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June 2, 2016 | Vol. 3 No. 22
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| Coming Home to 3400 Dupont Avenue |
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| | Rev. Justin Schroeder |
In December of 2013, we launched the "House that Love Built," raising $115,000 and building a home for a Habitat family. In December of 2015, we "Gave the Gift of Home," raising $70,000 to support the work of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, as we helped give the gift of home to youth, families, and formerly incarcerated men.
While these two efforts focused on building homes for our neighbors in the community, internally, the Board of Trustees and various church leaders have spent the past two years exploring what it might mean to make 3400 Dupont a more welcoming and functional home that deepens and better facilitates our mission and ministry. The Board, staff, and church leaders are getting clear about how we might invest in our building, its maintenance, repair, improvements, additions, and even debt retirement. We are dreaming, too, about how we might fund additional ministry and congregational dreams related to our mission, strategic goals, and justice work.
In short, we are on the edge of a Comprehensive Stewardship Campaign, driven by the dream of truly coming home to 3400 Dupont, and having the building reflect our values as well as our energy and vitality as a faith community! At the Annual Meeting this Sunday, the Board of Trustees will recommend that the congregation approve a loan from the church's Legacy Fund (to be paid back with initial gifts as they come in), to fund the costs of the Comprehensive Stewardship Campaign. In the fall of 2016, the process will begin in earnest, with a month-long Readiness Assessment in October. Everyone will be invited to participate in this Readiness Assessment, and in these focus groups we'll share a more detailed presentation of the vision of the campaign, prioritize key funding needs, and invite you to identify needs that have not yet come forward.
As a faith community, we're at a very dynamic moment in our history: our ministry is alive, vibrant, and more deeply connected with the community than ever before. It's time for our facility to better facilitate our mission and ministry. It's time to come home to 3400 Dupont!
I'll see you in church, and at the Annual Meeting, immediately following the 10 a.m. service!
Justin
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| SUNDAY WORSHIP AT FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH |
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 Worship this Sunday
Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.
Flower Communion Sunday
Multigenerational Worship
(childcare for ages 6 months to 3 years)
"The Stonecutters"
Rev. Justin Schroeder
What is it that we're building, day after day, year after year, as a faith community? How do each of us, bringing our own unique gifts, help to create something beautiful and enduring? We'll explore these questions and more during our Flower Communion Service this Sunday at 10 a.m. Don't forget to bring a flower! Read More
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Sunday, June 12, 10 a.m.
Summer Religious Education begins
"From Prison to Protest"
Pastor Danny Givens, Jr.
Summer Sundays at First Universalist!
Worship at 10 a.m.
Please Bring Your Own Mug to social hour after worship. This helps save on water, labor, and keeps the kitchen cool during the summer.
Miss a Recent Sunday?
May 29, 2016
"A Veteran's Memory,
A Civilian's Forgetfulness"
Patrick Dougherty
May 22, 2016
"You Can't Be Off the Hook
if You Keep it Real"
Rev. Karen Hutt
May 15, 2016
"When Life Chooses You"
Rev. Ruth MacKenzie
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| UPCOMING EVENTS, PROGRAMS & MEETINGS |
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Flower Communion
Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.
Flower Communion is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Please bring a flower from your garden or from a bouquet to this multigenerational worship service on Sunday, June 5. Please note: on summer Sundays, we worship at a single 10 a.m. service.
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Annual Meeting of the Membership
Sunday, June 5, 11:30 a.m., Sanctuary
The Annual Meeting of the Membership will take place on June 5 after Flower Communion, at 11:30 a.m. We will present the Annual Report, elect church leadership and approve the budget for the 2016-17 church year. More details, including the agenda, slate of candidates, and budget information, can be found on our website.
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| Bdote Field Trip: Visit Sites of Cultural & Historical Significance to the Dakota People |
 Bdote is a Dakota word meaning "where two waters come together." It can also be used to describe the larger area of land surrounding a Bdote. The Bdote of the Haha Tanka or Wakpa Tanka (Mississippi River) and the Mnisota Wakpa (Minnesota River) is central to Dakota culture and history.
On Saturday, June 11 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) visit five Bdote sites in the Metro area that are culturally and historically significant for Dakota people, based on the Bdote Memory Map. Learn from two Dakota educators, Ramona Kitto-Stately and Ethan Neerdaels. Sites include Mounds Park, Wakan Tipi (located in Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary), Fort Snelling State Park, Coldwater Spring, and Pilot Knob.
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Save the Date: Lake Harriet Bandshell Worship Service & Potluck
Mark your calendar for Sunday, Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. and join us for our annual outdoor worship service and potluck picnic at the Lake Harriet Bandshell! This will be our only service on this Sunday.
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| Annual Report Available Online |
The annual report includes detailed information about the proposed 2016-2017 operating budget, the slate of candidates to be elected to the Board of Trustees, First Universalist Foundation Board and Nominating Committee along with new member bios, reports from Board President Cindy Marsh, Board Treasurer Dick Niemiec, Senior Minister Rev. Justin Schroeder, the Foundation, and the AUW, and a broad overview of the past year - in pictures and in words.
Printed copies will be available at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 5 at 11:30 a.m.
View the Annual Report here.
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| Your Invitation to Sing in Summer Choir |
 Do you like to sing? Have you thought about being in a choir, but you can't make an extended commitment? Summer Choir may be just right for you!
The Summer Choir is scheduled to sing in services on June 19, July 24 and August 21. Rehearsals are at 9 a.m. on the day of the service. Yes, only one rehearsal on the day of the service! Music is easy enough to learn in the 45 minute rehearsal. All are welcome! If you have any questions, contact [email protected].
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| Summer Sundays for Kids Beginning June 12 |
 On Summer Sundays, we have a single worship service at 10 a.m., and childcare and Religious Education classes are offered from 10-11 a.m. for children ages 6 months up through those entering 6th grade in the Fall, beginning June 12. Adult staff and trained youth from the congregation provide care and guidance as we enjoy a more relaxed pace and focus on building community with one another. Kids close in age are grouped together as follows: Nursery (6-17 months); Preschool (18 months to 3 years); Young Children (4 years through entering 1st grade); and Elementary-Age Kids (entering 2nd-6th grade).
Our youngest congregants spend the morning in bright, happy spaces with plenty to explore, in the care of paid adult and youth staff, playing and making friends of all ages. Preschoolers begin their morning with a circle, songs, and picture books, then have plenty of time to play.
Each Sunday morning, preK and older kids explore this summer's theme: Telling a New Story. We come together for a brief time of worship, welcoming one another into the circle and learning about someone who is writing a new story by "doing good" in the world. Then we dive into hands-on projects and crafts inspired by their example. If weather permits, you'll definitely find many of us out on the playground for part of the hour.
No need to register in advance; please join us as often as you're able! If you will be visiting for the first time, please find helpful tips for visitors here.
Summer Sundays Religious Education kicks off June 12 and runs through the end of August. We look forward to seeing you at church!
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| 2016-2017 Religious Education Registration Open |
Children, youth and families are at the heart of the ministry of First Universalist, and our Religious Education program for children and youth is one of the largest among UU churches worldwide. We continue to align Religious Education with the values and mission of the larger church so that children and youth are actively engaged in a spiritual journey with the whole congregation. Each class offers a variety of activities on Sunday mornings, including stories, singing, sharing joys and concerns, spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, games, crafts and hands-on projects.
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| Exhibit of Oil Paintings by Dakota Hoska on View |
 "Capturing Moments - My family or friends and their families" is an exhibit of oil paintings by First Universalist member Dakota Hoska that is on view at church in the Social Hall through July 3, 2016. There will be an artist's reception after worship on Sunday, June 12 in the Social Hall.
The work for this show is based upon familiar interactions - Dakota's own and those of her friends and family. She focuses on recognizing beauty in the mundane and reveling in the accidental. She loves chance meetings with beauty and enjoys capturing singular moments that would otherwise go unobserved. Working to evoke a sense of recognition in her viewer, she paints accessible moments of intimacy and familiarity.
Born and raised in South Dakota, the wide-open prairie had a profound effect on how Dakota views the world. As an infant, she had been adopted out to a Norwegian family. In 2013, she reconnected with her biological family and learned that she is Oglala Lakota, from the Pine Ridge Reservation (Wounded Knee). Her Lakota heritage, family, and community now play an ever-increasing role in her life and artistic practice.
Dakota will soon begin a Master's program in Art History with an emphasis on Native American Art History at the University of St. Thomas. She currently works as a Native American Curatorial Fellow at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and has a studio practice in St. Paul. She lives in South Minneapolis with her two sons, husband, and two mischievous huskies.
Learn more about Dakota Hoska and view examples of her work on her website.
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Augsburg Fairview Academy:
School is Out! Donations Suspended for Summer |
The last day of school at Augsburg Fairview Academy is June 3 and we have enough food and supplies to stock the Food and Clothing Closets through the end of the school year. We will not collect food and clothing during the summer months, and will start up again in early September. Thank you for your amazing generosity throughout the school year!
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Cycle of Life and Pastoral Care
Our thoughts are with Liz Dunn as she prepares to undergo heart surgery on June 7th, at Region's Hospital. Your good thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
Let Us Keep You in Our Thoughts and Prayers
If you are experiencing a crisis or transition, or celebrating a joy, please let us know. To be included in our Cycle of Life each Sunday in worship, contact Sandy DiNanni at [email protected] or 612-825-1701. If you would like support, contact Rev. Jen Crow at [email protected] or 612-825-1701 or any member of our Pastoral Care Team. |
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Chancel Flowers
Would you like to deliver flowers to a congregant experiencing loss, recovering from an illness, in a nursing home, or in need of a spot of beauty? Contact Mary Ellison at 612-250-2998 or [email protected]. If you want to donate flowers for a Sunday service, contact Marjie Smith at [email protected].
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Planned Giving
If First Universalist means much to you and you want to help the church stay strong, please consider naming it in your will or estate plan. Interested? See a minister or the church's financial administrator. And thanks!
- Peg Meier of the Planned Giving Committee
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First Universalist's Rev. Ruth MacKenzie Performs in Musical Concert
"Nature Creature" June 10 - 19 at Open Eye Theatre
 "Nature Creature" is a song cycle that is the perfect marriage of pop, jazz, and art song. Composer Elizabeth Alexander has set to music the writings of Louise Erdrich, A. R. Ammons and other fabulous poets with passion and skill.
The vocalist in the trio of performers, Ruth MacKenzie sings songs about the necessity of play, the worth of a meadow, the solace of an apple tree when life comes crashing down.
The beauty and complexity of being alive are woven into the sensuous fabric of Nature Creature. This compelling new vocal work embraces our brief, glorious time on earth, with all its discovery, contradiction, heartbreak and joy.
"Nature Creature" will be performed by pianist (and composer) Elizabeth Alexander, vocalist Ruth MacKenzie, and cellist Jacqueline Ultan at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis in June. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on June 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18 and 19. Details and ticket information can be found here.
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| RESOURCES & CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Join Our Mailing List
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Church Office Hours
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Sundays 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Closed Fridays and Saturdays
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The Weekly Liberal is compiled and edited by Communications Manager Jenn Stromberg. Past issues, publication deadlines, and policies can be found on our website.
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Contact Us
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
3400 Dupont Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-1701
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