The Covid Advisory Team has revised the screening questions for Sunday morning worship services. The new screening questions take into account the varied landscape of scenarios currently present in our community. The availability of testing, a likelihood of asymptomatic infections, and a younger virus-vulnerable population necessitate a new flowchart approach. Please click here to familiarize yourself…
DetailsCatherine and Sanford Berg are two of our longest-tenured members of the United Church of Gainesville. They joined UCG in 1971- while we were still worshipping at the Presbyterian Student Center on University Avenue. Since then, they have been loyal and loving members and have seen us through many shifts, turns, transitions, and triumphs. They…
DetailsOn August 29th UCG had the first in-person Board and Committee recruitment fair in two and a half years. We owe much appreciation to Moderator-elect Barb Gibbs as well as Lisa and Shanna in the office for putting so much energy and effort into planning this years’ Time and Talent event. The pandemic has left…
DetailsNear the beginning of June I received an email from the Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas, looking for congregations within two miles of a university campus who might be interested in learning about the program she is managing. Her email read, “The Vinery is a vision made possible by the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The…
DetailsAll-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…
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