Sunday Services. May Theme:

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1 The The Beacon Beacon MAY 2016 UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF FAYETTEVILLE As a diverse faith community, we promote justice and service while seeking personal and spiritual growth. 901 W. Cl evel and St., Fayet t evil l e, Arkansas (479) uuf f.ar@gmail.com uuf ayet t evil l e.org

2 Sunday Services Adult Religious Exploration (UUFF, downstairs, common room) 10-10:45 am Buddhist Meditation (Annex, west room) 10-10:45 am May Theme: Children?s Religious Ed. (4+) 11:20 am - 12:40 pm Leads - Teresa Honey-Youngblood, Gini Gottman, Shawna Thorup Nursery care (free) is available from 9:30-12:00 for babies and toddlers to age 4 and from 11:00-12:15 for children 7 and under (or those with special needs for whom attendance in the service would be a hardship). May 8t h -?A UU Mission? 7 UU Principl es UUFF adopted a new Vision Statement last year, and had adopted a Mission Statement the year before... Quick, a test! What are they? And what do they mean to who we are what we do? 1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person 2. Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations 3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations 4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning 5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large 6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all 7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. May 1st - "May Day - Rel igious Expl orat ion Cel ebrat ion" Celebrate our "labor of love," our Child/ Youth and Adult Education programs and teachers, while recognizing our slide into summer with a Beltane/ May-Pole and Picnic. Lead - Rev. Jim Parrish May 15t h -?And Then There Was One (or more)? New Member Sunday! We'll welcome our newest members, remember some of our oldest, and reflect on what membership means. The Choir will sing! Lead - Rev. Parrish Choir Director - Kristy Mezines May 22nd -?The Minist ry of Governance? UUFF has been working on simplifying its governance structure while simultaneously empowering those in "teams and committees" to see their work as "Ministries of the Fellowship." Gene and his merry band of leaders will talk about how we are working to accomplish our Mission. Lead - Gene Vinzant and Leadership of UUFF May 29t h - "Memorial Day" Lead - Marty Faitak Page 2 Page 3

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4 The UUFF Social Justice Action Team by Janis Walters, Chair The Social Justice Action Team is the pulse of faith in action here at UU Fayetteville. The Team works to uphold the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism and support UU Fayetteville?s Vision and Mission statements. Our purpose is to connect members and friends to Social Justice actions at UU Fayetteville, while also forging connections with the local, state, and national communities involved in Social Justice work. The Social Justice Action Team at UU Fayetteville focuses on key priorities for our congregation, our community, our state, and our world. These key priorities include, but are not limited to: 1. Legislative Justice 2. Environmental Justice 3. Racial Justice 4. Reproductive and Women?s Rights Justice 5. LGBTQ Justice 6. Economic Justice 7. Immigration Rights 8. Worker?s Justice 9. Prison Reform Current projects that our Social Justice Action Team are involved in include the Food and Clothing Drive for 7Hills Homeless Shelter, Lunch Angels, Equal Exchange Fair Trade Products coffee and tea cart, Fair Trade coffee for coffee hour after services, Adopt-A-Trail (and Stream) Program, Share the Plate Sundays, and involvement in the Arkansas UU Social Justice Cluster Program. We also lead the worship service for Social Justice Sunday in January and participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. March as well as other marches and protest events locally and at the State Capitol. The ministry of Social Justice includes service, education, advocacy, and "public witness" (the spiritual practice of taking a public position in support of justice). Our Standing on the Side of Love campaign demonstrates the power of love to end oppression and injustice. Page 4 Page 5

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6 The Red-tailed Hawks of UUFF by Susan Takigiku Did you know that UUFF has a Red-tailed Hawk family with a nest on our grounds? As you pull into the UUFF parking lot on the west side from Oakland Ave., view the two mighty oak trees on each side; look directly up to the left oak tree near the building, and you will find our Red-tailed Hawk nest. The nest of our Red-tailed Hawks is constructed with piles of dry sticks that can potentially reach up to 6.5 feet high and 3 feet across. The inner cup of the nest is likely lined with bark, fresh foliage, and dry vegetation. Both members of the couple construct the nest, which can take up to 4-7 days to design. A hawk was first spotted at UUFF about a year ago, mid-may 2015, by Carol Tarvin and Fawn Smith (our Administrator). Fawn was on the phone with Vet Viki, scheduling an appointment for her beloved dog, Bella, who was very ill and nearing the end of her life. Carol Tarvin said, "Wow-look at that hawk!" It was a gorgeous specimen, perched on a branch about 20 feet from the office window. Fawn commented,?that was very special to me because I've always thought of hawks as one of my spirit animals and often find their feathers when I go on hikes.? Seeing the hawk at that moment was particularly meaningful to Fawn because they are known as healing messengers when we are in distress. In many Native American traditions, Red-tailed Hawks are considered a sacred spirit animal and totem. Hawks are regarded as symbols of divine messengers, healers, visionaries of?the big picture,? optimism, and letting go of limiting thoughts and beliefs. In addition, Red-tailed Hawks only get their red tail feathers once they have reached a certain level of maturity. Juvenile hawks do not have red tail feathers. Since last spring, Red-tailed Hawks have been increasing in our area, about the time Rev. Jim was installed as our Minister last May Humm? just a coincidence? Or, is UUFF really thriving, growing, and soaring? In observing the hawks, Rev. Jim says,?the UUFF hawks seem to make the squirrels nervous, but I've noticed that the birds are not being too shy when they are around... maybe they are used to them?? According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Red-tailed Hawks like to eat squirrels, rabbits, rodents, other birds (especially black birds), snakes and carrion. Red-tailed Hawks are very flexible- living in the country, on side roads, or in the city. Did you happen to see the PBS Nature show about?pale Male,? the Red-tailed Hawk living in New York City? Whatever your belief system or thoughts about Red-tailed Hawks, I do think they are a very auspicious sign for the future of UUFF. I do hope that the Red-tailed Hawks of UUFF live with us and watch over us for a very long time. P.S. Rev. Jim says that parking below the nest might be a cause for a car wash ;-) Page 6 Page 7

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8 UUFF Choir The UUFF Choir will sing on Sunday, May 15th and will take a 2-3 months rest during the summer. To celebrate, we will have a choir (and ALL friends of the Choir) potluck after service on the 15th. Come sing, bring a dish and share with all voices!! All are welcome. The Music Committee Page 8 Page 9

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10 Upcoming UU Events and Conferences UUA General Assembly will be held in Columbus, Ohio. Go to / ga/ registration for details. SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, JUNE 12 SAVE THE DATE: Jul y 24-29, 2016 Savor & Save t he Worl d UUFF ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL The Point - UU Ret reat MEETING & VOTE Fort Gibson Lake, OK UUFF St ewardship Work Day 9am - Noon Sat., May 14t h OMNI Cent er Peace Garden Tour When: Sat, May 28, 10am? 3pm Where: Several beaut if ul l ocat ions, incl uding UUFF!! Ticket s? $15. Inf o at OMNIcent er.org, Page 10 Imagine five days of UU covenant and community in a resort-like setting on the shores of Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma. The Point offers personal growth, faith renewal, learning opportunities, spiritual practices, community worship, music, excellent cuisine, sustainable practices, social gatherings (dance, movie night, talent show), outdoor activities, programming for all ages and interests, and an engaging theme speaker. Each day begins and ends with worship, but how you spend your day is completely up to you! Registration is now open for The Point (formerly known as SWUUSI), which will run, July 24-29, Shawna Thorup is our Point Ambassador & is here to answer your Qs. Rev. Jim is a workshop present er! Page 11

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