General Church News
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024
Featured this week
Coming up Sunday
Announcements
What’s happening soon?
Joys and sorrows
More activities
Featured this Week
Signups now open for Mission/Vision cottage meetings in new year
Our congregation last adopted Mission and Vision statements more than a decade ago, in May of 2013, after a large-scale listening campaign. Since then our Mission and Vision statements have served us well and guided us through a decade of work together, but also the world has changed dramatically.
We are scheduling more “cottage meetings” in January and February 2025 to obtain feedback about UUCC’s mission, vision and purpose. There will be meetings at the church, in UU Churchers’ homes and on Zoom, so choose the one most accessible to you. Your collective feedback will be reported to the board – and the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting in May – and will inform an update to our Mission and Vision Statement. Click the following button to sign up for a cottage meeting:
Mission/Vision Cottage Meetings Signup
Almost 50 members and friends participated in a number of these meetings in October and November. The meetings consist of six to eight people, led by a trained facilitator, reflecting on several questions about the life of the church and your life.
Snacks will be provided at in-person meetings. Childcare is available upon request for meetings held at the church. Please let us know if you have any other access needs we can strive to accommodate. If you sign up for a Zoom meeting, the Zoom link will be emailed to you before the meeting.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Mission and Vision Team.
December Searchlight now available online
In case you missed previous announcements, the December 2024 issue of our monthly newsletter, The Searchlight, is now available on the Current Newsletter page. The December issue – along with past issues – also can be found on the Newsletter Download page.
Check us out on the UUCC Facebook Group Page
Coming up Sunday, Dec 22, 2024
9 a.m. –Forum Discussion Group – No Meeting – Christmas Holiday
The Forum Discussion Group is an adult issues-and-answers discussion program that meets from 9 to 10 a.m. each Sunday, September through May.
Forum will not meet on Dec. 22 because of the Christmas Holiday.
9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation – Fire Circle or Lower Level-Centering Room
Mindfulness Meditation takes place at 9 a.m. every Sunday. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome. If the outside temperature is 55° F. or higher and weather permits, meditation will take place at the Fire Circle behind the church. Otherwise, meditation will be in the Lower Level-Centering Room. For more information, email Anna Lingo or Susan Pereira.
10:30 a.m. – Worship Service – Sanctuary
“The Longest Night” – All-Ages Solstice Celebration –
Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon and DRE Jamila Batchelder
Join us for our annual All-Ages Solstice Celebration, as we settle in for a cozy and caring longest night. Special music will be provided by the UUCC Choir.
Online worship links – Zoom • Facebook
Submit Joys and Sorrows by 8:30 a.m. Sunday before worship:
Online Donation or Pledge Payment
Visitors participating in our online worship services are invited to fill out our Visitor Connection Card:
10:30 a.m. – Youth Religious Education- All Ages Worship Service
Children will be with us in the Sanctuary for the entire All-Ages Solstice Service. Please welcome them. Free nursery care for infants to 3-year-olds will be available until 11:45 a.m. Read about our Youth Religious Education program.
11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour – enjoy beverages and chat in the Greeting Area
11:30 a.m. – LGBTQ Collective – Sanctuary
Come to this gathering to connect with fellow LGBTQ humans at UUCC. This first meeting will focus on getting to know each other, sharing ideas for the group and talking about support and resources. This collective is open to anyone who feels they are a part of the LGBTQ community. Childcare and lunch will be provided. For questions email Heidi Shearer.
Noon – Middle School Gaming – Lower Level-Latimer Classroom
Middle schoolers gather at noon on the second and fourth Sundays each month to play Dungeons and Dragons.
Noon – Milestones Circle – Lower Level-Forum Room/Library
The Milestones Circle is an open, drop-in small group for older adults to meet, share thoughts and concerns, and receive support and friendship in a UU setting. The group meets each month on the fourth Sunday after the worship service in the Forum Room/Library on the lower level of the church. Bring a brown bag lunch and help explore the spirituality in your life. The December topic is “Gratitude.” Milestones materials are available here. For more information, contact volunteer Kathie Bergman at 573-999-3938 or by email.
6 p.m. – Holiday Blues Service with Potluck Soup Supper – Sanctuary
This celebratory time of year can be painful for those experiencing grief, loss, family conflict, depression, and more. Join us for a service to hold it all together, followed by a potluck soup supper. Soup will be provided — you may bring a side dish or bread if you wish to share.
Announcements
Chalice Circles signups still open for 2024-25
Chalice Circles Signups for 2024-2025
A limited number signups for 2024-25 Chalice Circles are still open. You can use the button link above, or the button links that appear on the Home page and Chalice Circles page.
Chalice Circles are a small-group ministry of the church designed to build community, foster connections between members, and provide opportunities to share your heart in a safe, brave space. Materials for Chalice Circle gatherings are posted on the Chalice Circles Materials page.
Groups of no more than 10 members are led by fellow UU volunteers, and topics are planned to complement the monthly themes of the church year. A Chalice Circle commitment is for one cycle of nine sessions, though some circles may elect to continue in some form over the summer. Groups will meet once or twice per month for an hour or two from September 2024 to May 2025.
If you have questions, you are welcome to email the Chalice Circles leadership team that consists of the Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon, Gretchen Maune, and Crystal Paddock Buffaloe, or call or text Crystal at 573-289-9705 (please leave a message!)
We look forward to a fun, connected, meaningful year ahead!
Rev. Molly requests gifts to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund
Dear UU Churchers,
I am writing you with an invitation to support the community with a donation to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, as many in Boone County struggle to make it through the lean time of late fall and early winter. We are seeing rent go up all over town, and heating costs will increase as the weather turns cold.
As you know, the Minister’s Discretionary Fund of our church allows me to offer confidential assistance to those struggling in systems that were not set up to help them thrive, and this summer I have been grateful to be able to pay directly for utility bills, groceries, partial rent, and emergency short term housing to keep folks from homelessness in the deadly heat. It is such a sacred honor to be the channel for your material care into our wider community, an honor I take very seriously.
We replenish our Discretionary fund every December at our Christmas Eve service, and by later in the year the fund dwindles just as more need is apparent. So, I’m reaching out to ask for your support. If you have a little extra to spare, I invite you to direct it to those in our community struggling to get by. You can donate to the Discretionary Fund by selecting “Minister’s Discretionary Fund” in the drop down menu of our secure online giving portal, or by sending a check to the church with Discretionary Fund in the memo line.
Thank you for your compassionate support!
– Rev. Molly
Sanctuary and Immigrant Justice Team seeks volunteer drivers
Our Guatemalan family continues to work toward independence. Our team of transportation volunteers is put to use only when Lilly has car trouble. The car that the Donaldson family so generously gave to Lilly is no longer dependable. With assistance from the team, she has purchased a more dependable vehicle. More dependable doesn’t mean totally dependable – it is quite used. Over the years that we have been assisting Lilly, our group of volunteers has dwindled considerably.
Although we have drivers for the afternoon, if the need arises we currently do not have enough morning drivers to reliably pick up Lilly and the children at 7:30 a.m. and take them to day care, school or the bus stop, and work by 8:30. If you are available and willing to volunteer to stand by for that morning transportation duty, please email Ruth Milledge.
Columbia Room at the Inn now open year-round
Our community partner Room at the Inn has now opened year-round at its permanent location in the former VFW building on Ashley Street. Read more.
The organizers still rely on volunteer help to keep the shelter staffed and running smoothly. Maybe you want to grab a friend, look at your calendars, and sign up for some shifts together soon? It’s getting coooold, and the need will be great! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C49AFAA29ABF94-44559659-room#/
What’s happening soon?
Weekly and bi-weekly recurring events
Gentle Yoga with Karen Dwyer – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Gentle Yoga takes place at the church from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays (except the first Thursday each month). Additional information is available from Karen Dwyer, or contact the church office. There will be no yoga on Nov. 2.
Choir Rehearsals – Wednesday evenings
Choir rehearsals with Music Director Violet Vondar Haar take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings in the Sanctuary at church. All singers are welcome, regardless of experience and vocal part.
Crafting Group – 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays
The crafting group meets from 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday in the Greeting Area. The group is recruiting new members and can help with any projects you may have. Beginners are welcome, and there is no hard commitment – come when you can. For more information, email Bonnie Johnson.
Living Earth Study Group – 9 a.m. first and third Saturdays
The Living Earth Study Group meets on first and third Saturdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Show-Me Dharma, 1600 West Broadway. It is facilitated by Peter Holmes, Ph.D. and Jared Belden, M.A. Sign up to attend by email. When warm weather returns next spring, Living Earth Meditation will resume. It is facilitated by Peter Holmes, PhD, and Tricia Straub. Sign up to attend by email. The living earth study group and meditation programs are a joint project of UUCC, the Columbia Friends Meeting and Show-Me Dharma.
Scheduled events coming soon
Board of Trustees – 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19
Our Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. Per church bylaws, church members are welcome to attend and observe board meetings.
UUCC Writer’s Group – 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21
The Writer’s Group meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month to write and share at the church. For questions email Mary Herde.
Kaleidoscope Pagan Gathering – 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21
Join Kaleidoscope to celebrate the return of the Sun, the symbol of hope and the promise of returning warmth, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at the church. We will join in ritual, followed by a finger food potluck and friendship. All are welcome, no matter what their personal paths.
LGBTQ Collective – noon Sunday, Dec. 22
Come to this gathering to connect with fellow LGBTQ humans at UU. This first meeting will focus on getting to know each other, sharing ideas for the group and talking about support and resources. This collective is open to anyone who feels they are a part of the LGBTQ community. Childcare and lunch will be provided. For questions email Heidi Shearer.
Milestones Circle – noon Sunday, Dec. 22
The Milestones Circle is an open, drop-in small group for older adults to meet, share thoughts and concerns, and receive support and friendship in a UU setting. The group meets each month on the fourth Sunday after the worship service in the Forum Room/Library on the lower level of the church. Bring a brown bag lunch and help explore the spirituality in your life.
Are you a retiree or thinking of retiring? Transitioning into retirement is a process, and it may be scary at first, so share your concerns in the Milestones Circle. Expect it to take some time to make the transition – getting accustomed to retirement won’t happen overnight. And you may have different emotions during the transition, so don’t be hard on yourself or pressure yourself to feel a certain way immediately. Focus on you and what makes you happy. Retirement is a time to pursue your passions, build new routines and even a new identity. So do the things you love – spend time with family and friends, take up new hobbies and make new friends. Doing what makes you happy is key for a healthy, fulfilling retirement with a sense of purpose.
Milestones materials are available here. For more information, contact volunteer Kathie Bergman at 573-999-3938 or by email.
Holiday Blues Service with Potluck Soup Supper – 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22
This celebratory time of year can be painful for those experiencing grief, loss, family conflict, depression, and more. Join us for a service to hold it all together, followed by a potluck soup supper. Soup will be provided – you may bring a side dish or bread if you wish to share.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Services – 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24
A potluck cookie reception will be offered between the two services. Your cookie contributions will be gratefully accepted.
Family Service – in-person only at 4:30 p.m.
Traditional carols and candlelight, and an interactive telling of the Christmas story with an accessible message of hope. This service will not be live-streamed due to the participation of our children.
Candlelight Service – in-person and online at 6:30 p.m.
Traditional carols and candlelight, and a Christmas homily from Rev. Molly. This service will be live-streamed at our usual Sunday morning worship link.
Men’s Group – 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 28 – online
The UUCC Men’s Group meets online via Zoom on the second, fourth, and fifth Saturdays of each month. For more information, contact Wiley Miller at 573-864-8574 or by email.
Joys and sorrows
You can read the Joys and sorrows shared with the congregation by clicking the link below. The page is also accessible from the Members/Friends drop-down menu. The Joys and Sorrows page is password-protected, so you must be logged in as a registered user of our site to see it. If you have not already registered, you can do so here.
You can submit joys and sorrows online by clicking this button: