Today at Our Fellowship April 25, 2024

Today At Our Fellowship

Thursday, April 25, 2024

This Weekend @ AUUF

Find Zoom links here.

Thursday 4/25/24

5:30 Anti-Racism Team

6:30 pm Choir

Friday 4/26/24

9:15 am-12:15 pm Private Rental

12:00 pm Freethinkers only at AUUF

4:00 pm- 7:00 pm Potluck: Intro to Plant-Based/Whole Foods Preparation

Saturday 4/27/24

8:30-10:30 am AA Slap Happy Group

10:30 pm Private Rental

1:00-3:00 pm Private Rental

6:00 pm Seder Dinner Potluck

Sunday 4/28/24

9:00 am The Forum only on Zoom

11:00 am Sunday Worship IN- PERSON & on Zoom

12:30 pm Budget Information Meeting

4:00 pm Anchorage Friends Meeting:

Monday 4/29/24

4:00-6:00 pm Private Rental

6:30 pm Fireweed Sangha of Mindful Living- Private Rental Visitors welcome

Tuesday 4/30/24

6:00 pm Community Connections

Wednesday 5/1/24

5:00 pm Connections Team Meeting

7:00 pm Building & Grounds Meeting

Thursday 5/2/24

6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal

Half Portion for April

STAR

Save the Date! Annual Meeting May 5!

Our AUUF Annual Meeting is on Sunday, May 5, at 10am, with registration and breakfast snacks beginning at 9:30. If you are a member, you should have received your packet in your email last week. If you did not get one or would like a hardcopy, please contact Peggy in the office and she will send one to you. There are also some copies available on the table box in the social room.

The Forum

Only on Zoom

9:00 am April 28, 2024

Click here to join on Zoom.

April at the Forum

Hello, Spring! April brings four new Forum programs. We are continuing to meet in-person on the first and third Sundays of each month. And, we continue to make the Forum available by Zoom every Sunday for those who can’t make it to the building, but we encourage folks to show up at the Fellowship for the in-person Forums if you can. It’s great to see one another “in 3-D.” It helps rebuild our sense of community that took a big hit during Covid, and it’s a lot nicer for speakers who take their Sunday mornings to join us in the building to look out and see people in the chairs, however nice it is to know so many of you are with us from the warmth of your Zoom boxes. However you join us, though, we’re happy to be together each Sunday. As a reminder, childcare is being provided during the in-person Forums.

Finally, on the last Sunday of the month, April 28, we’ll celebrate National Poetry Month in our Zoom Forum with readings from a number of poets joining us from near and far.

As always, we encourage you to send your ideas for either programs or specific speakers to the Forum Committee Chair John McKay at mckay@alaska.net, or pass them along to other Forum Committee members: Dennis Arashiro, James Dryden, Heather Flynn, Lynn Hallquist, and Rev. Lise Adams Sherry.

Sunday Worship

Live at AUUF & and on Zoom

11:00 am April 28, 2024

Click here to join on Zoom.

This month, the theme of our Sunday worship is Interdependence. It's fitting because as religious and spiritual people, we recognize the myriad of ways we are connected to and depend on one another. As caring people, what are we called to do with this knowledge?

April 28, 2024, In-person and Zoom

High School Bridging Service

Rev. Lise Adams Sherry; Joyce Laine, Worship Associate

Our congregation accompanies our children in their spiritual and religious exploration from their earliest months until they are ready to explore the world on their own, whether through continuing their education, joining the workforce or taking some time to travel--both through introspection and in the wider world. With our Bridging Ceremony we celebrate our graduating seniors and assure them they are loved and worthy once again.

AUUF Seder

Saturday, April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m.

It’s time for a seder, UU-style

As most of you know, a seder is the ritual meal that Jewish families prepare for the first night of Passover. There is a collective telling of the story of Passover, then a shared meal. We have a tradition of celebrating the holiday with UU twists. Even for religious Jews, the seder is a story of liberation and religious freedom. It is also a time of committing to work for others who still suffer without that freedom. Our seder emphasizes those themes.

Click here to read more.

Zoom Sound is Working Again/Stay Tuned for Possible Changes in Zoom Forum Schedule

• An unfortunate issue with our sound equipment left Zoom attendees without audio for last Sunday’s (April 21) Forum with Prof. Roman Dial. The problem was identified and fixed shortly after the Forum was over, so everything should work fine for this Sunday’s Zoom-Only Forum with Alaskan poets from around the state and beyond reading their work as we celebrate National Poetry Month.

• The audio problem last Sunday also meant there was no sound recording available from which to make a podcast, but we are working on this and hope to be able to re-create something close to what was presented in person to add to the AUUF Podcast Archives.

• Stay tuned for updates about possible changes during the summer as to which Forums will be Zoom-Only. We may need to make a few departures our established pattern to accommodate other uses of the building such as Whale Coast and possible changes in the Worship Services schedule during the Summer, and will keep you posted.

Freethinkers

12:00 pm Friday at AUUF

The Freethinkers group has completed reading of I've Been Thinking by Daniel Dennett.

In our last selection meeting, that book was tied with The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge so the group has taken up that book starting last Friday April 19.

Dr. Doidge published this book in 2007 and is calling attention to some rather remarkable cures of various brain trauma or dysfunction. The first chapter dealt with an individual rewiring and retraining the brain to compensate for a complete loss of vestibular balance function caused by an antibiotic. This cure was assisted by an artificial accelerometer delivering its signal via the tongue. The second chapter dealt with Barbara Arrowsmith who persisted in retraining her brain to progress from being classified as retarded to a founder of the Arrowsmith schools for the mentally challenged.

We will proceed to read the third chapter (through page 92) for April 26.

Winter Photos of Anchorage Needed for WhaleCoast Banquet

Do you have some beautiful, unique, fun, or horrifying photos of Anchorage in winter that you would like to share with our WhaleCoast guests? A suggestion was made to put together a slide show of them to play during part of the WhaleCoast banquet so guests can see what it looks like here in the winter. Please submit them to WhaleCoast@anchorageuuf.org. If it is important to understand the photo with a caption, please include it. No more than 5 from anyone person so we can get an assortment. Erik Hill, professional photographer and member, has graciously volunteered to compile them for us.

Peace Camp is back! June 24 - 28, 2024!

Children & youth from 1st - 8th grade are welcome to participate.

We are looking forward to a week in our beautiful Alaska outdoors, rain or shine! Music, stories, Crafts, games and bike rides. Lots of fun for everyone. Adults interested in volunteering in some way, please contact Elayne Hunter, Annie Belts or Rosene Beachy.

And if you’ve been saving any of those giant coffee /fruit cans, we would love to take them off your hands.

Registration forms are available on the AUUF website as well as the RE Facebook Group. Early bird registration by May 1. Payment can be made on the AUUF Donations page.

Help Others Remember Your Name! Name Badges Help

Hey long-timers at AUUF who would like a nice metal plate with the new logo added to their wooden name badge! We have a number of these that can be turned around in a week! Simply give your wooden badge to Denise Martin on a Sunday before or after the service. A new batch of name badges for new members is being ordered soon. If you’re a long-timer who has lost their wooden badge, we can order a replacement if you contact Denise by April 28th. (Or fill out an order form in the lobby and turn it in to the office).

Remember: we all help make connections easier by wearing our name tags on Sunday. We strive to provide printed paper ones for those who come regularly and are still on the journey to membership. Questions? Contact admin@anchorageuuf.org

WhaleCoast Alaska has been a successful and anticipated fundraiser for AUUF for many years. We host about 80 UU visitors from all over the United States in the two tours each summer. The dates for 2024 when guests are in Anchorage are June 15-17 and 19-20 and July 24-26.

Some of our AUUF hosts have opened their homes for many years, while others just had their first experience last year. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet some very nice UU travelers and show off a bit of our state to them. If you are not able to provide housing, you could help with providing food and setup for the banquet, driving guests, or maybe even hosting in another UU’s home if they can’t be there.

The Anchorage UU Fellowship receives $100 per person per night for a comfortable shared bedroom, breakfast, and transportation to and from the host home to the activity. Sometimes guests arrive early and stay with our hosts, or choose to pay double for a single room, earning us additional funds. In addition, we receive $32 per person for the banquet and entertainment we provide on June 16 and July 25. When we provide additional transportation between venues, we earn $5 per person per ride. Together, last year we earned almost $23,000 that provided a much-needed supplement to our operating budget!

For more information about the tours, visit www.WhaleCoastAK.org. On that website are the full itineraries, information about what to expect, and guidelines about traveling and health, including Covid protocols. All guests and hosts are required to be fully vaccinated (including boosters) against Covid to participate.

Peggy Robinson is the AUUF Coordinator. Attached is the volunteer form for you to complete and return ASAP. It is in a fillable PDF format, (Must be downloaded to be fillable.) if you prefer. Email to whalecoast@anchorageuuf.org.

Click here for the volunteer form.

Would you like to add some photography to your art collection?

Some of you may know that Nienhausers recently moved into a senior retirement living situation. As such they have had to downsize and their daughter-in-law, Gretchen Nelson has been helping them with this. One of the things they have in abundance are Gayle's wonderful photographs. Gretchen will be bringing a good representation of his collection to the fellowship this Sunday, May 28, for interested folks. All the photographs are free. Thank you Gayle and Gretchen!

AUUF Job Description: Congregational Administrator

Now Accepting Applications! AUUF members/friends are welcome to apply.

Do you know someone who is organized and detail-oriented, has great customer service skills, and you think would fit in well with our congregation? We are now accepting applications for the Congregational Administrator position. It is approximately 20 hours per week, mainly in the office during the day, and performs a wide variety of administrative tasks with minimal guidance.

Click on the job description link for full information about the position.

To apply:

1. Read more about us on our website and our national organization’s website,

uua.org .

2. Submit a resume and a cover letter describing why you want to work for AUUF in this position and how you meet the listed qualifications.

3. Email both to RevLise@anchorageuuf.org. Put “Administrator” in the subject line.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. The position is open until filled. References will be checked and a background check performed.

See AUUF Job descriptions. now accepting applications, congregational members are eligible to apply.

DRE Job opening

Now Accepting Applications! AUUF members/friends are welcome to apply.

Title: Director of Religious Exploration

Do you know someone who is welcoming, creative, enjoys children, loves to learn, collaborate and is organized? If you think they'd add positive elements to our congregational culture, please tell them about our Director of Religious Exploration position! This position is full-time with the ability to work in the office and at home, although working on Sundays and some evenings is required. We've recently increased the salary rate to make the position more competitive and interested parties may apply by following the below steps.

To Apply:

1. Explore our website, anchorageuuf.org, see full job description, and our national organization’s website, www.uua.org.

2. Submit a cover letter describing why you want to work for Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in this position and how you meet the listed qualifications.

3. Submit a resume. Email your resume and cover letter to RevLise@anchorageuuf.org with “DRE Job ” in the subject line

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Position is open until filled. References will be checked and a background check done.

April 2024

HALF PORTION FOR SOCIAL ACTION:

STAR

Serving Alaskans since 1978, Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) is a non-profit organization based in Anchorage. STAR’s mission is to prevent sexual trauma and provide comprehensive, collaborative crisis intervention, advocacy, and support to victims/survivors, their families, and our communities, with the long-term goal of ending sexual violence in Alaska.

STAR’s Prevention & Education team provides age-appropriate, educational workshops in schools, workplaces, and community groups to empower individuals with knowledge and tools to prevent sexual assault. Various topics are covered such as Sexual Assault and Consent, Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention, Healthy Relationships, LGBTQ2+ Competency, Advocacy 101, Internet Safety, Bystander Intervention, Mandated Reporting, and Vicarious Trauma and Wellness. STAR presentations can be tailored to meet the needs of just about any organization.

With the supportive guidance of a STAR Direct Services Advocate, survivors receive emotional support, trauma-informed care, referrals, access to local resources, trauma therapy, and assistance in navigating the legal system. STAR recognizes that each survivor’s needs are unique, and we tailor our services accordingly. All STAR services for Survivors are free of charge, and the STAR Crisis Line is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

In Anchorage: (907) 276-7273 or

Toll-Free Statewide (800) 478-8999

The needs of our clients vary depending on the individual, but we often accept donations of new clothing, underwear, shoes, and winter gear, because these items are often surrendered by the client for evidence collection.

This April, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we are encouraging our community to get involved however possible. Your volunteer efforts and donations can make a significant impact in helping survivors and preventing sexual violence. By standing together, we can create a safer and more compassionate world for all.

Learn more about STAR’s programs and services at www.staralaska.com.

Go to anchorageuuf.org

Click on the Half-Portion note or Donate/ Pay

at the bottom of the home page.

Enter your donation under

“Half-Portion for Social Action”