the extensive resources it provides. If you like what you see and want to help get this program off the ground and successfully established please contact any member of the Souls Matters Team (Mike McAtee, Tom Seguin, Katrina Schmidt) directly or email us at soulmatters@firstuuomaha.org.
Save-the-Date: Heart & Hand Auction-Friday, October 26th Mark your calendars now for the Halloween Heart & Hand Auction: Friday, October 26th 6-9 pm!
This is our major annual FUNdraiser for the church operating budget and a great party. Generous donors, enthusiastic buyers, and a big crew of volunteers will guarantee another successful Auction. Luckily, the preparation is part of the fun! It is called "heart & hand" for the emphasis on donating “seats” at social events you host or sharing your skills and hobbies, although physical items are also welcomed. People often team up to offer a party, concert, etc. Events can be held at the church, but folks especially enjoy home hospitality. Auction social events, whether simple or elaborate, small or large, are an important part of our church calendar, building friendships and community. Now is the time to ponder what YOU might donate! In September, the Auction Table will appear in the Common Room, the website will go active with lots of early donations, and the count down to the auction will begin! Katrina Schmidt and Donna Neff are the go-to gals for all things Auction.
The Auction Team needs you! Many people "learning the ropes" for small pieces of this big project make it happen. Seasoned auction volunteers may already have a favorite job. Contact Katrina or Donna (auction@firstuuomaha.org) to volunteer or explore options for this year (without obligation). Again, put a big “X” on your calendar for Friday, Oct. 26th and stay tuned for fall fun.
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Pride Parade 2018 First Unitarian Church along with Second Unitarian Church joined together to walk in the Pride Parade this year. Everyone had a blast!
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Odds and Ends Anniversary Celebration—SAVE THE DATE Sunday, September 30 after the Sunday service. Join us as we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of our beautiful and historic church. More information will be shared next month. Taking Care of the Church Building Please be sure that if you move furniture, tables or chairs around that you return everything to the way you found it. You’re more than welcome to move items, but please be kind to the people coming behind you. Thermostats sometimes need to be changed, (especially in the summer heat) but please return the temperature to the setting you found it at. We have the Sanctuary set to 75 and the classrooms and Common Room set to 73. If you have questions, contact the office at admin@firstuuomaha.org. Thank you! Partner Church Facebook Group A Facebook group was created to help us build a better relationship between our church and our Partner Church in Transylvania. We will be using Facebook to host digital listening circles to spawn group discussion. If this is something you would be interested in participating in please go to: www.facebook.com/groups/1659501324127230/ Share Your Thoughts: Gratitude Team Seeks Suggestions The church has instituted the creation of a Gratitude Team whose purpose will be to insure that members of our church community are appropriately recognized for their time and effort in helping our community reach its stated Mission and Goals. Initial team members are Joe Schaaf, Mike McAtee and Nadine Keith. If you have suggestions of individuals who should be recognized contact team members or email names to: gratitude@firstuuomaha.org. Share Your Thoughts: Comment Box Earlier this year the church staff placed a comment box along with comment cards in the foyer. We want to hear from you! Please be sure to include your name, your phone number and the best time to reach you. All comments will be reviewed by the staff and given to the appropriate team/committee. Please give us two weeks to respond to your comment. Thank you! Recycling at Church We have two large blue recycling bins in the kitchen. Please be sure to clean out plastic containers, glass bottles, and cans before placing items in the bins. Thanks to Jeri Thurber for her volunteer work with church recycling. If you have questions, please contact the church office. Streaming Sunday Services Missed a Sunday? Loved the sermon last week and want to hear it again? Visit our Streaming Services web page at www.firstuuomaha.org/streaming-video. There you will find the current Sunday sermon. You will also find the archives of past Sunday services below the current Sunday video. Note: Sometimes we have technical difficulties. If we encounter a problem, we will post the service to this web page as soon as we can. Questions? Contact the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org. Parking at Church Parking is directly west of the church in the surface parking lot or on the street. If you are able to park in the Midtown Crossing garage to the west of our parking lot, it would leave our small parking lot for visitors and those who need to park closer to the building. The entrance to the parking garage is on Farnam Street. Find the ticketvalidating machine on the south side of the Common Room on the bookcase. You must have your ticket validated for free parking. Questions? Contact the chur ch office at admin@fir stuuomaha.or g.
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Interim Minister Rev. Michelle LaGrave minister@firstuuomaha.org Director of Religious Education Jan Wilson dre@firstuuomaha.org Membership Coordinator Carrie Helmberger coordinator@firstuuomaha.org Church Administrator Catharine Dixon admin@firstuuomaha.org Choir Director William Miller choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org Organist Pat Will Choir Accompanist J. Gawf EMR Director Stan Harper Minister Emeriti Ronald Knapp Frank Rivas Nursery Coordinator Andrea Laudi childcare@firstuuomaha.org Nursery Aides Meagan McIntosh Justice Rhoden Custodian Bobby Medrano THE FLAME
Deadlines are the 15th of each month. Word limit: 200. Send submissions to admin@firstuuomaha.org.
Editor/Designer: Cat Dixon Proofers: Lana Hammel, Scott Kemper, Lois Norris, Debbie Hunsberger Flame Mailing Team: Debbie Hunsberger, Lois Norris, Linda Hruska, Kim Callaghan
Meet Our Leaders
Board Members Maria Wallace (President), Joe Schaaf (President-Elect), Catherine Plumlee (Secretary), Sharon Piehler, Floyd Prine, Carol Ramsey, Tom Seguin, Donna Tubach Davis Email: board@firstuuomaha.org Trustees of the Capital Trust Ellen Shurson (2019), Daniel Byrd (2020), Bob Hess (2021) Ministry Team Council Nellie Chenoweth, Dave Richardson, Joe Schaaf Email: mtc@firstuuomaha.org Nominating Committee Royal Carleton, Kate Godfrey, Kathy Oliver, Carol Ramsey, Marie Sedlacek, Ben Wallace Ministry Teams and Team Leaders AHA—Sheri Conner Archives/Heritage Task Force—Dave Richardson & Janet West Baby Welcoming Team—Becca Hatcher, Katrina Schmidt, & Sara Switzer Black Lives Matter—Rene Harper Caring—Louise Jeffrey Chalice Guild—Kay Lynn Goldner Community Meals—Diane Withem CUUPS—Steve Switzer Early Morning Risers—Mary Kay Peters & Sarah Copeland Fellowship Team—Judith Wright, Nadine Keith & Nellie Chenoweth Finance Team—Walt Jesteadt Forums—Bebe McCammond Garden—Sharon Conlon Fundraising Team—Donna Neff & Katrina Schmidt Hope in Action—Kim Dunovan Hospitality Teams—Carolyn McNamara House and Grounds Team—Pierce Carpenter Listening Circles—Katrina Schmidt Membership Team—Mike McAtee & Janet West Midtown Helping Hands—open Office Team—Carolyn McNamara Omaha Together One Community—Janet West Partner Church Team—Janet West Recycling Coordinator—Jeri Thurber Social Justice Coordinator—Peg Pidgeon Stewardship Team—Mary Kay Peters & Peg Pidgeon Wayside Pulpiteer—Kim Dunovan Women’s Alliance—Catherine Plumlee Worship Arts Team—Maria Wallace Young Adult Group—Taylor & Jessica Eman YRUU—Geoff Erickson & Carolyn Miller
First Unitarian Church of Omaha www.firstuuomaha.org 402-345-3039
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3F Book Bonanza Wednesday, August 1 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Private Wedding Friday, August 3 at 6pm. CommUUnity Night: Church Potluck and Cookout Offsite Friday, August 3, 5-9pm at Bellevue Berry Farm and Pumpkin Patch (1101 S 48th St., Bellevue). See page 4.
Church Events
WAYS TO HELP: YES Meal Prep Monday, August 20 at 9am in the kitchen. See page 13. Book Club Monday, August 27 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, August 28 at 6:30pm in the Common Room. See page 4.
WAYS TO HELP: Church Work Day Saturday, August 4 9am to noon. See page 9.
YRUU (Youth Group): Parent/ Youth Meeting Wednesday, August 29 at 7pm in the Common Room.
CUUPS Lammas Ritual Sunday, August 5 at 6:30 in the Common Room. See page 4.
Recurring…
People’s Film Festival Monday, August 6 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Compassionate Communication Group (Practice Group) Tuesday, August 7 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4.
Dungeons and Dragons Group Meeting (NOW MEETS OFFSITE) We meet at Kitty Brougham’s house: 2002 Deer Park Blvd on the oddnumbered Sundays at noon. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. See page 5.
Board Meeting Tuesday, August 14 at 7pm in the Common Room.
Women’s Religious Studies Group Meets most Thursdays at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5.
The Flame Newsletter Deadline August 15 at noon.
Insight Meditation Every Thursday, 5pm to 5:50pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. See page 5.
Women’s Religious Studies Covenant Group Thursday, August 16 at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Game Night Hosted by the Young Adults Group Friday, August 17 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Leadership Talk Back Sunday, August 19 at 11:30am in the Common Room. See page 4. First Steps: A Class for Visitors Sunday, August 19 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. See page 6. People’s Film Festival Monday, August 20 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4.
Dharma Chautauqua Every Thursday, 6pm to 7:30pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. See page 5. YRUU (Youth Group) No meetings in the summer months. Parent/Youth Meeting on W ednesday, August 29 at 7pm in the Common Room. Questions? Contact Geoff at gerickson03@gmail.com. Choir Rehearsals We do not rehearse in the summer months. Interested in joining the choir or need more information? Contact Choir Director William at choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org.
Future Events… Get Connected Fair: A Small-Group Sign-Up Extravaganza. Sunday, Sept. 9 during Coffee Hour in the Common Room. See page 5. AHA Meeting Thursday, Sept. 13 in the Common Room. See page 5. POPS: Parents of Preschoolers Saturday, Sept. 29 at 5:45pm in the Common Room. See page 5. Anniversary Celebration Sunday, September 30 after the Sunday service. Join us as we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of our beautiful and historic church. More information will be shared next month. Blessing Bag Day Friday, October 12, 9am to 11am. See page 8. Teams Meeting Saturday, October 6 at 2pm in the Common Room. See page 5. Heart & Hand Annual Auction Friday, October 26. See page 14 for details on volunteering and donating. ———————————————— Social Media & First U Find our public Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/ firstuuomaha/ Find us on Twitter here: @FirstUUOmaha
Be sure to like the church and follow us! ———————————————— CALL FOR PHOTOS! Like to take pictures? If you capture a great photo of the Sunday service or the garden outside or an event in the Common Room, please send your photo to the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org. We are always looking for new photos we can share in our newsletter, on the church website and social media. Thank you!
Mission: Fostering the Whole Person, Compassion, and Justice Vision: An Inclusive Community that Listens, Engages, Inspires, and Acts We covenant to: Listen to understand and grow Seek and value all voices Model respect and kindness Assume good intentions Resolve conflicts directly and compassionately Contribute time, talent, treasure Respect people’s time Celebrate, support, appreciate
First Unitarian Church of Omaha 3114 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68131 www.firstuuomaha.org
Adopted May 14, 2017