BINGO!
Lasagna dinner
and bingo for all!
Saturday February 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
$5 adults,
$10 for families
Sign up in the Lower Assembly Hall on February 15 for this fabulous and fun multigenerational event!
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Wondering where the Service Auction money is going?
Find out at these informational meetings.
* February 15, noon to 1:00 p.m. Hear from staff at Avenues for Homeless Youth about their services, including their host home program for GLBT youth
*February 22, noon to 1:00 p.m. Hear about Amazon Amigos, a self-sustaining micro-enterprise and environmental education program in Peru. Refreshments provided while they last.
Return your completed Service Auction donation form to the FUS office by February 22 to insure that your offering appears in the catalogue.
For more information on the March 14 Service Auction click here.
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Updates
and Reminders
Ceremony for Grieving and Healing
Sunday February 15.
FUS holds a special, short service for those who are grieving from noon to about 12:15 the third Sunday of each month in the Sir Isaac Newton Room (#107). For more information click here.
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For Your Information
Remember that you can forward The Unitarian FLASH to a friend at any time. Simply scroll to the bottom of each edition of The Unitarian FLASH and click on the link called "forward email." Forwarding The Unitarian FLASH will not add the recipient to any email lists, or allow entry of any spam into their inbox, but it will allow you to share the information in the The Unitarian FLASH you'd like them to see with just a quick click!
Donation Options
FUS is pleased to offer congregation members the convenient option of making donations right on our website. Families are making an increasing number of payments and donations online. If this donation method appeals to you, we encourage you to visit the FUS website, locate the link to our donation page and follow the simple process for setting up both regular offerings and one-time gifts. Parking at FUS
The Vineland Parking Ramp attached to Walker Art Center is available for FUS parking on Sundays. The cost is $1, and coupons for $1 are available in the FUS Office. Simply park your car in the ramp, remembering to bring your ticket with you as you leave the parking facility; come to FUS and stop by the office to pick up a coupon.
FUS News
The Unitarian FLASH features only a selection of stories events at FUS. For more details and other stories visit the FUS website and view recent The First Unitarian newsletters.
Electronic Versions of The First Unitarian Newsletter are available at the FUS website at www.firstunitariansociety.org. They are posted there each month. If you would like to stop receiving the printed version via postal mail and access the electronic version instead, simply contact the FUS Office with that request: 612-377-6608, or send an email request by clicking here.
Visitors Orientation
If you are interested in learning more about the Society, contact Teresa West, Membership Director at 612-377-6608 ext. 104 or by clicking here.
Flower Sponsorship
Fresh flowers enhance the Sunday morning experience for all of us and are a lovely way to honor a loved one, a special day, an event, or a remembrance. To provide flowers, please stop at the FUS office to fill in a flower sponsorship form or click here.
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FUS Email Contacts
Phone: 612-377-6608
Fax: 612-377-2151 | |
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Greetings from Mount Curve!
Are you ready to celebrate Valentine's Day with your  FUS community? Although often "sold" as a day only for lovers, Valentine's Day can be celebrated by connecting with, and serving, others. Consider the many opportunities available to connect and serve at FUS (see the February newsletter for more information), and jump in and participate. It's good for your heart! |
Have a Heart: Help the Hungry!
Come: solo, as a couple, or a group
LISTEN; SOCIALIZE; DANCE
Enjoy: fun 50s and 60s recorded music and live music by the Eclectics -- and Refreshments!
Saturday, February 14, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Tickets: $5 in advance; $7 at the door
ALL proceeds will be donated to Minneapolis Food Shelves.
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Connection = Health and Happiness
"When people are asked what motivates them to join  a congregation like ours, the most common answer has to do with a search for 'community.' Experiences of belonging and acceptance in a group of like-minded people are something that most of us yearn for, and everyone needs. The way that human beings are physiologically constructed requires that we have connections with others of our kind in order to be either healthy or happy. Ever since humans have mostly ceased to live in small, face to face, geographically isolated groups, we have found religious communities to be a good source for these important connections, and the 21st century is not going to be an exception.
If the First Unitarian Society wants to be an effective institutional home for Humanism, we have to be about the business of satisfying that hope for the experience of community that brings so many people to us. We have to recognize that community doesn't just happen; it needs to be nurtured in order to flourish here. We also have to acknowledge that each and every one of us, whether we are brand new or long-time members, has a responsibility for the quality of our community life. Connections will only be created here if all of us make the effort to reach out not just to our friends, but also to the people we don't already know, especially across generational lines. Churches are actually one of the few places in our culture that encourage intergenerational relationships."
For more of The Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbon's column on community and FUS, click here and read pages one and four.
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Super Roll Sunday February 15!
Enjoy some warm, mouth-watering cinnamon rolls  handmade by Jean Christensen and her dedicated crew, Shelley Schreffler and Colleen Curran. Enjoy them on the spot in the Lower Assembly Hall, and buy some to take home! All proceeds go to the FUS Alliance to help them support FUS in a myriad of ways. These are some truly delicious rolls!
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February Book Chat
Sunday February 15, 9:30 a.m., Lower Assembly  Hall. Join us for a discussion of the book, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, by President Barack Obama. In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, Obama, the son of a black African father and a white American mother, searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. Written in 1994, this book is essential reading for anyone who would like insight into the character of the President. All are welcome, whether you've read the book or not. Join us in discussing this candid memoir! Copies are available in the FUS Bookstore.
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We're in the Matrix 
The adult RE film series on the Matrix movies is underway! So what if you missed the first installment--come to any or all of the rest. We're looking at a sci-fi film series through a theological lens, and there's plenty of theology to discuss in these motion pictures starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, Larunce Fishburne as Morpheus, and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity. What is the matrix? We're not sure yet--join us and help us figure it out.
Film Fridays in February, featuring the Matrix movies. Friday February 13 (The Matrix Reloaded), 20 (The Matrix Revolutions), and 27 (The Animatrix), 7:00-10:00 p.m., at FUS. The films are R-rated. For more information contact Ministerial Intern, Tim Barger at 612-377-6608 ext. 107.
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FUS Social Action 
- Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH) has an events calendar that is shared with all member congregations. FUS is part of DCEH and has events on the calendar. The FUS events are in March.
- Take Five! A couple of times a month you will see Take Five posters in the Lower Assembly Hall near the Social Action table. This is an opportunity for you to take five minutes to learn about a public policy issue relevant to homelessness or poverty, for which your immediate action is needed. Everything you'll need to make a difference will be right there on the table.
- Join us for One Voice for the Northside, on February 16 at the State Capital sponsored by the PEACE Foundation in north Minneapolis. You can still be part of the day even from home or work. Click here to learn how.
For more information contact Social Justice Coordinator, Carol Koepp.
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Gallery
The new exhibit of paintings in the FUS Gallery is by  Minneapolis artist Georgette Sosin and will open on Sunday February 15. It is called Mediations on the "Aramaic Lord's Prayer," "Kaddish," and Other Work. This series of thought provoking paintings were inspired by Neil Douglas-Klotz's translations of Aramaic Prayers in his book Prayers for the Cosmos. Georgette has had a long career as an artist and has exhibited in galleries and universities throughout the United States and France. There will be a gallery talk by the artist at 11:45 a.m. following the assembly on Sunday, February 22 in the Heritage Room. The show runs through March 15.
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Photo Directory
The photo directories are coming!
FUS has arranged with LifeTouch to issue a new  photo directory. We will be taking photos of all members and friends of the First Unitarian Society on March 24-29 and March 31 and April 1-4. The sitting is free, and all will receive a free 8x10 portrait and a directory, with the option to purchase other photos. We need YOU to sign up for your sitting time. Follow this link to sign up on-line. More details are available in the flyer included in the February edition of The First Unitarian newsletter.
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Richard Dawkins Lecture
The celebrated biologist and atheist will be speaking at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on March 4, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., UMTC Campus, Northrup Auditorium.
Dr. Dawkins, a famous evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist famous for his 2006 New York Times best seller, The God Delusion, will discuss "The Purpose of Purpose":
"We humans are obsessed with purpose. The question, 'What is it for?' comes naturally to a species surrounded by tools, utensils and machines. For such artifacts it is appropriate, but then we go too far. We apply the 'What is it for?' question to rocks, mountains, stars or the universe, where it has no place."
Tickets for this event are on sale now. They are $8 for students/$15 for non-students, and are available through the Northrop Auditorium Box Office via Phone: (612) 624-2345 (Open M-F, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) or Online: The event is listed under Lectures and Public Affairs.
For more information see the University of Minnesota Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists website.
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OWL for Young Adults 
A New Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program specifically for Young Adults ages 18-35ish
How does the media affect our sexual identity? Would like to increase your knowledge about sexual health? Would you like to broaden your idea of what sexuality means?
First Universalist Church is offering the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum to explore topics in: human development, anatomy, values, building interpersonal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society/culture.
What: Our Whole Lives Sexuality for Young Adults
Who: Open to all young adults in the Twin Cities ages 18-35
When: Wednesdays 7:30 - 9:30 PM, February 18-May 27
Cost: $30, fees on sliding scale and waived upon request
How: Contact Katie Heaton*, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, at (612)-825-1701 X109.
Registration ends on February 15.
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You're Invited
Join us for these great events!
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February Film Fridays: February 13, 20 & 27 at 7:00-10:00 p.m.
- Have a Heart: Help the Hungry: February 14, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
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Book Chat: February 15, 9:30 a.m.
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Super Roll Sunday: Sunday February 15
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Ceremony for Grieving and Healing: Sunday, February 15, 12:15 p.m.
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FUS Gallerey Exhibit Opening: Sunday, February 15
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Lasagna and Bingo Night: Saturday, February 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
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February Forums and Assemblies: Sunday mornings. Click here and scroll to pages 2-3 for program descriptions.
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For an updated list of events at FUS visit the calendar.
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