Now Seeking Nominations!

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin is now seeking nominations for members to serve on our ministerial search committee!

HOW
There will be multiple ways for you to make your nominations:

• You can click on this link to go to the survey and respond with your nomination(s).
• A survey will be sent out to the entire congregation on 01/20. Check your email inbox and respond to the survey. 
• There will be a physical box in the foyer outside of the sanctuary, with instructions, pens, and cards, to be filled out and placed in the box.
• On 01/29 and 02/12, members of the board will be available after service, in Howson Hall, with phones, tablets, laptops, and cards, to assist you in making your nomination(s).
• On 02/12 there will be a meeting to discuss the interim ministry report, a resource for the search committee’s work of putting together the search packet. The transitions team will be present to facilitate your nominations. 

Everyone can nominate up to three search committee members, including themselves. All nominations must include the named nominator, with contact information.

The deadline for submitting your nominations is Friday, 2/17/2023! All nominations must be received before that date to be considered.

WHO
All nominees must be current members of the First UU congregation. 

As you and your household are thinking about who you would like to nominate, please think about these questions:

• Who can represent and serve the whole congregation well, and not just a piece or “faction” of the congregation?”
• Who has been and/or is active in the congregation, including new members, and has demonstrated or expressed both responsible participation and responsible leadership? 
• Who in the congregation works well with others?
• Who in the congregation has demonstrated a commitment to the 8th Principle, adopted by the congregation last year. 
• Who do you trust to speak for multiple voices in the congregation, including those people that haven’t yet found us?
• Who do you trust to speak for LBGTQ church members? Members of color? Young adults? Children?  
• Who knows (or can learn) the history and culture of the congregation, whether a member of long standing or relatively new? Who can use this history proactively instead of reactively on behalf of the congregation? 
• After a high salary, the most attractive quality a congregation can have is self awareness – awareness of strengths and weaknesses, what the congregation is like at its best and at its worst, as well as on an average day. Who would be able to know and relate all this to potential ministerial candidates?
• After thinking about all of these questions, who would you trust to serve on the search committee on behalf of the congregation? 

WHEN
The deadline for submitting your nominations is Friday, 2/17/2023! All nominations must be received on or before that date to be considered.

The search committee will be made up of seven congregants, willing and able to serve throughout the process. The board will identify candidates based on the nominations, after interviews and considering the diversity of the search committee. The congregation will elect five members of the search committee via competitive ballot and the board reserves two seats for appointment to ensure a diversity of perspectives. The election will occur in April (date TBD) after a meeting to discuss the search process and search committee membership . 

The elected search committee will begin its work in May and will be committed to the process throughout the summer, fall, and possibly the following winter and spring. 

WHAT
The work of the search committee will be to prepare the ministerial search packet, describing First UU of Austin and what we want in our next settled minister. The preparation of that packet will be informed by…

• The interim ministry report from the current ministerial team, reflecting on information gathered during the listening circles, the church history workshop, and other interim activities.
• A full congregational survey, to go out during the summer.
• Multiple meetings with members. 

More details about the expectations of search committee members are available here.

This process will lead to the search committee and Rev. Chris Jimmerson mutually deciding if he is the right fit for the position. If all agree he is a good match for the position, the congregation will vote in October. If the committee and/or Rev. Chris decide, for any reasons, not to hold an inside candidate election or if we hold an election and Rev. Chris does not meet the threshold percentage of votes, then the search committee will finalize the search packet for distribution throughout the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) by 12/1/2023. The committee will then review the applicants, select pre-candidates, attend pre-candidate weekends, and ultimately identify a candidate for the congregation to vote on in the spring of 2024. 

WHY
Remember…

• The search committee should represent the entire congregation. 
• The search committee should be trusted by the congregation. 
• The search committee should be in touch with the changing nature of the congregation. 
• The search committee should be responsible for developing a good process for itself, the congregation, and Unitarian Universalism.

Serving on the search committee is a serious time commitment, and it may be some of the most important work for the church that any of its members will ever do. Please seriously consider your nominations. This is a huge opportunity to serve the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin!

If you have any problems at all in making your nomination(s), or if you have any questions about the process, please speak to any board member. 

Be A Surprise Pal!

Connect across the generations with our beloved Surprise Pals tradition. Adults and children in the congregation will be paired to exchange cards, letters, or small treats in the pouch for three Sundays leading up to Valentine’s Day. On Sunday, February 12th we will have a special event for Pals to meet each other in person.   
Please REGISTER by this Sunday, January 22nd.

One long-time adult member who participated last year said, “This was so much fun! I don’t know why I never signed up before!”

Grounded in the past, we rest in the present, looking toward the future. To help us with that grounding in the past, please join us — whether you are new to the church or been here for decades — for a history workshop on January 14, 10 AM to noon in Howson Hall. Please register on church center (click here) so we can plan for how many are coming. We especially need to know if you need childcare.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending that we take precautions over the next months, as the spread of viruses such as the FLU, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19 is increasing. Here are some tips to help protect yourself and others:

• Wash your hand frequently with soap or hand sanitizer.
• Maintain social distancing when possible.
• If you are feeling sick or having symptoms, stay at home and get plenty of rest and hydration.
• Keep your vaccinations up to date.
• Carry tissue and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• If you think you may have been exposed or just want to be even more cautious to avoid getting an infection and/or infecting others, wearing a mask when outside your home is a reasonable and perfectly acceptable practice.

To help stem the spread of potential infections, our religious education department is expanding the use of Force of Nature, a people-safe, hospital-grade disinfectant. 

If we all take these simple and sensible precautions, we can help protect ourselves and one another.

Annual Christmas Pageant – On Sunday, December 18, at 10:45, we will have our annual Christmas Pageant Service. Join us for this all-ages service that is always fun for, well, people of all ages!

Also, please join us  after the service at 1:30 p.m. for the fall congregational meeting.

Christmas Eve Service – On Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m., we will hold our annual Lessons and Carols service, featuring beautiful, holiday-related readings and singing carols together. We’ll end by diming the lights and lighting candles together as we sing, “Silent Night” and then join together for some holiday fellowship afterward.  Please join us for this magical evening.

Christmas Day Service – Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this Year. On December 25, we will hold a service at our regular 10:45 a.m. time. We will repeat the Lessons and Carols service and again join in holiday fellowship afterward. So, if you cannot make the Christmas Eve Service (or if you just enjoy singing carols with your fellow church folks and think some Christmas Day fellowship would be fun) please join us.

New Year’s Day Service – New Year’s Day also falls on A Sunday this time, so on January 1, 2023, we will hold our annual burning bowl service at 10:45 a.m. We will contemplate what we would like to let go so that we may more easily find our center. Then we will whisper that which we would like to let go into pieces of flash paper, toss them into a fire and watch them burn away. Join us for this much lover annual ritual.

Church Building Holiday Schedule – The church building will be closed for regular operations from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. Because the Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day holidays fall on weekend days, we will also close December 22 and 23, as well as January 2, to allow our staff to take regular days off for these holidays. 

A Message from Revs. Chris, Erin, and Jonalu

   The holidays may bring joy and peace, family and cheer…. 
And they may not.

For many people, this time of the year includes stress and sadness. The season may remind us of loved ones who have died. Gatherings may bring too much drinking or new or renewed family tensions. Or since the season is supposed to be filled with joy, the normal human challenges —  illness or job loss or financial stress or relationship issues — that can come at any time of year feel extra hard. 

    Your church wants to be there for you. That includes us as your ministers, and it includes First UU Cares, your lay pastoral care providers. During the pandemic, our lay pastoral care volunteers did their best to maintain connection and outreach. However, people couldn’t visit hospitals or provide much of the human connection that means so much during a crisis. That means we lost volunteers and organization. We’re working to rebuild our First UU Cares Team and rolling out services as quickly, caringly, and appropriately as we can. 

    If you have attended any recent memorial services – and there have been quite a few —  you know that church members and friends have come through with plenty to feed to those who are grieving and celebrating a life. That’s organized through First UU Cares, as are cards that are sent out to people in a variety of circumstances where they could use comfort. 

    We are starting again to provide meals to those who are sick or juggling a new baby. And to make visits to those who are sick or recuperating.

    For the team – and the ministers! – to provide the needed pastoral care, we need two things. First, we need volunteers who are willing to make (or buy) meals and deliver them, and people willing to make home or hospital visits. Providing care to those in our church community offers a chance to deepen ties, to reach out with love. If you are interested in being part of the First UU Cares Team, please send an email to caring@austinuu.org. Or express your interest through the volunteer survey. 

    The second thing we need is to know when someone needs care. Many UU’s are reluctant to ask for help so fail to notify their church when they go into the hospital, experience a loss, or have other concerns. During the pandemic, many of us even forgot that receiving caring from our church was an option. We need to remember that others care, and to do that, everyone needs to name when they have needs. It is a gift to those who have love to give to let us know what you need. And, let us know if it’s OK to share your needs with others in the congregation who may want to help. 

    And maybe you’re fine, but you know someone else who could use care. You, too, can let us know what’s going on. To let us know of needs – yours or someone else’s – contact one of the ministers or caring@austinuu.org. 

    Whatever the season, we at your church want to be part of caring for you. It’s part of what a church community does. 

One important way First UU lives its mission to do justice is through our Monthly Special Offerings. These offerings are collected during service(s) on the second Sunday of the month separately from regular offerings.

Nomination forms and instructions are available here.

Members of First UU may nominate nonprofit social justice organizations that promote our UU values in the larger community. To nominate an organization, please complete this form and return it to us at the Social Action table on Sunday, by email (mover100@aol.com), or in the Social Action mailbox at the church.

Nomination forms must be received by Sunday, December 4, 2022

Flyer Jubilee 3 November 2022 – Wildflower TX

Senior Lunch is starting up after a long hiatus due to the Covid Pandemic.

We will meet in Howson Hall on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, from noon to about 1:30.  Attendees will need to bring their own lunch and drinks, as we do not have staffing to prepare food and drinks and clean up afterward.  Lunch will be about 20 minutes, then we will have a program, either in Howson Hall or in the Sanctuary.  Please note that food and drinks are not allowed in the sanctuary.

This coming season most of the programs will be presented by members of the congregation, with the object of getting to know them better.  Q and A can be a part of their presentation.

The first meeting is on Sept. 14th.  It will be a Singalong of favorite Broadway songs, by Charles Palmer, Baritone, and Kathryn Govier, Pianist, in the Sanctuary.  Word sheets will be provided.

The October program will feature our Rev. Erin, and we will learn about the “many hats” she wears, and what she will be doing with the congregation, while we are int he interim transition period.

November will feature Donna Carpenter and Okey  Nwanyanwu

December will feature Katrina Saporsantos and Benjamin Dai. 

You certainly don’t have to be a “Senior” to attend.  If the program interests you, Please Join Us!!!!!!!

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin approved the Unitarian Universalist 8^th Principle during our May Congregational Meeting. 

“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

Read more here.