From the Connections Coordinator
Follow-up from the December 15, Congregational Meeting
Hello! Connections Coordinator here. As requested during this month’s congregational meeting, I am providing numbers on our membership:
Current membership: 456
New members joined since the beginning of the new fiscal year (July 1, 2024): 12
New members joined since the December 10, 2023 congregational meeting: 35
Living with Intention
In thinking about the theme of “intention” I think about the idea of living in an intentional way, perhaps as opposed to living in a frivolous or mindless way. I think about the small actions we perform on a regular basis, and the meaning and thought that we put into them. As for myself, investing in cage-free eggs at the grocery store, making my bed before I go to sleep, and entering each new day with a moment of gratitude are examples of small mundane-seeming actions with an added layer of intention behind them.
In this way, “intention” feels like an approach to life, a way of being in the present. To me, intention seems to imply the questions of why we do what we do, and how our actions impact others and ourselves. I think about my dear friend Kourtney whose life is drastically impacted by Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. MCS causes her to have severe difficulty breathing and physically functioning when exposed to fragrance. Part of my living with intention involves thinking about whether the products I am using–dish soaps, hair products, laundry detergent, lotions, etc--include the added ingredient of fragrance, which in turn determines whether I am able to interact with Kourtney. To me, this act of intention and way of living is a way of caring for my friend and our friendship.
I invite you to think with intention about some of the daily, mundane-seeming activities you engage in; are there any you might like to approach in a more meaningful or thoughtful way? Have you put thought into how they might impact those around you? Of course, many of our regular activities simply exist as they are.
I invite you now to think about your involvement at UUCB. What are some of those regular activities you participate in weekly, yearly, monthly? How do you approach these activities? How do they impact others? This congregation is so generous and so frequently acts with the wellbeing of others in mind. Below, I share a few volunteer activities, forms of involvement often imbued with much intention. Your help with any of these activities will greatly benefit those in the community. I am also here to help answer any questions about these roles.
I hope you will take a moment in these days between the current year and the next to contemplate the ways in which you live and aim to live with intention.
Volunteer Opportunities
Parking Volunteers
Parking volunteers help ensure that all wishing to attend our services can find a place to park and can do so without much difficulty. Have you had trouble finding a spot in recent months? If you feel inspired to make this challenge less challenging for our vibrant community, consider putting on a neon vest and joining the effort on Sunday mornings. Join this volunteer group to stay up-to-date and register here for an upcoming week. A few considerate congregants have volunteered significant time by standing by the driveway and informing attendees of nearby parking options and updated availability in our own lot. Do you think you can arrive a little early and help out too? If so, sign up above or send me an email to connect@uubloomington.org with any questions. I would love to be in touch!
A note on transportation and church: as you may have read in our recent Friday Updates, the City of Bloomington offers a free rideshare service called Go Bloomington for folks traveling to destinations in our area. Our Sunday services have been posted as destination events within this rideshare platform. If you are in need of a ride to church or willing to provide others with a ride, please consider creating an account on Go Bloomington to look for others in your neighborhood! Link to the December 29th Sunday service event: Go Bloomington - Event Details
Greeters
Greeters help ensure that all who have risen early and taken the time to make it to Sunday services feel welcomed as they enter the building and connect with our community. Greeters, as a face of our community, also help those who are visiting feel they are seen, valued, and comfortable in knowing where things are located and what to expect in terms of worship and greater involvement. Some Greeter roles involve greater levels of discussion and some involve a simple greeting and smile.
Moving to two services will require twice as many Greeters, 12 per Sunday according to our current practices. Have you felt an uplift in your mood when Greeted by a volunteer on Sunday mornings? If so, I invite you to help others experience this by signing up to Greet or adding yourself to our Greeters group to stay notified about upcoming volunteer needs.
Java Crew
The Java Crew helps ensure that congregants attending Community Hour are able to enjoy refreshments while gathering with others. If you have enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea (which you have also enjoyed not needing to wash), perhaps with sweetener and cream, it is thanks to the Java Crew. Volunteering with this team just once a month will make a big difference, as there are many mugs to wash and much coffee to restock each Sunday. Please follow this link to register for an upcoming date, or click here to add yourself to the Java Crew group for updates.
Please feel free to reach out to me at connect@uubloomington.org for more information about any of these volunteer activities, or those listed below. I am happy to help talk through them with you and provide additional resources. Thank you for considering!
Membership and Orientation Classes
New to UU: January 5 at Noon
If you are newly attending UUCB, I hope you will join me to learn more about Unitarian Universalist values, our ongoing and current activities, engage in an (optional) building tour, and have the chance to get to know others visiting. I will answer folks’ questions, along with a volunteer who will share about our numerous opportunities to engage with social justice in the community. This class is approximately 45-minutes and occurs at noon after our weekly post-service Community Hour social gathering time. All are invited with no registration necessary. Please feel free to email with any questions to connect@uubloomington.org.
Exploring UUCB on January 26 and February 2:
Membership Opportunity (sign up here!)
For those looking to dive a bit deeper, the Exploring UUCB course, also known as the Membership Class, is upcoming on January 26th and February 2nd. This two-day course is a prerequisite to joining official membership at UUCB and is also an excellent learning opportunity for those newer congregants to lean into the details of information presented in the New to UU class. We cover UUCB and UU history, the topics of ministry, governance, and membership, current activities and involvement opportunities, and so much more. After culmination, participants have the opportunity to sign the Membership Book and participate in a Covenanting Ceremony during an upcoming Sunday. It is an engaging class with long-time members as facilitators and guest speakers, and an opportunity for meaningful connection amongst participants. Whether you are hoping to become a member, looking to learn more about this community, or both, I welcome you to sign up. This two-day class occurs 3-4 times a year. So, if you are unable to make this fall offering, keep an eye out for upcoming dates. Please register HERE or reach out to me for more information at connect@uubloomington.org.
For current members:
I have some need throughout the year for assistance with teaching Exploring UUCB (the membership class) and making congratulatory phone calls to members on or around their membership joining anniversary. These phone calls are intended to maintain the connectivity of our community and express appreciation to our members. I also am occasionally in need of help with staffing the welcome table and helping with morning announcements. If any of these volunteer roles call to you, and if you are a member, I welcome an email from you (connect@uubloomington.org). We can explore together whether they may be a good fit for you!
With gratitude,
Anabel Watson
Connections Coordinator
connect@uubloomington.org
