Our 60th Anniversary festivities begin this August. With opportunities for fun, fellowship, service and celebration throughout the Fall, we look forward to gathering in honor of this milestone. Please note the following dates: August 17 – Join us for a potluck breakfast in honor of one of our founding members, Bob Atkins, whose son John will…
DetailsDear UCGers and friends, As we start to finish out summer and school will start again this August, I have found my mind wandering towards the ‘ember’ months and what ways we are going to celebrate our church’s 60th anniversary and the other holidays that are to come. It’s a different feeling than the usual…
DetailsThe Justice League: A Work in Progress The Justice League – focused on Racial Justice, Creation and Climate Justice, and Open and Affirming (ONA) support – is undergoing a transformation. We’re shifting from traditional monthly meetings to a more dynamic structure, similar to ONA and Kairos. Instead of regular meetings, we’ll have small groups, activities, and…
DetailsThe Board of Children, Youth, and Families (BYCF) is looking to start the year off strong and activities are planned this summer to introduce BYCF to UCG who might not know the Board and invite your participation in helping plan for all the wonderful things UCG does with its children and youth. First, be prepared for…
DetailsDear Ones: I typically have a bit of an aversion to August. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s Leo season, with all its fire sign energy and the sweltering temperatures to match. August shows up lazily enough, echoing the summer vibes of July that I’ve only just settled into post work-tour. But the leisurely pace…
DetailsAugust is finally here and next to her family, I am going to be the happiest person to see Talia return. I missed her the second most of any of you because I knew she knew what I didn’t know in my startup. Anyway, welcome back Talia. I know you will be different, Dr. Raymond.…
DetailsDear Ones: Let’s talk about resilience for a moment. It is synchronous that our congregation is spending our Sundays contemplating resilience, our summer worship theme, as our youth spent their recent Work Tour experiencing it. Travel delays, forgotten items, stolen backpacks, upset tummies, early mornings, boisterous nights, manual labor under an unrelenting sun, harsh fluorescent…
DetailsDear Friends, We are officially on the other side of the year with July in full summer swing. I’m hopeful our new air conditioning units will be installed by the end of July in the Sanctuary. We have some pressure washing of our outside areas on the books and other upkeeping of our campus. Our…
DetailsI want to share with you a non-standard statement of financial position for the church as of the end of May 2025. The things that are not standard in this statement: Generally assets (here the buildings and land) are listed as historical costs and not a fair market value. The values…
DetailsSome rituals are spiritual. Some are silly. Some are inherited, and some are self-made. Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices, walks us through how we create all sorts of meaningful, grounding rituals. One of my rituals is writing a newsletter. I always try to make my “minister’s…
DetailsHello all! We can feel that summer sizzle already in the late mornings to the afternoons. This hopefully means our newly scrubbed solar panels will be ready to receive the sun’s ray as the days stretch longer and the nights feel warmer. Thank goodness for air conditioning and ice machines. Speaking of air conditioning, we…
DetailsSomething of a Miracle! Think of it, Ray Meeks was sentenced to Florida’s death row when he was about 19 years old. On June 28, Ray will be 72 years old, which in its own was is something of a miracle. All of the circumstances surrounding his arrest, trial, conviction and sentencing were absurd. He…
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