Sunday Seminar – “Bridging the Gap Between Deaf and Hearing Worlds,” with special guest Kentrell Martin, author of Shelby’s Adventures. Growing up with a deaf brother, Kentrell witnessed how the world viewed people who are deaf. Kentrell will share his story and how it led to him authoring his book series, Shelby’s Adventures, to introduce kids and parents to American Sign Language and deaf culture. Kentrell invites you to learn how to help bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing world. Kentrell showed his energy and passion for teaching children sign language during Camp UCG last summer and we are excited to invite the adults in our UCG community to learn from him as well. In-person and on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624

Visitors Coffee – If you’ve been visiting UCG and would like to learn more about the church, please join Rev. Talia Raymond and members of the Board of Membership for coffee and conversation in the courtyard following the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, February 23. New Member Sunday is March 9.

We are delighted to host “An Evening with Art Crummer” on Sunday, February 23 at 5 p.m. Join us in Reimer Hall as Art Crummer shares his gifts of poetry and song. Guests will enjoy live music as well as readings from Art’s latest poetry book release, It’s About Time. A light reception will be provided; you are invited to bring a snack that you would enjoy sharing. Copies of Art’s books will be available for purchase. Donations support Youth United’s Work Tour 2025 to Washington, DC. We look forward to sharing this magical experience with you!

 Kairos requests assistance Wednesday or Friday this week with meals for member Pam Williams who is under hospice care. Sign up here.

Church Council will meet Wednesday, February 19, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Reimer Hall. We will receive board and committee reports, an update from the interim search committee, and a review of the moderator-elect nomination process.  All are welcome to join us in Reimer Hall or to listen via Zoom. Meeting ID: 835 7905 5656 Passcode: 236502. Please note: To elect the candidates for our next Moderator Elect, UCG uses a process where Church Council adjourns and then reconvenes as the Nominating Committee. Nominating Committee meetings are not open, and minutes are not taken, to allow for an honest and open discussion about potential candidates. Congregation members are provided an opportunity to “weigh-in” on the selection during the spring congregational meeting when the congregational votes to approve the proposed slate for the next year’s leadership (including Moderator-Elect, Board and Committee Chairs, and the Council Member-at-Large). For more information, please review the Moderator Elect Nominating Procedures found in our policy and procedures manual.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and we are seeking submissions of art, photos, and/or writings for this year’s Lenten devotional booklet! Please email your submissions to Taylor Williams at gutsandglorygnv@gmail.com no later than Friday, February 21. For written word, please submit it in the body of your email or as a Word document. Please send all pictures and art pieces in a JPEG format. This year’s Lenten theme is “Through the Lens”.

Rev. Talia’s Spiritual Storytelling small group for elementary aged kids and their families will begin next Wednesday, February 26. Click here for more information.

UCG 101 is Wednesday, February 26, 5:30 p.m. in Reimer Hall for those considering church membership, a time to learn about the church and connect with other members over light refreshments. Please contact the office to RSVP or sign up on the bulletin board by the office on Sundays. Please let us know if you need childcare. New Member Sunday is March 16.

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 third lecture will be on Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 12 SE 1st St., Gainesville). The program will look at the Jim Crow Era in Alachua County, with Dr. Michelle Dunlap and Dr. Rik Stevenson. For more information, click here.

Join UCG’s Open & Affirming Committee at our next “Open & 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 March 9 at 6 p.m. We will be getting dinner and playing minigolf at the Pink Flamingo Diner in High Springs! We will need to know how many people are coming so please RSVP by Thursday, March 6. Please email Brandon Telg with any questions or to RSVP.

Speak Up! Make Change!  As we read the “outrage du jour” in the daily news, instead of feeling hopeless and depressed, speak up and make change! One of the most effective methods of influencing our legislators is with phone calls. According to research, people who work in Senate offices understand that people who call are deeply invested in the issues, most likely to vote and to influence others to vote. Calls are tallied daily! One call per day, two minutes a day to make a difference.  Meaghan Bonnaghan has created this easy guide on how to “Speak Up! Make Change” which will be updated weekly!  Let’s do it!  Sponsored by the Justice League.

During the season of Lent, you are invited to join Lenten Contemplative Prayer on Tuesday evenings March 11, 18 and 25 and April 1 and 8 – from 6 to 7 p.m. – in the Sanctuary.  This quiet hour, between Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, follows the Lenten worship theme of “Through the Lens”.  We will reflect on and renew our spiritual journey, with five simple practices of awareness, with time for silence, for Psalms and reflections, for prayers and sharing.  Participants are asked to attend at least 3 of these 5 sessions.  Please note that the sign-up deadline for this group is Sunday, March 2 – you can register through the Adult Small Groups Sign-ups or by contacting Sandy Reimer, facilitator, directly at reimer.sandy@gmail.com.

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 Sunday, March 30.

Save the Date! UCG’s All-Church Retreat is April 4-6. More members are needed to assist with planning and workshops and all the things. Please contact Tami Herchel if you are available to help or offer a workshop.

Work has begun on the remodeling of the west side bathrooms. Please use the office bathrooms for the month of February and into March. 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. Please let the office know if you will need assistance on Sundays for parking so we can help arrange a driver.

Help wanted for Kids Night Out (KNO) – We are so grateful for how KNO has been going. The children have loved the different events and activities each month. We have two unplanned Fridays left and are looking for volunteers to do activities with the kids. Please email Julia at juliac@ucgainesville.org if you would like to bring your area of expertise to a fun night at KNO.

The Seminar Committee is regrouping/reorganizing and going strong! We will be offering many exciting seminars with great guest speakers this spring on diverse topics.  Help the committee to keep our seminars diverse and interesting with our new virtual seminar suggestion box! Click here to fill out a form.

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.

*The March newsletter deadline is Wednesday, February 19*

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.