The Beacon

B I S M A R C K - M A N D A N U N I T A R I A N U N I V E R S A L I S T F E L L O W S H I P & C H U R C H

818 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501

701-223-6788

WEBSITE: bismanuu.org EMAIL: office@bismanuu.org

October 2014

Sunday Services & Children’s Programs: 10:30 AM

Fellowship & Refreshments: Following Service

Church Calendar An asterisk (*) indicates related article

* SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 Coming Out as Allies Photo Shoot—10 am-8 pm

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 Sunday Service, 10:30 am

* SATURDAY. OCTOBER 11 Special Event with Rev. Ian Evison

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 Program Area Meeting, 9:00 am

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 Sunday Service, 10:30 am

* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 Visitor Orientation 11:45 am-12:15 pm

SUNDAY. OCTOBER 12 Board of Trustees Meeting, 12:00 pm

* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 CROP Walk on Capital Steps 1:30 pm

* THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 Webinar—Nurturing Generosity, 6:45-8 pm

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 UU Women’s Lunch at Minerva’s, 12:00 N

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 Sunday Service, 10:30 am

* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 Stewardship Lunch, 11:30 am

* TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 Webinar—Nurturing Generosity, 6:45-8 pm

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 Sunday Service, 10:30 am

* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 Welcoming New Members, during service

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 PPP Gathering—Note different day—12:00 N

* THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 Ruth Meier’s Volunteer Opportunity 11 am-12:45 pm

The BisMan UU Monthly Newsletter—Sharing Unitarian Universalist Values in the Capital City Area

Sunday, October 5 I WANT TO BE WHOLE. AND I WANT YOU TO JOIN ME.

Megan Carranza

Megan will share the importance of Coming Out as an LGBTQ Ally

with perspectives from a transgender priest on faith and Coming

Out. Being LGBTQ is just part of the whole.

Megan is a ND native whose career has focused on Immigrants,

Adult Education, and more recently, includes Veterans.

Sunday, October 12 CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Rev. Ian Evison

It is clear to us all that the times are changing. What does that mean

for us in the UU faith community? Rev. Ian Evison will offer some

ideas for how we can look ahead and strengthen our UU presence

and identity as individuals, families and as a community.

Rev. Ian Evison is a Congregational Life Consultant and Lead Staff

Person with the MidAmerica Region of the UUA.

Sunday, October 19 HOW DO WE DO IT ALL?

Janis Cheney & Colleen Reinke

It is important, in every area of our lives, to be good stewards of our

resources. In our church community, 'stewardship' is our shared

responsibility to support and grow the organization for the benefit

of each member, our families, friends and our larger community.

Janis Cheney and Colleen Reinke will offer reflections about their

personal commitment and suggest ways for us all to consider what

is, and how we meet, the needs of our shared ministry.

Janis has been a member of the BisMan UU for 32 years and has

served in a variety of leadership positions. She recently began a 3

year term on the MidAmerica Regional UU Board. Colleen has been

an active member since 2008 and has also contributed her talent in

leadership. She currently is president of the Board of Trustees.

Sunday, October 26 THIS I BELIEVE AND THIS I DO

Aruna Seth

As UUs, we hold a belief in 7 Principles and the sentiment that what

we do while here on Earth matters. Aruna Seth will share her spiri-

tual journey and how she lives our UU principles.

Aruna is a longtime friend and active member of our church and-

community. She served on the Bismarck School Board and she and

her husband Vinod have brought joy and peace through their work

in the Gandhi Peace Network.

Our new members and their families will be welcomed today.

The Beacon Page 2

Stewardship Lunch!

Immediately following service on October 19th!

Your Financial Task Force has developed tools for the annual

stewardship drive, which will begin by early October.

The stewardship drive will culminate in a Stewardship Lunch

after the service on October 19, where the congregation will

receive their pledge cards for the coming year. We will ask

that pledge cards be returned by November 1.

All are welcome to attend the Stewardship Lunch. This will not

be a potluck, simply come, enjoy the food that will be pre-

pared for you, and listen to what I’m sure will be a fabulous

discussion regarding the future of our church!

The board will take the pledge total and compare that to the

proposed budget, then prepare a presentation for the annual

meeting of the congregation. The annual meeting will take

place the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgiving this year on Novem-

ber 23. Everyone is welcome, though only official members

may vote for the new board. If you are not yet a member, but

are interested in becoming one before the annual meeting,

please visit with Carol Jean Larsen.

Save the Date!

October 11, Saturday

4:00 pm, Dynamic Discussion

6:00 pm, Fabulous Potluck Supper

Our guest speaker on Sunday, October 12 will be Rev

Ian Evison from the UUA MidAmerica Region. On Satur-

day, in conjunction with Ian's visit, we will have a terrific

opportunity for a “future oriented” conversation, fun,

and food.

All members and friends are welcomed to either one or

both of the following activities:

4:00 pm Facilitated Discussion

We'll explore visions, variables, versatility...opening the

windows and doors of our thinking; sharing information,

ideas and insight into the future of Unitarian Universal-

ism in our corner of the world. It will be an opportunity

to consider our connections and contributions to each

other, our community and the wider UU movement.

6:00 pm Potluck Supper—Sign up will be at church!

Ian Evison is a Congregational Life Consultant and Lead

Staff Person with the MidAmerica Region of the UUA.

Ian’s passions include leadership development, how

congregations can respond strategically to financial

stress and smart uses of technology.

Ian’s personal passions include gardening, woodwork-

ing, and cooking.

Ian background: Director of Research at the Alban Insti-

tute in Virginia; Dean and Interim President at Mead-

ville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago; minister

of the UU congregation in Niagara Falls, New York. He

has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity

School and a D.Min. from Meadville/Lombard Theologi-

cal School.

If you have further questions, please contact Tammy,

Janis Cheney or Don Morrison - and watch for the pot-

luck sign up at church. Mostly, please plan to partici-

pate.

Hope to see YOU there!

Visitor Orientation

Sunday, October 12, 2014

11:45 am—12:15 pm

Meet in the UU Library

Bring your questions and comments. Join UU members

Janis Cheney and Carol Jean Larsen for an informal con-

versation. We’ll meet in our great UU library which is

available for you to use.

…………………………………………………………………..

Welcoming New Members

We will acknowledge and welcome new members dur-

ing the church service on October 26. Anyone interested

in membership should contact Carol Jean Larsen at 701-

517-7848 or at

cjlarsen43@bis.midco.net

Page 3 The Beacon

Denominational Affairs

National Call To Action

A Team from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

participated in the People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21. An estimated 400,000 people, includ-

ing 1,500 Unitarian Universalists, took to the streets to demand that the world’s leaders address the crisis of climate

change.

In the face of this historic threat to our existence on the planet, the UUA and UUSC are joining with the UUA Ministry

for Earth and the UUA College of Social Justice in Commit2Respond, a religious response to the crisis of climate

change. Commit2Respond is an initiative for climate justice awareness and action. We invite UUs and all people of

faith and conscience to commit to respond in these three action areas:

Grow the climate justice movement

Advance the human rights of marginalized communities

Shift to clean and renewable energy

Commit2Respond starts now. The period between World Water Day on March 22, 2015, and Earth Day on April 22

will focus on explicit commitments in the service of climate justice. We will continue this vital work through the

United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2015 and on through the 2017 UUA General Assembly.

Learn more about this initiative on the Commit2Respond website. Everyone, regardless of religious affilia-

tion or lack thereof, is invited to join us in our commitment to respond to the dangers of climate change.

CROP WALK feeds people. Did you go out to a restaurant for dinner last week? Or in the last

month? Most of us have, and it may be a treat for us, or the usual meal for others. The $25 you

spent could go instead to provide 50 baby chicks to a village, providing protein and income to a

family in need. The average cost for a family of four to go out to dinner could provide seeds and

tools to help 3 families start a garden and feed themselves for months!

It is easy feed people. By making one small sacrifice of donating the money that would have gone to a night out, we

can change the lives of people here in our community and around the world.

Join this year’s CROP WALK on October 12, 2014. Registration, games and activities for all ages begin at 12:30 p.m.

The walk will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the State Capitol steps!

Volunteer Opportunity

Thursday, October 30th, is our last day to serve the

noon meal at the Ruth Meiers Hospitality House in

2014. This short volunteer gig gives the congrega-

tion some visibility, and helps those who serve

learn more about the changes taking place in our

community. Pat Conrad needs 3 volunteers to help

her with this event. Anyone interested in helping

out from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM that day? Call Pat at

701.258.6388 or email:

patriciaryanconrad@msn.com

UU Folk Choir

It's officially Fall, and the UU Folk Choir meets to

practice at 9:45 on Sunday mornings. We welcome

anyone with an interest in sharing the joy of music.

If you have any questions you can reach Jean King

at 471-7151 or jking@bis.midco.net. Hope to see

you there. :-)

Page 4 The Beacon

Candles for the Journey

Our thoughts are with Stephen Crane who lost his father during the middle of September. Steve lit candles in church on several occasions last spring as his father's health was declining

We give a cheer for Leeila Bina who completed her course of treatment for breast cancer this summer. According to her follow-up appointments, she is now cancer free

We are saddened to learn of the death of Bob Saueressig this past weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. Bob and his wife Heidi were affiliated with our congregation before they moved to Madison, Indiana several years ago. Bob was an artist who attended our services most recently when he had an art showing at BAGA in the spring of 2013. Our thoughts are with his wife Heidi and children Kip and Tanya and their families; and to UU member, Mylo Candee, Bob's former partner in advertising.

Smorgas-Board

The board is in the process of analyzing the “jobs”

that need to be done at the church in order to

keep things running smoothly. We will be looking

at our needs and the positions that are necessary

to fill those needs. We want to make sure that the

church is functioning as efficiently as possible, and

will be presenting our findings and recommenda-

tions to the congregation in the near future.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee will be seeking nomi-

nations for the UU board, and elections will be at

the annual meeting in November.

October 16, 2014 Thursday, October 16, 2014 6:45pm - 8:00pm WEBINAR: Nurturing

Generosity in Your Congregation

October 21, 2014 Tuesday, October 21, 2014 6:45pm - 8:00pm WEBINAR: Nurturing

Generosity in Your Congregation

November 06, 2014 Thursday, November 06, 2014 6:45pm - 8:00pm WEBINAR: UU

History and Your Congregation

November 13, 2014 Thursday, November 13, 2014 6:45pm - 8:00pm WEBINAR: Creative

Inclusion: Living Into Our Radical Welcome

November 20, 2014 Thursday, November 20, 2014 6:45pm - 8:00pm WEBINAR: Creative

Inclusion: Living Into Our Radical Welcome

Regional Webinars If any of the webinars listed below sound interesting,

please call the church office. Webinars can be done ei-

ther as a group at the church or with personal computers

at home in your slippers.

Camp UniStar is Hiring! UU Family Camp UniStar, located on a peninsula on Star Island near Bemidji in northern Minnesota is now hir-

ing for summer 2015. Got to: http://www.campunistar.org/jobs for more information!

Page 5 The Beacon

Coming Out as ALLIES Campaign Photo Shoot!

Dakota OutRight's Coming Out as Allies Campaign will be digital with future option to print and will be shared

on our website and social media.

Join us on Saturday, October 4 for just 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. - your participation in our

awareness campaign will help improve the climate of our community. The photo shoot will be held at the Uni-

tarian Universalist Congregation at 818 E. Divide Avenue in Bismarck.

Use the power you have as an ally to help break barriers in central and western North Dakota so that more

LGBTQ people can feel safe coming out. Everyone deserves the ability to truly be themselves without fear of

repercussion.

Please email dakotaoutright@gmail.com or call Jennifer at 701-989-1762 with any questions or to book your

photo shoot!

Wayde Schafer and Carol Jean Larsen

(pictured left), UU Social Action

members, along with a group of con-

cerned citizens, called on Montana

Dakota Utility to retire its mercury-

polluting Heskett Coal Plant.

Following an October 2 press confer-

ence, the group paddled down the

river to demonstrate the importance

of keeping the Missouri clean so

North Dakotans can safely enjoy rec-

reational activities.

Page 6 The Beacon

The following two pages provide a summary, put together by the League of Women Voters, of Constitutional Amendments and Statutory Initiatives. You may find this helpful as you go to the polls in November.

Page 7 The Beacon

Vision Statement

We will be a vibrant, caring, spiritual community

for all who seek an inspirational and

religious home.

Mission Statement

We are a fellowship of free minds, welcoming

all, a beacon of enlightenment and sanctuary,

and offering a call to build a better self,

community and world.

Religious Education Mission Statement

The Bismarck-Mandan Unitarian Universalist

Fellowship seeks to provide a path for spiritual

inquiry for people of all ages.

Welcoming Congregation

We are a Unitarian Universalist Welcoming

Congregation that seeks to be a spiritual home

for people of free faith regardless of race, color,

gender, affectional or sexual orientation, age,

national origin, socioeconomic status,

physical or mental ability.

2014 Board of Trustees and Staff

President, Colleen Reinke cjreinke@gmail.com

Vice President, Tim Hathaway hathaway.timothy.l@gmail.com

Secretary, Marnie Piehl piehl.patch@gmail.com

Treasurer, Lisa Omlid omlid.lisa@gmail.com

Director, Molly Brooks brooks.molly@gmail.com

Office Administrator Tammy Hathaway

Church phone: 701-223-6788 Cell phone: 701-426-9307

E-mail: office@bismanuu.org

Bis-Man UU Fellowship & Church

Check out our Website!

www.bismanuu.org

P.O. Box 297

Bismarck, ND 58502

We are on Facebook!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday thru Friday: 9:00—2:00 PM

It is ALWAYS a good idea to call first before stopping by: 701.223.6788

Very Useful Links

Unitarian Universalist Association

www.uua.org

Mid America Region

http://midamericauua.org/

Quest for Meaning

(Church of the Larger Fellowship Young Adult Forum—VERY cool!)

www.questformeaning.org