ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Second Unitarian Searching for Director of Religious Education.  Second Unitarian Church has extended its search for a Director of Religious Education through July 3.  The job description is posted in the First Unitarian Conference and Common Rooms.  Inquiries and applications should be directed to Pastor Stephen Sinclair (minister@secondunitarianomaha.org).

• Richard Dawkins – Revisited.  There have been requests to see the video of Richard Dawkins' speech, "Purpose of Purpose".  It can now be seen on his web site.  The video is a composite from the three lectures Dawkins gave on his US Midwest tour (Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska).  http://richarddawkins.net/article,3956,The-Purpose-of-Purpose,Richard-Dawkins

• UUA Presidential Election Congregational Poll.  First Unitarian voting members were encouraged to express their preference for the Unitarian Universalist Association presidential candidates.  Our five General Assembly delegates were directed at the Annual Meeting to take this result into consideration when voting their ballots.  67 First U members submitted ballots:  32 voted for Rev. Peter Morales, 9 voted for Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman, and 26 indicated no preference.  For more information, please visit our web site at http://firstuuomaha.org/UUA_Presidential_Vote.html.

• Come to UU Camp this Summer!  It's possible to spend a day or two at the new Camp StarTrail, being held in August at a Lutheran camp between Lincoln and Omaha. To find out more about the schedule and the costs, go to http://www.psduua.org/CampStarTrail/CampStarTrail  and click on "Partial Week Registration" in the right tool bar. We hope to see you there!

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

• Can you help steer our monthly newsletter The Flame into our 140th year?  Our current Editor, Gary Emenitove, is needed for some other church projects.  You can work from home, and the workload is quite reasonable.  To find out more, send email to theflame@firstuuomaha.org.

• Celebration?  Memorial?  Honor or recognize a special person or event with flowers on the chancel for Sunday services.  Contact Louise Jeffrey.

• Park Avenue Community Meals.  First U is part of the interfaith community providing Saturday lunch, clothing, and toiletries to the homeless and inadequately housed of the area around our church.  We are seeking volunteers able to commit to at least one Saturday a month for 2009 (11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M.) to serve as hospitality volunteers for our guests.  Attend on a regular basis, get to know our guests, and become a person of trust.  Male volunteers and Spanish speakers are especially needed.  First U is currently underrepresented in male volunteers.  Contact Louise Jeffrey.

• Share the Plate.  During June, we share the Sunday contribution plate with NAMI – the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  NAMI works to raise awareness at the local and national levels for individuals and families living with mental illness.

• Wanted: Part-time Childcare in my home, Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30 A.M.-3:00 P.M., through the rest of the summer.  Contact Kate Godfrey.

THIS WEEK

• June 24-28 — Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly — Salt Lake City, Utah
Rev. Kate Rohde, Board President Donna Neff, and Director of Religious Education Cheryll Wallace are out of town this week to participate in the General Assembly.

• June 26 — The Office Administrator Will Be Out of Town.  The office will be open and staffed by volunteers, but any requests for the office administrator should be reserved until next week.

• June 27 — CommUUnity Day — 10:00 A.M. — Offsite — Henry Doorly Zoo
Join your friends from First Unitarian at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Saturday, June 27, from 10:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M.  For non-zoo members, admission will be provided upon RSVP.  Bring your own lunch to enjoy a picnic around 11:30 A.M.  Contact Tom Foster.

SUNDAY – June 28

• 10:30 A.M. — Sunday Service
Jean Mills will present "Water: The Lifeblood of the Earth". 

• 7:00 P.M. — Creative/Art Night — Whitney Young Room
Need a little quiet time to feed your creative impulse?  Bring your passion — writing, painting, journaling, quilting, drawing, etc., and simply work without interruption.  Contact Kate Godfrey.

NEXT WEEK

• June 29 — First U Book Club — 7:00 P.M. — Merritt Lounge
At our next meeting we will be discussing Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill.  It is a contemporary work of fiction which received the PEN/Faulkner award for 2009.  The book has been compared with The Great Gatsby for its portrayal of young, ambitious New York transplants caught in a maelstrom of events. It also received some "buzz" after having been recommended by Barack Obama during a New York Times interview.  Steve O'Brien, frequent Sunday visitor at church and manager of the Barnes and Noble at CrossRoads, has ordered copies which will sell at a price that competes with Amazon's $10.17 + shipping and handling.   For you cyber-readers, Kindle has it for $9.99.  Also, there is one copy available at the church for $10.00.  Contact the church office if you would like to buy the church copy.

• July 2 — Women's Religious Studies Group — 1:00 P.M. — Merritt Lounge

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

• July 5 — 10:30 A.M. — Sunday Service
This 4th of July weekend, the Religious Services Committee will present "More than Words."

• July 7-12 — Youth Trip to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas

• July 12 — UU & You — 11:45 A.M. — Whitney Young Room
We invite you to attend a "newcomers" session on Sunday, July 12, immediately following the service.  This one-hour session is designed to provide visitors and those new to First Unitarian Church with a quick overview of church programs and services.  Join us for a light lunch and lots of information.  Please RSVP to the church office at 345-3039 or admin@firstuuomaha.org.  Childcare is available upon request.

• July 13 — Connecting Point — 6:00 P.M. — Common Room
Join us for dinner and conversation.  This is your chance to connect to others in a small group setting.  Whether you are new to First Unitarian or are a "seasoned" member, we welcome you to this small group gathering.  Topics vary but are always connected to something "UU".  RSVP to Alex Nather.  Childcare is available upon request.

• July 14 — Board Meeting — 7:00 P.M. — Common Room

• July 15 — The Flame Deadline — 12:00 P.M.

• July 17-18 — Bizarre Bazaar: a "Fun"draising event for First Unitarian Church
Table space is still available for a fee of $30 to cover both days if you would like to sell your arts & crafts, and sign up is now open to participate as a contestant in CommUUnity Idol, our musical talent show.  For information on table space and/or participating in CommUUnity Idol, contact Michelle Nielson.
 

Please visit the Social Justice/Green Sanctuary web page. Don't miss the GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK! Submit your own Green Tip to Shawna Foster.