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Indigenous Peoples' Day: Sacred Footprints

The Reverend Rachael Hayes
Zoom link for October worship: https://bit.ly/2W4iFlg
Meeting ID: 995 3467 6532
Passcode: 203614
Or call in: 646 876 9923 and enter the Meeting ID 995 3467 6532 when prompted.

Our Dedicated Offering recipient for October is Doctors without Borders.
This week:
Monday, October 11th @ 7:15 PM | Finance Committee for more info contact Linda Callahan or Elliott Kelly

Tuesday, October 12th @ 4:00 PM | Meetinghouse Committee for more info contact Tom Fricke

Thursday, October 14th @ noon | Women's Circle more info below

Thursday, October 14th @ 7 PM (via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3lLiGkS)
Congregational Conversation to answer questions re: new UUSA Covid-19 Building Use Policy
more information below
SAVE THE DATE(S):
Sunday, October 17 @ 1:30 outside of the UUSA
Blessing of the Animals: bring a live animal, a picture, or your favorite stuffy for a blessing and stay for some music and fall fun!


Wednesday, October 27th @ 7 PM
Chair (or 'lead') of Committees and other UUSA groups
The Women's Circle meets at noon on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month - the group is now trying out meeting both in person *and* on Zoom!

Join Zoom meeting by clicking here: https://bit.ly/35nW8jB
Meeting ID: 983 8988 5674; Password: 135383

This is a supportive and social group of UUSA women and open to all. Please contact Sophie Rogers if you have any questions or comments, or want to get on the email distribution list.
Join us this Sunday at Wildwood School Playground from 9 AM to 10 AM. Our theme for the morning will be celebrating fall. (Ages 3-13)

Please follow our rules when attending RE:
  • Do NOT come if you have any symptoms of illness or if you have been in close contact with someone who has. Be safe, not sorry.
  • Masks must be worn at all times by ages 2 and up. (Exceptions will be made for non-verbal children).
  • Adults and children will sanitize hands upon arrival.
  • Social distance will be maintained during activities. (Adults should bring chairs for the small group session).
  • At this time, for the safety of all, we can only provide programming to children 3 and up who can separate from their family.
  • Rebecca will send out an email by 8 AM if RE is cancelled due to rain.
In the very near future we will have an RE zoom option for those families who can not make it to our in-person sessions.

RE Registration is Open! Please understand that we are all going to have to be flexible in order to take care of ourselves. Here is the Registration Form: https://forms.gle/scrLZ6wRWdt6d6C7A

Contact Rebecca Fricke, Director of Religious Education for more information
Youth Group (high school aged)
This weekend we will be meeting at the Silvio O'Cante trail in Hadley from 2 - 4 PM on Sunday, October 10th. We will walk the trail, get to know each other better, and play a few games if we have time. Stay on the lookout for an email about the YG's upcoming gleaning day at Brookfield Farm on Sunday the 31st. Halloween costumes are not required but are encouraged, though they may get some dirt on them!
The Young Adult program (ages 18-30)
Johnny has sent out an email with a when2meet poll for our October meetup. If you would like to join us please fill out the poll as soon as possible. If you would like to be added to the YA mailing list you can email Johnny at youthfulusnf@gmail.com
repeated from last week
Dear UUSA,

The theme for October is Many Roads, the idea that there is more than one way to arrive at the same destination, more than one way to do things. Knowing that this theme was coming up was and is very helpful for me to remember as I worked with the Reopening Task Force on drafting our Building Use and Gathering Policy, as we learn the tech to have services that meet on Zoom and in person at the same time, as we make all the decisions for our next new normal.

In times of stress, it’s easy to reach for absolutes. I’m trying to watch in myself and in the workings of the congregation for a default to One Right Way thinking. There are times when a commonly-understood right way is helpful--this is why we have ServSafe practices in our kitchen--but there are times when insisting that the way we do things is the only way or the best way closes doors to relationships.

What’s right for me might not be right for someone else, and what’s right for an individual might not be right for a group of people. What’s right for the UUSA will probably be a little different from what’s right for other faith communities in Amherst or the Northampton UU congregation. What’s right for 2019 was not right for 2020, and what’s right for 2021 and 2022 will probably include some things from 2019, some things from 2020, and some things we haven’t known to look for until now.

There are many roads to the future, beloveds, and it is a pleasure to journey with you.

Please see the rest of the announcements for invitations to in-person and online events coming up this month, including a Blessing of the Animals on our Pleasant Street sidewalk.

In faith,
Rev. Rachael
Firstly, a tremendous thank you to the Reopening Task Force which, over the course of the late-spring and summer, accomplished so much:

They introduced themselves to the congregation and shared their mission emphasizing that:
It is likely that re-opening will not be a one-time event, but rather an iterative process over a period of time with steps taken, evaluated, and decisions made for the next iteration or step.

They developed a thorough and thoughtful survey of our community and facilitated cottage meetings where all of us were given opportunities to express our concerns and summarized those as well; the results of these efforts were summarized and publicized.

And, they have worked to lay the groundwork for multi-platform worship from within the Sanctuary.

All of this work has culminated in a Covid-19 Building Use Policy which the Board has approved.

As you will read, it is based on the following principles outlined by the UUA:

As a faith community, we root our decisions in the values of inclusion and consent.
● We follow the science.
● We will go slow and be flexible.
● We remain humane and realistic with expectations of ourselves and others.

This policy aims to balance the need to be together with the need to take care of one another.

We hope you will take the time to read this policy and to join a Congregational Conversation on Thursday, October 14th @ 7 PM (via Zoom) in which Board Members and members of the Reopening Task Force will be available to answer any questions you may have at this time.

Looking to get more involved at the UUSA?

Many UUSA committees/groups are seeking new membership; if you are interested in learning more or becoming involved with committee and/or ministry-level efforts at the UUSA, please email Lea

Green Sanctuary Committee
Ellen Kosmer, Jeff Clark and Sue Kelsey are looking to renovate the garden areas around the Wayside Pulpit at the front of UU to include native plantings and educate people about sustainable gardening. Contact Sue for more information and to learn how you can be involved!

Finance Committee
Please follow the link to see a summary of our finances for the last fiscal year ending on June 30th. Feel free to reach out to the Finance committee with any questions: UUSA Financial Dashboard.
Your Finance Committee

Beloved Conversations
We know some UUSA members are set to start Beloved Conversations this September. They and alums are wondering who signed up so we can all continue to stay in touch. If you are registered for Fall 2021, please contact Ellen Pile.
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Assistance for Afghan refugees

At this point, we're thinking of forming a circle of care. If you're interested in being part of this effort, please contact Gabriela Horvay: elgabrielah@gmail.com; at this point we're just taking names.

In the meantime, donations of kitchen items, toiletries, linens and baby clothes and diapers are welcome; drop-offs can be made by the Kellogg St door of the UUSA.
If you need the code to that door, please contact Lea.

For now, to make a financial contribution, you might want to visit:
Catholic Charities of the Springfield Diocese:
welcomehomenorthampton.org/donations

Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts:
https://www.jfswm.org/new-americans/refugee-resettlement-integration/
10/17 Worthy Now Prison Ministry with the Church of the Larger Fellowship's | Rev. Michael Tino

10/24 Many Roads | Rev Rachael Hayes

10/31 Gathering at the Village Well | John Pastor
In case you missed it! Original UUSA content from this entire worship season is available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7ak1WV8OdXLDRvaZL--rw/videos

Big thanks to John Gerber for editing the services so beautifully and uploading them to YouTube!
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