United Church of Gainesville

Join us for Sunday Worship! Offered at 10 a.m. live in the Sanctuary or livestreamed on YouTube: https://bit.ly/UCGLivestream
This Sunday we will celebrate our Work Tour team as members of Youth United share their experience working on the Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia. You will hear their stories and see a slide show of the work accomplished and relationships built. Special meditative music will be offered by Eric Nelson, cello and Shirell Hix, piano. After the service, plan to stay and learn about sustainable gardening with local landscaper, Denise Weber.

Reserved parking spaces still available for 2024 Gator Football season! Please spread the word to football fans that UCG offers guaranteed, no-block parking in semi-shaded spots only ½ mile walk to the stadium, plus bathrooms & garbage cans conveniently located. Direct inquiries to [email protected] or 352-378-3500.

Come get to know members of UCG in a fun and inclusive environment, hosted by our open and affirming (ONA) committee. We're going to meet up on the second Sunday of the month in the evening, starting in July! Our first Sunday Social will be July 14 at 6 p.m. at The Bull (18 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601). Come have a drink and get to know your UCG friends a bit better!

Don't miss this week's Sunday Seminar: Sustainable Florida Gardening with Denise Weber at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall. Denise is a local landscape designer with nearly 30 years of experience in the residential sector. Her work is about creating outdoor living environments alive with diversity, natural beauty, and shrinking energy footprints. Her interest is in creating functional spaces using combinations of native, Florida-friendly, and edible plants. It is about creating spaces to be cared for over spaces to be managed. Denise believes a well-designed, well-installed landscape can bring a host of benefits and provide a "sense of place" on the principles of health, safety, and welfare.

If you have some expertise you would like to share or just some subject or book you’d like to discuss with an interesting group of people, consider offering a small group. Except for the ongoing groups, most groups won’t start until October, but submissions are happening now through August 18th. Submit your small group: https://bit.ly/SGfall24

C.A.M.P. UCG for children entering K-6th Grade will be July 22 - 26, 2024! Our theme is “All God’s Critters: Under the Sea Edition.” There will be special guests, a water slide day, yummy snacks, spiritual exploration, and a visit from some animals! The deadline to register for camp is Friday, July 12. For more information or to Register, visit https://bit.ly/campUCG2024

Join us for Sunday Worship! Offered at 10 a.m. live in the Sanctuary or livestreamed on YouTube: https://bit.ly/UCGLivestream

UCG will be having an Ice Cream Social at 11:30 a.m. on July 7. We will serve ice cream, please bring your favorite topping to share - and bring your A-game for our Ice Cream Contests: Best Ice Cream Inspired Outfit, Best Ice Cream Flavor Name, and Topping Team Tabletop Relay.

Bring your donations this Sunday! Thank you for your generous support for those in our community facing hunger. From January through June 2024, UCG’s congregation has donated 1,696 pounds or .85 tons of food to Gainesville Community Ministry’s (GCM) Food Pantry! GCM reports that they especially need the following items at this time: canned meats including tuna, chicken and chili, instant oatmeal, canned fruit, raisins, and salad dressings. If you forget to bring your donations or prefer to donate online, visit our site.

UCG Ice Cream Social at 11:30 a.m. on July 7. We will serve ice cream. Please bring your favorite topping to share and bring your A-game for our Ice Cream Contests: Best Ice Cream Inspired Outfit, Best Ice Cream Flavor Name, and Topping Team Tabletop Relay.

Sandy Reimer is leading worship this Sunday, with a service that includes the choir singing a Navajo prayer chant, plus a special men’s ensemble and a closing song about hope. Her sermon, “The Path That Unwinds,” embraces these next weeks of summer as a magical time between the busy-ness of spring and the return to the routines of fall. As we stand in that doorway between seasons, we can choose to allow ourselves some space, a pause, and spiritual moments of grace. Marv Hiles writes, “In summer, we stand between the times, and there is always much to learn on the threshold.”

🎷🎺 The All-Church Band is planning another performance at the 10 a.m. service on July 7, offering "Stars and Stripes Forever.” Musicians of all skill levels are encouraged to pick up music in the Sanctuary foyer, practice on their own, and join others for a single rehearsal at 9 a.m. on July 7. 🎻🥁

Check out this Sunday's Seminar - Join us at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall for a special tribute to UCG’s deep, beautiful roots. UCGers from the 1970’s have reunited this weekend, and they will share their mementos, photos, and memories. Please come and see the treasures and connect/reconnect with members of UCG’s first “Aware, Care, Share” youth group, which was established and led by Larry and Sandy Reimer.

A Reminder to Gather Water - Wherever you are this summer, gather a small amount of water to bring to our annual Gathering of Waters service on Sunday, August 11.

Puzzler Exchange - Stop by the Puzzlers’ Table in front of Seminar B. Take home some puzzles this week. They are a great substitute for TV watching, and good for your brain! You can bring puzzles to swap, or not; we have plenty to share.

Pathfinding Listening Session on Wednesday, June 26 from 6 - 8 p.m. in Reimer Hall. The Pathfinder Subcommittee invites all to join in conversation about exploring the paths ahead of us as a congregation. We hope to share committee progress as well as solicit feedback from attendees. Childcare is available upon request; please email [email protected].

Our "Spirituality, However Known" summer renewal series continues, with a sermon from Lama Losang (Dr. David Bole), titled: "What the Buddha Taught." Special music with hand pans and flute will be offered by Mark Burlingame, Nan Ryan, and Cindy Martin.

After the service, stay in the Sanctuary for music by Entr'acte, or grab some coffee and check out the Puzzlers' or the Ask the Leadership tables on your way to Reimer Hall for a Talk Back with Lama Losang.

Check out this Sunday's Seminar - Sermon Talk Back with Lama Losang at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall or via Zoom. Zoom meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624.

“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do.” – Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

Hello from Americus, GA! We are off to a great start at Koinonia blueberry picking and sorting and completing repair work around the farm. Tomorrow: gardening, food pantry, and jam making!

A Reminder to Gather Water - Wherever you are this summer - in your own backyard or somewhere else, in this or another country - gather a small amount of water to bring to our annual Gathering of Waters service on Sunday, August 11. We will celebrate our summer journeys, however known, and our reunited community. We will combine the gathered waters into one sacred water to use for baptisms and blessing rituals in the coming year.

Our "Spirituality, However Known" summer renewal series continues this week with a sermon from beloved UCG member, Pradeep Kumar, titled: "Truth, Duty and Divinity: Meditations on my Hindu roots and finding a spiritual second home at UCG." Special music with crystal bowls will be offered by another beloved member, Cindy Bergbower.

After the service, please plan to stay and visit our Ask the Leadership table, grab coffee or lemonade and greet friends (or make some new ones), and then attend the Summer Book Tasting seminar offered by librarian Meaghan Bonnaghan.

Summer Book Tasting at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall. Join Meaghan Bonnaghan for a Summer Book Tasting. Participants will get to view and chat about some diverse and inspiring new titles from the Alachua County Library District's collection in a lively movement and conversation-oriented exercise. Whether your tastes are cookbooks, mysteries, poetry, or something else, there will be some favorites and some new treats to get you started on your summer reading journey.

UCG Concentric Connections: Reconnecting With Each Other with Helda Montero at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 9 in Reimer Hall. Time flies. So much has happened in our lives. With the busy pace of our lives, it is easy to lose the connecting points with each other and as a congregation. Are there folks you haven't spoken with in a while? Have you been away for a time? Are you newer to our community and want to get to know more people? Have you ever felt lifted after spending some moments in deeper connection with a fellow UCGer? Come join us for this fun and easygoing way to get to know each other again. You won't want to miss it.

This Sunday, we continue our “Spirituality, However Known” Summer Renewal series with Dr. Rik Stevenson, who will be preaching: "Overcoming the Giants in Your Life." Dr. Stevenson writes, “We all face giants at times. There are situations and circumstances that are far beyond our ability to handle but knowing that there is a plan for our lives can provide comfort and solace in times of need.” Our UCG Choir will provide the special music with the anthem, “Author of Justice.” Plan to stay after church for meaningful guided conversations with “UCG Concentric Connections: Reconnecting with Each Other.”

There will be a reception in the library after the worship service on Sunday, June 9 for art by Mary Fukuyama. The exhibit is titled "Life is a Journey" or "It's for the Birds!"