October 2018
The Flame
The Monthly Newsletter of First Unitarian Church of Omaha
Page 2
Pages 4 & 5
Pages 6 & 9
Sunday Services
Church Events
Heart & Hand Auction
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Church Services
Sunday Forums
Sunday, October 7 at 10:30am "Whose Values are Guiding Us?� Ben Wallace, church member We will examine and question how the values of our Unitarian Universalist faith tradition call us to work as a congregation in serving those inside and outside our walls.
The Sunday Forums take place in the Common Room at 9:30am each Sunday. All are welcome to attend. If you have questions or would like to take part in a forum, please email the Forum Coordinator, Bebe at forum@firstuuomaha.org.
Sunday, October 14 at 10:30am "Radical Hospitality" Rev. Michelle LaGrave Radical Hospitality is a spiritual practice that requires an inward shift of the self to welcome in the other. How can we engage this practice in our UU congregations? Sunday, October 21 at 10:30am "Teach-In 1" Rev. Michelle LaGrave Over the last year or two, the phrase "a culture of white supremacy" has been discussed frequently within UU circles. These are hard words to hear. What exactly is a culture of white supremacy? How insidious is it? How do we begin to even think about dismantling it? How can we ensure this congregation feels like a sanctuary for all? This morning, First Unitarian will join the ranks of more than 600 UU congregations who have dedicated one or more Sunday services to holding a "Teach-In." Simultaneously, the children and youth will be learning about racism in their Religious Education classes. Sunday, October 28 at 10:30am "All Hallows" Rev. Michelle LaGrave What are souling, guising, and mumming? And how are Samhain, Job, vampires, the Christian Church, a group of scientists-turned-ghosts, and a fellow named Jack related to each other? This morning's service will be a fun exploration of the intersections of folklore and Christianity.
Sunday, October 7 at 9:30am Soul Matters Monthly Topic: Sanctuary Mary Kay Peters Sanctuary: the practice of finding sacred space within and ensuring welcoming space for all. Sunday, October 14 at 9:30am Medicaid Expansion in Nebraska: Now It’s Up to You Mark Hoeger Mark, a long-time leader of the Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) Health Care Action Team, will describe why Medicaid Expansion is needed, why Ballot Initiative 427 is required to make it happen, what Nebraska will gain by Medicaid Expansion, and how audience members can help. Sunday, October 21 at 9:30am Adults living with Mental Health Issues Aileen Brady Adults living in Omaha with Mental Health issues and the problems they face. Aileen Brady, Executive Vice president and COO from Community Alliance Rehab Center, will discuss the services Community Alliance provides, issues faced by the clients and the agency. Sunday, October 28 at 9:30am General Assembly, YRUU, and the Young Adults Taylor & Jessica Eman Join our youth leaders Jessica & Taylor for a detailed description of our Young Adult and YRUU groups. They will also be talking about next year's General Assembly, and ways to get to Spokane, Washington, as a group and why it's important.
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Ministerial Musings from the Interim Minister Greetings to All! This month we will be exploring the topic of Sanctuary. What does sanctuary mean to you and where can it be found? In a specific area of the church? Within the warm embrace of a loved one? Within the bounds of an entire city that has designated itself a safe and welcoming space for all immigrants? Or is your home your sanctuary? Wherever it is that you find sanctuary, it likely has overtones of safety; of feeling safe or of being safe. For humans to thrive, it is critical that we have at least one environment where we feel completely safe. This can be especially true for a congregation that finds itself in an interim period. Churches are, ideally, places where we feel safe; or at least, where we believe we should be safe. And yet, that feeling of safety; that feeling of sanctuary, can feel entirely disrupted within the interim time. You might feel anxious about meeting the interim minister: what will she be like? Will you like her? And if, by chance you do, you might wonder about the next minister; the one who will be arriving in a little less than two years from now. What will she/he/they be like? What kind of changes will a new ministry bring? To that end, I’d like to share a little bit about my philosophy and style of interim ministry. I see First Unitarian Church of Omaha as your church, not mine. My goal is to support you in discovering who you are as a church and, even more importantly, who you would like to become; not to dictate any specific outcome. I am here to use my skills of observation and reflect back to you what it is I am seeing: about who you are, how you see yourselves, how you function, and your strengths (especially those strengths you have but don’t realize are present.) I’d like to issue an invitation to all of you now—to come in and meet with me and share what’s on your mind and heart, to ask questions and share your concerns or let me know if you’d like me to come visit with your group. I know it will take awhile to get to know all 229 of you, if I ever can, but I am eager to get started. If you’d like to friend me on Facebook, please do. (I’ve been having trouble finding all of you, so please don’t be offended if you haven’t received a friend request from me. And I completely understand that not all people want to be friends with their minister, so please don’t feel obligated.) In closing I’d like to express my hope that you will see the minister’s office as an extension of (the) sanctuary, as it quite literally is. In faith and with love, Rev. Michelle Note: See the Covenant between the congregation and interim minister on page 7.
Sarah Joslyn Society Annual Celebration It's not too late to become a member of The Sarah Joslyn Society and secure your place at the annual celebration scheduled for October 21st. Each year at this fun event, we look forward to welcoming our newest members and honoring everyone who has made a commitment to leave a bequest to the church. As our founder, Dixie Lemon, always reminds us, "You'll never miss the money." Please contact Deb at debduggan1117@gmail.com or (402) 553-5477 for more information.
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KIOS Bundled Donations All through the month of October. See page 10 for information. People's Film Festival Monday, Oct. 1 at 7pm in the Common Room. We will watch The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Blending performance footage, personal interviews and archival film, director Morgan Neville and producer Caitrin Rogers focus on the journeys of a small group of Silk Road Ensemble mainstays from across the globe to create an intensely personal chronicle of passion, talent and sacrifice. Compassionate Communication Group Meet at 7pm in the Common Room on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. We are learning about Compassionate Communication developed by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD. Contact nvcsuz@gmail.com for details. If you need childcare, please email childcare@firstuuomaha.org. CommUUnity Night Friday, Oct. 5 at 5:30pm in the Common Room. The main dish is provided by RE. Everyone is welcome to come to this relaxed monthly potluck dinner. Bring games! Chit chat! There will be childcare. We can’t wait to see you! Black Panther Watch & Talk Event Saturday, Oct. 6 at 4pm in the Common Room. Join the Young Adults as we watch the Black Panther movie and then discuss it. Childcare will be provided. Come Out Singing Sunday: 10/7 Members of the River City Mixed Chorus will hand out mini-packages of Skittles before and after the service. The chorus wants to raise awareness for National Coming Out Day, which is October 11, and raise funds to help chorus members attend the GALA Festival of Choruses in 2020 in Minneapolis. Suggested donation is $1. A Farewell to Janet West Sunday, Oct. 7 during Coffee Hour. Long-time church member Janet West will be moving this fall to Arizona. In addition to being the Partner Church
Church Events
Team Leader and Membership Team Co-Leader, Janet has worked in many areas of the church over the years, including serving a term as Board President. Join us for a cake and coffee reception as we bid her farewell. Young Adult Discussion Group Sunday, Oct. 7 at noon in the Whitney Young Classroom. This group welcomes everyone ages 18-35 from all over the Omaha metro. Questions? Please email: youngadults@firstuuomaha.org. Women's Alliance Monday, Oct. 8 in the Common Room. Socializing and beverages start at 6:30pm with dinner following at 7pm. Women, and those who identify as women, are invited to attend this gathering. We will discuss how our church has handled conflict through the years, including members discussing the Vietnam War era. We hope to have a member storybook from First or Second UU recorded even if members are not able to attend. The meal will be chili with all the fixins. Please specify meat or veggie with your RSVP. We ask those with special dietary needs to contact Donna Neff directly so we can arrange good options: DonnaUU@gmail.com, 402699-3183. Children will eat the same as adults or please bring their own meal. We ask for a freewill donation of $15, which goes to the cost of food and the Merritt Education Fund. Need childcare to join us? No problem! RSVP with your child’s name and age. Please RSVP by emailing Jeri Thurber at jeri.thurber@gmail.com no later than 10/5.
Jonathan Haidt Book Group We will meet in the Whitney Young Classroom (only two meet-ups): Monday, October 1, 6 -8pm. We will discuss The Happiness Hypothesis. Monday, October 29th, 6-8pm. We will discuss The Righteous Mind. Any questions can be directed to Denise at denise.allain@yahoo.com. WAYS TO HELP: Blessing Bag Day Friday, Oct. 12, 9am to 11am. Donations still needed! See page 14 for information.
The 3F Book Bonanza Group Friday, Oct. 12 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. The book we’ll read is The Hollow Tree by James Brogden. We meet on the 2nd Friday of the month. Contact Denise if you have questions: (denise.allain@yahoo.com. Start Up Workshop Saturday, Oct. 13, 9:30am to 4pm in the Common Room. All board members, team leaders, and staff are invited to attend this workshop with Rev. Michelle. The MidAmerican Region offers this workshop to congregations working with an interim minister like we are, plus a regional facilitator will join us. The purpose of the workshop is to clarify roles and responsibilities during this two-year interim period. We want to make sure everyone is on the same page. Lunch and childcare will be provided with your RSVP. RSVP by October 8 to admin@firstuuomaha.org. WAYS TO HELP: YES Meal Prep Monday, Oct. 15 at 9am in the kitchen. See page 13 for details. People's Film Festival Monday, Oct. 15 at 7pm in the Common Room. We will watch That Sugar Film, which is one man’s journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet. Women’s Religious Studies Covenant Group Thursday, Oct. 18 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 Adult Group Friday, Oct. 19 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. Contact youngadults@firstuuomaha.org.
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Church Events Continued...
Alamo Theater Outing Event Sunday, Oct. 20 at 10am, offsite. See page 10 for details.
Leadership Talk Back Sunday, Oct. 21 at 11:30am in the Common Room. The MTC and the Church Board want to hear from you. Have questions? Suggestions? Please join your church leaders at a table in the Common Room during coffee hour. Sarah Joslyn Society Sunday, Oct. 21 at 5pm in the Common Room. This event celebrates those who have given a bequest to the church. See page 3 for details. Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, Oct. 23 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. Heart & Hand Annual Auction Friday, Oct. 26, 6-9pm. See pages 6 and 9 for details. Donations? Questions? Email auction@firstuuomaha.org. First Steps Class Sunday, Oct. 28 at 11:45am in the Merritt Lounge. You are invited to join us as we gather together to get acquainted with the basics of Unitarian Universalism and our vibrant community. See page 15.
Young Adult Halloween Movie Watch Party Sunday, Oct. 28, 1:30-6pm in the Common Room. Open to all who are interested to attend (with parent permission as rated R movies may be shown), the Young Adults will be watching some Halloween Movies and enjoying snacks. Come and join us, we would love to have you! CUUPS Samhain Ritual Sunday, Oct. 28 at 6pm in the Common Room. All Hallows’ Eve is coming!
This is a time when many enjoy donning a disguise. Join Mystic Sojourn CUUPs as we confront the masks we wear every day. *Participants will be given a mask to wear. Also, as this ritual will have lengthy deep meditation, it is not appropriate for children. Ritual starts at 6:30pm.
Book Club Monday, Oct. 29 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. The book selection will be announced in the enews. Questions? Contact Dave at drichardson821@gmail.com. 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. This group will have a variety of programs this month. On Oct. 4, each member will bring a favorite poem, story, or article to share. On Oct.11, Sister Maureen Connolly will discuss her work in the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP). AVP was developed by a group of Quakers and inmates in a prison in 1975. It is now in 30 countries and 100 American prisons. On Oct. 25, we will begin a new book, Birth of a W hite Nation; the Invention of White People and its Relevance Today by Jacqueline Battalora. Dharma Chautauqua Meeting Every Thursday, 6pm to 7:30pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. More info can be found online: dharmachautauqua.drycreekhost.net/. Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month in the Conference Room at 11:30am. Contact Scott Kemper at scott.kemper@gmail.com. YRUU (Youth Group) M eets every Wednesday at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 11 for more info. Choir Rehearsals Every Wednesday at 7pm in the Sanctuary. For more info, email: choirdirector@firstuuomaha.org.
Parent’s Choice Listening Circle— Open to new members! Meets the 2nd Sunday of the month at 11:45am in the Merritt Lounge. For questions or to join, please contact Sarah Eades Hamilton (402-306-6339/ seades.hamilton@gmail.com). AHA Listening Circle--Open to new members! Meets the 3rd Sunday of the month at 11:45am in the Merritt Lounge. We will deepen our understanding of our personal Atheist, Humanist, and Agnostic values through readings, listening and discussion which will help to enhance the UU experience for those who attend. Please contact AHA@firstuuomaha.org. Future Events Team Fair Sunday, Nov. 4 during Coffee Hour. This is our traditional team fair that happens every fall. Teams represented will include: Fundraising, Garden, Membership, Fellowship, Partner Church, Hospitality, Office, and more. Contact mtc@firstuuomaha.org for more information. Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics Meeting (AHA) Thursday, Nov. 8 in the Common Room. Doors open at 6pm for socializing and “Bring Your Own Dinner.” The meeting starts at 7pm. Questions? Email: aha@firstuuomaha.org. We will NOT meet in October. Women’s Alliance Bake Sale Sunday, Nov. 18 during coffee hour. Get all your goodies from our annual bake sale which is held the Sunday before Thanksgiving! Help the Women’s Alliance! Holiday Dinner—Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 8 with social hour at 5:30pm and dinner at 6:30pm. The dinner will be catered by Pleasure Your Palette. More information will be available soon. The reservation form will be in the November newsletter. See page 13 for Ways You Can Help
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Covenanting with the Interim Minister By Rev. Barbara Child
President: Will you all please r ise in body or spir it and enter into this covenant together with the Rev. Michelle LaGrave, our Interim Minister. Congregation: We welcome you as our par tner in ministr y this inter im year , at the thr eshold of our br ief journey together. We will use our hands and hearts, our vision and voices, to help and not to harm this beloved community through this time of transition. Interim Minister: I too will use my hands and hear t, my vision and voice, to help and not to har m your beloved community through this time of transition. Congregation: We will shar e our por tions of tr uth with you and will listen deeply to what you say, that we may grow in understanding. Interim Minister: I too will shar e my por tions of tr uth with you, and will listen deeply to what you say, that I may grow in understanding. Congregation: We will dar e to disagr ee agr eeably with you, to dr eam what we may become, and to ventur e down some untried paths as we make ready for new called ministry to this church. Interim Minister: I will dar e to speak har d tr uths to you as best I can discer n them, to hold up a mir r or so you can see your past and present clearly, and to make some empty space here for the new to enter in. President: In this br ief and pr ecious time – All: May we be a blessing to each other , and may we be a blessing to the wor ld. (This Covenant was shared in the worship service on September 9th.)
Welcoming New Member Dawn joined the church on Sunday, September 16th. Dawn and her daughter Isabel started attending First Unitarian Church in June. Within the church, Dawn has joined the Compassionate Communication Practice Group, the parent group for RE, Soul Matters, the 3F Book Bonanza Group, and is interested in the AHA group. She enjoys crochet, yoga, and salsa dancing and works as a Quality Improvement Coordinator at Wisconsin Physicians Service. Dawn's most important job is that of mother to daughter Isabel. Isabel is a fifth grader at Swanson Elementary and studies dance at Adair Dance Academy. She enjoys ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and musical theater. Please welcome Dawn and Isabel to First Unitarian! Photo by Bob Hess
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Annual Vision of Ministry 2018-2019 Each year, the Board of Trustees writes the Annual Vision of Ministry that is then shared with the church and our teams. The Board of Trustees has determined that the following should be the most important focus areas to emphasize as we plan our work: Vision Area #1: Heritage - Our church must focus our attention on addressing our past and present conflicts while promoting our Unitarian Universalist values, respecting differences, and building beloved community. Additionally, as we transition to a new minister, our church will experience a type of grief that must be addressed and held as we become accustomed to a new normal. Vision Area #2: Leadership - Developing new leaders is essential to maintaining sustainable transitions and avoiding volunteer burnout. In the next year, our church will focus on identifying future leaders from among those with unique perspectives and passions, and from all generations. We will empower them by providing opportunities for leadership development and supporting voices from people in the margins. Vision Area #3: Mission - Our church will emphasize the practice of radical hospitality and take tangible steps to dismantle the systems of discrimination, oppression, and exclusion within the church, in the broader community, and in the world including, but not limited to, supremacy of the white monoculture, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. Vision Area #4: Connection - This year, our church will work to build stronger connections with Second Unitarian Church of Omaha. We will utilize resources from the Unitarian Universalist Association more effectively. It will also be a priority that we work to rekindle our sister church relationship with Clair Memorial United Methodist Church. Vision Area #5: Future - As we begin the search for our next minister, our entire congregation must take the time and make the effort to deeply consider who we are to become as a church and what qualities and expertise our new minister should have to help us better live our values. — This Annual Vision of Ministry (AVOM) was created by the Board by going through the Stewardship Campaign Feedback gathered last spring and the exit interviews of the Board and Rev. Frank Rivas that took place when he retired in May and feedback from church members. Maria, the Church President, asked for feedback from team leaders at the August Team Leaders meeting and solicited feedback in The Candle, the leaders’ monthly newsletter. The Board approved this AVOM at its September board meeting.
If you have questions or concerns and would like to reach the board, you can email: board@firstuuomaha.org. Reminder: every 3rd Sunday during Coffee Hour in the Common Room, we have a Leadership Talk Back featuring members from the Board and the Ministry Team Council (MTC). Our next Leadership Talk Back is Sunday, October 21. See members of our Board of Trustees on our website: www.firstuuomaha.org/leaders. If you are interested in receiving the leaders’ monthly newsletter, The Candle, please contact the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org. Our next Teams Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2pm in the Common Room. Please save the date!
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DON’T MISS the AUCTION ACTION!! Please support the Halloween “Heart & Hand” Auction Party on Friday, Oct 26th, 6-9 pm at Fir st Unitar ian Chur ch! Donate! Attend! Shop! Our major annual FUNdraiser for the operating budget. So-named because it features items that build connections (e.g., dinners, parties, lessons) as well as intriguing stuff.
Delicious food! End a busy workweek with food, fun, and friends. Bring something for the Fall Favorites Potluck. Cash bar (beer, wine). Free coffee, tea, lemonade.
Costume contest with prizes! Categories are: Period Dress (celebrate the church’s 100th
anniversary!), TV Characters, & Spook’s Choice (open). Door prizes! Raffle of the “Amazing Animals Bear & Basket”! Schedule same as last year: Potluck, big Silent Auction, then fun Live Auction with desserts. Don’t miss it!
Explore the Auction Website (click here)! Register to bid! Shop TWO catalogs: one with on-line sales ahead of auction & one for Auction Night.
Check often-the catalogs grow as donations come in. The site has all the info you need, including donating and reserving childcare. Get your name on the “Donors” tab, and notice all the businesses supporting our church.
Donate auction items! Help build an awesome Auction Catalog. What can YOU donate?
The goal is to raise $15,000 for the operating budget. We did it last year, and with your help, we’ll do it again! DEADLINE for donations and childcare is Monday, Oct 22th. To donate, visit the Auction Area at church, use the Auction Website, email auction@firstuuomaha.org or call Katrina (402-916-9741) or Donna (402-699-3183), Auction Co-chairs.
Free childcare by reservation (infant to 6th grade). Sign-up at Auction Area or on-line.
Older children/youth attend the auction or can be with the younger children with childcare-workers permission. Kids’ Costume Parade (optional).
Can’t be at the auction? Arrange a proxy bidder for auction night, and shop the On-line Catalog for pre-auction sales. Half of most event seats will be available online.
Remember: this is all for a good cause, so be generous and enjoy. See you Friday, Oct 26th!
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KIOS Bundled Donations Each October, First Unitarian members and friends are asked to bundle their contributions to KIOS, Nebraska Public Radio’s Omaha broadcasting station. KIOS offers intelligent, timely, stimulating, articulate and often humorous programming at 91.5 FM. This is a win-win proposition for you. It supports the outstanding programming on KIOS and is a terrific public relations vehicle for the Church. Last year, the bundling campaign raised $4,345 for KIOS for which First Unitarian Church was acknowledged as a program underwriter 133 times on programs such as Morning Edition, weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. All Things Considered, weekdays from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me, Saturdays, 10 to 11 a.m. and Prairie Home Companion, Saturdays, 5 to 7 p.m. Please place your check made out to First Unitarian Church in the offering plate and write KIOS on the memo line, or mail the check to the church office, or give the check to Lois Norris. Donations will be collected during the month of October. Questions? Contact the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org.
Anniversary Quilt Project THE GOAL: To create a lovely quilt that contains a square for each church member (children of members 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. WHAT WE NEED FROM CHURCH MEMBERS: Find a piece of fabric that is special to you. Perhaps you would want the fabric to be your favorite color or have a small image on it (like a boat, or a cat, or a dog). Note: the fabric must be 100% cotton. Any fabric store sells “fat quarters” which are inexpensive and would be good to use for this. Please bring a square of fabric that is at least 6 inches by 6 inches. (Barb is figuring out how large the squares will be for the final product--most likely they will be 3 in x 3 in). We estimate that we will have 300 squares total. Turn in your fabric to Barb or Nancy. NEW: WE HAVE EXTENDED THE DEADLINE! PLEASE GIVE YOUR FABRIC TO BARB OR NANCY BY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28. Visit our Facebook event for more details here: www.facebook.com/events/313741085864358/ or go to this church web page: www.firstuuomaha.org/quilt.
The “Hate U Give” at the Alamo Theater Event Saturday, October 20 at 10am at the Alamo Theater. Address: 12750 Westport Pkwy, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. This is a free showing for member of First Unitarian Church of Omaha to view The Hate U Give, followed by a discussion of the movie, its impacts and themes, as well as what we can do to promote cultural change and be allies to people of color. This showing is at the Alamo in La Vista. There is no childcare provided. This movie is Rated PG-13. We have 52 seats available and the possibility to utilize a bigger theater if we surpass that number. That being said, please only mark attending if you know you will be able to attend. We will have to cap attendance at a certain amount. Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/282000609078293/. Questions? Email: tayloreman15@gmail.com.
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A Note About Religious Education Religious education classes have been celebrating justice makers that are also Unitarian Universalists. We have gotten to know Clara Barton, Henry David Thoreau, and Theodore Parker. In the coming weeks, we will meet justice makers in our own congregation. Jeri Thurber will share her work in social justice with us. We are proud of the fine people who work for friendship and peace in our world. We will continue to learn about the way we can influence racial justice. Omaha has its own history of racial injustice. Often we learn about the stories of segregation in the South without realizing the ways in which Nebraskans have turned a blind eye to the inequality of actions based on race. Rev. Michelle will provide guidance for our congregation called a Teach-In. This is a program that comes from the UUA to further our awareness of white privilege and the many injustices surrounding it. These ideas will be reflected in RE classes.
A movie curriculum surrounding “To Kill a Mockingbird” will start in October. Some middle school students will be analyzing the roles of the characters in the movie and discuss issues that to which they can relate. —Jan Wilson, Director of Religious Education
YRUU (Youth Group) Young Religious Unitarian Universalists is a combined group of youth from First and Second Unitarian Churches. Youth are in 7th—12th grades. Our youth love the acceptance and belonging this group provides. Youth are free to be themselves in a truly supportive and fun community. Adult advisers guide them in the areas of community building, social action, worship, learning, leadership, and congregational involvement. The youth group meets September to May every Wednesday at 7pm in the Common Room at First Unitarian Church. Have a teen who wants to join? Contact Jan, our DRE, at dre@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.
Windshield Decals for Church Lot In an effort to save our church parking for members, visitors, volunteers, and staff, the Ministry Team Council (MTC) has created a windshield decal (see the image at the right). Beginning in November, we will hand out these decals to church members and friends. The decals are small (3in. x 3in.) and can be placed in the front windshield in the top leftor right-hand corner. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, Midtown Crossing shoppers and employees have been parking in the church lot—that causes problems, especially on Sunday mornings and during private wedding ceremonies. Our lot is small and each space is important so we can be welcoming to our visitors. If you want to leave your car overnight in the church lot, please contact the church office to arrange that. More details will be shared next month.
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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.
change makes a difference! Thank HOW TO ASK FOR SUPPORT you for your generosity! 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 SHARE THE PLATE assistance. Each month one-half of the loose currency collected in the offering Here are the ways you can ask for plate is donated to a local cause that support from Hope in Action. You may advances important principles of send an email to Unitarianism. Our Share the Plate hopeinaction@firstuuomaha.org or use recipient for October is Community the Hope in Action link on the church Meals. Our chur ch is par t of website. Or, you may simply complete Neighbors United. The main task of a Caring Card, located in the church this organization is to provide a pews and place it in the offering plate. weekly meal on Saturdays at First Baptist Church. In addition to WHO DECIDES WHAT regularly volunteering at this meal, SUPPORT WILL BE three or four times a year our OFFERED? church cooks the meal for about Hope in Action will use a team 250 people living in our neighborapproach, so at least three members of hood. See the column to the left for Hope in Action must participate in more information. determining the nature of the response.
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: November 17. 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. 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 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
OTOC Candidate Accountability Session: NE Unicameral October 22, 7pm at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St. Candidates Attending: District 6: Theresa Thibodeau and Machaela Cavanaugh District 8: Mina Davis and Megan Hunt District 20: John McCollister and Jackie Collett Please come to hear from Nebraska legislative candidates on where they stand on issues that are important to all of us. Join OTOC to make sure candidates respond to the issues affecting our families and communities. See OTOC events at this web page: www.firstuuomaha.org/otoc.
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Ways You Can Get Involved 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 14 for the list of donations needed. This list will be updated on the web page: www.firstuuomaha.org/blessingbags. YES Meal Prep in October Monday, October 15 at 9am in the kitchen. We will serve a taco bar with refried beans and rice. Want to help? Contact Kim at kjcallaghan@hotmail.com. Every month Kim and her team prepare a meal for Youth Emergency Services (YES). See this website for more info: www.yesomaha.org. Building Team We're looking for a few people to help with some short-term projects which include carpet, electrical, and doors. Can you help? You can decide how involved you want to be. Our goal is to get the projects done in a timely manner. If interested, please email the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org or call Joe (presidentelect) at 402.960.7253. If you have questions or need more details, please ask! Thank you!
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 for everyone to get to church. As a first step, we will extend an opportunity for those who drive to put themselves on a call list for those wanting a ride. 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 strangers to the congregation. We will ask those requesting a ride to church to call by Saturday, so that there are no lastStream Team: Ever y Sunday we str eam our minute requests. At this time, we will limit this effort to service for those who are not able to join us in church on Sunday rather than extending it to other church person. Are you interested in learning how to activities. However, let’s all continue with the informal operate our Apple MacBook Pro computer and the process of giving rides informally to those who want or need WireCast software? If so, please let Bill Ross know them! and we will get you started. Training will vary depending on what experience you have. Email Bill at Bill@ross.vg.
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.
Women's Alliance Bake Sale & Craft Fair Do you bake, sew, stitch, or paint? Do you make jewelry? What about crocheting? Women's Alliance is currently taking donations to sell at their annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale happening on 11/18. All proceeds go to the Merritt Education Fund. Email kathryn.lewis.kl@gmail.com for more information. Funding is still available to UU Young Adults who wish to travel to Israel/Palestine to learn about the situation and then return and General Assembly 2019 present their findings within their congregation or the larger UU GA is in Spokane Washington, J une 19th to the community. go here: https://uujme.org/young-adult-travel/ 23rd. We are currently forming a group interested in for more information. attending. This group would host fundraisers in order to help lower the shared cost of attending. A note from Sharon Conlon: Sign up during coffee hour or reach out to Taylor “When I went to Palestine in 2017, the Harvard, Massachusetts Eman at tayloreman15@gmail.com. We would UUJME chapter had sent a young man, Brenton Stoddard, on our love to have you. delegation with us. It really is possible to go to Palestine. It will sear activism into you. Seriously consider applying.”
UUJME Young Adult Travel Scholarships
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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, October 28 at 11:45am in the Merritt Lounge If you are interested, RSVP to Carrie at coordinator@firstuuomaha.org or stop by the Welcome & Engagement Table (in the Common Room downstairs) on Oct. 28 and we’ll get you to the right room. Grab a cup of coffee and we will see you there! If you need childcare to attend, please let Carrie know when you RSVP.
Pathways to Membership—Save these dates!* New session starting Sunday, January 6, 2019 and running five consecutive Sundays (1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, & 2/3/19) following church service in the Whitney Young Classroom (downstairs by the nursery). This is a chance to get a more in-depth look at what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. We’ll have memberled discussions about the history of our church and the UU church at large, our church governance (the congregation-led church), religious education, elements of worship, and much more! RSVP to Carrie at coordinator@firstuuomaha.org. If you need childcare, please let Carrie know. (Drop-ins are welcome, but to get the most out of the class you’ll want to be there for the 5-week course). Hope to see you there! *Note: the class dates have changed from last month. We will not have sessions this fall. Learn more about church membership at our website: www.firstuuomaha.org/membership.
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2018 Partner Church Visit By Vicki Pratt
This year is the 450th anniversary of the Edict of Torda, a very significant year for Unitarians and coincided with the visit to our Partner Church in Romania. In 1568 eastern Hungarian King John Sigismund decreed from the city of Torda that churches in his kingdom were free to choose their own ministers—as long as they were Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, or Unitarian. While still not accepting Jews, Muslims, or the many other religions and non-religions, this was the first official recognition of Unitarianism. King Sigismund was heavily influenced by his bishop, Unitarian Francis David. Most of King Sigismund’s realm is now part of Romania and we were there to witness some of the special activities commemorating Torda 450. The most significant is that the former residence of the Unitarian bishop in Cluj, a town a few miles from Torda, has been transformed into the Center for Religious Freedom. We toured this facility a few days after its July dedication in company with several UU ministers from the US and Hungarian Unitarian ministers who were participating on a walking pilgrim. The residence was built on top of Roman ruins, visible from the ground level. Upper floors now feature a research center, worship/meditation area, community meeting space, and museum. Each of the Unitarian churches in the area had been asked to loan a special “relic” to display for the dedication. We were privileged to see Francis David’s bible and communion chalices still in use for nearly 500 years. We met with the minister of the Cluj church after Sunday service and later with the minister of the church in Targu Mures and the minister of the current Unitarian church in Torda. He also showed us the much bigger former Unitarian church and the sculpture honoring the 450th anniversary. We toured several other Unitarian churches on the way to our partner church in Firtosmartonos and on day trips from there.
We spent four delightful days with Rev. Katalin (Kati) Szasz-Cserey and her family in the parsonage and experienced village life with the people in Firtosmartonos. We regret that Janet was not with us this year. Everyone in the village asked about her. Her care in arranging these trips for many years allowed us to carry on in her absence. Below: Photos of the trip by Kandy Scott. To see more photos, go to: www.firstuuomaha.org/partner-church-
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Below: Photos of the Partner Church trip by Kandy Scott. To see more photos, go to: www.firstuuomaha.org/partner-church-
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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 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
Cover photo by Errol Waits. Thanks to Gary Emenitove for suggesting this photo.
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, Rev. Michelle LaGrave 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 Governance—Kim Dunovan Fundraising Team—Donna Neff & Katrina Schmidt Hope in Action—Kim Dunovan Hospitality Teams—Carolyn McNamara House and Grounds Team—open 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 Right Relations—Nadine Keith Social Justice Coordinator—Peg Pidgeon Soul Matters—Michael McAtee Stewardship Team—Mary Kay Peters & Peg Pidgeon Wayside Pulpiteer—Kim Dunovan Women’s Alliance—Catherine Plumlee Worship Arts Team—Denise Allain Young Adult Group—Taylor & Jessica Eman YRUU—Jessica & Taylor Eman & Tom Seguin
First Unitarian Church of Omaha www.firstuuomaha.org 402-345-3039
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KIOS Bundled Donations All through the month of October. See page 10 for information. Jonathan Haidt Book Groups Various times and dates. See page 4. People's Film Festival Monday, Oct. 1 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Compassionate Communication Group We will meet at 7pm in the Common Room on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday. See page 4. CommUUnity Night Friday, Oct. 5 at 5:30pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Black Panther Watch & Talk Event Saturday, Oct. 6 at 4pm in the Common Room. See page 4. A Farewell to Janet West Sunday, Oct. 7 during Coffee Hour. See page 4. Young Adult Discussion Group Sunday, Oct. 7 at noon in the Whitney Young Classroom. See page 4. Women's Alliance Monday, Oct. 8 in the Common Room. See page 4. Board Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7pm in the Common Room. WAYS TO HELP: Blessing Bag Day Friday, October 12, 9am to 11am. See page 14.
3F Book Bonanza Group Friday, Oct. 12 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Start Up Workshop for Church Leaders and Board Members Saturday, October 13, 9:30am to 4pm in the Common Room. See page 4. The Flame Newsletter Deadline Oct. 15 at noon. WAYS TO HELP: YES Meal Prep Monday, Oct . 15 at 9am in the kitchen. See page 13.
Church Events People's Film Festival Monday, Oct. 15 at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Women’s Religious Covenant Group Thursday, Oct. 18 at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 4. Game Night Hosted by the Young Adult Group Friday, Oct. 19 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 4. Alamo Theater Outing Event Sunday, Oct. 20 at 10am, offsite. See page 10 for details. Leadership Talk Back Sunday, Oct. 21 at 11:30am in the Common Room. See page 5. Sarah Joslyn Society Event Sunday, Oct. 21 at 5pm. See page 3. Taoism Discussion Group Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30pm in the Common Room. See page 5.
Heart & Hand Annual Auction Friday, October 26, 6-9pm. See pages 6 and 9. First Steps Class Sunday, Oct. 28 at 11:45am in the Merritt Lounge. See page 15. YA Halloween Movie Watch Party Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1:30pm in the Common Room. See page 5. CUUPS Samhain Ritual Sunday, Oct. 28 at 6pm in the Common Room. See page 5. Book Club Monday, Oct. 29 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5.
Recurring… Bridge Group Meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. See page 5. Parents Listening Circle Meets the 2nd Sunday of the month. See page 5.
AHA Listening Circle Meets the 3rd Sunday of the month. See page 5. YRUU (Youth Group) Meetings Wednesdays at 7pm in the Common Room. See page 11. Choir Rehearsals Wednesdays at 7pm in the Sanctuary. See page 5. Women’s Religious Studies Group Meets most Thursdays at 1pm in the Merritt Lounge. See page 5. Dharma Chautauqua Every Thursday, 6pm to 7:30pm, in the Whitney Young Classroom. See page 5.
Future Events… Team Fair Sunday, Nov. 4 during Coffee Hour. See page 5. AHA! “Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics!” Meeting Thursday, Nov. 8 in the Common Room. See page 5. WAYS TO HELP: Community Meals Saturday, Nov. 17, offsite. See page 12. Women’s Alliance Bake Sale & Craft Fair Sunday, Nov. 18 during Coffee Hour. See page 5. Teams Meeting Saturday Dec. 1 at 2pm. More details will be available next month. Save the Date: Holiday Dinner Saturday, Dec. 8 at 5:30pm. See page 5. ———————————————— Social Media & First U Find our public Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/firstuuomaha/ Find us on Twitter here: @FirstUUOmaha Be sure to like the church and follow us! ————————————————
Halloween “Heart & Hand” Auction
Friday, Oct. 26, 6-9pm See pages 6 and 9 for all the details.
First Unitarian Church of Omaha 3114 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68131 www.firstuuomaha.org