UUFA Athens

Unitarian Universalist

Fellowship of Athens

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Happy Greetings to Each of You!

I am writing this at my new desk with a smile on my face as I imagine your smiling faces, as well as your tired, surprised, confused, angry, or lonely faces. Why do I mention more than smiling faces? Because I am actively welcoming all that you are experiencing right now. You are a blessing just as you are. I welcome you in my ministry.

I am minister to this community through thick and thin, happy times and hard. Who knows what lies ahead, what stories we will tell one another in the time to come? Some of those stories will be happy, others will be sad, most will probably make us laugh somehow. Whatever they will be, they will be our stories. I welcome the possibilities we are creating together.

I hope that we all can find awe and creativity in the possibilities that we create just by being ourselves together. I invite you to ponder those possibilities the next time you talk with a member of the Fellowship. What is possible because you are talking to one another? As you greet one another in small groups, after worship, on Zoom, and elsewhere, are there stories that you like to tell together, support you can give, things you can imagine, that you might not be able to do on your own?

Let us wonder, what unique possibilities we create just by bringing all our experiences and perspectives together–just by being present together. Are we the possibility of spiritual growth? Of connection across difference? Of intergenerational wholeness? Of delicious, shared meals? Of warm welcome to folx of all backgrounds and identities? We are full of beautiful possibilities.

As our time unfolds into weeks and months, I look forward to exploring all of our possibilities together, and I look forward to getting to know each of you as the remarkable individuals you are. It is a joy to begin as your new settled minister, and I look forward to all the stories we create together.

Welcome to what we create together,

Rev Pippin

Highlights of Upcoming Special Events

Groups on hiatus for the summer include Book Talks Discussion Group and Second Lookers. Check with your group on Realm/Connect for updates.

August

  • 23rd – Leadership Summit 9 am to 12 pm Register here. 
  • 24th – Religious Exploration volunteer training
  • 23rd – UUFA Leadership Summit (2025-2026)  (9 a.m.-noon) Register here. 
  • 23rd – Justice Partner–Athens Pride and Queer Collection (APQC)– athenspride.org
  • 24th – Religious Exploration volunteer training
  • 24th – Book Discussion of UUA Common Read
  • 24th – Start of Family Promise Week (partnering with Holy Cross Lutheran Church)

September

  • Diaper Drive All Month
  • 7th – First Sunday Forum:  A New Cause of the Month–The Athens Clarke County Center for Racial Justice and Black Futures
  • 7th – Annual Ingathering worship service
  • 7th – Priceless Sale
  • 7th – Food for Life Class
  • 7th & 8th – Artist Dropoff for Invitational Art Exhibit
  • 9th – Second Lookers
  • 10th – Simple Supper
  • 12-14th – UUFA Gathering at The Mountain! Register soon!
  • 13th – UUFA Justice Partner (AADM) Event–End School to Prison Pipeline Conference
  • 14th – Capital Campaign celebration and Dedication of Fellowship Hall and Social Action Nook 
  • 14th – Book Talks
  • 19th – Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition (AIRC), 5:30 to 7 p.m., Oconee St. United Methodist Church (OSUMC)
  • 20th – Latinxfest, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
  • 21st – International Day of Peace – A March of Faith in Resistance to Mass Deportation (sponsored by the Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition) (Walk from Emmanuel Episcopal, have a ecumenical service at the federal courthouse, and then return.), 2 p.m.
  • 21st – Goddess Group Hosts a Fall Equinox Circle Dance, 2 p.m.
  • 23rd – UUA Welcoming Day of Observation (Celebrate Bisexuality Day)

October 

  • All month – LGBT History Month
  •   5th – First Sunday Forum (sponsored by the Earth Ministry Team) featuring Glenn Donnahoe
  • 11th – UUA Day of Observance (National Coming Out Day)
  • 12th – Singing Meditation
  • 12th – Book Talks
  • 14th – Second Lookers
  • 25th – EJC Justice Fest
  • 26th – UUFA Fall Festival
  • 26th – UUA Day of Observance (Intersex Awareness Day)
  • 31st – UUFA Coven Group Covencraft 5:30 p.m.

November

  •  1st – Voces y versos Performance, 7-9
  • 2nd – Singing Meditation
  •  9th – Start of Family Promise Week (partnering with Holy Cross Lutheran Church)
  •  9th – Book Talks
  • 11th – Second Lookers
  • 15th-16th – UU GA LAN (Legislative Action Network) Third Annual Conference 
  • 20th – UUA Welcoming Day of Observation (TDOR)

Looking for regular meetings? Join groups in Realm/Connect and check the summary on this page to the left.  Don’t know about Realm yet? Contact Meredyth at members at uuathensga.org to learn more.  

Rather see this as a calendar grid? Visit uuathensga.org/calendar .Â