Join us for Pledge Sunday - March 24, 2024.  This year we are "Committing to Community."  Our home at UUFCC makes it possible for this to happen, because we know that together we can do more than what we can do alone!  What does commitment look like?  What does where we put our money say about us?  Why do we have to pledge anyway?  Rev. Tracy Sprowls will lead us for this very special service.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls.  This morning we look at other faith traditions, including Christianity (And Easter), and their practices and rituals of honoring Spring.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls.  Attention spans are shorter, young children exposed to screens are less verbal, and teenagers struggle with mental illness or isolation. Is technology and social media the culprit? How does technology change our brains? How does it affect our ability to relate as humans? What about our spiritual lives? This sermon idea comes from Peter Kemper who bought the sermon at the 2023 Service Auction.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls.  Rev. Kimberley Debus suggests there is a clear arc of our Unitarian Universalist values seen in our hymns throughout our history. Where have we come from and where are we today, especially as we vote on Article II at General Assembly in June? More information about Article II here.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls and Ashley Hamlin, DLRE Enough is enough and not one stitch more! Come share in story and song with us as we explore our relationship to our earth and pledge to transform ourselves more deeply into people of loving connection with all things. We welcome our guest musician, Hannah Bingman, and our UUFCC kids who have prepared a special song for us!

...with Penny Eifrig. Scams are becoming more and more prevalent, yet people are still often too embarrassed to talk about it. But a scam is a violent crime, not unlike getting mugged. What can we learn about ourselves when we begin to learn about how your reptile brain functions, than when manipulated, can make you (and others) do things that seem inconceivable? Penny Eifrig shares her recent experience with amygdala hijack, and how it can explain many behaviors in today’s world.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. We celebrate our history through the people that created and continue to create our community. We will honor long time members, share stories, and a few more surprises!

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls.  Mother's Day was originally a proclamation against war and for mothers around the world to claim peace as a moral right for all people. We will honor and celebrate all those who mother today and revisit the original intention of the day.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls and Ashley Hamlin, DLRE Join us as we celebrate the wonder, growth, and joy we've encountered over this past year and celebrate two new babies, two HS graduates, and all of our families, kids, and adults as we've traveled together to learn, love, and be transformed.

...with Elaine Jurs and Peter Jurs. We will take you to the Arizona border where immigrants are turning themselves in to the border patrol to enter the asylum system. We will share our own recent experiences there with Samaritans providing humanitarian aid to migrants. You will watch a video clip from the PBS News hour with Amna Nawaz at the border wall.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls and Ashley Hamlin, DLRE The Unitarian Universalist Flower Ceremony originated in 1923 with Rev. Dr. Norbert Capeck, a Czechoslovakian and a Unitarian Minister. The ceremony is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Our theme this year comes from the hymn, Spirit of Life. Bring a flower or flowers to share!

...with Mark Hayes, Michel Lee Garrett, and Tracy Sprowls What is an ally and how can we be allies to our LGBTQ+ friends? This pride day wear your rainbow colors, show your pride, and let’s dance! ~Orange is a color in the rainbow and also is worn to bring awareness to gun safety. Wear orange on Sunday and join in the group picture we will send to UUJusticePA~

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls We’ll catch up on the business of the Unitarian Universalist Association, plus we’ll have a belated Juneteenth celebration. And we will have a baby dedication!

We will meet for a short hybrid service, then in-person folks can join the crowd to spruce up the Fellowship grounds and building for Summer! Jobs for kids, gardeners, and junk removers. This time we are also offering indoor tasks as well for folks who have ability challenges or want to be indoors. Wear your UUFCC t-shirt (we have t-shirts for sale!) or favorite t-shirt and dress comfortably to get dirty, bring tools, gloves, buckets, hats, sunscreen, even your weed whacker. Work for an hour (in or out) and then come inside and enjoy goodies from the hospitality folks by 11:15 [...]

...with Rev. Dr. Susan V. Rak Now that the 4th of July festivities have faded, let us consider the importance of making democracy work again from a faith or spiritual perspective.

...with Cee Pollard A presentation of some of Vonnegut's ideas, with time for congregational response.

...with Kevin Alloway Many people think that Meditation is just a minor form of recreation for Hippies, but recent research indicates that practicing Meditation on a regular basis can have powerful effects on your Brain and Mind. To explore Meditation prior to the service try the apps at Tryhealthyminds.org or do a Google Search for "10% Happier".

...with Peter & Elaine Jurs Join us for our annual hUUmor Sunday summer service devoted to looking at our UUselves and the wider world with a sense of humor through jokes, stories, music, cartoons, and much, much more. Wear your most outlandish shirt or blouse and come prepared to laugh! Music by: Ron Smith and also the Jazz Band with David Morris, conductor extraordinaire

...with Reverend Dr. Susan Veronica Rak Throughout history, over and over again, human beings say “yes” to life, even in horrific events and challenging situations. This perseverance is an affirmation of our humanity. All our responses to the world and our condition, no matter how difficult, are fueled by hope and propelled by perseverance.

with Rev. Tracy Sprowls and Ashley Hamlin, DLRE Our Ingathering is on September 8th, so don't miss it! Join together for our intergenerational in-gathering service in person and on zoom. It is our custom to bring water that is special to you personally through a visit somewhere or a walk in nature or an experience in your own backyard. We will also have a "backpack" blessing for all of those off to school or work.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls.  Our theme this month is thresholds. Thresholds mark the moments when we move from one state of being to another. Thresholds are those liminal spaces between one thing and the next. Our question we consider this morning is can people be thresholds?

...with Gretchen Kuldau and members of the Board Sharing our stories is a threshold into who we are, what has shaped us, our hopes and dreams. This morning, we kick off a year of storytelling that will shape a new mission and vision and which culminates in our 75th anniversary on May 4.

Our congregation is joining UUs across the land to revive our commitment to climate justice. September 28, 2024 -  Interactive workshops for all ages September 29, 2024 - Worship followed by an advocacy hour This is an all-church and all-ages event. All of us will learn new frameworks at the intersection of climate and justice and have the chance to weave together the threads that have always linked our deepest commitments.

with Elaine Jurs, Helen Dempsey, Jennifer Glick, Ken Riznyk, and Ashley Hamlin. Through readings, stories, and music, we reflect on the High Holy Days of the Jewish Faith, and what they mean for us in our everyday lives. The choir will sing!

with Rev. Tracy Belonging may be about being part of something greater than ourselves and yet often our culture turns belonging into a material transaction- such as, this belongs to me. On October 13, we honor Indigenous People’s Day with a service that considers the question who does the land belong to? What should we be considering around land issues where some believe the land belongs to them and others believe they belong to the land?

with Rev. Tracy Sprowls How do we create the biggest and widest circle of inclusivity? How do we welcome all when we feel unsafe or unsure? Does radical hospitality encourage and support belonging or can it still leave some out? On October 20, we will celebrate our animal companions with our annual animal blessing. For this service, people are welcome to bring well-behaved animals either leashed or secured in a carrier. We also encourage pictures of animals (alive or deceased) and stuffed lovies too. If you are uncomfortable with animals, please join us on zoom!

with Rev. Tracy Sprowls On October 27, we will have the first of three sermons that are focused on the election. When we are so divided in this country, how do we find and develop a sense of belonging? Wear a costume if you like and parade with the children for our annual Halloween Parade.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. Rev. Tracy and David are officially registered to vote in PA, in fact it was the first thing they did when they moved here. Rev. Tracy has also been very active getting out the vote like many of you. This morning we talk about the power and privileges of democracy that includes the vote.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. We are called as a liberal faith community to consider the impact of this election on Americans and the world and then prepare to do what we can to live our values into the future, no matter what.

...with Rev. Kristina Spaude.  Together this morning we will reflect on growing in community through the lens of time and imagination. --- The Rev. Kristina Spaude (she/her) currently serves as the contract minister for the recently yoked congregations of Tri-County UUs (Summerfield) and the UU Congregation of Lake County (Eustis). Her six-word story of faith is, "We're here to build Love's house," and she is passionate about making the way for more justice in this world. Rev. Kristina has two cats and loves cross stitching.

Our service on Sunday is a worship service and a meal woven together to tap into the heart of what it means to be in embodied spiritual community with one another. Through the centuries, people have gathered to worship while eating meals together. Harvest rituals celebrate food and promise. Passover Seders recognize freedom and redemption. And Christian communion stemmed from the practice of sharing meals to connect people to love and grace. We are companions on this challenging journey through life. We celebrate and ritualize our connectedness through this special brunch service. This service will be in Fellowship Hall and so [...]

...with Elaine Jurs and Cathi Alloway. In this season of gift-giving, we pause to consider gifts from the heart, unexpected gifts, gifts given in love, and the nature of giving gifts. What memorable gifts have you received in your life? We will welcome a guest violist, John Roxburgh, and Martha Jordan will be hymn accompanist. Members of the Choir will assist in leading the hymn singing, which includes “Tis a Gift To Be Simple,” and “Life is the Greatest Gift of All.”

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. Loneliness is a universal condition experienced by each one of us or by those we love. During the holiday season it can be particularly hard to navigate.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. Join us for our annual holiday play that brings to life the different holidays of the season. The holiday party follows the service.

...with Rev. Tracy Sprowls. Our theme this month is holding both/and. How do we hold the challenges of our times and the joy? How do we move into a possibility difficult future and live meaningful lives? And what does honey have to do with it all?