• whether the Search Process was comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative and transparent,
• whether the congregation was heard and represented accurately by the Search Committee,
• whether the Search Committee sees the qualities and gifts of the candidate are a good match for the congregation’s needs,
• whether the congregation is willing to move into a shared ministry partnership with the candidate, and
• whether this candidate is best for the whole congregation.

• what is best for a particular individual within the congregation,
• whether individuals think they would have chosen the candidate who was identified by the search committee on their own, given what they know about the congregation,
• whether individuals think that every sermon the candidate preaches will or will not speak to the hearts and minds of every single member every single time, whether there might be a better match out there somewhere, or whether the candidate is the perfect minister.

On Sunday, October 29, the congregation of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin will be voting “to affirm the Ministerial Search Committee’s recommendation to call the Rev. Chris Jimmerson as a Settled Minister.” Voting to call a settled minister is one of the most important votes you will cast as a member of this congregation. This is a unique type of vote – it is not the same as an election. You are not being asked to elect Rev. Chris. Instead, you are voting on the following issues:

• whether the Search Process was comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative and transparent,
• whether the congregation was heard and represented accurately by the Search Committee,
• whether the Search Committee sees the qualities and gifts of the candidate are a good match for the congregation’s needs,
• whether the congregation is willing to move into a shared ministry partnership with the candidate, and whether this candidate is best for the whole congregation.

You are NOT voting on:

• what is best for a particular individual within the congregation,
• whether individuals think they would have chosen the candidate who was identified by the search committee on their own, given what they know about the
  congregation,
• whether individuals think that every sermon the candidate preaches will or will not speak to the hearts and minds of every single member every single time,
• whether there might be a better match out there somewhere, or
• whether the candidate is the perfect minister.

In summary, this vote is not like a political election or popularity contest. Rather, it is the culmination of a process that identifies the church’s needs and asks whether the person we are considering, in this case Rev. Chris, has the qualities and gifts that are a good match for what the congregation needs.

Members of the Board will be available Sundays after each service to answer your questions about this or any other aspect of the Ministerial Transition.

Gretchen Riehl, Board President

Our Inside Books Project wants you to know 2 important things: 

 Who’s Stepping Up to Address the Climate Crisis? 

Effecting the Climate with Your Home Appliances

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

Chaplain’s Corner

The Pet Loss Support Group that I lead is held on a monthly basis, and new participants are always welcome. The meetings occur in the evening, on the first Wednesday of each month, and last for one hour. Topics have included Stages of Grief, Grief Resources, Book Suggestions, Ritual and Mourning, and many others.

The next monthly Pet Loss Support Group will be held on  October 4th at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. PT. 

For a Zoom link and passcode, please contact Rev. Russell Elleven at: relleven@gmail.com (relleven at gmail dot com).

Wishing you peace, 
Rev. Russell Elleven, DMin
UUAM Chaplain & President
www.AnimalChaplain.net

To make the upcoming Pledge Drive a success, we need some volunteers.  We have lots of opportunities, from participating in a one time text bank on Sunday, October 8, to helping with Celebration Sunday on October 15, to writing thank you notes to those who have pledged.

If you are able to assist, please sign up here or at the Stewardship Table in the Howson Hall after the service. Thank you for supporting First UU and the Stewardship team!

Rebuild. Renew. Rise Up.

With hearts full of hope and a spirit of unity, we invite you to join the 2024 First UU Stewardship Campaign. Commitment Sunday is coming on Sunday, October 1. This is the day that we will ask all members and friends to make their annual pledge to First UU.  We will then celebrate our pledges on October 15 with a Celebration Sunday Party. RSVP here!

Our theme, “Rebuild, Renew, Rise Up,” is an affirmation of our commitment to creating a world of justice, compassion, and boundless possibility. As we begin this year’s campaign, we invite you to reflect on the profound impact we can make when we come together as a community united by shared values.

Join the hundreds of Austin families committed to the spiritual practice of supporting our progressive faith community by pledging on October 1.  If you already pledge, we encourage you to increase your support of First UU in 2024.  Learn more about pledging and the 2024 Pledge Drive on the Stewardship webpage.

Focus group meetings targeting specific groups at First UU Austin, who represent various demographic communities and ministries, have been planned as an important part of the ministerial search process. Feedback received during these meetings will help the Search Committee with its discernment of the ministry needs at First UU as we hear about lived experiences from group members.

The following Focus Group meetings have been scheduled:

• Parents of Children in RE: Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. via zoom
• Seniors: Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Noon in Howson Hall
• New First UU members: Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in RE Classroom 15
• BIPOC members: Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in RE Classroom 13
• LGBTQIA members: Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. in RE Classroom 13

Invitations are being emailed to these group members. If you identify with one of these groups and do not receive an invitation, please know you’re welcome to attend. Sign up through Church Center is appreciated, or email searchcommittee@austinuu.org

The Seniors Focus group is part of the September Senior Lunch and has already been announced. It’s open to all Seniors at First UU even if you didn’t receive the email.

We look forward to hearing and learning from you during these meetings.

The Board of Trustees has prepared a flowchart for the congregation to better understand the implications of two upcoming decision points, whether the Ministerial Search Committee identifies Rev. Chris as the candidate (October 8) and, if so, whether the congregation votes to affirm their selection (October 29). This make clears how important it is that you participate in the opportunities the MSC is creating to make decisions that are best for the whole congregation. (click on the scenario links below the diagram to see details and implications).

Scenario A         Scenario B        Scenario C

September Social Action

Looking Ahead – Save the Dates in October!

Rebuild. Renew. Rise Up.

With hearts full of hope and a spirit of unity, we invite you to join the 2024 First UU Stewardship Campaign. Commitment Sunday is coming on Sunday, October 1st. This is the day that we will ask all members and friends to make their annual pledge to First UU.  What is a pledge?  Making a pledge simply means declaring how much you expect to contribute to First UU during 2024.  

Our theme, “Rebuild, Renew, Rise Up,” is an affirmation of our commitment to creating a world of justice, compassion, and boundless possibility. As we begin this year’s campaign, we invite you to reflect on the profound impact we can make when we come together as a community united by shared values.

Join the hundreds of Austin families committed to the spiritual practice of supporting our progressive faith community by pledging on October 1st.  If you already pledge, we encourage you to increase your support of First UU in 2024.  We will then celebrate our commitment to First UU with the Celebration Sunday Party on Sunday, October 15 from 12 – 2 p.m.

Learn more about pledging and the 2024 Pledge Drive on the Stewardship webpage.