February 2017
The Flame
The Monthly Newsletter of First Unitarian Church of Omaha
Page 2
Page 6
Page 7
Sunday Services & Forums this Month
Partner Church Potluck
Stewardship Campaign
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Sunday Services — All are welcome
Sunday Forums This Month
Sunday, February 5 at 10:30am “Empiricism” Rev. Frank Rivas Our faith, like science, has its foundation in empiricism. We might, however, define “empiricism” more broadly than some scientists would.
Sunday, Feb. 5 at 9:30am in the Common Room. Forum: The Difference Between Religious Liberalism and Political Liberalism Presented by Jack Heidel Too many Unitarians identify being a religious liberal with being a political liberal. But there is no inherent connection between the two. The essence of Unitarianism is the absence of a prescribed creed which all Unitarians must accept as the truth. In fact, each Unitarian must figure out for herself/himself what he/ she believes, if anything. In this discussion I will describe my own religious creed, which I have adopted and become comfortable with in the course of my life, as well as the political philosophy I have developed over many years.
Sunday, February 12 at 10:30am “Orthopraxy” Rev. Frank Rivas German Pietists, our Reformation forebears, emphasized that an authentic religion cares more about how we live our lives than what we believe. Sunday, February 19 at 10:30am “Roots Hold Me Close” Rev. Frank Rivas Earth-centered religions, the most recent addition to the acknowledged sources of our faith, expand our understanding of connection and responsibility. Sunday, February 26 at 10:30am Bone Button Borcht, A Tale of Community A theatrical service performed by the Wiigfreys (Wiigs and Godfreys).
Sunday, Feb. 12 at 9:30am in the Common Room. Forum: The Spiritual Component of Healing and Wellness Presented by Douglas Lee-Regier with Kate Godfrey and Alan Vovolka Is healing and staying well strictly physical, or are there other factors? Does prayer help in some form such as universal consciousness, or mindfulness? The participants will present from the point of view of massage therapy and chiropractic, then open the conversation to all present. We are also interested in discussion of any such experiences with medical therapies. Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9:30am in the Common Room. Forum: To be Announced
Forums and UU Interested in offering a forum on a Sunday morning? Please send your name, topic with a detailed description, required resources, and a requested date range to Forum Coordinator Denise Allain. Her email is denise.allain@yahoo.com.
Sunday, Feb. 26 at 9:30am in the Common Room. Forum: CUUPS Group Discusses Spring Ostara is one of the eight major holidays of the Pagan calendar. Join members of the CUUPS group as we examine the roots and meaning behind this celebration of Spring. All are welcome and encouraged to join us.
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Rev. Elations
Monthly Column from our Minister, Rev. Frank Rivas There are people who act as if they’re passive consumers of religion. They contribute to the church, and, in return, they expect various services. That’s not true here, at First Unitarian. Members and friends actively contribute to the Sunday morning experience through being or arranging for speakers, leading a forum, facilitating as worship associates, contributing music, sharing stories for all ages, operating the sound or video streaming controls, or performing the many functions of the hospitality teams. And then there are those who teach or facilitate the various religious education programs—both on Sunday mornings and on Wednesday evenings—in the classroom, in the Common Room, or at Spielbound.
There are as many who contribute during the week by preparing the order of worship, mailing hard copies of The Flame, trimming candles, restocking the pews, and decorating for the holidays. There are others who maintain our aging building and others who tend the gardens. There are still others who manage our accounts, and others who do outreach in our name—at Community Meals, at Wakonda Elementary School or Nathan Hale Middle School, at Omaha Together One Community, and at the Neighborhood Alliance. Finally, there are church leaders. According to our tradition, members—not ministers and not a denominational hierarchy—manage, lead, and even envision the future course of the church. Our members serve on the various ministry teams, on the ministry team council, and on the board of trustees. We live our religion—not as passive consumers, but as active co-creators. This has been our tradition since the Pilgrims disembarked near Plymouth Rock, and I can imagine no better model for religion. Blessings, Frank
Inclement Weather Cancellations In the event of bad weather and service is cancelled, the church office will email everyone on our enews list, update the church webpage, post in the church Facebook group and on the church Facebook page. The church will also alert the local news stations about the cancellation.
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CommUUnity Night Friday, Feb. 3 at 6pm in the Common Room. All are invited to this potluck event. Come for games, social time and bring something to share. Community Meals Saturday, Feb. 4, offsite. Help us serve a meal to our neighbors. See page 7 for details. Teams Meeting Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2pm in the Common Room. Team leaders and the MTC discuss topics about church planning. Anyone is welcome to attend. Mystic Sojourn CUUPS Saturday, Feb. 4, 6-9pm in the Common Room. We will hold a public ritual for a midwinter Imbolc ritual honoring Brigid, the Celtic goddess of hearth and home. It will be a time of balancing and renewal for all. Discussion starts at 6pm, with ritual at 7pm followed by pot luck social. Young Adult Discussion Group Sunday, Feb. 5 at noon in the Merritt Lounge. Calling all people aged 1835. We’ll cover any topic that we think is relevant to who we are and our lives. Questions? Contact Anne at torimuse@gmail.com. People’s Film Festival Monday, Feb. 6 at 7pm in the Common Room. The movie we’ll watch is The War Around Us. In 2008, two best friends found themselves in the one of the most dangerous places on earth— the only western journalists in the Gaza Strip on what was supposed to be a 24-hour assignment. Go here for more details: http://thewararoundus.com/. Examined Life Group Tuesdays, Feb. 7 and 21 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. This is a group determined to become democratic with each participant presenting a topic related to how we assess ourselves personally and as members of society. The ultimate aim is to foster mutual understanding among ourselves and the others attending. We meet the first and third Tuesdays. Interested? Contact Jack at jackheidel@yahoo.com.
Church Events
AHA (Agnostics, Humanists, Atheists) Discussion Group Thursday, Feb.9 at 7pm in the Common Room. For those interested in “bring your own dinner,” doors open at 6pm. The potential challenges to the ideals of Humanism, which may be forthcoming from our new administration, will be the discussion topic. An open microphone forum is planned. What threats do you anticipate to civil rights, women’s rights, education, healthcare, etc.? How do we cope as individuals and society? Comments from various viewpoints are welcome. Plan not more than 5 minutes for initial comments. Please come, have your say and listen to others. RSVPs from speakers to aha@firstuuomaha.org will be appreciated. Black Lives Matter Team Meeting Friday, Feb. 10 at 6pm in the Common Room. This is a general meeting. Questions? Contact Rene at sweetnlow@cox.net. Women’s Alliance Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30pm in the Common Room. Women, and those who identify as women, are invited to attend this gathering which will be presented by Al Fatihah Amini, Elaine Wells' teenaged-international daughter from Indonesia. Her presentation will include information about the geography, culture, and values of her country, Sumatra. Our dinner will be provided by Eddie’s Catering: a choice of meat or vegetable stroganoff, both with egg noodles, tossed salad and rolls. Desserts are courtesy of Kathy Alexander and Denise Allain. We ask $15, which goes to the cost of the dinner, the Merritt Education Fund, the Partner Church scholarship, and various activities at First Unitarian. If this will be your first time attending, please be our guest! Please email Kathi at kathryn.lewis.kl@gmail.com, leave a message at 402-214-2718, or RSVP to the Facebook event posted on the First Unitarian Facebook page. Please include your dinner preference of meat or veggie. YES Meal Prep Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 9am in the kitchen. See page 7 for details.
The Women’s Religious Study Covenant Group Thursday, Feb. 16 at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. Harriet Major will be the facilitator for the final chapter in Listening Hearts. All self-identified women are welcome. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Harriet Major at hmajor323@cox.net or 402-391-0248. Young Adult Game Night Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:30pm. Join the young adults for some fun and games. No need to RSVP. Just show up!
CUUPS Book Study Group: 12 Wild Swans Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11:30am in the Merritt Lounge. CUUPS will lead a book study on The 12 W ild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing and Action. In this book, renowned leaders in the Wicca movement use a fairy tale to teach about the "reclaiming" model of witchcraft that blends magic and personal growth. Arts and Crafts Night Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7pm in the Common Room. Bring your current project and supplies and join us for some artistic fellowship! Contact Kate Godfrey at coachkate@cox.net or 402-880-1327 for details. People’s Film Festival Monday, Feb. 20 at 7pm in the Common Room. The movie we’ll watch is Confronting Misogyny. Human trafficking, pornography, and violence against women are serious issues but receive little attention. Go here for more info: https://www.linktv.org/ shows/confronting-misogny-earth-atrisk-2014/episodes/confrontingmisogyny-earth-at-risk-2014. Meet & Greet with Rev. Kati: Partner Church All-Church Potluck Tuesday, Feb. 21. All are welcome to attend this special event with guest Rev. Kati from our Partner Church. Bring a dish to share! See page 6 for details.
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Church Events Continued...
POPs (Parents of Preschoolers) Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5:45pm. This is our first of POPs Potluck Nights of the new year. 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. Childcare is provided on-site (please RSVP). Please bring a dish to share. 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 or call/ text: 402-306-6339). First Steps Class Sunday, Feb. 26 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. Gather at the visitors table in the Common Room. You’re invited to join us as we gather together to get acquainted with the basics of Unitarian Universalism and our vibrant community. There are many ways to connect with the church, and we look forward to discussing the unique opportunities offered by First Unitarian Church of Omaha. To RVSP contact Carrie at coordinator@firstuuomaha.org. Board Talk Back Sunday, Feb. 26 at 11:30am in the Common Room. The church board wants to hear from you and will have a table set up in the Common Room to discuss issues that are important to you and the congregation. Board Talk Backs are held the fourth Sunday of each month.
Book Club Monday, Feb. 27 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. Our book for this month is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. For more information, contact Dave: richardson.david@westside66.net. Omaha Polyamory Discussion Group Monday, Feb. 27 at 7pm in the Common Room. We meet every fourth Monday from 7pm-9pm.We invite any who embrace and support ethical nonmonogamy-based loving relationships. We strive to offer a safe place to meet and discuss topics, issues, and hard-
ships we face as polyamorous individuals and families. If you have any questions, please contact Susan at iamdosh@msn.com.
Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, Feb. 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. With our direct experiences as a reference point, we can then delve into the main texts of Taoism. This group will be led by Geoff Erikson. Contact him at: gerickson03@yahoo.com.
Future Events Pathways to Membership Class All Sundays in March at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. See page 11 for details. All-Church Celebration: Fiesta Saturday, April 1 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 7. All-Church Workshop on Appreciative Inquiry Saturday, April 29. See page 11 for more information. All-Church Retreat Scheduled the weekend of June 10-11. Book before March 13th and save 5%. For more information see page 17.
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. New members welcome. Our book is The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong. For information, please contact Rae at raeb1@hotmail.com. Lunch With the Minister Lunch with the minister will take a break for the month of February. Gatherings will start up again in March. Dungeons and Dragons Group Meeting Meets the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month in the Common Room at 12:30pm. All D&D role players are invited. Questions? Contact Roman at RobertmNoriega@gmail.com, 402-769-4260. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month in the Conference Room at noon. 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.
Ways You Can Get Involved: Church Anniversaries Approaching and Heritage Task Force Forms We are looking forward to celebrating in 2018-19, the Centennial of our church building and the Sesquicentennial (150 years) of the signing of the articles of incorporation of our church. Anyone interested in helping with planning and organizing our 2018-19 "Year of Celebrating our Heritage" — we need you! We are looking for people with a variety of skills and interests: event planners, publications and public relations types, techies, writers, editors, archivists, architects, artistic types and of course people who love this place and its history. Our first meeting will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 9:30am in the Common Room. Interested? Or did you miss the first meeting? Contact Dave Richardson at drichardson821@gmail.com. Join the Choir See page 15 for more information.
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Rev. Katalin, Minister of Our Partner Church Will Visit Omaha Feb. 19-23 All-Church potluck at 6pm in the Common Room on Tuesday, Feb. 21 Rev. Katalin, the minister of our Partner Church in Firtosmartonos, Transylvania, Romania, will be attending the UU International Women’s Convocation to be held in Pacific Grove, California, February 16 through 19, 2017. This is a gathering of Unitarian-Universalist church women from, literally, all over the world. Rev. Katalin applied for, and received, a scholarship which will subsidize her conference and room and board costs while she is attending the Convocation. Rev. Katalin ministers to two neighboring villages in Transylvania. Two American churches support these two Transylvanian Unitarian churches—our church and the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, Oregon. Our Partner Church Fund and the Partner Church Team have paid for Rev. Katalin’s airfare to and from the United States. Our Partner Church Fund will also pay for Rev. Katalin’s airfare from the Convocation to Omaha. Janet West, Partner Church Team Leader, will also attend the Convocation and will accompany Rev. Katalin to Omaha. If you have not donated to the Partner Church Fund yet, please help pay for Rev. Katalin’s visit to Omaha. These check donations can be placed in a pew envelope and put in the offering plate or sent to the church office. Please write the check to First Unitarian Church and write “Partner Church Fund” in the memo line of your check. Please join us on Tuesday, Feb. 21 for an all-church potluck in the Common Room at 6pm. Bring an item to share. We hope to see you there! *Rev. Katalin’s round trip ticket from Cluj Romania to Portland Oregon and from Omaha to Cluj cost $1,077, which was paid for by our church’s Partner Church Fund and the Corvallis church’s Partner Church Committee. The cost of the ticket to fly Katalin from San Jose California to Omaha, $237, was paid by our church’s Partner Church Fund. **None of Janet West’s travel expenses or Convocation expenses will be paid by the Partner Church Fund.
Holland Lecture Speaker: Jacob Hacker Topic: American Amnesia: How the War on Government Led Us to Forget What Made America Prosper Wednesday, May 10 at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Description: This lecture in 2017 will cover material in Jacob Hacker's most recent book, A merican A mnesia: How the W ar on Government Led Us to Forget What Made America Prosper. Like every other prospering democracy, the United States developed a mixed economy that channeled the spirit of capitalism into strong growth and healthy social development. In this bargain, government and business were as much partners as rivals. Public investments in education, science, transportation, and technology laid the foundation for broadly based prosperity. Programs of economic security and progressive taxation provided a floor of protection and business focused on the pursuit of profit—and government addressed needs business could not. The mixed economy was the most important social innovation of the twentieth century. It spread a previously unimaginable level of broad prosperity. It enabled steep increases in education, health, longevity, and economic security. And yet, extraordinarily, it is anathema to many current economic and political elites. And as the advocates of antigovernment free market fundamentalism have gained power, they are hell-bent on scrapping the instrument of nearly a century of unprecedented economic and social progress. In American Amnesia, Hacker and Pierson explain how—and why they must be stopped. More information about the lecture series can be found here: http://www.firstuuomaha.org/holland-lecture-series.
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Stewardship Campaign It’s that time again! The Kickoff for the 2017-18 Stewardship Campaign will be here before we know it! Our start date is March 5 and we will cap off the drive once again with an all-church fiesta on Saturday, April 1. Festivities will take place in the Common Room featuring a taco bar, margaritas and all-church trivia games. This past year we lost our most generous benefactor, Dick Holland. Mr. Holland has always contributed to our pledge campaign. We now face our first pledge drive since his passing. While he generously left money to the church he supported, it will be up to us to fill the void his passing will create in our budget. Please think of his generosity to our church over the past years and consider increasing your pledge to help make up the difference. During recent campaigns we were delighted to raise the targeted amount proposed for our budget and to see that YOU always have come through! The excitement and enthusiasm for our church and its outside work and inner activities seems to be growing still! Rev. Frank continues to refer to us as a church with big dreams, and we are experiencing the dreams becoming reality. We dreamed of a bigger congregation, and we have recently seen over 15 new members join! We have increased educational opportunities with our new morning forums. We have increased our commitment to working on the problems of our community and our world, with more involvement on all levels, and even more activities than before. All of these things cost money and time/commitment. Once again, we hope to place the emphasis on fun and fellowship and have it result in your financial support of our church. In order to maintain or increase our programs as well as our beautiful building and support outside programs of interest to our congregation, please consider increasing your pledge this year so we can all continue to enjoy what this wonderful church adds to each of our lives.
Ways to Help Community Meals in February Every Saturday churches in our area prep and serve lunch for those in need at First Baptist Church. We have signed up to serve a meal in February. The date is Saturday, Feb. 4. We will serve chili, cornbread, veggies, dip and desserts. Volunteer jobs: Make food. Prepare on site. Serve food. Clean up after. Please contact Diane at dianewithem@gmail.com if you can volunteer to help. Thank you! YES Meal Prep Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 9am in the kitchen. We will prepare beef stew, bread and desserts. Want to help? Contact Kim at kjcallaghan@hotmail.com. Every month a small team prepares a meal in the church kitchen to deliver to YES (Youth Emergency Services). For more information, see here: http://www.yesomaha.org/. Streaming Services We are looking for a few more volunteers to help us stream our service online. Check it out here: http:// www.firstuuomaha.org/streaming-video. If you are comfortable with an iPhone or iPad, you can be trained. Please contact the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org today. Wakonda Tutoring First Unitarian is looking for volunteers to tutor at Wakonda Elementary School. The time slot will be 2:003:05pm, Monday - Friday. If you are interested in participating for one or more days a week, please contact Jack Heidel (jackheidel@yahoo.com).
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A Note from Jan, Director of Religious Education Religious education is celebrating many new families! The Chris Krull and Jeri Thurber family and their daughter, Grace, the Caitlyn and Nick Hebrew family with their two daughters, Birdie and Bitsy, as well as Sarah Fox and her sons, Blake and Maddox. Recent members, Sara Shunkwiler and Chris Poyner have two sons, Owen, DJ, and daughter Maya. Returning is Amy Lucas and daughter, River, with River’s new brother, Rogan. Zeke is about to be a big brother. We celebrate their anticipation with parents Sara and Stephen Switzer. First-time parents Molly and Matt Dewell, are welcoming twin girls, Quinn and Addison who are in the NICU at Bergen Mercy. That’s a lot of children! We are thrilled to accept them into our community. The Parents of Preschoolers (POPs) is beginning a new and inspired group led by Sarah Eades Hamilton and Liz Sagert. This is a combined group with Second UU. They will be meeting for potluck in the First Unitarian Common Room at 5:45pm. Childcare will be provided in the nursery. Meeting dates are: Sat, Feb 25, 2017 (RSVP by Feb 19) Fri, March 31 (RSVP by March 26) Fri, April 28 (RSVP by April 23) Fri, May 26 (RSVP by May 21) Fri, Oct 20 (RSVP by Oct 15 See page 5 for more information about POPs meetings. CommUUnity Nights, a potluck for everyone, continues on the first Friday of every Month. POPS is an additional evening for parents offering opportunities for fellowship and community.
I enjoy meeting new families and hearing about their hopes and dreams for their children. I am here to have a part, however small, in making those dreams come true.
A Thank You from the YRUU (Youth Group) We raised almost $300 at our Fundraiser Brunch held on Sunday, January 15. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen and to all the folks who donated! Want to learn more about the Youth Group at First Unitarian? Contact leaders Adam and Carolyn at yruuomaha@gmail.com.
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What Is Your Board Up To? By Jackie Anderegg, President
Our Board is focused on insuring the future of our church, staying connected with the congregation, and maintaining the financial integrity of our church. Here is the action we are taking with all three agendas. 1. Insuring the Future at First Unitarian. We ar e setting up a highly organized all-church workshop Saturday, April 29th from 10am to 4pm at the Witherspoon Hall at Joslyn Museum to craft a mission statement, a vision statement and a covenant for our church. We will use a variety of church leaders, a consultant and a process called Appreciative Inquiry to accomplish these goals. We hope all of you can come. This is a big step. Our Board will: —begin the process of reviewing our policies and by-laws to either make changes or to bring our governance up to speed with the policies and by-laws we have; —-set up a training process in May or early June for the benefit of new board members and Ministry Team Council Members. This will include Robert’s Rules of Order review. Our Board will also attend an all-church forum on Robert’s Rules; —encourage future boards and leaders in all aspects of church life to become familiar with the use of our mission statements, our vision, and our covenants as we use what the congregation creates to identify ourselves and our church activities. —stay active in the membership classes, First Steps and the Pathways classes, as organized by our membership team and membership coordinator. 2. Staying Connected with Our Congregation. We have Boar d Talk Back sessions coffee hour the last Sunday of every month. Board members are identified by blue ribbons and we encourage every member to ask questions about Board business. We have articles in The Flame each month about Board activity or issues. We also post important messages on our church Facebook page, the Candle and in the weekly e-news. All of our Board meetings are open to all of our congregation and we meet the second Tuesday of every month and encourage visitors. We receive monthly reports from RE, Membership, Treasurer, our Minister, our Office, and Ministerial Team Council as well as special projects like our window renovation project and the upcoming celebration of our 100th anniversary of our building. We initiated an experiment with one service and held a congregational meeting for discussion and vote. We also needed a quorum vote to spend any amount of church money in excess of $15,000 and we managed a messy process to do that for our upcoming window renovation. We participate in the Teams Meeting held every two months. 3. Maintaining the Financial Integrity of Our Church. Thanks to our Tr easur er and our Tr ustees for the Capital Funds, we get regular reports on the financial status of our church income and expenses as well as the Capital Trust investments. We also get regular updates on special projects like our window renovation. Thanks to the creative energy of the project managers and certain board members we will put in applications to organizations that financially contribute to the restoration of historical buildings, use individual donations and use church funds when and if we need them. We are also involved in fund raising projects for special considerations, like the purchase of the Tubach painting that hangs in the foyer. Our church finances are completely transparent, except for the individual pledge amounts, which are private, and our financials are easily accessible to all of our members. We have some other creative ideas about donor participation in future projects and the Trustees have some ideas about the carefully calibrated use of capital funds to use for operating expenses as needed. We value your feedback and input. We are hard-working, well-intentioned and committed to being the best we can be.
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Ministry Team Council Our Ministry Team Council (Diane Withem, Nellie Chenoweth, Frank Rivas, and Alan Vovolka) meets once a month on the first Saturday of each month. If you want to propose a new idea, a team event, a church event or some activity that you would like to involve church facilities or financial or staff resources, please submit your proposal in writing or in person (or both) at least two months in advance of when you need the help, and we will do our best to accommodate your desires! We can tell you if we would like you to appear to discuss your proposal. If something comes up that needs immediate attention, we will also try to accommodate that the best we can. We would prefer advance notice to deliberate, decide, and arrange. Email us at mtc@firstuuomaha.org. Forms can be picked up at the church or found online here:
Form to book the church building: http://media.wix.com/ugd/6ac81d_e7114adfc02d41b28b521b51da3bbd35.pdf Form to propose a new team/class: http://media.wix.com/ugd/6ac81d_0afa4ec34a404f1d8f222543d12dca93.pdf Form to make a budget proposal: http://media.wix.com/ugd/6ac81d_d5eaf628644c4dbdbcff7cb87765e345.pdf
Our next Teams Meeting happens on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2pm. All are invited to this meeting.
Finance Matters
By Walt Jesteadt, Church Treasurer We are working on a budget for the church year that will begin on May 1st and that will allow us to arrive at a goal for the stewardship campaign, which will soon be under way. People familiar with church finances have been asking what we are going to do about the missing pledge. They are referring to the annual pledge made by Dick Holland, who died on August 9, 2016. Pledge amounts are confidential and that includes Dick’s pledge as well, but his annual pledge was one of the many ways he contributed to church finances. It was our largest pledge by far, too large for even the most successful stewardship campaign to replace with other pledges in a single year and too large for us to absorb by budget reductions. Fortunately, Dick and Mary Holland also provided a solution to the problem. As members of our Sarah Joslyn Society, they left a bequest to the church of $302,370. We have a consensus plan to use $140,000 of that money over a period of seven years to gradually reduce our reliance on the large pledge. Under this plan, the Hollands will contribute $35,000 this coming year, from the bequest, and that amount will go down by $5,000 per year until it reaches zero for the 2024 – 2025 church year. We will need to make up the $5,000 difference every year from pledge increases and new pledges, along with whatever else we need for increases in salaries and programs, but that should be something we can manage. Recent bequests have greatly increased our cash reserves and we are looking at how best to invest that money to generate support for church programs. More about that in a few months.
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Pathways to Membership Class Sundays, March 5, March 12, March 19 and March 26 at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room (downstairs classroom) This class explores who we are and what we believe and provides opportunities for members to share with newcomers what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Whether you are new to the church, or have been coming for a while, this is a great opportunity to learn more about this community. Questions? Want to RSVP? Contact Carrie: coordinator@firstuuomaha.org. Schedule:
Week 1
March 5
Introductory Class & Religious Education
Week 2
March 12
History and UU Roots
Week 3
March 19
Church Governance and Elements of Unitarian Universalism
Week 4
March 26
Membership, Stewardship and Fundraising
SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2017! We will have an all-church workshop Saturday, April 29 at Joslyn Museum in the Witherspoon Hall from 10am to 4pm. This will be run by a variety of church leaders and a national consultant, using a process called "appreciative inquiry,� to help us craft a mission, covenant and vision for the future of the church and community we love. This, more than anything we can do, will set the stage for defining the meaning of our church and insuring our future. And it will be fun! More information to come.
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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.
Share the Plate This Month
Each month one-half of the loose currency collected in the offering plate is donated to a cause that advances important principles of Unitarianism. Our Share the Plate recipient for February is Community Meals. More details about this program are on this page.
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 Ministry Team, which purchases bus tickets and food cards and gives out blessings bags to people who come to the church door from our area. Your change makes a difference! Thank you for your Every Saturday churches in our area join together to cook a meal, serve their generosity! neighbors and bring a sense of community to our neighborhood at First Baptist Church (401 Park Ave). First Unitarian Church’s next date to serve lunch is:
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.
Community Meals
February 4 We will need people to help with desserts, cooking, serving and cleaning up. See page 7 for more information about this upcoming meal.
Did you know? You may be reimbursed for money you spend making food for one of our meals or you may choose to donate it. If you have questions or would like to sign-up to cook, serve, or clean-up, please contact Diane. Thanks! Diane Withem, dianewithem@gmail.com.
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Your Input Needed — Foyer We are asking for feedback during the month of February about the placement of the Tubach painting in the foyer as it is hanging now and would appreciate your “yes or no” opinion, as well as your comments on the cards we have set up in the Common Room on the north wall of the art gallery. Please sign the notes we have available for you and post them on the wall. Look for the sign and notecards in the Common Room beginning Sunday, Feb. 5. Thank you!
Oak Brook Marriott in Oak Brook Illinois (Chicago area) on April 28-30, 2017.
Foyer photo by Scott Kemper (taken in November).
Early bird registration until April 5, Children must register before the early bird date. Scholarship requests must be in by the early bird date. Conference discounted rate for a room at the hotel will be available until April 12. Final registration deadline Friday, April 21. Registration will be possible at the door at the regular price with no meals. The hotel restaurant and coffee shop will be available. Go here for more information: https://www.midamericauua.org/events/regionalassembly
Planning has begun for General Assembly 2017 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130. Hotel Reservations will be available via the GA Housing Reservation System beginning March 1. Go here for more information: http://www.uua.org/ga
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Democracy and UUs The Struggle for Civil Rights Part III By Dave Richardson
This, the third article in our series on Unitarians and the historic struggle for preserving democratic values, will focus on the role UU ministers and lay members played in the Civil Rights struggles of the early and mid ‘60s. In the two previous installments we looked first at the 1930s and the strong stances the denomination and our church in particular, took against the rise of fascism both in Europe and at home. Next we focused on the Postwar years and the challenges of McCarthyism and the Cold War and the early stirrings of the fight for racial equality. The present article will take us up through the Civil Rights movement and the role Unitarian Universalism played in the movement both nationally and locally. The book The Selma A wakening by UU minister, Reverend Mark Morrison-Reed, chronicles the history of Unitarianism and race relations in the 20th Century. He notes that as a denomination we spoke eloquently, but sometimes we didn’t act accordingly. In the first half of the 20th Century and in the postwar years UUs took strong stances against racial discrimination in their documents and declarations, but failed to take aggressive action to correct these wrongs. Also, the attempts to get African-Americans to join our congregations had disappointing results. Reverend Morrison-Read attributes much of this to the fact that many Unitarians, despite their good intentions, did not fully come to grips with the cultural and spiritual needs of an oppressed minority. He further notes that many congregations were not located in neighborhoods near African-Americans. Additionally, a
phenomenon called the “Fellowship Movement” emerged in Unitarianism after WWII. Fellowships are essentially congregations without a minister. They were often located in suburban areas and attracted the well-educated “intelligentsia.” During this era of segregation and lack of equality of opportunity, African-Americans were de facto and sometimes de jure excluded from those strata of society, but the Reverend declares that changed dramatically in 1965 after the events in Selma. Over 100 UU Ministers and 500 UU lay persons participated in the marches in March of 1965 in Selma and Montgomery. Thirty percent of all UU ministers answered the plea from Dr. King for clergy members to come to Selma to support the voting rights marches. One of those was a young UU minister from New York named James Reeb. Shortly after arriving in Selma, Reverend Reeb was murdered by white supremacists as he and two companions were leaving the local black-owned restaurant where they had just eaten dinner. Another Unitarian, Viola Liuzzo, a young white housewife from Detroit, who had volunteered to help with voter registration was murdered at night by Klan members on a Mississippi highway near Selma as she drove several black citizens to a voter registration site. These events along with the brutal police attacks on peaceful protestors as they crossed the Edmund Pettis Bridge on “Bloody Sunday” galvanized UU support for the efforts of Dr. King and the Civil rights movement. Dr. King delivered the eulogy at Reverend Reeb’s Memorial Service as well as delivering the keynote address at the 1966 UU General Assembly. Two ministers from Nebraska, Reverend Vester Vanstrom of First Unitarian and Charles Stephen of Lincoln Unitarian, drove to Selma
to participate in the marches. Rev. Vanstrom had previously been a very successful lawyer who turned to ministry in his early 40s. He was called to First Unitarian in 1964. Gerald Metcalf, chair of the Minister Selection Committee that year, reported that the team had narrowed the pool of candidates down to three. After meeting all three candidates, hearing them preach at nearby churches and after deliberations the committee offered our pulpit to Rev. Vanstrom. The chairman noted that if Rev. Vanstrom had not accepted the offer they would have offered the job to their second choice: Rev. James Reeb. Thus, the man who was martyred at Selma the next year could easily have been the minister of our church. Selma became the tipping point for many Unitarians and many Americans overall. It became clear that words were not enough. Action was a moral imperative. Rev. Vanstrom was a man perfectly suited for that role. His tenure at First Unitarian ran from 1964 to 1975. Perhaps no other decade in American History saw so much unrest and societal transformation. From Civil Rights to Vietnam to Watergate, this decade was earmarked by controversy. Our minister was committed and outspoken on these and many other local, national and congregational issues. In next month’s installment we will look at the turbulent times and “Rev. Van.”
Pictured: Rev. Vester Vanstrom
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Ways You Can Get Involved: Church Choir
By William Miller, Choir Director (with information from http://takelessons.com/blog/health-benefits-ofsinging) Still on the fence about joining the choir? I recently read an online article about the physical, mental and social benefits of singing. Some of them are pretty interesting. Physical Benefits -Singing strengthens the immune system: According to research conducted at the University of Frankfurt, singing boosts the immune system. The study included testing professional choir members’ blood before and after an hourlong rehearsal singing Mozart’s “Requiem”. The researchers noticed that in most cases, the amount of proteins in the immune system that function as antibodies, known as Immunoglobulin A, were significantly higher immediately after the rehearsal. The same increases were not observed after the choir members passively listened to music. -Singing is a workout: For the elderly, disabled, and injured, singing can be an excellent form of exercise. Even if you’re healthy, your lungs will get a workout as you employ proper singing techniques and vocal projections. Other related health benefits of singing include a stronger diaphragm and stimulated overall circulation. Since you pull in a greater amount of oxygen while singing than when doing many other types of exercise, some even believe that singing can increase your aerobic capacity and stamina. -Singing improves your posture: Standing up straight is part of correct technique as you’re singing, so with time, good posture will become a habit! As your chest cavity expands and your shoulders and back align, you’re improving your posture overall. Mental and Emotional Benefits -Singing is a natural anti-depressant: Singing is known to release endorphins, the feel-good brain chemical that makes you feel uplifted and happy. In addition, scientists have identified a tiny organ in the ear called the sacculus, which responds to the frequencies created by singing. The response creates an immediate sense of pleasure, regardless of what the singing sounds like. Not only that, but singing can simply take your mind off the day’s troubles to boost your mood. -Singing lowers stress levels: Making music in any form is relaxing. Singing releases stored muscle tension and decreases the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol in your blood stream. -Singing improves mental alertness: Improved blood circulation and an oxygenated blood stream allow more oxygen to reach the brain. This improves mental alertness, concentration, and memory. The Alzheimer’s Society has even established a “Singing for the Brain” service to help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s maintain their memories. Social Benefits -Singing can widen your circle of friends: Whether you’re in a choir or simply enjoy singing karaoke with your friends, one of the unexpected health benefits of singing is that it can improve your social life. The bonds you form singing with others can be profound, since there’s a level of intimacy naturally involved. -Singing boosts your confidence: Stage fr ight is a common feeling for new singer s. However , per for ming well and receiving praise from your friends and family may be the key to eventually overcoming your fears and boosting your self-confidence. With time, you may even find it easier to present any type of material in front of a group with poise and good presentation skills. -Singing broadens communication skills: According to an article in The Guardian, singing to babies helps prepare their brains for language. Music is just as important as teaching reading and writing at a young age to prevent language problems later in life. If you enjoy writing your own lyrics, honing this talent can improve your ability to communicate in different ways! -Singing increases your ability to appreciate accomplished singers: Sometimes, you don’t realize how difficult something is until you try it yourself. As you grow from an amateur to an intermediate student and beyond, you’ll be looking to the masters for inspiration. You might even find a new style of music to appreciate that you wouldn’t normally listen to! The delights of singing go beyond merely enjoying the beauty of your own vocal talent. All of these health benefits of singing may make you want to join our choir right away! It doesn’t matter whether you become a world-class singer or not; have fun with it, and do you what you enjoy! The choir rehearses at 7pm on Wednesday evenings. Contact William at choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org.
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Chili Cook-Off 2017 We had a great time at our annual Chili Cook on Saturday, January 21. Every year we announce who won the cook-off. Meat Chili Winners: #1-entry #16, Just Plain Chili, Anne Rodriguez #2-entry #5, Calico Chili, Diane Withem #3- entry #14, Nasty Woman Chili, Katie Zimmer Photo by Catherine Plumlee Veggie Chili Winners: #1- entry #13, West African Chili, Jen McEvoy #2- entry #2, Varmint Free Chili, Kerri Wingert #3- entry #15, Green Bean Chili, Marie and Doug McIntosh Best cowgirl costume was Lily McEvoy Best cowboy costume was Geoff Erickson
Team Leaders! The Church Annual Meeting happens Sunday, May 14. Team reports are due to the office by Monday, April 10 at noon.
Please send your report to admin@firstuuomaha.org with "Annual Report" in the subject line of your email. Here's the format for a team report: <Team Name> Leader(s): Members: <list all of your members. This is a record for our archives.>
Activities & Projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2016-2017: Photo by Bebe McCammond
<list all of your teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities in a brief narrative or bulleted format. Be complete but concise. This is a record for our archives.> Help us celebrate your efforts this church year and document your team and its projects and successes for archives. If you have questions, please contact the office. See last year's annual reports by clicking here or contact the church office.
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Minister Frank Rivas 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 Organist Pat Will Early Service Pianist Stan Harper Choir Director William Miller choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org Choir Accompanist Elizabeth Kelly Minister Emeritus Ronald Knapp Nursery Coordinator Jenny Hastings childcare@firstuuomaha.org Custodian Bobby Medrano Nominating Committee Kim Callaghan, Molly Dewell, Nadine Keith, Dave Olson, Carol Ramsey, Ben Wallace
Meet Our Leaders Board Members Jackie Anderegg (President), Alan Vovolka (President-Elect), Sheri Conner, Joe Schaaf (Secretary), Linda Parker , Kabin Thomas, Floyd Prine, Cy Leise board@firstuuomaha.org Trustees of the Capital Trust Steve Hutchinson (2017), Evelyn Whitehill (2018), Dean Christensen (2019) Committee on Ministry Skip Ciulla, Jack Round, Donna Tubach-Davis
Ministry Team Council Rev. Frank Rivas, Nellie Chenoweth, Alan Vovolka, Diane Withem mtc@firstuuomaha.org Ministry Teams and Team Leaders Archives—Dave Richardson Black Lives Matter—Rene Harper Caring—Louise Jeffrey Chalice Guild—Kay Lynn Goldner Community Meals—Diane Withem Fellowship—Judith Wright, Nadine Keith & Nellie Chenoweth Finance—Walt Jesteadt Fundraising—Donna Neff Hope in Action—Kim Dunovan Hospitality Teams—Carolyn McNamara House and Grounds—Pierce Carpenter Membership—Caitlin & Tom Seguin Neighborhood Ministry—Royal Carleton Office—Carolyn McNamara Omaha Together One Community—Janet West Partner Church—Janet West Religious Education—Sheri Conner Social Justice—Lori Schaaf Women’s Alliance—Nellie Chenoweth Worship Arts Team—Megan Gustafson Young Adult Group—Anne Rodriguez YRUU—Adam Sagert and Caroline Miller
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, Lisa Calhoun
First Unitarian Church www.firstuuomaha.org 402-345-3039 Newsletter cover photograph by Scott Kemper
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Community Meals Saturday, Feb. 4, offsite. See page 7 for information. Teams Meeting Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Mystic Sojourn CUUPS Saturday, Feb. 4, 6-9pm in the Common Room. See page 4. RE Council Meeting Sunday, Feb. 5 at 9:30am in Jan’s office. Contact dre@firstuuomaha.org
Young Adult Discussion Group Sunday, Feb. 5 at 12pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. People’s Film Festival Monday, Feb. 6 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4 for details. Examined Life Group Tuesday, Feb. 7 and 21 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4 for details. AHA Meeting (Agnostics, Humanists, Atheists) Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7pm. See page 4.
Black Lives Matter Team Meeting Friday, Feb. 10 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Women’s Alliance Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30pm in the Common Room. See page 4.
Church Events Arts & Crafts Night Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4 for information. People’s Film Festival Monday, Feb. 20 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4 for details. Meet & Greet with Rev. Kati: Partner Church All-Church Potluck Tuesday, Feb. 21. See page 6 for details.
POPs Group Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5:45pm in the Common Room. See page 5. Board Talk Back Sunday, Feb. 26 at 11:00am in the Common Room. See page 5 for information. Book Club Monday, Feb. 27 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5 for details. Polyamory Discussion Group Monday, Feb. 27 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 5 for details Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30pm in the Common Room. See page 5 for details.
YES Meal Prep Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 9am. See page 7.
Recurring…
Board Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7pm in the Common Room
YRUU Meetings Wednesdays at 7pm in the Common Room.
Flame Deadline Submit your newsletter articles to admin@firstuuomaha.org by Feb. 15 at noon.
Choir Rehearsal Wednesdays at 7pm in the Sanctuary. See page 15.
The Women’s Religious Study Covenant Group Thursday, Feb. 16 at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Young Adult Game Night Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:30pm in the Whitney Young Classroom. See page 4 for information. CUUPS Book Study Group Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11:30am in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5 for information.
Lunch with the Minister This group is on hiatus for the month of February. We will return in March. Women’s Religious Studies Group Meets most Thursdays at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5. Dungeons & Dragons Group Meets the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. See page 5. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. See page 5.
Future Events… Pathways to Membership Class All Sundays in March at 11:45am in the Whitney Young Room. See page 11 for details. All-Church Celebration: Fiesta Saturday, April 1 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 7. All-Church Workshop on Appreciative Inquiry Saturday, April 29. See page 11 for more information. Holland Lecture Wednesday, May 10 at the Holland Performing Arts Center. See page 6 for details. All-Church Retreat Scheduled the weekend of June 10-11. For more information see page 17. UU Summer Kids Camp June 19-June 23 at church. This year’s theme is Harry Potter. Contact Jan at dre@firstuuomaha.org to reserve your child’s space.
We whose names are here subscribed associate ourselves together as a Religious Society for mutual helpfulness in right living and for the advancement of sound morals and pure religion in the community: and we hereby pledge ourselves to bear our part in the common cause and to care for the welfare and influence of the Society of which by this act we become members. Basing our union upon this expressed moral and religious purpose rather than upon any dogmatic statement of belief, and emphasizing the religion of character and daily life above all creedal confessions, we invite to our membership all who are seriously drawn to us in our spirit and aims and who desire to have with us their Church Home under the Articles of Incorporation. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Bond of Union, August 22, 1869
First Unitarian Church of Omaha 3114 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68131 www.firstuuomaha.org