Our Restoration Committee has held its first meeting and will meet again next Sunday, August 27th.  For more information about getting involved, see below under "UUFJC News and Events this week" or contact our board president, Rich Burdge, before next Sunday, August 27th.

Yesterday morning, we met again at our interim service location, where George Grimm-Howell joined us to continue exploring our monthly theme of Beloved Community.

Beyond our own services, Beloved Community is a major guiding light of our UU faith, working toward a love that can celebrate shared unity while also embracing many shades of difference.  As the late Hope Johnson put it in words delivered at the 2013 UUA General Assembly:

"We are one, a diverse group of proudly kindred spirits, here not by coincidence but because we choose to journey together. We are active and proactive. We care deeply. We live our love as best we can.

"We are one, working, eating, laughing, playing, singing, storytelling, sharing, and rejoicing, getting to know each other, taking risks, opening up, questioning, seeking, searching, trying to understand, struggling, making mistakes, paying attention, asking questions, listening, living our answers, learning to love our neighbors, learning to love ourselves, apologizing and forgiving with humility, and being forgiven through grace, creating the beloved community together.

"We are one."

For those who would also like to keep up with our neighbors at the UU Church of Columbia, their service from yesterday 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 [email protected] to join).
Submissions for our September newsletter were due yesterday.  Please email any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP ([email protected]).

Are you near retirement or recently retired?  Intern minister George Grimm-Howell is planning a simple ritual to mark the important life transition from paid work to what comes next in this new phase of life. If you are interested in learning more or participating in a ritual or possible discussion group, please contact George at [email protected].


An independent Insight Meditation group taught by Joe McCormack meets at our building Thursday nights at 7 pm, when our building is available.  For more information, contact Bob Antweiler.
This Friday, August 25th is our monthly Salvation Army meal.  Please contact Bob Antweiler if you can help provide food for those in need.


Next Sunday, August 27th, our Restoration Committee will meet at our building at 2 pm.  According to our board president, Rich Burdge, the goals of this meeting are to "get measurements and make a list of items that will require attention, and then we will start the process of making real plans, including design elements and color schemes, so that we have something to hand to contractors when the time comes. If you would like to be part of this process, please consider this the last call to join this committee. Please be aware that it will require active participation, very likely with weekly meetings for at least a month. But if you feel you have a knowledgeable contribution to make, we would be happy to have you!"  If you would like to join the committee, please contact Rich by August 27th.

Our building (when available) 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 Saturday, August 26th, Missouri River Regional Library hosts an Art Exhibit Reception: "Artists Helping Artists Featuring Linda Jane Bailey."  Meet the featured artist, Linda Jane Bailey, and the other artists affiliated with Artists Helping Artists. AHA is an informal and fluid group of artists who enjoy working on their own projects in the company of other artists who are also creating their own art. Group members work in a relaxing and non-judgmental environment where they learn, improve technique and support each other’s growth in artistic expression.  Light refreshments will be served.  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  

This morning, as we continue working to recover from the recent fire in our building's kitchen, we met again at our interim service location, where Lisa Sanning shared a sermon written by Rev. Margaret A. Beckman on our monthly theme of Beloved Community.

Rev. Beckman had been asked why people go to church, especially a church like ours that does not provide answers to life's big questions.  She answered that we come because we are better together.  We provide solace to those in pain, an accepting space to explore those big questions, encouragement to be our best selves, and more --- in a word, Beloved Community.  To quote Rev. Beckman: "We experience Beloved Community whenever and wherever individuals, groups and
institutions choose connection, individuality, creativity and mindfulness over separation, individualism, destruction and denial. Beloved Community rests in the awareness that [...] we belong to one another."
For those who would also 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 [email protected] to join).
Due to the fire and other recent disruptions, our Free Neighborhood Pantry coordinator, Joan Kurtzeborn, believes it is time to close the pantry, at least for a while.  Please contact Joan with any questions or input about the future of the pantry.

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

Our building (when available) 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, August 17th, the next meeting of Jefferson City Interfaith Climate Action will be at 6:30 pm at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ, Capitol & Adams). Participants will be self-assigning themselves to teams dedicated to one of our initial goals related to raising community awareness of climate change and solutions.  Contact Rich Burdge for more information.

For more events, see our online calendars:

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

As most of you probably know, we suffered a fire at our building this past week.  There is no structural damage, but there is a lot of damage inside, from smoke if not from the fire itself.  This morning, we were able to meet at an alternate location for a gathering moderated by our own Rev. Nancy TannerThies to share our thoughts and feelings about what has happened and how we move forward.  The fire has shaken us, and it may shake loose some things that no longer fit (however we might wish they did), but it can also shake us into awareness: of what it means to us to come together as a Fellowship, and of the energy, ability, and love we have to keep us coming together through the challenge.


As we move forward, some of you might wish to help directly.  Our board president, Rich Burdge writes:

"It was wonderful to see so many of you today as we shared our states of mind and began thinking about how to approach the restoration of our building. The enthusiasm and energy there was inspiring. Now we would like to try to get [an idea] of the talents at our disposal. If you are willing and able to assist in planning our recovery, please contact me describing specifically what skills, talents, or expertise you feel you can contribute. Before this is done, we will likely need people with knowledge of kitchen and bathroom design and remodeling, and general interior design. There will be room for people who can only be involved in planning, and for those who can do physical labor. (And probably some things I'm not thinking of!) As we said during the service today, we don't know exactly what the timetable will look like, but if we do use a lot of our own labor rather than professionals, a great advantage will be our ability to mobilize it quickly (and cost!). And please do not worry if you don't feel you have the right expertise or skills. Moral support is great, too! The board will collect all the responses and use them throughout this process. Thank you in advance for your support!"
For those who would also 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 [email protected] to join).
Due to the fire and other recent disruptions, our Free Neighborhood Pantry coordinator, Joan Kurtzeborn, believes it is time to close the pantry, at least for a while.  Please contact Joan with any questions or input about the future of the pantry.

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

Next Sunday, August 13th, our Intergenerational Book Study meets at 2 pm.  This month’s selection: “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams.  Contact Emma Regnier and Betty Cooper for the meeting location and more information.
Later next Sunday, August 13th, our Worship Team meets at 4:30 pm.  All are welcome to join in creating our Sunday services.  Contact our vice president, Lisa Sanning.

The UUFJC Board also meets next Sunday, August 13th, at 6 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  For agenda and more information, contact our president, Rich Burdge.


Our building (when available) 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, August 10th, the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America holds their monthly online meeting.  To register or for more information, contact Alicia Erickson at [email protected].

For more events, see our online calendars:

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

This morning, we shared a sermon from our wider UU community via video, from Rev. Aaron White.  Speaking shortly after the capitol insurrection on January 6th, 2021, Rev. White pointed to some people we uphold as forebears in our UU tradition and how they coped with shock, loss, and social strife.  In the examples of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, who faced epidemics, bereavement, a society engaged in slavery, and brewing civil war, Rev. White highlighted the place of truth in our UU faith tradition.  He called on us to cultivate a soul that looks at ourselves, our country, and our world as they are, warts and all, both to see that we, our country, and our world can be loved warts and all, and to see the places where we can and must do better.  Thoreau went to the woods not to escape the reality of his times but to see it more clearly and ultimately share what he learned with conviction and courage.  At our best, we go to our UU places of worship for the same reason.

Next Sunday begins our theme for August: Beloved Community.

For those who would also 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 [email protected] to join).
Thank you for remembering our neighborhood free pantry!  Due to the summer heat, we cannot stock canned goods at this time, but there are still many items that will be appreciated by our neighbors.  For donation ideas and more information, contact Joan Kurtzeborn.

This Thursday, August 3rd at 7 pm, we are invited to join our neighbors at First UU of Springfield for their monthly “Date with Death Club” via Zoom.  These are standalone sessions exploring our shared mortality.  More information about the program can be found at https://datewithdeathclub.com.  Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87033373838

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 Friday, August 4th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents their First Friday Film: "Armageddon Time."  Set in 1980s Queens, New York, this film is a personal story about the strength of family, the complexity of friendship, and the generational pursuit of the American Dream. The all-star cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong.  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