January 27, 2022
This Week
Worship
January 30, 10:00am - online or outside (weather permitting)
“Don’t Forget Love”
Carrie Krause
In today’s world, it can be easy to be angry, resentful, even hateful. Unitarian Universalism calls us to love boldly. Join Carrie Krause for her last sermon at Live Oak as she recalls her time here and shares her last lesson for us on living into a value of love beyond belief.


Join us online for Worship at 10:00am. The link will be on the Live Oak homepage: www.liveoakuu.org.

Join us for Fellowship Time immediately following the service (approx. 10:15/10:30 or 12:15/12:30): https://link.liveoakuu.org/FellowshipHour
Share the Plate
Give to Buildings and Grounds for the fifth Sunday
Let’s show some love to our own large building and captivating grounds by giving to Share the Plate for January’s fifth Sunday. While we all haven’t been sitting in the building for most of a couple years, the needs of our physical church have continued.

Go to the Donate link on the Live Oak website’s home page. Use the drop down menu to designate your donation for “Share the Plate”.
A Few Words from the Minister
A Strange Goodbye to a Wonderful Person
Rebecca Maze has been our Music Director for 27 years. We say goodbye and thank you for all that she has given us. Read more


A Few Words from the DLFD
(Director of Lifespan Faith Development)
Faith Development 1.24 to 1.30.22
This week's updates...read more


Goodbye, Live Oak from Rebecca Maze
Simply typing the title of this feels unreal. “Live Oak” includes so much. There have been so many people in our church over the course of these years. Babies who have babies now, many folks who have moved elsewhere or out of this world entirely, and people I have not known nearly long enough. And there are many I have had the good fortune to continue to grow through life with, for a good many years.

I am so thankful for this. It really has been most of my adult life, and even though there have been very good times and very bad times, as is the nature of most jobs, how many people get to work in a place where striving to be a better person is the ultimate goal? The course of life for me and my family has been largely steered by this church, and I feel very fortunate for that.My parents would be so happy to know that the music education they worked so hard to pay for was so bountiful for me and my family.

I want to thank the entire church, past and present, for employing me. I especially want to thank the present staff, Rev. Joanna, Diane, and Carrie, for slogging through these last few years with me, with so much courage, determination, sensitivity, and grace. Thanks to the many musicians over the years, who have cheerfully shared their talents. And most especially, I thank my choir family. I love you guys. You make it all worthwhile. May your next music director find their life as enriched as I have in serving here.

Love, Rebecca

Special Notices
Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development Named
The search for a new Lifespan Faith Development Director is in progress, but because Carrie's last day is February 6, the Board asked Rev. Joanna to hire a part-time Acting DLFD to keep the program running until the new person begins.

We are pleased to share that member Cindy La Greca has accepted this temporary position. Please support her as she takes on this role that is made more challenging by the pandemic, and let her know how you are able to assist her.

C.T. Goss, President
Rev. Joanna

30th Anniversary Fête Team Forming - Join the fun!
This October, Live Oak will celebrate our 30th anniversary, and we want to do it up right. A team is forming and we need people who enjoy throwing parties, or know the history of Live Oak; people who can write press releases or do graphic design, who like to shop, or are skilled at organizing all the pieces. If you're interested in joining the team, email minister@liveoakuu.org and let me know!


Member Connections
We’ll be featuring members who joined Live Oak during these many pandemic months in our newsletters. Welcome, Sarah.

Sarah Bowers is looking for community service opportunities at Live Oak and is already active in our Social Justice Ministry. But she is not new to Unitarianism, having been a member of two other UU churches.

“I like that Live Oak has an active community with different things to get involved with and has an emphasis on being intergenerational,” she said.

Sarah was born in Austin but moved as a young child to New Hampshire and eventually Dallas before returning here. She lives with her husband, Chris, and two dachshund/yorkie mix rescues named Jake and Odie. She is a data analyst for the Department of State Health Services.

Her interests are wide ranging, from crocheting to geocaching to training on aerial silks. She’s visited every one of the lower 48 states, with Alaska and Hawaii on her wish list. Her happy place (restaurant category) is a food truck called Little Thai Food in South Austin. “The food is really great,” she said, “but I always return because the owner is so friendly and hospitable.”

Social Justice Ministry Intergenerational Activity
Love Guides Our Vote
Yes, Valentines and Voting go together like Sugar and Spice! On February 13th the Social Justice Voting Rights Team is sponsoring a Valentine's activity for all ages after the church service.

We will have cards to decorate on one side; the other side will have printed information about voting like dates, registration and what's on the ballot. After all, the first day of early voting is on Valentine's Day!

This is a great way to be creative and raise awareness on the importance of voting. Our democracy is in trouble. Wouldn't it be great to be a 100% voting congregation! - Carolyn Dower

Help Build the New Website!
If you have photos of church activities, we'd love to showcase them on the upcoming new website. Email your photos to Audrey McCann

Senior Coffee
Join Rev. Joanna on Zoom for the Senior Coffee. The link is on the What's Happening page. Here are the discussion topics coming up:
February 3 Best Trip You Ever Took
February 17 Marriage and Other Partnerships

Live Oak UU Endowment Grants
Do you know an organization that might benefit from an outreach grant from our Church? The Endowment Committee has voted to accept new grant proposals with a deadline of April 30, 2022. The expectation is to fund any approved grants by August 1, 2022. This is an opportunity for you to help the Endowment Committee by reaching out to your favorite charitable organization and spread the word.

Proposals may be from UU congregations, community organizations, or their affiliated groups. Organizations do not have to be UU to apply but need to support or advance UU values.

The Endowment was created with the mission of providing grants that support UU values through congregational growth, as well as social and environmental action initiatives.

As a reminder, grants are not awarded for the following purposes: debt reduction, bridge financing, or matching funds for other grants.
More details and the grant proposal application are on the Live Oak UU Church website at - http://www.liveoakuu.org/endowment/

THIS SUNDAY 1/30 3PM CT: TEXAS UU GET-OUT-THE-VOTE PHONE BANK!
UU the Vote and the Texas UU Justice Ministry are hosting a national phone bank specifically for Texas -- to turn out Texas voters in the upcoming March 1st primary election. You will get trained in the phone bank, with an easy script to use. Be part of this fun, purposeful action, and a special part of the 30 Days of Love campaign! While voter suppression laws and partisan redistricting, abortion restrictions, and climate crises threaten the lives, safety, and political power in BIPOC and other marginalized communities in Texas, we can work together to make sure those community voices are heard in the 2022 primary. Link to register

Registration for SWUUWCon 2022 is now OPEN!

Early Bird Registration ends January 28, 2022

Conference information here.
LiveOakUU.org Pages to Visit:
Worship Service & Fellowship Hour: http://www.liveoakuu.org/
Community Outreach & Social Justice: http://www.liveoakuu.org/justice/
The deadline for the weekly e-newsletter and the Sunday announcements is midnight on Tuesday. The submission form can be found here
If you have any questions or comments about this Newsletter please email: editor@liveoakuu.org