On Thursday evenings

Worship for the Weary

A shorter, more reflective service, that is in addition to our Sunday services, still held on Zoom at this time.

Thursdays, from 6:30 – 7:00 pm

We offer this shorter, more reflective service as a way of providing a bit of peace and comfort during these trying times. We “gather” on Zoom for music, readings, and reflection.

However please note that Worship For The Weary will be cancelled on Thursday, November 25th in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, and there will be no service on December 2nd.

Upon our return to Worship for the Weary on December 9th, please join us by using the link below:
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/94627169638?pwd=ZEVXZi9kYXNlZklHUkJKaTFlVzF2UT09

Meeting ID: 946 2716 9638
Passcode: 869000

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,94627169638#,,,,*869000# US (New York)
+13017158592,,94627169638#,,,,*869000# US (Washington DC)

To join on your cell phone or land line, you may also call 1-929-205-6099 and make sure to enter the Meeting ID when prompted.

OFFICE HOURS

Jennie Freiberger, our Fellowship Administrator, holds in-person office hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9:30am-3:00pm.

Our Minister, Rev. Kellie, will be on study leave November 29th through December 5th.

We hope that you are enjoying or have enjoyed some time with family and friends, and a bit of relaxation, at the end of November and going into the beginning of December.

To learn more about our minister, Rev. Kellie Kelly, and all of our staff members, as well as how to contact them when they are not on break, follow this link.

HOLIDAY GIVING

Our Mission: We covenant to practice compassion, forge connections, and pursue justice.

This photo shows the MVUUF holiday giving tree from a few years ago.

Here are some great places to put some dollars, if you can. You can give online or donate by mail.

• The Pastoral Care Giving Tree provides holiday assistance to MVUUF members and friends.
• The Social Action Giving Tree provides boots, coats and other supplies to children of those recently released from prison.
• Half of the MVUUF Sharing The Offering collection for November goes to Evan’s Pantry, and for December goes to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund.

To donate online for any of these three, go to https://mvuuf.org/giving/online-giving/ and choose the button for “do it online yourself” and then choose “Giving Tree, Pastoral Care” or “Giving Tree, Social Action” or “Sunday Offering (Designated).” To donate by check, make a check out to MVUUF and in the memo line write “giving tree pastoral care” or “giving tree social action” or “Sunday offering Evan’s Pantry” or “Sunday offering Minister’s Discretionary Fund” and mail to MVUUF, 8690 Yankee Street, Dayton OH 45458. Thank you!

Other Events and Activities

Please note: We are in a period of transition, with some activities on Zoom and some in person. Please check with the leader of a group or activity if it does not say here whether the event is in person or on Zoom.

On Sundays, in addition to our service and youth religious education, we have Women’s Group at 9:00 AM and also a Scripture Study at 9:00 AM. At this point, both are still meeting on Zoom.

We hold a virtual Coffee Hour after the Sunday service one week a month, at approximately 12:00 noon, the first Sunday of each month. This is on Zoom until we are fully meeting in person again.

MUSIC: The Choir meets weekly on Zoom on Wednesdays, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. The choir will be performing at our annual Wassail service on Sunday, December 5th. The final rehearsal before the Wassail will be in person at the Fellowship on Wednesday, Dec. 1st at 7:00 PM.
Our monthly Acoustic Jam is usually the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. The acoustic jam will not meet officially in the month of December, but consider bringing your voices and instruments to our Wassail Service After-Party on Sunday, December 5th. We look forward to our next regular jam session in January, 2022. Contact Music Director Sara Davis at music @ mvuuf.org for more information about participating in music activities.

We have a Death Cafe, normally the fourth Monday of the month at 7:00 PM, still on Zoom.

Other monthly meetings include our Social Action Committee, the West Dayton Action Group, the Transgender Alliance Group, and the Chalice of the Willow (Covenant of UU Pagans). You will find more specifics about our programming around Anti-Racism toward the bottom of this page.

Our Facebook page is listed as “Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship”. You will find various announcements there.

For specific questions or to be put in touch with a group you may also send an email to info @ mvuuf.org.

Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)

CYRE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, November 10th, 7:00 PM

Our Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE) Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month and is open to ALL! Whether you have children in the CYRE program or not, the committee is always looking for people to teach classes and/or volunteer to help with family-friendly activities.

If you have any questions and/or to obtain the link to the Zoom meeting, please contact our Director of Religious Education, Somaya Bernard, re @ mvuuf.org.

CYRE CLASSES

With recent information about the delta variant and the absence of a vaccine for 12 and under, CYRE is postponing weekly classes and will instead be doing monthly family events.

We will revisit this decision in December in hopes that a vaccine for 12 and under will be available by then.

Additionally, we are not able to offer nursery services at this time at our in-person services.

In the meantime we will still be having monthly events for families and the youth group. November’s family event will be a family game day after the service on Sunday, November 21st. Games will start at 1:30 PM to give everyone enough time to get lunch between service and the event. Please remember that due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns we are still practicing safe distancing. We are still requiring everyone 3 and up to mask; this does include youth and adults.

The middle school and high school event will also be another game night and the date has yet to be decided. Keep an eye out for further information.

If you haven’t already, please register so we have an idea of who is in the program this year and are able to get information to you. Click on this registration link.

If you have any questions or concerns, or just want to chat, please reach out. You can email me at re @ mvuuf.org.

Somaya Bernard
she/her pronouns
Director of Religious Education

Getting Involved

CONNECTING WITH MVUUF
Whether you are an “old” member, a newcomer, a long-time friend, or an occasional visitor, you are reading this because you are somehow “connected” to the Miami Valley UU Fellowship. We are glad you are here! We are trying something new to help more of us become connected to the fellowship in a meaningful way. You know we have a lot to offer, and we know you have something to offer us, but how best to find your niche? The hope is that I can help you on that journey.
Send an email to connection @ mvuuf.org and it will magically appear in my email. If you put the word “connection” in the subject line, I’ll know that it is VERY important, and I’ll read it immediately. You may ask questions, tell me about yourself, include your phone number if you’d like to talk, and we will begin searching together. Unitarian Universalism can open your eyes and your heart and MVUUF is “where it’s at” in Dayton.

In the spirit,
Diane Colvin, Connection Coordinator

SEEKING TECHIES & AUDIO-VISUAL PRODUCERS

We are seeking folks who might be interested in being part of our Multi-Platform Task Force. This is the group of individuals who are supporting our multi-platform services.

• If you have ever pointed a camera or smart phone at something to take a picture or video, that qualifies you. We will have a need for a variety of technical skills levels.
• If you think technology is fun to play with, you have officially found your tribe.
• If you have experience working with AV equipment, Zoom or other virtual meeting tools, or OBS (open broadcast system), we definitely could use your help.

Multi-platform options are important to ensure we can include our members and friends who cannot attend in person, whether that is due to distance, health, schedules, or any challenge.

Our Multi-Platform Task Force has met each Tuesday, 7:00 PM, through August & September, on Zoom. As we are ready, we will have some folks at the Fellowship working with the AV equipment to set up and some folks on Zoom so we can practice doing multi-platform services.

We are currently using a camera called the Logitech Mevo. It is very compact and easy to use. It takes a little bit of agility to screw it onto its floor stand, but after that you use an “app”, and it is as simple to operate as tapping on a smart phone screen. Detailed instruction and practice is provided.

If you are curious about how this works, we would love to show you more. Please contact Garlene Staton at Producer @ mvuuf.org if you are interested or have questions.

Public Statement, and Programming Around Anti-Racism

In light of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police on May 25, Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is issuing a public statement to the community, and we offer resources to assist us in the processes of mourning, learning, and action.

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. We believe that we are all connected to one another: what affects one of us, affects all of us. Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to commit our time, resources, and hearts to the important work of ending police violence and all other parts of our country’s systemic anti-Blackness. Our faith calls us to do this today—not tomorrow or some distant someday.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

1. As people of faith, Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all persons and work for social justice to embody that dignity.
2. We condemn racist police practices that deny Black people in this country human rights and, in the case of  Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and so many before them, the very breath of life.
3. It has gone on far too long.
4. We side with the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in love and we side with all impacted by murder and other violence as a tool of oppression by people of power.
5. We urge the greater Dayton community to reflect deeply on our criminal justice system and how to transform it into one of restorative justice that is safer for everyone.
6. This is the time to join with others to raise our voices and stop this oppression by police and by white vigilantes.
7. Holding police accountable is an essential step.
8. Recognizing that racist police practices are a symptom of pervasive and systemic racism in our national culture and institutions, we re-commit ourselves to anti-racism work.

Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Rachel Feltner, Board President
Rev. Kellie C. Kelly, Called Minister
Alice Diebel, Affiliated Community Minister

Anti-Racism Ally Group

Are you a white person with questions, ideas, concerns or just want a place to have discussions about what is going on? Then please join our Anti-Racism Ally group. Each meeting will allow for learning, actively practicing being allies, open discussion, and creating actions we can take to follow and support Black, Indigenous and all People of Color (BIPOC) in our congregation as well as residents in the larger community.

This group typically meets on the 4th Thursday evening of the month, except during the holidays. So we will NOT be meeting for the months of November and December, but will see you again in January. We hope you can join us in the new year as we keep the discussion and action for a more just world front and center. We are loosening the structure of our meetings, so participants are invited to bring their own topics to share, or you can simply listen if you choose. Most importantly, we value your presence at our meeting!

If you have questions, would like meeting access information, or would like to provide input before a meeting, you are welcome to contact the group Co-Leaders, Kristen at KristenBeireis @ gmail.com or Bill at rossviva @ hotmail.com.