I am so excited to be coming to minister among you, from the flatness of Indiana to these hills! I’ve enjoyed ‘meeting’ you through your website presence, and by way of your enthusiastic interim search team. I am settling in to my interim apartment and have been meeting some of you this week.
My brief life story is that I am from Virginia, and while in school for ministry, met and married Kevin DeBeck, who also became a UU minister. We have Henry, 22, who attends IUSB in the school of education, and Eliza, 18 (recent high school graduate) who is a supervisor and farmer for the Teen Growers, with and for the local food pantry.
My ministry path has taken me form Maine to Virginia to Indiana to you. Hope, and the communities people build and share drive my theology. Most recently I served our Elkhart, IN congregation for 13 years, having previously served as DRE, hospice chaplain, and contract minister.
I am looking forward to meeting more of you, starting with this Sunday. Let’s begin our journey together by looking at what we each bring, both UU Berks and me, to this new ministry!
When somebody arrives back home they might hear that question. Rev. Amy unpacks the suitcase (No, really. Backpack, too.) with you so that we all see what we will be working on, together in this interim ministry.
To attend on site, FULL VACCINATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages all those who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated, including boosters as appropriate.
MASKING RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages attendees at worship
services and other large gatherings to wear masks.
To attend by Zoom,
click on this link: uuberks.org/zoom-worship. (If this is the first time
you’re using zoom, you may be prompted to download a launcher app).
To connect by phone (audio only):
1) Dial the phone number: 1-646-558-8656
2) When prompted for the “Meeting ID”, enter: 921 4271 5512#
3) When prompted for the “Participant ID”, enter: #
Please plan to arrive or log on by 10:20-10:25 am to enjoy the gathering music, and, for those on zoom, to establish a connection before worship is scheduled begins. Zoom participant mics are muted throughout the service.
Tonight – FRIDAY
7:00 PM:
For the Summer we’re revisiting stories from the past year – This week’s story was shared last summer and reminds us that sometimes it takes a bit of looking before we notice the hidden possibilities in life. Rou and the Great Race
SUNDAY
9:45 AM :Adult RE
In Person: in 1st floor chalice house
Summer Principle and Sources series – this week we’ll explore our 4th source with Be Young. We will explore with a time of reflection and community. [soulful home packet]
Use a printed or hand labyrinth to find renewal as you attend worship this morning. Here’s a labyrinth you can print out and trace. Labyrinth Printable
Practice your Searching and Creative skills with Spark Maze
Way to go Reading Pride on another successful event. It looks like everyone had a great time at their new location. We can’t wait till next year. If you are looking for photos from the event, here is the link to that page. Feel free to download, print and share the photos!
A note from the UU Berks IT Services Team:
As you know, a lot of things will be changing in August. We want to remind everyone that on August 1st, all emails sent to minister@uuberks.org will be going to Reverend Amy DeBeck. If you want to send Rev. Dr. Sandra Fees a message, you can use this address through the end of the July. If you have any questions, please let us know by sending an email to g.it.services@uuberks.org.
We are currently looking for anyone who is interested in volunteering to be a Greeter and when the time comes- to be an Usher. This is a great way to get to know your fellow members or get to know them better And of course- being of service can provide comfort to you and others!!
Currently we have a group of approx 10 of us that rotate and fill in when we can but if we can get another 10 volunteers- then this will mean you would be a greeter every 6-8 weeks and provides back up for our busy summer months.
We like to have two greeters at each service & when RE sessions are occurring on Sunday’s- one greeter arrives at 9:40 to greet those arriving for RE at 9:45 & the 2nd greeter arrives at 10 am to be available for those attending the Sunday service.
Please take time to consider this and please contact me, Joanne Koehler at jkbluesky@icloud.com or my cell 610-914-8827 if you are interested or have any questions.
FULL VACCINATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages all those who can be vaccinated to be vaccinated, including boosters as appropriate. The church will be requiring proof of vaccination for the Minister, staff, guest speakers, and all RE volunteers.
MASKING RECOMMENDED: FUUBC strongly encourages attendees at worship services and other large gatherings to wear masks.
__________________________
THE FOLLOWING GROUND RULES* WILL GUIDE CHURCH GATHERINGS
In gathering together, we promise to:
Wear masks when recommended by CDC guidelines.
Do not attend in person gatherings if you are not feeling well or if you have been directly exposed to Covid-19.
Gain consent before touching or hugging others. Be mindful of varying levels of comfort and safety with social distancing when approaching others.
Find ways to be inclusive of individuals who cannot be vaccinated, who may be immunocompromised, or who have hearing impairments.
Prioritize the safety of the whole community over our own individual sense of what is safe for ourselves.
Give and accept reminders of these ground rules gracefully.
Assume good intentions, but also accept that policies and these ground rules will guide our actions.
Respect the authority of the people making policies.
* adapted from Ground Rules by Carol Gay, UU Congregation of Cleveland
Free parking is available on Sundays on the street and in the library parking lot.
The parking garage across the street (4th and Cherry streets) has changed to a pay by app system. The app is called ParkMobile. It can be downloaded in the apple store or on the google play app. At this time we are unable to offer discounted parking vouchers.
Are you having trouble connecting to Zoom services?We have established a Zoom service tech line if you are having trouble logging into our Sunday service. If you do not get an immediate answer, leave a message and your call will be returned momentarily.Dial 484-925-1684.
Last week, I attended the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries Conference and Song leaders Convergence. It was restorative, regenerative, and reinvigorating. There will be many ways I’ll be sharing what I learned and relearned over the course of those six days with you this year. For now, I’m going to share three poems and song texts that were sung into the shared spaces of the conference. Do you know their melodies? Do ones of your own making spring up for you?
What We Need Is Here (x2)
Music That Makes Community
A Dedication
As for me and my house,
You will find us serving *truth,
*truth for all right now
* truth, peace, love, justice …..
By Lea Morris
Wanderer (english translation, dedicated to Mark Freundt, retired music director from UU Church of Greensboro)
Wanderer
There is no road
We make the road
as we go
Antonio Machado
I’m Not Alone
I’m not alone (x8)
I forgot for a minute who I belonged to
The mama earth, the wind + rain, the beauty + pain
We have established a Zoom service tech line if you are having trouble logging into our Sunday service. If you do not get an immediate answer, leave a message and your call will be returned momentarily.Dial 484-925-1684.
