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Join us this Sunday as we welcome Rev. Donna Schaper, candidate for Interim Minister at UCG. Rev. Schaper will have a meet-and-greet with the congregation from 9 – 9:40 a.m. before the service and will offer the morning’s sermon, “Belonging Without Bondage,” during worship. Special music, “On the Turning Away” by Pink Floyd, will be provided by Rev. Andy Bachmann, Amanda Garrigues, and John Maze and meditative music will be offered by Nan Ryan on the hand pan. We will then hold a special congregational meeting at 11:30 a.m. to discuss and vote on calling Rev. Schaper as UCG’s first interim minister (see agenda). We look forward to seeing you there! Childcare will be provided. To learn more about Rev. Schaper see this slideshow or watch this video.
Sunday, March 30 8:45 a.m. Childcare – children’s wing We are excited to have Rev. Donna Schaper with us this weekend to deliver the sermon as our candidate for interim minister. Given the high interest in the opportunity to meet her, we anticipate the service will have high attendance. Here are a few tips to help ensure a smooth Sunday service: 1. Arrive early. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early to increase your chances of finding a seat in the Sanctuary. 2. Fill in all available seating. Just before the service starts, please scoot to the middle of your row to fill in any open seats. This will help leave seats open on the aisles so that folks coming in can easily find a seat. (If you need to sit on the aisle for mobility reasons, that is certainly ok!) 3. Enjoy the service in Reimer Hall, if needed. Remember that our Grushers are tasked with ensuring we do not exceed the building code for people in the sanctuary space. If one of the Grushers indicates we have reached maximum capacity, please head to Reimer Hall to view the service from there. 4. Extra seats may become available. After the children leave for Kids United, there may be additional seating available in the Sanctuary. Please check with a grusher to see if they are able to allow more people into the sanctuary without exceeding the building code. 5. Give “Coffee Church” a try. While Reimer Hall does not offer the same experience as the Sanctuary, it does have its own unique benefits! Give it a try – you can enjoy your coffee and snacks during the service! 6. Be mindful of visitors. Visitors will not know this is a special weekend at UCG. If you notice a new face, consider making space for them to enjoy the service in the Sanctuary, if possible. Let’s Connect
UCG hosts the National Faith and Climate Forum at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 27 in Reimer Hall. The forum’s webcast will feature an opening message from Georgia’s Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock. This hybrid event will also include local speakers and roundtable discussions about issues affecting Alachua County. The event is co-sponsored by Temple Shir Shalom, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, and The CLEO Institute. Join us! A free lunch is available with registration at https://nationalfaithandclimateforum.org. A memorial service and reception will be held on Saturday, March 29, at 1 p.m. for beloved UCG member Glenn Acomb. As a caring community, we come together to support Glenn’s family and friends by attending the service and bringing food for the reception. Finger foods only, please – those that do not require utensils or sitting down. If you cannot attend but could drop off your gift of food in the UCG kitchen on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, that would be appreciated. Additional parking available on the street on the weekends or at First Lutheran Church, 1801 NW 5th Ave. (by special permission for this event). This Saturday, March 29, please join UCG ReBuilds and Rebuilding Together for a morning of fun and service! We will meet at UCG at 8:30 a.m. to depart for this week’s service site; please bring a lunch and $20 if you are able to help support the cost of building materials for this week’s project. Service hours will be awarded and the weather looks beautiful for a morning working outside and doing some good! Please RSVP if you are able to join us! KAIR💜S is asking for help with meals for Connie Caldwell and Jeff Shapiro, as Jeff returned home on Monday. If you are available, please sign up here. Lent has begun! For a full list of all the activities happening at UCG leading up to Easter Sunday, click here or pick up a flyer in the foyer on Sundays. Lenten Devotional Booklets are available in the office or the church foyer. Click here for the digital edition. 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. Work continues 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. Looking Ahead 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 Casella or Kimberly McCollough if you would like to participate. The deadline to sign up is this Sunday, March 30. 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. For more information, click here. 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. Save the Date and Call for Artwork!
Our Annual Noodles and Doodles Fundraiser is Coming on Sunday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. This art sale and pasta dinner fundraiser supports our Youth United as they prepare for their summer work tour. This year, they are headed to Washington, DC to volunteer at World Pride 2025 and serve at various non-profits throughout the city. If you have artwork that you have made or that you would simply like to re-home, we are accepting donations! Please leave it in the office for Tami by Wednesday, April 23. We appreciate your support of this fun event and of our youth! Women’s and Men’s Lunch Groups The Women’s Lunch Group will meet in the library this week. The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Zoom. Meeting ID: 836 8128 8738 Passcode: 1965. For those who cannot meet during the day on weekdays, we have two small groups: Good Men Drinking Beer and Wonderful Women Drinking Wine. These are social groups and non-drinkers are welcome. Click here to register. Next Sunday, April 6
*No worship service at UCG due to All Church Retreat.* Note: Food First Sunday will be April 13th due to retreat. 4 p.m. Gospel Sing-Along (small group) Our March newsletter is available online. Submit Your E-vents and Bulletin Announcements – Please email E-vents and bulletin announcements to Shanna Swiers to have them included in our newsletter, bulletin, and emails. Church Office Schedule for March/April 2025
Mondays and Saturdays – Closed
Tuesdays and Thursdays – 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sundays – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
Events at UCG for March 26 – April 1, 2025
