It's Rummage Sale time!  We are now accepting donations and setting up for our big sale, coming this Saturday, June 22nd, from 7 am to noon.  See below for more information.

This Sunday, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued our month exploring Beauty.  In grappling with what it means to be people of beauty, she was led to poems including this one by Rumi:

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Too often the idea of "beauty" leads us into beauty judgments that discount ourselves and our gifts.  How many of us really feel like we can take down a musical instrument and do something beautiful?  Wouldn't we rather open the door to the study and begin reading (or watching TV, or websurfing)?  We feel ourselves too dull to connect with the world and offer beauty to it.  We must learn to love ourselves and be present to the world around us to appreciate the ever-present gifts of beauty and to "let the beauty we love be what we do."  Each of us has our own unique and vital way to kneel and kiss the ground.

Next Sunday, June 23rd:

Services at Riverside Park.

July News Due.
Please submit your items for our July Newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey by e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing.

No Adult Forum this week.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "But what do you see?" Alexis
We receive many messages regarding what beauty is and how we are supposed to achieve it. Join us at Riverside/Ellis Porter Park for an exploration of how to move away from the voices that take us away from the authentic beauty both within and beyond us.
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Weaving a Tapestry of Faith: Generosity: Imagine How It Feels"

Potluck Lunch at the Park after services - Please bring a favorite picnic dish!

UUFJC News and Events this week:

​Our annual Rummage Sale is almost here!  We are now accepting donations, so please bring your gently-used items to support the Fellowship in one of our biggest annual fundraisers!  (No adult clothing, please; children's clothing is appreciated!).  You can bring your items today (Laura Gilkey will be in the building until 6 pm) or drop them off throughout the week.  If you need help hauling donations or need the building unlocked to drop them off, contact Bob Antweiler.

We also need volunteers to help set up the sale and to work on sale day.  We have sign-up sheets for volunteer shifts throughout the week, or contact Lisa Sanning and Bob Antweiler.

In addition to sale items and volunteers, we also need shopping bags and boxes (tray boxes are especially good for corralling books).  It will also be a huge help if you can lend us tables!  Please label your tables clearly.

On that note, if you have anything stored at the Fellowship, please take it home with you or make sure that it is clearly labeled as soon as possible.  We have accidentally sold people's things before, and we don't want it to happen again!

Sale day is next Saturday June 22nd, from 7 am - noon.   Please come shop the sale, bring your friends, and spread the word!

The Worship Service Committee meets this evening at 6 pm.  The committee is looking for volunteers to join in creating our Sunday services.  There are very small tasks and larger, more involved things for which the committee would love to have a pool of volunteers to draw from.  Please fill out the survey available on the table by the window and return it to the Vice President’s mail slot in the office.  For more about the survey, the meeting next Sunday, or getting involved in creating our Sunday services, please contact Lisa Sanning.

Regularly scheduled events in our building (e.g. yoga) may be canceled this week due to Rummage Sale preparations.  Please check with your event organizers.

This week is the Unitarian Universalist Association’s national General Assembly in Spokane, Washington, starting this Wednesday, June 19th, and continuing through next Sunday, June 23rd.  Some General Assembly events will be livestreamed online.  For more information, visit uua.org/ga.

A week from tomorrow, Monday, June 24th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City is scheduled to hold their monthly assembly at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Contact Rev. Kim Woodruff: [email protected]

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, June 19th from 11 am to 6:30 pm, SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary holds their 62nd Annual Ice Cream Social at St. Joseph Cathedral Undercroft.  Ice Cream and Cake are $3.  A variety of menu options are available for lunch and dinner, plus activities for the whole family: Kids Korner, Quilt Raffle, Silent Auction, Country Store, Treasures from the Attic, and a Book Nook.

This Thursday, June 20th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a Foster Parent Information Panel. Have you ever thought about being a foster parent? Don’t have time to be a foster parent but would still like to help? Come learn how you can plan an important part in the life of a youth in foster care. Various professionals from the child welfare community will provide information and explain how you can get involved in making a difference in the life of a child in foster care.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Wild Nights with Emily" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

This week, we were joined by Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman, formerly minister of Table of Grace here in Jefferson City, now a campus minister at Missouri State University in Springfield.  As Michelle pointed out, it's often easier for us to talk about what's ugly in life than to talk about its beauty.  Not only can we be embarrassed and tongue-tied about what moves and awes us, but it's often easier to see the negative in things.  It's when you look deeply, relate deeply, and know the story of a thing or a person that you get in touch with its beauty.  Rev. Michelle called us to this, work we can all do to make our world a better place.  When we come together and share our experience, not glossed into perfection but in its real texture and truth, we can share the beauty of our lives and build more beauty into the shared language of our world.

Next Sunday, June 16th:

Rummage Sale Donations Begin!
Please bring your gently-used items for our annual Rummage Sale.  No adult clothing please; children's clothing is appreciated!

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Impeach the President?" Frank Rycyk
Gerald Seib presents historical information which suggests that impeachment may hurt the accusers more than it would hurt the president.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: Rev. Nancy TannerThies
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Weaving a Tapestry of Faith: When Nations Make it Right"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual Rummage Sale is coming fast!  We will be accepting donations beginning one week from today, next Sunday, June 16th.  We are asking for donations of gently used items (no adult clothing please; children’s clothing is appreciated).  We also need help that week setting up the sale, working the sale, and cleaning up.  The sale itself will be held Saturday, June 22nd from 7 am to noon.  Contact Bob Antweiler and Lisa Sanning if you can help.

This Saturday, June 15th, Jan Harcourt is offering a Somatic Experiencing Class in our building at 9:30 am.   The class, titled After the Storm, is for anyone feeling after effects of the shock of the tornado.  Offered by donation.

Later next Sunday, June 16th, our Worship Service Committee meets at 6 pm.  Our Worship Service Committee is looking for volunteers to join in creating our Sunday services.  There are very small tasks and larger, more involved things for which the committee would love to have a pool of volunteers to draw from.  Please fill out the survey available on the table by the window and return it to the Vice President’s mail slot in the office.  For more about the survey, the meeting next Sunday, or getting involved in our Sunday services, please contact Lisa Sanning.

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, June 12th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents "Reel Life Cinema: The Planets."  Viewers will get an up-close look at faraway worlds, including the dark side of Pluto, an ancient Martian waterfall, and a storm twice the size of Earth seen from high above Saturn, revealing how each of them has affected our own planet. The Library is co-sponsoring with PBS a sneak-preview of a segment from “Chasing the Moon,” a six-part film series that will be aired in July to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the moon landing.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Wild Night with Emily" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

This morning, Rev. Mike Adamek returned to begin our month of reflections on Beauty.  Beauty, he said, goes deeper than what appeals to our senses and to our particular tastes; it is also tied to the conceptual world when ideas come together, and to ethical standards of truth and goodness.  Mere prettiness without understanding, truth, and goodness is not beauty worth uplifting.  On the other hand, if we see no beauty in our surroundings, perhaps we need to deepen our understanding and sympathy to appreciate it.  We may say of people's appearances that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," but when we look for the good in them, we can see inherent truth and beauty.

Next Sunday, June 9th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Beauty of Teaching Peace," Betty Cooper
Every person is a “Peace Teacher,” or a “Teacher of Violence.”  We, each, choose our path.  The June theme for Soul Matters is, “Beauty.”  Peacebuilding and peacemaking creates “beautiful surroundings” in and around us.  We will use David Jackson Cook’s essay, “Every Teacher a Peace Teacher,” to help skill us, as “teachers of peace.”

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "A Language of Beauty," Rev. Michelle Scott-Huffman
Denis Donoghue (Speaking of Beauty, Yale University Press, 2004) posits beauty as one of six indisputable values, along with life, love, truth, virtue, and justice. Is it possible that we can speak more beauty into our lives and into our world? And if so, what might be the practical results?
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Weaving a Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

We are still accepting donations for tornado relief and recovery efforts by our neighbors at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.  Checks should be made payable to Quinn Chapel.

Our annual Rummage Sale is now less than three weeks away!  We will be accepting donations beginning Sunday, June 16th, and the sale will be held Saturday, June 22nd from 7 am to noon.  We are asking for donations of gently used items (no adult clothing please; children’s clothing is appreciated).  We also need help that week setting up the sale, working the sale, and cleaning up.  Contact Bob Antweiler and Lisa Sanning if you can help.

Our Worship Service Committee is looking for volunteers to join in creating our Sunday services.  There are very small tasks and larger, more involved things for which the committee would love to have a pool of volunteers to draw from.  Please fill out the survey available on the table by the window and return it to the Vice President’s mail slot in the office, or contact Lisa Sanning.

UUFJC welcomes Lauraine Connelly as our new Caring Committe Chair; if a member or friend needs assistance, please contact her.  If Lauraine is unavailable, Gennifer Monteer has volunteered to be a backup contact.  Thank you both for stepping up!

Our building is reserved by a community group this evening starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

This Thursday, June 6th, the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America meets in our building at 7 pm.  Contact Susan Randolph.

This Friday, June 7th at 5 pm, UUFJC is supporting a "Wear Orange" Fundraiser to benefit Jefferson City Rape and Crisis Services.  The event is held at The Side Bar on Ash Street.  See fliers on our bulletin board or contact Susan Randolph for more information.

The UUFJC Board will meet next Sunday, June 9th at 6 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.   Contact Katherine Connor.

Community Events this week:

This Friday, July 7th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents their First Friday Film: "The Best of Enemies."  Based on a true story, this film centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit about desegregating schools in Durham, North Carolina, during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham, Atwater and Ellis forever. Starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "High Life" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

Our June Newsletter and Calendar are now available to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar
Paper copies are available at the Fellowship in the wall box near the coat rack.

This past week saw a devastating tornado hit Jefferson City.  Thankfully neither our building nor any of our members and friends were injured, to the best of our knowledge.  Others in our community were not so lucky, and today we took up a special offering to help our neighbors at Quinn Chapel AME Church in their tornado relief and recovery efforts.

We also concluded our month of reflections on Curiosity with thoughts from Rev. Mike Adamek.  Curiosity, Rev. Mike said, brings us into a deeper engagement with life, and often curiosity is sparked by doubt.  He shared the history of George Boole, a self-taught mathematician and philosopher whose doubt of the doctrine of the Trinity (he attended a Unitarian church although he didn't join), led him on an intellectual quest to discover the unity of God and the universe, a quest that produced the "Boolean" logic that would later power the digital age.  When we dig deep into the depths our doubts and curiosity point out to us, the results may take forms no one would have imagined!

Next Sunday, June 2nd:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Police Traffic Stops," Don Love
Love will give an in-depth analysis of racial data as pertaining to police behavior.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Beauty, Elegance and Goodness," Rev. Mike Adamek
Beauty is an aesthetic judgment which I believe is marginalized by those who only accept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  This usually means that I do not see what you see, so I will not quibble with your aesthetic judgment. What if we dug deeper and included in our aesthetic judgment, the elegant and the good?  Can we get a clearer picture of the beautiful?
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Weaving a Tapestry of Faith: Making it Right"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual Rummage Sale is now less than a month away!  We will be accepting donations beginning Sunday, June 16th, and the sale will be held Saturday, June 22nd from 7 am to noon.  We are asking for donations of gently used items (no adult clothing please; children’s clothing is appreciated).  We also need help that week setting up the sale, working the sale, and cleaning up.  Contact Bob Antweiler and Lisa Sanning if you can help.

Our Worship Service Committee is looking for volunteers to join in creating our Sunday services.  There are very small tasks and larger, more involved things for which the committee would love to have a pool of volunteers to draw from.  Please fill out the survey available on the table by the window and return it to the Vice President’s mail slot in the office, or contact Lisa Sanning.

UUFJC welcomes Lauraine Connelly as our new Caring Committe Chair; if a member or friend needs assistance, please contact her.  If Lauraine is unavailable, Gennifer Monteer has volunteered to be a backup contact.  Thank you both for stepping up!

Tomorrow, Monday, May 27th at 6:30 pm, Quinn Chapel AME Church is scheduled to host Faith Voices for Jefferson City's monthly assembly.  As noted above, Quinn Chapel is also at the center of tornado recovery efforts, so please contact Rev. Kimberly Woodruff about the status of the assembly: [email protected]

Our building is tentatively reserved by a community group from 8:30 to 10:30 am this Wednesday, May 29th.  Contact Frank Rycyk for more information.

Next Sunday, June 2nd, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, May 30th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Unjustly Imprisoned—The Kevin Green Story."  Jefferson City native Kevin Green spent 17 years in a California prison for crime he didn’t commit. He was a Marine corporal who was convicted of murdering his unborn daughter and severely beating his wife. His time in prison is a story of rage, transformation, and important contributions. Released after DNA testing proved his innocence, his case gained national prominence. He continues to share his story across the country and will address a library audience about his remarkable life experiences.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "High Life" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

Our June Newsletter and Calendar are now available to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar

This morning, Rev. Nancy continued our month of reflections on Curiosity with the ancient story of Pandora.  After being given a box by the gods and commanded not to open it, Pandora was at last overcome by curiosity, opened the box, and unleashed a swarm of troubles on the world --- but beneath all those troubles, the box also contained hope.  Often, we want our boxes to only contain hope, to disown the difficult but vital mix of what life brings.  Often we place ourselves in boxes, filled with all the comforts we can find, and our fear of trouble defeats our curiosity of what's beyond the walls.  Opening the box always brings consequences, but not opening the box has consequences of its own.  Rev. Nancy encouraged us to take the risk of possibility, knowing that whatever else may come, hope will be there for us.

Next Sunday, May 26th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Are we living in a simulation?" Bob Boldt

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Dig Deeper - Curiosity and Doubt," Rev. Mike Adamek
We will look at George Boole’s curious combination of curiosity and doubt which has made him an icon in the information technology industry. He attended the Unitarian Church in Cork, Ireland and never joined any church.
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Curiosity and Humility"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Submissions for our June Newsletter and print calendar are due TODAY.  Please submit your items to Laura Gilkey by e-mail or in writing.

Last week at our Annual Business Meeting, the Fellowship voted to adopt the following covenant:
The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Jefferson City covenant to:

• Affirm and promote the seven Unitarian Universalist principles;
• Treat each other with respect, kindness and compassion;
• Support and inspire each other in our search for truth and meaning;
• Nurture our diversity and continually renew our commitment to be a welcoming congregation;
• Using the democratic process, support & enhance members’ work for peace and justice;
• Support the work of our Fellowship by volunteering for tasks and sharing our talents and treasure;
• Respect our own and others’ personal, social and physical boundaries, including the right to decline an invitation or request;
• Preserve privacy regarding personal or sensitive information, except in cases where a response is necessary to protect someone from harm;
• Address our mistakes with kindness and good humor; and
• Deal with conflict in good faith and with love, through direct communication, and mediation if needed.

The covenant is a commitment, but it is a living commitment, not rules set in stone.  We declare it as a signpost toward our shared vision, but the work of finding our way together goes on day by day.

In other news from the Business Meeting, we welcome Lauraine Connelly as our new Caring Committe Chair, and Kim Connor takes office as Director of Religious Education.  Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to serve!

The Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers hold their Fiesta Grande in our building this afternoon from 3-6 pm.  It's not too late to stop by!

Tomorrow, Monday, May 20th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Our monthly Salvation Army meal has been canceled for this month as several of our volunteers are unavailable.  We hope to be back in June, but we need more helping hands to continue this longtime community service --- including someone to fill in on meal planning for July.  If you can help, please contact Roberta Dunkel.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, May 23rd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Vinyl Records--Back in the Groove."  Vinyl records are enjoying a major renaissance, due to the warmth of their sound, their retro vibe, and the simple joy of collecting. Taylor Bacon, co-owner of Hitt Records, a classic vinyl shop in Columbia, will offer his expert advice on how and what to collect, how to build and care for a collection, and address other questions new and seasoned collectors might have.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Wrestle" (Wednesday only) and "Carmine Street Guitars" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

This morning, we held our Annual Business Meeting.  We approved a budget for the coming year and talked about directions we might take our music.  The biggest news is that we voted to adopt a covenant for our Fellowship (unofficial draft):

The members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Jefferson City covenant to:

• Affirm and promote the seven Unitarian Universalist principles;
• Treat each other with respect, kindness, and compassion
• Support and inspire each other in our search for truth and meaning;
• Nurture our diversity and continually renew our commitment to be a welcoming congregation;
• Using the democratic process, support and enhance members' work for peace and justice;
• Support the work of our Fellowship by volunteering for tasks and sharing our talents and treasure;
• Respect our own and others' personal, social, and physical boundaries, including the right to decline an invitation or request;
• Preserve privacy regarding personal or sensitive information, except in cases where a response is necessary to protect someone from harm;
• Address our mistakes with kindness and good humor; and
• Deal with conflict in good faith and with love, through direct communication, and mediation if needed.

In other important news, UUFJC welcomes Lauraine Connelly as our new Caring Committee Chair and welcomes this year's Nominating Committee: Carol Bontempo, Rich Burdge, and Gennifer Monteer.  Thank you all for stepping up to serve!

Next Sunday, May 19th:

June News Submissions Due.
Please submit your items for our June newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey be e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Beyond Unemployment: The Testery Story," Chris Harbert
Chris lost his job and went on to form his own company.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: “Would You Open the Box?” Rev. Nancy TannerThies
Rev. Nancy will explore how we limit our curiosity.
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Curiosity and Imagination"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The Worship Service Committee meets this evening at 6 pm.  To get involved in creating our Sunday services, see our Vice President, Lisa Sanning.

Next Sunday, May 19th, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers group holds their Fiesta Grande at our building from 3-6 pm.  For more information, contact Patt Behler.

Community Events this week:

Tomorrow, Monday, May 13th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "The History of U.S. Voting Rights."  Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters in Boone County, will discuss the fight for voting rights throughout history, how the vote gets suppressed, how it’s still happening today, and how this issue can be addressed.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Carmine Street Guitars" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

This morning, UUFJC welcomed Kim Mason, intern minister in Golden, Colorado, and graduating student at Meadville Lombard Theological School.  Kim took inspiration from the makeover show "Queer Eye," recently revived by Netflix.  While the original version was groundbreaking in portraying diverse and skilled gay men, the revival takes the mission further.  New Fab 5 member Karamo in particular goes beyond external change to engage with makeover recipients in compassionate curiosity, leading them to live into themselves as a basis for a truly transformed life.  Kim reminded us that this is like the mission that sets us apart as UUs.  200 years ago, William Ellery Channing gave the groundbreaking sermon "Unitarian Christianity," which envisioned a God who was accepting and kind, and a humanity that was capable and deserving of salvation.  Our Universalist forerunners saw all people as loved and saved.  Like the new Fab 5, our fight now is not just for tolerance but for acceptance, for the ways to come together in the compassion and love that truly build the foundation for spiritual growth.

(Rev. Mike Adamek will return May 26th.)

Next Sunday, May 12th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Julian Assange: Hero or Villain?," Bob Boldt

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: UUFJC Annual Business Meeting
Our annual exercise in democratic process.  The agenda for the meeting is now ready; it is included in the May newsletter (see link above), or see our President, Katherine Connor, for a copy.  If you wish to review the minutes of last year’s meeting, you can view or download them here, or see Katherine.  If you wish to look at the proposed budget in advance, please see our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.  If you cannot attend and wish to designate a proxy person to cast your votes, please fill out the proxy voting form and give it to your proxy, or give a copy to Katherine Connor.
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Curiosity and Empathy"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

This evening, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Tomorrow, Monday, May 6th at 6:30 pm, we will be hosting our own Alexis for a special presentation: “Stories from the Border, Sanctuary, and Ways to Help.”  Alexis will share what she learned from her time on the border in Tuscan, Arizona, plus an immediate opportunity to be of assistance to a family in Columbia.  Please invite anyone you think would also like to learn more about this important issue and how to help.

This Tuesday, May 7th at 6:45 pm, MidAmerica Region UUA presents a free Webinar: Tending to Grief and Honoring Death.  After a death, grief can be unbearable -- but it's not a problem to be solved or hustled through. Rather, grief is an unpredictable process to be tended through companionship and witness. In this webinar, Rev. Erika Hewitt, author of "The Shared Pulpit," will guide participants through a basic understanding of pastoral skills needed to respond to a death and loss; and the liturgical work of creating and leading memorial services.  For registration and details, visit:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-tending-to-grief-and-honoring-death-registration-56648854248 and for more webinars, recordings of past webinars, and other events, visit https://www.uua.org/midamerica/events

This Thursday, May 9th, the local chapter of the American Association of University Women holds a meeting and potluck in our building at 7 pm; plans to meet at Charlotte Parsons' house were canceled due to flooding.  Contact Charlotte for more information.

This Saturday, May 11th, the day before our Annual Business Meeting, we will have a Blue Sky Brainstorming Session for our members and friends here at the Fellowship from 1-3 pm.  Many people are leaving the religion they were born into and and many who have no affiliation are seeking a place for spiritual guidance.  During this session we will seek to identify what these people are looking for and how they can be exposed to what the UU is all about.   Please come with your ideas.  RSVP to Katherine Connor and let her know if you need transportation or child care.   For more information, see Stephen Carew.

Next Sunday, May 12th, the Worship Service Committee meets at 6 pm.  To get involved in creating our Sunday services, see our Vice President, Lisa Sanning.

Community Events this week:

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Beach Bum" (Thursday through Sunday) and "Steel Magnolias" (Sunday only).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!

This morning, we were joined again by Dr. Cliff Cain, Professor of Religious Studies at Westminster College, who brought us thoughts about the early history of Christianity in the Roman Empire.  Early members of the "Jesus movement" were persecuted, seen as unpatriotic for their refusal to honor the official gods of Rome.  One historian wrote that the persecutors "think Christians are the cause of every public disaster."  But when the emperors converted and Christianity became the official religion of the empire, they became the oppressors in turn, suppressing both paganism and the diversity within their own faith.  Again and again throughout history, we see peoples targeted as outsiders to the nation and its religion, and again and again, we see political power corrupt the oppressed into oppressors.  How does this insight inform how we see our present world, and what are we called to do about it?  Where is this pattern repeating itself?  Where is it being resisted?  What would we do if suddenly we were completely in charge?  What might we be tempted to do, telling ourselves "we're right and they're wrong"?

Next Sunday, May 5th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Harvard Photo," Jim Davis

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Make It Alright," Kim Mason
In 2018 Netflix rebooted the make over reality show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. With a new cast and new location, what lessons does Queer Eye offer for us now? How does the cast's willingness to engage with a range of people inspire our own curiosity and openness? The Fab 5 aren't making over the fellowship - but they just may make over your heart! 
Due to an unexpected and exciting opportunity, Kim Mason, a graduating student from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, will be speaking to us on May 5th.
(Rev. Mike Adamek will return May 26th.)
If you have a joy or concern that you would like to have read during the Service, please submit it by noon on Friday through our website: http://uufjc.org/joys--concerns.html

Plus Children's RE --- "Curiosity and Understanding"

Farewell Potluck for Sharon - Please Bring a Favorite Dish
After services, we will hold a special potluck to say goodbye to longtime UUFJC member and leader Sharon Morgan as she is moving to be closer to family.  Thank you and best to you, Sharon!
We also have a card for Sharon that you are invited to sign.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our May newsletter and print calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available in the wall box near the coat rack.  Electronic copies are available to view or download: Newsletter, Calendar

Our Annual Business Meeting is coming Sunday, May 12th.  The agenda for the meeting is now ready; it is included in the May newsletter (see link above), or see our President, Katherine Connor, for a copy.  If you wish to review the minutes of last year’s meeting, you can view or download them here, or see Katherine.  If you wish to look at the proposed budget in advance, please see our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

If you wish to participate in the national Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly this year, this Tuesday, April 30th, is the last day to sign up at early-bird rates.  Registration costs go up starting May 1st.  This year’s GA is taking place in Spokane Washington, and offsite registrations are available to let you participate online.  Some GA events will also be livestreamed online and open to all.  For more information or to register, visit UUA.org/GA.

And coming a week from tomorrow, Monday, May 6th at 6:30 pm, our own Alexis will give a special presentation: “Stories from the Border, Sanctuary, and Ways to Help.”  Alexis will share what she learned from her time on the border in Tuscan, Arizona, plus an immediate opportunity to be of assistance to a family in Columbia.  Please invite anyone you think would like to learn more about this important issue and how to help.

This Thursday, May 2nd at 7 pm, the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America meets in our building.  Contact Susan Randolph.

Next Sunday, May 5th, our building is reserved by a community group starting at 6:30 pm.  Please allow privacy.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, April 30th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a presentation on Missouri Courthouses.  Bill Hart, executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, will discuss the architectural history of Missouri’s courthouses.  Contact Madeline Matson.  For more library events, visit MRRL.org.

This Friday, May 3rd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents their monthly First Friday Film: "On the Basis of Sex."  Inspired by a true story, this film depicts Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a young lawyer and new mother facing multiple career challenges. She takes on a case, which she knows could change the courts' view of gender discrimination. Teaming with her husband, Martin Ginsburg, she fights the case all the way to the Supreme Court, resulting in a landmark decision in the fight for equal rights.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Beach Bum" (Thursday through Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

For yoga and even more events, see our online calendars:

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

Have a great week!