Our March newsletter is now ready to view or download:
UUFJC Newsletter: Flame on the Water, March 2023

Sunday, February 28th:

This morning, Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman, friend of our Fellowship and minister at First UU of Springfield Missouri, joined us in person to wrap up our month of reflections on Love.  Love has many definitions, from the sweetness of cuddling or romance to the fierce love that stands up for justice, and the latter definition in particular speaks to many of us as UUs.  Our first and second principles, "the inherent worth and dignity of every person" and "justice, equity, and compassion," call us into this kind of love, and while we have no creed, this can form a center for our wider UU faith.  We may wonder, "Can our love really change the world?"  But we know that love can heal us, and as we heal, we become more able to spread healing and strength to our neighbors and surroundings.  We can change the world, bit by bit, when we ask ourselves as a spiritual practice: "What would Love have me do today?"

For those who would like to keep up with our neighbors at the UU Church of Columbia, their service message from this morning is available to view online:

UUFJC News and Events this week:

For accessibility and convenience, we have an option to donate to our Fellowship online through PayPal:

Donate to UUFJC
You can also mail donations and pledges to:
UUFJC
Attn: Treasurer
PO Box 1245
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Thank you for being with us and supporting us!

And remember all our ways to stay in touch!  You can visit our website at uufjc.org.  You can also join our open-posting "UUFJC Cafe" Google Group to chat with other members and friends via e-mail and receive additional announcements and reminders (contact the Administrator at uufjc1@gmail.com to join).
Our Pantry team's workspace has moved into the Crying Room. The bin for donations remains in place by the entrance to church.  Our pantry volunteers are no longer smushed into the utility closet, but there's still plenty of space for anyone who may need to use the Crying Room for its original purpose.  For donation ideas and information on the pantry, contact Joan Kurtzeborn.  Reimbursements are available; contact our treasurer, Bob Antweiler: rp8mm9@gmail.com.

On Thursdays at 5:30 pm, Katherine Connor hosts a weekly Zoom Happy Hour for UUFJC Members and Friends to gather and check in.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91843966450?pwd=djBwTEx4YUxseW9SdytSZjJGS0xrdz09
Meeting ID: 918 4396 6450
Password: 918925    
Phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)

Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo
An independent Insight Meditation group taught by Joe McCormack meets at our building Thursday nights at 7 pm.  For more information, contact Bob Antweiler.

Our building is reserved by community groups Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 6 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 pm.  If you have access to our building, please allow privacy at these times.

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, March 1st, begins Women's History Month.

This Friday, March 3rd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents their monthly First Friday Film: "She Said."  In October 2017, New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor published a report that exposed sexual abuse allegations against the powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The shocking story served as a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault and harassment.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

For more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Virtual Gatherings
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events 

Sunday, February 19th:

This morning, we shared a message from our wider UU community via video, despite some technical challenges.

Continuing our monthly theme of Love, I would like to share more words from our wider UU community:

Power Prayer
By Becky Brooks

Spirit of Life, I have witnessed
a loud love,
an out-loud love,
that challenges me.

I did not recognize it
at first--
the rumble of an ocean
I had long been under.

But here it is right now
and it looks just
like the whole world
could be.

It doesn’t play nice;
why should it
when nice has only ever
played it a lullaby?

This love demands.

A love so loud
it lays rocks at the feet of children
who can’t find their path home--
across the pipeline--
any other way.

This love is indifferent to tolerance.
It invites you into your own
heart, where God loveself
has come to take tea with you.

Drink and know
that like that other love
this love
always protects
always trusts
always hopes
always perseveres.

Perseveres.

This out-loud love
makes no secret of its aim
to get you free.

But first, set fires.
Throw the poison
to the ground.
Match the love sound for sound.

Spirit of Life,
come,
and bring everyone.
We’re giving birth
to something new.

(from "Sparks of Wonder: Theme-Based Ministry for the Whole Congregation")


For those who would like to keep up with our neighbors at the UU Church of Columbia, their service from this morning is available to view online:

UUFJC News and Events this week:

For accessibility and convenience, we have an option to donate to our Fellowship online through PayPal:

Donate to UUFJC
You can also mail donations and pledges to:
UUFJC
Attn: Treasurer
PO Box 1245
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Thank you for being with us and supporting us!

And remember all our ways to stay in touch!  You can visit our website at uufjc.org.  You can also join our open-posting "UUFJC Cafe" Google Group to chat with other members and friends via e-mail and receive additional announcements and reminders (contact the Administrator at uufjc1@gmail.com to join).

Submissions for our March newsletter are due TODAY.  Please email any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP (uufjc1@gmail.com).
Logan White has graciously agreed to take over maintaining our website and Facebook page from Jan Harcourt.  Many thanks to Jan for her service, and many thanks to Logan for stepping up!

We are always in need of donations for our free community pantry.  Cereal, Vienna sausage, and tuna would be especially helpful at this time.  For more donation ideas and information on the pantry, contact Joan Kurtzeborn.  Reimbursements are available; contact our treasurer, Bob Antweiler: rp8mm9@gmail.com.

On Thursdays at 5:30 pm, Katherine Connor hosts a weekly Zoom Happy Hour for UUFJC Members and Friends to gather and check in.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91843966450?pwd=djBwTEx4YUxseW9SdytSZjJGS0xrdz09
Meeting ID: 918 4396 6450
Password: 918925    
Phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)

Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo
An independent Insight Meditation group taught by Joe McCormack meets at our building Thursday nights at 7 pm.  For more information, contact Bob Antweiler.
This Friday, February 24th is our monthly Salvation Army meal.  Please contact Bob Antweiler if you can help provide food for those in need.


Our building is reserved by community groups Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 6 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 pm.  If you have access to our building, please allow privacy at these times.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, February 21st at 1 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a presentation on "Lincoln University's Early Law School."  Dr. Arnold Parks, professor emeritus of sociology, will discuss Lincoln University’s School of Law, a professional graduate school, which operated in St. Louis from 1939 until it closed in 1955.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

This Thursday, February 23rd at 1 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents: "Apple Guru Answers Your Questions."  Join us to discover answers to your Mac device questions with Tom Piper, president and original founder of AppleJAC, Mid-Missouri’s Premiere Apple User Group.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

For more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Virtual Gatherings
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events 

Sunday, February 12th:

This morning, we continued exploring our February theme of Love with a message from our wider UU Community via video.  Rev. Aaron White of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas talked about love as one of the pillars of our UU faith, especially rooted in the Universalist tradition that included figures like Hosea Ballou and George de Benneville.  To them, as to many of us today, it didn't make sense that the love of the divine would be limited by things like race or creed, such that only the right kind of people would be saved.  For our Universalist forebears, no one and nothing was ever outside of God's love, in eternity or in this world.  Rev. White called on us, though, to go beyond an intellectual commitment to this and asked: what do we do about it?  For most UUs, agreeing that there is no eternal hell is easy; more difficult and vital is asking, what on earth feels like hell, and are we ready to smash it?  Because for us, Rev. White argued, the point of religion is not to become the right kind of person and earn divine love, it is to set aside judgments of worthiness and do divine love.

The message is available to view online:

For those who would like to keep up with our neighbors at the UU Church of Columbia, their service from this morning is also available to view online:

Next Sunday, February 19th:

Newsletter Submissions Due
Please send your items for our March newsletter to Laura Gilkey at uufjc1@gmail.com.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Bob Boldt

Our Adult Forum is currently available both in-person and via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98858741051?pwd=d3ZMbHJSL3NjMGMxZEM5N1VxUysxQT09
Meeting ID: 988 5874 1051
Password: 047662  
Phone
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)
Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message from UU Neighbors.

This week's service will feature a message from our wider UU community via video.
Our services are currently available both in person and on Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94285041130
Meeting ID: 942 8504 1130
By Phone (US toll):
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/ak1ZLCDJG

Children's Religious Education - 10:30 am
Children attending in-person are welcome to join RE Instructor Samantha Porter for a lesson during the service hour.  This month's theme: "Love."  This week's lesson: "Love for Community."


Lunch after Service: If you would like to join other members and friends for lunch, look for a whiteboard in our entry hallway near the water fountain to see the weekly lunch location.  Please add a tally to the whiteboard if you plan to attend.

Masks are currently optional for those attending UUFJC events in person.

If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during a service or shared in our weekly email, please submit it by noon on the Friday before through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html
We will also have paper forms available Sunday morning for submissions.
Zoom participants, please use the web form.  Submissions made after noon on Friday may not be read or shared until the following week.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

For accessibility and convenience, we have an option to donate to our Fellowship online through PayPal:

Donate to UUFJC
You can also mail donations and pledges to:
UUFJC
Attn: Treasurer
PO Box 1245
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Thank you for being with us and supporting us!

And remember all our ways to stay in touch!  You can visit our website at uufjc.org.  You can also join our open-posting "UUFJC Cafe" Google Group to chat with other members and friends via e-mail and receive additional announcements and reminders (contact the Administrator at uufjc1@gmail.com to join).

Logan White has graciously agreed to take over maintaining our website and Facebook page from Jan Harcourt.  Many thanks to Jan for her service, and many thanks to Logan for stepping up!

We are always in need of donations for our free community pantry.  Cereal, Vienna sausage, and tuna would be especially helpful at this time.  For more donation ideas and information on the pantry, contact Joan Kurtzeborn.  Reimbursements are available; contact our treasurer, Bob Antweiler: rp8mm9@gmail.com.

On Thursdays at 5:30 pm, Katherine Connor hosts a weekly Zoom Happy Hour for UUFJC Members and Friends to gather and check in.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91843966450?pwd=djBwTEx4YUxseW9SdytSZjJGS0xrdz09
Meeting ID: 918 4396 6450
Password: 918925    
Phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)

Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo

An independent Insight Meditation group taught by Joe McCormack meets at our building Thursday nights at 7 pm.  For more information, contact Bob Antweiler.

Our building is reserved by community groups Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 6 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 pm.  If you have access to our building, please allow privacy at these times.

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, February 15th at 1 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "The Practice of Loving-Kindness."  Relationships, family issues, a sense of isolation, loneliness, work stress, politics, financial strains, loss—all take a toll on our physical and mental health. This session is an introduction to the Loving-Kindness practice, grounded in the foundational concepts of mindfulness. Participants will be invited to experience a guided Loving-Kindness meditation during the program. Engaging in an active Loving-Kindness practice brings greater calm and happiness in daily life, relaxing the defense mechanisms associated with fear and negative mental states.  Terry Wilson will lead the session. She has been practicing and teaching contemplative practices for more than 20 years.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

This Thursday, February 16th at 6:30 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents the latest installment of the LU-MRRL Lecture Series: "Kirigami Crafts: From Folding and Cutting Paper to Smart Materials and Soft Fabrics."  Origami—the Japanese art of folding paper—and its cutting variation Kirigami, are among the most popular crafts we learn as kids. The joy of creating interesting shapes from a flat sheet is something we carry well into adulthood. Get ready to make Kirigami paper crafts with Dr. Vianney Gimenez-Pinto, assistant professor of physics and chemistry. In her talk, she will also explore how folding a paper airplane or cutting a paper snowflake has inspired applied scientists and engineers toward developing new materials, devices and technologies.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

And this Saturday, February 18th at 2 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL hosts an Artist Reception for Julie Smith.  Smith, longtime photographer for the Jefferson City News-Tribune, has spent a career documenting events and activities, both large and small, in Jefferson City and Cole County. She is known throughout the region for her interest and attendance in what’s happening in River City. Her photos have won numerous awards from both journalism and photography organizations, and she was recently inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more on library events, visit MRRL.org.

For more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC EventsVirtual Gatherings
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events  

Our February newsletter is now ready to view or download:
UUFJC Newsletter: Flame on the Water, February 2023

Sunday, February 5th, 2023:

Rev. Mike Adamek joined us to begin exploring our February theme: Love.  Rev. Mike talked about the struggle to define love, spurred by Bette Midler's song, "The Rose", and guided largely by the work of therapist and writer M. Scott Peck. Peck believes that love is an act of will, a reciprocal seeking of spiritual improvement, that love is as love does. Mike was largely sympathetic to this view, but also understands the desire to see love as a form of positive feeling and affection towards one's fellow humans (and possibly other beings). (Summary by Rich Burdge.)

Next Sunday, February 12th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Color Paper Project," Katrina Everhart, National Indian Health Board

Our Adult Forum is currently available both in-person and via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98858741051?pwd=d3ZMbHJSL3NjMGMxZEM5N1VxUysxQT09
Meeting ID: 988 5874 1051
Password: 047662  
Phone
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)
Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message from UU Neighbors.

This week's service will feature a message from our wider UU community via video.
Our services are currently available both in person and on Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94285041130
Meeting ID: 942 8504 1130
By Phone (US toll):
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/ak1ZLCDJG

Children's Religious Education - 10:30 am
Children attending in-person are welcome to join RE Instructor Samantha Porter for a lesson during the service hour.  This month's theme: "Love."  This week's lesson: "Love for Family & Friends."

Lunch after Service: If you would like to join other members and friends for lunch, look for a whiteboard in our entry hallway near the water fountain to see the weekly lunch location.  Please add a tally to the whiteboard if you plan to attend.

Masks are currently optional for those attending UUFJC events in person.

If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during a service or shared in our weekly email, please submit it by noon on the Friday before through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html
We will also have paper forms available Sunday morning for submissions.
Zoom participants, please use the web form.  Submissions made after noon on Friday may not be read or shared until the following week.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Donate to UUFJC

We are seeking a volunteer to manage our website and Facebook page.  Please contact our president, Rich Burdge, if you can help.

We are always in need of donations for our free community pantry.  Cereal, Vienna sausage, and tuna would be especially helpful at this time.  For more donation ideas and information on the pantry, contact Joan Kurtzeborn.  Reimbursements are available; contact our treasurer, Bob Antweiler: rp8mm9@gmail.com.

Tomorrow, Monday, February 6th at 6 pm, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women meets at our building and online.  Contact Carol Bontempo for more information. 

On Thursdays at 5:30 pm, Katherine Connor hosts a weekly Zoom Happy Hour for UUFJC Members and Friends to gather and check in.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91843966450?pwd=djBwTEx4YUxseW9SdytSZjJGS0xrdz09
Meeting ID: 918 4396 6450
Password: 918925    
Phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago - US toll)

Find your nearest number: https://zoom.us/u/aeC2zyWdIo

An independent Insight Meditation group taught by Joe McCormack meets at our building Thursday nights at 7 pm.  For more information, contact Bob Antweiler.

Next Sunday, February 12th, Emma Regnier leads an independent multigenerational book study at our building at 1 pm.  This month's selection: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  Contact Emma Regnier or Betty Cooper for more information. 

Our building is reserved by community groups Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 6 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 pm.  If you have access to our building, please allow privacy at these times.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, February 9th, the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America holds its monthly online meeting. To register or for more information, contact Alicia Erickson at aerickson365@yahoo.com.

This Tuesday, February 7th at 6:30 pm in their Art Gallery,  Missouri River Regional Library presents an Author Talk with Deborah Reinhardt: "St. Louis Coffee: A Stimulating History." Gateway City was a popular stop for miners, trappers and settlers heading west, so offices and wholesaler warehouses lined the riverfront. Railroads and steamboat brought an abundance of goods, including green coffee. By the early 20th century, St. Louis—with more than 70 roasting companies—was the coffee capital of the United States. Some coffee businesses faded while Ronnoco remains, working alongside newer generation roasters such as Kaldi’s and dozens more. In her new book, Deborah Reinhardt traces an industry that helped shape St. Louis history and shows how today’s creative coffee professionals continue to influence a culinary culture. A St. Louis native, Reinhardt is an award-winning travel and food writer, as well as a member of the St. Louis Culinary Society. Her book will be will be available for sale and signing after the program.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

For more events, see our online calendars:

UUFJC Events
Virtual Gatherings
Affiliated Events 
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Community Events