Today At Our Fellowship

Thursday, November 6, 2025

The Forum 

Sunday November 9, 2025 9:00-10:15 AM

IN- PERSON and on Zoom

Click here to join on Zoom.

Sunday Worship Service

Sunday November 9, 2025 11:00 AM

IN- PERSON and on Zoom

November Worship Services

Click here to join on Zoom.

This month's theme for worship is gratitude. Although not all of the titles below may seem to fit in with this theme, there will be at least some mention woven throughout the services. And that's the thing about gratitude, when we start incorporating it into our outlook, it often shows up unexpectedly and implicitly in our everyday lives.

Nov. 9, 2025 11 am

Implicit Bias--Managing Our Fears

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry

This is a sermon topic requested by Tracy Barbee who won a sermon in the auction last year. She wants us to be aware of how much implicit bias affects us everyday. It's hard for it not to when it comes from so many sources!  Many of us react to these biases on a gut or feeling level which can bring on another set of complications, as we all have been witnessing in our current world. I wonder how we can turn that around so we can be more curious about and grateful for all the different gifts our diversity brings? HOPE is coming for our Time for All Ages.

Nov. 16, 2025 11 am

Being Curious About Religious Language

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, Barb Clark

Many folks ask what is Unitarian Universalism? Is it a movement, a religion or something else? And based on that answer, many folks have questions and opinions about what kind of language we use here. Are we a church, a gathering, a fellowship? Do we worship, commune, gather, explore the divine? I'd like to explore some of these words and see how we can use them, even reclaim some.

Nov. 23, 2025  11 am

Multigenerational Gratitude Service

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, Jenn Bluntach, Director of Religious Exploration

All ages will participate in the 11 am service today. We'll sing, add gratitudes to our Gratitude Tree, maybe dance. Much of our activity is still TBD, but we hope we all can gather together to enjoy our time together! And, we'll have a Soup Sunday after the service.

YES YOU CAN!!!!

Please help out at our Annual Dinner 

By bringing food items to our potluck.  Thank you for all of you who have already signed up to contribute delicious yummy food!!!!  We will begin setting out the food at 5:15.

Thank you for your generosity and help in making this Annual Dinner a celebration!!!!

The AUUF Annual Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, November 8th, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.  There will be an Awards Presentation and an Auction at the Anchorage UU Fellowship. Come enjoy live music, good food (it is an AUUF potluck) and great company.  Childcare will be provided.  

Questions? Contact Marty Freeman at martyw@ak.net  or 

questions about the food and potluck contact  

Renee Frost at Renfrost@mtaonline.net

We look forward to seeing you for the AUUF Annual Dinner November 8th.

AUUF Auction Ends this Saturday November 8th, & Awards Dinner/Quilt Raffle

The AUUF Online Auction is in full swing and ends this Saturday, November 8, at noon — don’t miss your chance to bid! The Auction Team has gathered a plethora of wonderful auction items and experiences. Items may be viewed downstairs in room #2. Many great gift ideas, and things you will want for yourself! Also, share the auction link with your friends and family. The more the merrier, right?

Go online to hunt for deals and discover hidden “Easter Eggs” that pop up throughout the week. Check back daily for new specials and surprises! Look to your inbox for an email with your personalized link (check with Jay if you cannot find it). Remember that some experiences fill up quickly, so don’t wait to place your bids.

In addition, the AUUF Annual Awards Potluck Dinner is on Saturday, November 8th at 5:30 p.m. The evening will feature a raffle for a beautiful quilt (buy your raffle tickets in advance on the auction website). You can pick up your auction winnings at the dinner, or on Sunday. If possible, please bring some cash to the dinner — it helps save money on credit card processing fees (more of your generosity goes directly to AUUF).

You may use the link or QR code. We hope to see you online at the auction and in person at the dinner!

Questions? Call Jay Van Alstine at 907-240-4901

Embracing All with Open Hearts: Be Part of Our Welcoming Congregations Committee

The Welcoming Congregations Committee is delighted to announce that AUUF has  successfully completed the Annual Welcoming Congregations Renewal program for  2025! 

This renewal reflects our ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+/TGQNB* welcome and  inclusion — a living practice that calls us to consciously weave affirming worship,  outreach, celebration, and education into the fabric of our congregational life each year.  To learn more about the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Welcoming Congregations Renewal Program, visit the UUA website .

Please click here to read the entire article.

Honoring, exploring, empowering 

The Feminine Retreat Planning November 15 at 12:30 pm



If you have ideas and are interested in helping with our retreat please join us for our initial planning session. 

Gratitude Soup Sunday 

November 23 

Following the 11 am service. If you would like to bring a soup, bread or dessert 

Text Elayne at 907- 223-6507

Connections Team Events this Month



This is a busy month for the AUUF Connections Team. Our “Finding Your Way to Fellowship” classes are underway with about 12 participants. We’ll be finishing the last of 3 classes on November 12th.

If plans come together in time, we hope to present another “Second Saturday” concert (Music in Our Midst) on the evening of November 15th. Details will be in next week’s TAOF email blast. But save the date now!

Finally, we’ve tentatively scheduled a Greeter Training session to follow the 11:00 Sunday service on November 16th. Having greeters on Sunday mornings is much more than a nice thing to do, and we hope that anyone interested in learning about how and why, please email connections@anchorageuuf.org

Lost And Found Emptying

November 13

The lost and found boxes (by the entrance and under the coat rack) are quite full and will be emptied on 11/13. If you suspect you have items in either of those boxes, please be sure to come grab them before this happens!

AUUF Safer Congregation Team will be conducting emergency drills 
Fire and Earthquake, 11/16/25 immediately following both the Forum and Sunday Service. 

In addition, we’ll be sponsoring several safety-related training courses (Active Shooter Preparedness; Senior Disaster Preparedness; STAR’s “Stewards of Children”, 3/1/26; Family & Friends CPR/AED/Narcan, spring 2026).  

Are you familiar with our building evacuation protocols, and post-event gathering locations? Do you know how our children will be evacuated from their RE classrooms, and where to retrieve them? Do you know the locations of our Fire Extinguishers, Fire Blanket, Disability Evacuation Chair, First Aid Kits, Bleeding Control Kit, AED (automated external defibrillator), Narcan Rescue Kits? Do you know how to use them? We’ll be reviewing it all in the upcoming drills and training.

AUUF Religious Exploration November 2025 Updates

Click here to read.

Grades 10-12 OWL Registration is now open

Our Whole Lives:

Sexuality Education for Grades 10‐12, 2nd edition

Our Whole Lives (OWL) values:

•Self-Worth

•Sexual Health

•Responsibility

•Justice and Inclusivity

OWL provides a safe setting for teens to explore their attitudes, values, and

beliefs about their own and others’ sexuality. This developmentally

appropriate, field-tested curriculum addresses important topics through

dialogue and engaging activities. It promotes decision-making informed by

accurate information and a foundation of personal values and life goals. 

Registration Deadline is Thursday, December 18

Click here to register.

Connections Team Needs Volunteers for Sunday Hospitality in November!



Please consider signing up ahead of time to help make AUUF a warm and welcoming community. We need greeters, zoom ushers and ESPECIALLY Social Hour volunteers to keep our kitchen tidy and clean. If Connections ends up doing dishes all the time, they will have a hard time staffing the welcome tables as they should be doing. Below is a link to the Signup Genius which includes downloadable directions on what to do. All you need is an email address and you will be sent an automatic reminder 2 days ahead of time.

Thanks to all who continue to help! 

 Immigration Bystander Training -ACLU of Alaska

Thursday, November 13th, 5:30-6:30 PM on Zoom

Have you seen videos of courageous community members demanding warrants as their neighbors are detained by ICE in public places? Maybe you've read articles about targeted immigration enforcement and thought, "what would I do if I saw this happen?" 

If you've questioned what you would - or should - do if you see federal immigration officials detain a fellow Alaskan, we have a training for you.

On Thursday, November 13th, the ACLU of Alaska will host a virtual Immigration Bystander Training from 5:30-6:30 PM on Zoom. During this session, individuals will learn how to safely intervene and provide assistance to community members and fellow Alaskans interacting with federal immigration officials.

Training attendees will learn their rights as a third party interacting with ICE, how to best support a person being taken into custody, and the importance of creating a Family Safety Plan. This event is free and open to the public, and attendee participation will remain anonymous.

It is imperative to know our rights and responsibilities as non-citizen Alaskans are targeted by the Trump Administration's deportation regime. Learn more about how federal immigration orders are impacting Alaskans here.

We hope you join us for this educational opportunity.

ACLU of Alaska

Click here to register.

Western Alaska Disaster Relief 

How to help with Typhoon Halong Recovery in Western Alaska

Southcentral Foundation has partnered with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and dozens of other organizations to assist people impacted by the severe storms in Western Alaska. Hundreds of residents from the coastal communities were airlifted to Anchorage. Emergency shelters have been established at the Alaska Airlines Center and Egan Center.

At the shelters, SCF is providing medical services, pharmacy, behavioral, community resource specialists, family health resources, and learning circles. SCF is collaborating with other ANMC services as they are needed. SCF has also partnered with Alaska Native Heritage Center to coordinate Yupik translators.

For those interested, opportunities to support people who are affected by the storms are listed below.

Click here for Monetary Donations

Alaska Community Foundation has an online fundraiser for the Western Alaska Disaster Relief 2025 Fund.

Donating Items- Click here for Amazon wish list.

Only new items and nonperishable items can be donated at this time. Items of immediate need include:

• New clothes of all sizes (baby, toddler, kids, adults), including winter coats, shirts, layers, undergarments, socks, etc.
• New shoes (including slip-on kinds like Crocs) and boots of all sizes
• New hats and gloves
• Personal hygiene items (soap, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, lotion, hairbrushes/combs, hair ties, nail clippers, lip balm, etc.)
• New blankets and sleeping bags

Donations are accepted at the central donation warehouse operated by Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization, at 1120 East 1st Avenue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Please do not bring donated items to AAC or Egan as space is limited. The warehouse is the central sorting and distribution center for all donations.

Bethel Community Services Foundation has an Amazon Wishlist where people can purchase items to go directly to the relief effort in the region.

Volunteering

Red Cross is coordinating volunteers—interested people can call 1-800-Red-Cross or visit Red Cross.

If you are a Southcentral Foundation employee who is interested in filling a shift as a medical or behavioral provider at the Alaska Airlines Center or Egan Center, please discuss the opportunity with your supervisor and contact LaZell Hammons (lhammons@southcentralfoundation.com) for more information.

NOVEMBER HALF PORTION FOR SOCIAL ACTION: ALASKA LITERACY PROGRAM

Dennis Arashiro

Our mission statement of changing lives through literacy extends into digital literacy, health literacy, financial literacy, family literacy, and beyond. These are all areas of literacy that improve self-sufficiency and empower individuals to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being.

You can contribute in person at our Sunday services or online by visiting anchorageuuf.org click on the Half-Portion note or Donate/ Pay at the bottom of the home page. Enter your donation under “Half-Portion for Social Action." 

Go to anchorageuuf.org

Click on the Half-Portion note or Donate/ Pay

at the bottom of the home page.

Enter your donation under

“Half-Portion for Social Action”

Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

2824 E. 18th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99508

(907) 248-3737

Website

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, (she/her), Minister,

RevLise@anchorageuuf.org, 907-248-3737 x2,

Office hours are usually Tu 11-3; Th and F 11-3, and by appointment

Jennifer Bluntach, (she/her), Director of Religious Exploration

DRE@anchorageuuf.org

Office hours usually are:

Sun 9am-11am, Tu 11am-3pm, Thu 11am-3pm, and by appointment

Esme Danner, (she/her), Congregational Administrator

Admin@AnchorageUUF.org, 907.248.3737 x.1

Office Hours Usually Mon-Thu 11am - 3 pm, Please call first.

Esme Danner, (she/her), Music Director

907-248-3737 x4, Music@anchorageuuf.org

Kelly Strycker, (she/her), Communications Specialist, Communications@anchorageuuf.org

Kelly's remote office hours Mon, Tues, Wed, Friday 9 am - 1 pm. Thursday 7-9:30 am AK, & 1:30-3:00 pm

Rebecca Bernard, (she/her), Affiliated Community Minister

RBernard.AK@gmail.com

Dan Norton, AV Coordinator

907-248-3737



Contact the Connections Team for more information on how to get involved:

Connections@anchorageuuf.org 

Share the Care Team: sharethecare@anchorageuuf.org

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