At our service this morning, Seth Bauman of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association addressed the Fellowship on the ways our juvenile justice system disproportionately impacts youth of color.  People are doing good work, moving the system toward a focus on restoration and rehabilitation, but progress is needed at every stage of the process, from ensuring that the experience in youth facilities does more help than harm, to addressing disproportionate referrals of youth of color to the system, and even beyond the system to empowering families and communities to give all youth the support they need to live healthy, happy lives.

For more information on the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association, visit http://mjja.org/.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The September Newsletter and Print Calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available in the back of the sanctuary, and electronic copies are available.

Next Sunday is our annual Water Communion.  Please bring a sample of water from a significant moment or place you've experienced in the past year and be ready with a brief story about it.  We will also have water available to represent any that you aren't able to bring with you.

This Friday, September 5th starting at 5 pm is our First Friday Social.  Drop by through the evening for casual fun with our members and friends.  Bring refreshments for yourself or to share, enjoy our grill and deck out back, or just hang out.  Contact Kath Connor for more information.

We are cleaning out the cupboards in the kitchen.  There's food above the microwave; if it's yours, please take it; if it's for RE or some other group, please label it.  Food that is unlabeled or expired will be discarded.

We need volunteers to organize and staff our booth at the Jefferson City Multicultural Festival, coming October 4th.  This is a very important opportunity for us to do community outreach and fundraising!  Please contact Kath Connor if you can help!

The annual CROP Walk is coming up October 5th at 3:00 pm at Soldiers Memorial.  Proceeds go to help ease world hunger, with 25% staying in the community to benefit the Buddy Pack program.  Kath Connor is recruiting walkers and taking pledges for donations.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, September 2nd at 5:30 pm at Grace Episcopal Church, Rev. Noah Angel will address the Evening Rotary Club on the topic of "Latino Immigration."  All are invited.  Contact Frank Rycyk for more information.

This Thursday, September 4th, American Association of University Women returns from summer break with a dinner at 6 pm (note the time) at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield.  Dinner to be paid by attendees.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

Later Thursday evening, at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts Traci Angel, author of "The Scars of Project 459: The Environmental Story of the Lake of the Ozarks."  Angel shows how the popularity of the Lake of the Ozarks has resulted in major present-day problems, including poor water quality, loss of habitat, and increasing concerns about aging waste-management systems for the homes surrounding the lake. The author is a Kansas City writer and editor, and a former health reporter.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Friday, September 5th at 7 pm, MRRL presents its First Friday Film, "The Monuments Men."  George Clooney directed and stars in this amazing true story of the men and women who rescued artworks stolen by the Nazis and their efforts to return these treasures to their rightful owners.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema on High Street presents "Boyhood" daily at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, September 2nd through Thursday, September 4th, followed by "Life After Beth" at various showtimes, starting Friday, September 5th.  For more information, visit http://www.capitolcitycinema.org/

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

Our members continued to watch events unfold in Ferguson, Missouri last week, and in our service Sunday we remembered that beyond looking at the events there and the wider patterns of racism and politics they represent, we must look to our own community.  Kevin Rome, President of Lincoln University, addressed the Fellowship and was both loving and forthright about the issues Lincoln faces as a historically black and currently diverse university set within a largely white Jefferson City community.  He pointed to the need to move beyond fears and resentments of decades-past events, to see each other on a human level and come together in love as a community.

Our own Bob Boldt is also raising a proposal for a town meeting to facilitate greater communication between the Jefferson City Police and the community, so that issues can be raised and addressed without tragedies and crises like the events in Ferguson.  Contact Bob for more information about this.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

We are cleaning out the cupboards in the kitchen.  There is old food in the cupboard above the microwave.  If it is yours, please take it.  If it is for RE or some other use, please label it.  Food that is not labeled or is expired will be discarded.

The Membership Committee is trying to expand its efforts to attract new visitors and serve current members.  If you are interested in joining the effort, contact Bob Antweiler so he can add your e-mail to committee communications.

In fundraising news, if you shop at HyVee and would be willing to buy groceries with cards purchased from the Fellowship, please contact Bob Antweiler.

Monday, August 25th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Last Monday, Faith Voices devoted its efforts to a rally in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, and the monthly assembly was rescheduled to this week.

This Friday, August 29th at 7 pm at the Fellowship is the Last Friday Documentary.  This month's selection is "Hofmann's Potion", a Canadian Film Board documentary about research into medical and spiritual uses for LSD.  Contact Bob Boldt.

We still need volunteers to organize and staff our booth at the Jefferson City Multicultural Festival, coming up October 4th.

Community Events this week:

Wednesday, August 27th at 5:30 pm, MASW hosts a Veto Session Community Forum at the Center for Social Justice, 606 E. Capitol Ave.  Contact Sue Gibson.

Thursday, August 28th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts Dan Kuebler, owner of The Salad Garden, an organic farm in Ashland, and founding member of Slow Food Katy Trail, to discuss the Slow Food movement--the organization and its goals, both regional and worldwide. In 2012, he represented the Katy Trail chapter at Slow Food's global conference, Terre Madre, in Italy.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema on High Street presents "Boyhood" at various showtimes beginning Tuesday, August 26th.  This film is nearly 3 hours long and so will be screened only once per day, but it will run for two weeks.  For more information, visit http://www.capitolcitycinema.org/

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

This morning, our own Don Love brought us a message about his experience in Unitarian Universalist Religious Education in the 1950s.  Some of the lessons have stayed with him to this day, like a lesson about the story of the Blind Men and the Elephant.  A story from another culture highlighted a universal truth: that none of us can grasp the whole of the truth, and to come closer to it, we have to bring our varied perceptions together.

The unique and valuable lessons we can teach children --- about such universal truths, about the wide range of wisdom traditions, about human sexuality --- are an important gift of Unitarian Universalism.  If you would like to help in our own RE program, contact Barb Koenig.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Donations for South Elementary School are due TODAY.  Thanks to Patt Behler for agreeing to deliver our donations!  Contact Patt ASAP if you have any last-minute items.

This Monday, August 11th, the Worship Service Committee will meet at the Fellowship at 6:30 pm.  All are welcome to bring their ideas.  Contact Carol Bontempo.

A new UUFJC Music Planning Group will meet next Saturday, August 16th at 11 am at Patt Behler's house.  All are welcome.  Contact Patt for directions and more information.

Next Sunday, August 17th, the 65ers+ group will meet and eat in the Forum Room after services.  A main dish of sandwich fillings is provided; sides are potluck.  Contact Patt Behler.

The board is looking for people to attend a Stewardship Workshop offered by MidAmerica Region UUA, to help us make the most of our pledge campaign, October 11th in Quincy, Illinois.  We need at least five people from our Fellowship to attend.  Contact Kath Connor ASAP if you're interested.

The Board is getting ready to review our contracts with our ministers, Mike Adamek and Nancy Tanner-Thies.  If you have any comments about the job our ministers are doing, contact Carol Bontempo.

The Jefferson City Multicultural Festival is coming up October 4th, and we need people to organize and staff our booth.  If you've wanted to volunteer but aren't ready for an ongoing commitment, this is a great chance to help out our Fellowship.  Contact Kath Connor or Bob Antweiler.

Our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, reminds everyone that this year's budget relies heavily on fundraising, and one of our fundraising streams is the "eScrip" card, which you can sign up for and use at Schnucks.  Bob is also working on getting cards for Gerbes, so if that's where you shop, stay tuned.  Cards are available on the bulletin board at the Fellowship.  Contact Bob if you need a card, or if you have another retailer you want to see if he can include in the program.

For next Sunday's service, August 17th:
Frank Rycyk will lead the Adult Forum on the topic of "Payday Loans."
Kim Connor will teach the RE class. An aide is still needed; contact Barb Koenig if you can help.
Rev. Mike Adamek will deliver a message titled "Waking Up and Taking the Next Step."

Community Events this week:

Monday, August 11th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts "Bring Your Own Book," a no-stress, pressure-free book group. Talk about what you're reading, what you like (or don't like) and what you'd recommend. There's no structured format, no "required" reading list--just a chance to talk, listen, learn and come away with some good ideas on books you might enjoy.  Contact Madeline Matson.

Tuesday, August 12th at 4 pm, Citizens for Peace meets at MRRL upstairs in the Story Hour Room.  Contact Betty Cooper.

Thursday, August 14th at 7 pm, MRRL hosts Dr. David Schmidt, a geologist who teaches at Westminster College, to talk about a dinosaur he discovered in Utah, how it was found, how he excavated and prepared it, and how he determined its type.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema on High Street presents "Life Itself" at various showtimes, Tuesday, August 12th through Saturday, August 16th.  For more information, visit http://www.capitolcitycinema.org/.

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.

Dear UUFJC Members and Friends,

This morning, Rev. Nancy brought our attention to the "Verdant, Chaotic Green" of the Summer season and recalled the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who called us to be truly alive to the wonder of the world around us.

Part of being alive to that wonder is being mindful of how we treat the plants and animals whose lives are intertwined with ours through agriculture.  Ahead of Election Day this Tuesday, August 5th, our Adult Forum focused on Amendment 1, the so-called "Right to Farm" proposal, which would recklessly deregulate agribusiness.  Our Social Action Committee opposes the amendment.  If you want to volunteer to help defeat Amendment 1, contact Alison Anderson.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, reminds everyone that this year's budget relies heavily on fundraising, and one of our fundraising streams is the "eScrip" card, which you can sign up for and use at Schnucks.  Cards are available on the bulletin board at the Fellowship.  Contact Bob if you need a card, or if you have another retailer you want to see if he can include in the program.

Donations of supplies for South Elementary School are due one week from today, Sunday, August 10th.  Please place donations in the bin at the Fellowship by the entrance. A supply list is attached to the bin and is included with the August Newsletter.

This Tuesday, August 5th is Election Day!  Make sure to get to your polling station and make your voice heard for the candidates and issues of your choice.

This Friday, August 8th at 7 pm at the Fellowship is the monthly Reader's Eye Film.  This month's selection: "Hannah Arendt," a recent biopic about the philosopher most famous for the idea of "the Banality of Evil."  We had a service last month based on her ideas, so if it interested you, be sure to catch the movie.  Contact Bob Boldt.

Saturday, August 9th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City is holding a Community Outreach Event at First Baptist Church, starting at 10 am and continuing into the afternoon.  Faith Voices is working to identify its core issues for the coming year, and groups will be visiting people in the community to hear their ideas.  Contact Kath Connor or Patt Behler.

Next Sunday, August 10th, the UUFJC Board will meet at the Fellowship at 1:30, or after lunch.  All are welcome to attend.

For next Sunday's service, August 10th:
Bob Boldt and George Dillard will lead the Adult Forum on the topic of "Entheogens."
For our Service message, Don Love will reflect on his experience in UU RE in the 50's.
Lisa Sanning will teach children's RE.  An aide is still needed.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, August 7th at 7 pm, Missouri River Regional Library hosts author Nancy Allen.  Her debut novel, The Code of the Hills: An Ozark Mystery, details the experiences of a prosecutor in a fictional Ozark town who must deal with the region's beliefs and attitudes during the course of a criminal investigation. The author teaches law at Missouri State University in Springfield.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This month, Capitol City Cinema on High Street presents "Rising from the Ashes" at 7 pm Monday and Tuesday, August 4th and 5th; plus "Obvious Child," a romantic comedy with an unusually affirming view of abortion, at various showtimes Wednesday, August 6th through Sunday, August 10th.  Visit http://www.capitolcitycinema.org/ for more information.

For yoga and even more events, see our Calendars.