All-Church Read! – September through November, 2021, Racial Justice Committee will sponsor an all-church read of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. Four small groups will be offered as zoom book discussions. A variety of dates and times will be available. The first group begins September 22. Please sign up early. If you…
DetailsEarlier this summer Bromleigh asked me to speak during a Sunday service about our church year theme “Return, Reunite, Reimagine”. I initially planned on giving a standard oration to share my thoughts and ideas on what this theme means to me. However, after some reflection, I realized that most of UCG already knows my feelings…
DetailsOn Tuesday evening, August 3, the Alachua County School Board will vote on the COVID-19 plan for the coming school year (which begins August 10). Currently, the plan names mask-wearing by all individuals, vaccinated and otherwise, as “strongly encouraged,” but not mandated. “Strongly encouraged” is not enough given the rise in cases and the growing…
DetailsOur Back to School Blessing on August 8th is open to all children and youth, preschoolers through high schoolers. On that day, please bring your child(ren) to the playground/nursery before 10am just as you have been doing since re-gathering. The children will be brought to the courtyard at the end of the worship service and…
DetailsRacial Justice Committee will sponsor an all-church read for the fall beginning in September. The selection is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. There will be various offerings of small groups and hopefully a panel discussion of the book. The Summer Caste RJ book group had an average attendance of 6-7 faithful readers. Book…
DetailsWe are delighted to invite you to join us for Gathering of Waters, our annual service that celebrates our reunion as a UCG family, on August 29th at our 10am service. At summer’s end, from swimming pools and faucets, from rivers and streams, from oceans and lakes, near and far, from sources that give you…
DetailsThe pandemic and its risks and challenges are clearly not over. In response to the recent spike in cases and variant infections, the Covid Team recommends the UCG community continue our vigilant efforts to stay healthy and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To that end: Practice the Basics: Wear a mask, remain socially distant…
DetailsThe Sunday Seminar committee offers seminars around a number of exciting and relevant topics. Each is available on Zoom at 11:30am. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624. See August offerings below. August 8 – “Critical Race Theory: The Struggle to Tell Historical Truths,” with Dr. Paul Ortiz of the UF History department. Paul Ortiz…
DetailsIn March 2021, Church Council approved the formation of a Compensation Task Force to create comprehensive compensation guidelines, including a total compensation philosophy, and strategies for future procedures to determine UCG staff compensation. Members include Karen Archer (Board of Business), Tim Martin (Congregation Ministry Review Board), Hannah Norton (Board of Parish Ministry), Maureen Killoran (at-large),…
DetailsSome call them the “dog days,” others celebrate the notion of summer’s “lazy, hazy, crazy days,” but however they hit you, right now most days are . . . hot. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to take life a little easier. Others of us scramble to cover half a hundred things…
DetailsThe PPP Subcommittee met on July 13 after the July 6 meeting had to be cancelled due to Tropical Storm Elsa. The subcommittee took time to get to know one another better and to agree on a set of guidelines for communication and decision-making. Our next meeting will be July 27. At that meeting, each…
DetailsAs our church family has embraced the return to our community connections we are again facing new variant threats. It feels like a kind of twisted déjà vu when our world felt so close to emerging from this pandemic. I feel reassured that the leaders of the COVID taskforce have been vigilant and flexible…
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