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Archives for 2021

Analysis of Needs and Preferences After Rev. Jim’s Retirement

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The Ministerial Transition Team (MTT) has finished their analysis of UUFF needs and preferences for proceeding after Rev. Jim retires on June 30th.

The MTT, under the leadership of Kate Kowalski, worked diligently to prepare these recommendations, and we are confident that they reflect the will of the membership and that they can be carried out. A Search Committee is forming and will develop the plan to find qualified candidates who are able to carry out these identifiable responsibilities. MTT based their recommendation on input received from UUFF members from the survey and focus groups, and from conducting a thorough review of UUFF’s overall financial picture.

The final review presented to the Board on April 22, 2021, revealed that:

  • We will be hiring a contract, part-time minister in the coming months; until that time, the Chalice Team will continue to provide services by using our talented staff plus gracious volunteers who have kept our services strong throughout the covid crisis. Yearly funds for guest ministers and musicians are available as needed.
  • The minister will be expected to provide two full-length sermons a month plus attend one additional service, carry out administrative duties including attending Board meetings, staying in contact with the Chalice Team, plus providing pastoral care and other related activities.

We are so grateful for the great work performed by the MTT and their delivering the final recommendations to us as soon as possible.

Burnetta Hinterthuer
UUFF Board President

To read the complete MTT analysis review document, please CLICK HERE.

May 2 – “Beltane & Flower Communion Service”

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It’s that wonderful time of year when our bit of the Earth, our perfect home, is especially alive and blooming and fertile and full. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the power and beauty of this season and focus on our 7th UU Principle: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” With Renée Janski, Melly, Fawn, and more!

CLICK HERE to view the Order of Service.

April 25 – “At the Speed of Trust”

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With speaker Sarah Osborn, Intern for the UU Curriculum “Beloved Conversations.” How do we widen the circle of concern and heal the impact of racism on our lives? How can we find freedom together and find collective liberation? Sarah Osborne will share her transformational experience as the intern minister for the Beloved Conversations program of the Fahs Collaborative, a program for Unitarian Universalists seeking to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice.

CLICK HERE to view the Order of Service.

April 18 – “Climate Justice for All”

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This Sunday, we honor the Earth with our “Climate Justice for All,” service and speaker, Shelley Buonaiuto. Many of us are very concerned about climate change and the detrimental and often disparate impacts on communities both locally and globally. We will examine these struggles and share actions we can take to accomplish positive environmental and social change. UUFF member Joanna Person-Michener will provide an overview of the issues before introducing Shelley, who will share her knowledge and experience from engaging with Arkansas Delta communities to promote climate justice.

About Shelley Buonaiuto: Shelley has been a member of Citizens’ Climate lobby since 2012. She is most active in researching and addressing the intersection of climate change and racial equity and is a regional representative for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee within Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Shelley is a sculptor who has long attempted to represent racial equity in her work and is also a mother and grandmother!

April 11 – “Talking Across the Abyss”

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Gladys Tiffany of the OMNI Center speaks about “The Complexities of Talking Across the Abyss.” Many of us are struggling to find ways to communicate with still-dedicated Trump supporters in our state and in our lives. The difficulties are even more complicated than we already know, since they emerge from very divergent value systems, life experiences and role expectations. What are those about? This talk will touch on some of the complexities from research by Political Scientist John Hibbing on a new typology called “Securitarians,” values theory as developed by Linguist George Lakoff, and other sources.

CLICK HERE to view the Order of Service.

April 4 – “Pandemic Jesus”

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Led by Rev. Jim Parrish. Liberal religion views the miracle stories around Jesus as window dressings, the transient vs. the permanent message of love, tolerance, and faithfulness. How might Jesus, or any prophet of love and humanity, handle a global pandemic? Join us Sunday for “Pandemic Jesus” and other stories.

CLICK HERE to view the Order of Service.

March 7 – “Welcoming the Spirit: New Member Welcome & Choir Sunday!”

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This Sunday is all about Roots, Wings, and Welcome! UUFF is a home to liberal religionists in NWA, and we’ll celebrate this joyful fact by welcoming New Members during this Sunday’s service! Renée Janski, Music Director, will also debute two new UUFF virtual choir pieces – “This House Is Yours” and “Spirit of Life,” which opens us up to our sermon, centered around how we (both together and as individuals) become the Roots and Wings of the Fellowship.

CLICK HERE to view the Order of Service.