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Show your fellowship spirit by wearing your UUFB t-shirt
to service on the last Sunday of the month!

THIS SUNDAY...

Rev. Lori G. Hlaban, Minister
Chris Raskind, Director of Music
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort
178 Sams Point Road, Lady's Island
https://uubeaufort.org

UUFB Virtual Worship!

Worship is scheduled to happen via Zoom going forward. At 10:00 a.m. as usual, click on the link below and follow the instructions.

https://uuma.zoom.us/j/927079175

You must have downloaded Zoom first. (Instructions)

See you then!
Rev. Lori

Virtual Worship Tips!

As we hold worship services via Zoom, we are learning a lot! From our two weeks’ experience, I want to answer a few questions and offer some tips:

Q: Why are we muted during the singing?

A:  Because of the way Zoom works. Only one channel can operate at a time, so if a group of people in different places are all singing, Zoom is quickly switching from person to person to person. This results in a weird lag time between lips moving and sound broadcasting. 

Q. What is happening when you say you’re sharing your screen?

A: I’m switching from my laptop’s camera to something “on my screen.” This is what gets shared. Sometimes this takes a couple tries to get right, and I’m working on that!

Q. Can someone else share their screen?

A: No, only the “host” can share their screen. Our worship meetings are set up this way to avoid “zoombombing.” Zoombombing is when someone joins a meeting and begins sharing inappropriate images or videos, generally disrupting the event. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to avoid.

Q. Can we view the worship service again on YouTube?

A: Not yet, maybe in the future. There are copyright issues for music and readings that don’t apply to a “closed” zoom meeting that do to uploads to YouTube. Our technology knowledge is growing, but isn’t quite to the point of the editing required for this.

Some tips for everyone’s enjoyment:

If you like, Please light a chalice at home with us!

Please mute yourself when you’re not speaking. Ambient sound – such as a lawnmower outside, or a dog barking – can be picked up by your microphone. 

To help others see you better, do not sit with your back to a window or other strong source of light. Your face will be almost completely in shadow. Diffuse light is best.
Please sit relatively close to the screen with the camera at about eye level. If you try to put yourself in the center of the frame, everyone should be able to see you clearly.

Thank you for your patience and willingness to lean into this new experience!

UUFB Virtual (and Actual) Office Hours 

In this time, we’re adjusting office hours and schedules drastically! As we’ve noted elsewhere, for the time being Rev. Lori and Nick are working from home. They will both be in the UUFB office on Wednesday mornings. This allows us to process mail received at our P.O. Box and do anything else that needs to happen on our campus. If you send your pledge payment via the post office, please send it to the P.O. Box! We do NOT receive mail sent to our street address.

    UUFB
    P.O. Box 593
    Beaufort, SC 29901

Rev. Lori will still take Monday as her Sabbath day. She will be generally available for phone calls Tuesday through Friday, except when participating in Zoom meetings for UUFB or her continuing education classes. She will be checking in with members via phone and email as her schedule permits, as well as continuing the spiritual practices that help keep her grounded. You can reach her at her cell number, which is in the directory (in the Members Only section of the UUFB website: uubeaufort.org). 

Nick will be generally available to UUFB members from noon to 5pm on Monday through Thursday, and will check email daily. He can be reached at his cell number, which has been listed in the directory for the duration of these changes.

EASTER is Coming!

We will celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 12th! To add to the celebration, I invite you to wear your best Easter hat – all genders included! Maybe you have a lovely hat your mother wore for Easter, or a favorite fishing cap. Whatever it is, let’s have a little fun and don our bonnets for Easter!

AND – While we will not be in person, we will celebrate a form of communion for Easter. Participation is, of course, optional. If you think you’d like to participate, have a glass of juice and some bread or crackers handy for the service. I will be using a liturgy I developed during my parish internship, which is very open to Unitarian Universalists of any spiritual inclination.

(If you signed up as a helper at the Christian Affinity Group meeting a few weeks ago, I’ll be contacting you directly!)

Chair Yoga ZOOMING To You!

Yes, our Chair Yoga Class will come to you  live via ZOOM until we can safely resume our in person class!  So, pull up a chair, make sure you have downloaded Zoom,  adjust your computer, tablet or phone and join the class.

We will meet at our regular time:  10:30-11:45 Tuesdays
Here is your link:  https://uuma.zoom.us/j/630127948

If you are new to ZOOM,  here is a link to help you get started. 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=0-UM1JWwzZ0&feature=emb_logo

Looking forward to seeing you then.
Kathy Folsom

Opportunities to Meet Virtually via ZOOM

We can still stay connected, even as we’re not meeting in person for now. In addition to virtual worship on Sundays at 10:00 AM, here are some regular options and links for connection:

Sundays: Weekly Worship Service @ 10:00 AM:
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/927079175?_ga=2.111028930.636837041.1585662296-346745744.1578589167

Wednesdays: “Keep Calm & Carry On” Vespers & Check In Meeting @ 7:00 PM:
Rev. Lori hosts these evening gatherings with an opening reading, chalice lighting, time for check in, and a closing reading or music. 
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/951823436?_ga=2.12985072.636837041.1585662296-346745744.1578589167

Fridays: “Keep Calm & Carry On” Check In Meeting @ 10:30 AM:
Rev. Lori hosts these mid-morning gatherings with an opening reading, and time for check in. 
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/970166911?_ga=2.13042288.636837041.1585662296-346745744.1578589167

Sundays: Morning Discussion Group @ 8:30 AM:
William “Griff” Griffith hosts this group with a topic focus each Sunday morning before worship.
https://zoom.us/j/254603803

Virtual Committee Meetings: Committee or Team Chairs can contact Rev. Lori or Nick for information about using the UUFB Zoom account! Yes, you can continue to meet virtually while we practice good social distancing. 

Do you have an idea for a virtual group meeting? Let us know!

Disease Safety!

This is an article from your UUFB Care Committee! There is a lot of misinformation being spread on social media about the Coronavirus. While panic is not helpful, it’s important to seek out reliable information and practice good hygiene habits. Here are the basics:

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including: 
•    If you or a loved one develop symptoms, follow the advice of local health officials regarding when to seek medical care.
•    Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
•    Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
•    Stay home when you are sick.
•    Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
•    Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
•    Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask:
    o    CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
      o    Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
•    Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
     o    If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
•    Follow local health official advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds or other social distancing measures. For additional information, visit www.cdc.gov/flu or call 1-800-232-4636

Pandemic
by Lynn Ungar

What if you thought of it 
as the Jews consider the Sabbath – 
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world 
Different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those 
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still, 
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected 
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives 
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils 
of compassion that move, invisibly, 
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love – 
for better or for worse, 
in sickness and in health, 
so long as we all shall live.

(UU minister and poet Lynn Ungar shared this on her personal Facebook page in the middle of last week. Since then, it’s been shared many times via Facebook and Twitter, and featured in a story in the Chicago Tribune.)

To Be Continued…
a column by Rev. Lori G. Hlaban