Saturday, August 15 - 2 PM
A public memorial service will be held for Wilson Bates, son of AUUF member Minnie Venable. Wilson died in June. A reception will immediately follow the service.
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Volunteers Needed for CRE
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We really need someone to volunteer in the Nursery and someone to volunteer in the Elementary classroom on August 30th and September 6th.
You do not have to come up with a lesson plan unless you want to.
Contact: Sarah Brown
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| Children's Religious Education Update |
Our Children's Religious Education (CRE) program is divided into two groups by age. In CRE, which meets each Sunday at 11 AM, we challenge our children with interactive studies about religion and science.
The older children will be focusing on hospitality this next Sunday. We will work on how we are a welcoming congregation and how the children can better work with new children in our fellowship.
In the Nursery, we continue with Unit 3: We are Alike, We are Different, exploring similarities and differences among races, including fears, anger, and goals. This topic will continue throughout the month of July.
Contact: Wes Phillips and Sarah Brown
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In June 2015, the AUUF Board approved the use of attendance pads to be used during our Sunday services. These pads - common in many congregations - provide an easy way for guests and members to record their presence.
Attendance pads give our Membership Committee a valuable tool for collecting and correcting basic information. The committee can also more efficiently follow members whose attendance lags, with the goal of ensuring no one in our beloved community "falls through the cracks."
A pad is placed on each row of seats, to be handed down the row during the service. Members and guests simply print their name or as much information as they desire to share, and anyone may opt out of recording their attendance altogether. Completed pad pages are collected following the services and the information is recorded or updated in our congregation management software.
Attendance pads replace the guest information cards used previously. They serve the same purpose as guest cards, while also allowing members to update information such as address, phone, or email. Guests who register their attendance are added to the Fellowship's newsletter list, and are invited to attend Path to Membership sessions and other events.
Again, any members or guests are perfectly free not to record their attendance if they choose.
The aim of attendance pads is to enhance our beloved community. We can better serve members and guests by having up-to-date information. We can communicate more accurately with everyone. And we can improve our ability to express our caring through following up with those who have been absent.
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Newsletter and Website Submissions
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As always, we are eager to publish information regarding committees, boards, Adult RE, CRE, events, and services, but we need your help. The website and Facebook page can be updated daily, but the newsletter cannot. New information needs to be submitted (submissions@uuamarillo.org) by noon Wednesday if you want it to appear in the Friday morning newsletter. If you need an event placed on the website calendar, you may submit that request with description, image (or we can provide one), starting and approximate ending time, specific location, date (or dates for a recurring event), and name of contact person. Help us help you get your message out in a timely manner.
PLEASE, EVERYONE CAN MAKE ALL THESE COMMUNICATIONS MORE EFFECTIVE BY READING THEM EACH WEEK--ESPECIALLY THE WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER!
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 Online classes - 'Science of Free Will' and 'Nature's Way'
These classes are accessible online 24/7, so you can participate at any hour of the day when you have some time. There's nothing 'live' to be missed, and you aren't using video, just text-based forums. Instructors respond individually to all questions and love extended conversations. Sign up for email alerts about coming classes at SecularActivism.org
Partners for Secular Activism is a 501c3 nonprofit educational organization, founded in 2014 by John Shook, PhD. Dr. Shook worked with the founder of secular humanism, Paul Kurtz, for several years, developing this online educational opportunity for everyone around the world.
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In addition to the events described in this newsletter, you can find a complete listing by clicking on the Calendar icon to the left.
Want more detail? Check both the News and the Events sections of our website, uuamarillo.orgAlso on our website, you can learn more about our Fellowship and our faith, Unitarian Universalism.
All events are held at the Fellowship, 4901 Cornell St., unless otherwise noted.
If you are unsure how to reach any of the individuals named as contacts, please email the AUUF office or call our Office Administrator, April Myers, at 806.355.9351 and leave a message. She will return your call during her office hours, which are Tuesday- Friday from 9 AM to noon.
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Sunday Worship - 9:30 and 11 AM
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David Green, Kristy Fuller, Jason Hudson, and Ellen Robertson Green present The Wisdom of Robert Fulghum, offering a selection of readings by the UU minister and best-selling author of many books, including "All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten."
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David Green speaks on
Meaning, Purpose, and Humanism, discussing how humanism can offer essential emotional needs traditionally ascribed to religious belief.
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August 16, 2015
David Green speaks on The Last Lecture, discussing the talk on life lessons - later a best-selling book - delivered by computer science professor Randy Pauch after receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer.
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It's Party Time!! Game Night/Ice Cream Social!
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On Friday, July 31, at 6:30 PM, all "sociable" UUs and guests are invited to the Fellowship for a Game Night/ Ice Cream Social. We'll have lots of games available for adults and "big kids," AND THE NURSERY WILL BE OPEN FOR THE LITTLE ONES FROM 7 TO 10 PM. We'll have games like dominoes for Chickenfoot and Mexican Train, cards for Hand and Foot, dice for Farkle and Yahoo, a game of Rummikub, and others as we think of them or as they're suggested. You can play something you know well or perhaps learn something new. We'll try to end around 9 PM, but April says if we're having a "grand" time, we can stay until 10!
We'll have sign-up sheets on BOTH BULLETIN BOARDS for those who plan to attend (so we'll know how many tables to set up) and for those who want to bring refreshments.
Either homemade ice cream or "store-bought" will be welcome, as well as
toppings, and perhaps some cookies, brownies, etc., for those who don't eat ice
cream. Drinks will be provided or bring your own.
To sign up or have questions, call Janda and/or Lyle Raker at 352-0589 or e-mail.
Hope we have lots of folks there--the more the merrier!
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1st Sunday Potluck Lunch and Committee Fair
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Sunday, August 2 - 12:30 PM
Bring your potluck dishes and join other members of the congregation to share in the camaraderie and dining pleasures this first Sunday in August at 12:30 PM in Chandler Hall. If you don't have a dish to bring, join us anyway for good food and great friendships.
Contact: Rosemarie & Bill Kirkland
Committee Fair - August 2
All fourteen committees finally have operating chairpersons. Now we need to populate fully these committees. To that end the First Sunday Potluck Lunch on Sunday, August 2, will serve double-duty. In addition to the fine fare served after the 11 AM service, we shall also have simultaneously a Committee Fair. You will get to see the committee chairs and learn more about what each committee does to help you determine which committee interests you and can best use your talents. Sign-up opportunities will be extended during the Committee Fair!
Contact: Keralee Clay
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Adult Religious Education
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 Sunday, August 2 - 10 AM
Adult Religious Education class will watch and discuss a lecture on "Natural Law and Human Nature" by Joseph Koterski SJ. The material in this lecture should encourage a very lively and thought-provoking discussion. Please join us at 10:00 AM. All are welcome. Contact: John Gay
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Monday, August 3 - 6 PM
 The Women's Covenant Group studies and discusses feminine spiritual and social topics. We are studying a UU adult RE curriculum, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, a woman-honoring curriculum by Rev. Shirley Ranck. Topic this week: The Apostle Mary.
Contact: Keralee Clay
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We Agnostics Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
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Thursday, August 6 - 6 PM
The "We Agnostics" Alcoholics Anonymous group meets weekly on Thursdays at 6 PM, in Chandler Hall. This AA group is for anyone with a desire to stop drinking and maintain sobriety, but particularly for those who are uncomfortable with AA meeting formats stressing particular religious beliefs.
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Meet the Artist - Kyle Singleton
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 Tuesday, August 11, 7 PM, AUUF Chandler Hall
"I define art as having nothing at all to do with painting. Art is a human act, a generous contribution, something that might not work, and it is intended to change the recipient for the better, often causing a connection to happen."
--Seth Godin, July 28, 2015
The quotation above from Seth Godin pretty well describes my lens on life and the approach I've taken over the past 10 years that has provided me the skill set and opportunities to shape a career where I am able to look on myself as a full-time artist, making a good living, creating a positive difference and value for my employer.
 This presentation is not so much about my work (although there are plenty of examples), but the path I took to get here and where I hope to go in the future. I think that's the better story to tell because I believe it is a path that is available to everyone-if they consider and act on the last two sentences from Seth's July 28, 2015 post:
"You can enjoy the status quo, or you can make art. The most difficult part might be in choosing whether you want to make art at all, and committing to what it requires of you."
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August Path to Membership
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Saturday, August 22 from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Fellowship
 This gathering is designed for prospective members, and anyone interested in Unitarian Universalist history and the beliefs and practices of our Fellowship and faith tradition. All materials are provided, and childcare is available upon request.
To arrange childcare please contact the Fellowship office by Friday August 14, at 806-355-9451 or click here to send an e-mail.
The "Path" gathering is an important step for everyone who wishes to become an AUUF member. Check here for an overview of membership information. The session is led by Rev. David Green with the participation of longer-term members.
Please RSVP your intent to attend by Friday, August 14.
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Fiction Book Group - Preview
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Tuesday, August 25 from 7 to 8:30 PM at the Fellowship
 Selection for August: Some Luck by Jane Smiley - Early twentieth-century farm family followed across forty years of American experience.
The Fiction Book Group meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month (excluding December) at the Fellowship to discuss a new novel or collection of essays chosen by retired English professor Dick Moseley, who also facilitates the conversation. All are welcome to attend, read the month's selection, and enjoy delving deeper into some of today's best new literature.
Contact: Dick Moseley
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 Paul Rasor. Reclaiming Prophetic Witness: Liberal Religion in the Public Square. (2012)
Religious liberals need to answer the call to prophetic witness. Too often offended and appalled by the prophets of conservative Christianity, we silence ourselves rather than risk sounding like them. We fear that public witness in the name of faith could violate separation of church and state. This book speaks directly to religious liberals, sometimes laying out our shortcomings, but also giving us tools to equip us to speak out without compromising our convictions. Rasor identifies weaknesses in our approaches and gives alternative examples of public religious arguments that support the principles our faith holds dear. One chapter ends with this challenge: "Given the public dominance of conservative religious voices today, if religious liberals don't speak up, no one else will know that there is another religious perspective."
Recommendation level
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 The AUUF is making its facility available to the Somali Bantu community on weekday mornings for English as a Second Language classes.
Abdullahi Shidad, director of the non-profit Bantu Development Center, is coordinating and teaching the ESL classes for approximately 15 adults. Classes will be held 9 AM - 11 AM on weekdays in Chandler Hall. Class days will vary initially, and classes will not conflict with any regularly scheduled AUUF events.
The Bantu are a persecuted ethnic minority in Somalia, and thousands have found refuge in the United States in recent years. Locally, many are employed as shift workers at Tyson.
Abdullahi Shidad has lived in Amarillo since 2002 and has assisted refugees in finding employment, creating social and cultural connections, gaining higher education, and seeking US citizenship. A 2010 Amarillo Globe-News article describes the many challenges Somali Bantus face.
Read additional articles about the Somali Bantus, their history, and their journey to America: Somali Bantu History. Resources for Somali Bantu refugees. The Texas Tribune has also written about the plight of Somali's in Amarillo.
ESL classes provide a crucial step toward higher education and economic opportunities for participants. By providing space that otherwise goes unused during the week, the Fellowship is being a good community neighbor and putting our principles into action.
Interested in volunteering to help with ESL classes? E-mail the AUUF office.
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Susan Gibson Performs in the Gardens
Thursday, August 6, 7 PM at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, Susan Gibson will be performing in the Attebury Outdoor Theatre. Entrance is $5 for members (show membership card) and $10 for nonmembers. Bring your lawn chair, picnic dinner and drink and enjoy the music!!
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