Today at UCG
New Member Sunday

9:45 a.m.      Childcare – children’s wing
10 a.m.         Worship Service – Rev. Talia Raymond
Friendship Group – courtyard
11 a.m.         Fellowship and Beverages – courtyard
New Member reception – courtyard
All Church Retreat Registration – library
11:15 a.m.    Lively Arts Committee – seminar C and Zoom
11:30 a.m.    Sunday Seminar – Reimer Hall
11:45 a.m.    Youth United and Middle School Together – courtyard
6 p.m.          Sacred Sound Symphony – Sanctuary

We welcome new members at the 10 a.m. service this morning with a reception to follow in the courtyard. Please join us – there will be cake!

Registration for All-Church Retreat is available in the library today until 12 p.m. Deadline to register is today! New this year: paperless registration. We invite you to submit your registration electronically using the fillable PDF’s linked here: 2025 Retreat Registration – Families with babies-5th grade, 2025 Retreat Registration- Adults and Youth Grades 6-12, and 2025 T-Shirt Order Form. Please complete the forms, save the pdf file, and email to Tami Herchel. Include Your family Name(s) in the Subject line (example: “Mikula Retreat Registration”). Deadline to register is this Sunday, March 16.

Sunday Seminar – “Masculinities and Why They Matter” with Gina Marks. Gender identity has been a hot-button topic for years in the American zeitgeist — but what does the seemingly most preferred and privileged gender identity mean? In this presentation, we will discuss masculinities (yes, plural!), gender and sex, and the current American sociopolitical climate that relies so heavily on these concepts. In-person and on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624.

Youth United and Middle School Together: Spring Break Social – Meet in the courtyard at 11:45 a.m. for lunch and a field trip to the Butterfly Rainforest.

Kairos prison ministry at Lake Butler RMC – John and Liz Harvey will be in the courtyard after the service today to share information about this ecumenical ministry with the motto “Listen, listen, love, love.” During April 3-6, John’s Kairos group will host their fifth 3.5-day spiritual retreat within the prison. John will lead the team inside the prison and Liz will serve on the support team outside the prison, providing agape (gifts of love) that include food, letters of encouragement, posters of support, and prayer. They are asking UCG members to pray for this weekend and sign a poster of support when you stop by the table.

UCG Directory – The Board of Membership encourages members to wear their name tags and upload a photo of themselves in our ShelbyNext online directory. This helps us put a face to a name and get to know one another. It is also helpful when individuals sign up for boards/committees, small groups, etc. To view your profile, go to https://bit.ly/UCGSNLog.

The Let’s Not Skip a Beat! Living with Afib small group has room for more attendees. This two-part series is designed to bring together members of our community who are living with atrial fibrillation (Afib). Whether you are newly diagnosed or managing this condition for years, or are living with someone with Afib, this group offers a supportive space to share experiences, learn from others, and explore practical strategies for living well with Afib. The group will meet Saturdays, March 22 and 29 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. in the west wing. Contact Claudia Connelly or Alan Keitt, facilitators, if interested.

UCG Supper Club: The last supper club of the year will take place on Saturday, April 12 at Jim White and Lisa McElwee-White’s home on Kanapaha Prairie.  Rather than being assigned a recipe, you will be assigned a category (appetizer, salad, side or dessert) and can bring whatever you wish.  We also request that you bring your place settings and your own beverage so we only need to collect money to reimburse Jim for the meat he will barbecue (no charge for vegetarians).  Please contact Anne or Kimberly if you would like to participate. The deadline to sign up is Sunday, March 30.

Lent has begun! For a full list of all the activities happening at UCG leading up to Easter Sunday, pick up a flyer in the foyer or the office.

Lenten Devotional Booklets are available in the office or the church foyer or access the digital version at bit.ly/lentdevo25.

Work is progressing again on the remodeling of the west side bathrooms. Please continue to use the office bathrooms for now. Exterior access is available from the breezeway between the chapel and courtyard, next to the water fountain. Note also that our west side parking lot may have limited spaces available.

Next Sunday, March 23

9:45 a.m.      Childcare – children’s wing
Puzzlers’ Exchange
10 a.m.         Worship Service – Board of Parish Ministry
11 a.m.         Fellowship and Beverages
11:30 a.m.     Sunday Seminar – “Dream Magic – Unlocking the Mysteries”
2 p.m.           “Why is the UCG Sanctuary the Way It Is?” (Small Group)

Looking Ahead

Racial Justice Committee are collaborating with the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project (ACCRP) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on a series of lectures about black history in Alachua County, The Other Book: Black History in Alachua County. Each lecture will be held in a different location to contribute to experiential learning. The last lecture will be on Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Cotton Club. The program will look at “Civil Rights to the Present” with Dr. Rik Stevenson and local elected officials.

Join UCG’s Open and Affirming Committee at the next “Open and Affirming Sunday Social.” Come get to know members of UCG in a fun and inclusive environment, hosted by ONA. We meet up on the Second Sunday of the month. The next Sunday Social will be on April 13 at 6 p.m. in Reimer Hall. We will be writing letters to our elected officials about current policies impacting LGBTQ+ in Florida. We will have all the information and materials needed. Please contact Brandon Telg at brantelg@gmail.com with any questions.