GRIP is a collective of community volunteers working to raise awareness about immigration issues in Berks County through education, communication and advocacy.

Please make checks payable to FUUBC with GRIP in the memo line.

We will be finishing up our spring clothing drive this week. Please bring your donations to Church this Sunday 3/23.

Thank you very much for your generosity! 

In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, the installation of a new minister is a profound and joyful occasion—one that marks the coming together of minister and congregation in a shared covenant of ministry. It is a time to celebrate the journey that has brought us to this moment and to embrace the future we will build  together.

Our congregation, along with Rev. John and his wife, Jess, have traveled separate paths to arrive at this moment in time to  step forward in partnership to shape the future of our church.

An installation is a rare and significant event, akin to the ordination of a new minister, and one that many of us may be witnessing for the first time. It is an opportunity to come together as a faith community, to honor this sacred transition, and to celebrate with joy and purpose.

Let us gather in excitement, mark this milestone with intention, and take our first steps forward—together.  All members and friends of UU Berks are invited to attend the installation service at 3pm on Saturday, March 29th at 3:00pm.  There will be catered hors d’ oeuvres in the reception that follows.

Mike M., UU Berks Board President

Meditation offers a way to approach life with greater kindness, confidence, and curiosity in these challenging times. This group is open to anyone interested in meditation, whether you’re a beginner looking for a gentle introduction or a seasoned practitioner seeking to deepen and stabilize your practice.

Our gatherings will include guided meditation, discussion, and practical tools to bring mindfulness into daily life. Together, we’ll explore presence, self-awareness, and how meditation can transform our relationships—with ourselves, our families, our community, and the world. As we build this group within the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and the larger Reading community, we invite you to be part of the journey.

Tentative dates are April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, May 13, 20, 27 and June 10. Please check the church website for any changes.

Please arrive at UU Berks between 6:30 and 7 pm for some tea and snacks.  Sitting will begin at 7 pm, and guided meditation will be offered. After sitting, we will have a discussion topic or brief talk and plan to finish between 8 and 8:30 pm.

The youth group has designed postcards for church members to use for a UUJusticePA postcard writing campaign to ask House Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Committee members to vote NO on SB 186. A writing station with more information and take home materials is available in the Gerber Room through Sunday, March 30.
 

March 23rd – April 27: Please join us for 3rd year of connecting children and youth with adults in the congregation! Children and Youth who register for the program will be assigned an adult Pal from the congregation. Over the length of the program, Mystery Pals will send letters to each other, drawings, cards, and perhaps small gifts or treats. For safety, Parents will be informed of their child’s assigned Pal.

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Pat Uribe Lichty invites you to join her in attending an upcoming antiracism practice. Read on below and please email her with your interest.

Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) invites you for the next 4 Tuesdays to learn:

• How our socialization, privilege, and systems of oppression shape our engagement with racial justice
• How to move from reaction to response, from guilt to responsibility, from allyship to solidarity
• How to practice radical love, accountability, and the courage to be in movement with others

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Join us for the FUUBC 2025 Service Auction on Saturday, April 12th! This year’s live auction will be an in-person event, while the silent auction will be hosted online via Auctria, as in previous years.

Auction Website: https://uuberks.org/auction

We Need Your Donations!

The success of our service auction relies on your generous donations. To contribute:

1. Visit the Auction Website: Click the link above.
2. Donate an Item: Select “Donate an Item” from the top menu.
3. Complete the Donation Form:
   • Enter the title (required), description, and other details.
   • Optional: Upload a photo of your donation.
   • Provide your name and email address (required), and optionally, your home address.
   • Submit your donation.
4. Confirmation: A Service Auction Committee member will review your donation and send a confirmation email.

Alternative Donation Methods:

• Call: 484-897-0234
• Email: service.auction@uuberks.org

Volunteer or Contact Us:

• For volunteer opportunities, questions, or suggestions, email: g.service.auction@uuberks.org

Thank you for your support!

What does it mean to be a voting member of First UU Berks? Come find out on Sunday, April 13th at 11:45 AM in the back of the Chalice House. It’s our small circle class to meet with Rev. John and long-time members.

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While the Trump administration is spending its time facilitating Putin’s war crimes and kicking an allied nation while they’re down—UUSC’s partners are meeting real needs and helping the people most affected to reclaim their human rights. In Ukraine and surrounding countries, our partners are fighting for the rights of Roma people, Black refugees, and other groups who were already facing discrimination in their societies even before the war, and whose exclusion risks being compounded by Russia’s imperialist aggression. 

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The Membership and Tech Teams would like to enhance our online worship experience.  Your ideas are always welcome at g.membership@uuberks.org. 

1. Rev. John will join the Zoom participants for an Online Social Time on the 2nd Sunday of each month, staring March 9 @11:45am.   

2. The Zoom room will now open at 10:15am. It will be an ‘open mic’ so that we can socialize and connect amongst ourselves before opening music starts. Sign on early to say Hi! 

3. The Sunday Order of Service bulletin is always available at uuberks.org/order-of-service so you can read it before worship starts. Please let us know if you would like to borrow a hymnal for home use.

4. Rides to Church: Rev. John’s Installation on SATURDAY, March 29, 2025 at 3:00pm will be a memorable event with guests from across the country.  If you would like a ride to attend in person, please contact Wendy Luckenbill (see church directory here.) We will do our best to match you with a volunteer driver. 

Do you have a joyous event happening in your life or a struggle that you are enduring ? Our caring circle wants to know! Please reach out to our Caring Circle at: g.caring.circle@uuberks.org 

 GA is something every UU should experience.  This four-day gathering is the largest annual UU event, bringing together thousands of UUs from across the country. It culminates in an awe-inspiring worship service that celebrates the beautiful diversity of our faith—a truly unforgettable experience.

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Soul Matters has given us the theme of “The Practice of Trust” for the month of March. Friends, I have to be honest, my first thought opening up the packet and planning out worship for this month was, “Are they kidding right now?! Have they not seen [gesturing all about myself] everything happening?” And then I remind myself that the theme was chosen back in May and the worship materials were produced before January. Then I remember that one of the great challenges of preaching is to find and point to what we feel has been lost when times get tough.

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There’s a thought I’ve seen a few times on the internet lately – The Parable of the Choir. 

The Parable of the Choir goes like this: A choir can sing a beautiful note impossibly long because singers can individually drop out to breathe as necessary and the note goes on.  

Social justice activism should be like that.

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by nadine j. smet-weiss

spiritual director
 

at heart 

life is an

interweaving

of being

we can trust

with our being

the question is

can it 

trust us

to be present

in our being

embodying

our values

in each moment

whatever comes