From our Lead Minister
Oct. 1, 2019

“So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:6

I had never read the book of Nehemiah, one of the biblical Jewish histories, before I heard several African American preachers telling its story to rousing affect at NOAH (Nashville Organized for Action and Hope) gatherings. It is a history of different Jewish families and professions coordinating their efforts to rebuild the city of Jerusalem after it was destroyed by the Persian Empire and most of the Jewish people were sent into exile. NOAH came together to rebuild the city of Nashville after rapid development was sending many of our poorer and mostly black neighbors into exile.

In the ancient story, varying small Jewish groups joined as allies, each re-building one gate and a section of the wall. They were mocked by the other cultural groups in the area, just like in Nashville when NOAH was mocked at its formation by the Chamber of Commerce who saw only the upside of development decisions that brought in money and jobs for a few, but not for the many. The Chamber then predicted NOAH would only last six months. For five years since that prediction, some 60 faith communities including historically black and white churches, mosques, and synagogues, as well as labor unions and community organizations plus a couple of colleges, have persisted restoring falling walls and rebuilding city gates. Now the Chamber of Commerce admits that the growth in Nashville has been very uneven. For instance, in those few years, the wages of whites have risen, the wages of Latinos remained the same and the wages of African Americans have fallen 10%. The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer.

In the Nehemiah story, the builders of the city blow a trumpet when they are attacked by others. That trumpet calls us all to come forward as allies, each building our own section of the wall even as we help others to build theirs. The people of our community have a mind to work to both build our part of the wall, and to work with all our allies for justice as we rebuild the whole city for us all.

With faith and love,
Gail
leadminister@firstuunash.org

If you missed the Open Mic Night Spoken Word event, you may purchase a link to the video for $5 using our website Give button, or a check with “open mic night video” in the memo line.

You must also provide your email address to the Director of Communication so she may send you the link to the private video.  Email communication@firstuunash.org.

Thank you for your support.

Adult OWL, Our Whole Lives, our UU lifespan sexuality education curriculum, returns to FUUN Oct. 20. This remarkable program, integrated with faith but based on facts, begins in Kindergarten and goes up to the newest course being published this fall, for Older Adults 55+.  For the past few years, FUUN has proudly offered OWL for elementary and middle school levels. This year, because of the generous response to a special collection at our 2018 auction, FUUN can present Our Whole Lives (OWL) for Adults. Thank you to the many donors who made the return of this class possible!

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior and equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality. (Unitarian Universalist Association, adapted)

We’re offering the class in three stand-alone sections of five workshops each, the first running Sundays, Oct. 20 to Nov. 24, 10:30 a.m. to 12 pm, Palmer Room, Morgan House (no class Nov. 3). Adult OWL gives us the opportunity to shape the class to the interests of its participants. While Workshops #1 (Sexuality & Values) and #2 (Sexuality & Communication) are already set, the content of Workshops #3-5 will vary based on what the group wants to learn and discuss. Longtime FUUN Members Keith Wilson and Debrina Dills are our co-Facilitators.

Adult OWL is open to anyone 18 years old and above. If you’d like to participate in the Fall section of Adult OWL or have questions about the program, please email Religious Education Coordinator Jonah Eller-Isaacs at RECoordinator@firstuunash.org by Oct. 13. Childcare for children 10 and under is available upon request; if needed, please include name(s) and age(s) of children.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Practice Groups are open to anyone, regardless of past experience here or elsewhere. To change one’s mindset and habit patterns from a right vs. wrong model to a compassionate and connecting model takes practice. To connect empathetically with others, and with oneself, takes practice. To begin to live in the world we dream about takes practice. Feel free to drop in on a group to see what it’s all about.

• 2nd and 4th Sundays: 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, Fireside Room (main building)
• 2nd and 4th Mondays: 6:30-8:15 p.m., Capek Room (Morgan House) (childcare is not available)
• 2nd and 4th Wednesdays: 7-8:30 p.m., Alcott Room (Morgan House)

Covenant Groups are made up of five to 12 people, each led by a facilitator, that meet twice a month, often in participants’ homes, for the purpose of supporting individual spiritual growth and deepening a sense of community among participants. Each session gives participants an opportunity to reflect with one another on an engaging topic, which might include: Generosity, Bitterness, Faith, Longing, Racism, etc.

Covenant groups are an opportunity to listen and share with a subset of the congregation. Several groups still need members; email mmills@firstuunash.org with your questions.

Mid-week Message
From our Lead Minister

Sept. 24, 2019

Fall Senior Brunch:  Senior brunch is held twice a year in the social hall. Our next Fall Senior Brunch is Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m.– noon. If you plan to attend, RSVP to the church office at (615) 383-5760 by Friday Oct. 18. We hope you will join us for delicious food and stimulating conversation. All are welcome whether or not you receive an invitation. We’re looking forward to seeing you.

NOAH has been busy! So busy that we are looking for a full-time Administrative Assistant! Do you know someone who might be a good fit with NOAH? Responsibilities include:

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
DATABASE AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
COMMUNICATIONS – Phone calling, eblasts, messages on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
FINANCES AND FUNDRAISING – Assist Treasurer and Finance Committee as needed
FLEXIBILITY – Other duties as assigned
Interviews taking place now! Please tell others! (Here is the full job announcement, and how to contact us.)

All proceeds from Sunday, Sept. 29th’s food table will help the FUUN AIDS Walk reach its goal of $2,500 in the fight against AIDS and HIV in Middle Tennessee. The Nashville CARES AIDS Walk is Saturday morning, Oct. 5, at Public Square Park. Stop by the table to meet the team, learn about the Walk and Nashville CARES, buy some treats or make a donation.

Hi Everyone,
 
We hope this message reaches you surrounded by love. We are facing the reality that we are headed toward climate disaster. We are experiencing sea-level rise, more frequent and devastating hurricanes and tornadoes, and an increase in wildfires across the country.  
 
On Friday, September 20, 2019, young people around the world are engaging in a Global Climate Strike to demand bold and immediate action by world leaders based on values of compassion, love, and justice. We at the Unitarian Universalist Association and our President, Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, are joining with other faith leaders to support this call to action. Rev. Frederick-Gray will be at the New York City strike on the 20^th.*  We ask that you join her by signing the multi-faith letter below AND committing to #StrikeWithUS.
 
First, we ask that you join us by signing up for the Climate Strike on our customized UU link here.
 
We leaders of faith have the opportunity to disrupt “business as usual” and lift our moral voice to say, “NOT in our name, and NO MORE!”.  
 
It is also our hope that UU clergy and congregational leaders will sign on to the People of Faith for the Climate Strikes letter of support, and encourage others to #StrikeWithUS. 
 
This is the time for us to come together in unity, across faith traditions, to be in solidarity with this fight against climate change and environmental injustice.
 
Thank you for joining us. 
 
We look forward to seeing you in the streets! 
 
In Solidarity, 
 
Susan on behalf of the UUA Organizing Strategy Team
 
P.S. See the webinar Side with Love sponsored last week with UU youth and others here along with resources for organizing for the Climate Strike.
 

*Details for NYC if you want to join the UU contingent there:
 
Join Rev. Frederick-Gray and our UU contingent at Community Church of New York UU 40 E. 35 St., NY, NY 10016
 
 
See https://www.brightest.io/cause/fridays-for-future/activity/new-york-city-climate-strike-with-greta-thunberg/ for more information.

Susan Leslie  |  Congregational Advocacy & Witness Director  |  Organizing Strategy Team
Phone (617) 948-4607  |  Cell (617) 272-5386   |  sleslie@uua.org   |  www.uua.org/justice
uua.org  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

Expect the weekly email on Wednesday, Sept. 4 instead of Tuesday, Sept. 3 this week. Meanwhile, stay informed with our website announcements.  

Help Wanted In The FUUN Zone! [child caregiver]

The First Unitarian Universalist Church in Green Hills is seeking two part-time caregivers for our Church Nursery. The job involves caring for and playing with children ages 6 weeks to 10 years, maintaining a welcoming, safe, and child-friendly environment, as well as working with a great team of people. The caregivers will be supervised by the Church’s Child Care Coordinator.

Hours: Average 4-6 hours weekly (about 16-20 hours monthly). Must be available Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings, with occasional extra hours for Wednesday evening events or other special events based on various Church activities.

Must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check satisfactory to the Church, and be CPR-certified. (The Church will pay for you to become certified if you are not already.) Please email your resume to Personnel@thefuun.org with a note stating your previous childcare experience, why you are interested in this job, and include the names of 3 references with their contact information (phone and email).

Childcare experience is required. If you do not have such experience, please help us by not applying for this job.

Job Type: Part-time; no benefits paid by the Church

Hourly rate: $12.00 per hour

Introducing ENACT, FUUN’s ENvironmental ACTion Team 
Are you concerned about the environment? Do you want to do something about it but are unsure where to start? Do you wish you could do more? Are you a young person who wants to have a future? Do you want to have a voice in setting FUUN‘s environmental agenda? 

ENACT is mobilizing to take action on these and other environmental concerns. Please join us on Sunday, Sept. 29, 12:30 p.m., room TBA, as we forge our path ahead. Also, mark your calendars for our Oct. 13, 12:30 p.m. meeting. For more information, contact David Dickinson and Kathy Ganske, co-chairs, at enact@thefuun.org.

You are invited to Join Dinners for Nine to share a monthly potluck dinner with a consistent group of couples and singles in the comfort of each other’s homes in order to know folks here at FUUN better in a small group setting and eat at the same time. What could be better?  Ask questions and sign up at the Dinners for Nine table in the social hall on Sundays, now until Sept 15.

Click here for details and to sign up online.

Harvest Moon Drum Circle:  Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., social hall. Gather/set up/warm up begins at 7 p.m. drumming officially begins after our 7:30 opening circle. Everyone is welcome! Bring a potluck snack to share, plus drums, dancing jingles, etc. This is a child-friendly event! The Harvest Moon is about the bounty of the growing seasons. What seeds did you plant before that have now borne fruit?

Do you have a few wacky hybrids you didn’t expect? What blessings do you hope to find under the wide, cool leaves?

Melodic Minors, our Children’s Choir for grades 3-8, begins rehearsals on Sunday, Sept 8. Please register at the RE table in the social hall. Questions? Contact Karina Daza or Jaie Tiefenbrunn at music@firstuunash.org.

“For while scholars of literature like to say that we use stories to ‘think with’ we also use them to ‘feel with’–that is, to find words for what otherwise we could not say.” from Why Religion? A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels

Elaine Pagels is a religious scholar who has written several popular books that I cherish because they show how stories and images shape our cultural imaginations so that we can think and feel about our lives. In this memoir, she shows how the most painful tragedies in her life shaped those books. She wrote Adam, Eve and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity while she was experiencing the fresh agony after the death of her 6-year-old son who was born with a congenital defect and needed special medical care his whole short life. She felt as if she was being punished by his death, even though she knew she and her husband had faithfully cared for, loved, and lived joyfully with him. She turned to the story of Adam and Eve because it was interpreted by some of her religious ancestors as an origin myth that explained death as a punishment for doing a bad thing. Her intellectual exploration of that history helped her appreciate that people have always struggled with grief and created stories to explain why bad things happen.

A year later, her husband of 20 years died in a tragic hiking accident.  Her grief totally overcame her, and she noticed that some people started avoiding her as if she had been doubly cursed and it would rub off on them. The story of Job, a good man who suffered one blow after another after a bet that “the satan” made with God, caught her interest. Again, she approached it as a scholar, wondering first how people so long ago tried to explain why lots of bad things could happen to one good person. In her book, The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans and Heretics, Pagels’ research showed how Satan became a full-blown character with a rich back story that could be blamed for much of the suffering in the world. Writing both these books helped her think about and feel her suffering while at the same time, re-learning to cherish her life while loving and caring for others. In the end, she says they helped her see that her interdependence with others is what saved her life.

Reading Elaine Pagels generous book was a blessing. She shows how we can allow the arts of story, music, poetry, and ritual to hold us up without having to literally accept them as objective truths. She reminded me to be grateful for all of the arts that help me think about and feel my life and connect me to the rest of human kind. 

With faith and love, Gail

The FUUN Men’s Group meets the first and third Sundays of each month, 6-8 p.m. in the Fireside Room. All FUUN men are welcome to join us Sept.1. Come tell us what you’ve been up to and hear from other FUUN guys. Bringing food or drink is optional. 

Realizing our dream of a new church home on our present campus: Our next step is a visit from capital campaign consultant Barry Finkelstein Oct. 5, 6, and 7 to help us make plans for a campaign to raise funds for the new facility. There will be many meetings with members and leaders of the church. On Saturday, Oct. 5, 2-3:15 p.m., he will lead an interactive workshop to discuss this campaign with any members or friends wishing to attend. Childcare will be provided. This should be of interest to new and established members of the church, as well as friends of the church.

Did you get to the NOAH Mayoral Candidate Meeting this past Sunday with David Briley and John Cooper?   You can see the video HERE and the Tennessean article HERE.

BUT THE METRO COUNCIL IS ALSO A CRITICAL DECISION-MAKER!

Each of us has a District Council Member (Find yours HERE.)  But ALL OF US vote for the five AT-LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS who are to represent the city as a whole!

On August 1st, only one At-Large Candidate received enough votes to be elected (Bob Mendes).  In order to fill the remaining FOUR At-Large Council seats, EIGHT people are running in the Run-Off Election on Thursday, September 12. 

Want to know more about these eight candidates?

“At-Large Forum – Chicken and Biscuits”

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 – 5 PM

Nashville Farmers Market

900 Rosa. L. Parks Blvd

5:00 PM – Forum

6:00 PM – Chicken & Biscuits

Chicken & Biscuits provided by Vice Mayor Shulman

This is a chance to meet the At-Large Candidates, get answers to questions submitted by NOAH and others, and have a little FUN!

RSVP at WPCTN.com.

Please tell others!  A flyer is HERE.

Early voting times and locations are HERE.

 
NOAH
http://www.noahtn.org/

“When you open up your life to the living
All things come spilling in on you
And you’re flowing like a river
the Changer and the Changed
You’ve got to spill some over…….
Spill some over
Over all” from “Waterfall” by Chris Williamson

When it rains it pours. At least it has the last few weeks when the baking heat builds for several day until we can no longer stand even the short trips from air conditioning to air conditioning and then we are relieved by a down-pour. Maybe relieved isn’t the right word, because some of those down-pours have been downright scary and I am not even talking about the violent thunder, lightning and wind. It rained so hard one day last week that the whole church campus was one big waterfall, flowing 360 into the diagonal ditch/river that runs through until there were powerful white-water currants roiling from one corner to the other. It was awesome—literally—beautiful and frightening at the same time. Then rain often stops as suddenly as it started, it is a bit cooler and a bit less humid, with a bit less pollen in the air, for an evening or, if lucky, a day or two. Then the heat builds again. I wonder if we will eventually have a monsoon season.

Life often feels like that awesome waterfall. People moving away. Lots of new people around. Betrayals and break-ups. Falling in love. Getting divorced. Planning a wedding the second time around. Becoming deathly ill. Seriously injured in an accident. Leaning on friends to get through the day. Losing a job. Starting a new one. Becoming a new parent. Children doing active shooter drills at school. As the singer-songwriter Chris Williamson sang “When you open up your life to the living, all things come spilling on you.”

That is why most weeks we mark our joys, sorrows and concerns by placing a stone in water. Living is like standing in the middle of all that water falling and spilling 360 from heart to soul, roiling currants threaten to sweep us away, powerful white water knocks us upside down or flowing waters spilling over fling us up onto unfamiliar territory. We are the changers and the changed. But the water we use on Sunday morning is in a beautiful bowl that holds all of those experiences ever so safely in community, in support, and in love.
This Sunday we hold our annual celebration of Water Communion for the 25th year. Each person is invited to bring water that symbolizes your life. It may be from a special place you have gone or from your sink, you name its meaning in your life. We mingle the water together that each person brings. By its mingling, it becomes this community’s holy water. Then we spill some over—over all—as we use that water to bless our children, remember our dead and hold the stones of joy, sorrow, and concern that you place there week after week, for the year to come.

With faith and love,

Gail

September Theme: Vision, Perspective
Sept 1: Perspectives on Labor in the Market, Household, Commons and State. Rev Gail and Worship Associate Rachel Rogers.

“When you open up your life to the living
All things come spilling in on you
And you’re flowing like a river
the Changer and the Changed
You’ve got to spill some over…….
Spill some over
Over all” from “Waterfall” by Chris Williamson

When it rains it pours. At least it has the last few weeks when the baking heat builds for several day until we can no longer stand even the short trips from air conditioning to air conditioning and then we are relieved by a down-pour. Maybe relieved isn’t the right word, because some of those down-pours have been downright scary and I am not even talking about the violent thunder, lightning and wind. It rained so hard one day last week that the whole church campus was one big waterfall, flowing 360 into the diagonal ditch/river that runs through until there were powerful white-water currants roiling from one corner to the other. It was awesome—literally—beautiful and frightening at the same time. Then rain often stops as suddenly as it started, it is a bit cooler and a bit less humid, with a bit less pollen in the air, for an evening or, if lucky, a day or two. Then the heat builds again. I wonder if we will eventually have a monsoon season.

Life often feels like that awesome waterfall. People moving away. Lots of new people around. Betrayals and break-ups. Falling in love. Getting divorced. Planning a wedding the second time around. Becoming deathly ill. Seriously injured in an accident. Leaning on friends to get through the day. Losing a job. Starting a new one. Becoming a new parent. Children doing active shooter drills at school. As the singer-songwriter Chris Williamson sang “When you open up your life to the living, all things come spilling on you.”

That is why most weeks we mark our joys, sorrows and concerns by placing a stone in water. Living is like standing in the middle of all that water falling and spilling 360 from heart to soul, roiling currants threaten to sweep us away, powerful white water knocks us upside down or flowing waters spilling over fling us up onto unfamiliar territory. We are the changers and the changed. But the water we use on Sunday morning is in a beautiful bowl that holds all of those experiences ever so safely in community, in support, and in love.
This Sunday we hold our annual celebration of Water Communion for the 25th year. Each person is invited to bring water that symbolizes your life. It may be from a special place you have gone or from your sink, you name its meaning in your life. We mingle the water together that each person brings. By its mingling, it becomes this community’s holy water. Then we spill some over—over all—as we use that water to bless our children, remember our dead and hold the stones of joy, sorrow, and concern that you place there week after week, for the year to come.

With faith and love,

Gail

September Theme: Vision, Perspective
Sept 1: Perspectives on Labor in the Market, Household, Commons and State. Rev Gail and Worship Associate Rachel Rogers.

Choir rehearsals for Water Communion and our Fall season resumed on Thursday, Aug. 15,  7 p.m. Choir is open to members and friends age 16 and up. Never sung in a choir before? That’s okay. If you are enthusiastic, willing to commit to weekly rehearsals, sing at Worship two Sundays a month, and can carry a tune, you are welcome. Email Jaie at music@firstuunash.org to schedule a brief meet and greet for voice placement.

Some of our staff telephones are not functioning.  If you attempt to call and do not reach anyone, please email staff instead until further notice.

Thank you.

Operations Council invites you to participate in our fun bi-annual Spiff-Up Day and lunch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to come join the fun sprucing up our space! We’ll be painting, cleaning the windows, deep cleaning and working on the grounds. Lunch will be provided around noon, so please let us know if you will be here. Sign-ups will take place before-hand in the social hall on Sundays, but walk-ups are always welcome. Many hands make for quick work!

We have one shift this time. Work the whole or part of the shift and plan to enjoy the community lunch at noon. Please bring your mops, buckets, gloves, sponges, and any other cleaning armaments you wish. If you don’t have those, we’ll have extra. We hope you can be part of the party. Let us know by emailing operations@thefuun.org or signing up below so we can plan for the day and for the lunch.

On July 7th, a guest minister named Marti Keller conducted a service at FUUN called “A Feminist Fandom.” Many folks felt uncomfortable while watching the service, in which Rev. Keller dressed in a Frida Kahlo costume and encouraged the consumption of Mexican culture. The Worship Committee values these concerns. We have decided to remove the video as well as increase our level of care when it comes to guest speakers and services about marginalized cultures. We apologize for any harm this may have caused, and appreciate your patience and feedback.     

Choir begins rehearsals for Water Communion and our Fall season on Thursday, Aug. 15,  7 p.m. Choir is open to members and friends age 16 and up. Never sung in a choir before? That’s okay. If you are enthusiastic, willing to commit to weekly rehearsals, sing at Worship two Sundays a month, and can carry a tune, you are welcome. Email Jaie at music@firstuunash.org to schedule a brief meet and greet for voice placement.

Caitlín Matthews will be speaking at FUUN on The Healing of the Grail: The Sacred Hospitality of Nature and the Restoration of the Wasteland. Saturday, Sept.14, 7- 9:30 p.m. Her talk will be based on material from her book “The Lost Book of the Grail: The Sevenfold Path of the Grail and the Restoration of the Faery Accord” due for release summer 2019. Copies of the book will be available at the event. Please do not contact FUUN with questions regarding the event. The event is hosted by Celli Sanctaidd O Gerridwen A Lleu Druid Grove: Grove@DruidryNashville.org or 615-502-2163.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Practice Groups: Register now at the Sunday Faith Development table in the social hall or with the online form which will be posted here soon.

Covenant Groups: Register now at the Sunday Faith Development table in the social hall or with the online form which will be posted here soon.

A Fabulous New Year for Children’s Religious Education is Right Around the Corner

Great things start happening in September, and we need to know who is coming. Why? Because we need to have enough supplies, enough Teacher Assistants, enough space, and we need to know who may have allergies or learning differences, and, well, we’d just like to know your names.

Sunday school and Youth Group both start on Sept. 8. Please plan to register and/or confirm your existing information by Sept. 1.

Here’s what’s happening:

Sunday school for PreKindergarten* through 8th grade starts at 9 a.m. on Sept. 8.
*Includes 4-year-olds and those who have turned 3 by Sept. 30.

Youth Group for 9th – 12th grades starts at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8.

Coming of Age for 7th-8th Grades is coming soon! Calendar TBA.

Our Whole Lives (OWL) for Kindergarten-1st Grade, and for 4th-5th Grades, will take place in Winter/Spring 2020, but classes fill up quickly, so register now to reserve your space.

It’s easy. You can do it all at the same time by completing the online registration form.

It is necessary to confirm your information at the start of each church year. This is an important part of our efforts to best serve and ensure the safety and well-being of our church community’s children and youth.

We want to do a great job for you, and we want to make this the very best year yet… please help us by registering as soon as you possibly can. If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you:

Marguerite Mills 
Director of Lifespan
Religious Education
MMills@firstuunash.org
615-383-5760, ext. 304

Jonah Eller-Isaacs
Religious Education Coordinator
RECoordinator@firsuunash.org
615-383-5760, ext. 315

As part of our faith journey as Unitarian Universalists, we are regularly challenged by the ways race and racism affect our lives and our spirituality. Within our congregations we are creating space to build a community of care among UU People of Color, opportunities to explore deeper questions around race, culture and our religious values.

We invite UU People of Color in the Greater Nashville area to gather for dinner and facilitated meeting. We will have a worship led by local UU Religious Professionals of Color. Our goal is to nurture new relationships between UU People of Color in the area, discuss some of the historical development of UU People of Color and anti-racism efforts, and learn more about what the community needs and interests are among those who attend. We will share a new working timeline chronicling the major milestones and development of UU People of Color ministries.

Please RSVP with Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons jsantoslyons@uuma.org or +1(503)512-0490 ideally by August 10, 2019. We ask participants to bring a side dish to share if they are able for dinner. We will have several main dishes catered. The event is open to UU People of Color and People of Color interested in Unitarian Universalism.

***

DRUUMM is the Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries, a volunteer led national organization dedicated to serving the spiritual growth of UU People of Color and fulfilling the our vision of an anti-racist/anti-oppressive/multicultural faith. Learn more at www.druumm.org

DRUUMM recognizes every Community of Color is impacted differently, and each community maintains their own unique identity and culture. People of Color/Person of Color/Community of Color is a political identity of survival and being in resistance to racism and colonialism, one that builds solidarity and create positive change.

Are you new here? Interested in learning more about our congregation or becoming a member of the church? The New Member Class on Saturday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the social hall is a great opportunity to learn more and meet interesting people. Join Assistant Minister Denise Gyauch and others for an orientation to Unitarian Universalism and First UU Church of Nashville. Brunch, childcare, and good company provided. Those who attend this class may choose to sign our membership book in New Member Celebrations during Sunday services on Sept. 22. Please email Denise at assistantminister@firstuunash.org to register by Wed. Sept. 4.

Guided look at our new website and optional tutorial 

Aug. 21, 7-8:30 p.m., social hall

Join our Director of Communication for one or both parts of this class. The first part (7-7:30 p.m.) is a guided look at our new website (firstuunash.org). Hear firsthand about our communication strategy (for seekers and current members) and the fabulous options now available to our community leaders on this site such as blog pages, categorized post displays, and interactive, animated additions. 

Part two is a behind the scenes tutorial on our user-friendly (Divi Builder) website featuring real-time changes, layout and design options which enable easy updates to your pages (no prior knowledge of WordPress is required). Even if you do not wish to update your own website information, understanding how it works better enables you to work with the Director of Communication who values your input and is here to meet your communication needs.  Childcare is available.

Our lead minister Gail Seavey will be retiring in about a year and the Board will be hiring a Developmental Minister. The Board will soon be in the process of considering candidates to serve on the Developmental Minister Task Force which will present a candidate to the Board for consideration. We hope that this task force will be representative of the diverse groups in our church. If you are interested in serving on the Developmental Minister Task Force, please watch here where we will post an application.

The office will be closed Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day. Have a safe and fun holiday.

The Book Group meets on the third Tuesday, noon-1:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room. All are welcome.

Please join us on June 18 when we discuss Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Aug. 20 when we discuss A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

Our Sept. selection is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

                      –Liz Schneider

This is a very exciting time for our congregation.  At the January congregation meeting a decision was made to build a new church facility at our current location.  To achieve that goal, the Building For our Future (BFF) Task Force was created by the board with the job of coming up with a plan for a capital campaign to accomplish this, and staged architectural plans for constructing a new facility and dramatically reforming the grounds to properly support it.

As you can imagine, this project will be the work of the entire congregation – over the next year our task force plans to work hard at soliciting input from many directions.  We will try to communicate in a variety of ways to make sure people know what is happening, and also to hear their voices.

Our initial step has been to contact a capital campaign consultant to help determine a realistic fundraising goal, and how to proceed with that campaign.  A grant from the Endowment Trust will make that consultation possible.

Over the next few months we will start trying to identify architects that are interested and appropriate to help us with this project.  As that progresses, we hope to share potential visions of our church-to-be with you.

Our charge from the board is to present a plan for a capital campaign and staged construction plan by next June 1.  That is an aggressive time line, but we will try to meet it.

If you wish to discuss this project, please look for announcements of community meetings or reach out to a member of the task force to share your thoughts and questions.

-Building For our Future Task Force

Mike Bolds – Chairman

Rob Connor

Christopher Cotton

Jacob Hathaway

Phyllis Salter

Chas Sisk

Vicky Tataryn

 The Trans Affirming Collective (TAC) is June’s Share the Plate recipient.

 TAC is a Social Justice Action Team at FUUN formed in 2017 and dedicated to creating community through activities that let our transgender and gender nonbinary siblings feel welcomed and needed at FUUN.

In March, we worked with Rev. Denise Gyauch on the Transgender Day of Visibility service, which was the only such event in Nashville this year. We were grateful to celebrate the importance and beauty of our trans and nonbinary friends at FUUN and throughout metro Nashville.

On June 16, TAC and Chalice Fire hosted a Rainbow Tent, a space to gather for communal healing and Nurture Spiritual Growth. Intentionally inclusive of folx of all ages and across the gender spectrum, the Rainbow Tent included energy healers, pet therapy, and readings from inclusive children’s books.

Thanks to a grant from the LGBT Action Team, we are excited to offer coursework beginning Fall 2019 that will help our congregants and TAC create a wholly inclusive community at FUUN.

Part of the donations you make through the Share the Plate during June will go towards providing tasty treats to participants, future education, and community building efforts. Thank you.

Are you looking for ways to get involved?  Maybe looking for an opportunity to help support the church? Our Staff always welcomes your time and talents!

Office relies heavily on our amazing volunteers to help out by answer the phone, greeting guests and assist with easy special projects. We are looking to add to our team! Volunteers serve one day a week – either morning or afternoon shift. If interested please contact Mary in the office at 615-383-5760 or office@firstuunash.org

Here are a few more details:

These positions are usually filled during weekday hours, in the FUUN Office and are ideal for adults and young people who are able to work in an office setting with little or no supervision

• Weekly: Our committed and busy staff appreciate some helping hands. Volunteers use their time as our smiling faces greeting guests and answering phones as well as assisting with a variety of business office related tasks and projects as needed.

          Time commitment: 4 weekday hours, once a week.

• Bi-Monthly: Volunteers are needed to join the team assembling the bi-monthly newsletter.  Treats and drinks are provided along with lots of appreciation!

          Time commitment: 2-4 weekday hours, 3^rdThursday of May, July, Sept., Nov., Jan., and March

• As-Needed: Occasionally our regular weekly office volunteers need a day off and office subs are needed to support the office.  Also, from time to time large office projects come up where many hands are needed.

         Time commitment: 1-4 weekday hours, monthly