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You're invited to worship with us in-person or online this Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24th at 6:00 p.m. Gather in our Sanctuary at UU Meriden; or participate by joining our Zoom meeting, link below.
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Join us on Christmas Eve at 6:00 PM for "Wonder of Wonders" our evening candlelit service of readings and carols. Rev. Tony Lorenzen reflects in the spirit of Christmas on the incarnation of divinity in each of us. We invite you and your family to celebrate this night of wonder with UU Meriden. Featuring guest musical accompanist.
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❄ Welcome to Winter! ❄
We have entered another New England winter, and things can be unpredictable. Check for schedule changes on our website before leaving for any event or service this season to ensure the church is open. Take care during your travels! We hope to see you tomorrow, if the fates allow.
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Memorial Service for Emily Morgan Kwolek
A Memorial Service for Emily Morgan Kwolek will be held at the UU Church in Meriden on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 1:00 PM. We sincerely hope that our members and friends can attend this service of memory and celebration for one of our former members. Below is the initial announcement of Emily's passing.
It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of a former member of our congregation, Emily Kwolek (she was going by Morgan Emily Kinero during 2021 and we are not sure what name she preferred). Emily joined the UU Church in Meriden in the fall of 2019 shortly after Rev. Tony arrived. She moved to Illinois in the early days of the Covid-19 quarantine. She seemed to be doing well, going to school and thinking of moving back to CT in 2023. See memorial service information above.
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🎄 Let UU Meriden be your Home for the Holidays 🎄
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No Sunday Service on New Year's Day at the UU Church in Meriden
Please note: There will NOT be a Sunday morning worship service at the UU Church in Meriden on January 1st 2023 (nor will there be one this Sunday, Christmas Day). Join us on Sunday, January 8, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. as we begin a new calendar year of worship services with "The Voice in Your Head." Rev. Tony will reflect on conscience and talking ourselves into who we want to be.
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Intercultural Development Inventory
Last chance: Register Today!
Rev. Tony reminds us that registration for the Intercultural Development Inventory is still open now for another week but closes on Dec. 31, 2022. (Click HERE for a slide show introduction to the IDI and why UU Meriden is using it)
In September, Rev. Tony told us about the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), the premier tool for assessing intercultural competence – the ability to communicate across cultural differences and the ability to function in a culture that is not your own. Many of our members and friends at the UU Church in Meriden told Rev. Tony they would like to be part of a congregational assessment of cultural competence – how inter-culturally competent is our church as a group. The time has come to register for the assessment. You can REGISTER for the IDI via an online form here: https://forms.gle/FNcB3rZfZJqngBng8 (further details below)
This is an online registration form that will ask for your name, email, and phone number and ask you to answer questions about payment (or financial assistance) and whether or not you want to go over your individual results with Rev. Tony. There is also a question asking about which congregation because a few people from Mattatuck UU Society will also take the assessment at the same time, but they will NOT be counted as part of our group assessment. The registration form is confidential. The deadline for registration is December 31, 2022, click HERE to register! In early January, the links to take the IDI assessment will be emailed to the email address on your registration form. If you have questions about the assessment or the registration process, do not hesitate to contact Rev. Tony at 508-344-3668 or revtony@pm.me.
If you told Rev. Tony in September that you wanted to take the assessment, you may also get a personal email from him just to make sure you've seen this announcement and that it's time to register. If you are just learning about this now or you have changed your mind and want to take the assessment, THAT’S GREAT – You can register, too! Once you’ve registered you won’t need to deal with the form again: REGISTER NOW
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“Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments – often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light.”
— Brené Brown
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Newsletter Team: seeking communications volunteers
We are still in need of a few more team members to share the tasks of making this newsletter and managing our social media. Hannah who currently publishes the Weekly Update has a new job and less time available. With your help we can get the Update out on Friday morning, or even Thursday, and make it easier on everyone. All you need is a willingness to learn! Please let us know if you're interested or find out more by emailing announcements@uumeriden.org. Thank you!
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Scam Alert — Messages claiming to be Rev. Tony
Some members and friends of the UU Church in Meriden have received emails and text messages pretending to be Rev. Tony and asking for cash, gift cards, or other donations. These are scams. Rev. Tony will never do this. Any church fundraising appeal even if it includes communication from Rev. Tony will come from the UU Church in Meriden, not Rev. Tony personally. If you are targeted DO NOT REPLY. Delete email or text immediately.
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Worship this Month
Note: Sunday worship services at UU Meriden begin at 10:30 A.M. We are located at 328 Paddock Ave. Unless otherwise indicated, our Sundays worship will also be offered via Zoom aka "Hybrid." You can check if a service is in-person, online, or hybrid on the schedule below:
- Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 at 6:00 PM . . . . in-person & via Zoom "Wonder of Wonders" Rev. Tony Lorenzen guides us this Christmas Eve in reflection on the incarnation of divinity in each of us. Join us on this night of wonder for an all ages service of readings and carols by candlelight Saturday evening. With guest musical accompanist. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom. Join us virtually by clicking here.
- Note: There will NOT be any worship service on Sunday 12/25 or on Sunday 01/01/23 New Year's Day. We will have our customary candlelight Christmas Eve worship service on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 6:00 PM instead of a Sunday service this weekend. Rev. Tony is on vacation Christmas through New Year's Day so there will be NO Sunday worship on January 1st, 2023 (You can sleep in!!) Worship will resume on 01/08/2023 Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.
- Jan. 08 at 10:30 a.m. . . . in-person & via Zoom "The Voice in Your Head" Rev. Tony Lorenzen reflects on the voice in our heads that talks to us – yes, really “the voice in your head” – we all have one, it’s called our conscience. We explore the idea of talking ourselves into who we want to be. Accompaniment by Kevin Wyman. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom.
- Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. . . . in-person & via Zoom "Practicing Loving Community" Liz Hall helps us reflect on what it means to practice loving community. Liz asks us to contemplate what it is like to live and grow in a loving community. We can create the world we want to live in – it might even be more simple than you think, however, it requires practice. In-person at UUCM & online via Zoom.
- Attending via Zoom: Our hybrid services are simultaneously live online via Zoom and in-person at UUCM. The UU Meriden Zoom meeting access link is always http://go.uumeriden.org/zoom. Unless otherwise indicated, worship services will continue to be hybrid.
- Please see our current COVID Policy on our website HERE, effective 10/2022
Our December Worship Theme is Wonder — For recommendations, inspirations, and free resources relating to our Monthly Worship Themes visit our website. Look on our website for The Minister's Monthly Message and Rev. Tony's Spiritual Challenge: Savor a Big Ponder as well.
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Consider UU Meriden this Giving Season
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It only takes a few clicks to support UU Meriden and the causes that matter most to you — online! The drop down menu on our PayPal allows you to select whether you are contributing to your pledge, adding to our weekly offering, donating to Social Justice Council, or supporting our Pastoral Care Ministries. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraisers last year and to everyone who pledged! To check it out, click the PayPal icon below or follow this link: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=MWVNLAV4AHY6A
Thank you for your Generosity!
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THANK YOU for all your generous donations and contributions during this difficult time. Please continue to support the congregation financially. Click the PayPal icon to donate online now!
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Minister's Schedule
Rev. Tony Lorenzen is on Holiday Break Christmas Day through New Year's Day. If you need to reach someone before his return email trustees@uumeriden.org.
Rev. Tony is generally available 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday and at any time in an emergency. The quickest way to reach Rev. Tony is to call or text him at (508) 344-3668. You can also reach him via email at revtony@pm.me. If you contact Rev. Tony via email, and do not receive a response for more than 1 business day, please call or text him at the number above for a faster response.
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Credits, Thanks, & Attributions
- Chalice Logo: UUA
- Santa.
- Future Newsletter Helpers: Join our team! Email announcements@uumeriden.org.
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PUBLICATION POLICY
Announcements for the Weekly Update, Social Media
Announcements are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday for that week's publication. Send your news to the below email address, say what it's for in the subject line, and if there is an attachment please write 'see attachment' in the email. Tips: be brief; pictures and links encouraged where appropriate; include a contact person and specific dates; no formatting is necessary. Announcements are subject to editing and approval; submissions will run in the Weekly Update each Friday, or Saturday – other email blasts should be explicitly requested. Items are prioritized for timeliness. Send your news to: announcements@uumeriden.org.
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How to Contact UU Meriden
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