Hello LGBTQ+ and Allied Families, Equality Florida is excited to offer you their newest webinar, “Back to School Safety Planning for LGBTQ+ Families,” that promises to prepare you as your LGBTQ+ child starts the 2023-2024 school year in Florida. Please join them on Wednesday, July 19, 6:00-7:30 p.m. They will discuss important updates to ensure your child has the…
DetailsAn incredible group of 27 youths and 10 adults traveled to Guyan Valley in Wyoming County, West Virginia. We worked with The Appalachia Service Project, which has been in relationship with the people of Appalachia in 5 states since 1969. Their guiding principle is to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families. They also…
DetailsI don’t think the ink had even dried yet on the last newsletter before we had another air conditioning unit bite the dust. This is one of the two units that service the West Wing, a much-needed unit. After great angst about spending a big chunk of the small funds that remain available, we felt…
DetailsEach year, following the Spring Congregational Meeting and the installation of new officers and some Board Chairs, we hold a Leadership Summit for our congregational leaders as a combination of on-boarding and visioning. This year, we’ll be aided in our efforts by the Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed, a congregational coach with expertise in leading through transition…
DetailsThis spring, we applied to welcome interns from the UF Applied Learning Program for the Summer term. The ALP is often undergraduates’ first internship experience, and it offers them the opportunity to learn about a community organization or skills related to their fields of study. We have interns working on two different projects: “Communication for…
DetailsLast Sunday’s service, led by members of the Board of Parish Ministry, featured so many wonderful elements including: special music and beloved hymns, the classic children’s book When I Was Young in the Mountains, and a sermon by our very own Rev. Daniel Webster. It was a fitting and moving (pun intended) end to our…
DetailsMy friends, it is with great joy that I begin my term as moderator and look with you to the year ahead. We are a church in transition, to be sure, as we explore our core identity, our ministerial and staffing structure, different financial models and a potential capital campaign, and the changing needs of…
DetailsRay Meeks had already been on death row for 8 years when I met him in 1980. He was 27. He stayed on Death Row until 2017 when his sentenced was commuted to life in prison. This June he’ll turn 70. He has had quadruple heart bypass surgery. He has degenerative disc disease and uses…
DetailsIt seems like just yesterday that I gave this report – and indeed it was – at the Congregational Meeting, so if you were present there you can just skip this because nothing exciting has happened in the last 24 hours! If you were there, thank you so much for all the support you are…
DetailsJoin us this month for our Seminars each Sunday at 11:15 a.m. in Reimer Hall or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624. See the offerings below. June 4 – “Navigating Climate Challenges: Reflecting on Gainesville’s Past, Present, and Future” – Dr. Dan Zhu, Gainesville’s first Chief Climate Officer, will discuss climate change in Gainesville. She will…
DetailsFor 2023 the Congregation approved an operating budget totaling $966,677. Revenue to support this amount comes from giving and income. Our giving represents a little over 90% of the budget either through our pledges or from weekly offerings received during church services. Through the first third of our year, our giving is just over one-third…
DetailsC.A.M.P. UCG for children entering Rising K-6th Grade will be July 24-28, 2023! Our theme is “All God’s Critters: Flying Animals Edition.” There will be special guests, a water slide day, yummy snacks, spiritual exploration, and a visit from some flying animals! Rates: $30 per child (8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.), $50 family cap for children in…
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