Unity Church-Unitarian | November 5, 2026 | | Although we didn’t reach the pledge goal by October 31 (we’ll try again next year to earn Oscar’s pizza party), the flurry of pledges that came to the church in response was heartening. We are now 80% of the way to our goal and if our analysis of outstanding pledges is correct, we will make it. It still depends on you! Please submit your pledge today! | | |
Aflame But Not Consumed
9:00 a.m. Sanctuary and Livestream | 11:15 a.m. Sanctuary
Order of Service (available Sunday) | This Week at Unity
Rev. Dr. Oscar Sinclair | Ollile Stocker, Worship Associate | Unity Choir
In the aftermath of another election, what practices ground us for the work to come? How do we orient ourselves, continually casting our attention toward the sources of meaning in our lives?
The worship theme is Disorientation. To reflect on the theme, please see our spiritual practice packet.
Make a donation to the offering recipient, Unity's Partner Church Community Outreach Ministry Team. Donations must be made online or received by the church by November 11.
Submit your joys and sorrows to be included in Sunday’s Embracing Meditation.
If you are attending the service online, join other Unity Church congregants for informal conversation at an online coffee hour. Contact Philippa Anastos at philippa@unityunitarian.org for the link to join each Sunday when the service ends.
Bring non-perishable food and other household items for the food shelf. Please, no dented cans or expired food. Donation baskets are located at the Holly and Portland Avenue entrances. Financial contributions are also gratefully accepted.
| | Visit the UUSC Partner Team table in Parish Hall after the service to pick up a Guest at Your Table donation box or envelope. Come and learn about the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s work and how you can support their social justice initiatives during the month of November. | |
Join Unity’s Rapid Response Team for Election Protection | This is ISAIAH’s statewide campaign to stay connected to one another should the results of the election be challenged or face interference in the coming weeks and months. Install the free Signal app on your mobile device and then join Unity’s Rapid Response Team to be notified if an election disruption activity occurs between now and January 2027. | America Has More Guns Than People | |
Wednesday, November 11 | 7:10 p.m. | Parish Hall & Zoom
Unity's Gun Violence Prevention Team will welcome Representative Meg Luger-Nikolai to provide a legislative perspective on gun violence and possible legislation in the 2027 session. Ideas for effective citizen actions will be discussed.
| Congregational Survey Results | |
Wednesday, November 11 | 7:10 p.m. | Robbins Parlor
Join Bill Etter to discuss the results of the 2026 congregational survey. We'll look at the analysis and discuss how the board uses this information in its role of monitoring progress with our ends. Questions welcome!
| Lectio Divina: A Spiritual Practice to Feed Your Soul | |
Wednesday, November 11 | 7:10 p.m. | Zoom & Gannett Room
Is it poetry? Is it meditation? It’s a bit of both — Lectio Divina! Come experience the alchemy that occurs through focused reflection on an inspirational text. Many people find Lectio Divina sessions to be a time of rejuvenation and insight. Led by Shelley Butler and Lisa Wersal; facilitated by your own heart.
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Wednesday, November 11 | 7:10 p.m. | Body Room
Experience a gentle, nervous system-informed yoga practice designed to help you pause, tune into yourself, and release tension stored in the body. Through mindful movement, breath, and awareness, this class supports nervous system regulation, balance, and deep relaxation. The class is accessible to anyone comfortable sitting on the floor, and you’re encouraged to bring a yoga mat, blanket, or blocks for added comfort. Led by Dr. Tamara Kraft, a somatic psychotherapist and holistic health coach.
| Moving from Guilt to Activation: Owning Our Racism | | |
Final Session: Wednesday, November 11
7:10-8:45 p.m. | Ames Chapel
Newcomers are welcome. Participation in previous sessions is not required.
Unity’s Racial Justice Team will follow last year’s Beloved Community Staff Team exploration of The Interconnected Roots of Oppression and expand on Unity’s Double Helix model with a series of Wellspring Wednesday experiences. Interconnected Roots taught us how racial capitalism informs political, economic and social systems. Moving from Guilt to Activation: Owning Our Racism will help us recognize and reckon with somatic dimensions of our white racist heritage. Circle conversations will be used to share insights that potentially “break us open and allow us to be transformed.” Follow-up programming on activation will be offered in early 2027.
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Saturday, November 14 | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | Parish Hall
Don’t toss it — mend it! Ripped jeans, seams come undone, missing buttons, holey sweaters, something needing to be hemmed? Come learn the gentle, rewarding art of repairing your own clothes with the help of friendly mentors. Bring a few supplies others might find useful: thread, yarn, extra buttons, fabric for patches, etc. Beginning and seasoned stitchers welcome. Nothing to mend? Bring your whatever you’re working on (knitting, etc.) for an afternoon of creative camaraderie. This event is organized by Act for the Earth’s Waste Reduction Team.
| Active Hope and the Five Gifts of Uncertainty | | |
Saturday, November 14 | 9:00 a.m.-Noon | Robbins Parlor | Registration
Joanna Macy, creator of Active Hope, believed that when we open ourselves to the unknowing that comes with uncertainty, we open ourselves to possibilities. To help us get there, she outlined five gifts that can come out of uncertainty: the present moment, befriending our pain, solidarity, the immensity of time, and intention. In this workshop, participants will use practices related to these five gifts to move around the Active Hope Spiral. Whether you’re familiar with Active Hope or not, register today and come and explore the alchemy of uncertainties becoming gifts.
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Saturday, November 14 | 1:00-5:00 p.m. | MNVUUF
Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship is hosting a UU Book Fair! All are welcome to spend the afternoon engaging with authors, exploring book readings and workshops, and expanding your book collection.
| Learn About Unity's Christmas Pageant | Join Unity's Christmas Pageant Team for a meet and greet on Sunday, November 15, after both services in Parish Hall. Come ask questions, learn about this year's intergenerational casting (adults can be acolytes!), and find out how you can get involved. The pageant team includes Kelley Loughrey, Teresa Schicker, Jackie Smith, Hannah Franco-Isaacs, and Kyra Shrake (along with staff members Heidi Birkholz and Martha Tilton). | Fall Concert with Mila Vocal Ensemble | |
Sunday, November 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Unity Church Sanctuary
Mila invites you to an afternoon of cozy Eastern European harmonies. Advance tickets are available on Mila’s website; use this code for a ticket discount: community. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door.
| The Medium Is the Message | |
Wednesday, November 18 | 7:10 p.m. | Parish Hall & Zoom
Unity’s Art and Act for the Earth teams invite you to hear Erik Jon Olson talk about his artwork, on exhibit in the Parish Hall and Eliot Wing. Olson’s vibrantly colored, intricately detailed, and richly textured pieces are created with single-use plastic, one of the main pollutants of our time. Through his art, Olson speaks to environmental justice, sustainability and human consumption, while making detritus beautiful. His work will be on exhibit during November and December, coinciding with Act for the Earth’s focus on waste reduction.
| Reverence, Mysticism, and Chancel Accessibility | |
Wednesday, November 18 | 7:10 p.m. | Sanctuary
Come share your most meaningful experiences of worship and explore the themes that connect your experiences with others. How can the upcoming chancel accessibility modifications align with and support our connection with reverence and mystery?
| Pedagogy of the Oppressed | |
Wednesday, November 18 | 7:10 p.m. | Robbins Parlor
Join us for a reading and discussion group exploring Paulo Freire’s influential Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Together, we’ll consider Freire’s ideas about education, power, liberation, and social change — and reflect on how they connect with Unitarian Universalist values and our commitment to justice, equity, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. No prior familiarity with Freire is necessary; bring your curiosity and a willingness to engage in thoughtful conversation.
| Five Theological Questions | |
Wednesday, November 18 | 7:10 p.m. | Anderson Library
What is the nature of a higher power?
Explore one of the five questions at the heart of systematic theology. These same questions guide the church’s religious education program, with our youth sharing their answers — however provisional — each year at Coming of Age. This second session explores the question: What is the nature of a higher power? Come prepared to engage in personal reflection and share your responses.
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Saturday November 21 | 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. | Foote Room
You are invited to join Unity’s Evergreen Quilters to make a One More Redeemer Quilt! It will be displayed in the Sanctuary when we celebrate the new babies in the congregation. Whether you are a complete beginner or have done some sewing, you are welcome. Evergreen Quilters will be there to guide you through the process of making simple blocks and assembling them into a quilt top. All materials and equipment will be supplied. Interested? Contact Rose Allen at allen027@alumni.umn.edu with questions or if you plan to participate.
| 2027 Budget Information Sessions | |
At the anual meeting on Sunday, December 6, the congregation will vote to approve the 2027 budgets. Come and learn about the budget at an information session:
- Sunday, November 22, at 10:15 a.m., Center Room
- Wednesday, December 2, at 7:10 p.m., (part of Wellspring Wednesday)
The same information will be provided at each session. Questions? Email Executive Director Laura Park.
| Monthly Swap: Gift Wrap and Packing Items | |
Sunday, November 22 | After services | Parish Hall
Reduce waste and encourage reuse! Bring clean and gently used items for wrapping and presenting gifts.
| Unity Band Concert and Sing-a-Long | | |
Fundraiser for Unity Church
Sunday, November 22 | 2:00 p.m. | Sanctuary
Join the Unity Band for an afternoon of songs, singing, and sweet treats. A set of favorites will be followed by a short break to chat and eat treats. Unity’s Indigenous Justice team will invite us back to reflect on Thanksgiving through the lens of Indigenous peoples’ history. The afternoon will finish with a sing-a-long to unite us all. Purchase your tickets today: $20 per person and $50 per family. Reserve childcare by email to katrina@unityunitarian.org at least one week in advance.
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