We now have a large dedicated shed for all your donations!  They will not be collected in the Fellowship lobby any longer.

We are still NOT accepting donations at this time. This is just a temporary hold and we will begin collecting again soon. When we do, please do not put any loose items in there, they should all be bagged.

Our thanks go out to the Fellowship’s Social Action Council and Clothes Closet Team for making this happen!

Questions? Email clothescloset@uufws.org.

In January of 2025, we kept building the theological house that holds us together amidst our different beliefs, values, experiences and identities. We focused on our roof, the structure that give us protection. We asked, what do we need to be sheltered and protected from, and how are we protected?

We acknowledged that what we need protection from is what many would call evil, and some would call sin. We found meaning in a classical definition that this if found in separation. Separation from self, from others, and from whatever is ultimate for us (higher power, deeper power, truth).

We reflected that we are protected from this evil by connection, and by the connection that can happen under our roof. In the time we take for personal and communal spiritual practice. In the time we take to foster real relationships within our walls and outside of them.

We acknowledged that to be with others deeply and fully, we need to be brave enough to be with ourselves fully and deeply. We sang that we have the power to carry our presence and love into our hardest moments, and that we can do this with others too. We committed to fanning our flames of joy and fostering these in community, just as we kindle safety and warmth.

And we remembered the ways we can continue to lean on tools that help us to do this. That so often come from music, words, and the example of those who came before us and are among us:

We were moved by music:

And by words:

And by the example of other individual lives and the lives of organizations:

We were moved and grounded too, by all we’ve done and will do in community together.

I look forward to continuing this project of constructing the house of belief we can reside in together. I look forward to moving with you all in February, when we construct our Windows, how we view the world and interact with our neighbors.

Now more than ever, our communities needs us clearly rooted in who we are so we can stay rooted and clear in purpose as we offer our gifts to our world so deeply in need of them. 

In Faith and Love,

Rev. Kayla

There is no better way to meet new people and form deep connections than to share a meal together, and Dinner Circles are a great way to get to meet and bond with other UUs.

Winter is coming to an end, so now is the time to sign up for Spring Dinner Circles! Note that you are not automatically signed up for the spring circles if you were a participant last fall. You must opt in for each new round of circles to make it clear that you want to be a participant.

Dinner Circles are groups of 6-8 people that commit to having dinner together in one another’s homes (or at the Fellowship) approximately once a month. Dates, times, location, and menus are chosen by the group. We offer circle options for omnivores, vegetarians, couples and/or singles, and even lunch meeting times!

The deadline to sign up for Spring Dinner Circles is Sunday, 2/16/25. Please complete the online form.

If you are a family with children, instead of using this form, please email uufams@uufws.org to learn more about social opportunities at the Fellowship!

Once you’ve submitted your form, you will be contacted in mid-February with your assignment.

For questions, send an email to dinnercircles@uufws.org, call the Fellowship office at (336) 659-0331, or check out the Dinner Circle FAQ’s, below!

Let’s get the next round of Dinner Circles rolling at UUFWS!

Megan Foster
Dinner Circles Coordinator

Caron Armstrong
Dinner Circles Staff Liaison

The deadline to participate is Sunday, February 16.
Don’t delay. Click the button above now!

 

Dinner Circle FAQs

Must I have a partner/spouse to join a dinner circle? No, you don’t need to sign up with a partner or spouse. If you are solo, you can either sign up for the Singles Dinner Circle, or for a traditional circle where you’ll share responsibilities for your food/hosting assignment with another single person in your group.

I don’t like to cook! Do I have to make gourmet food as my contribution to a dinner circle? No, your contributions to a dinner circle meal don’t have to be fancy! The point of the circles is to get to know one another and enjoy time together, so if you roll with store-bought dishes that’s A-OK!

Will there be a vegetarian dinner circle? Possibly there will, but if there are not enough vegetarians to form a circle, you have the option to be assigned to a traditional omnivore circle. When you fill out your signup form, please indicate your willingness to join an omnivore circle if a vegetarian one is not available.

My objective is to meet new people, so what if I get assigned to a group with members I’ve been in a circle with before? We won’t assign you with folks you were with in the last two circles, but there’s no guarantee you won’t be assigned with folks from further back than that. With each upcoming round we’ll do our best to put you in a group that doesn’t include duplicates.

I was in one of the fall dinner circles. Am I automatically signed up for the next round of circles? No, there is no automatic sign up. You must sign up for each new round of circles. It only takes a minute so do it today!

The First Unitarian Church of Dallas is excited to offer an online session of their Biblical Literacy series for all congregations.

Wednesdays, February 12 to March 19, 7-8:30 pm Central on Zoom.

Participants will learn about the structure of the Bible and how it developed over time, explore some of its stories, and reflect on its connection to their own lives and to Unitarian Universalism historically and in our time.

This online offering is Part 1 of 2. Six sessions will be offered in February/March 2025 and the other six sessions will be offered in the Fall. Part 1 will not be a prerequisite for Part 2, but we encourage participants to attend both to get the fullest experience.

Cost: FREE for participants from Faith Forward congregations.

Contact Pam Lepley at pam@uufws.org for the registration link. The deadline to register is Monday, February 10. 

Biblical Literacy for Unitarian Universalists is an exploration of the Bible and how we as Unitarian Universalists approach the text. The stories of the Bible are woven into Western culture and society, and our Unitarian Universalist tradition goes back to the Bible and its early interpretation.

It is important for Unitarian Universalists to have knowledge of the Bible and ways of approaching it as one of our Sources to discover truth and meaning within its pages and its history. As we do with all scripture and story, we ask not “is this true?” but rather “what is true about this?”

-Faith Formation and Denominational Connections

Crisis Control Ministry, is an organization that provides basic life needs to those facing a crisis in Forsyth and Stokes counties.

Look for our collection bin in the Foyer marked “Crisis Control.” – items in the basket will be delivered by our team of volunteers monthly or more often as needed.

January’s gift of the month is Beef Stew, AND they would also appreciate donations of any of the items listed under other months.

Questions? Contact sac@uufws.org.

The Social Action Council, in conjunction with Pam Lepley and Rev. Kayla, shares that we are trying a new way of doing our monthly Share-the-Plate program. This is the time in our worship service when our offertory ask provides information about a local organization, and the offertory collection is split with this organization and our Fellowship.

In order to make our contributions meaningful and represent our mission effectively, the practice of nominating monthly recipients for sharing our plate collections will be changed to a rotation of our key community partners. The recipients will rotate throughout the year, enabling the Fellowship to make larger contributions to each. This also allows us to take the offertory ask time in our service to not just inform all of the group, but invite us to deepen in relationship with the work they are doing.

The definition for community partner remains the same – the entity must be a non-profit organization that benefits Forsyth County, and must align with the Fellowship’s values.

For 2025, we are focusing on the key community partnerships we’re already working with. They all contribute significantly to some part of our mission, strive to make the daily lives of Forsyth County residents better, and reflect an ongoing relationship with the Fellowship:

  • UU Justice NC
  • Flourish
  • Forsyth County IAF
  • Easton Elementary

We may also make temporary additions to the slate of recipients during the year to respond to emergent crises, including natural disasters.

In fact, we are already planning on doing another collection in January for continued Hurricane Helene relief efforts, to include organizations some of you all have informed us of. We’re also considering that we have a longstanding and newer relationship forming with two organizations that we’d like to continue supporting with our time, talent and treasure:

  • Piedmont Environmental Alliance (longstanding relationship)
  • Housing Justice Now (forming and deepening relationship)

Stay tuned as we live into this new way of sharing our plate! We strive to balance a commitment to deepening relationships and support of our key community partners, flexibility to respond to emergent needs, as well as longstanding and new partnerships. If you have any questions about this, or would like to discuss further, please contact sac@uufws.org and/or worship@uufws.org.

Thanks for your willingness to try a new way!

Social Action Council, Worship Weavers, Pam Lepley (Director of Faith Formation), and Rev. Kayla Parker (Minister)