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Get involved with the life of your church:

We are looking for...

• Coffee Hour Hosts - Please contact Suzan B-W. (reimbursements available)
• Readers & Worship Leaders - Please contact Gail F. or Manny S.
• Help with Sanctuary Care & Up-keep - Please contact Marilee N.
• Tutors & Literacy Volunteers - Please contact Lin C.
• Companions for the home-bound and sick - Please contact Carol S. or Manny S.
• Members 40ish and younger to host young adult gatherings: game nights, potlucks, etc. - Please contact Sadie C.
• People with a strong commitment to racial justice - Please contact Brooke R.

Since we are an advocating congregation with the Faith Action Network, we are looking for some good social action advocates to march, write letters, and help affect positive change! If that's you, please contact Tom N.

This Week at UBC:

The Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation Team meeting is CANCELED due to inclement weather.

The Congregational Care Team invites you to a meeting this Saturday, January 21st at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room. If you are interested in being part of this Team, please join in to help plan and brainstorm how to best provide care for our faith community.

Lift up your voice and sing with the UBC Choir! The choir gathers to practice at 9:15 am in the sanctuary every Sunday.

Join us this coming Sunday, January 22nd, at 10:30 a.m. for a wonderful worship celebration in which our faith community will explore Jonah 3.1-5,10 and Mark 1.14-20, with a sermon titled “Unexpected Transformations.”

Caring and Coping continues on Monday, January 23rd at 6:30 p.m. 

The Working Group on Race will meet on Wednesday, January 25th at 6:30pm.

The Communications Team will not meet until further notice.

Upcoming Events:

The Stewardship Council Retreat will be held from 10a.m. to 3p.m. on Saturday, January 28th.

The Congregational Annual Meeting will be held on January 29th after worship. Please mark your calendar!

A memorial service for Annabelle Jacobsen, former member of UBC, who passed away early Saturday, January 31st, will be at 1p.m. on February 25th at Rose Hill Presbyterian Church in Kirkland (12202 NE 90th Street).

Please plan to join Pastor Manny for “Lunch with the Pastor” on Sunday, February 5^th at 12:30 p.m. for a discussion on the book of Revelation! Bring your questions, concerns, and your brown bag lunch!

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Community Events:

2010 CNN Hero of the Year Anuradha Koirala will make two appearances in Seattle.  Seattle University's College of Education and The Center for the Study of Justice in Society invite you to an evening with Anuradha on Thursday, January 19th from 7 - 9 p.m. at Seattle University's Pigott Auditorium.  Admission is free. No registration required. Space and parking is limited.  Visit www.seattleu.edu/coe for more information.

Move To Amend Occupies The Courts: Join them on Friday, January 20, for a rally at the Federal Courthouse (700 Stewart Street). Bring signs and banners between 10- 4 to show your solidarity with your fellow humans, grassroots organizations and local governments countrywide, entertainment and speakers from 11 to 2. (At the US Supreme Court and 77 Federal Courts so far! 700 Stewart Street Seattle.) The action continues from 12-4 on Saturday, January 21 with a rally, entitled: People Ignited

Join the Fig Tree and FAN for an Eastern Washington legislative conference on Sat., January 21, 8:45 AM-3:00 PM at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, 127 E. 12th Ave., Spokane.

Keynote speaker Julia K. Stronks, JD, PhD, of Whitworth University, will speak on "The Global Economy and Us." Workshop sessions include State Budget Issues, Advocating Congregations, Environmental Stewardship, and time for interaction with the keynoter and panelists on Faith and the Economy. For information, contact Malcolm Haworth at The Fig Tree, (509) 535-4112, or Rev. Paul Benz at FAN, (206) 625-9790 or .
AgainstCitizens United.  They’ll have informative speeches, music, and interpretive activities at Westlake Park (4^th & Pine). At 2pm, they will march from Westlake to Seattle City Hall and continue on to the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building (915 Second Avenue, between Marion & Madison). For more information: http://movetoamend.org/occupythecourts                                           

Installation service for the Rev. Bruce Chittick as Pastor of Burton Community Church will take place on Sunday, January 22nd from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The preacher for the occasion will be the Rev. Eliana Maxim. Burton Community Church,  23905 Vashon Highway SW Vashon Island, WA 98013

Attend this year’s annual worship service in observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Sponsored by the Church Council of Greater Seattle, The School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University, the Archdiocese of Seattle and First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Seattle, this year we will hear from Father Michael Ryan, Dean of St. James Cathedral along with Presiding Elder Shermella Garrett of the AME, and the First AME Choir, New Directions, under the direction of Sandra Smith-Jackson.  We are delighted to be hosted by First Episcopal Methodist Church of Seattle, 1522 14^th Ave  - Seattle 98122 as they observe the 125^th anniversary of their congregation. The celebration will be held on the Tuesday of the Week of Prayer, January 24, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

Environmental Lobby Day is set for Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at the State Capitol. No one who attends this exciting and engaging day goes away unchanged. Participating in the democratic process is joyful and empowering. Please join Earth Ministry staff, many people of faith, and friends of the environment throughout Washington State in Olympia to meet your legislators and support good climate legislation. Your voice will make a difference! Registration for Lobby Day will be available in January

As part of the Engage Seattle initiative, in order to ensure that as many people as possible who live, work, or play in Seattle are able to voice their concerns and offer their feedback directly to the mayor, they're holding a series of town halls in every part of the city, and there's one coming up next month in our area. The Mayor's Town Hall Monday event will be on February 6th at the University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE. From 5:30 to 6:30 pm: Community information fair; from 6:30 to 6:40 pm: Performance by local artists; from 6:40 to 8:00pm: Open Q&A with Mayor McGinn and City staff. The University Heights Center is located near the 30, 48, 66, 67, 71, 72, 73, 74, 83, and 373 bus stops; for full transit directions, please go to metro.kingcounty.gov.

An important advocacy event concerning our state budget and policy is scheduled for the near future. If interested, give Lin C. a call and he will be glad to connect you with other UBC folks that plan to attend. The Faith Action Network has an InterFaith Advocacy Day on February 14th (United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave. SE, Olympia, WA). To register for this event, go to their website or call: Faith Action Network ( www.fanwa.org  206-625-9790).

Looking forward:

Attend the Earth Care Summit: Environmental Justice and Faith on January 30 between 5:30-8:30pm at the Highland Christian Center (7600 NE Gilsan St, Portland, OR).  Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns invites all congregations striving to care for creation and our communities to learn, share, and be inspired at its third annual Earth Care Summit.  The event will include a locally-grown dinner, keynote and presentations from congregations about their greening efforts.  Resource people from the community will be on hand to discuss a variety of topics on putting faith into action around environmental justice, including food justice, transit equity, and environmental health. Come network with others and be inspired! Congregations and denominations are encouraged to co-sponsor. You may register securely online, or download a registration brochure.

You are invited to join a virtual conversation with Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, author of Listen to the Children: Conversations with Immigrant Families. In addition to discussing her book, Elizabeth will also answer questions and respond to comments on the challenging topic of immigration. Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. PST Registration is free! Register HERE. If you haven't read Listen to the Children, there's still time, and it's a quick, enjoyable read (less than 100 pages)! Remember, Judson Press books are always 20% off on their website. See details HERE. 

The Search for Meaning Book Festival will be held on Saturday, February 4th from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Seattle University's campus. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited so registration is required. Over 40 authors surrounding the human search for meaning on issues of spirituality, faith and social justice. The diverse group of guest authors, both men and women, represent a range of belief systems and faith traditions. Tickets are still available for overflow seating for NY Times bestselling author and official chaplain of the Colbert Report, Fr. James Martin, S.J. and also for the four general sessions. To register for the overflow seating or general sessions, visit www.searchformeaning.us. To learn about some of the authors, click here.

Recycling made FREE & EASY: Saturday , February 4th, from 10:00AM-3:00PM at University Congregational United Church of Christ 4515 16th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Bring your recyclable items (working or not!) to the event. Proceeds from recycled raw materials fund operations and benefit local charities, homeless shelters, and food banks. Seattle Children’s Hospital and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital are among those assisted through your recycling donations.

Vancouver First Congregational United Church of Christ is organizing teams for an Interfaith March for Marriage Equality from Vancouver to Olympia, February 9-15. The march begins with a prayer breakfast in Vancouver on the 9th and ends on the Capitol steps on the 15th. The Equality Day Rally is the next day in Olympia, Feb. 16. Find more information about the march and organizing a team in this flyer. Registration deadline is January 19. Contact or (360) 693-1476 with questions. Clergy and lay leaders are sought for the prayer breakfast/first day of the march and for the arrival in Olympia.

The Marcus Borg Lecture Series will be here in February.  On Friday, February 10, from 7 - 8:30 pm, Dr. Borg will present a lecture on "Speaking Christian: The Problem and a Way Forward".  Saturday, February 11, 2012, Marcus Borg will give a series of 3 lectures from 9 am - 2:30 pm, titled: "Speaking of Christian Yearning: Salvation, Kingdom of Heaven, Eternal Life.  This World or Next?", "Speaking of Christian Values: Mercy and Righteousness? Or Compassion and Justice?", "Speaking of Good Friday and Easter: What is the Gospel?" The cost is $15 - $50 and tickets are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/211853.

Interfaith Advocacy Day is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14th at the United Churches and State Capitol in Olympia. This event, sponsored by Earth Ministry, the Washington Association of Churches, the Lutheran Public Policy Office, the Religious Coalition for the Common Good, and several other religious organizations, brings people of faith from all over Washington to Olympia for a day to advocate for a unified social justice agenda. On this day, Earth Ministry members and friends come together to speak as one voice with the larger faith community on behalf of creation care and protection of our climate. This year, because our goals are strong and challenging, your voice is particularly important to convince legislators to be bold in voting for climate protection. Questions? Email or call 206-625-9790.

You are invited to a gathering focusing on Spirit Inspired Leadership for the Common Good on Friday, February 24th from 6 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, February 25th from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Dumas Bay Center, 3200 SW Dash Point Rd., Federal Way. Exploring and re-membering what it means to be a Spirit inspired leader for the common good is the purpose of this gathering - most importantly what it means for you as you respond to your longing for compassionate social justice. For more information and registration, contact Judith at or Bill at . Registrations made prior to January 20th for the retreat and Saturday lunch are $240. For Friday night lodging and Saturday breakfast, add $60. Registrations after January 20th add 20%.

The Evergreen Region's fund-raiser for Haiti will be on Saturday, March 3rd at 7 pm at FBC, Seattle. This will be a musical performance, where we would like to have performances by soloists, quartets, bands, choirs, etc. from all over the Evergreen Region. IF YOU ARE MUSICAL, PLEASE PARTICIPATE! If not, please plan to come enjoy the music and help support this regional fundraiser. Funds will go especially for construction material to build a new school for the mission.

Come to the 2nd Annual Downtown Volunteer Fair on Sunday, March 4th from 1-4pm and explore ways to volunteer. You can visit tables featuring 35 downtown social services agencies, plus special sessions on using political advocacy to meet basic needs. It will be at the Christ Our Hope Catholic Church, at 1902 Second Ave. For more information, please call (206)448-8826 or visit www.AnualDowntownVolunteerFair.org

Saturday, April 14, 2012 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. "Why, God, Why?" Breaking the Cycle of Violence at Bothell United Methodist Church.

SAVE THE DATE: The 4th Annual Save The Frogs Day - April 28th, 2012. Find more information at savethefrogs.com/day. 

The Seattle Race Conference is Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at Seattle University. The keynotes are confirmed and it’s going to be an amazing event. The theme for this year is Building Community to End Environmental Racism: Learn, Connect, Flourish. The tracks include 1) Where We’re At: The Environment We Live In, 2) Strategies for Change: The Environment that Supports Us, 3) Where We’re Going: The Environment Where all Flourish. For more information, visit www.SeattleRaceConference.org. Contact Mona Baghdadi to get involved: 253.232.4763, . They are currently looking for additional financial sponsors and planning team members.

Ongoing:

Tuesdays, 7-8 pm – Kundalini Yoga for increased energy, strength and flexibility, and a sense of well-being. Room 226, UCC. $6 donation per class.

Judson Park Retirement Community in Des Moines, WA, seeks volunteer musicians for their Sunday evening (6:00pm) services. Contact Bill Painter at 206.870.6676 or for more information.

Senior Services Transportation Program is seeking volunteer drivers to help senior get to their medical appointments on time. The program is flexible, allowing you to use your own vehicle and choose the days and times you drive. If you’re interested, please reach out to Melissa at 206.748.7588 or .

In June, 2011, the Burma military renewed attacks against the Kachin people of northern Burma. There are now an estimated 30,000 Kachin living in hiding in the jungles, in camps set up by Kachin Baptist churches, or in the borderlands of China. This is in addition to over 700,000 refugees from Burma already living in Thailand, Malaysia, and India. In September and November, Rev. Sandra Hasenauer, associate executive director of AB Women's Ministries, traveled to the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., with other American Baptists serving on our denomination's Burma Refugee Task Force (ABCUSA). The delegates advocated for the rights of refugees from Burma in the U.S. and abroad, and pressed for the U.S. to increase its pressure on Burma's government to stop human rights abuses and engage in dialogue with ethnic minorities in a true democratic process. Although the U.S. news is currently reporting improvement in the situation in Burma, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's pending visit certainly offers some small glimmer of hope, the reality is that while U.S. and Burma are engaged in diplomatic conversations, the military continues to confiscate property, burn entire villages, gang-rape women, imprison and torture men, and kill civilians. We urge American Baptist women to lead in prayer and action on behalf of the peoples of Burma.

What You Can Do 

• Educate yourself on the situation in Burma. Google "Human Rights Burma", or begin by visiting these websites:  http://womenofburma.org/; http://www.kachinwomen.com/; http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/11/03/burma-s-continuing-human-rights-challenges; http://www.chro.ca/; http://www.khrg.org/.  
• Explore the relationship between Burma and American Baptists. Visit http://www.abwministries.org/resources/category.cfm?CategoryID=84 for resources.
• Pray for the people of Burma. Put specific prayer requests on your church and women's ministry prayer list as you follow the news and learn about the situation.
• Have a special time of worship or prayer vigil. Share planning and leadership with members of ethnic communities of Burma living in your own community, if possible; use videos or music available at the sites listed on this page.
• Contact your congresspersons and urge continued attention to human rights abuses in Burma and increased pressure on the Burma government for real transformation. Visit U.S. Campaign for Burma at www.uscampaignforburma.org for information about the UN Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in Burma, and other advocacy efforts.
  This message was received from the American Baptist Women's Ministries, ABCUSA, www.abwmbreakthechains.org, www.abwministries.org