Let music help you get into this month's theme with a playlist on Spotify (free to listen). Click the link below.

Join Rev. Dawn this week in a moment of meditation as they crush some toxic theology with a reading from Rev. Theresa Inez Soto's book Spilling the Light.

A playlist of Rev. Dawn's Midweek Meditations can be found HERE. Videos on YouTube include closed captioning.

Rev. Dawn is available for pastoral care appointments Wednesday through Friday 10am to 3pm. Please email minister@uucsjs.org to schedule an appointment.

I'm sure most of you know that one of my biggest responsibilities as the Director of Religious Education here at UUCSJS is to offer classes and workshops on faith development for our children and youth. In the last year, we have been able to continue to do this with our "RE on TV" videos, the self-paced Quest of the Rainbow Dragons, and the Soulful Home resources that guide families in faith development together at home.

Another of my responsibilities is community building. We have been able to offer our children and youth this connection with our weekly kid's virtual snacktime and our twice-monthly game nights. And this month I am so excited to begin a small group ministry for parents and caregivers! Called "Parents and Caregivers as Sexuality Educators" and aimed at parents and caregivers of children aged elementary through high school, these group sessions will engage participants in topics including Gender Identity, Relationships, Social Media, and Consent. This group will meet on the first Friday of every month at 7pm on Zoom starting this month. We welcome those who are parenting, grandparenting, or caregiving in any way whether they are members of this congregation or not. It is not too late to register HERE.

In faith and fellowship,

Jessica Dunn Safonof

Director of Religious Education

-Lay Speaker Heather Swenson Brilla

Join us and guest speaker, Heather Swenson Brilla, as we start off our month of beloved community.

Join us Sunday at 10 am at www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom or call in to (929)436-2866 then enter: 2246776604#, 0#, 306591#. Make sure to update your Zoom software before Sunday morning so you aren't late to church!

Information on upcoming services can be found HERE.

For those hearing-impaired, pdf copies of Rev. Dawn's sermons are available on our website at the link above. Also, entire services are uploaded to our YouTube channel each Sunday afternoon where Closed Captioning is available.

In case you weren't able to join us last Sunday, here is what you missed.

Click on the graphic below or visit the calendar at uucsjs.org for more information on events and meetings.

To have your announcement placed in the Midweek Message, please send an email to uucsjsadmin@gmail.com by Noon on Wednesday.

Margaret Circle will meet on Zoom on Thursday, February 4, 2021, at 1:00 pm.

Rev. Dawn Fortune will be our guest, and will speak to our questions, such as “what will our return to the building look like?" and “what are the new directions that the UUA is advocating?”

Your questions will be welcome. Join us.

Contact Betsy Searight or email uucsjsadmin@gmail.com for more information.

ATTENTION UUCSJS! HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND!

A social justice call to action: help the Eastern Service Workers Association (in Pleasantville) with their annual Tamale fundraiser - making and purchasing tamales!! Deliveries will be made this weekend, February 6 & 7.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE! ORDER YOUR TAMALES BELOW!

Text or call Colby Tippins for more information. Or email uucsjsadmin@gmail.com.

Have you read a poem lately that you were awed by, or do you have a favorite poem that you love?

Maybe you write poetry yourself and would like to read it to an audience.

Deb Dagavarian is putting together a Sunday service on April 11 on poetry. The theme for April is “Becoming.”

You can pre-record yourself on your phone and Jess will put it together with others for the service. This is a great chance for someone who doesn’t enjoy speaking in front of others to participate in a service. You don’t even need to be a member of the congregation to do this!

All ages are welcome.

And feel free to select more than one poem, especially if you wrote it yourself.

Please email or text Deb soon to get added to her list. For more information, email uucsjsadmin@gmail.com.

The book club will meet Friday, February 19 at 7pm on ZOOM to discuss In the Country of Women by Susan Straight.

Susan Straight’s memoir traces the immigration and history of the women who came before her three daughters. A moving tribute to ancestors. In the Country of Women is a book about resilience and love that beautifully celebrates the American immigrant story.

Barb Morell will be leading the discussion and all are welcome to join. Contact Barb or email uucsjsadmin@gmail.com for more information.

March's Book Club pick is Tell Me How it Ends by Valeria Luiselli.

Here you will find opportunities to connect with our larger faith and other UU's from outside our congregation.

Click on the images for more information.

Friday, March 5, 2021, 7 to 8:30 PM, online

UU FaithAction NJ’s (UUFANJ) UU Justice Gala 2021 will be our fun annual fundraiser. Racial Justice is the theme to highlight the overarching goal of the dismantling racism work across all our Task Forces.

The gala will have:

• Music and a breakout activity to get people moving,
• You can bid via the UUFANJ website before the event for themed gift and food baskets, delivered to the winners’ doorsteps,
• A drawing for a door prize from among event attendees

Register by January 31st at https://www.uufaithaction.org/.

There will be a sliding scale registration fee for the gala - youth and friends of UUFANJ are warmly invited.

In faith,

Elaine Nigam and Lynne Quinto, Co-Chairs

UU Justice Gala 2021 Planning Committee

Sunday Services 10 am on Zoom at tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom

Email: uucsjsadmin@gmail.com
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS