Sunday morning, our own Alexis Engelbrecht continued exploring our monthly theme of "Emergence" with reflections on what can emerge when we come together, and how.  When we join together, it's tempting to cling to our own stories and want others to let go of theirs, but to truly let the gifts of togetherness emerge, we have to "un-center" ourselves and truly listen.  This calls for vulnerability, and sometimes pain.  As Alexis led us to find in a collaborative drawing exercise, when we come together, things often don't go how we individually may have planned.  However, like the science of "emergent behavior" in complex systems, when we open ourselves to the full complexity of our engagement with others something new and exciting is created, and we can find our way closer to the just society and beloved community we aspire to.

This will be Alexis' last sermon to the Fellowship for some time, as she is soon embarking on trainings and internships in her path to becoming a UU Minister.  As such, she took a moment to thank the Fellowship, and the gratitude runs both ways.  She will be missed while she's away, but our best wishes for her endeavors go with her.

Next Sunday, April 15th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Emergence from Debt," Frank Rycyk
A growing number of companies are paying employees to get their financial lives in order, reflecting concern over the impact money problems have on employees' stress and productivity levels.

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Dawn and Dusk: Emerging into Possibility," 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 --- "Emergence of Unitarianism - Happy Birthday, Channing!"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

We have new carpet in our sanctuary and hallways.  Final touches will be added later this week.  Many thanks to everyone who helped with the planning and to everyone who donated.

Our annual pledge drive has begun!  Thank you to everyone who supports UUFJC with their pledges, and thank you to those who submit their estimates of giving; it's a tremendous help to us in planning for the year ahead.  For pledge forms, Fair Share giving suggestions, and more information, contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Our Members and Friends Directory has been updated.  Electronic copies have been shared with our Google Group; if you are unable to access this, paper or electronic copies are available on request from the administrator ([email protected]).  Inclusion in this list of members and friends' contact information is entirely optional.  If you would like your information added, updated, or removed, please contact the administrator at any time.

Monday, April 9th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month, Capital Area Interfaith Alliance presents a preview of the Mid Missouri Festival of Faiths.  For more about the festival, see our April newsletter or talk to Frank Rycyk.

This Tuesday, April 10th at 7 pm, Moms Demand Action ​for ​Gun Sense ​in ​America meets at our building.  They will be meeting here monthly on second Tuesdays at 7 pm.  Contact Susan Randolph.

This Thursday, April 12th at 7 pm, the American Association of University Women meets at our building in the Forum Room.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

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

This Saturday, April 14th, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers group meets in our building from 1:30 to 4 pm.  Contact Patt Behler.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, April 10th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Trout Fishing in Missouri."  Mark Van Patten will explain how trout fishing came to be one of Missouri’s greatest tourist attractions. A former biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Van Patten is a nationally known authority on the fly fishing experience. He will discuss the impact of the state’s trout parks, the trout hatcheries, and the impact of the industry on the state’s economy.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Wednesday, April 11th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL screens "Reel Life Cinema: Brick by Chance and Fortune: The Story of Brick in St. Louis."  Filmmaker Bill Streeter chronicles the rich history of St. Louis as both producer and user of a building material that’s as lovely as it is sturdy. Once a major player in the U.S. brick-making industry, St. Louis still boasts countless brick houses, from bungalows to mansions, and this documentary artfully illustrates the diversity and beauty of the city’s striking brick edifices, an often-ignored aspect of the city’s urban landscape.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Party" (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

On this Easter Sunday, Rev. Mike Adamek began exploring our April Soul Matters theme: "Emergence," starting with the image of "rolling the stone."  In the biblical accounts of Jesus, "rolling away the stone" was a sign of emergence into eternal life through divine intervention, while in the Greek myth of Sisyphus, "rolling the stone" was an unchanging state of drudging repetition and punishment.  Mike said that for him, neither story fully rang true as neither one was a story of a transforming self.  Each stone was a sign of eternity, while his experience of Emergence was in the sometimes painful, sometimes repetitious, but fertile and beautiful experience of the temporal world.  Change is constant, even when we are unaware of it; cycles of repetition can be as beautiful as seasons or rhymes or musical motifs.  Let us not strain after a single moment of transformation or despair over routine, but tend our soil and watch for growth and emergence.

The season for the soil to show growth and emergence is now upon us, and we also celebrated our annual Flower Communion.  Members and friends brought a variety of flowers together on our chalice table as a symbol of our diverse gifts to our shared community, and everyone left with a different flower than they had brought.

To those who celebrate it: Happy Easter!

And to all of you: Happy Spring!  (Surely ice will stop falling out of the sky soon.)

Next Sunday, April 8th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Sharing Poetry," Bob Boldt
Bob Boldt facilitates a session on “sharing poetry,” and you are invited to bring a poem, whether yours or another person’s writing.  Poetry is one of the sources of awakening and emergence.  

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Uniquely Together," Alexis Engelbrecht-Villafañe
A wide variety of beliefs is both the gift and challenge of Unitarian Universalism. Today, we'll explore what can emerge when free minds gather and collaborate within a beloved community. 
All are invited to arrive 5-10 minutes early to take part in an experience very much like but not exactly a drum circle led by Rick Andris. Percussion instruments will be provided. Participation is not required and observers are welcome.
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 --- "Emergence from Slavery into Freedom - Passover"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Thanks to the generous donations of members and friends, we are replacing the carpet in our sanctuary and hallways.  The old carpet is being removed starting this afternoon, and the new carpet will be installed later this week.  Please plan accordingly if you have activities in our building this week.  Contact Katherine Connor or Bob Antweiler for more details.

Our annual pledge drive has begun!  Thank you to everyone who supports UUFJC with their pledges, and thank you to those who submit their estimates of giving; it's a tremendous help to us in planning for the year ahead.  For pledge forms, Fair Share giving suggestions, and more information, contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

This Wednesday, April 4th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City will host a 50 Year Commemoration Service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., marking the anniversary of his assassination.  Observance begins with a 3:30 pm service at Second Baptist Church, followed by a march and rally at the Missouri Supreme Court building, and ending with a moment of silence at 6:01 pm.  RSVP here or contact: Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould (314-368-1246) or Rev. Kimberley Woodruff (913-961-3587).

And coming Monday, April 9th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month, Capital Area Interfaith Alliance members will share highlights of the upcoming Mid Missouri Festival of Faiths (April 20th and 21st).  For more about the festival, see our April newsletter or talk to Frank Rycyk.

Community Events this week:

This Friday, April 6th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents their First Friday Film.  This month's selection: "Victoria and Abdul."  Judi Dench stars in the true story of the friendship Queen Victoria enjoyed with a young clerk from India during the later years of her rule. He becomes a devoted friend and advisor, a relationship her household and inner circle try to destroy.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Party" (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!

This Sunday, Andy Grizzle visited us again.  He concluded our Soul Matters theme for March, "Balance," with reflections on good and evil.  We UUs tend to focus on the good in ourselves and our Principles, but among our Six Sources are faith traditions and philosophies that also have a lot to say about evil.  Even after millennia, however, evil remains hard to define --- perhaps because, as Andy reflected, it seems to disappear the closer you get to it.  We're so intimate with our own motivations and those of our loved ones that it's difficult to see any of their actions as "evil;" we know the balance they're striking between their situation and their behavior.  "Evil," Andy argued, is a word we use to push hard choices comfortably away, a label we can only use when we are disconnected from the people involved.  By getting closer, we can engage with our community, with people's reality and their needs, and with our own uncomfortable imperfections.  As Andy concluded, if we're far enough away to see in black and white, we're not close enough to find balance.

Next week begins our Soul Matters theme for April: "Emergence."

Our April newsletter and print calendar are now ready.  Paper copies are available at our entrance, in the box on the wall near the coat rack.  Electronic copies are available to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar

Next Sunday, April 1st:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Evolving Self," Betty Cooper
In this session, we examine the ten ideas Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi provides in his book, The Evolving Self. as we develop and emerge into a “higher self,” needed to create the “Fellowship of the Future.”

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Easter: Emergence Means Rolling Your Stone Uphill," Rev. Mike Adamek, 
                 with Flower Communion
Emergence is not a temporary condition where you quickly transition from death to eternal life when someone else rolls away the stone. Emergence is a lifelong process where your consciousness changes in the daily intimate choices you make rolling your stone uphill.
If you’re able to , please bring a flower, or some other pretty blooming thing, like a Forsythia branch, from your garden or yard. We’ll share them with each other and you’ll go home with something different.  No yard or garden? No worries! We always have plenty to go around.
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 --- "Emergence as Birth and Rebirth - Easter"

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual pledge drive has begun!  Thank you to everyone who supports UUFJC with their pledges, and thank you to those who submit their estimates of giving, it's a tremendous help to us in planning for the year ahead.  For pledge forms, Fair Share giving suggestions, and more information, contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Monday, March 26th, Faith Voices will not be holding their regular monthly assembly.  Instead, they encourage people to attend the School Board Candidate Forum at 6 pm in Lincoln University’s SUC Ballroom.  See Katherine Connor.

This Friday, March 30th, Citizens for Peace present their monthly documentary film at 6 pm at our building.  This month's selection: "War on Democracy."  Contact Betty Cooper.

The Worship Service Committee meets next Sunday, April 1st at 5 pm.  Contact Jim Davis.

Community Events this week:

This Wednesday, March 28th, Missouri River Regional Library presents "The Art of Bonsai" at 7 pm, upstairs in the Art Gallery.  Members of the Mid-Missouri Bonsai Society will explain the history of this ancient art in which miniature trees are grown in containers. They will cover how to create your own specimen and tips for successful bonsai ownership.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" (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, Rev. Nancy TannerThies continued exploring our monthly theme of Balance.  Often we think of "balance" in either-or terms, balancing this with that; you have your position, I have mine, and somehow we've got to come to a resolution.  This tendency toward either-or thinking and the desire for closure runs deep in our culture, but Rev. Nancy encouraged us to look toward interconnection and complexity: to listen, to give up the need to change each other or to find one right and permanent answer.  Sometimes the balance we need is an intermingling of complex feelings, an uncomfortable but vital state of tension.  Sometimes there is a resolution, but if we let go of chasing after it, if we try to dwell on the positives of what is, we can better find the balance to respond to each situation.

We also elected our Board of Directors for the 2018-2019 term.  The officers-elect will work with the outgoing board on next year's budget, then take office after our Annual Business meeting coming in May.  The incoming board members are:
President: Katherine Connor (continuing)
Vice-President: Frank Rycyk
Treasurer: Bob Antweiler (continuing)
Secretary: Lisa Sanning (continuing)
Director of Religious Education: Gennifer Monteer
Thank you to all of them for their willingness to serve, and best to them in the coming year!

Next Sunday, March 25th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Balanced Life," Betty Cooper
Freud stated that two life tasks need to be balanced—work and love.  Alan Loy McGinnis’ book, The Balanced Life: Achieving Success in Work and Love, expands on that idea.  McGinnis studied highly successful people asking them the secrets of their achievement.  He discovered that highly effective people lead a balanced life. From those interviews, he postulated the four laws of success:  Commitment, Discipline, Collaboration, and Adaptability.  Participants will discuss questions related to these four laws.  

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message by Andy Grizzle
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 --- "Balance of Life and Death" (Palm Sunday, March 25)

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual pledge drive has begun!  Thank you to everyone who supports UUFJC with their pledges, and thank you to those who submit their estimates of giving, it's a tremendous help to us in planning for the year ahead.  For pledge forms, Fair Share giving suggestions, and more information, contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Registration is now open for the UUA’s annual General Assembly.  This year’s GA is close to home, in Kansas City, June 20th-24th.  Those who have attended GA in the past report an amazing and inspiring experience.  Financial aid is available through the UUA, and the UUFJC Board is also interested in helping members and friends attend.  See our March Newsletter for more information and talk to a board member if you’re interested in attending.

Monday, March 19th at 6:30 pm, a local Girl Scout troop meets in our building.  Contact Kim Connor.

This Thursday, March 22nd, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building.  Contact [email protected].

This Friday, March 23rd is our monthly Salvation Army Meal.  Contact Jim Babb if you would like to help provide or serve food for those in need.  Serving begins at 5 pm; please arrive early to help prepare.

This Saturday, March 24th at 10 am, we will have a workday to clean up our office.  Helping hands are appreciated!  Contact Katherine Connor.

Later this Saturday, March 24th from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers meet in our building.  Contact Patt Behler.

Next Sunday, March 25th, a Soul Matters small group meets from 2-4 pm.  This gathering is now full.  Contact Alexis if you would like to participate in future gatherings in person or online.

Community Events this week:

Monday, March 19th, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "When the Mighty Mississippi Ran Backward: The Great New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812."  Presenter Jeff Briggs is the earthquake program manager for the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. It’s his job to explain the earthquake risk in Missouri and help citizens take precautions to keep themselves and their families safe. He’ll show videos from earthquake hotspots and discuss the estimated impact of a big quake in mid-Missouri. Test your knowledge of earthquake trivia and win a prize!  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Winter's Bone" (Tuesday only) and "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" (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, our own Alexis Engelbrecht continued exploring our monthly theme of Balance.  In physical endeavors such as ballet, striking acts of balance depend on a strong core in a very literal sense --- strong muscles in the center of the body.  Alexis said that the same holds true in a mental and spiritual way.  To keep our selves balanced in chaotic times is just as impressive and graceful as a dancer poised on one foot, and it just as surely requires a strong core, giving attention and effort to the values that are central for us.  These values can be different for everyone --- what values have lifted you to your peak experiences?  Which values were denied when you felt most frustrated?  What values must you honor or feel yourself wither inside?  To root ourselves in these values and stand firm is a radical act, one that not only strengthens us to endure, but allows us to become sources of strength and endurance for others.

Next Sunday, March 18th:

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

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Balance Lost," Betty Cooper
The balance of individual and community is critical to sustaining democracy.  Parker J. Palmer in his book, Healing the Heart of Democracy, lists “Five Habits of the Heart that Help Make Democracy Possible.”  Those five habits will be discussed as we ask the question:  “Which of the five are most difficult to practice in today’s world?”

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Both And," Rev. Nancy TannerThies - PLUS UUFJC Election of Officers
Rev. Nancy will offer an exploration of unity, opposites and paradox as related to balance.
After services, we will elect incoming board members, who will work with their outgoing predecessors before taking office following our annual business meeting in May.  The nominating committee will offer a slate of nominees, and we will also be open to nominations from the floor.
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 --- "Balance and Seasons" (Equinox, March 21)

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our annual pledge drive has begun!  Thank you to everyone who supports UUFJC with their pledges, and thank you to those who submit their estimates of giving, it's a tremendous help to us in planning for the year ahead.  For pledge forms, Fair Share giving suggestions, and more information, contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Faith Voices for Jefferson City’s annual dinner and silent auction, originally scheduled for this Friday, March 16th, has been postponed.  Contact Katherine Connor for updates..

We are working on raising the money we need to replace the carpet in our Sanctuary.  If you would like to contribute, there is a gold box for donations on the table by the window where the entry hall leads into the sanctuary, or you can contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Registration is now open for the UUA’s annual General Assembly.  This year’s GA is close to home, in Kansas City, June 20th-24th.  Those who have attended GA in the past report an amazing and inspiring experience.  Financial aid is available through the UUA, and the UUFJC Board is also interested in helping members and friends attend.  For more information visit UUA.org/GA.

Monday, March 12th, we will be having a workday to clean up our library starting at 1 pm.  Helping hands are appreciated.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Later Monday evening at 7 pm is our monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month, Stephanie Clark, a math instructor at Lincoln University and president of the faculty Senate, will speak on “women in math.”  See Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk.

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, March 13th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Antebellum South Through Reconstruction: An Author’s Journey."  Ed Protzel will discuss what he learned about slavery, post-Civil War politics and race relations while researching and writing the historical novels in his DarkHorse Trilogy, one of which is set in Civil War Missouri.  He will stress the Reconstruction period and how its effects still reverberate today.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Florida Project" (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, Rev. Mike Adamek began exploring our monthly Soul Matters theme for March: Balance.  Many of us might disagree with philosophies and faiths that tell us abstractions are the ultimate reality, more important than what we can grasp with our senses, but to say that perception is the ultimate reality is equally problematic --- especially as scientists learn how much of our universe is made of "Dark Matter" and "Dark Energy" that we cannot perceive but can surely deduce through the abstractions of math and science.  As we UUs continue our "free and responsible search for truth and meaning," let us balance perception with abstraction and doubt with openness.

Next Sunday, March 11th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Indivisible," Scott & Susan Randolph
Scott and Susan Randolph discuss the mission and goals of the "Indivisible Movement," a movement working to create positive change in the heart of Missouri and across the country.  

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Strengthening Our Core," Alexis Engelbrecht
Is balance truly desirable or even possible? Inspired by the metaphor of dance, in which there is always movement despite the appearance of stillness, let us consider alternatives to the common idea that to be balanced means that everything is in order and is being done well. Let us consider how we might strengthen what makes up our core  - or – in the words of Jim Wallis, how can we stay radically rooted “while remaining fully present in our current time?”.
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 --- "Balance, Science and Math" (National Pi Day, March 14)

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Faith Voices for Jefferson City is holding its annual dinner and silent auction Friday, March 16th, and RSVPs are due this Thursday, March 8th.  Tickets are $50 per person.  UUFJC will have a table for 8 and extra seats if needed --- we appreciate donations toward seats whether or not you plan to attend, and if you would like to attend but can’t afford it, we will do our best to have a place for you.  If you would like to attend, please contact Katherine Connor by this Thursday.  If you would like to donate Silent Auction items, please contact Amy Rogers: [email protected] or (573)418-6576.

We are also working on raising the money we need to replace the carpet in our Sanctuary.  If you would like to contribute, there is a gold box for donations on the table by the window where the entry hall leads into the sanctuary, or you can contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Registration is now open for the UUA’s annual General Assembly.  This year’s GA is close to home, in Kansas City, June 20th-24th.  Those who have attended GA in the past report an amazing and inspiring experience.  Financial aid is available through the UUA, and the UUFJC Board is also interested in helping members and friends attend.  For more information, visit UUA.org/GA

The UUA’s Commission on Appraisal is also seeking input on possible study topics, exploring larger issues that affect Unitarian Universalism.  They are seeking views from individual UUs through an online survey; please follow the link if you would like to contribute: UU Commission on Appraisal Study Topic Selection

We are moving to a new system for accessing the building.  You may have seen the push-button lock on the front door, and for those who will need to access the building, the board will now be giving out access codes rather than physical keys.  Keys still work on the other doors, but those locks are likely to be changed as well in the near future.  If you have questions or have physical keys you would prefer to turn in at this point, please see a member of the board.

This Thursday, March 8th at 7 pm, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building, in the Sanctuary.  For more information, contact [email protected].

At the same time, this Thursday at 7 pm, the American Association of University Women also meets in our building, in the Forum Room.  This month's presentation: "What's Eating You? What Science Tells Us About Food, Weight and Health" by Nancy Ellis-Ordway, LCSW, PhD, plus news on the Association's recent and ongoing activities.  Contact Charlotte Parsons.

This Saturday, March 10th at 1:30 pm, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers group meets at our building.  Contact Patt Behler.

The UUFJC Board meets next Sunday, March 11th at 6:30 pm.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  Contact our president, Katherine Connor.

Coming Monday, March 12th, we will be having a workday to clean up our library starting at 5:30 pm.  Helping hands are appreciated.  Contact Katherine Connor.

Later that evening, Monday March 12th at 7 pm is our monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month, Stephanie Clark, a math instructor at Lincoln University and president of the faculty Senate, will speak on “women in math.”  Contact Carol Bontempo or Frank Rycyk.

Community Events this week:

A civil rights prosecutor speaks in Columbia and Jefferson City this week.  Jim Turner, a Missouri School of Journalism alum (1952), was a prominent attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for about three decades.  He prosecuted the KKK for killing activist Viola Liuzzo, one of the saints of the Civil Rights era.  A Unitarian from Detroit, she drove down to Alabama to participate in the Selma-Montgomery march.  Liuzzo was murdered the evening after MLK Jr.’s triumphant speech at the conclusion of the Selma-Montgomery march in March 1965.  Turner has a new book about the case titled Selma and the Liuzzo Murder Trials and published by University of Michigan Press in January.  He will speak at the MU Law School, Room 5, Tuesday, March 6th at 1 pm.  Then Wednesday, March 7th, at Journalism/RJI, Smith Forum, Room 200 at 6:30 pm.  On Thursday, March 8, he will speak at 1 pm at Lincoln University’s Page Library in Jefferson City.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "The Florida Project" (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!

This Sunday, our own Alexis Engelbrecht wrapped up our month of reflections on "Perseverance" with a message about the balance of perseverance and discernment.  Some of the paths we need to follow are indeed hard and uncomfortable and call for us to carry on in the face of adversity.  However, our desire for mission and meaning and our fear or guilt about quitting can tempt us to become stubborn and inflexible and limit ourselves.  Alexis suggested that, rather than committing inflexibly to a single course of action, we focus on the values toward which we can persist while being flexible.  We can honor the warning signs that come to protect us and others, and we can remember the UU insight that revelation is continuous.  Sometimes we may choose a wrong path, but if we learn from the mistakes and evolve, even the paths we abandon can become part of our continuing road toward our highest values.

Our March Newsletter and Calendar are now ready to view or download:
Newsletter
Calendar

Next Sunday, March 4th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"The Secret to Midcareer Success," Frank Rycyk
Professor Michael S. Malone observes that "star employees can rise only so far unless they develop social or 'secondary' skills."

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "He Answers the Moon Because He Can See It," Rev. Mike Adamek
A man in a Hawaiian shirt is sitting on the California beach at night.  A companion questions him as they gaze at the moon, “Which is closer, the moon or New York city?”  He answers the moon because he can see it.  What we see is not always more real than abstract ideas.  We need to balance what our senses tell us about the world and the abstract ideas we need to understand the world. We will touch on Dark Matter and the loss of privacy in our exploration.
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 --- Balance and Justice (Holi, Hindu Festival of Colors, March 5th)

UUFJC News and Events this week:

The March newsletter and print calendar are ready.  Paper copies are available in the box on the wall near the entrance.  Electronic copies are available at the links above and will be available through our website tomorrow.

We are working on raising the money we need to replace the carpet in our Sanctuary.  If you would like to contribute, there is a gold box for donations on the table by the window where the entry hall leads into the sanctuary, or you can contact our Treasurer, Bob Antweiler.

Monday, February 26th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly Assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  See Katherine Connor for more information.

The FBI in association with local law enforcement agencies is hosting a Community Forum on Protecting Houses of Worship.  RSVPs are due this Thursday, March 1st, and the forum itself will take place Thursday, March 8th from 6-8 pm.  See the flier on the bulletin board for more information.

Beginning this Thursday, March 1st and continuing Tuesdays and Thursdays in March, Jan Harcourt will be holding a "Move for Fun and Health" class in our building from 11:45 am to 1 pm.  Contact Jan for details.

Community Events this week:

Monday, February 26th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library presents: "Propagation & Care of Succulents, Including Cacti."  Master Gardener Ray Evans has years of experience growing and caring for all kinds of plants, but he has a special fondness for succulents. He will explain where to grow succulents and how to cultivate, propagate and maintain these fascinating plants. This is the program to attend if you’ve ever wondered why your Christmas cactus died or why the jade plant you’ve tended for years isn’t thriving. Learn from the expert.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This Thursday, March 1st, a new class with Rev. Nancy TannerThies begins at Sapattu: "Possibility and Power: Admitting Who We Are - Claiming our Responsibilities."  This 8 month online class begins March 1st and runts through the end of October.  Cost: $145  ($25 non-refundable registration fee due at signup, remainder of fee due before April 1st.)  If you have any questions or would like a registration form, contact Rev. Nancy.

This Friday, March 2nd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, MRRL presents their monthly First Friday Film.  This month's selection: "Darkest Hour."  Within days of becoming Great Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill faces a defining trial with the looming threat of Nazi invasion.  He stand firm and rallies his nation for the fight ahead.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents "Call Me By Your Name" (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 gathered again after last week's unfriendly weather, and we continued our monthly theme of Perseverance with a message from Rev. Nancy TannerThies.  Nancy reminded us how challenging Perseverance can be in our daily lives -- those of us who do crafts may have embarrassing stashes of "UFOs" (UnFinished Objects), but most of us also know what it's like to try and try again to get something right or to stick with something that seems to give no return.  Rev. Nancy shared a list of seven qualities that lead to Perseverance: the ability to find meaning in our experiences, to be vulnerable and ask trusted others for help, to be supportive in how we relate to ourselves, to trust in uncertainty, to have a sense of humor, to maintain equanimity, and to keep things in perspective and practice gratitude.  However, Nancy suggested, even with all of that, Perseverance seems to require something more.  It is something deep in our core, she said, that can call us to persevere, and she invited us to listen inside ourselves for the perhaps-faint voice that "pulses with longing" even against the odds.

Next Sunday, February 25th:

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
"Congregational Study and Action," Betty Cooper
In January, our President Katherine Conner, sent a letter asking if anyone was willing to facilitate a congregational examination of the CSAIs (Congregational Study and Action Issues).  Katherine represents perseverance—a responsible vibrant leader seeking assistance for a worthwhile social justice issue, CSAI. The Congregational Study/Action Issue, currently is “The Corruption of our Democracy.”  Connected with the CSAI issue we will read ideas from Frances Moore Lappe’s books, Democracy’s Edge, and Getting A Grip.  

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Carrying On and the Art of Discernment," Alexis Engelbrecht
Description:Perseverance brings our hopes to life and accompanies living with intention. Sometimes, however, a U-turn or change in direction might be called for. This service will explore the relationship between discernment and perseverance.
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 --- "Perseverance and Laughter" (Purim)

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Sanctuary has a new look!  Members of our worship service committee and board have discovered that by using the space differently, we have room to welcome more people.  We're still working out the details, so let us know what you think.

Tomorrow, Monday, February 19th at 6:30 pm, a local Girl Scout troop meets at our building.  Contact Kim Connor.

The UUFJC Board meeting that had been announced for Sunday evening has been rescheduled to this Tuesday afternoon, February 20th at 2:30 pm in the Forum Room.  All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  See our president, Katherine Connor, for more information.

This Thursday, February 22nd, the local Transgender Support Group meets in our building at 7 pm.  Contact [email protected].

This Friday, February 23rd is our regularly scheduled monthly Salvation Army work day.  However, one of our organizers is unavailable this month, and we don't yet know if we will be serving.  Please contact Jim Babb for updates.

Also this Friday, February 23rd, Citizens for Peace present their monthly peacebuilding documentary film at our building at 6 pm.  This month's selection: Tomorrow's Children: A Blueprint For Partnership Education In The 21st Century (2001).  Contact Betty Cooper.

This Saturday, February 25th, the Hola Amigos Spanish Speakers group meets in our building from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.  Contact Patt Behler.

Next Sunday, February 25th, a Soul Matters small group meets from 2 - 4 pm.  This group is now full; please contact Alexis if you would like to participate in future small group meetings in person or online.

And coming Monday, February 26th, Faith Voices for Jefferson City holds its monthly Assembly at 6:30 pm at Quinn Chapel AME Church.  See Katherine Connor for more information.

Community Events this week:

This Thursday, February 22nd at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a presentation on "Missouri in the Civil War."  Description:During the Civil War, only Virginia and Tennessee saw more action than Missouri. In their new book, The Civil War Missouri Compendium: Almost Unabridged, Joseph “Whit” McCoskrie and Brian Warren provide a chronological overview of more than 300 documented battles and engagements that took place in the state. They will discuss the research for their book and present maps that help visualize the conflict in Missouri and its overall influence on the western theater. Their book will be available for sale and signing.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents the Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts (Tuesday and Wednesday) and "Call Me By Your Name" (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!

This weekend offered us a reminder that our monthly theme, Perseverance, does not mean moving forward no matter what.  Sustainable perseverance requires us to use discernment and care to keep ourselves and others safe and well.

With that in mind, Sunday's services were canceled due to the wintry weather and dangerous road conditions.  We hope that everyone is safe and warm!  

Perseverance at a time like this means taking care through the storm and being there when the storm passes --- so, weather permitting, we hope to see you all next week!

Next Sunday, February 18th:

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

Adult Forum - 9:15 am
Special Guest Speaker Deanna Alonso; Frank Rycyk moderating
Deanna has kindly agreed to reschedule her forum appearance to next week.  She is Executive Director of the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association.  Her journey from homelessness to Executive Director well illustrates our monthly theme of "Perseverance."

Service and Religious Education - 10:30 am
Message: "Pulsing with Longing," Rev. Nancy TannerThies
Rev. Nancy will be exploring “how we move beyond intention again and again.”
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 --- "Perseverance and Kindness" (Random Acts of Kindness)

UUFJC Board - 6:30 pm
All are welcome to attend our board meetings.  For draft agenda and more information, contact our president, Katherine Connor.

UUFJC News and Events this week:

Our Sanctuary has a new look!  Members of our worship service committee and board have discovered that by using the space differently, we have room to welcome more people.  We're still working out the details, so let us know what you think.

Monday, February 12th at 7 pm is the monthly UUFJC Lecture Series.  This month, Kristi Campbell, Director of the Cole County Health Department will speak about "The Flu: Myth and Reality."

Community Events this week:

This Tuesday, February 13th at 7 pm in their Art Gallery, Missouri River Regional Library hosts a discussion about Lincoln University’s Ethnic Studies Center.  Mark Schleer, archivist at Lincoln University, will discuss the Ethnic Studies Collection at Page Library on the LU campus. He will describe the development of the collection over the years, unique items in the collection, and how the collection supports LU’s academic program.  Contact Madeline Matson.

This week, Capitol City Cinema presents the Oscar-Nominated Animated Short Films (Tuesday and Wednesday), and "I, Tonya" (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!