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March 25, 2021
 
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This Sunday at First Unitarian Church

March 28, 2021, at 10:30 am
Livestreamed  at 10:30 am (prelude begins at 10:25)

“Seed Corn and Tomorrow”

When I was young, I would go with my grandfather when he went to visit his farmer friends. Instead of saying “goodbye,” many of them would say, “Don’t eat your seed corn!” It was an acknowledgment that, though times might be bad, there is hope if we hang on. 

Homily by Rev. Dr. David Breeden, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.  Welcome by Rev. Connie Grant.  Music by Ellen Gozion, Director of Instrumental Music.

This Weekend at First Unitarian Church
Introduction to Unitarian Universalism

Led by church staff and representatives of the Membership Team, This Sunday March 28, 11:30 – 12:15
Find out more about the history, varied theologies, and organization of Unitarian Universalism.  Start out in Zoom social time following the service, and you’ll be directed to a breakout room for “Intro to UU.” If you’d like to attend a meeting to learn more about the history, varied theologies, and organization of Unitarian Universalism, please complete this Intro to UU registration form and check out the path to membership.

 

Does Humanism Have a Future in Unitarian Universalism?

Presented through The First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
This Sunday, March 28, 2021, 3:00 pm Eastern, 2:00 pm Central
register here: or see https://www.first-unitarian-pgh.org/

Presenter: Rev. Dr. David Breeden, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
&
Respondent: Leika Lewis-Cornwell, President, Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association
In memory of Eileen Hastings, committed humanist and longtime active member of the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

NEWSLETTER NEWS
Report of Motions Passed from March Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees met via Zoom on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. All Board members were present, and Gordon Hargreaves and Nick Izzo joined as guests.

The Board voted 5-4 to accept a motion that the proposed congregational covenant be withdrawn and that the Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, March 21, to vote on the proposed covenant, be canceled.

The Board voted unanimously to accept a motion to empower the Safe Reopening Task Force to prepare a recommendation for reopening the church with potential timelines, procedures, and protocols for each activity, e.g., Sunday services and event rentals, with progress to be reported at the April Board meeting.

The Board voted 7 for, 1 against, and 1 abstention to an amendment to the motion to apply for the Federal Paycheck Protection (PPP) loan forgiveness. The “friendly amendment” was to pay back the loan with funds reserved for that purpose. Because the “friendly amendment” was agreed to by the original mover of the motion, its approval superseded a vote on the original motion.

The Board will be communicating more about the rationale behind the PPP loan repayment vote and what that means for the finances of our church soon. Stay tuned!

 iPhones needed
Not-too-old iPhones needed
Do you have a not-too-old iPhone that you are not using? Our tech crew is accepting iPhones in good working condition — with unbroken screens and working cameras — for use for our streaming worship services. (No cell service required.) Please contact Ellen Gozion ellen@ellengozion.com to find out if your iPhone is right for us. 
SERVE
 
Green Sanctuary Team 
Survey on the Climate Crisis and Hope for First Unitarian Members and Friends
In anticipation of Earth Sunday, the Green Sanctuary Team seeks to understand how First Unitarian's members and friends feel about the climate crisis and what we are doing to enact hope for successful action to confront it. This survey asks both about actions and about attitudes and feelings. There are five (required) yes/no/other questions. Each of these questions is followed by an optional free-response question, so the survey can take as little or as much time as you like. The survey is anonymous. We plan to share notable results of this survey in the Earth Sunday service on 4/18. We are accepting completed surveys until the end of Saturday, April 3.
You can take the survey here.

https://forms.gle/yHCjbYEbXZ8RGZzP6

Please share this link with other members and friends of First Unitarian Church who might not see it in this weekly email. If you want to take the survey but cannot access the Google Form at the link above, please contact us at greensanctuary@first-unitarian-pgh.org
UU Justice PA
"Faith, Democracy & Commitment: A UUJusticePA Approach"
Plan to attend by zoom our Annual Meeting, "Faith, Democracy & Commitment: A UUJusticePA Approach" happening on April 23 (7-9 PM) and April 24 (10-12 AM & 1-4 PM ).
Opportunities To Help 

Sharing the Plate!
Is there an organization you’d like to nominate to be the recipient of our third-Sunday Share the Plate offering? Please use this form or send your nomination to Tony Rutigliano (arutigl@comcast.net) on behalf of the Serve Council. Please include the following information:
Name of organization, Website address, or other sources of information, Is this a 501 (c) (3) organization (required)? What is your involvement with this organization? Why do you consider this an appropriate recipient for our Share the Plate offering? Preferred month (if any)

Helping Each Other
During these trying times, members of the church may occasionally need a helping hand. The Pastoral Care Team asks you to identify ways you may be able to assist. We expect you would be called only a few times during the year. Please contact a member of the team if you are able to help. 

You’ll be asked to indicate which of these you may be able to help with from time to time:
□ Transportation   □ Providing a meal for an individual or family   □ Shopping
In the event of a need in the congregation, you may be contacted to see whether you are available to help at that time. Your help will be appreciated!


Pastoral Care Team Contact Information:
Christine Beregi: cberegi1@verizon.net Phone:
412-992-1888
Jan Carlino: jancarlino807@gmail.com Phone: 412-727-0200
Julie Childers: julie36pa@gmail.com Phone: 412-726-3590
Jim Cunningham: cunni@comcast.net Phone: 412-256-0205 (Co-Chair)
Kathy Miller: kathymillerotter@gmail.com Phone:
412-639-8012 (Co-Chair)
Bob Sullivan: r.sullivan13@verizon.net Phone:
412-952-7772
Rev. Connie Grant: constance.l.grant@gmail.com Phone: 847-840-8542 (Church Office: 412-621-8008)
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INSPIRE
SongSpace  
SongSpace Streams: Joe Crookston!
Friday, April 2, 7:30 pm

The stream will open shortly before 7:30 pm; Show at 7:30 pm

We missed him so much last spring when the COVID crisis forced us to cancel his SongSpace 2020 show. We are thrilled to be able to welcome Joe Crookston (joecrookston.com) to the SongSpace Streams series, to kick off April 2021 and find some new beauty in this broken world. If you've seen Joe before, you know how good this will be. 

Free admission, tips to the performers strongly encouraged. Last-minute details at uusongspace.com.

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LEARN 

Adult Religious Education

 Book Discussion 
"Man's Search for Meaning"
Tuesdays March 30 and April 6, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Viktor Frankl's 1946 memoir describes his experiences of life in Nazi death camps and lessons for spiritual survival. Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.  Participants in the recent discussion group on Frankl's "Yes to Life in Spite of Everything" have decided to read or reread Frankl's earlier book, and additional participants are welcome! Facilitated by Rev. Connie Grant.  Email 
Constance.L.Grant@gmail.com to register and receive the zoom link.

New Virtual Course: Building Your Own Theology
Begins in April 2021
10 Classes

Based on the assumption that everyone is their own theologian, this classic UU adult education program invites participants to develop their own personal credos, the fundamental religious beliefs, values, and convictions that inform and direct their lives. Gilbert Poses five developmental tasks in which participants come to terms with human nature, ultimate reality, history, ethics, and religious meaning. Begins with an introduction to our seven UU principles. Ten Sessions.
Lifespan Religious Education Director Erica Shadowsong will facilitate this course that will give you an opportunity to explore, discuss, and articulate your religious beliefs.  Whether you are new to Unitarian Universalism or not, this course will develop and strengthen your sense of spiritual grounding within this dynamic faith.  This will be a virtual class on Zoom.  Please let me know of your interest by emailing me at 
eshadowsong@first-unitarian-pgh.org.  As we get closer to April, we will choose times and dates based on participants' availability.  

 

Young Adults Religious Education 
Young Adults Small Group     
Weekly Meetings on Zoom
Please join us for our weekly meeting at 7 pm on Wednesdays, where we explore spiritual practice in our everyday lives.  Interested in joining us?  Email Erica at 
eshadowsong@first-unitarian-pgh.org 

Children and Youth Religious Education 
UUA Wide Virtual Easter Egg Hunt Begins April 3
Let the countdown begin!  9 more days...

Pioneered last year, it's happening again...with even more congregations participating, including ours!  
Follow hints and leads through different church websites to get to the prize page!  

The UU Virtual Easter Egg Hunt 2021 will go live Saturday, April 3, 2021 - the day before Easter - and remain active throughout April. There are two hunts: an easier one, and a more challenging one. The hunt begins
here


 
2021 Fall Religious Education Program - Information Session for Prospective Volunteers

Sunday, April 18 @ 1pm via Zoom
Now calling for ministry team volunteers for the coming church year!


Religious education leadership is needed in two directions.  One is in a steering team that helps support the Sunday morning program by recruiting volunteers, assisting them throughout the year with moral support, and helping to bring important feedback and insights to the program on behalf of parents, children, youth, and volunteers.  This is your typical "RE Committee" or team.  The second, equally important, is taking the lead to organize, recruit for, and promote celebratory gatherings that bring families and members of the church together.  Past events have included a picnic at the beginning and end of the formal church year, Easter egg hunts, the Pumpkinfest, and support for the Christmas pageant!  Both of these roles are important, and different people are drawn to both.  In the coming year, we will be intentionally recruiting for these two different groups of volunteers.  Now is a very good opportunity to consider becoming a part of leadership for our children and youth ministry!  
Although RE leadership is not by any means limited to (or the sole obligation of ) parents with kids in the program, I do encourage parents to take part in this or other volunteer opportunities for their own personal enrichment and community-building experience.  Please come and find out more, think and pray or meditate about this seriously, and join me on April 18th!  If you cannot make it but are interested, please let me know and we can arrange a time to talk.  I look forward to planning a year of rich, meaningful church engagement with you all after a year of physical separation!
If you think you will be interested, and/or would simply like to know more, I invite you to join me for 
orientation via Zoom on Sunday, April 18 @ 1 pm.  RSVP by emailing me at eshadowsong@first-unitarian-pgh.org and I will send you the Zoom link.  


 
Central East Region Offerings - Peer Pastoral Care To/With Youth
We’ve heard loud and clear that this is a program more people want to be a part of. Our three-session series for high school youth was a great success. We focused on learning the skills and applying them to the online environment youth are in right now. The three sessions were: introduction to pastoral care and listening skills, responding to youth in crisis, pastoral response to oppression, and microaggressions.

Keeping the same basic outline, we are adapting and offering the same basic outline to more groups of youth and adults:

Junior High Youth - grades 7-9: March 27, 12-3 pm eastern
The material will be adapted developmentally for this age group. Youth in junior high have just as much need to support each other, especially right now, as older youth! Youth can sign up for sessions individually. Session 1 is required for both sessions 2 and 3, but youth does not need to take the full series. Youth do need an adult from their congregation attending with them.

Adult Volunteers - March  27, 6-9 pm eastern
This skill set is critical for adult volunteers. These sessions will use the same curriculum we use with the youth but allow a greater chance for adult conversation.

Religious Educators -  April 7, 14 3-6 pm eastern
This program will be the same as the others but tailored for conversations with professional religious educators. It’s meant to supplement the Lay Spiritual Care course on UU Leadership Institute (
https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/spiritual-care-training). Religious educators will gain an understanding of the curriculum and have a chance to consider what exercises they may want to do with their own youth. The fourth session will focus on the challenges and benefits of encouraging youth to support each other this way within a congregation.

Details will be emailed out when we have them and posted here: 
https://www.uua.org/central-east/youth/online-youth-programs/peer-pastoral-care. In the meantime, visit that link to get an overview of the sessions done with the high schoolers as these series will follow the same basic arc, adapted for the group.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Sundays @ 11:30 am to 12:00 pm
Join the director of religious education and religious education volunteers for an ongoing exploration of living our Unitarian Universalist faith at home, in our families, and beyond.  During this year of the church building closure, we are spending more time than ever with our families, a situation that presents many challenges, but also some opportunities.  Religious education for children this year will have a multi-age, family focus; parents are invited to attend with their children via Zoom.  This year, we are diving into the 6 Sources of Unitarian Universalist faith (https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/sources).   Zoom information will be sent to the parent list; please email me directly to be added to the list at eshadowsong@first-unitarian-pgh.org. 
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CONNECT 
Men of First Church 
Men's Group 
The April 14th meeting of the Men's group will be from 7:30 to 9:00 with a ZOOM gathering. 
Our topic will be -  CANCEL CULTURE!  A "relatively new concept with which we now live.  An "Ultra Political Correctness."  Words we must not speak, books banned, hymns not to be sung, special cultures of whom and for whom we are not qualified to speak.  What is your view?  Where might this lead us?   If this is a new concept to you - google it.  You all come.
If you need any help with the zoom link, get back to me.    For more information contact Jim at 
J5650R@comcast.net

 
Church Connection Opportunities 
 Covenant group Opportunities  
Consider joining or creating a virtual covenant group.
If you are interested in joining or creating a new covenant group, you can complete a Covenant Group interest form or contact Alice Bright
ab03@andrew.cmu.edu
If your group would like to set up meetings using the church account please contact Rev. Connie Grant at Constance.L.Grant@gmail.com.
 
Community Connection Opportunities 
Central East Region's BIPOC gathering
If you identify as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC), you're invited to join us for the Central East Region's BIPOC gathering happening on two Mondays of the month at 6:30 pm ET. In our gatherings, we are joined by lay folks of color, lay leaders of color, and/or religious professionals of color to be in the community. Our conversations focus on topics like wellness and resilience and our goal is to center BIPOC experiences and create space to explore our UU experiences. Please email Sana Saeed, ssaeed@uua.org, or Paula Cole Jones pcolejones@gmail.com for zoom information. 
Dates for Spring Gatherings:  Apr 12 & 26, May 10 & 24, and June 14 & 28.

Beth Casebolt : she/her/hers  CER Communications Consultant and Operations Manager  740-232-9048 Schedule a phone or zoom meeting at calendly.com/bcasebolt
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OMBUDSMAN
 
Need an answer to a question and don’t know who to ask?  Want to pass along some feedback and not sure who to contact?  Reach out to your Board Ombudsman Ebe Emmons.  Ebe will coordinate with staff, committees, and the board to get an answer or pass along feedback.  Ebe can be reached at firstuupghombudsman@gmail.com
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First Unitarian Church · 605 Morewood Avenue · Pittsburgh, PA 15213 · USA

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