Jim Hightower is an American syndicated columnist, Texan, progressive^[1][2] political activist, inspiring fun speaker, and author. He publishes a monthly newsletter that is notable for its in-depth investigative reporting, The Hightower Lowdown.

Dear DRUUMM Community, In these challenging times, our hearts are heavy as we witness the continued violence in Palestinian Gaza and Israel. We are in solidarity with all those affected by this conflict, and we especially hold our Muslim and Jewish members of color in our thoughts and prayers. We deeply appreciate the wisdom and guidance shared by our UUA President, Rev. Sofía Betancourt, who reminds us of the importance of engaging with the complexities of this issue while condemning violence against civilians. As Unitarian Universalists, we are committed to the principles of peace, liberty, justice and nurturing Beloved Community, and we recognize the long history that has shaped this devastating conflict. It is essential that we, as a community, acknowledge the pain and trauma experienced by our members who are directly impacted by this ongoing crisis. We recognize the emotional toll that these events can have on individuals and families. We want to assure you that we are here for you, and our chaplains are available to provide support and a listening ear to anyone who needs it. May we center our humanity in this terrible period, upholding actions that protect life and our commitments to human rights. We encourage critical, open and respectful dialogue within our community. Together, we can strive for understanding and seek peaceful solutions that uphold the dignity and human rights of all. As we struggle with the unbearable pain and uncertainty, may we come together in compassion, solidarity, justice, and love. Let us be the balm that we ourselves need, and that this world needs. Together, we will find our way towards repair, transformation, and ultimately, towards peace. May it be so. In love and solidarity, DRUUMM Steering Committee

Statement from the UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt Regarding the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas

DRUUMM Pastoral Care Request

Saturday, October 21, from Noon – 10:00 p.m.
Vesper Church, 3106 E 14 ½ Street, Austin, TX 78702

Inside Books Project celebrates 25 years with a big party!

After a brief respite while the Texas state prisons were in lockdown, Inside Books Project is again sending free books to Texas prisoners like we have for the past 25 years. To celebrate this milestone, Inside Books is holding a party and would love for all our friends and friends of friends from First UU to come.

The party will feature local music, food, beverages and raffle items from:

• Magnolia Café
• Bouldin Creek Café
• Capriotti’s Subs
• VIA 313
• Sunday brunch for 2 at Moonshine
• Black Swan Yoga
• Manis Massage
• Whole Foods
• Esters Follies
• Half Price Books 
• Kick Butt Coffee
• Tai Chi
• Lazarus Brewing and many others!

Unique and inspiring inmate art will be available to enjoy and purchase. There will also be books to browse and books to buy.

The Ministerial Search Committee is pleased to announce our work is complete, and we’re asking the First UU congregation to call Rev. Chris Jimmerson as our settled minister.

We’re grateful to congregants who shared your thoughts with us on a written survey, and to congregants who attended a variety of Search Party meetings and Focus Group meetings. We heard you and appreciated you sharing the qualities and functions you want in ministry. Next, the seven of us worked together to discern your feedback. We also studied Rev. Chris’ ministerial record, references and other information, and we interviewed him. Thus, we see Rev. Chris has much to offer this congregation to meet what you’ve said you want in ministry.

We see that Rev. Chris is not only a good match, he’s a great match. Next week, we’ll work with him to create a calendar of events for you to learn more about his expertise through one-on-one meetings. There will be a candidating week to provide additional opportunities for you to get to know Rev. Chris better both individually and in groups during the week before you have an opportunity to vote.

Please join us in celebrating this important milestone in the life of the church we love so much.

Your Ministerial Search Committee

Susan Thomson, chair, Carolyn Gremminger, Tomas Medina, Peggy Morton, Celeste Padilla, Tom Shindell, Bis Thornton

Sunday, October 29, 2023, 1 pm   

In-person in the Sanctuary and Online

Purpose of the Meeting. The Ministerial Search Committee has completed its discernment process and has recommended that the congregation call the Rev. Chris Jimmerson as its Settled Minister. This is your official notice of a Congregational Meeting to determine whether the congregation affirms this recommendation.  
 

Ballot Language. “Do you affirm the Ministerial Search Committee’s recommendation to call Rev. Chris Jimmerson to be Settled Minister for First UU Church of Austin? 

___ Yes ___ No” 
 

Place and Time. Votes may be cast in-person in the Sanctuary or online. You must be present (online or in-person) to vote. The meeting will begin at 1 pm and the voting will begin shortly thereafter. Please use this Zoom link, passcode is 512452.
 

Eligibility to Vote. Only eligible members may vote. Please double-check in advance to ensure that your name is correctly listed on the Eligible Voters list. View the list of eligible voters.  If you have any questions about voter eligibility, including if you feel that you were mistakenly not listed on the list of eligible voters, please contact Shannon Posern at shannon.posern@austinuu.org. 

The church bylaws specify eligible voters as: “Individuals who have been members of the church for 30 days or more and who have (as an individual or part of a family unit) made a recorded financial contribution during the last 12 months and at least 30 days prior to the meeting, have the right to vote at all official church meetings.” 
 

Voting Process. A quorum of eligible members must be present for a vote to be taken. This meeting will use a confidential voting process that is different from the voice votes used in other congregational meetings. It is the process recommended by the UUA for hybrid meetings. Details on this process will be available in advance of this meeting.  
 

Voting Procedures.  

In-person. Persons voting in-person may begin checking in outside the Sanctuary at 12:30 pm. You will be given your ballot at that time. Please enter the Sanctuary immediately after receiving your ballot and plan to remain there until you have cast your vote. This helps protect the integrity of the voting process. 

Online. Members not in the sanctuary may vote by Zoom. You may begin checking in online at 12:30 pm. If you are in a household with multiple voting members, please sign in on separate devices, if possible. This will make voting easier. If you are unable to sign in from two devices, the person monitoring the Zoom link will provide instructions about how to cast your vote. 
 

Results. The results will be tabulated when the voting is complete and will be announced that afternoon.   
 

Materials: 

• Meeting Agenda – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Agenda-10-29-2023.pdf
• Ballot Language  – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ballot-Language-102902023.pdf
• Covenant of Healthy Relations – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/governance/covenant-of-healthy-relations/
• Rules of Procedure  – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rules-of-Procedure-for-October-29-2023-Meeting.pdf
• Section XI of the Bylaws  – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Section-XI-of-the-Bylaws.pdf
• Meaning of the Vote document  – https://austinuu.org/wp2013/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Meaning-of-the-Vote.pdf

The Ministerial Search Committee that you elected is pleased to announce our work is complete, and we’re asking the First UU congregation to call Rev. Chris Jimmerson as our settled minister.

We’re grateful to congregants who shared your thoughts with us on a written survey, and to congregants who attended a variety of Search Party meetings and Focus Group meetings. We heard you and appreciated you sharing the qualities and functions you want in ministry. Next, the seven of us worked together to discern your feedback. We also studied Rev. Chris’ ministerial record, references and other information, and we interviewed him. Thus, we see Rev. Chris has much to offer this congregation to meet what you’ve said you want in ministry.

We see that Rev. Chris is not only a good match, he’s a great match. Next week, we’ll work with him to create a calendar of events for you to learn more about his expertise through one-on-one meetings. There will be a candidating week to provide additional opportunities for you to get to know Rev. Chris better both individually and in groups during the week before you have an opportunity to vote.

Please join us in celebrating this important milestone in the life of the church we love so much.

Your Ministerial Search Committee

Susan Thomson, chair, Carolyn Gremminger, Tomas Medina, Peggy Morton, Celeste Padilla, Tom Shindell, Bis Thornton

• 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

2024 Pledge Drive – 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.

Stewardship Helpers Needed!

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 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!

RSVP for Celebration Sunday on October 15

Celebration Sunday is coming on Sunday, October 15. After the service, we will celebrate our commitment to First UU and our pledges.  We’ll have music, food, and ice cream!   Please RSVP by clicking here so we know how much food to order!