Today At Our Fellowship

Thursday, October 3, 2024

This Weekend @ AUUF

Thursday 10/3/24

5:30 pm Anti-Racist Team Meeting

6:30 pm Choir Practice

Friday 10/4/24

8:15- 11:15 am Private Rental

12:00-2:00 pm Freethinkers, In-Person

Saturday 10/5/24

8:30-10:30 am AA Slap Happy Group

9:00 am - 3:00 pm Board Retreat

(Off-site)

10:00 am Auction Collection begins

10:30 am Music Together Mountain Song

12:45 pm Early Parent Support

1:30 pm Amanda's Violin Class (Private rental)

Sunday 10/6/24

All day Auction Collection

9:00 am The Forum In- Person & on ZOOM

11:00 am Sunday Worship Service In- Person & on ZOOM

Sunday continued

12:30 pm Lunch Potluck

12:30 pm Social Action Council Meeting

4:00 pm Anchorage Friends Meeting

Monday 10/7/24

All day Auction Collection

3:30 pm Private Rental

6:30 pm Fireweed Sangha of Mindful Living - Private Rental Visitors Welcome

Tuesday 10/8/24

All day Auction Collection

2:00-3:30 pm Hungry Book Club

6:00-8:00 pm Friends & Family CPR

6:00-7:00 pm Community Connection

Wednesday 10/9/24

All day Auction Collection

3:15 pm Private Rental

5:30 pm Coming of Age Meeting

6:00-8:00 pm Safer Congregation Team Meeting

6:30-8:30 pm Finding your Way to Fellowship

Thursday 10/10/24

All day Auction Collection

5:30 pm CYRE Team Meeting

6:30 pm Choir Practice

The Forum Live at AUUF & on Zoom

9:00 am Sunday, October 6, 2024

Click here to join on Zoom.

Click here for Speaker's bio.

Sunday Worship Live at AUUF & on Zoom

11:00 am Sunday, October 6, 2024

The Soul Matters theme for October is "Living Love through the Practice of Deep Listening." In ours and many UU congregations we have the practice of checking in at the start of meetings. It's a chance to let others know what's happening in our lives, it's a time to be heard without interruption, it's a time to provide silent support for those who might need it. And what a gift it is to be heard! But there are many ways to listen and many beings to listen to.

October 6, 2024 11 am In-person and Zoom

Who We Listen to is Who We Become

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry, Cassie Thomas

As we find ourselves in the busyness of fall--school and work going full swing, the weather changing, colds springing up, summer fading in our memories, the elections imminent, we need to pause and reflect on our priorities and needs. Who and what is important to us. Who and what influences us? How do we listen for and recognize our own path? How will we choose a direction that helps the most and hinders the least? And in the midst of it all, will we be able to hear the message that recognizes our own imperfect humanity?

Click here to join on Zoom.

Next Sunday Multigenerational Animal Blessing

October 13, 2024 11 am In-person and Zoom

Rev. Lise Sherry, Jenn Bluntach, Lauren Rench

It's time to bring our pets (or photos of our pets) to the fellowship for their biennial blessing. All housepets are welcome--please bring a leash or container to help keep things somewhat calm. :-) And don't forget poop bags (just in case!) We'll have an In Memoriam section of our service, too. Let's listen to the joyful community we'll create together.

Blessings, Rev. Lise

Sunday Lunch Potluck at AUUF October 6

The Connections Team is hosting a lunch potluck at 12:30 in the social room at AUUF Sunday October 6. We had been trying to schedule one every 5th Sunday, but instead are thinking about working around the RE’s Soup Sunday schedule to provide more opportunities to socialize. Connections will provide some soups or other main dishes, and handle the set-up, clean-up. Please bring a side item, salad or dessert. See you there!

Friends & Family CPR Class

The AUUF Safer Congregations Team will be having a Friends and Family CPR Class on Tuesday, October 8^th from 6 to 8pm in Rooms 5 and 7 downstairs. Nurses from Providence will be teaching us CPR skills and other helpful information. We have space for 10 people to participate.

To sign up contact Linda McCool - msmccool@hotmail.com - please put CPR Class in the subject line.

Coming of Age begins in this month!

The Coming of Age program begins next Wednesday, October 9 from 5:30pm-7pm in Room 7 at the Fellowship.

Get registered here!

Students in grades 8-12 can participate. More information and the schedule is posted in the registration link. Contact Jenn Bluntach with any questions at dre@anchorageuuf.org or 218-910-6090

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

Jennifer Bluntach, DRE

dre@anchorageuuf.org

Click her to view/ download a larger image.

Religious Exploration needs YOU!

Greetings Fellowship Members and Friends!

Sunday classes will get underway this week which is so exciting! As we prepare, I am still searching for a few more volunteers willing to be in a classroom on occasion so each teacher gets s a break from time to time. By occasion, I mean once a month. It would be in a supporting role to the lead teacher of the week. It's important volunteers have the opportunity to enjoy worship upstairs or a Sunday without any commitments. In working in together, we can make this happen.

The age groups are Pre-K, Grade School/MS and HS Youth Group. If you are interested contact me at dre@anchorageuuf.org or 218-910-6090. We can get the necessary paperwork completed, questions answered and connect you with those adults you'll be on a team with.

On another topic...The kids get a snack each week and we are looking to add to the supply to have on hand. Anyone willing to drop off goodies for the Sunday classes can do so at the DRE office door downstairs. (Please no peanuts or nuts due to allergies)

Thank you!

Jenn Bluntach

Online RE Registration for 2024/2025 is now available.

Click here to register.

Playground Updates

We're Ready to Receive Your Auction Items!

It’s almost October and at AUUF, that means Auction Season! The small but mighty auction committee already has collected several bid-worthy items and requests have been sent to local businesses. What can you contribute to spark the bidding? A homemade pie, jams, entrée or pot of hearty soup? A gift certificate from a favorite business? Use of your cabin, kayak or mountain bike?

You may drop items off downstairs beginning Sunday, Oct. 6, before or immediately after the 11:00 service. A member of the auction committee will be there to help. A member also will be there Sunday Oct. 13 and 20, as well as 1-3 pm, Tuesdays and 10:30-11:45 Fridays. Questions?

Email the committee at auction@anchorageuuf.com

Nominations for Yearly Awards

The Board of Directors is taking nominations for the congregation’s yearly awards. Nominations will be accepted through October 16th.

If you would like to submit a nomination, please send it to Kath Rutherford, board member, at krutherford13@gmail.com or 530-636-3019.

There are three awards that will be given out:

Volunteer of the Year Award: An award designed to recognize individuals or groups who have gone above and beyond in support of the AUUF mission.

Fred Hillman Distinguished Service Award: Named after long-time AUUF member and former Board president Dr. Fred Hillman, who passed away in 2014. Like its namesake, this award is meant to honor individuals who live the Seven Principals as part of their everyday life and who have made significant contributions to AUUF.

Shirley Dickens Memorial Tribute: Our recognition of a deceased member of the AUUF Fellowship. Those receiving this honor do so in recognition of their non-financial, extraordinary, long-term contribution to The Fellowship; an exceptional, end-of-life or single financial contribution to AUUF; or because of significant and distinguished contributions to the broader community.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Hello, Small Group Ministry is Calling . . .

Would you like an opportunity to get to know a group of people at AUUF on a more personal, deeper level? Would you like to learn how to listen to others, and be listened to without any mixed agendas? Would you like an excuse to share snacks and laughter, just because? Would you like the chance to work with others to do something for our congregation or our wider community? If any of this sounds appealing to you, then we hope you’ll sign up for Small Group Ministry!

Small Group Ministry (also known as Chalice Circles, Covenant Groups and probably more names I’m not aware of) has been around in UU congregations since the late 1990s. They were formed for all the reasons listed above, and to help us explore and define what’s most important to us as Unitarian Universalists. Our congregation often uses the SoulMatters curriculum to help us focus our conversations, or we simply discuss in our group what we’d like to talk about and go from there.

Below are some components and commitments present at each meeting:

Each group has six to twelve members, including a facilitator.
Each group meets 1-2 times a month on a regular basis for 6-7 months.
Participants commit to coming to the group meetings (the occasional missed meeting is okay, but attending is the norm) to build community with each other.
Each meeting starts with a Chalice Lighting and personal check-in.
Each person has an opportunity to discuss their thoughts about the topic for an uninterrupted time (deep listening) before the group goes to conversation mode.
The group respects confidentiality and each person’s journey.
Everyone gets a chance to bring and share their favorite finger food.
The group decides what project they’d like to work on to benefit the community. (It could be providing something for our auction, hosting a Soup Sunday, walking together in a fundraiser, etc.)

AUUF has hosted Small Group Ministry for several years, with many folks rejoining every year. Susan Orlansky will be hosting a week-evening group beginning in November, Rev. Lise may host a group, and we are talking to others who might be interested in hosting a group as well. Maybe that’s you?

If you have more questions, or are interested in attending or hosting, please email Rev. Lise at RevLise@AnchorageUUF.org with your availability and Small Group Ministry in the subject line.

Are you ready to learn a whole lot more about UU and AUUF? Please sign up ASAP if you plan to attend our next Finding Your Way into Fellowship class, which is 3 sessions scheduled for Wednesday evenings Oct. 9, 16, 23 from 6:30-8:30. This class is for newer folks or people ready to become members of AUUF. You will discover how AUUF might fit into your own spiritual journey and you’ll meet some new friends along the way.

Email connections@anchorageuuf.org for questions or to sign up or to let us know of times that work better! We may postpone to different dates. if there aren’t enough enrollees.

OCTOBER HALF PORTION FOR SOCIAL ACTION:

ANCHORAGE COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS

Dennis Arashiro

The recipient of our Half Portion for Social Action for October, 2024, the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. This is in recognition of Thursday, October 10, 2024, as World Homeless Day. The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) began in 2004 as a grassroots collaboration of homeless service providers who recognized the need for a common community strategy and response to a continuing challenge of providing housing for all of our friends and neighbors. Since its creation, ACEH has grown in partnership with the larger community, established itself as an independent organization, and expanded its membership to include individuals and organizations across the city. ACEH remains the only Anchorage convener of community members, businesses and providers working toward the shared goal of making homelessness brief, rare and a one time experience. Turn your supportive thoughts into action by contributing during Sunday services in October and in commemoration of World Homeless Day on October 10.

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”