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In the Interim: 10/11/2019

meg-rileyMy 23 year old, Jie, recently visited Minnesota from Western Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley area if you know it.  “Why do you live here?” Jie asked.  “It’s so ugly, and boring, and flat!”

I replied, “I don’t know why, but this just feels like home to me.  I belong here.”

Jie persisted, “But it is so much more beautiful where I live!”

I’m out visiting Jie now, after a UU conference in Connecticut, and I can’t disagree.  The trees are ablaze in reds and golds, there are mountains with streams and rivers tumbling down them, and I absolutely love the stone walls that are frequently seen around New England fields.  It’s absolutely beautiful.  I love it.  It’s much more dramatic and wild than Minnesota.  And…  It doesn’t feel like home.  Though I love to visit, I don’t feel a sense of belonging there. Continue reading →

by adminuucm

Submit Photos for Oct. 27 All Souls Service

In this service, we will be honoring beloved ones, human or animal, who have died. Please email photos of your loved ones to office@uucmtka.org. Use “All Souls Day” as the subject line. In the email, include the name(s) of the deceased and the UUCM person(s) to whom they are connected. If you only have photo prints, bring them to church during office hours and Allison can scan them for you. We will share these images in a slideshow. The submission deadline is Sunday, October 20.

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Social Justice Action Updates: October 2019

UUCM’s Social Justice Ministry keeps members and friends informed about upcoming social justice events and activities of interest. We encourage you to participate and help build the congregation’s capacity to educate, serve, witness, and advocate for social justice. If you have a social justice event you would like to publicize, contact John Ziegenhagen.

EVENTS

Friday, October 25

YOU are invited to MUUSJA JAMS (Justice Awards & Musical Soiree) MUUSJA, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, serves like the powerful mirrors of a lighthouse amplifying your UU candles, beaming through the foggy dark to warn of dangers and light a way towards justice for the earth and all its people. MUUSJA JAMS features great music, awards and accolades, memories, good food and kids’ space! We’re planning “watch parties” hosted at churches in Greater Minnesota so that everyone can sing and celebrate together. For folks in the Cities, please be a “host home” and offer a bed for out of towners, if you can! From anywhere in Minnesota, please join together on Friday, October 25, 5:30-8:30pm at United Theological Seminary in Saint Paul & LIVE-STREAMED statewide to your homes or satellite parties. Supper is free & kids are welcome! Register at https://www.muusja.org/youre-invited-to-muusja-jams/ Contact Director@MUUSJA.org or 612-927-2072 for accommodations & questions. Check out muusja.org or LIKE them on Facebook, and sign up for updates via the email newsletter at http://bit.ly/MUUSJA_090819.

October 30-November 2

Harper-Jordan Memorial Symposium, Hotel InterContinental, 11 Kellogg Blvd. E., St. Paul.  BLUU (Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism) is hosting this symposium.  Paul. This is an amazing opportunity to “open ourselves up to an articulation of Unitarian Universalism that is unapologetically Black.” All are welcome. Go to https://www.blacklivesuu.com/about for more details and to register. BLUU is offering a sliding scale from $25-$150.

November 15-16 SAVE THE DATES

Overcoming Racism Conference, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul. Presented by the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC). Each day will include a full slate of workshops, with opportunities to reflect, connect, & commit.  Registration opens September 1st. Featuring.Distinguished Professor Joe Feagin, Texas A&M University, and Winona LaDuke, Environmentalist, Political Activist, Founder and Co-Director of Honor the Earth, Founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project. 

FAMILY FOCUS

Family Focus – LGBT History Month. October is LGBT History Month, which is scheduled to coincide with National Coming Out Day (October 11). There is a growing amount of great resources online to help children understand diverse identities related to gender and sexual orientation.  One fun resource is Queer Kids Stuff, a You Tube channel where “Lindsey and her teddy bear unpack important LGBTQ issues for kids.” The Human Rights Campaign also offers these resources for talking with kids about LGBT issues. Continue reading →

by adminuucm

In the Interim: 10/4/2019

terri-burnorWhat does it mean to belong to a church, to UUCM in particular? Why did you choose to become a member or attend regularly as a friend? What about this place allows you to go deeper, to give of yourself, to take risks, to seek connections, to try, to wonder, to work, to have fun?

What we love, we empower, wrote a now retired UU minister.* In your relationship with and your belonging to UUCM, you commit to empowering this place. And in return, it commits to empowering you. This happens in big and small ways through the trust, vulnerability, and openness that are required in the quality of belonging. Continue reading →

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Social Generosity Offering: October 2019

Our OCTOBER Social Generosity Offering will go to Sojourner Project. Sojourner’s mission is to provide emergency shelter, support, and legal advocacy services to those victimized by domestic violence and other forms of interpersonal violence. To that end, they provide services to victims of dating violence and sexual assault. Their ultimate goal encourages the change from crisis to stability and the transition from victim to survivor. In order to build safer communities, Sojourner conducts outreach activities and specifically designed presentations to heighten public awareness and engage groups and individuals in educational opportunities to prevent future victims and abusers.  All Sojourner services are confidential and free of charge.

Note: All cash placed in the Sunday collection, as well as checks to “UUCM” with “Social Generosity” in the memo line, will go towards the Social Generosity cause for the current month. You may also use the basket to make other contributions to UUCM. Simply make your check out to “UUCM” with instructions in the memo line.