This morning, on Christmas Eve, we had a special Winter Holiday service, gathering perspectives from various members and friends through reflection, song, and a sharing of hope ceremony.

We UUs tend to be "Happy Holidays" people, and for good reasons.  One of our core values is to welcome those with different perspectives and beliefs, even different celebrations, and to welcome it if we are drawn to those things ourselves.  However, that very freedom allows us not only to shed the old and embrace new things that ring truer to ourselves, but to hold on to heritage that strict orthodoxy would lead us to reject.  For some of us, it's in our UU Fellowship that we can speak of the hope and promise of Christmas and sing the Christian carols of our youth, even as our understanding of the doctrines behind them changes.

So in whatever way you understand it, in whatever way you're ready to receive it: Merry Christmas.  May you be safe, and may you feel warmth, plenty, and love.

Next Sunday, December 31st, 2017:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
led by Frank Rycyk

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "The Quandary of Hope," Nancy Ellis-Ordway
"Never give up hope! You can't give up hope!" How many times have you heard it? Hope is  thought of as positive and desirable. It gets us through dark times and motivates us to do what needs to be done. Sometimes, though, hope holds us back when we need to move forward. Sometimes giving up hope is exactly what we need most. Where is the line between hopelessness and reality?
Patrick Ordway will perform special music.
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 --- "New Year, New Hope"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Submissions for the January Newsletter and print calendar are due TODAY.  Please e-mail any last-minute items to Laura Gilkey ASAP.

Our Membership Committee is looking for volunteers willing to offer rides to members and friends who can't drive to services on Sunday.  If you can help, please contact Bob Antweiler.

The annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee continues.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

Due to the Christmas holiday, Faith Voices for Jefferson City is not holding their monthly assembly this week.  For information on their ongoing activities, see Katherine Connor.

This Thursday, December 28th at 7 pm, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building.  Contact [email protected].

This Friday, December 29th at 6 pm, Citizens for Peace meet at our building to present their monthly peacebuilding documentary film.  This month's selection: "Tomorrow's Children" by Suht Jhally, featuring Riane Eisler.  Contact Betty Cooper.

Community Events this week:

Our own Patt Behler is hosting an alternative Christmas Party tomorrow, Monday, December 25th starting at 2 pm.  Chat and games, costumes welcome.  Very light refreshments will be provided.  Please do not bring food or drink with you.  Please RSVP to Patt by phone.

This Thursday, December 28th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Forest Park Owls: Hidden in Plain Sight."  Mark H.X. Glenshaw, an award-winning naturalist, has closely observed and documented the lives of Great Horned Owls in Forest Park in St. Louis since December 2005. He will talk about how he found these owls, basic facts about the species, and the different behaviors he has seen and documented with photos and videos.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Wonderstruck" (Friday and Saturday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued exploring our monthly theme of "Hope" with a title that she couldn't seem to get out of your head: "Mustering the Minions."  The word "minion" conjures up images of servility (and yes, maybe those little yellow guys from the movies), and while may we often feel that we are just going along with a plan we haven't chosen, we also have power and responsibility that affect how the world unfolds around us.  We can reason and choose for ourselves, maintain our integrity in our own minds and persist in whatever small steps we can take to realize it outwardly.  When we come together as minions of hope, our fragile selves can be a force toward a better future.

Next Sunday, December 24th:

January Newsletter Submissions Due.
Please submit your items for the January newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey by e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"International Women's Day," Betty Cooper
In honor of International Women's Day, Dr. Riane Eisler was the first speaker in the series on "Mothering Nature in the Age of Trump.".  Ideas from her speech "People & Plans to Expedite World Harmony," will be discussed.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Winter Holiday Service"
Perspectives on the holidays through reflections, readings, and song, by the Worship Service Committee, members, and friends.
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 --- "Christmas Hope"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Membership Committee is looking for volunteers willing to offer rides to members and friends who can't drive to services on Sunday.  If you can help, please contact Bob Antweiler.

The annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee continues.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

Monday, December 18th at 6:30 pm, a local Girl Scout troop meets in our building.  Contact Kim Connor.

Our regularly-scheduled Salvation Army workday this Friday is canceled as they have received an influx of holiday donations.  Contact Jim and Joanna Babb to get involved in future months with preparing and serving food for those in need.

Community Events this week:

Monday, December 18th at 6:30 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Big Pharma: Market Failure," a documentary film and panel.  How much do pharmaceutical company really spend on research and development of truly innovative drugs? Do free market principles affect drug prices and help control costs? Do the normal rules of business apply to the pharmaceutical industry? How TV ads impact consumers and doctors? Speakers afterward will include Dr. Ed Weisbart, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, and Jefferson City pharmacist Daryl Hubble. Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "A Christmas Carol" (Wednesday only) and "The Square" (Friday and Saturday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, our own Alexis Engelbrecht continued exploring our monthly theme of Hope.  It's easy to think of Hope as just a happy feeling about a bright future that will "somehow, eventually" happen, but this kind of hope is hard to sustain and hard to be satisfied by.  For Alexis, a more inspiring kind of hope requires a renewal of imagination and faith --- imagination to envision a better world, and faith that that world is achievable.  This moral imagination disrupts the status quo and calls us into the risk and effort of "creative altruism," calling us to make the choices that make hope not just a happy feeling but a powerful force for good.

Next Sunday, December 17th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Frank Rycyk

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Muster your Minions of Hope," 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 Religious Education --- "Seeds of Hope"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Membership Committee is looking for volunteers willing to offer rides to members and friends who can't drive to services on Sunday.  If you can help, please contact Bob Antweiler.

If you lent us tables or chairs for our recent Chili Cook-off, we appreciate your help with the event, but for those who have not yet retrieved their tables or chairs from us, it would be very helpful if you pick them up as soon as you can.  You will find them just inside our front entry door, near the coat rack.  Contact Bob Antweiler with any questions.

Our Yahoo! e-mail group is being retired.  Our e-mail listserv and electronic archives have now been transferred to Google.  If you want to make sure you’re included in the new Google e-mail group so you can to chat with members and friends over e-mail and receive extra announcements and reminders, please contact the Administrator, Laura Gilkey, or any member of the board.

The annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee continues.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

Monday, December 11th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month: "Race in the Schools:  Administrator’s Stories" with Doug Hayter, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA).  See Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk for more information.

This Thursday, December 14th at 7 pm, the local Transgender Support Group meets at our building in the Sanctuary.  Contact [email protected].

At the same time, Thursday evening at 7 pm, the American Association of University Women is scheduled to meet at our building in the Forum Room.  Please contact Charlotte Parsons before attending; the Association has taken a break from meeting in December in previous years.

Community Events this week:

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Square" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, Rev. Mike Adamek began exploring our monthly Soul Matters theme for December: Hope.  The winter holiday season is a time to celebrate hope, Rev. Mike reflected, whether that hope is the Christian coming of the savior, the Passover deliverance, or the Earth-centered watch for the return of the sun.  Like the same note played on different instruments, holiday hopes sound in different voices, and Rev. Mike shared what the special tone of hope means for him.  It means an expectation for the future that is:
- More personal than abstract,
- More nourishing than stimulating, including the beauty that nourishes the heart,
- More optimistic than pessimistic, because pessimism holds us back from engaging
- And that brings more people together than it drives apart.
Hope can be a challenge in challenging times, but as we listen to its tone we can find the strength to make our world better, however long it might take, small and intimate bit by small and intimate bit.

Next Sunday, December 10th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Hope…Uninterrupted," Betty Cooper
With excerpts from Jane Goodall's book, "Reason for Hope," we find her potent legacy to this planet is one of awakening the absolute interdependence of all things in the natural world.  With the resiliency of Mother Nature, Goodall envisions a world of peace and understanding, of respect and sustainable solutions. (The 2017 Documentary, “Jane” is now in theatres.)

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Imagine," Alexis Engelbrecht
Join us in exploring the relationship between creativity and hope through word, reflection, and song.
Guest musicians, Alexis' sister Annie and brother-in-law Rodney, will be part of the service as well. Annie and Rodney have played with musical groups in Branson, Missouri, and Annie has toured Ireland and Canada with the Homestead Pickers.
Alexis also asks that those of you in our Google group (see below) check your e-mail inboxes throughout the week to be on the lookout for links and information related to how we we explore the theme that day. They aren't required readings but are designed to add hope to your inbox.

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 --- "Light and Hope"

Potluck Lunch After Service - please bring a favorite dish and a helping of holiday spirit!  If you can bring more than one dish in different categories, it would help make sure we have plenty for everyone to enjoy.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual Chili Cook-off this past Saturday was a success!  Thank you to Bob Antweiler for organizing and to everyone who helped with food, donations, and effort!  We still have some leftover silent auction items --- take a look and contact Bob if you're interested in any of them.

Our Yahoo! e-mail group is being retired.  Our e-mail listserv and electronic archives have now been transferred to Google.  If you want to make sure you’re included in the new Google e-mail group so you can to chat with members and friends over e-mail and receive extra announcements and reminders, please contact the Administrator, Laura Gilkey ([email protected]), or any member of the board.

The annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee continues.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

You can also help the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship spread holiday cheer to incarcerated individuals.  Instructions and some cards are available under the screen by our cafe bar.  You can create your own cards, too (see the instructions).  Cards are due by this Thursday, December 7th.  Contact Katherine Connor.

This Friday, December 8th at 7 pm, Capital Area NOW presents their monthly film at our building.  For film selection and more information, contact Sue Gibson.

Next Sunday, December 10th, a Soul Matters small group meets here at the Fellowship from 2-4 pm.  This session is now full; contact Alexis if you’d like to participate in future sessions in person or online.

Coming Monday, December 11th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month: "Race in the Schools:  Administrator’s Stories" with  Doug Hayter, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA).  Contact Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk for more information.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, December 5th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents a program on Holiday Wine Pairing.  Celebrate the holiday season with Missouri wines. Learn about the growing Missouri wine and grape industry and how to successfully pair wines with your favorite holiday foods. You’ll have the opportunity to sample select Missouri wines. Ages 21+ only. Registration limited to 40. Contact Madeline at 634-6064, ext. 250.

Next Sunday, December 10th at 1:30 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL hosts an art exhibit reception with Suebet Beck.  This exhibit features oils and pastels on a variety of subjects. Meet the artist and enjoy some light refreshments.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "It's a Wonderful Life" (Wednesday only), "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation" (Thursday only), and "Loving Vincent" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, Alexis Engelbrecht concluded our monthly theme of Abundance with reflections and our annual Bread Communion.  The Bread Communion, Alexis said, is a symbol of the nourishing support and diversity of our community, but she also led us inward, toward the abundance of possibilities within ourselves and how we can nourish those possibilities.  Inspired by the Quaker practice of "letting your life speak" --- listening to your life rather than telling it how it should be --- we reflected on such questions as:
What gifts have you learned to neglect in yourself?  Which need to be reclaimed and fed?
Amid an abundance of roles and expectations, what role or name could give you life and call you into the future with courage?
When we nourish both our selves and our communities, we create an abundance of possibilities together.

And don't forget to come in from the cold and enjoy the abundance of our Chili Cook-off this Saturday, December 2nd from 5-8 pm!  Details below.

Next Sunday, December 3rd, 2017:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"UU Activism," Frank Rycyk
Suggested advance reading: "Do you have to be an activist to be a Unitarian Universalist?," UU World, Fall 2017.  5 UU ministers and a UU lay leader are interviewed for this article.  According to a UU World article of many years ago, this dispute has continued for a long time.  There is hope that our Forum will lead to some mutual understanding.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Which Hope Binds You to the Future?," Rev. Mike Adamek
On December 21, 2017 at 10:28 a.m the sun reaches its zenith in the southern hemisphere.  It travels as far south as it can go on our winter solstice and so we have the longest night of the year.  Every night after gets shorter until the summer solstice on June 21, 2018 at 5:07 am when the sun reaches its zenith in the north and we have the longest day of the year in Jeff City.  Christmas has always been about hope even before it was called Christmas. At this time of year, if seasonal or Christian hopes do not bind you to the future, have you asked yourself what does?
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 --- "Birds and Hope"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

This Saturday December 2nd from 5-8 pm is our annual Chili Cook-off!  We have fliers to help spread the word and tickets to sell (advance tickets are $1 off).  More volunteers are still welcome --- the more the merrier!  In particular, it would be good to have more:
-Chilis
-Baked Goods
-Silent Auction Items
-Tables
-And if anyone is able to help Judi Jecmen with the Cake Walk.
Please come enjoy chilis, soups, desserts and more, plus raffles, silent auction, games, and fun for everyone.  Contact Bob Antweiler with any questions.

The December Newsletter and print calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available on the table by the entrance; electronic copies are now available through our website.

Our Yahoo! e-mail group is being retired.  Our e-mail listserv and electronic archives have now been transferred to Google.  If you want to make sure you’re included in the new Google e-mail group so you can chat with members and friends over e-mail and receive extra announcements and reminders, please e-mail [email protected] or contact any member of the board.

You can help the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship spread holiday cheer to incarcerated individuals.  Instructions and some cards are available under the screen by our cafe bar.  You can create your own cards, too (see the instructions).  Cards are due by Thursday, December 7th.

We are now in the annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

Tomorrow, Monday, November 28th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  This month’s program will be continuing conversation and planning on healing racism.  See Katherine Connor for more information.

The Worship Service Committee meets next Sunday, December 3rd at 5 pm.  Contact our Vice-President, Jim Davis.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, November 28th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a presentation about Human Trafficking in Mid-Missouri.  Nanette Ward, founding member of the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition, will provide an update on the work of the coalition and its efforts to promote awareness of the forced labor and sexual exploitation of children, women and men in mid-Missouri.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Friday, December 1st at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents their monthly First Friday Film: Murder on the Orient Express (1974).  Everybody on board the storied train is a suspect in this 1974 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit. The great Albert Finney plays Hercule Poirot, and the suspects include a cast of stars.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Loving Vincent" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Our December Newsletter and print calendar are now available to view or download:

Newsletter
Calendar

Sunday morning, as we entered this Thanksgiving week, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued our monthly theme of Abundance with reflections on the harvest --- but, she reflected, the harvest is not a single event; its different phases bring us different lessons about abundance.

The work of tending and weeding burgeoning plants reminds us of the work to be done if we are to have abundance --- or the just world we hope for.

The plenty that comes in when the fruit is ripe reminds us of the sacredness of giving and sharing, and the challenges of letting go and of distributing the bounty equitably.

​Finally, as harvest gives way to winter, comes the seed-saving time, when we decide what to care for and spend our energy and resources carrying into the future, and what to (perhaps painfully) let go of.  We can't know whether our choices will turn out the way we hope, Rev. Nancy reminded us, so this process calls for deep faith, but through it we can participate in the abundance of the world.

Next Sunday, November 26th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Kurt Groner

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Bread Communion
Message: "Listening to the Abundance Within", Alexis Engelbrecht.
November and December can be incredibly busy months with an abundance of expectations and tasks. This service is designed to provide opportunities for quiet reflection and an invitation to, in the words of a Quaker saying, "let your life speak". All are invited to break bread together after the postlude.

If you would like to bring a loaf of bread to be part of the bread communion table, you are welcome to do so. In an effort to help things run smoothly, please observe the following:

- Cut your bread in advance in slices or serving size squares.
- Clearly write the type of bread you have with its ingredients (this will help people with allergies and food sensitivities).
- Take your bread and plate home with you when you leave - please do not leave anything behind.
Questions may be directed toward Alexis ([email protected])

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 --- "Abundance and Maker's Space"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

We have now begun the annual Guest At Your Table donation drive to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  Visit uusc.org for more information, and contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for ways to donate.

Our Members and Friends Directory has been updated.  Paper and electronic copies are available on request.  Please remember, updates can be submitted to the administrator, Laura Gilkey, at any time.

This Thursday, November 23rd at 7 pm, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building.  Contact [email protected].

This Friday, November 24th is our monthly Salvation Army meal.  Contact Jim and Joanna Babb if you would like to help prepare or serve food for those in need.  Serving starts at 5 pm, please arrive early to help prepare.

Later this Friday evening at 6 pm, Citizens for Peace present their monthly documentary film.  This month's selection: "Body of War."  Contact Betty Cooper.

Coming Monday, November 28th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  Contact Katherine Connor for more information.

And, coming Saturday December 2nd is our annual Chili Cook-off --- less than two weeks away!  We now have fliers to help spread the word and tickets to sell, and we need volunteers, cooks to provide chilis and soups, desserts, silent auction and raffle items, and more fun ideas!  Contact Bob Antweiler if you can help.

Community Events this week:

Monday, November 20th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents "Missouri Rural Memories."  Carolyn Paul Branch and Alan Easley, both expert storytellers, have written memoirs about their lives in rural Callaway and Boone counties. Branch’s new book, Snakes in the Kitchen, describes her 1950s childhood growing up poor, living close to the railroad tracks and the Missouri River. Easley’s new book, It Sure ‘Nuff Happened:  I Was There includes stories of family, neighbors and farm life in the country. Their books will be available for purchase and signing.  Contact Madeline Matson.

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

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, we continued exploring our monthly theme of Abundance with one way Unitarian Universalists work to spread abundance in the world.  The UU Service Committee is an independent nonprofit organization that works with the UU Association to promote human rights and equity throughout the world.  Supporting refugees, deportees, and communities affected by climate change, among many others, the UUSC partners with local self-advocacy organizations.  This helps to respect the dignity and brilliance of affected people while also making the most of funding --- even small gifts can make a big difference!  For much more information and stories of hope, visit uusc.org.

Today begins the annual "Guest At Your Table" donation drive to support UUSC.  Contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler, for collection boxes, donation envelopes, and more ways to contribute.

Next Sunday, November 19th:

December Newsletter Submissions Due.
Please submit items for the December newsletter and print calendar to Laura Gilkey by e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing.

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Abundant Trash," Frank Rycyk
Some US manufacturers are turning trash into treasure after an impending Chinese ban on imported waste flooded American scrapyards with paper and plastic.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Gather the Harvests," Rev. Nancy TannerThies
Rev. Nancy will explore what the three harvests each year can tell us about abundance and how we can use it.
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 --- "Abundance and Thanksgiving"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Members and Friends Directory has been updated again (I missed some of the updates people had sent; sorry!).  A new version has been shared with our Google Group, and paper or electronic copies are available on request from our administrator (Laura Gilkey, [email protected]).  Please remember, updates can be submitted to the administrator at any time.

Tomorrow, Monday, November 13th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month’s topic: "Outsider Christmas," a Jewish Perspective by Warren Solomon of Temple Beth-El.  He will share stories of growing up in a Jewish family with Christianity all around him.  Warren is very respectful of non-Jewish religious traditions.  He will provide a well-educated and inspiring approach.  Contact Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk for more information.

Next Sunday, November 19th at 2 pm, a Soul Matters Small Group meets at the Fellowship.  This gathering is now full, but contact Alexis if you would like to participate in future meetings in person or online.

Later next Sunday evening at 6:30 pm, the UUFJC Board meets at the Fellowship.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  Contact our President, Katherine Connor, for more information.

And, coming Saturday December 2nd is our annual Chili Cook-off!  Fliers and tickets are now available for those who would like to sell tickets or help publicize.  We also need cooks to provide chilis and soups, desserts, silent auction and raffle items, and more fun ideas!  Contact Bob Antweiler for fliers, tickets, volunteering and more information.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, November 14th at 4 pm, Citizens for Peace meet at Missouri River Regional Library, upstairs in the Story Hour Room.  Contact Betty Cooper.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Jane" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, Rev. Mike Adamek began exploring our Soul Matters theme for November: Abundance.  Abundance means something more and better than just having lots of stuff --- as many of us know, having too much can be more curse than blessing.  So where is the "sweet spot" of Abundance as a virtue?  Rev. Mike's answer was: "Always Just Enough, Always Room For More."  For me those words suggest the point where we have enough, but we don't have so much that it clogs up our lives and prevents us from accepting new things.  Rev. Mike's reflection however, revealed another understanding of "Always Room for More," in which there's always room for more guests to share in our blessings.  For him, he said, Abundance is the point at which our gifts overflow and we feel called to share them with others.

Next Sunday, November 12th, 2017:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Patt Behler

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "The UU Service Committee and Guest At Your Table"
We will launch our annual "Guest At Your Table" donation drive, and provide updates and information on where the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is currently engaged in disaster relief, poverty programs and human rights advocacy around the world.

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 --- "Abundance and Money"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Members and Friends Directory has been updated.  A new version has been shared with our Google Group, and paper or electronic copies are available on request from our administrator (Laura Gilkey, [email protected]).  Please remember, updates can be submitted to the administrator at any time.

This Thursday, November 9th at 7 pm, the American Association of University Women meets in our building in the Forum Room.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

At the same time, this Thursday at 7 pm, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building in the Sanctuary.  Contact [email protected].

This Friday, November 10th at 7 pm, Capital Area Missouri NOW presents their monthly film at our building.  For film selection and more information, contact Sue Gibson.

This Saturday, November 11th, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers group meets in our building from 1-4 pm.  Contact Patt Behler.

Coming Monday, November 13th is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month’s topic: "Outsider Christmas," a Jewish Perspective by Warren Solomon of Temple Beth-El.  He will share stories of growing up in a Jewish family with Christianity all around him.  Warren is very respectful of non-Jewish religious traditions.  He will provide a well-educated and inspiring approach.  See Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk for more information.

And, coming Saturday December 2nd is our annual Chili Cook-off!  Fliers and tickets are now available for those who would like to sell tickets or help publicize.  The date will be here before you know it, and we need cooks to provide chilis and soups, desserts, silent auction and raffle items, and more fun ideas!  Contact Bob Antweiler for fliers, tickets, volunteering and more information.

Community Events this week:

Jefferson City Public Schools are holding more Community Diversity Discussions this week: Tuesday, December 7th from 6-8 pm at the Hawthorn Bank Community Room (3600 Amazonas Drive); and Wednesday, December 8th from 6-8 pm at Mid America Bank (580 Karen Drive in Holts Summit).

This Thursday, November 9th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Rediscover America Road Trip with Bill Clevlen."  National travel journalist Bill Clevlen has been on a mission since 2013 to find positive stories about people and places across America. He’ll share stories from his travels and talk about his new book, 100 Things To Do in America Before You Die. Clevlen produces the podcast Rediscover America  and is a frequent guest on radio and television shows. His book will be available for purchase and signing.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Lucky" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!

Sunday morning, seminarian Andy Grizzle joined us once again to wrap up our monthly theme of Courage.  The feats of courage we admire in others, Andy argued, are often the fruits of training, learning, and risk management --- not as daring for the expert as they seem to the lay person.  To find deeper courage, Andy encouraged us to look again for the root of the word --- courage shows your heart.  And some of the most daunting situations are the ones where we risk learning what's in our heart.  We need the courage to show our hearts and to engage with others (especially those we've been taught are frightening and different from us) in the complex and vulnerable work of life and justice.

Next Sunday, November 5th:

Daylight Saving Time Ends --- remember to set your clocks back!

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Abundance," Betty Cooper
Maybe we have obtained a degree of wealth and power, but have we attained the wisdom to use our prosperity without self-destruction?  We will examine the ancient wisdom from "The Tao of Prosperity" and the eleven practical steps from "The Paradox of Choice" so we can gain greater satisfaction from the choices we make each day.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Always Just Enough, Always Room for More," Rev. Mike Adamek
Abundance like happiness is hard to quantify. It's attitudinal and situational.  It is a term that is intimately personal yet always includes the larger circles of families, communities, states, nations, and the entire earth by which our individual lives are sustained. To embrace abundance in our lives we must be willing to see A-bun-dance on the table.

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 --- "The Meaning of Abundance"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The November newsletter and print calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available on the table by the entrance.  Electronic copies are available to view or download.

Our annual Day of the Dead altar is now on display and will remain up until next Sunday, at which time mementos will be returned.  If you have any questions, see Bob Boldt.

Also on display is our new exhibit of pour paintings!  Thank you to Joanna Babb, Judi Jecmen and all of our painters.  Please be sure to take a look!

Please help us update our Members and Friends Directory.  A paper copy is available on the table in the back of the Sanctuary, or you can contact Laura Gilkey ([email protected]).  Please check that your information is current and let us know if you would like your information updated, added, or removed.

And, coming Saturday December 2nd is our annual Chili Cook-off!  It’s a month away, but it’ll be here before you know it, and we need cooks to provide chilis and soups, desserts, silent auction and raffle items, and more fun ideas!  Contact Bob Antweiler if you can help.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, October 31st, Missouri River Regional Library hosts Nonfiction at Noon in the Library Annex.  Discussion title: "The Great Questions of Tomorrow" by David Rothkopf.  According to Rothkopf, many of those in positions of power are actively trying to cling to the past, avoiding the inevitable and momentous changes to come. In little more than 100 pages, he confronts our approach to the future and forces us to reimagine fundamental aspects of our lives.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Friday, November 3rd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents their monthly First Friday Film.  This month's selection: "Wonder Woman."  This blockbuster film offers the background story and and the modern mission of Diana, princess of the Amazons and super warrior. Gal Gadot stars in an action-packed film that follows the peace and justice crusade she undertakes during  a “war to end all wars.”  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Saturday, November 4th at 7 pm is Sweet Nirvana at McClung Park.  This is an annual fundraiser by our friends at Vipassana Buddhist Church / Center for Buddhist Development.  Fun for all and delicious food.  Contact www.vipassanabuddhistchurch.org or 573-691-0072.

Also on Saturday at 7 pm, Capital Area Missouri NOW hosts their first annual Wonder Women Trivia Night.  This event will benefit Jefferson City RACS and Dreams to Reality.  In addition to trivia, we will also feature a 50/50 raffle, mini games, and a silent auction! Food will be provided by CAM NOW and a cash bar is available for drinks.  Tickets are $25/each or $200/table of 8.  Please email CAM NOW at [email protected] with any questions.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Square" (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  For showtimes, more events, and more information, visit capitolcitycinema.org.

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

Service Committee
Religious Education
Building Use (other)
Social Action
Community Events

Have a great week!