May 19, 2022
This Week
Worship
May 22nd 10:00am - In Person or online
"Creativity Takes Courage"
Rev. Jami Yandle

Artist Henri Matisse tells us, “Creativity takes courage.” All forms of art can be a deeply spiritual practice which connects us to our core values and encourages us to nurture beauty in our lives. This week we will honor our core value of courage as we explore art as a spiritual practice.

Join us in person (or online) for Worship at 10:00am. The link will be on the Live Oak homepage: www.liveoakuu.org. Click the "Watch Now" button.

Join us for Fellowship Time immediately following the service: https://link.liveoakuu.org/FellowshipHour

Share the Plate
Help trans Texans under attack
Live Oak will share donations in May with the Transgender Education Network of Texas. This nonprofit's efforts are all the more critical this year in light of dire anti-trans actions emanating from the governor's office. TENT provides educational programs on trans issues to businesses, schools, city governments and other groups. It advocates for transgender students in the classroom; works for ordinances around the state to include protections of gender identity; and, among other things, provides resources for transgender Texans and their families. It partners with other equality organizations during Texas Legislature sessions to fight proposed bills that harm transgender adults and kids.

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
Rev. Joanna will be on sabbatical through August 31. During this time, we will be sharing some of her writings.

Today's: "THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THING I'LL WRITE ALL YEAR." Back when you were a kid, you learned a lesson. It was wrong. And it's time for you to unlearn it.


Special Notices
Gassing up the Large Project Fund
We need your help to "gas up" the large project fund on this 5th Sunday! In 2022 we had several large expenses come up this year that we couldn't wait on (major parking lot tree trimming and most recently a gas main leak), and both the Repairs and Large Projects budgets are over-budget. Donate here today!


Vote for Items in the Congregational Meeting
Please vote for the items in the Congregational Meeting by May 22. Click on the link to vote . Also, the recorded Congregational Meeting is on YouTube.
New web team forming
Your website needs you
There's a new website in town, and we need to form a team to help maintain it. We plan to create accounts on the site and let users maintain their own pages, but we will still need administrators to help users when they need help. Also, I suspect that we're going to find that there is content from the old website that's going to need a new home, although we're not quite sure what means at the moment.

So, if you know something about Word Press websites, we could use your help. If you want to learn about web sites, here's your chance. I don't expect this to be a time consuming job.

If this is of any interest to you, please email webmaster@liveoakuu.org.

Mike Schultz

What Happened to the What's Happening Page?
The What's Happening page lives here now. The link is posted on the home page of the new website. Scroll down and click on the picture of the calendar.

Live Oak’s Got Talent!
No judges. No audience voting. Just amazing skills to show-off.
All summer long, we will have time in service for any LOUUer to show off their talent. Sign up here to pick your day, and start practicing. One act per week (group or individual) and all ages and talents welcome. Acts should generally run under 10 minutes but if you need more time, just let us know. You can define the word “talent” any way you want, so be creative! Let’s show Reverend Jami what we have!

Creative Reuse
Attention: crafters, artists, woodworkers
Our Share the Plate recipient for June will be Austin Creative Reuse, which sells gently used creative materials to keep them out of the landfill and to foster conservation. Beginning in June, in addition to StP monetary gifts, we’ll collect reusable items in a designated box in the Narthex to be donated to Creative Reuse.

This is a great chance to clear out your excess paints, paper, fabric, pens, brushes, stickers, clay, yarn, hardware, tools – the list is almost endless. You can go to https://austincreativereuse.org/material-donations to find out the many categories they accept. Start now gathering what you want to be rid of in June.
Fresh Food for all
Volunteers needed for Friday May 20th

This month, on Friday, May 20th, Fresh Food For All participants will be able to select their own produce (Farmer's Market style), instead of having the prepackaged produce placed in their car trunks. This means that we will no longer need volunteers on Thursday to sort the food, but we will need more volunteers on Friday to help with directing traffic, weighing the food, and helping people carry food to their cars. If you can help anytime on May 20th between 8:30 and 11AM, RSVP to Donna Durbin.
Exploring Membership Class May 22nd
Interested in learning more about Live Oak Church and becoming a member?
Why do we light a chalice? What does it mean to be a member of Live Oak? Donna Durbin and I will lead this "Exploring Membership" workshop where we'll get to know each other, talk a little bit about Unitarian Universalism, and a lot about Live Oak.
You are invited to this Exploring Membership workshop, Sunday May 22 at noon. The meeting will be in room 106.
Becky McPherson
Membership Team Chair

Answers for All Your Live Oak Questions
Questions Big and Small: May 25th at 6:30pm

In an effort to contribute to the flow of information LOUU, we are trying out a new opportunity for both New and Seasoned folks to ask those questions that cross our minds from time to time. And, hopefully provide some answers!

Here’s what we’re going to try, and likely tweak as needed:

· A monthly zoom opportunity to “drop in” and ask about whatever you’d like to know about Live Oak. Maybe “who’s responsible for something”, or “when can I light a candle on Sundays”, or “I have a skill, but I don’t know how to find out if anyone needs what I have to offer”, or is there a team for “X”, or “I heard there’s a new Website coming, how will we know when?”, etc. Pretty much anything!

· The questions will be gathered by the “host”, and passed on to a designated person or group who will provide answers. Unless you request that your name be associated with the question you ask, there won’t be any attribution.

· The answers will appear (as they are available) in the weekly News Letter under a section called “The Answers”. If you have a question, you can bet there are other folks who want to know the answer too!

There’s a great opportunity for learning for all involved, “questioners” and “answerers”, as well as the general congregation. Who knows what could come from all of this sharing of information?

The meeting, hosted by Carol Sheffield, will happen on the 4th Wednesday, 6:30-7:30pm. The next meeting is May 25th. The Zoom link is: https://link.liveoakuu.org/Questions

Environmental Awareness Team Meeting
Have you ever thought about what happens to our cell phones after we have no more use for them? At the May meeting, we will explore the problem of soaring e-waste affects on the health of millions of children. You are invited to participate in the May meeting of the Environmental Awareness Team on 4th Thursday, May 26th at 6:30pm.

Please join us. Zoom Link: https://link.liveoakuu.org/Environment
Chris Mihealsick
For More Information: environment@liveoakuu.org

Meditation Interest Group
The Live Oak Meditation Group is now meeting again in the library on Sundays from noon to 1:30 PM. Meetings consist of a 2 minute or so personal check-in to update the group on what is going on in your life, a 20-minute period of meditation (sitting on a cushion or in a chair), a 5-minute walking meditation, followed by a reading and discussion of a book on meditation practice or objectives that has been selected by group vote. There is also a Zoom link up. These are open sittings so that you can also come late or leave early. Membership is open to adults who are either inside the Live Oak community or outside the Live Oak community. For more information, contact John Danewicz.

In the Community
Shalom Austin JFS - LGBTQ+ learning series
Join the Greater Austin Area Jewish Community for a series of five talks on gender and sexuality!
Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service is proud to present a series of five talks on gender and sexuality at five area Jewish Congregations! We’ll be covering topics like LGBTQ+ 101, LGBTQ+ and Judaism, and how to support LGBTQ+ kids. Our hope is that by learning together, we’re building a more inclusive and welcoming Jewish community.

Each session will be offered in person and on Zoom. The first one, LGBTQ+ 101: Understanding the Alphabet, is next Thursday, May 19th! The one meeting in the LOUU building on June 9th is Getting Nerdy with JFS: LGBTQ+ across cultures and history. Click here for more information and to register: www.shalomaustin.org/LGBTQSeries

UBarU Events

UBarU Summer Youth camp dates:
Primary camp for campers ages 9-11 or rising* grades 4-6th - June 5-June 11, 2022

Intermediate camp for campers age 12-14 or rising grades - 7-9th June 12-18, 2022

Senior camp camp - for campers age 15-18 or rising grades 10th-2022 high school graduates - June 19-25, 2022

* “rising” means this is the grade the camper will attend in the fall of 2022, not the grade they have just completed.

Detailed information can be found at https://www.ubaru.org/summer-camps where there is all the information about COVID precautions, expectations, and cost for this summer.
Summer Family Camp
Spend time with your family in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! This Memorial Day weekend Family camp will offer opportunities to learn, grow, and share as a family, as well as opportunities for parents to enjoy some free time and activities designed just for them. Other activities will include cookouts, campfires, archery, swimming, games, nature education, and a star party (pending conditions).  Programming is being planned for kids and adults. Register at UBarU.org
Young Adult Weekend
Young Adults (ages 18-30 years) are invited to camp for a weekend of camp activities including swimming, archery, games, crafts, labyrinth walking and more! June 25-27 are the dates which is a Saturday to Monday. You are invited to participate in the youth Bridging ceremony to invite the 2022 High school graduates into young adulthood. Lodging will be in the Brown Center bunks and private rooms. Meals are included along with the activities. Early bird price is $125. Discount offered for adults chosen to be counselors for youth camp. See application and job description for Adult Camp counselors at the youth camps page. 

Genderfuul Retreat
Join us at camp July 8-10, 2022! The Genderfuul retreat is an affirming retreat where trans, non-binary & agender UU adults can build community with each other. From nature walks to spiritual discussions and crafts, we hope that each person is able to relax and connect with the sacredness of being genderful. Our chaplain will foster an environment where everyone is encouraged to acknowledge and value the wide variety of identities, experiences, feelings, vocabulary and traumas that come with existing in an often oppressively gendered world.
In addition to discussions, crafts, meals and lodging, the weekend will include swimming in the UBarU stock tank pool, walking the labyrinth, resting and renewing your body and spirit. Register at UBarU.org
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 
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