The Flame The Newsletter of First Unitarian Church of Omaha
September 2012 Sunday Services
Rev. Elations Some people compare their struggles and insecurities with the apparent certainty of others; they compare their insides with others’ outsides. Such a comparison is seldom productive. There are also churches that compare their struggles with other churches’ apparent clarity. This is an equally unfortunate comparison. A healthy individual is one with a realistic understanding of his or her strengths and weaknesses…and one who moves toward wholeness. So it is with churches, and this is what I witnessed at the First Unitarian Board of Trustees retreat in August. Each trustee shared a strong understanding of the importance of this church in our lives as well as a clear understanding of the issues we need to address. The board named four goals for the year ahead: creating a sustainable budget; increasing membership; actively welcoming families, children, and youth; and focusing on mission. These four goals represent extraordinary clarity of vision; they represent the work of a healthy congregation. To Be Continued on Next Page…
September 2 | Shawna Foster | Faith Tree If our tradition was a tree, what would it look like? Thought-provoking metaphorical comparisons between miraculous forests and the shape of Unitarian Universalism will be sure to engage your wonder of transcendent growth and mystery. Service at 10:30am. 9/9 —Two Services Begin—9:30am and 11:15am September 9 | Rev. Frank Rivas | Covenant Religious communities from every tradition establish covenants with one another. We explore a covenant from Calcutta as we prepare to speak our own covenant. September 16 | UU Masterpiece Theater Join us as members of the Religious Services Team offer a reader’s theatre presentation of “Save Me a Place at Forest Lawn.” Funny and moving, this is a look at life, loss and the friends that see us through it all. September 23 | Rev. Frank Rivas | Atonement As we approach the holiest days of the year, we reflect with our Jewish neighbors on the importance of forgiveness. September 30 | Rev. Frank Rivas | Liberal A liberal heritage does not commit us to any shared creed; instead, it’s a commitment to listen—really listen—to each person’s perspective. It’s a commitment to engage with one another as equals, to recognize that we might have something to learn from the other.
September 2012 | Vol. 12: Issue 4
Calendar Online Calendar: www.firstuuomaha.org/community/ calendar September 2, Witches’ Tea, 7pm September 3, Church Office Closed
Rev. Elations Continued ….
We have work to do together. We will also find time to play together, to share our lives with one another, and to strengthen the bonds of community. I am delighted to be part of this congregation. Blessings and love, Frank
September 7, Spanish Learning Group, 6pm September 9, Bridge Group, 1pm September 10, Women’s Alliance Meeting, 6:30pm September 11, Board Meeting, 7pm September 15, Flame Deadline, noon September 16, Board Talk Back, 1pm September 16, Transition Omaha, 2pm September 18, Spanish Learning Group, 6pm September 19, Movie Night, offsite September 22, Peter Mayer Concert, 7pm September 23, Mythological RoundTable, 5pm September 24, Book Club, 7pm September 28, Private Wedding Rehearsal, 5pm September 29, Private Wedding, 4pm
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Spanish Learning Group The Spanish Language Learning Group is off and running! We have been meeting over the last few months and the momentum and interest has been gaining! This fall we are being facilitated and tutored by Eduardo Millan, who is a Spanish and Linguistics Educator. The Spanish Group will be meeting on the following dates in August and September: Thursday, August 30 at 6pm Friday, September 7 at 6pm Tuesday, September 18 at 6pm All classes will be held in the First Unitarian Common Room. Eduardo has agreed to provide our students with a discounted rate of $10 for each hour and a half session, a wonderful opportunity with a gifted teacher! If you have questions about the class or are interested in attending, please contact Ben Wallace at 402-680-6226 or bmwallace@gmail.com.
September Update My children have started school with clean new pencil cases and sharp-edged folders. No crumpled papers reside in their backpacks as yet; the school year is still as fresh and crisp as an apple right off the tree. September at church has much the same feel. We return, sunburned and smiling and ready to gather together once again. Our minister, Frank Rivas, began his work here the first of August, and through board and minister discernment and discussion, our path for this year has been chosen. Budget: The first area of focus is to implement a realistic and responsible budget. Last May, the congregation passed a budget some $30,000 higher than the pledge totals then in hand, with the expectation of a fall canvas. Planning for future sustainability and simplified financial transparency will be on our list for this year. This will be the board’s work. Membership: The board and minister will be assisting the Senior Ministry Team with Membership growth and support. We seek first to understand current needs, then bring forward the wisdom of the past, and welcome new ideas. Children and Youth: Be the village. We are creating a more welcoming and nurturing community for families and children. Frank and Meka are bringing in engaging new curricula, and are working together to also make this church the church of our children and grandchildren. This is a place for families, for questions, for learning from—and teaching—our youth. Mission: We are refocusing on our mission as a church. We want everyone to know what our mission is—and we hope everyone will own that mission. Our mission may change as we explore our best selves, but we shall begin with the good words now in place:
Calendar The Youth group meets Wednesday nights at 7pm in the Common Room starting September 12.
Two services begin Sunday, September 9 Join us at 9:30am or 11:15am
Thank You Notes To the faithful families who continue to support the First Lutheran Church Food Pantry and helping with Neighbors United. To those who are helping keep our kitchen clean! The Chalice Guild is doing such a great job!
First Unitarian of Omaha strives to be a diverse, liberal religious community with a tradition of open-mindedness and tolerance. We promote spiritual growth, social justice, and service to those in need in order to affect positive change in our society and in ourselves. That is the road ahead. We own our mission, we nurture the future, we support and grow our members, we attend to our fiscal responsibilities. We do this work together. Yours, Kate Godfrey
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Coffee Hour Hosts Want to help the church? Host coffee hour. All that’s required is making coffee and bringing goodies if you would like. Want more information? Contact bmwallace@gmail.com
Community Meals Saturday, July 21 was a hot, but very successful day for First Unitarians as we served Saturday lunch to our neighbors at Community Meals at First Baptist Church. The menu included hot beef sandwiches, pasta and vegetable salad, assorted chips, fresh bananas, coffee and lemonade, and a beautiful array of homemade desserts. First U’s participation with this interfaith project continues to grow. Kay Lynn Goldner, Ellen Shurson, and Louise Jeffrey cooked all the meat at home in advance, so that we did not have to fire up the church ovens on a 100-degree day. Mary Leidy did the same with 14 pounds of pasta for the salad. There was still plenty to do onsite and our kitchen volunteers were kept busy slicing and shredding
Psalms 31 In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.
meat, washing, chopping, and mixing tons of vegetables for Mary’s awesome salad recipe. Dean Christensen made the run to Trader Joes to pick up our weekly gift of groceries and flowers which are distributed to our neighbors, giving Matt Dewell, our regular volunteer for this job, a much needed week off. The Trader Joe’s bounty provided almost all of our sandwich buns, our veggies for the salad, all the bananas, and 75 bags of groceries for our neighbors. Please consider thanking Trader Joe’s for their weekly generosity with your patronage.
Community Meals—continued... Thank you to all of our service and clean up volunteers: Judith Wright, Dean Christensen, Amy Barlow, Nathan Kramer, Stephen Meister (mopper extraordinaire), Joe Schaff, Terri Lynn Brewer, Scott Kemper (who also served as our photographer and procurer of extra ice), Linda Hess, Kay Lynn Goldner, Louise Jeffrey, Dave Rosser, Lois Norris, Kim Dunovan, and Ron Withem. Thank you to all our dessert providers: Nadine Keith, Rae Barry, Scott Kemper, Amy Barlow and Nathan Kramer, Carolyn McNamara and John Wagner, and Kay Lynn Goldner. Thanks also to Kathy Campbell and Bob Hess, who provided part of Bob’s birthday cake for the dessert table, and thanks to the First Unitarian Young Adults who provided many of the
assorted chips we served—a real treat. Want to be involved, too? Community Meals offers many volunteer opportunities including family friendly and do-ahead work. Onsite volunteers ages 12 and over are always welcome. First U cooks next on September 29, but help is always needed as lunch is served every week. For more information call or email Kay Lynn Goldner (402-397-2834; klgoldner@cox.net) or Louise Jeffery (402-980-2068; louisekjeffrey@hotmail.com).
The Religious Services committee is making arrangements to replace the chalice in our sanctuary. Input from the congregation is welcome. If you have thoughts that you would like to share, please contact Megan Gustafson at masconwell@yahoo.com
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At Church This Month Women’s Religious Study Group
Bridge Group
The Tao does nothing, yet leaves nothing undone.
The Bridge Group meets each second and fourth Sunday at 1pm in the Whitney Young Classroom.
Together we unravel the mysteries of the paradoxes found within the Tao Te Ching, or "the way and its power." The Women's Religious Study Group meets Thursdays from 1 to 2:30pm in the Merritt Lounge.
This month the Bridge Group will meet on September 9 and 23. If you want to learn, teach or play bridge, you are welcome to attend. The more, the merrier!
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Got Produce? If you have extra veggies from your garden, remember our neighbors at Community Meals. Kay Lynn (klgoldner@cox.net) or Louise (louisekjeffery@hotmail.com) will see that they are used by those who need them!
Witches’ Tea Whatever your interest in earthcentered spirituality, whether Native American (or other) Shamanism, Celtic Druidism, African Diaspora, Wicca and Witchcraft or other tradition or path, come and enjoy conversation, fellowship, and the occasional earth-centered experience with others who resonate with the UUA's Sixth Source of Spirituality. This meeting is held on the first Sunday.
Book Club We will meet at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge on Monday, September 24. The book to be read with be announced in the order of service and in the weekly enews. Anyone with questions about the club can contact Dave Richardson at drichardson@westside66.org.
We meet on Sunday, September 2 at 7pm in the Merritt Lounge.
Joseph Campbell Mythological RoundTable The Omaha Mythological RoundTable is an “emerging” chapter of the Joseph Campbell Foundation's (JCF.org) program to promote the study of mythology and the works of Joseph Campbell. We gather on the fourth Sunday of every month at First Unitarian Church of Omaha from 5 to 7pm for a one-hour video plus a one-hour discussion. Topics include the structure of myth, sacred stories, Jungian psychology, dream interpretation, comparative religion, and more. Participants are encouraged to bring a light snack to share. Donations for First Unitarian Adult RE and the JCF are welcome, but not required. Contact OmahaMRT@gmail.com details. This month we meet on September 23 in the Whitney Young Room.
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Women’s Alliance
Building Security
The Women’s Alliance meets September 10, at 6:30pm in the Common Room at Our business meeting will start at 6:50pm.
Recently the Board of Trustees and Senior Ministry Team (SMT) have been working on projects to ensure that our building continues to provide a safe place for our community. Earlier this summer funding was allocated by the Board for the church to install a keyless entry system as well as a camera surveillance system for the exterior of the building. The Senior Ministry Team is conducting a bid process with local vendors for these projects and is planning to have them completed this fall.
Our featured speakers will be Nadine Keith and Janet West who traveled to 1st Unitarian Church's Partner Church/village in Transylvania, Romania during May 2012. Their talk is entitled “A Visit to Our Transylvanian Unitarian Cousins.” They visited with the village families and the teens who are supported by members of 1st Unitarian Church with scholarship money, which is sent to the village. They also toured the Unitarian High School in Szekely-kersztur. The recent history of this school provides an insight into what it meant to be a Unitarian under Romanian Communism.
The Senior Ministry Team is interested in getting additional feedback from our members and visitors regarding what improvements they believe would help keep our church community safe. If you have thoughts, issues, suggestions, or questions, we would ask that you contact Ben Wallace at bmwallace@gmail.com or Frank Rivas at minister@firstuuomaha.org.
Our dinner will be a choice or beef barley or broccoli cheese soup, and a salad bar. Salad bar donated by our members. Please indicate what you will bring when signing up for the meeting. We will collect $12 for our scholarship fund. RSVP by Friday, September 7 to Janet West (402-553-3162) or jmasonwest77@yahoo.com.
We look forward to your input as we continue to work towards keeping our church a safe and welcoming place!
“What is to give off light must endure burning.” —Viktor Frankl
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Back-to-School Story Early one morning, a mother woke up her son. “Wake up, it’s time to go to school.” “But why mom? I don’t want to go.” “Give me two reasons you don’t want to go.” “The kids hate me, and so do the teachers!” “That’s no reason not to go to school.” “Give me two reasons I should go!” “For one, you’re 52 years old. And for another, you’re the head teacher!”
Religious Ed News
Movie Time 9/16
Welcome back, I hope that all of you enjoyed a wonderful summer filled with sunshine, laughs and fun. There have been many wonderful changes over the summer so we hope to see the classrooms filled with children to enjoy all the work that has been done over the summer. Please join us every Sunday for some new and exciting fun-filled curriculum. The classrooms have been cleaned up and organized with new supplies and we look forward to seeing your smiling faces. The summer garden went well and for the month of September there are still fresh veggies in bloom that will be used for healthy snacks. Each month we will have a guest speaker who will come and share experiences and do a fun-filled activity with all the kids. - Meka
Movie Night is back and in business. Please join me on Sunday, September 16 at 2:15pm at Aksarben Cinema for the Premier of Finding Nemo! Contact Meka Tate at dre@firstuuomaha.org to pre-register and if you are interested in meeting for pizza at Godfather’s let her know in advance. I look forward to seeing you all for a fun relaxing movie and don’t forget the popcorn!
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New Board Member News Our newest Board member is anything but new. Lana Hammel has been a member since 1987. She was drawn to First Unitarian after reading an article by Rev. Ron Knapp in the local newspaper. Lana found that she loved Ron’s sermons and she immediately felt comfortable due to the warm welcome she received, especially from long-time member Ethel Kucera. Over the years, Lana has served on many committees, including Religious Services, Membership, and Nominating, and as chair for the church book store. She is currently an active member of the Caring Team and has been Treasurer for Women’s Alliance for several years. Since retiring earlier this summer, Lana has joined the Women’s Religious Studies Group and has volunteered to assist the Office Team. Her recent acceptance of a position on the Board to complete the term of a resigning board member is not her first Board experience. She served a three-year term in the 1990s. A native of Platteville, Wis., Lana has three stepchildren and four grandchildren. Her husband Con O’Donovan, although a Roman Catholic, loved to help out as a greeter and coffee hour host. He passed away in 2005. Lana has volunteered at the Humane Society, is passionate about animal welfare, and finds animal cruelty unbearable. Unfortunately, she lost her own elderly, furry friends (two cats and a dog) this year. Lana worked for 12 years as a high school English and Spanish teacher and as a high school librarian. She then went to work for UNMC, first in biomedical communications, and more recently in purchasing. She retired in June after 36 years. She loves to read, especially about science, religion, politics, and animals. As an advocate for free thinking, Lana is a member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Omaha Atheists, REASON (Rationalists, Empiricists and Skeptics of Nebraska), and our Tolerant Atheists Discussion Group. Please say “Hello” and thank her for her years of service.
Volunteering at church can add to your life! Our engagement party was last month, but it’s not too late to sign-up and make a difference. Contact Kate Wiig at bkatewiig@aol.com.
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Party! Pumpkins! Potluck! Purchases! Put your “Heart” and “Hand” in our service auction!
Save the date!! October 27, 6-10:30pm is our Halloween Heart and Hand Auction Party! This is our major fall social event and FUNdraiser for the church operating budget: The “heart” part of the auction is when donors offer “seats” for sale for a wide variety of social activities through the year, or donate classy items for purchase at the auction itself. The “hand” part is when donors offer their skills and time through lessons or help with projects. And--both “heart and hand” are needed for the many helpers needed to pull off this big event! What might you offer to help us pep up our social lives, jump start a new hobby, or tackle a project on that endless “to do” list? What intriguing items might you donate to dazzle partygoers into a shopping frenzy? Woven throughout the auction is plenty of eating--sampling favorite fall foods at the potluck, door prizes, a raffle for a primo parking spot, crazy costumes (for those so inclined), and some good, old-fashioned Halloween party fun! Child care will be provided (with Halloween fun there, too.) Our operating budget calls for $15,000 from FUNdraising to balance. The Auction is a big piece of that effort. Last year’s auction as a great success--netting over $11,500 with 75+ items –all because folks like you offered their “hearts” and “hands” as donors, buyers, and auction helpers in support of our church. Join in for a fun and successful Halloween Auction Party! Can you help with the Auction? Questions? Email or call Donna (neffd@cox.net; 402-393-5390).
Snow Cones, Jack O’ Lanterns, Chili & Chocolate! Here’s an update from your FUNdraising Team. First, a huge thanks and congrats to our FABULOUS young adults! They volunteered to run a fundraiser for the church and weathered that blistering heat for (count them) THREE “Tailgater” events featuring snow cones, hot dogs, pop and water. Sales were especially brisk at our church booth at Pride Day festivities. They made over $1,000, with profits of at least $500! Mark your calendars for the three FUNdraising and Fellowship social events this church year. All are on Saturday evenings at the church: Oct 27: Halloween Heart & Hand Auction Party Jan 19: Chili Cook-off Feb 16: Soiree of Songs and Sweets Also under Fundraising, the sale of Baker’s scrip (gift) cards most coffee hours kicks back a small but steady income to the church ($600 last year!). So stock up and get your groceries and gas at Baker’s. For old timers, remember the “UUnique Boutique”? Watch for its return—coming soon! Thank you all for your support of our church in so many ways!
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Hope, Struggle, and Change Roy Zimmerman Concert Tuesday, October 2 At 7pm At our church!
YRUU Begins A brand new school year brings a brand new adventure for Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) of Omaha. This year we will be exploring UU worship, community action, and other world religions in greater depth. We will create meaningful worship activities, we will strive to make our actions reflect our highest ideals, and we will nurture interfaith connections around Omaha for the betterment of ourselves and our larger metro area. First Unitarian describes perfectly where we come from: Many Journeys, One Congregation. Second Unitarian envisions where we're headed: Authentic, Compassionate, Transformative. As we weave worship, action, and community into our meetings, we will take advantage of each opportunity for transformation of our worlds. Please put September 5 on your calendar for a parents' meeting. This will be held at First UU at 6pm especially for parents of new members and those with concerns & ideas for this year. Beginning September 12, YRUU teens will meet at First Unitarian Church from 7–8:30pm. Additional activities are sometimes held before the 7pm hour. Rides can be mediated through Naomi. A $25/youth or $40/family donation is requested to help maintain a supply of snacks, educational resources, and activity funds. Feel free to start registering your youth at http://snipurl.com/yruu1213reg and contact Naomi Solomon at yruu@2uomaha.org with questions. Please also note that planning has begun for Our Whole Lives (OWL) comprehensive sexuality education for high school-aged teens this year. A parent meeting will begin the series mid-fall. Keep your eyes peeled for further details.
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Invitation to Visit Our Partner Church in 2013 For Whom: Up to four high school students and two adults (one of the adults will be Janet West ) from First Unitarian Church. This would be a great opportunity for a First Unitarian family. The travelers will be fully responsible for their travel costs. When: Sometime during the summer 2013. The exact dates will be determined by the participants. Travel will take one overnight traveling from Omaha to Romania and a long day coming back to Omaha. Some participants may want to go to Budapest for an additional two to three days. Those going to Budapest will travel by train from Kolazsvar (Cluj) to Budapest. All of the participants will fly from Omaha to Kolazsvar (Cluj), Transylvania, Romania. For those who will not be going on to Budapest, they will fly from Kolazsvar to Omaha. For those who are going to Budapest, they will fly from Budapest to Omaha. What will it cost: The airfare will be about $1,300 per person. The teens will stay with village families who have participating teens. Rev. Katalin is writing a grant to subsidy the cost to the village families. The translator/driver and bus will cost about $300 per person. Each person will want to take $100 to $200 for personal expenditures while in Transylvania. While in Kolazsvar, the participants will stay in the high school/ seminary building dormitory for two nights. This will cost about $25 per person per night. For those traveling to and touring Budapest, the cost will be an additional $400 or $500. The cost without the trip to Budapest would be about $2,000. The trip including Budapest will be about $2,500. What to expect: The participants will be in the village for six days and in Kolazsvar for two days. While in the village, the Omaha teens and the village teens will get to know each other, learn about each other’s version of Unitarianism, and travel to the Transylvanian Unitarian sites such as the fortified churches and a park which includes a dozen Szekely gates. Many of the churches are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While in Kolazsvar, both groups of teens will visit Torda (Turda) where Francis David made a speech supporting religious freedom in 1568, the First Unitarian Church of Kolazsvar, and the office of the Unitarian Bishop of Transylvania and Hungary. For more information contact church member Janet West at jmasonwest77@yahoo.com.
Join us for Soul Full Thursdays Starting October 4. See the last page to find out more about our classes. Join with us for dinner and get to know more people!
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Board President Kate Godfrey President-Elect Tony Host Board Members Dean Christensen, Lana Hammel,
Peter Mayer Concert We are thrilled to announce that Unitarian Universalist singer/songwriter Peter Mayer, the writer of "Blue Boat Home" and "Holy Now," will perform live to support the growing ministries of Second Unitarian Church! Peter’s music has touched many people and as part of the Unitarian Universalist hymnal “Singing the Journey” we have shared his poetry and music in worship.
Barb Herring, Louise Jeffrey, John Wagner, Ron Withem Trustees of the Capital Trust Tim Duggan (2013), Sandy Host (2015) Senior Ministry Team Kate Godfrey, Walt Jesteadt, Carolyn McNamara, Ben Wallace, Rev. Frank Rivas Submit items for publication to admin@firstuuomaha.org Word limit is 200, deadline is the 15th of the month. Board meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month and are open to all members.
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Circle this date on your calendar: Saturday, September 22 at 7pm. To accommodate the people we expect, the concert will be presented at First Unitarian Church of Omaha, 3114 Harney. Tickets will be $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and will be available mid-August. See the church website, 2uomaha.org/mayer for the latest information
Ministry Team
eNews
Leaders Adult R.E. Crystal DiGiorgi Archives Dave Richardson Building (short-term) Dave Rosser Caring Douglas Lee-Regier Chalice Guild Kay Lynn Goldner Community Meals Louise Jeffery Fellowship Nadine Keith & Judith Wright Finance Walt Jesteadt Fundraising Donna Neff Garden Sharon Conlon Governance Alex Nather Membership Barb Ross Office Carolyn McNamara Partner Church Council Janet West R.E. Team Nicole Giron Religious Services Megan Gustafson UU Class Yvonne Price & Jaime Alexander Women’s Alliance Bev Fleckten Young Adult Group Maria Wilson YRUU Ben Wallace & Shawne Coonfare
Catch up on what’s happening at the church on a weekly basis by subscribing to our eNews, a weekly newsletter sent to your inbox. For more information, contact the church office at admin@firstuuomaha.org
Contact Phone: (402) 345-3039 Fax: (402) 346-2662 Staff Minister Rev. Frank Rivas minister@firstuuomaha.org Director of Religious Education Meka Tate dre@firstuuomaha.org Office Administrator Catharine Dixon admin@firstuuomaha.org Organist Pat Will Choir Director Bob McMeen Choir Accompanist Patricia Allender Nursery Aide Justin Deffenbacher Custodian Bobby Medrano Minister Emeritus Ronald Knapp The Flame Editor Catharine Dixon Proofreaders Scott Kemper, Lana Hammel, Cyndi Nather The Flame Mailing Team Anne Massoud, Evelyn Whitehill, Howard Bolton, Jeanette Ryan, Shelton Hendricks
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The Flame First Unitarian Church of Omaha 3114 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68131 September 2012
Impromptu UU & You Table Topics Offered in September Sundays: September 9, 16, 23, 30
UU and You conversations revolve around Unitarian Universalism, our church, and our religious journeys. Visitors, newcomers, and the just curious are all welcome. The Impromptu UU&You Table will in the Common Room and open for conversation during the coffee hour between the early and late services, approximately 10:30 – 11:15. Join us after the 9:30 service or come in early for the 11:15 service. Expressions of interest or questions can be directed to Jaime Alexander at church, uuclass@firstuuomaha.org or call the church office, 402-345-3039.
HALLOWEEN “Heart & Hand “Auction Party Saturday, October 27, 2012 6-10 p.m. At First Unitarian Church
3114 Harney St.
A major FUNdraiser for the church operations budget Fall Favo
! p o h S , arty
rites Pot
Eat, P
l
uck Non-alco holic beve rages provided. Cash bar.
Auction Categories: 1. Gourmet Gatherings
Costumes Encouraged
(dinners, dining out)
(but optional)
2. Giving & Receiving
Prizes for Best Costumes!
(services, lessons, a helping hand)
Special Costume Category:
3. Going Wild (games, activities, sports, outings)
4. Great Goods
Casual-Informal-Fun! Free Childcare-by reservation
(tempting gifts & merchandise)
Ghosts of UUs Past Silent & Live Auctions Food & Halloween fun
TO OFFER Items for Auction
TO SIGN UP for the potluck or childcare
TO VOLUNTEER to Help out
To CHECK the growing Auction Catalog:
Email auction@firstuuomaha.org Go to church website (http://www.firstuuomaha.org)
Call 402-699-3183 (Donna) Visit the Auction Area in Common Room
Submit Items by October 22 (sooner is better, of course!)
SOUL - FULL THURSDAYS October 4-November 8 5:45pm until 8:30pm
First Unitarian Church 3114 Harney Street Omaha, NE 68131 402-345-3039
many journeys, one congregation
We are all on a journey. As a church, it’s important to come together—traveling alone is no fun. Please join us on Thursday Nights this fall for an exciting six-week program consisting of classes, meals, and meditation. Activities for the kids will be offered during the entire program. Youth in 7th12th grades are encouraged to participate in the scheduled classes with the adults. Reservations are required for meal and class attendance. If you did not make a reservation and find that you will be able to attend one of the six scheduled nights, please call the church office to see if a meal and/or space in the class of your choice is available. There is no guarantee that this will be space so and you are strongly encouraged to sign up in advance. A list of the classes can be found on the reverse side of this page. Soul-Full Thursday classes and dinners are a great way to learn more about church members and friends and discover something new about yourself, too!
Soul - Full Thursdays Registration Form
Please detach this section and mail to First Unitarian Church no later than September 23. Or sign-up online by visiting our website at www.firstuuomaha.org. Yes, I would like to attend dinner on (check the days you will attend and the number of attendees):
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 8
Number of attendees over 10
Number of kids under 10
_____ over 10 years of age _____ over 10 years of age _____ over 10 years of age _____ over 10 years of age _____ over 10 years of age _____ over 10 years of age
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
under 10 under 10 under 10 under 10 under 10 under 10
Cost: $11/person. Kids 9 and under are free. Dinner begins at 5:45pm. Please make checks payable to First Unitarian Church Special meal requests (vegetarian, allergy concerns): ______________________________
Please register for the individual Thursday classes below. 5:45-7:00: 7-8:30:
*Dinner (sign up above) a) Can Everybody Be Grey? __ b) Emerson, Adams, and the Unitarian __ c) Unitarian Universalism and You __ d) Islamic Ideology Class __ e) Tolerant Atheist Group __
___Yes, I need childcare for (names/ages)___________________________________ Name________________________________________ Phone__________________ Email________________________________________
SOUL-FULL THURSDAY CLASS SCHEDULE October 4 — November 8, 2012 a) Can Everybody Be Grey? with Meka Tate
“He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.” -George Orwell "History is written by the winners." -George Orwell It's commonly understood that history is written by the winners. Less understood is that the winners also get to define imagery. All too often imagery of people is imbued with exaggerated physical, behavioral, or cultural characteristic are called stereotypes. These over simplified ideas are assigned to people simply by their identification as belonging to that group. In other words, we tend to lump large groups of very diverse people together. Stereotypes can be both positive and negative, and can lead to a form of bias called prejudice (an attitude), and even used to justify discrimination (an action). This three week course is going to look at the common excuses to justify the use of stereotypes and the way they hold society back from a unified voice. (Class dates: Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18) b) Emerson, Adams, and the Unitarian with Rev. Frank Rivas Rev. Frank Rivas will lead a three-session discussion of our Unitarian heritage. In the first session, he will broadly define Unitarianism, especially in relation to Universalism. In preparation for the second session, participants will be asked to read and be ready to discuss Emerson’s Divinity School Address, a central document of our faith. For the third session, we will discuss James Luther Adams’ “The Love of God,” which examines religious humanism. (Class dates: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8) c) Unitarian Universalism and You This class provides an introduction to UU and our church, along with an opportunity to share our religious journeys in a safe place. Visitors, newcomers, and all those interested are cordially invited. The two session class will begin at 7pm after SFT dinner. You won’t want to miss this chance to learn more and get to know others. Facilitated by Jaime Alexander. Contact him at uuclass@firstuuomaha.org with questions. Class dates: (Oct. 4 and Oct. 11) d) Islamic Ideology Class (all 6 weeks) Topics are subject to change. 1) Islam, Mohamed, Allah, the Koran 2) Human rights, Free Speech, Sharia 3) Women, Pedophilia, Slavery, Marriage 4) Violence 5) Religious Issues, U.S. history 6) Islamic Customs, and Summary e) Tolerant Atheist Group Discussion—Religion for 21st Century Rev. Ron Knapp will present his ideas on “Religion for the 21st Century” at the TADG meeting. Questions and table discussions will follow. The meeting is at 7pm on October 18. All are welcome. Consider coming to the SFT dinner at 5:45pm. Reservations for the meeting and the dinner can be made via the SFT sign-up process. (One night only: Class date: Oct. 18)