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During our worship service on this Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, we welcome Pamela Marshall- Koons, who will present the one woman show, “Voices of Courage.” Fannie Lou Hamer’s voice of courage from the cotton fields of Mississippi to the halls of our nation’s capital made her a fearless fighter and a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Come, learn, and be captivated by a piece of American history you may have not been taught in school. Then, plan to join us Monday at the Gainesville Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and March; details are below.
Icon by Kelly Latimore
Sunday, January 19
MLK Weekend and Racial Justice Sunday
9:45 a.m. Childcare – children’s wing
10 a.m. Worship Service – Pamela Marshall- Koons
Friendship Group
10:15 a.m. Kids United
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
11:15 a.m. Board of Membership
Lively Arts Committee
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar
Middle School Together
Sunday Seminar – “Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings” with Flo Turcotte in Reimer Hall and on Zoom at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19. Flo Turcotte, Literary Manuscripts Archivist at the George A. Smathers Libraries at UF will discuss the life of author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and the influence of the Florida landscape on her work, including 1939 Pulitzer winner, The Yearling. Zoom Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624
Small Groups Submissions wanted! If there is a particular topic or place that you would like to explore, a book you want to discuss, or a skill or hobby you’d like to share, consider submitting a small group at https://bit.ly/SGWinter25. The deadline for submissions is this Sunday, January 19.
Black History Matters T-shirt Sale! – The UCG Racial Justice Committee will be selling their Black History Matters shirts in the courtyard on Sundays, January 19, February 2 and 9. Cost is $20 payable by cash, check, or credit card payments accepted in the front office. Or you can pay online at bit.ly/ucgplate and select Racial Justice from the fund drop down panel.
A reminder that the Friendship Group will be meeting this Sunday, January 19, at 10 a.m. in the West Wing. We will be making Valentine’s cards.
Enlistment Update – We are so close, having received 281 pledges for a total of $812,646. It is critical that all UCG families / pledging units submit a pledge card so that Board of Business can plan for next year’s budget. Even if your pantry is bare this year and you can’t commit monetary support at this time, we would like you to submit a pledge card so we know where we stand for next year. To pledge, you can visit the web portal at https://bit.ly/UCGpledge2025, turn in a physical pledge card, or email Catherine Cake at catherinec@ucgainesville.org.
The annual Women’s Overnight 2025 is on January 31. Registration extended to Wednesday, January 15th! Our extravagantly planned weekend includes sessions at UCG on Friday (day) for anyone not available to get away, as well as the weekend at Camp Weed in Live Oak (you’re welcome to join us for all). Register online here! Or come to the church office to register from 8:30 – 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Already registered? Please check the list linked here to be sure your registration was captured. We have heard of a few instances of registration snafus!
Women’s Retreat programming includes:
- Yoga with Meaghan Bonnaghan
- Art projects facilitated by Heidi Stein and Malika Green
- Writing workshops led by Margaret Johnson, Lucy Stein and Isa Ward
- Improv workshop with Jenny Hill
- Meditative music with Shirell Hix, Mary Fukuyama and Penta Rose
- Opportunities for Fellowship…and more!
Please reach out to Tami Herchel at tamih@ucgainesville.org with any questions. We look forward to co-creating this magical weekend with you!
Let’s Connect
King National Holiday Parade and March is on Monday, January 20, meet at noon at the bicycle racks on the SE corner of Bo Diddley Plaza to march from the plaza to the MLK Center at Citizens Field. There is a free shuttle bus provided back to the plaza. Make sure to wear your UCG Black History Matters t-shirt.
Our first Church Council meeting of 2025 will be on Wednesday, January 22 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. in Reimer Hall. Our primary task this month is to receive and vote on the Board of Business’ final 2025 budget which is then presented for a congregational vote at our winter congregational meeting (February 9). All are welcome to join us in Reimer Hall or to listen via Zoom. Meeting ID: 835 7905 5656 Passcode: 236502
Art in the Library Reception on Sunday, January 26 after the service. We have a new art exhibit of watercolors by Bob Schackow.
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 second lecture will be on Saturday, February 8 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Haile Homestead. For more information, click here.
The next Supper Club will be Saturday, February 15 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature a chicken entree. We meet in groups of 8-10. Recipes are provided so that each group shares the same menu. Please RSVP to Anne Casella or Kimberly McCollough if you would like to participate. If you are able to host one of the groups, please let them know. The deadline to sign up is Sunday, February 2.
Youth United Work Tour 2025 Fundraiser! Save the date for “An Evening with Art Crummer” in Reimer Hall on Sunday, February 23. Look for more details about this event in the February newsletter.
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.
Save the Date: Convergence Futures Lab
Saturday, January 25, 2025 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lunch provided
To our United Church of Gainesville visionaries, way makers and beloved members (i.e., all of you!): UCG, in collaboration with Convergence Congregational Consulting, requests your attendance at the upcoming Futures Lab on Saturday, January 25. This fun, imaginative space offers a creative outlet for us to consider different futures for our church home so that together, we can craft the next chapter in United Church of Gainesville’s story.
Facilitated by Rev. Cameron Trimble, and based on her work with the United Nations and UNESCO, attendees will journey 45 years into the future to envision who we could become, and define the steps to take us there. As Lindsey Telg mentioned in the recent Moderator’s Minute, our congregation has not yet committed to hiring a consultant at its fullest extent; we will be voting on a motion to approve the full contract with Convergence during our Winter Congregational meeting on Sunday, February 9. With that in mind, the Futures Lab is a singular opportunity for members of our congregation to learn more about Convergence, and discern how future collaborations might serve us as we continue to navigate this time of transition.
Your ideas and perspectives are essential to the process of breathing life into the church we will become in the months and years to follow. Please consider lending your time and your voice to this workshop and help us shape United Church Gainesville for generations ahead!
All members are welcome; lunch will be provided, and childcare is available. To help us plan adequate food, supplies, and childcare, please indicate your interest in attending here. Thank you!
Women’s and Men’s Lunch Groups
Friday, January 17 at noon – All are welcome
The Women’s Lunch Group will meet in Reimer Hall this week.
The Men’s Lunch Group will be 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, January 26
Convergence Sunday
9:45 a.m. Childcare – children’s wing
Puzzler Exchange
10 a.m. Worship Service – Rev. Cameron Trimble
10:15 a.m. Kids United
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
11:15 a.m. Art in the Library Reception
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar
Youth United and Middle School Together
Our January 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. The February newsletter deadline is Monday, January 20.
Church Office Schedule for January 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.
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