~ SUNDAYS AT BEACON ~

WE’RE BACK IN THE SANCTUARY FOR WORSHIP! PLEASE JOIN US.

Masks are optional. (Special seating area for mask wearers is available.)

“LOVE AND SEX AFTER FIFTY”

with Dr. Andy Hogg

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2024

AT BEACON

At 10:00 A.M.

ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon - Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958.

Love is the spirit of our church. This Valentine's Day service will explore how love and sex change and develop during the second half of life. Dr. Andy Hogg is a psychologist who specializes in relationships and sexuality. There will be humorous cartoons and practical suggestions. Let your love evolve and deepen. Music will be directed by Andrew Schroeder, with accompaniment by Pete Garcia.

BEACON ALL AGES

VALENTINE'S DAY ICE CREAM SOCIAL

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2024

11:15 A.M.

Please join us for the Beacon All Ages Valentine's Day Ice Cream Social on Sunday, February 11th following the service. 

More details to come. Open to All!

KIDS AT BEACON - ALL ARE WELCOME!

Children and youth are always welcome in worship!

There are activity packets available for children during the service.

If you are bringing children for a Sunday service and would like childcare provided, please contact Linda Ochi at (619) 607-1623 or by email: [email protected]

~ THIS WEEK AT BEACON ~

INTERGENERATIONAL BUILDING BRIDGES:

BAHÁ’Í MEETING

Friday, February 9th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

via Zoom

“LOVE AND SEX AFTER FIFTY”

with Dr. Andy Hogg

Sunday, February 11th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

in the Beacon Sanctuary

BEACON ALL AGES

VALENTINE'S DAY ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Sunday, February 11th, 2024, at 11:15 a.m.

in the Beacon Social Room

CHOIR REHEARSAL

Tuesday, February 13th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

in the Beacon Sanctuary

FINANCE TEAM MEETING

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

via Zoom

See details for all events here in the e-news.  

You can keep up with future Beacon events by checking out the Beacon calendar!

MAKING MUSIC AT BEACON

Lift up your voice… All are welcome to join the choir. And it’s a great way to introduce friends who like to sing to Beacon. 

The Beacon Choir, under the direction of Andrew Schroeder and with accompanist Pete Garcia, rehearses each Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Beacon Sanctuary.

VOLUNTEER TO ORGANIZE BEACON'S CIRCLE SUPPERS!

IT’S EASY! IT’S REWARDING!

Once or twice a year for over 40 years, 30 to 50 Beaconites (Members and Friends) sign up to participate in 3-5 social events, each with a Circle of a half dozen people, over a period of 3-6 months, with each hosting one social event for that Circle. Each Circle decides when and where to meet, and whether a meal (typically a potluck) is included. Everyone laughs together and shares stories, deepens old friendships and makes new friends, gets and gives hugs.

Since Fall 2014, I (Paul Beier) have been the organizer, and I have enjoyed assembling 4 to 7 Circles once or twice a year. But it is time to pass the torch. If you want to become the organizer (or discuss the idea), let’s talk! You and I can co-organize the first round. You will enjoy spending 6 to 10 hours a year helping people make connections. And perhaps possibly you can quit before 10 years.

Call Paul at (928) 699-3578.  

CORE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (CLC) MEETING

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024, AT 6:30 P.M.

The next Core Leadership Committee meeting will be on Wednesday, February 21st, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.  Contact Dennis Spurlin if you have any questions. 

The Core Leadership Council (CLC) supports the organization primarily by facilitating communication between all the committees of the congregation with the Board and is chaired by the Board Vice President. All are welcome, and there should be at least one representative from each committee. More information about the CLC can be found here and here.

RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION

BUILDING BRIDGES

INTERGENERATIONAL BUILDING BRIDGES VISITS AT BEACON

Our middle/high school Building Bridges world religions group has evolved into an opportunity for ALL AGES to explore the beliefs of other faith communities through visits to their places of worship. 

Building Bridges is really on a roll! Three Beacon members attended a prayer meeting at the Islamic Center of Flagstaff on Friday, January 12th. We were separated by gender during the meeting with the females unable to see the speaker at all. Women warmly greeted one another and welcomed the Beacon members to the service. Part of the prayer session was in Arabic and the "teaching" segment, which was in English, referred to the situation in Gaza quite a bit. Our only Beacon male was recognized and welcomed by the speaker during the service. He also scored an English translation of the Quran! We talked with members of the community for quite a while after the service, and some of the similarities between our faiths were considered. We were all encouraged to return anytime we'd like in the future. It was a very interesting experience. 

On Friday, February 9th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., we will join a Bahá’í Meeting remotely. This should provide an excellent opportunity for interested Beacon members to participate in Building Bridges that do not wish to travel to meet with the faith community. It appears that the Bahá’í faith has much to offer us as we strengthen our understanding of the Unitarian Universalist Eighth Principle.  The week before the meeting, our contact will provide us with the topic for the meeting and the Zoom connection information.

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the date of the next visit.  

BTW, Dru is looking for ideas of faith communities Beacon members would like to visit for March, April and May. Contact her at [email protected] if you have an idea! 

CALLING ALL FACILITATORS!  Would you like to lead an Adult Education program?Bring it On! Contact Lynda Dorweiler (Beacon President) to discuss your idea and scheduling possibilities.

SHARE YOUR JOYS AND SORROWS - CHIME IN!

One way we can sustain connection is by sharing our personal joys and sorrows. These can be small things or large things that effect your life. These are spoken during service every Sunday, or you can send them to [email protected] to be shared.

JOYS AND SORROWS FROM FEBRUARY 4TH:

Tom announced that Jane Thompson and Dave, two very good friends, have sold their house and are moving to Maine: "We're going to miss them."

Joan S. stated that we have concerns for the world beyond our community--especially over what is going on in Gaza: "Let's try to think compassionately about both Israel and Palestine."

Linda shared her joy that Dennis and Theresa are safely back home in Flagstaff!

Paul expressed appreciation for a recent story in the Daily Sun about the sentencing for the truck driver who killed bicyclist Joanna Wheaton. The story is a long conversation with Wheaton's family reflecting on Joanna's lifelong dedication to rehabilitation instead of punishment. "The story is worth a read for those interested."

A Big Thank You To Everyone Who Helped With the Pancake Breakfast!

We had a very fun and successful Fat Tuesday pancake breakfast last Sunday. Thanks so much to everyone who brought food, set up, cooked, served, cleaned up, and did dishes. Your generous spirit is always appreciated!

CHEAP LUNCH BUNCH

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH AT 11:30 A.M.

The Cheap Lunch Bunch will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27th at a local restaurant (to be determined).

Please plan on having lunch once each month at a local restaurant typically on the fourth Tuesday.

To opine on the time and location of future gatherings and to be included in all the group's emails, please email Anne at [email protected]. 

SAVE THE DATE

BEACON ALL AGES  BINGO

FRIDAY, MARCH 8TH, 2024

More details to come. Open to All!

If you have any questions, please contact Angela at [email protected].

JANUARY - MARCH 2024 SHARE THE PLATE PARTNER

Beacon’s community partner for January - March 2024 is

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF NORTHERN ARIZONA

Beacon will Share the Plate with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona for the months of January - March 2024. Its mission is to bring “affordable homeownership opportunities for those in need, building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.” Home ownership is available for low to moderate income families.

The local organization has built over 23 homes and established a Starter Home project which offers simple, efficient, stand-alone homes with 0% interest loans, a minimal down-payment and a monthly payment equivalent to low rent fees. Having home ownership helps to break the cycle of poverty. 

 

Undesignated contributions to the Sunday service offerings above $300 will be presented to the Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona. Nominations for 501c3 agencies can be made through a form located in the office manager’s office. CA members are Katy Grant, Susan Patrick and Lynda L. Dorweiler. 

ACTIVATE AT BEACON WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE ALLIES!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2024

VIA ZOOM

The Social Justice Allies (SJAs) meet on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The February meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 12th, 2024. If you wish to join the meeting, please contact the convener Paul Beier.

SIDE WITH LOVE'S 30 DAYS OF LOVE 2024

IMAGINING AN INTERDEPENDENT FUTURE

JANUARY 15 - FEBRUARY 14, 2024

UUA's Side With Love is thrilled to announce 30 Days of Love 2024! Our annual month of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice, 30 Days of Love will go from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 15) through Valentine’s Day (February 14). Each week’s resources will be published by 12 p.m. ET every Monday.

This year’s 30 Days of Love is a gift to our whole community: a love letter, a warm hug, a spiritual balm for all of the individuals, families, religious professionals, partners and communities that embody our values and work for justice and liberation year-round. Each week will feature a spiritual theme overlapping with one of Side With Love’s intersectional justice priorities, and we'll share an array of offerings to help nourish your spirit and give gratitude and affirmation.

WEEK 4 (February 5-11) Resilience :: Democracy & Electoral Justice

BONUS DAYS (February 12-14) Interdependence :: Liberatory Intersections

For more information and to subscribe, please click here.

~ Beacon Connections ~

Volunteer At Flagstaff Food Center With Beacon!

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR

FEBRUARY 28TH

The Flagstaff Family Food Center utilizes small groups of volunteers for their dinner service. Beacon is looking for a group of five (5) to seven (7) volunteers for the 4th & 5th Wednesdays of every month, from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. The dinner service is at the FFFC Kitchen (1903 N 2nd Street) and is a hybrid operation with To-Go meals and Dine-in service.

Beacon's next volunteer date is Wednesday, February 28th from 3:00-6:00 p.m.  If dinnertime service does not interest you, please consider helping with prep from 10 a.m. until noon or pitching in at the warehouse on Huntington.

Volunteer Safety: Volunteers are required to wear a mask, closed-toe shoes, and long pants; regularly wash or sanitize their hands; and practice six feet of social distancing whenever possible. Gloves for food preparation and distribution will be provided at the kitchen to each volunteer. Plexiglass has been installed at the walk-up window as a safeguard against COVID-19. The center has enhanced cleaning protocols.

Mike Bruton is organizing monthly teams of Beacon UU volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering for the above date, please use the following Beacon-specific link within the Flagstaff Family Food Center website: https://hotfood.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/Beacon (If you go to the general volunteer sign-up webpage, this Beacon volunteer date and time may not show up.)

If you encounter any problems with the above link, please contact Mike at [email protected].

More FFFC volunteer opportunities can be found here.

DONATION DESIGNATION



When you make donations by check or cash to Beacon, please be sure to designate whether the donation is PLEDGE or PLATE. Thank you for your continued support!

BEACON'S ENDOWMENT PLAN

The Beacon Endowment Plan, an important step to ensure that Beacon remains a strong and vibrant congregation for years to come, was approved unanimously at a Congregational Meeting on April 24, 2022. For more information about the Endowment Fund, please click here. 

A plaque is now hanging in the Social Hall to honor those who have contributed to the endowment. Your name can be there, too!

GIFTING SECURITIES TO BEACON

If you have securities held outside of a retirement account (i.e., not from your IRA, 401k, 403b, TSP, or other retirement account) and are interested in gifting some to Beacon, more information can be found here. This can be a tax-efficient way to make a gift to Beacon.

1. If you shop at all at Fry's grocery, you can either sign up for your own VIP account (identifying Beacon UUC FE392 as your beneficiary) or use the church phone number (928-779-4492) to get any available discounts AND earn some money for Beacon. Currently, there are 8 households signed up, and Beacon earned $15.30 for this quarter.

If you want to take advantage of Fry's gasoline discounts, you'll want your own VIP account. You can create or edit an existing individual account at www.frysfood.com/account/create/ (Alt ID is typically your phone number.) Within your account settings, just click on Community Rewards and search for FE392 (Flagstaff's Beacon UU) to set Beacon as your beneficiary.

2. You can order from any of the over 2,300 stores listed under iGive with a portion of your purchase being donated to Beacon. After creating your own account with a user name and password, select settings and "my cause" and type in Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation (do not abbreviate UU). 

3. Basha's has a special debit card that you can charge up before shopping, and a portion of what goes through the debit card gets donated to Beacon because that card is tied to Beacon. Ask Anne Wittke for further information.

Have other ideas for our income incubator? Please leave them on a card in the bin in the lobby, or send them to Lynda Dorweiler, President.

OTHER EVENTS IN ARIZONA AND THE SOUTHWEST

CAMP DE BENNEVILLE PINES

UPCOMING EVENTS

Camp de Benneville Pines, the UUA camp for the Pacific Western Region, is hosting the following upcoming events:

• Rainbow Family Camp, April 5-7, 2024
• “Promoting Justice: Amplifying Voices,” the Pacific Southwest District Service Area Assembly, April 26-28, 2024
• "We Are Magic," UU Women's Retreat, May 3-5, 2024
• "Creating Sacred Space," Yoga and Whole Living Camp, May 17-19, 2024

For more information on these and other events and to register, please click here.

Camp de Benneville Pines

41750 Jenks Lake Road West

Angelus Oaks, CA 92305

(909) 794-2928

http://www.uucamp.org

WESTERN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST LIFE FESTIVAL

GHOST RANCH, NM

JUNE 17-23, 2024

WUULF (Western Unitarian Universalist Life Festival) is an annual week-long, multi-generational camp for Unitarian-Universalists at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. We are a loving community from a diverse set of age groups, backgrounds, and cultures who gather in New Mexico each year to express our appreciation for each other and our world. WUULF will be held from June 17-23, 2024. More information can be found here. Registration opens in early March.

~ BEACON OFFICE HOURS AND CONTACTS~

Office Phone (928) 779-4492

Minister

Beacon is currently

a lay-led congregation.

Contact [email protected]

RE Team





We have an incredibly strong team leading our RE this year.

You can direct your RE questions to Linda: [email protected]

Office Manager,

Paula Czernicki

she/her/hers

Mon: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Wed: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Thurs: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Hours may change. Please call ahead.

[email protected]

~ UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST EIGHT PRINCIPLES ~

Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation affirms and promotes eight Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides.

Further information about the 8th Principle can be found here. The 8th Principle is being considered by other UU congregations and the UUA.

We live out these Principles within a "living tradition" of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience. Learn more at beaconuu.com!

If you lost money due to a scam that started with an email, please report it at ftc.gov/complaint. There, you can also report spam you receive. Read more about how to limit spam, phone calls, and mail. 

 [email protected] 

Contribute to Beacon's Weekly News

Normally, submissions for the next newsletter need to be emailed to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday.

However, for the next issue, please make your submissions by noon on Monday, February 12th, if at all possible.

Paula will be out of the office the week of February 19th - 23rd; consequently, there will be a Biweekly E-newsletter for February 15th-29th. Thanks!