Site Updates

Sept. 3, 2023

Here’s what’s new on our website since last Sunday:

Home

Next Sunday, Sept. 10, Rev. Molly will be in the pulpit with a sermon titled “Moving Through Precarious Times.” As the climate changes, more and more of us are aware of a truth human cultures have sought to avoid: Everything depends. How do we move well through these precarious times?

The Forum Discussion Group will have its first session of the 2023-24 program year.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Forum Discussion Group
- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – first day of regular R.E. classes
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- 1 p.m. – Sanctuary and Immigrant Justice Team – online

A video of portions of this morning’s worship service on appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Sign up to help with PrideFest

We will have a presence at this year’s PrideFest Sept. 23-24. You can sign up here to help staff our booth and/or participate in the parade.

2023-24 Chalice Circles Signups

2023-24 Chalice Circles signups are now open – read more about Chalice Circles.

Online RE Registration

Parents can register their children for our Youth Religious Education program by going to this page.

Current Newsletter

In case you missed the earlier messages, the September issue of our monthly newsletter, The Searchlight, was published in a new email format. You can view it as a web page by going to the Current Newsletter page.

Joys and Sorrows

We share the joys, sorrows and prayers of our community on this page.

Aug. 27, 2023

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Next Sunday, Sept. 3, we’ll enjoy a First Sunday Potluck after the worship service during which Intern Minister George Grimm-Howell will preach on “Creating Sanctuary.” We celebrate Pride Month this September in Mid-Missouri! We are called to celebrate and recommit to the creation of sanctuary for members of the LGBTQ+ community. But holding ourselves out as a refuge of spiritual safety means we must be willing to embrace the deep work of welcoming.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – last day of summer programming
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- Noon – First Sunday Potluck
- 1 p.m. – Social Action Team monthly meeting

A video of portions of this morning’s worship service on appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Current Newsletter

In case you missed the email this past week, the September issue of our monthly newsletter, The Searchlight, was published in a new email format. You can view it as a web page by going to the Current Newsletter page.

Church News Blog

The following articles are new this week on the Church News Blog:

- Potluck on Sept. 3
- Minister’s message – “How do we live through precarious times? Willingly”
- Intern Minister’s message – “Willing”
- DRE’s September message
- Music Director announces choir rehearsals and Music & Variety Show fundraiser
- Monthly game nights planned starting Sept. 9
- Join us for Pride Fest Sept. 23-24
- 2023-24 Milestones Retirement Circle
- Faith-to-Action recipients for 2023-24 announced
- Immigrant sponsorship date
- 4 new members on July 30

Worship Services

You can find the complete schedule of September worship services on this page.

Forum Discussion Group

The September Forum schedule is available here. There will be no Forum gathering on Sept. 3 because of the Labor Day Holiday.

RE Schedule

Upcoming RE classes and events are listed on this page.

Upcoming Events

Numerous events in September and October are listed here in date order with brief descriptions of each event.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

Aug. 20, 2023

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Next Sunday, Aug. 27, Rev. Molly and DRE Jamila Batchelder will lead our annual Ingathering Water Ceremony – “Watering the Trees.” We will regather from the adventures of summer and mingle the waters that have refreshed our spirits. During this summer of drought, you may have found yourselves watering young trees to keep them alive. How do we attend to one another’s survival during times of duress? Join us to build the kind of community that sustains us, and bring some water with you from a place of refreshment.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – no classes – all-ages worship
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour

A video of this morning’s worship service on “Music as a Spiritual Practice” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Religious Education Volunteer Training – 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 26

Jamila Batchelder, Director of Religious Education, posted this invitation and information about RE volunteer training next Saturday.

Rev. Molly announces new office hours schedule

Rev. Molly’s new office hours schedule begins this week. Read the details here. The office hours also are listed on the Contact and Office Hours page.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

Joys and Sorrows

We share the joys, sorrows and prayers of our community on this page.

Aug. 13, 2023

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Next Sunday, Aug. 20, join UU Musician and Worship Associate Sam Otten and friends for an exploration of the power of music in our spiritual lives and in our congregation!

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – RE at the Park
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- 4:30 p.m. – Loaves and Fishes Dinner

Next Sunday is our monthly turn to serve the Loaves and Fishes Dinner. There are still more than 30 openings for volunteers. Please sign up by clicking this button:

Aug. 20 Loaves & Fishes Signup

A video of this morning’s worship service on “Internal Family Systems as Spiritual Practice” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Current Newsletter

In case you missed earlier announcements, the August issue of our monthly newsletter, The Searchlight, is now available on this page. The issue, along with previous issues, also is linked on the Newsletter Download page.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

Aug. 6, 2023

Home

Next Sunday, Aug. 13, Gretchen Maune, Larry Lile and others will continue our summer spiritual practice series with a worship service focusing on “Internal Family Systems.”

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – RE at the Park
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- 1 p.m. – Sanctuary and Immigrant Justice Team

A video of Intern Minister George Grimm-Howell’s sermon this morning, “The Joy of Deep Attention, appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Current Newsletter

Rev. Molly announces new office hours schedule

Rev. Molly announced a new schedule for her office hours beginning the week of Aug. 21. Read about it here. The office hours also are posted on the Contact and Office Hours page.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

Joys and Sorrows

We share the joys, sorrows and prayers of our community on this page.

July 30, 2023

Home

Next Sunday, Aug. 6, Intern Minister George Grimm-Howell’s sermon title is “The Joy of Deep Attention.

After worship, we’ll enjoy our traditional First Sunday Potluck. Please bring a main dish, side dish or dessert if you are able, and please stay if you can’t because there’s always plenty of food to go around. To accommodate those with dietary restrictions, please label your food contribution to indicate whether it contains meat or is vegetarian and whether it contains common allergens such as gluten, dairy, eggs and/or tree nuts.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10 a.m. – Stop Human Trafficking Coalition of Central Missouri – information table
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – RE at the Park
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- Noon – First Sunday Potluck
- 1 p.m. – Social Action Team

A video of Rev. Molly’s reflections this morning, “Poetry as a Spiritual Practice,” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Current Newsletter

In case you missed the earlier email announcement, the August issue of our monthly newsletter, The Searchlight, is now available on this page. The issue, along with previous issues, also is linked on the Newsletter Download page.

Worship Services

View the complete schedule of August worship services here.

RE Schedule

DRE Jamila Batchelder provided the information on this page about RE classes and other RE activities coming up in August.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events in August and a few beyond that are listed here.

Church News Blog

The following articles are new on the Church News Blog this week:

Board and Officers

This page has been updated with the board’s selection of 2023-24 church officers.

Usher Team

The Usher Team has been revitalized and will begin providing two ushers for our worship services in September. Read about it here.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

July 23, 2023

Home

Next Sunday, July 30, Rev. Molly and DRE Jamila Batchelder will lead an all-ages worship service titled “Poetry as a Spiritual Practice.” The service will include a New Member Ingathering.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – no classes – All-Ages Worship Service
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour

A video of Rev. Dr. C.W. Dawson’s sermon this morning, “The Spiritual Practice of Doubting our Doubts,” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

July 16, 2023

Home

Next Sunday, July 23, The Rev. Dr. C.W. Dawson Jr. will be our guest preacher.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – R.E. at the Park
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour

A video of Rev. Molly’s sermon this morning, “The Spiritual Practice of Lazing About,” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.

Weekly News Update

The most important weekly news is posted on this page every week. You can easily get to this page by clicking the “Weekly News Update” button near the top of the left sidebar.

Joys and Sorrows

We share the joys, sorrows and prayers of our community on this page.

July 9, 2023

Home

Next Sunday, July 16, Rev. Molly will be in the pulpit with reflections on “The Spiritual Practice of Lazing About.” We’ve reached the height of long, hot summer days. What wisdom can we find in simply sinking into the season, in just lazing about?

Next Sunday is also our monthly turn to serve the Loaves & Fishes evening meal. We still need 33 volunteers to prepare and serve food. Please sign up here.

Next Sunday’s schedule (see home page for details):

- 8 a.m. – Membership 102
- 9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
- 10:30 a.m. – Religious Education – R.E. at the Park
- 11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
- 4:30 p.m – Loaves & Fishes

A video of this morning’s worship service, “Meditation as a Spiritual Practice,” appears near the top of the home page. The video also is directly available here and is linked on the Sermon/Worship Archive page.