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Newsletter of the Oak Cliff Unitarian Universalist Church Editor: E. Beth Ferree Email: ella-editor@oakcliffuu.org
Index
From the Editor Service Schedule
1
Calendar 2
News and Information
3
Events to Consider
4-5
About Our Members
6
Various Info 7
Who’s Who, What’s What and When’s That?
8
OakCliff Unitarian Universalist Church
3839 Kiest Blvd.
Dallas, Texas 75233
(214) 337-2429
The Oak Leaf
Sunday Service:
10-11 AM
Adult Talkback:
11:15 AM – Noon
Youth Religious Education:
During Service (Hope Bldg.)
Young Adult Gathering
12:30 PM (Charity)
From the Editor
Beth Ferree, Editor
It’s February, the weather is just plain strange as
is the political climate. According to an odd little
rodent in Pennsylvania Spring is still a ways
away, yet Valentine’s Day proves that love still
conquers all.
The elections are just around the corner so we’re
reminded that this is the time to focus on what we
want our future to hold. What type of world do
we want our children, and grandchildren to be
born into? We are very aware things must change
if there is even going to be a future for them.
It’s February, the second month of the year and
we’ve already had too many school shootings.
Children are dying and we seem only to be
capable of sending thoughts and prayers in the
wake of tragedy.
I just discovered I’m going to be a grandmother
so this is what is on my mind today. What I, as a
mother, grandmother, and human being can do to
provide a safer world.
In this edition we celebrate Sherri Randall who
has shown us all what Social Justice can look like
if we simply decide that action, rather than
thoughts and prayers are formed. Together, we
can change the world.
February Services
18th – Standards of Beauty
We all use multiple lenses to view the world. What makes someone or something beautiful? Tracy Tanwar will be in our pulpit.
25th -The Faith Journey
We are all engaged in a process of faith development whether we realize it or not. How far one progresses down this road depends on a number of factors. Donna Leach returns to our pulpit.
2
FEBRUARY SUND AY MO NDA Y TUE SDA Y WED NE SDA Y THUR SDA Y FRID AY SATUR DAY
1
2
3 NTUUC Awards
Luncheon 12 Noon –5PM
4
Shambala Open Mediation 11:15 AM
Services 10 AM Social Justice Mtg
12:30 PM Shambala Heart of
Recovery 6:00 PM
5
A Course in Miracles
7 PM
6
Shambala Open Meditation and Dharma Talks
7 -9 PM
7
Choir Rehearsal 7-8 PM
8
9
10
11 Shambala Open
Mediation 11:15 AM Services 10 AM
Jazz Jam 5-7 PM Shambala Heart of
Recovery 6:00 PM
12
A Course in Miracles
7 PM
13
UUCOC Coordinating
Council 7PM
Shambala Open Meditation
and Dharma Talks
7 -9 PM
14
Choir Rehearsal 7-8 PM
15
16 17
18 Shambala Open
Mediation 11:15 AM Services 10 AM
LWCH Mtg. 12:30 PM
Shambala Heart of Recovery 6:00 PM
19
A Course in Miracles
7 PM
20
Shambala Open Meditation and Dharma Talks
7 -9 PM
21
Choir Rehearsal 7-8 PM
Indivisible Oak cliff Happy Hour
5-7PM
22
23 24
25 Shambala Open
Mediation 11:15 AM Services 10 AM
Shambala Heart of Recovery 6:00 PM
26 A Course in
Miracles 7 PM 9
27 Gem and Mineral
Society 7 PM
UUCOC Board mtg.
7PM
28
Choir Rehearsal 7-8 PM
Calendar at a Glance
3
Our Cottage Meetings
By: Ben Marmaduke
We have conducted all but one of our Cottage Meetings and have had great feedback from participants! The Cottage Meetings were organized to allow our congregation to get to know each other better and to hear about our own personal visions for our church. Our hope was that the Meetings would both assist in realizing the future of our church and also be the beginning of extending the boundaries of the church beyond 3839 West Kiest and into our neighborhoods. So far so good. Participants have enjoyed sharing the pot luck dinners and getting to know each other in a different context with a little more time. The general feedback is that Members want to continue periodic Cottage Meetings. We want to make sure every Member has the chance to participate in one of our Meetings, so there will be a “Make-up Cottage Meeting” at UUCOC to be announced soon. Please contact me or any board member if you would like more information. Ben Marmaduke 214-490-9022 treasurer@oakcliffuu.org
News and Information
The Breeze Project
By: Scott Grey
Not only will Breeze allow us to keep track of information such as
the areas of interest of our members so we can better coordinate
volunteer opportunities and religious education, but we will be able
to simplify many aspects of church communications. You will be
able, for example, to tell us whether you prefer to be contacted by
text message or by telephone in case of an emergency situation.
Breeze has the tools to allow us to almost instantly send out text
messages to those members who choose that option. We are
discussing other exciting options, such as being able to coordinate
ride-sharing opportunities.
Our plan is to have the system live for our membership by the end
of this month and we will be sending out additional information as
we get closer to that date.
A few FAQs:
Will my information remain private?
Only church members will have access to the system and YOU are
able to control what information you share.
Will I have to be online to maintain my profile information?
No. Our new UUCOC Administrative Assistant will be able to help in
this process.
Will this replace the current directory?
It will allow us to quickly generate printable photo or text
directories of our membership from the online database. (And
BTW - the new church website - coming shortly - will provide much
easier access to our members-only information pages, including the
directory.)
Breeze (breezechms.com) bills itself as the "world's easiest web-
based church management software for small and mid-sized
churches" and so far our initial experience with the setup and
configuration of this online system has borne out their claim!
Working with our UUCOC leadership, we are making certain that
the information we need to help manage and grow our church has
been identified and the tools we need are in place before we invite
all of our members to log on, verify, and update their profiles.
4
Indivisible Oak Cliff meets monthly
at UUCOC From the website:
Indivisible Oak Cliff is a nonpartisan group, based in Oak
Cliff, Texas. We started in January 2017, after the
Inauguration, the Women’s March, and the release of the
Indivisible Guide.
Our mission is supporting the values of inclusiveness,
the freedoms codified in the Constitution, respect for
human rights and dignity, and the peace and well-being
of future generations; and opposing government actions
and officials who disregard these values.
We founded the group with passion but limited
knowledge, so it took some months to get our footing, but
following the interests of our members, we are now
focused on voter registration and education. (More at
IndivisibleOakCliff.org)
NOTE: Everyone is welcome. You do not need to be a
resident of OakCliff to attend.
Special Events
is
.
A community dedicated to providing
support to those who suffer from mental
illness.
www.wellcommunity.org
ww
Join us every Second Sunday of the month from 5 to 7 PM
for Jazz Jam! You are welcome to listen or even join in!
Whether your chops are up, down, or out in left field you
are encouraged to bring the instrument of your choice and
have fun.
You’re welcome to BYOB, but nothing stronger than wine or
beer. We may be making music and merry, but there’s no
reason to get rowdy.
For the players who understand the “code”: you are asked
to bring your REAL books (Hal Leonard 6th Edition, Volumes
1&2). All tips will be evenly distributed among the players.
If you decide to play along please RSVP, if possible to
Jazzjam2017@labyrinthwalkcoffeehouse.com
Early voting for the primaries is February 20
to March 2.
Election Day is March 6
Remember, our local elections count!
Next Indivisible Oak Cliff Happy Hour is
February 21, 5-7 PM
Small Brewpub 333 W. Jefferson Blvd.
5
Special Events
Join us on March 4th after RE for a fish fry! It’s
a time to gather, eat fish and share a story
about when you caught that “big” one. If you
see this, ask me about my favorite feline
fishing partner. This one I ain’t “lion” about!
Bring sides, ketchup, tartar sauce and anything
else you might like to use to spice up your life,
or fish.
6
About Our Members
First Tuesday Film Festival
Co-sponsored by the Dallas Peace & Justice
Center
Every month, at 7:00pm on the first Tuesday, The
Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff screens a film
focusing on an important social justice issue. We
promise you'll come away inspired and ready to hit the
road in your own quest for a better world.
The best way to make a difference in the world is to
first learn how others have done so. Is there a film
you'd love to see to inspire you? Perhaps you have that
one movie that just recharges you before a social
justice battle. If so, please share with us and we'll see
about putting it on our list of films to show at the
UUCOC First Tuesday Social Justice Film Festival.
Retreats at UbarU This Spring
April 6-8 Men’s Retreat
April 13-15 Women’s Retreat
For more information, see www.ubaru.org. Register through this
email or at our website! We hope to see you at one of our
events!
Sherri Randall Wins NTUUC Award!!
Sherri received the Marty Robinson Award for Volunteer Service at the
Feb. 3 NTUUC Awards Luncheon.
“Sherri is the dependable volunteer who lives our UU values, whether
addressing serious social issues by providing access to award-winning
documentaries, or directing traffic in the rain and staying late to pick up
trash after a church event – and does it all with kindness and respect.
Sherri is the face of UUCOC’s First Tuesday Social Justice Film Festival.
Since assuming responsibilities for planning and setup a number of years
ago, she has kept the Film Festival going — through thick and thin. She is
superb at facilitating the after-film discussion due to her wealth of
knowledge on so many social justice topics, despite the fact that she
modestly claims all she does is set up chairs and make popcorn. Is there a
rally, protest, or parade? There's Sherri with her yellow SSL t-shirt!”
Photo at right: NTUUC Awards Committee member Elbert Hill and NTUUC
President Anita Mills present Sherri with the award.
7
Various Church Stuff
Social Justice Meeting Notes
from February 4
The February film is One Woman, One Vote. Other film options for showing were discussed and include:
Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse — To coordinate with the first quarter STP recipient. Chronicles “one man’s struggle with schizophrenia and examines the actions of the police officers responsible for his death, exposing a city grappling with accountability in the death of an innocent, unarmed man.” Willie Valasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice — “Political empowerment for Latinos in the United States has always faced adverse circumstances. From poll taxes and gerrymandering to outright intimidation, Latinos have been kept from the ballot box in both local and national elections throughout history. A Mexican-American butcher’s son from San Antonio, Texas, Willie Velasquez questioned the lack of Latino representation in his city’s government, propelling him into a lifelong battle to gain political equality for Latinos.”
TCADP (Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty) contacted us about cosponsoring the film True Conviction. Screening cost is high, but Sherri is checking into the possibility of a sliding scale.
The homeless count was done and discussed. The purpose of the count to determine federal funding for programs needed to combat the issue.
From the filmmakers: On a summer afternoon in 2006, James Chasse was stopped by three law enforcement officers in Portland, Oregon. A dozen eyewitnesses watched in horror as they tackled, beat, kicked, and Taser'd James until he lay motionless on the pavement with 16 broken ribs and a punctured lung. He died in the back seat of a Portland Police car two hours later. This documentary chronicles one man’s struggle with schizophrenia and examines the actions of the police officers responsible for his death, exposing a city grappling with accountability in the death of an innocent, unarmed man. From the director, Brian Lindstrom “Using interviews, personal writings, archival footage, official documents and depositions the film explores James Chasse’s life and the actions and decisions that led to his death. What emerges is an intimate and complex story of one man’s life, the struggle for his family to find justice after his tragic death, and a city and a system grappling with accountability.”
"Infuriating, tragic, heartbreaking and incendiary in equal measures...plays out like a horror film and leaves you absolutely
breathless." - AP Kryza, Willamette Week
8
Social Justice Meeting Sunday, February 4
12:30pm, Hope
(1st Sunday)
Coordinating Council Mtg. Tuesday, February 13
7pm, Faith Lobby
LWCH Planning Meeting Sunday, February 18
(Third Sunday)
Worship Ministry Meeting Sunday, February 25
12:30pm, Hope
(4th Sunday)
UUCOC Board Meeting Tuesday, February 27
7pm, Faith Lobby
(4th Tuesday)
Who’s Who, What’s What and When’s That?
Board of Trustees: (1 year term) President: Vijay Tanwar (2018) Vice President: Darvin Stephens (2018) Secretary: Susan Ammons (2018)
Endowment Fund Managers (3 years) Sherri van der Wege (’19) David Biehl (’18) Stephen Betzen (’20)
Board of Trustees (2 years) Treasurer: Ben Marmaduke (’19) Trustees: Jose Espericuenta (’19) Charlie Cranford (’19) Kathy Grey (’18)
Leadership Development Committee (2 years) Chair: Brad Guerrero-Neri (’19) Barbara Fudge (’18) Becky Brown (’18) Robertus van der Wege (’19) Gus Warren (’19)
Past President: Dan Brown
Sherri in her element
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