Greetings to all!
One of my favorite times of the week is the Friday morning open house at 10:30. You can join us by clicking on the link on the front page of UUSS.org. We share and laugh and play games.  My spirits are always lifted by our times together.  This past Friday the group considered the question that I will try to answer in my homily this Sunday: What can the earth teach us for times such as these?  I am looking forward to sharing their responses at the service this Sunday at 11 AM. Doug and Erika Kraft will also share a gift of music, so please make sure to tune in.  It has been wonderful to see and hear our musicians share their gifts each Sunday and Tuesday at our services.

As we settled into week six of “sheltering in place” Rev. Roger and I are making a change in the programming. The Wednesday night open house is going to morph into an Exploring UU class.  Each Wednesday Rev. Roger or I will teach a class on various aspects of Unitarian Universalism. The class material and format will be similar to our Exploring classes that we used to offer before church on the third Sunday (and will again!) but we will expand our time (to one hour from 45 minutes) and themes. This class will have some presentation and some sharing among participants so it’s a great chance to see each other and interact. Rev. Roger will kick of this weekly event with “Principles and Sources of our Faith.” Join us Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. through the  zoom link here or on the front page of UUSS.org.

I am grateful to those who are reading our messages and helping us improve our communication. Several of you noted, with questions or irony, that last week we sent out a communication requesting donations and another warning you about requests for donations! Such are the times we are living in.  Be wary of direct email solicitations from either Roger or I, and check with us through phone or uuss.org email addresses before responding in any way.  Meanwhile, give generously to support people who are deeply affected by the pandemic.  If you are one of those people, please reach out to Rev. Roger or I directly so we can offer you support.
We miss you and would love the hear from you. Do not hesitate to call or email, even if it’s just to say hello. If we don’t get back to you right away, please know that we have received your message and our hearts were lifted. We are doing are best to stay connected in this challenging time.   Remember to check the web page for access to the calendar of events, our Facebook page and a link to the most recent ministerial messages.
Sending love (and virtual hugs) to all,
Rev. Lucy

In Loving Memory

We extend our condolences to our member Mary Goldberg on the loss of her husband, Dr. Harvey Goldberg, at age 91. After a series of illnesses and hospitalizations over more than a year, he died peacefully at home with family present on March 29. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he was one of the first of his family to attend college. Harvey served many years locally as an obstetrician and gynecologist. His obituary appeared in the Sacramento Bee on April 7.

We extend our condolences to our member Nancy Oprsal on the loss of her teaching colleague and friend Sally Weinland on Feb. 18, at age 91. Sally was an activist in many human rights organizations and attended St. Mark’s United Methodist. She and Nancy were the co-founders of Sacramento Family Promise, a UUSS community partner. Sally’s obituary appeared in the Bee on March 22.

What’s Happening?

Upcoming Service Themes:
Sunday, April 19, 11 am: What can the Earth Teach Us?
Tuesday, April 21, 7 pm : Are You Cranky Yet?
Online worship services via Zoom

We come together for shared song, stories, readings, homily, and the lighting of our beloved chalice.  You will see and hear familiar faces of your ministers, worship associates and musicians.   We have a virtual coffee hour (20 minutes) after the Sunday service, breaking us into small groups for meeting and chatting briefly. Tuesdays have a different and shorter format, with a greeting time and closing with a chance to open video cameras and wave to one another.
New Program: Exploring UUism weekly Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Join your ministers for an hour session of listening, learning and sharing. You will see and talk with other members and friends. This Wednesday: the Principles and Spiritual Sources of Unitarian Universalism.
The Folsom Neighborhood group is meeting May 2, 12:30 pm on Zoom and welcomes newcomers. If you live in Folsom/El Dorado Hills or the environs (or wish you did!) contact lucy@uuss.org for Zoom access.
Zoom Room streaming open house. Drop in to chat with one of your ministers and whoever else drops in. All ages welcome!  Friday, 10:30 a.m.
Zoom link here.
Religious Education Ministries (Spirit Play, Youth Groups and Coming of Age) are meeting in various ways, including families together for an open house and a session with Miranda and Sangye for adults who are parenting. See details below.  If you didn’t see an email, contact Religious Education Coordinator Miranda Massa: re@uuss.org
Theology on Tap every Friday evening by Zoom! Bring a beverage of choice (from your own fridge) in the room of your choice (in your own place) and a community conversation. Find the Zoom link here.
Does your UUSS group want to meet on Zoom? The UUSS Zoom is a busy place. So busy that we added a second account to accommodate our small groups. Contact: krystal@uuss.org if you want to set up a meeting for your group.
Sermons to hear at any time: Do you miss hearing sermons? You can find more than 5 years of sermons on our web site.
Click to go to the sermon pages: www.uuss.org/sermons.
Donate to the Shared Offering by Text  
We have been working to provide easy ways for you to make contributions to our shared offering on Sunday.  You can use PayPal,  mail in a check, or call our bookkeeper to charge your credit card. Now you can donate by TEXT!
Our Community Partner for the month of April is the International Rescue Community (IRC).

Simply text the amount you want to donate to 1-855-935-2216 (without a $ sign).  The first time you use it you will have to enter information including your credit card number. After set up its as simple as entering the amount, click and send.

Check out this video https://vimeo.com/262291796  to see an explanation of the process.

If you prefer you can down load the Give+Church app. Check out this video for more information https://vimeo.com/262292774
Thanks for your generosity!
Religious Education Zooms Forward! 
Families, kids and youth!  Don’t miss out. Virtually connect with our Religious education programs. We have several ways to virtually connect.
Contact: re@uuss.org for zoom link
Morning Zoom with Miranda – All RE/All Programs/All Ages, families and volunteers! Come show me your smile! Fridays at 9:00 in the morning.
Zoom to Spirit Play with Miranda & Student Minister Sangye Hawke for kids in elementary school. Sundays at 9:30 a.m. (new time starts April 26)
Junior High Youth Group (grades 6-7-8) Zoom on Sundays at 4 p.m.
Senior High Youth Group (9-10-11-12) Zoom on Sundays at 7 p.m.
Parent Voices Zoom with Miranda & Sangye for adults to share space together every Sunday night at 8 p.m.
Get Connected – UUSS Phone Ministry
To keep the community connected, we are offering a Phone Ministry where participants can make or receive calls throughout the week with other participants. An email reminder will be sent with the contact information and when to make or expect to receive a call. This will run as long as needed.
Please fill out the Signup Form and read the Phone Ministry Circle Covenant.
Members who do not have email or internet access will be contacted separately to signup. If you have any questions or comments or if you wish to change your schedule or drop out of the group, please email PhoneMinistry@uuss.org.
UUSS Mission
We come together to deepen our lives and be a force for healing in the world.