Sunday, December 16. The FUS bookstore, open before and after each Sunday's assembly, has a variety of excellent books and gift items for your holiday shopping needs. Free "retro" gift wrapping will be offered with each purchase.

Sunday, December 16. Please bring some cards and envelopes that we can use during social hour to write holiday cards to our FUS friends who are not able to attend in person.  

 

The high school youth will be selling homemade granola Sunday, December 16 after the assembly. What a nice gift, or a great thing to have on hand for the holidays!

Photography by Lara Leimbach

Hear Rev. Dr. Pam Allen-Thompson present There's a Song in the Air as you enjoy this intergenerational assembly. Preschoolers will sing "This Little Light of Mine" and the Children's Chorus will perform. Jan Devor, Director of Religious Education, will honor Seth Peterson, our Nursery Supervisor, with a gift, and will welcome his replacement. Jim Tincher will share a story. And more music! music!

Monday, December 24, 5:00pm. A candlelight banquet for the senses- cookies, hot chocolate, songs, and stories. We will be decorating the Mitten Tree with new scarves, mittens and gloves that you bring to donate to those who need a little extra warmth this season.

You have been generous to FUS this year. Thank you. If you want to complete your annual pledge by the end of the month, put your check in any collection plate through December 30,  identifying this as your PLEDGE PAYMENT or END OF THE YEAR DONATION in the memo line. You can also donate online by clicking here. Our heartfelt thanks for your amazing generosity that keeps our programs vibrant, our building in good condition, and our impact on people's lives strong and ongoing. 
 

Friday, December 30, 7:00-9:00pm Dietrich Room

Please join UUs and humanists for another evening of exploring human experience through poetry. Light refreshments will be served.  Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom.

 

"Between Place" this month is the work of two artists with very different approaches to landscape painting. Jeannine Kitzhaber's work depicts bird's eye views of landscapes, while Adam P. Johnson's landscapes are created with broad brush strokes from a ground level viewpoint. Kitzhaber teaches studio art at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, and lives in Coon Rapids. Johnson teaches studio art at the University of Minnesota. Both artists have had numerous shows in the Twin Cities and afar. The show continues through January 6.

Thank You for Your Generosity  
The FUS special collection for Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness in November totaled $1,110 and Music Sunday's December 2 special collection raised $3,100.
  

The Foundation is doing great things. Check here for details. Many thanks to all who have contributed to the Foundation during our year-end appeal. Your generosity allows the Foundation to distribute over $50,000 per year to FUS and our community, sustaining humanism far into the future.

We would like to welcome Rachel Adler who will be the main care provider in the FUS nursery from 9:30 to 11:30am every Sunday. Rachel is from New Jersey and is a recent graduate of Macalester College. She is Red Cross certified, has had training in shaken baby syndrome and is currently working during the week with toddlers at the JCC in St. Paul. She is also willing to do sitting for night meetings here at FUS! We are thrilled to have her here!

 

This holiday season FUS is a donation location for Gifts for Seniors, an area nonprofit that collects new gifts for distribution to isolated seniors. More than 2,300 isolated seniors were reached last year through partner social service agencies. This is an opportunity to bring joy to someone who otherwise would be forgotten during the holidays. FUS Administrator Will Hegeman serves on the Gifts for Seniors board. Feel free to ask him questions about the organization. To learn more, check out the Gifts for Seniors website: www.giftsforseniors.org.