The Racial Justice Committee (RJC), Open and Affirming Committee (ONA), and Creation Care and Climate Justice Task Force (C3J) are combining forces . . . we are THE JUSTICE LEAGUE! There is a lot of intersectionality in our work, so it just makes sense to join forces in some instances. According to Wikipedia, “superheroes usually…
DetailsMany thanks to Rev. Ellen Ribe and some of our UCGers at The Village for coordinating lunch for residents and the ministers on Tuesday, July 11 at noon. We hope this will be the first of regular gatherings! If you are a resident at The Village and we somehow missed you, or you live in…
DetailsI was delighted to spend the last few days of June in Clemson, SC with Lucy Stein, a young adult member of our Vinery Team, as we met with both our partner church at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and Alexis Carter Thomas, the Vinery Program director. (We were sad not to be joined by Judy…
DetailsWe are now several months into this season of staff transition at UCG, prompted by Andy Bachmann’s retirement at the end of April. The Church Council approved the establishment of three temporary, part-time positions to help redistribute the work as we transition — for the moment, at least — from a three-person clergy team to…
DetailsHello 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…
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