Racial 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…
DetailsHello Families! For the month of August we will continue with Activity Time fun and games beginning from 9:45am until the end of worship. On August 22 and 29, Activity Time will be extended until noon as we celebrate the Installation of Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan and host our Time & Talent Fair. All children over the age of…
DetailsVisiting Ray Meeks After Two Years I had not visited Ray Meeks in almost two years because of COVID. I saw him again July 27, and so much has happened since then. As a reminder, Ray has been on death row since 1974. He spent that time at Florida State…
DetailsFor newcomers to UCG, the Mommy Reads program is a ministry that collects new children’s books and takes them to the women’s prison at the Florida Women’s Reception Center (FWRC) just north of Ocala. We record mothers and grandmothers there reading the books, and then send the books and recordings to their children on the…
DetailsBromleigh McCleneghan’s installation service is on Sunday, August 22. “Installation” is sort of a funny word to use for the ceremony in which we officially welcome a new minister into our congregation. I remember hearing jokes about plugging in former minister Vince Amlin as we prepared for his installation years ago. At any rate, it’s…
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