Rev. Krista Office Hours

Rev. Krista will be holding virtual office hours Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at https://uuma.zoom.us/my/smuuf or via phone. If you would like to meet at another time please contact her via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or text or call her cell phone at 515-450-2437.

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Are you able to provide assistance during these uncertain times? 

Our Caring team is extending their service to our community by coordinating help to those who need assistance, in particular those of advanced age or who are immunocompromised. Care Coordinators will help match up those in need. To make arrangements email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/smuuf/

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SMUUF Relief Fund Established

The SMUUF Relief Fund has been established to give temporary support for those who are living out the mission and vision of our Unitarian Universalist faith. This fund was established using 10% of a generous anonymous donation given to our congregation in May of 2020 “to help ensure the continuance of liberal religion in our community” through the challenges of COVID-19. People who find themselves in need of temporary financial assistance are encouraged to reach out to the SMUUF Relief Fund Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The needs of those who have traditionally marginalized identities will be prioritized. Confidentiality will be respected.

 

 

Adult Religious Exploration

This Sunday: Environmental Justice – Elizabeth Herald

Elizabeth Herald will take us on a fanciful journey of participation with Our Essential Source Water as a way of experiencing a deeper relationship to Life itself, and introduce a comprehensive method for building resilient communities by engaging a design model mimicking Water itself. The Watershed Wisdom Councils are conceived as a global system of whole systems transformation, which is seeking to draw effective wisdom up from the entire Watershed to heal humanity's core wound ~ our delusion of separation from the natural world, which nurtures us all.

These highly dynamic small local groups are non-hierarchical, self-organizing, resonant with All Life, and inclusive of all cultures. They follow both the universal frameworks of Love, Compassion, Respect, and Gratitude, as well as the universal branching pattern found from the ridge to reef in every river basin on Earth. Inspired by the Buckminster Fuller "12-around-1" geometry and change theory, these interlocking small groups, called P.O.D.s (People’s Organizational Design), are a fellowship of committed local Watershed Stewards working and networking both regionally and globally to effect beneficial change in our Watersheds and in our World.

Contact Environmental Justice Leader BJ Allen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.

 

 

Upcoming RE Meetings 

First Sunday: SMUUF Book Group @ 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, November 1: The book group will meet on the first Sunday of the month at 9:30 for chatting and start discussion of book at 9:45. The book selection for November is Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright.

If you have any questions, contact book group leader Jeanne Garthwaite (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

Second Sunday: WUUFS Meeting @ 9:30 a.m.

Third Sunday: Usually open 

 

Fourth Sunday: Environmental Justice RE @ 9:30 a.m.

Monthly topics related to environmental justice, climate, and ethical eating.

Contact Environmental Justice Leader BJ Allen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.

 

SMUUF Board of Trustees Meeting

 

 

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#UUtheVote Campaign

As we gather in for the new congregational year - during the pandemic, during a time of uprising, reaction and authoritarianism, and as we head into an historic election where our democracy is on the line - let us gather our spirits and harvest our power.

The UUA Organizing Strategy Team, UU the Vote, Side with Love and our partners have opportunities and resources for us all for meeting this moment as a faith community.

We UUs have been engaged in an unprecedented collaboration and mobilization for the 2020 elections through our UU the Vote Campaign. Now, as we head into the Fall push, it is time to bring the full capacity of our faith. We have a full range of resources and activities for you and your congregation available at uuthevote.org

We cannot achieve justice by ourselves. It takes a movement and we are so grateful to our partners.

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Unitarian Universalist Association's Common Read

The 2020–2021 UUA Common Read is Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry, published by Beacon Press.

Emotionally raw and deeply reflective, Imani Perry issues a challenge to society to see Black children as deserving of humanity.

She admits fear and frustration for her sons in a society that is increasingly racist and at times seems irredeemable. However, as a mother, feminist, writer, and intellectual, Perry offers an unfettered expression of love—finding beauty and possibility in life—and she exhorts her children and their peers to find the courage to chart their own paths and find steady footing and inspiration in Black tradition. Breathe offers a broader meditation on race, gender, and the meaning of a life well lived and is also an unforgettable lesson in Black resistance and resilience.

We are in the midst of a historic national reckoning with what it means to live as a Black or Brown American and systems of institutional racism that have been operating since our country’s founding. As UUA President, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, has written, “It matters that we support the uprisings whose goal is the liberation of Black people and communities who for too long have been crushed by white supremacy, militarism, and capitalism. We must find the sources within ourselves to give us courage in this moment. To resist. To risk. To sacrifice for this movement that needs all of us to succeed. To be midwives for a new era in which all of us will be free.”

Discussion materials will be available for download in late fall 2020. For more information about the Common Read program visit: www.uua.org/read

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FUUDies (Fantastic UU Diners)

Sundays after service

Postponed until further notice.

The Fantastic UU Diners eat together after church at a different local restaurant almost every Sunday. The FUUDies always welcome new people. Please tell Jeannie before or after the Sunday service if you plan to attend so we can save a seat for you!

Dear SMUUF Families with Children,

We have completed our first Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) Lifespan Sexual Education classes! Thanks to teachers, families and young people in grades 7-9 and grades 4-6 that participated. We are excited to offer this program to our community again in the future.

Thank you for being a part of the San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and for bringing your children to church! Our congregation is greatly blessed by their presence among us.

 

SOUL MATTERS THEMES FOR 2020-21 CHILDREN’S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Sept: Renewal

Oct: Deep Listening

Nov: Healing

Dec: Stillness

Jan: Imagination

Feb: Beloved Community

Mar: Commitment

April: Becoming

May: Story

June: Play

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RE Class Time – On hold through the summer

Children meet downstairs right after "Time for All Ages". Parents are asked to help children pick up their name tag at the top of the stairs and go into service. Children are welcomed into service in order to help them link with our larger community. They will be sung out after the story and met by teachers to go downstairs.

Room and Teacher Assignments:

Infant-3 years	Beatrix Potter Room with Deana Piñales
4 years-Grade 2	Seuss Room with Robyn Kendrick & Jillian Whitehead
Grades 3-5	Susan B. Anthony Room with Monica Rasco & Marissa Fehler
Grades 6-12	YUUTH

Here are some upcoming events to mark in your calendar:

(A calendar is posted downstairs with dates and themes)

SEE YOU SUNDAY!!

 

Week of Friday, October 23 - Thursday, October 29

Check the SMUUF Calendar for current listings of activities

 

Ways to Access Gatherings and Groups using Zoom:

Link: https://uuma.zoom.us/my/smuuf

Or by calling in to any of the phone numbers below and enter the meeting ID

Meeting ID: 849 653 9395
+1 346 248 7799
+1 669 900 6833
+1 646 876 9923
+1 253 215 8782
+1 301 715 8592
+1 312 626 6799

 

Support Group Meetings

This upcoming week we’re going to test out support groups! All of our Support Groups are open to members, friends, and visitors and will be held in the same SMUUF Zoom we use for Sunday morning worship. Support Groups will start with a reading of our Covenant and Chalice Lighting, followed by Check-in and Reflection Questions. These conversations will not be live streamed or recorded to maintain privacy. Groups with at least 5 participants will continue meeting weekly. If you would like to attend but have a time conflict please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as we may make adjustments based on interest and availability. See instructions above on how to access Zoom.

 

Sewing Guild

Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m.
Anyone is welcome. We're always happy to have new Sewing Guild recruits.

 

Vulnerable Populations

Thursdays at 12:30 p.m.

 

TGIF Happy Hour

 

SMUUF Launching New Programs

I hope you will join us in these opportunities to "journey together toward spiritual wholeness in working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community!" Contact SMUUF Minister Rev. Krista Weber Huang at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Soul Matters Small Groups

Thursday, October 29 @ 10:00am and/or Sunday, November 1 @ 1:00pm

This is a monthly small group program to reflect more deeply and listen to one another’s stories around our Soul Matters theme of the month. For October, we’ll reflect on the question “What does it mean to be a people of Deep Listening?” through the lens of sharing stories about our experiences of grief and loss. These sessions will be a time for us to put our deep listening skills into practice as well as experience the power of being listened to. These small groups are open to anyone so please share with folks who you feel might benefit from joining us. The dates and topics will change each month so keep an eye out in the News Flash.

 

Trans Inclusion in Congregations

Group 1: Every Tuesday Morning
Nov. 10, 17, 24, Dec. 1, 8, 15 (Bonus Discussion Dec. 22)
Live Screening @ 9:30 a.m., Group Discussion @11:00 a.m.

Group 2: Every Other Tuesday Evening
Nov. 10, Dec. 1, 15, Jan. 5, 19, Feb. 2 (Bonus Discussion Feb. 16)
Live Screening @ 5:00 p.m., Group Discussion @ 6:30 p.m.

The second program we’re launching is a 6 Session Adult Religious Education course (open to teens who have completed an OWL course) called “Trans Inclusion in Congregations” which we have purchased for our use as a congregation from the Transforming Hearts Collective. In this course we will “deeply explore the intersection of trans identity, spirituality, and faith community, and gain the grounding, context, and skills to transform yourself and your congregation.” It includes 6 recorded sessions, additional reflection material, and conversation guides. There will be multiple ways to engage this material over the coming year and beyond, and we are particularly excited that one of the course’s creators will be leading worship with us this coming February.

This Fall we’ll run two reflection groups, each will start with a live stream of the session lecture, followed by a ~30min break, and then group reflection for an hour. While we are able to make the content available to members and friends for individual engagement or for viewing ahead of time, we strongly encourage you to join one of the groups and we ask that you do not share the exclusive materials created by the Transforming Hearts Collective outside of the SMUUF community.

For more information visit https://transforming-hearts-collective.teachable.com.

To register for the course or if you would like to engage with the material but are unable to attend the scheduled groups please email Rev. Krista at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

Other Events

  

Upcoming Central Texas Interfaith Events

SMTX Mental Health Coalition Meeting

I hope y'all can join us for a meeting of the SMTX Mental Health Coalition. During the meeting, we’ll hear from Coalition member Eduardo Rios about the local initiative he is leading to help promote mental health resources for our youth during the pandemic, and discuss ways in which the Coalition and community can partner with and support these critical activities. In addition, there will be an opportunity for Coalition members to share their organization’s current plans and programming endeavors with the group.

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to reach out to Anne Halsey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

Poll Monitor Trainings – Poor People's Campaign

The Poor People’s Campaign, Forward Justice & the NAACP Legal Defense Fund have partnered to provide election protection in ten key states including yours! We hope to have 200 poll monitors from each of the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.

We know it’ll take each of us to protect our democracy, but we’re up for the challenge.

If you’re interested in being a poll monitor, please sign-up for one of the non-partisan trainings and encourage your friends and family who may be interested to do the same.

Trainings will be held via Zoom and will last 1.5 hours. During training we’ll learn how to spot issues, report problems and assist voters. All poll monitors must attend one training, so we hope to see you there!

 

 

The International Convocation of UU Women Meetings

The International Convocation of UU Women, also called the International Women's Convocation (IWC) will conduct a Zoom meeting at 9:00 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. Meetings are expected to continue through the fall. Jeannie Lewis, SMUUF Social Justice Chair, has been meeting every week with this group on Zoom for the past three months of the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been so comforting and inspiring to meet with these 25 or so women from all over the U.S. and other countries to discuss what we and our congregations are doing to deal with this crisis. I hope some more SMUUF women will join in.

See the link below to join this meeting in August and September:

Zoom Meeting ID: 283 947 380
Password: 385478
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/283947380?pwd=Y2lndllPNFVPQktuUnl0b045TjVtQT09
Or via phone --- find your local number here: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdsBxNyMX8

I hope to see you there! For more information contact Jeannie Lewis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Turn, Turn, Turn: UUA Southern Region Virtual Assembly

Join your Southern Region staff team and sibling Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Southern Region for a day of collaboration and learning! UUA President Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray will be our keynote speaker in the morning.

Afternoon workshops include:

• Where Do We Go From Here? Widening the Circle of Concern - with Rev. Ashley Horan, Kathy McGowan, and Rev. Nato Hollister
• What's Next? The Changing Congregational Landscape - with Natalie Briscoe and Connie Goodbread
• A Time to Build Up, Small Group Ministry and Membership Paths - with Cameron Young and Lillian Drab-Braddick

Registration fee: $20 per person.

Learn more and register here: https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/turn-turn-turn/

 

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Weekly Events - Meet via Zoom

SMUUF Choir

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Sewing Guild

Meets Wednesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom

The SMUUF sewing group has traditionally made small quilts which have been distributed to various individuals, including to those crossing the Texas/Mexico border in search of a better life. We recently identified another outlet for those quilts and wanted the congregation to know. It is a group called Alzheimer's Texas; they are located in Austin and partner with various care facilities to provide comfort quilts to their residents.

Here is a link to the Alzheimer's Texas most recent newsletter that includes an announcement of our partnership.

Contact: Ann Allen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

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Friday "Talk, Then Walk"

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Enjoy good company, conversation, refreshments and a healthy walk. We usually walk about 45 minutes around the San Marcos River, Lower Purgatory, Ring Tail, Spring Preserve and other nature trails. Hope to see you there!

For more information, contact Garrie Borden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

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Stand on Every Corner San Marcos - Fridays on the Square

We gather every Friday to protest the present administration, especially it’s mistreatment of emigrants crossing our southern Border.

Our hours are any time from 4:30 till 6:30 at the corner of LBJ and Hopkins, at the statue of Jack Hays. We have water and some extra signs.

Contact Ann Whitus: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

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UBarU Camp & Retreat Center Update

We hope you are safe and well! UBarU Camp & Retreat Center is offering e-events to help you connect with camp and with each other. All the details are at http://ubaru.org/home/e-events The upcoming events are offered free of charge and donations are gratefully accepted at https://ubaru.org/home/Support.

Thank you for your support- past, present and future!

If you have any questions, please email Robyn Stout, Executive Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 830-460-6002. UBarU is a Unitarian Universalist Camp and Retreat Center in the rugged ranch land of the Hill Country near Kerrville, Texas. Our mission is to provide a welcoming, peaceful place to gather for spiritual, educational, and recreational purposes in harmony with our Unitarian Universalist principles and the land.

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SWUUW SouthWest UU Women Virtual Conference 2021, Feb. 26-28, 2021

When we departed our most recent SWUUW conference in Lafayette LA on March 1, we said good-bye with the expectation that we would meet next year in Fort Worth Texas for our 2021 conference. Since that time almost five months ago and the dramatic turn of events for all of us due to the Covid19 pandemic, and the uprisings in the nation in the wake of George Floyd's death, the board has met regularly with our primary focus on moving forward with conference planning.

To that end we recently announced on our Website and Facebook pages that the next SWUUW conference will be held online as a Virtual Conference Feb. 26-28, 2021 and will be convened by the SWUUW Board. While we are still early in our planning and discovery of how to deliver a virtual conference, we are excited about the possibilities! We want to incorporate as many of the elements that have made our past conferences so meaningful and memorable - powerful women speakers, spiritual celebration, space and time to deepen friendships and make new ones, fun and entertainment. Our mission of supporting women will continue to carry us forward and we wholeheartedly invite you to attend and be a part of it!

Also, we have scheduled our annual SWUUW board retreat for the last weekend in August. Traditionally, this has been our time to gather together for business and planning, to renew and develop relationships, to support the local conference committee, and have fun. This retreat, like our next conference, will also be online using Zoom to bring us together. A good amount of our time will be devoted to virtual conference planning. In order to assist in the planning, we ask for your participation in a survey which is included here. We are grateful for your input into this survey. We will take it into consideration as we establish the major activities for the conference.

We're also reaching out for volunteers to assist the virtual conference conveners. If you have experience with video conferencing and think that your expertise can help us, we would love to hear from you. Or, if you lack the technical know how but have a desire to help us "make it work" we would love to hear from you too. The aforementioned survey contains a way for you to indicate your interest in volunteering.

We thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, and look forward to seeing you virtually in 2021!

The SWUUW Board

A non-profit organization that supports women through worship, learning, leadership, community and social justice, SWUUW addresses women's issues, explores feminist theology, promotes friendships and celebrates the diversities that make us unique women on our individual spiritual paths. SWUUW is an organization open to all UU women, particularly those women in the Southwest District of the Southern Region of the UUA.

SWUUW aligns itself with the spirit of Welcoming Congregations as depicted by the UUA. All who see themselves as women are welcome.

 

Joys and Concerns 

 

- New carpeting available: Colleen and Daniel Rafferty have replaced the wall-to-wall carpeting with tile in two rooms in their home, and wanted 

to offer the brand new (dark brown) carpeting and nicely thick under padding to anyone within the SMUUF Community who would like it. The carpet was replaced after they closed on the house, and before they moved in.

176sq ft.364sq ft. Here is the square footage that is available:

At the end of Nov./beginning of Dec. there will be another 233sq ft. available when they have another room tiled.

They are hoping someone would like the carpet very soon. Otherwise, it will be hauled away.

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SMUUF Meeting Reports

SMUUF Social Justice Chair, Jeannie Lewis, attends several Zoom Social Justice Meetings each week. Below are brief summaries of a few recent meetings she attended. Any person in the congregation is invited to attend any of these free meetings. If you are interested, contact Jeannie Lewis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (512) 353-2872 and she will send you a link to join the meeting.

 

Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Zoom Meeting "Our Goal of World Community: The United Nations at 75" - Thursday, October 22, 5:00 p.m.

Bruce Knotts, Director of our UU Office at the United Nations in New York City, was the Moderator of this celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations. (Bruce will be speaking at our SMUUF Worship Service this Sunday during UN Sunday.) The United Nations was formed in 1945 after the end of World War II to bring nations together to work on common problems.

UU congregations across the United States (including SMMUF) will be dedicating a special Worship Service to UN Sunday to recognize the 75th Anniversary of the UN and honoring the work that our UU Office there does to influence work toward our UU issues and values. This is an investment in the world we want to live in.

There were many distinguished speakers at the meeting. They asked that our UU congregations continue to support our UU Office and don't let up. The speakers described the many areas worldwide in which the UN has actively helped. The speakers emphasized that faith-based communities (like UU congregations) have a vital role in making the world a better place and leaving no one behind. The speakers also talked about the many challenges the pandemic has created.

We look forward to hear more personally from Bruce Knotts this Sunday!

 

Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) Announces Texas Legislative Issues for 2021-2022

After a 10 week process of nominations and voting 25 Texas UU congregations (including SMUUF) we have chosen these top issues for us to work on collectively from 2020-2022!

1. Racial Justice
2. Environmental Justice
3. Healthcare Access
4. Economic Justice
5. Voting Rights

After the results of the November elections and we see more clearly the makeup of the legislature we will begin to plot strategies on our top issues.

We WILL Bend Texas and America Toward Justice Together!

 

"All Leaders Meeting" – October 1, 7:00 p.m.

The meeting was sponsored by Central Texas Interfaith (CTI), also associated with Austin Interfaith (AI), and Corridor Interfaith Alliance for Families (CIAF). Covering five Central Texas counties and several denominations.

 

"Graphs, Geometry, and Gerrymandering" – October 2, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Meeting about re-districting political districts after the Census. Sponsored by Texas State University.

 

International Women's Convocation (IWC) "Now is the Time for Community, Solidarity, and Love" – October 6, 9:00 a.m.

IWC is composed of UU women all over the world — usually about 35 attendees. As we move deeper into times of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, staying connected is vital. Even small expressions of solidarity can remind us that we're all in this together - and we're all here for each other. Join us to connect with U*U women worldwide as you reflect, respond, and check in more deeply in small breakout groups. Rev. Júlia Jobbágy led us into the small groups discussions we have at each meeting.

This was our discussion topic: This season, in the Northern Hemisphere, we move from the external, expansive, and freeing nature of the summer towards the more internal and contractive nature of autumn/fall. Change and transformation fill the air as leaves change colors and fall to the ground. This is a good time to go inward, to be more introspective. It’s a time for transformations: let go; make room for new experiences and growth; find new perspectives; reflect and embrace change.

In the temperate zones, during fall, the trees turn their energy away from reaching out to the sun. Instead, they let go of their leaves and seek renewal in the rich soil where their roots live. Perhaps it's time to cease seeking nourishment from that which lies beyond your reach and instead enter a time of disconnecting and returning to the richer soil of that which lies within.

When was the last time you allowed yourself a day in which nothing was produced, no items were checked off your list, no problems were confronted, no solutions were searched for? Is it time to renew that promise you made to yourself?

We all found the topic and discussion deeply meaningful.

 

"(After the President) Who Else is on the Ballot?" League of Women Voters of Texas – October 6, 12:00 p.m.

This was a very informative, non-partisan workshop on the down ballot offices we will be voting on.

 

Homelessness Coalition – Friday, October 9, 10:00 a.m.

There was an outpouring of interest and support — from our local homelessness groups, to food and mental health providers, housing, education, and advocacy groups, as well as local elected officials, church leaders, and community leaders — in this first organizing meeting to address homelessness here in Hays County.

Jeannie Lewis, SMUUF Social Justice Chair, attended this first Zoom meeting to bring together many local organizations who have a role in addressing homelessness. Rev. Krista was there to speak for SMUUF. There were 59 people who attended.

The HOME Center, which SMUUF has supported, reported on their Point-in-Time (PIT) Count conducted in January of this year in an attempt to get an accurate count of the homeless in Hays County.

Click the image to view larger, and view the more detailed report here: PIT Count

Jeannie counted 30+ local organizations who introduced themselves and described what they were doing to address homelessness in Hays County. Finally, a representative from the Texas Homeless Network gave a presentation.

Our next meeting is Friday, November 6, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. If you would like to attend — any interested person is welcome for free — please contact Deborah Carter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., follow the SMUUF News Flash or visit our Facebook page for the link to register.

 

Poll Watching General Information session – 10/9, 2:00 p.m.

62 people attending from all over Texas. Some points made:

• Ask questions and report problems
• Poll watchers are advocates for voters
• Must be certified and take training

 

Ballot Board Training – Sat, October 10, 12:00 p.m.

63 attendees from all over Texas. Some acronyms we need to know:

• EVC - Early Voting Clerk (or Election Administrator)
• VR - Voter Registrar
• PJ - Presiding Judge
• SVC - Signature Verification Committee
• SOS - Secretary of State
• VBM - Vote By Mail

Our role: Ensure that every eligible vote is counted. Compare signatures. The Ballot Board has ultimate authority. The Board is composed equally of Democrats and Republicans. The average acceptable rejection rate of mail-in ballot is 1%. Provisional ballots are also checked.

Central Texas Coalition of Black Voter Protection, Education, and Recruitment – Sun, October 11, 3:00 p.m.

The former Governor of Massachusetts — who was their first Black Governor — was a featured speaker. There was a mixture of Black, White, and Hispanics who attended and participated. Go too mytexasvotes.com for more information and report issues to 844-TX-Votes. A Q & A followed the presentation.

CIAF's Non-Partisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) and Candidate Forum for Hays County – Tue, October 13, 6:30 p.m.

This meeting was sponsored by Corridor Interfaith Alliance for Families (CIAF) — also a part of Central Texas Interfaith (CTI) and Austin Interfaith (AI). SMUUF Minister Rev. Krista opened the meeting in prayer. Other SMUUF people attending were Rev. Karl Brown (who had a part in the program), Jeannie Lewis, and maybe others. We were given information about upcoming election issues. We divided into small breakout rooms to discuss the issues. There followed a Non-Partisan Candidate Forum focussing on our issues. Then there was a call to action.

The CIAF Issues:

• Direct Assistance Relief Funds
• Health Care
• Workforce - Capital IDEA
• Immigration
• Racial Justice
• Community Safety and Policing

Poll Monitor Training – Wed, October 14, 6:00 p.m.

This non-partisan meeting was sponsored by Poor Peoples Campaign, Forward Justice, and NAACP Legal Defense FundTopics discussed included:

• The 1965 Voting Rights Act
• Voter Suppression
• Supreme Court Overturning Voting Rights
• COVID-19
• John Lewis - "Good Trouble"
• Roving or In-Person Poll Monitoring — Keep 100 foot distance from Poll
• Spot Issues and Report
• Note long lines, handicapped access, signage, time, lighting, social distancing, PPE, Download APP to phone and fill out info

 

 

UU-UNO Monthly Call Summary and Minutes – September 22, 2020, 2:00 p.m.

Jeannie Lewis and Becky Allen are SMUUF Envoys to our UU Office at the United Nations (UU@UN) in New York City, and are invited to attend a monthly ZOOM meeting with other UU Envoys from across the United States. UU Envoys from all over the U.S. attend.

The UN General Assembly was called to order this week and representatives from each member nation were invited to give an opening address. This is the 75th Anniversary of the UN and there are many events. SMUUF has invited the Executive Director of the UU Office at the UN, Bruce Knotts, to speak to our congregation on UN Sunday, October 25. His topic will be Climate Justice.

 

Texas UU Justice Advisory Council Monthly Call – September 22, 2020, 7:00 p.m.

Each month the Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) Advisory Council meets in a Zoom gathering on the 4th Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. SMUUF is a member of TXUUJM and Jeannie Lewis, as SMUUF Social Justice Chair, represents SMUUF on the Advisory Council. Many UU congregations throughout the state have representatives on the Advisory Council. TXUUJM's main purpose is to lobby the Texas Legislature on issues that align with UU values.

This month we discussed the following:

TXUUJM lobbies the Texas Legislature on issues of concern to us UUs. The selected issues for this upcoming legislative session will be announced October 12. The SMUUF Social Justice Team sent in our preferences. The TXUUJM Values Voting Recommendations will be announced October 1- Early voting begins October 13. We discussed the Texas Collaborative for UU The Vote. We also noted the Gather The Spirit program on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 6:30-8 Central, which Jeannie attended.

Finally, at the end of the TXUUJM Meeting, when members of the Advisory Council were given an opportunity to brag on their congregations' social justice work, instead, Jeannie presented a problem and asked for suggestions and told them that since we started holding Zoom Sunday services, our social justice donations to local non-profits are way down. Since we don't "pass the plate," members need to give online or mail in a check. The suggestion from one Advisory Council member was to provide "texting." He said that had increased donations from his congregation. Jeannie will get instructions from him about how they handle texting and pass it on to our financial team.

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SMUUF Awarded 2019-2020 Blue Ribbon Congregation by the UU Office at the United Nations (UU@UN)

The Blue Ribbon Award is an annual recognition that the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations grants to congregations who demonstrate their commitment to building a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. These congregations are awarded based on their financial support of and active engagement with the work of the UU@UN. Having a prominent place within the civil society community at the United Nations gives Unitarian Universalists the chance to let our values be heard and respected on a global stage. Unitarian Universalists have had an outsized impact by working with the United Nations and its Member States and agencies to promote Unitarian Universalist understandings of justice and inclusion in their work for human rights, peace, and climate action. UU@UN Envoy Teams allow UU congregations to have an impact locally through uplifting United Nations initiatives and the values of interdependence and multilateralism in their communities. The UU@UN’s work is only possible because of the generosity of congregations and individuals who support it. Congratulations and appreciation for all 2019-20 Blue Ribbon Congregations! - Allison Hess, the International Engagement Associate at the UU@UN (Allison came to speak to SMUUF on UN Sunday back in October of 2019.)

SMUUF deserves to be proud of this honor. We will be receiving a plaque that we can display when we begin in-person services again.

Jeannie Lewis, SMUUF Social Justin Chair, and Becky Allen, SMUUF Environmental Justice Chair, received the announcement from Allison Hess. Both Jeannie and Becky are UU@Un Envoys representing SMUUF congregation. There are monthly UU@UN Envoy Zoom meetings that we can participate in.

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SMUUF Social Justice Executive Team Selects D-T-P Recipients for 2020

The Social Justice Executive Team met Sunday, November 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in the UCM Fellowship Hall to examine and discuss the many applications received from prospective Donate-the-Plate recipients for the year 2020. We usually only select 10 recipients and save two open months for unexpected contingencies that seem to always occur. But for 2020, we decided to accept 11 and only leave one month open. We usually conduct D-T-P on the 3rd Sunday of the month unless the recipient organization requests another date that is best for them.

This is the tentative D-T-P schedule for 2020, subject to change:

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San Marcos Area Black Owned Businesses – Updated July 2020 

Some local parents have compiled a list of local Black-owned businesses, with additions by many others in the community. Lamar Hankins and Ramika Adams have added some more names of Black-owned businesses to the list. We encourage you to patronize these businesses and to spread the word. For more information, contact Marissa Fehler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Food

Soulful Creations - Wonder World Park, 1000 Prospect St.

Binge Kitchen - 121 N. Fredericksburg (210) 442-8126

Hurry Back Catering - (512) 766-5515 and Facebook page

Krab Kingz food truck - 128 Guadalupe St.

J & W Honeybuns ( & donuts) on Fb, (830) 888-0574

Wright’s Emporium - 225 S. Main St, Kyle

Wayne’s Wings @wayneswings Instagram

Bar Jarz - Facebook page

Clothing/accessories

Zeal by Zakiya online boutique

Wallaby Clothing Co. - Facebook page

Visionary’s Peace @visionaryspeace Instagram

MOGUL women’s clothing, 5007 Parkcrest Dr., San Antonio, Tx

MacioTees - San Antonio @maciotees Instagram

Bath/body products

Adina Johnson’s Treasures - Facebook page

Services

Tay's Lawn Care - Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TaysLawn/

Mountain Movers - moving company

STR8 Training - gym

Hai Tarot - Tarot, readings, farmer's market

Mo Betta Cutz on LBJ in SMTX - barber

Raven Zachary - hairdresser

Simply Texas Vinyl - Facebook page

MJWoodCo etsy shop - woodowrking and home decor

Arrondi Creative Productions & Hoodwitch book - Facebook page

Ramika Adams Realtor - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Merry Mascots & Party Rentals

District 35 Security & Investigations, LLC

San Marcos Electric Services - Joseph Matthews (512) 644-6362

Xclusive Hair Salon on RR12

Bottom Line Tax Services on Hwy 123

Mae Watts Parish, Realtor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Spot Barbershop on Hopkins Street

Healthcare

Aminatu Akande, MD Live Oak Health Partners

Booka Baby Doula - Facebook page

Education

Calaboose African American History Museum

Fathers in Hays County -  Facebook page

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UBarU Events Update

We hope you are safe and well! UBarU Camp & Retreat Center is offering e-events to help you connect with camp and with each other. All the details are at http://ubaru.org/home/e-events

The upcoming events are offered free of charge and donations are gratefully accepted at https://ubaru.org/home/Support.

Additionally, we are planning to host an in-person Star Party at camp Aug 13-16. We have a few more private rooms available and camping is encouraged. Details about precautions we will take, registration and more are at https://ubaru.org/home/starParty

Thank you for your support- past, present and future!

If you have any questions, I am happy to be in touch. Please email Robyn Stout, Executive Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call me at 830-460-6002.

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For more information or questions regarding Membership please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For pastoral care concerns please contact our Caring Team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you have joys or sorrows, church or community news you would like printed in the Flash, or Sunday announcements, email the SMUUF Admin email account at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Need a SMUUF Name Badge?

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Sermon Podcasts

Our most recent sermons are available on the website under the Past Sermons tab, and as podcasts from iTunes and Stitcher. Click the links to go to the SMUUF channels and subscribe. If you would like to listen to a past service not in the list of podcasts, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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Automate Your Pledge

Tired of writing checks for your pledges? There are three ways you can avoid check writing, and never miss a monthly gift.

1. If your bank has bill pay, you can set up an automatic monthly check to SMUUF directly from your bank. It's simple, and it costs you and SMUUF nothing, it should be a free service if offered by your bank.
2. You can authorize a regular withdrawal (known as ACH) directly from your bank to ours.
3. You can authorize a regular charge on a credit card that SMUUF can process.

For the latter two options, use our donation app to set up recurring payments either by credit card or direct deposit. It's painless!

Give

 

To make a pledge or general donation at any time:

Donate to SMUUF

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Legacy Society

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Board Meeting Minutes available