Rev. brenda will be out of the office on vacation beginning Monday, Nov. 7, through Tuesday, Nov. 15. Jonas Magram will be the guest speaker for Sunday, Nov. 13. For any church-related business, please call our office administrator Kip Lilly at 393-5422. For pastoral care requests, please contact Licensed Unity Leader, Janith Griffith, at 389-0706.

WELCOME

A warm welcome to Cory Matejka, who joined UCR as a member on Oct. 9.

WEDDINGS

Congratulations to Tiffany Zimmerman and Amos Werderman, who were married on Sept. 10. Tiffany is the daughter of UCR's Tom Zimmerman.

TRANSITIONS

J. Donald "Don" Weimer, 92, made his transition on Oct. 6. We bless you, Don, and we deeply honor the life you shared with us.  

OUTREACH MINISTRY  

Outreach Ministry will be sponsoring the following activities and events. Watch your UCR e-news for more information about:

• Thanksgiving Food Drive: Nov. 6-20
• Angel Tree: Nov. 20-Dec. 11
• Stuffed Animal Drive: Nov. 27-Dec. 18

Interested in volunteering with the Outreach Ministry? Please contact Don Epley at 319-624-2488.

Your leadership team of the Board of Trustees and Licensed Unity Leaders ushered in the Fall with a beautiful weekend retreat.

PAULA LAND

We give great thanks to Sharon Burrows for opening up her amazing and creative home for us to gather. What a fabulous time we had bringing YOUR great ideas, hope and dreams for UCR's future to create a clear and comprehensive plan for our Vision Community.

At the quarterly CommUnity meeting this Sunday, Oct. 30, we will share how the Big Goals within our Intentions to Attract, Engage, and Strengthen will help us achieve our vision that, "UCR is an expanding, thriving community of engaged people who share a passion for spiritual exploration." The details of the plan will be ready by the beginning of our new year, and yet, within the Big Goals, you are likely to find your thoughts and ideas for the future.

Be thinking about what lights your light, what inspires you to act, what calls you to serve. It will take many hands, hearts and minds to bring forth all the Good that is ours to claim.

JIM HEALY

Your Board of Trustees is actively engaged in the process of building a Prosperity Plan for 2012 and beyond. We will also be developing a budget to support the Prosperity Plan. This is an important differentiation. The budget is not the plan. The budget is a projection of the cash flow required to support the plan. First, we determine a set of priority goals for the coming year. Then we take into consideration the resources needed to accomplish these goals. Resources can be in the form of time, talent, and/or treasure. Our intention is to set goals congregants willingly support. Much of what we accomplish at UCR is the result of congregants giving of their time and talent. Our volunteers play a huge role at little or no cost. The budget represents the "treasure" part of the formula. It details both the funds required and the expected source of those funds. Our plan's success is ultimately determined by the commitment of our collective time, talent and treasure. If you have questions, comments or concerns, please contact a board member. We deeply value your ideas and opinions.  

LAURA MEADE

Sometimes, the children teach the Sunday lesson without even knowing it. A few weeks ago our lesson was about peacemaking, about how to get still, how to not fight, how to think and say words that are peaceful. That day we were sitting on the floor listening to our story, and one of our younger children was fussing a little with her older sibling. Another 3-year-old quietly got up, walked over to the little girl and sat directly in front of her. He made eye contact with her, touched her arm, and then reached over and gave her a warm hug, all without saying a word. The fussing ended, and they both connected in the way 3-year-olds do, perfectly demonstrating that "peace begins with me" and we don't need words.

We are always inviting volunteers to assist with our Youth Ministry. Only a love of children is required! Interested? See me before or after the Sunday service to sign up.  

JOIN "JESUS & HIS TEACHINGS" CLASS 

You may still join Susan Liddell's class, "Jesus and His Teachings," which started Oct. 27. This five-week class meets Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. and is available for S.E.E. credit. The class is exploring Jesus as the great example and not the great exception. Please come for soup and get to know Jesus as master teacher. Questions? Contact Susan Liddell. 

A benefit event will be held Saturday, Nov. 5, at Theatre Cedar Rapids for UCR friend Doug Jackson, who has been challenged by cancer since 2008. The event includes a 7 p.m. concert at TCR, featuring Doug, Nina Swanson, Tracy Price and the UCR Spirit Choir. The concert will also feature many well-known area musicians. The event includes a silent auction and post-concert party and dance. To learn more, or to make a donation, visit celebratingdj.com. Tickets for the event may be ordered in advance at the Theatre Cedar Rapids website or purchased at the door. Questions? Email dougs_team@aol.com.

Our fourth annual Thanks-For-Giving Sunday is planned for Nov. 20. Your UCR Board of Trustees and Licensed Unity Leaders will joyfully prepare and serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal after the Sunday service. We will be honoring those who have served our spiritual commUnity in 2011. UCR thrives because of every single volunteer hour that is given with such love and devotion. We exist because of your vision, efforts, divine ideas and service hours.

HOLIDAY SERVICES  

The holidays fall on the weekend this year, thus providing the opportunity for creative planning by Rev. brenda and the Licensed Unity Leader team. They are planning an array of sacred, contemplative and fun holiday services. Our candlelight Christmas Eve service, Saturday, Dec. 24, always proves to be a blessed way to honor the birth of the Christ. With Christmas on Sunday, that service promises to be quite unconventional -- worth getting out of bed for (but not necessarily out of your jammies!). New Year's Eve service is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31. As always, this service provides the opportunity for life inventory, visioning and setting sacred intentions. The Sunday service on New Year's Day also promises to be memorable. Mark your calendar now and plan to spiritually enrich your holidays. 

UCR BOARD NOMINATIONS & ELECTION

If you're looking for a rewarding and fulfilling way to be of service to UCR, please consider being a candidate for our UCR Board of Trustees. Two positions are up for election this year. The three-year board term begins after our annual meeting in January 2012. If interested in learning more about serving on this awesome team, please contact Rev. brenda. Our nominations team will be meeting in November and December to discuss potential board candidates.

DO YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN BUSINESS? 

The UCR bylaws require that a Financial Review Team be appointed to conduct an annual internal review of the center's accounting records and practices. Specifically, the bylaws state the team should consist of "two or more active members who have business/accounting knowledge and have not been involved in the church's accounting system during the year." This is the first review resulting from the bylaw changes adopted in 2010. If you wish to support this important process, or you would like more information, please contact Jim Healy, Prosperity Chair/Treasurer.