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Winter Solstice Celebration Friday, December 22, 2023

Celebrate the arrival of longer days with singing, meditation, candle lighting, and a potluck. This is a family-friendly event & all are welcome. For info: cuups@uusantarosa.org

Friday Dec 22nd
Potluck starts at 5:30pm
Celebration at 6:30pm

Or: join via ZOOM at uusantarosa.org for the link

Unitarian Universalist Congregation,
547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 707-568-5381

The potluck is a BYOD&U* this year!

*Bring your own dishes & utensils along with your favorite dish to share. Food categories: Entrees, Salads, hot/cold Vegetables, Dessert, Bread or Drinks. Thank you!

Sunday Service December 3, 2023

“Festival of Lights: The Various Celebrations of the Season”

As Unitarian Universalists, we embrace the diversity of traditions that grace this time of year, recognizing the beauty in the tapestry of beliefs that weave us together. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or find solace in the quiet reflection of winter’s embrace, our collective spirit radiates a message of love, compassion, and unity. As we embark on this journey through the holiday season, may our hearts be open to the shared humanity that unites us, and may the light of understanding guide us through these days of celebration and reflection. We invite you to join us as we share with you about these holiday beliefs.

Stay for the Cake Auction!

Service Leader: Rev Dave Clements
Worship Associates: Mark Sowers
Music: Gage Purdy & Ron Hennessey
Pianist: Louise Bettner
Share The Basket: Our Own Saturday Breakfast for Our Neighbors

To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service December 10, 2023

“Embracing the Mystery and Joy: A spiritual Exploration of the Holiday Season”
The holiday season unfolds as a rich mosaic of mystery and joy. Let’s approach this season with open hearts and minds, celebrating the diversity of beliefs and practices that are woven together in our community. You are invited to embark on a spiritual exploration, delving into the mystery that surrounds this time of year, and to discover the joy that lies within it.
 
Service Leader: Rev Dave Clements
Worship Associate: Susan Thollaug & Joe Gabaeff
Music: Gage Purdy & The Choir
Pianist: Roger Corman
Share The Basket: World Central Kitchen
To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service December 17, 2023

“Stories of Light & Magic”
Come join us for our annual children’s holiday celebration! During these cold and rainy months, there always seems to be a bit of extra magic in the air. Where does this magic come from, and what does it mean? This Sunday, we turn to stories, hearing and telling them together as we explore what makes this time of year so special.
 
Worship Leader: Era Capone
Worship Associate: Cathie Wiese
Music: Gage Purdy & The Choir
Pianist: Roger Corman
The Basket is highlighting : Our Own Religious Education
To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Christmas Eve Service December 24, 2023

“Holding the Light: A Christmas Eve Expression of Hope, Unity, and Shared Blessings”

Evening Service~ 5pm Potluck ~ 6:30pm Service

On Christmas Eve, we gather to celebrate the birth and tonight to celebrate the common threads that weave us into the fabric of humanity. Christmas is more than a Season, it’s an invitation to embrace the light within and around us. I invite you to embrace tonight not just the glow of festive decorations but to be open to the light of understanding, compassion and love that transcends boundaries. It is that light that guides us through the darkness, reminding us that even in the most challenging times, we are not alone..

Service Leader: Rev Dave Clements
Worship Associate: Veronica Jordan
Music: Gage Purdy & the Choir
Pianist: Roger Corman
Share the Basket: The Minister’s Discretionary Fund

To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service December 24, 2023

“Intimate Christmas Eve Day Celebration: Embracing Joy and Inclusion”

Join us for a heartwarming and inclusive Christmas Eve Day service led by me, your Interim Minister. The service will be an intimate affair, fostering a sense of connection and warmth as we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Whether you’ve been part of our congregation for years or are joining us for the first time, all are welcome to share in the joy of this special Christmas Eve Day gathering. Come as you are, and let’s celebrate the season together with love, understanding, and a commitment to building a more inclusive community. No RE on Christmas Eve.
(Please note: there is also a PM service)

Service Leader: Rev Dave Clements
Share the Basket: The Minister’s Discretionary Fund

To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service December 31, 2023

“Celebrating the Old, Looking Forward to the New; in The Middle of Things”

In the frantic rush of modern life, we claw our way from one milestone to the next, often forgetting that it is in the journey that we spend most of our time. It isn’t as if the area of our travels is empty, we know logically that something is there. What is in that silence, that sacred space, that middle of things? What is this space and what could it mean for our lives if we give that space room to breathe and inform other areas of our lives?

Melinda McGucken, MA, MBA, is a fourth-year UU seminarian and Candidate to the UU Ministry. She currently serves as a Youth Ministry Coordinator, teaching the Coming of Age program and OWL.

Service Leader: Rev Melinda McGucken
Worship Associate: Eric Fischer
Music: Sally Jones
Pianist: Roger Corman
Share the Basket: YWCA Confidential Safe House

To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service November 5, 2023

“Jonathan- Best Friend of King David, What Does it Mean to be a Friend?”
The story of David and Jonathan is one of great friendship. David made a covenant with Jonathan that he would take care of him and his family and he did that long after Jonathan had died. What does it mean to be a friend? What lessons can we learn from this story?
Also, a New Member Ceremony will take place this Sunday. 
 
*Please stay after service for the Group Photo of UUCSR and the Town Hall Potluck!
 
Service Leader: Rev Dave Clements
Worship Associate: Veronica Jordan
Music: Alan Bell and Sally Jones
Pianist: Roger Corman
Share the Basket: Our Own Saturday Breakfast for Our Neighbors
To Donate to Share the Basket: Use the GIVE NOW button, on UUCSR’s website 

Sunday Service November 12, 2023

Dan O’Neal’s Sermon “Advanced Case of Life”
In a sense, we all have a terminal diagnosis from the moment we’re born. But most of us humans deny death through most of our lives. Yet, if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to experience the reality of approaching death as a great teacher that paradoxically enhances and illuminates our life.
 
Service Leaders/Guest: Ben Ford
Worship Associate: Susan Thollaug
Music: Gage Purdy & The Choir
Pianist: Roger Corman
Share The Basket: Disability Services & Legal Center (DSLC) has served as Sonoma County’s Independent Living Center since 1976, in Napa, Lake and Mendocino Counties. DSLC aims to advance the rights of people with disabilities and aging adults to equal justice, access, opportunity, and participation in our communities