"Yes" to DACA, Sanctuary

On Sunday, January 29th, 2017, at a general meeting of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches, the membership, by a wide margin, voted to approve a resolution supporting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (the DACA program), which protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children (also known as "Dreamers"), and declaring the 1stUUPB grounds a sanctuary for those currently eligible for DACA's protection and who would seek refuge and safety from deportation.

"Yes" to Black Lives Matter AIW

On Sunday, January 29th, 2017, at a general meeting of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches, the membership voted, by a wide margin, to approve a resolution supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement as stated in the UUA 2015 Action of Immediate Witness (AIW).  

Find 1stUUPB on Facebook

NewsTalk Topics for Feb 5, 2017

NewsTalk Topics for Sunday

- week two of the Trump Era

- more nominations, hearings, and confirmations

- changes in the National Security Council

- federal judges stay Trump immigration order

- are tweets making the traditional media obsolete?

Come to the Mardi Gras/Valentine Party

The Food Gang cordially invites all members, friends & their guests to:

The Second Annual Valentine/ Mardi Gras Dinner Party
on Saturday, February 18, starting at 6pm in Ministers Hall

This will be a full dinner, with wine, soda, etc., throughout the evening.
We will commence with an array of Amazing Appetizers.

Followed by a variety of Gourmet Entrées, plated and served to you.

The Challenge:  You must choose which entrée you want in advance.

The choices are:

1. Beef Stroganoff- A luxurious Valentine feast from the finest salons of Europe.

2. Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Etouffee. A classic Mardi Gras dish with plenty of flavor, but with the spice heat moderate.

3.  Cajun Spiced Salmon - Also full of flavor and spice, and, again with the spice heat not over the top.

4. Red Beans and Rice - Another Mardi Gras dish, this for the vegetarians.

Followed by an amazing variety of Delectable Desserts .

As always with the Food Gang, all food is made with :
FABULOUS INGREDIENTS, TALENT AND LOVE, by our own generous members.

This is not just a FUN raiser for our community,
it is also A FUND RAISER FOR 1stUUPB!

The fee for everything is $35 per person.

If you wish to join in you MUST:

1: Contact Frank Smith (561-471-2814; fjsmithgcny@gmail.com) and tell him who is coming and what each attendee wants for the entrée.

2: send/bring to the Office the required fee.

After BOTH of the above are done, YOU ARE IN!

Be advised: We must have your entrée order in and fee paid no later than Monday, February 13. This is so that the chefs know how much ingredients to buy and have time to prepare.

Lol, The Food Gang
Harry, Karen, Henry and Frank

IMPORTANT:  Please note, as there are a limited number of each entrée available, if you wait too long you may be unable to get the dish you want!

Celebrate Imbolc With Us, Jan 29

Start arriving 2:30pm
Ritual starts promptly at 3pm
Clean up and goodbyes by 5pm **

Inspiration, healing, and insight are all attainable now! With the season's subtle changes, we return to the Celtic fire holiday known as Imbolc, or Candlemass, and celebrate the Goddess Brid and the Good God Dagda. Join us for a druidic ritual (ADF tradition) led by Edward Vandamas, featuring the spectacular Mama Gina as bard!

** Remember to bring love donations for Mama Gina (and Nine Toes The Bard)! **

Nature's Spirit Conference, Jan 28

The Nature's Spirit Conference will take place on Jan 28 from 9:30am to 5pm in the 1stUUPB Sanctuary

1stUUPB, along with the Pagan Environmental Alliance and the Palm Beach Pagans group, will hold an environmental conference on January 28th, focusing specifically on the topic of “Spiritual Activism” in South Florida. We believe that bringing together experts with interfaith groups and local activists strengthens all parties involved. We are seeking passionate and knowledgeable people to address the many environmental challenges we face in our region in different ways. 

The format of the event will feature three keynote speakers with hour-long panels in between, where those participating will speak about shared concerns, followed by periodic break-out sessions where attendees will share ideas and seek out solutions collaboratively. The event will also allow organizations to set up tables/booths along the outside periphery of the sanctuary (weather permitting, we should enjoy Florida’s mild temperatures). 

Contact: Sarah Wilson admin@palmbeachpagans.com

Sunday Service, Jan 29

News Talk Topics for Jan 29

- swearing in the White House Office

- President Trump's first seven days

- more nominations, hearings, and confirmations

- Trump and the media:  tweets or press conferences?

- should women be required to register for the draft?

hUUmanism, Jan 22

Mardi Gras Party Feb 18

An Important Message from the 1stUUPB FOOD GANG

On February 18 at 6pm in Ministers Hall we will be holding the SECOND ANNUAL 1stUUPB VALENTINE/MARDI GRAS DINNER PARTY


The dinner will be a mix of Cajun and regular dishes, all equally fabulous. The entrées are all prepared and served by our very own fabulous 1stUUPB chefs. There will be wine, juice and the like all evening.

We will start with wonderful appetizers and end with equally wonderful desserts.

This is where you come in.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We need you to volunteer to:

•    Bring Appetizers

•    Bring Desserts

We also need help with:

Room Set up: arranging the tables and chairs. Setting up the tables: table cloths, flat ware, stem ware, etc. (during the afternoon)

Supervising clean up. We will have Willie to clean the kitchen, but we do need someone to make sure that everything is moved into the kitchen and scraped.

Appetizer Service.  Organize the setup and removal of the appetizers

Dessert Service.   Organize the setup and removal of the desserts at the end of the evening.

Coffee Service.  Arrange for the setup and removal of the coffee; including setting up the pot, making certain there is decaf coffee at the church and having the sugar, other sweeteners and milk. Willie will be available to help with the cleanup.

We hope you are able to help so that we can continue to conduct these fun events!

IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP, PLEASE EMAIL FRANK SMITH at
fjsmithgcny@gmail.com

LETS WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN,

The Food Gang,
Henry Gruen, Frank Smith, Harry Wolin, & Karen Wolin

Coffee Coven, Feb 12

Palm Beach Pagans invites you to our one-year anniversary of Coffee Coven on Sunday, February 12^th, from 1 to 3pm:

We believe that forging a community around the ideas of support and inclusiveness can help us weather any crises. United, we help each other grow. In this Coffee Coven, we celebrate our one year anniversary of taking those first steps and nurturing the connections that sustain us within the First Universalist Unitarian Congregation of the Palm Beaches. Come share coffee/tea/snacks and learn about 1stUUPB, which has hosted us this past year, led by Rev CJ himself. 

Let us take the time to celebrate inclusiveness and learn a bit of cultural history from a unique lens.

As always, snacks and beverages to share are welcome and appreciated. Remember to bring non-perishable foods for the ongoing 1stUUPB food drive.

We cannot wait to see you all there!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2195275167363501/

Pastoral Care Training Scheduled

Rev. CJ and Claudia Jimenez will be rebuilding the pastoral care team over the next few months.  Richard Palermo has been on the team since last year.  Terry Last and Paul Ward have expressed their willingness to be on the team.  We will look for one more person providing all listed here are willing to serve.

Richard Keelan, Claudia, and Rev. CJ will be offering training to the team:

February 28, 4pm  Fuller Room

CJ and Claudia will offer a structure and process for the program.  Richard will be offering training on identifying pathology versus acute issues and situations, identifying when it is time to call the minister and need for referral, and contracting for safety.

March 21, 4pm Fuller Room

CJ will review active listening and our process of making the congregation aware of needs, and volunteers. Claudia will review self care. We will all answer questions you may have and present and discuss scenarios you may discover as you minister.

April 18, 4pm Fuller Room

Claudia will review the religious component of pastoral care.  CJ will discuss death and bereavement.  Richard will discuss knowing your limits, confidentiality, and family systems.

Rev. CJ McGregor, Minister

First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches

635 Prosperity Farms Road

North Palm Beach, FL 30048

www.uunpb.org

561-627-6106

508-736-3361

Ministeruupb@gmail.com

Congregational Assembly, Jan 29

Members of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches,

You are invited to a Special Meeting of the Congregation to be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 12.30pm. This meeting has been called in accordance with our by-laws and called and approved by five members of the Board of Trustees. Only members of the Congregation are entitled to vote at this meeting.

Two resolutions will be presented:

Motion One: Resolution to Support DACA and Declare 1stUUPB Grounds a Sanctuary for “Dreamers” Threatened with Deportation

Motion 1: To approve a resolution in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the DACA program, which protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children (also known as "Dreamers"), and declare the 1stUUPB grounds a sanctuary for those currently eligible for DACA's protection and who would seek refuge and safety from deportation.

Larry Stauber will present the background to this motion. The President of the Board of Trustees will then ask for a member to propose the motion and for another member to second the motion. Then there will be time for members to share their views on the motion before a vote is called. You will be able to vote: Yes, No, or Abstain.

Motion Two: Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement

Motion: To approve a resolution that members of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches support the Black Lives Matter Movement as stated in the UUA 2015 Action of Immediate Witness.

More information may be found at:

http://www.uua.org/statements/support-black-lives-matter-movement

Judy Bonner will present the background to this motion. The President of the Board of Trustees will then ask for a member to propose the motion and for another member to second the motion. Then there will be time for members to share their views on the motion before a vote is called. You will be able to vote: Yes, No, or Abstain.

Quorum

Please plan to attend this meeting. A quorum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Voting Members of the Congregation must be present to vote on these motions.

Thank you for your support of the Justice Action Ministry of our Congregation.

Paul G. Ward

President, Board of Trustees

Vagina Monologues Feb 14

The Vagina Monologues at the Brewhouse Gallery, Lake Park, will be on performed on February 14, 7:30-9:00 PM

Doors open at 6:30pm

Tickets are now on sale. There is limited seating, so get your tickets now. Pat Knight and Marika Stone are part of the performance. 

You can go to the following web site.

https://holdmyticket.com/tickets/265512?tc=hmt

Visit the New 1stUUPB Website

NewsTalk Topics for Jan 22

- Trump's Inauguration Address

- more nominations and confirmation hearings

- should women be required to register for the draft?

- should the Boy Scouts accept transgender children?

- are tweets adequate replacements for press conferences?

Sunday, Jan 15

Owning Your Religious Past

Justice Action Ministry Newsletter

Your Justice Action Ministry Newsletter can be accessed here:  http://www.uunpb.org/Jan_17%20Jam%20news.pdf

Your Vote is Important!

Committee Fair, Jan 22

NewsTalk Topics for Sunday, January 15

- Texas et al introducing "bathroom" bills

- hearings on Cabinet nominees

- Trump's press conference (maybe)

- the importance of federal judicial nominees

- House Republicans and their ethics embarrassment

- the Boy Scouts and transgender youth

- should the Florida legislature be able to veto Supreme Court decisions?

Click here to Reply or Forward

Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade, Jan 14

Join us 

for the

Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade

Saturday, January 14, 2017

|

8am carpool from 1stUUPB parking lot, or

8:30am meet at Blue Heron and Congress 

If we want to show our Black sisters and brothers that we stand with them in their struggles, one way is to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Riviera Beach.

Wear your gold "On the Side of Love" shirts, which can be purchased in Ministers Hall for $10.

If walking is difficult, you can ride.

Although we will have lots of water, we suggest you also bring your own supply as well as any snacks you might want.
Caps, sunscreen and sunglasses are essential.

If you want to decorate vehicles, drive, etc. please contact your organizers:

Contact: Bob and Lynn Tomlinson
Email: eaglebob1942@yahoo.com or tomlinson.lynn@gmail.com
Cell Phone: 289-600-3935 Home: 561-304-9530

Let’s show that 1stUUPB cares!

Sunday Service, Jan 8: Expulsion of the Undesired

JAM Teaching Thursday, Jan 12

January 12 Important JAM Teaching Thursday

WHAT COULD RACIAL JUSTICE LOOK LIKE AT 1stUUPB?

6pm Dinner, prepared by our own extraordinary chef Henry Gruen who will make his famous pulled pork, to be served with all the fixins’. Call the office with your reservations by Wednesday, January 11 at 2pm. $10 per person

7pm Teaching Thursday: Let’s consider the following questions together:

Will we endorse the UUA Black Lives Matter movement Action of Immediate Witness?

http://www.uua.org/statements/support-black-lives-matter-movement

Will we start a Showing Up for Racial Justice chapter?

http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/about

Will we declare our campus a Sanctuary for Dreamers if they are threatened with deportation?  

http://www.uua.org/immigration/witness/partners/newsanctuary

We will discuss all these proposals and answer your questions. This is your chance to learn and ask questions in preparation for voting on Sunday, January 29, when we will vote as a Congregation on all three important issues.

Your JAM team unanimously endorses all three, and

urges you to attend the Teaching Thursday session to

learn more, and the Congregational assembly to vote.

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

The 1stUUPB JUSTICE ACTION MINISTRY will address the issue of VOTER SUPPRESSION with a film and discussion, SATURDAY, JAN 21, 1-3pm in Ministers Hall

The film is the widely acclaimed The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by noted investigative reporter Greg Palast. The movie is a very informative look at the myth behind America's beloved right to vote. In the beginning of our country only white males who owned property could vote. Over the centuries the franchise has widened. But voter suppression efforts continue. They are more sophisticated and arise from the fundamentally anti-democratic and racist beliefs which were present at the beginning of our republic. What can UUs do about this affront to our seven principles? Join the discussion after the movie, on January 21, from 1 to 3pm in Ministers Hall.

Rev CJ's Hours

Friends,

I'm making a change in my office hours for the remainder of my time here. I will be on-site Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30am-2pm. Outside of those hours I will schedule home/hospital visits and other appointments. 

I'm always available by phone. Please think about stopping in or scheduling some time together before my departure. 

Blessings, CJ

Thursday Dinner 6pm Ministers Hall

C R Chicks will cater

Wood Fired Rotisserie Chicken

Caesar Salad

Penne pasta with tomato basil cream sauce

Homemade bread

Cookies and ice cream

Donation requested: $10 (any surplus goes to the Congregation).

Reservations requested by Wednesday, Jan. 4^th at 2pm to Barbara at 561-627=6105 or uniuni2@att.net.

NewsTalk topics for Sunday, January 8

-- Trump, the UN Security Council,

and Israel

-- Trump, Perry, and nuclear weapons

-- Trump, Twitter, and the importance

of an inquisitive media and an

accessible and responsive White House

-- North Carolina - bathroom bills and 

partisan legislation to strip the

governor's powers

-- how did there become two Chinas?

-- rounding out the Cabinet and the White House staff