|
|
Live Oak
Unitarian Universalist Church
|
|
Worship
April 4, 2021
10:00am
Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford
Easter Sunday: Here Comes the Sun
A year ago, Easter brought the dawning realization that our lives might be dramatically changed by the pandemic, and for longer than a couple of weeks. This year, our circumstances are similar ... but the hope we now have changes everything.
Join us for Worship at 10:00am: the link will be on the Live Oak homepage: www.liveoakuu.org
Share the Plate
Healthcare Is a Human Right. Share-the-Plate to clear their debt.
Our April 2021 Share the Plate community partner is RIP Medical Debt. RIP uses donors’ funds to wipe out medical debt from the neediest cases, and every $1 donated forgives $100 in medical debt. Every day 79,000,000 Americans choose between paying their medical bills and basic needs like food and shelter. Sixty-six percent of all US bankruptcies are due to medical debt and 25% of all US credit card debt is medical debt. RIP specifically focuses on “hot spots” around the county, those places most in need of medical debt relief, and Texas is one of those hot spots. So far they have paid off nearly $4 billion in medical debt and have provided relief for nearly 2.5 million American families. You can read more about their mission at ripmedicaldebt.org.
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”. In addition to those designated donations, half of all undesignated gifts in April will go to the fund.
February recipient: Minister's Discretionary Fund $2750
|
A Few Words from the Minister
For the next five months, we will be in a liminal space to beat all liminal spaces. We are between the large spaces of the Before Times and the Post-Pandemic Times, and we are also between the small spaces of the Pandemic Time and the Recovery Time. Read more
|
A Few Words from the DLFD
Faith Development 3.29 to 4.4.21
The latest news on faith development... read more
|
|
Bylaws Rewrite Townhall
Three diligent members have been working to simplify and update our bylaws (the base governing documents of our church) for the past 6 months. You are invited to attend a town-hall meeting about the bylaws update on April 11 following the service. There will be a short presentation on material changes to how we govern (like changes to voting rules on the board) followed by plenty of time for Q&A. Feel free to review the updated bylaws before the meeting and send feedback to Linda to collate. The goal is for these updates to be voted on in the May congregational meeting. Read more
|
|
Faith in Action Workshop
Eight people attended the Faith in Action workshop to be led by Heather Vickery on Saturday, March 27th. The workshop helped us understand how a congregational social justice ministry is structured, developed, and maintained. We learned how to form a social justice framework where the following parameters are studied and brought together under each focus area:
1) Grounding Ourselves in Our Faith
2) Grassroots Partnership
3) Modes of Action
4) Capacity
5) Achievable Goals
6) Reflective
Then we discussed that LOUU has two current projects: Literacy (ESL) and Hunger (Food Bank Fridays). Others are interested in anti-racism work. Perhaps there are ways to bring in anti-racism in our two present projects.
Anyone who is interested in these topics and how LOUU will define and support their ongoing projects can connect with Carmen Rumbaut or Wayne Gregory.
|
|
Increasing Environmental Awareness
The Environmental Awareness Group met last week and talked about how the Polar Vortex has become unstable as a result of global warming. Then each of the participants reviewed their own carbon footprint. And concluded that we have a lot of work ahead for each of us! Think about joining this group on the 4th Thursdays of the month.
|
|
ABE Tutors Needed
Do you want an activity to punctuate your week, give you something to look forward to, help you remember what day it is? Our Adult Basic Education program needs 2 tutors right away. We're getting one student who realizes it's time to get his GED but falls short of the requirements for the Literacy Council Williamson County pre-GED program, and another who didn't learn to read or write properly due to civil war in her home country of Liberia. Our program offers one-on-one lessons to students. Training is provided. If you can spend 1 1/2 hours each week giving an online lesson and about thirty minutes for preparation, this may be just the volunteer opportunity you've been looking for. Contact Kim Ono or Mary Hengstebeck for more information.
|
|
Opportunity – help your neighbors learn English on Zoom.
If you have been thinking you might want to help, we invite you to observe some classes.
Getting to know our wonderful students, is a great way to have a positive influence in our community. Our goal is to increase student’s confidence so they can talk with people at stores, their neighbors, their children’s teachers, and health professionals. Our goal is not perfect grammar or perfect pronunciation.
Anyone who wants to teach or assist, will work with current teachers to become familiar with our classroom activities. You determine when and how much you want to participate. Conversation classes are 1.5 hours, and we structure them so that the students are doing 80% of the talking.
If you would like more information, please contact Mary Hengstebeck or 512-983-7009.
|
|
Live Oak Seniors' Coffee Hour
Join us for Coffee hour on Thursdays at 10:30am. On the 1st & 3rd week of the month, Rev. Joanna will lead a lively discussion. The other weeks will be an informal gathering. The Zoom link will be on the What's Happening page.
|
|
|
LiveOakUU.org Pages to Visit:
|
|
Each Friday at 6:30 p.m. Join us for Friday Fellowship with Rev. Betty. Friday Fellowship includes meditation, readings, homily and discussion. All are welcome! Co-sponsored by UU Free Range Ministry and UBarU Camp & Retreat Center registration
Each Friday at 10 a.m. Friday Dance as a spiritual practice, for all ages (adults and kids), genders, abilities, and fitness levels. Set an intention for joy, energy, movement, and community. Open to UUs and wider community, led by Community Minister Rev. Erin Walter. Questions or song requests, contact [email protected] link
Youth Summer camps- dates are based on age of camper
|
|
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: [email protected]
|
|
Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church
(737) 240-3455 | 3315 El Salido Pkwy, Cedar Park, TX 78613
www.liveoakuu.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
