Long before there were Unitarian Universalists, there were prayer beads!  These beads are found in most cultures and religions across the world and come to us from antiquity. Join Faith Development Assistant Margo Whitcomb on Sunday, February 23 to learn about these diverse practices. After some grounding and focusing exercises for all ages, we will connect to this rich history by making our own sacred strands. Materials and snacks provided. No registration is necessary; just come and join us. Open to children, youth and adults directly following the New Member Recognition.

As a faith community that aspires to be welcoming and culturally diverse, we have work to do. The history of our country and our UU faith have left us a heritage of white supremacy that we often cannot even see. It is the air we breathe. Achieving cultural diversity will demand more than just the desire to do so. "Knotty Conversations," a five-part online webinar series hosted by the UUA, is intended for individuals of any racial/ethnic identity who are navigating the challenges of dismantling white supremacy in and with their congregations.

Several First UU members attended the first Knotty Conversations webinar on Cultural Appropriation. But you need not have attended that webinar to participate in the next webinar: Calling Out, Calling In, and Staying Together. This webinar will focus on strategies for offering feedback when an individual or a group has behaved in racist, oppressive, or harmful ways. The webinar will take place Tuesday, February 25 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. You can participate online in the comfort of your home or join a group of us at the First UU Meeting House. Wherever you plan to participate,  register online before 12 p.m. on Friday, February 21 (tomorrow!). If you'd like to join us at the Meeting House please email Peggy Owen-Sands at  [email protected] so we know to expect you.

In case you forgot, Realm is our new database program that enables our staff, leadership, and members to communicate, pledge, set up automatic pledge payments, see events and groups, and so much more! This past Tuesday our Group Leaders met for their quarterly MAG (Ministry Area Gathering) and did a two hour Realm Training! They all activated their accounts, and learned how to populate their groups and create events. They even learned how to invite their group members to join Realm. 

So you are probably wondering, "When is Christina gonna stop talking about this and invite me already?" Great question! Many Group Leaders have already begun inviting people to activate their Realm accounts, so if you've already received that invitation, go ahead and join! I will be taking the last week of February off for a little R&R and time with my grandbabies. When I return on March 1st, I plan to send an invitation to everyone in the congregation!!!  

The invitation includes a few tips and also a link to a step by step guide on how to Activate your Realm Account. It's really easy and only takes a few minutes. So watch your email for your invitation to Realm. During the month of March, we'll have some folks in the Community Room ready if you need help activating your account. And if you just can't wait, send me an email at  [email protected] and I'll send you an invitation right away!

In the month of January, our congregation shared our plate with four organizations for a total of $1,009! The organizations that benefited from our generosity this month are: 350 VT, Black Lives UU, AALV and Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center. 

In February we will be sharing our collections with the following organizations: 2/2 - VT Interfaith Action, 2/9 - Migrant Justice, 2/16 - Peace & Justice Center, 2/23 - VT Diversity Health Project.  

In addition to putting cash in the plate on Sunday mornings, you can also contribute to the "Loose Plate for Charity" from our website:  www.uusociety.org  and also by texting  Steeple Outreach to 73256.