In the universalist spirit of love and hope, we give, receive and grow.

September 2013

Issue 5, Number 3

The Ordination of Ruth MacKenzie New Staff
It is with great joy that First Universalist Church invites you to attend and participate in the ordination of Ruth MacKenzie to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry on Sunday, September 22, at
2:00pm. Ruth currently serves as our Minister of Worship and
Arts. She works with our Worship Associates to make their writing sing, and curates our worship service so that music, message and worship elements make a unified and joyful sound. In our tradition, the authority to ordain a minister rests solely with the members of the local congregation, rather than an authority outside of the church, such as a bishop. Through the act of ordination, First
Universalist extends its ministry into the world in the form of Ruth
MacKenzie.
First Universalist has helped shape, guide, and form Ruth in her ministry, and Ruth has blessed and shaped First Universalist in countless ways, as well. Because of the road we’ve walked together,
Ruth’s ordination will be a time of joy and celebration. Please join us! Clergy and candidates are invited to gather at 1:30 p.m. to robe and process. Please RSVP to Lily at the First Universalist
Church office (612-825-1701, ext. 123) or e-mail lily@firstuniv. org by Sept. 15. Children are welcome and invited to attend the service. Child care is available upon request: call Alice at the
First Universalist Church office (612-825-1701) or e-mail alice@ firstuniv.org by Sept. 15 to reserve child care.

Falling Into Sky is the theme of Ruth MacKenzie’s ordination.

Director of Operations
Diane Gavere is originally from St.
Paul,
Minnesota and currently resides with her husband
Tom in Grandy,
MN, which is approximately 55 miles from Uptown.
She starts at First Universalist as Director of Operations with 13 years of experience as a Church Business Administrator/Business Manager. The balance of her career has been working in non-profits.
She has a passion for people and is energized by a creative work environment. Her hobbies include extreme gardening (ponds, waterfalls, many, many gardens), making jewelry, sewing, camping. She has three grown daughters and seven grandchildren.
She also has three yorkies (yorkshire terriers) who are definitely the bosses of her!

Youth Ministries Coordinator by Lauren Wyeth,
Dir., Children,
Youth & Families
Ministries

I am pleased to let you know that we’ve hired a Youth Ministries Coordinator, and are so excited about what he has to bring to our youth and families. Abe (pronounced uh-bee) Levine comes to us after

Youth Coordinator (continued on page 6)

Church News

We’re Going To Build A House

Volunteer Spotlight

by Peg Meier

Danielle Goins

First Universalist Church has had a warm -- or at least lukewarm
-- commitment to Habitat for Humanity for decades. But look out. The commitment is about to heat to boiling.
The congregation will be the major sponsor of a Habitat home to be built next summer in the Twin Cities. The project name is “The
House that Love Built.”
More than just passing the basket for Habitat during a few services a year, we’ll raise $60,000 by Christmas. Instead of our construction crews building for a week, as in the past, we’ll put in three weeks next summer. And rather than just a few dozen people actively supporting Habitat, everyone from kids to Community
Circles to choir members to the AUW will be asked to, in some way, promote the effort.
You? Yes, you too.
Would your family consider pulling back on excessive Christmas giving and donate that savings to Habitat? Can you raise some money with a yard sale or bake sale? Maybe your family or group will promise to buy a dishwasher or kitchen flooring or two windows? How can creative teens help? How about Habitat contributions as birthday gifts or memorials? Could you