One of the core spiritual practices of this community takes place in circles: groups of 8-10 committed participants who gather regularly to reflect on their lives and contemplate our worship themes. These groups are grounded in the spiritual practices of deep listening and open-hearted reflection.

Registration for Fall 2019 and Church Year 2019-2020 Circles will be open Sunday, Sept. 8 through Monday, Sept. 23 online at firstuniversalistchurch.org/circles.

Browse our Fall 2019 Program Guide for complete information about Circles and Programming this fall!

Soul Matters Circles: This small group curriculum encourages you to reflect more deeply on our monthly worship theme. At the start of each month, you will receive a packet of resources that includes poems, articles, YouTube videos, and more. This packet is your go-to text as you meet with your group and attend services. It also includes questions for contemplation and spiritual exercises that invite you into deeper relationship with our worship theme. View this fall’s offerings and sign up here!

Spiritual Deepening Circles: This fall, our spiritual deepening offerings include circles, classes, and workshops. Spiritual Deepening Circles are groups of 8-10 participants who explore a spiritual practice together. Classes are an opportunity to engage in study of a topic or text, and include reading and homework assignments. Workshops are designed to build your capacity to move a spiritual practice out of the church and into the world. As our commitment to racial justice guides us into deeper hospitality and relationship, all of our offerings include opportunities for mindful attention, embodiment, and interpersonal connection. View this fall’s offerings and sign up here!

Newcomer Circles offer an opportunity to learn more about our liberal faith tradition, reflect on our spiritual journeys, and connect with others who are also getting to know First Universalist. View our fall schedule and sign up here!

Childcare during circles is available free of charge by submitting this online form at least 7 days in advance.

Questions? Contact Arif Mamdani, Director of Membership and Adult Ministries, at arif [at] firstuniv.org or 612-825-1701 x124.

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Sept. 5.

In this week’s issue, Rev. Justin writes:

This Sunday is Water Communion Sunday, a “Homecoming Sunday” of sorts, as we return to two services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m., welcoming adults, children, youth, and visitors into our sanctuary. You are invited to bring a small vial or glass of water from a place that is sacred or special to you. In our service, we will combine these waters, reminding ourselves that at church, we flow together into one body, rich with stories and experiences and histories. 

If you’ve been away for part of the summer, welcome back to church! If you’ve been visiting us this summer, we’re delighted you’re with us! If your heart is broken at the state of the world, come, and let us hold your broken heart with you. If you yearn for “something deeper” in your life, come, be with others who yearn as you do, and discover life’s fullness together. If you long for a more racially just, sustainable world, come, and join your longing with the longing of others.

Why come to church? The poet, Anne Hillman, writes this:

We look with uncertainty
Beyond the old choices 
for clear-cut answers
To a softer, more permeable aliveness
Which is every moment
At the brink of death;
For something new is being born in us
If we but let it.
We stand at a new doorway,
Awaiting that which comes…
Daring to be human creatures.
Vulnerable to the beauty of existence.
Learning to love. 

We come to church to be human. To feel our vulnerability. To let something new be born in us. To learn to love as best we can for the time we have.  

I can’t wait to be with you this Sunday, as we continue our journey together. 

With care,
Rev. Justin

Over the past year, Shir Tikvah and First Universalist have been working closely to explore the possibility of sharing a campus in a renovated space at 3400 Dupont — a vision that stems from relationships and conversations going back a number of years and a hope that co-location could be mutually beneficial to our growing congregations. 

We’ve envisioned co-location as a bold, innovative, and values-aligned way to move into the future, reducing our environmental footprints and operating costs, amplifying our justice work, and helping each congregation meet facilities needs that wouldn’t be possible alone.

We are writing, however, to share that the discernment period around potential co-location has now come to an end. After completing a feasibility study with our architects, which involved a thorough exploration of each congregation’s needs and provided us with detailed actual cost estimates, we have reached the conclusion that the cost of renovations and construction to meet both congregations’ space needs and priorities at 3400 Dupont would greatly exceed what we are able to spend. While this news was disappointing, it is not unusual for cost estimates to be much larger and more accurate once a contractor is engaged for estimating. We have therefore made the difficult, mutual, decision to discontinue exploration of co-location.

We are closing our exploration of co-location, mourning a brave and exciting vision for our congregations’ future, while also understanding the financial realities. We are incredibly grateful for the process of discernment that we’ve been through, the learning we’ve done, and the relationships we’ve developed and strengthened. So many people from both of our congregations have generously given their time, talent, and expertise to faithfully explore the possibility of co-location, and we are forever grateful for their skillful work. 

While we are disappointed that the outcome we hoped for is not achievable in this moment, we are grateful to now have clarity and better information as each congregation moves forward and addresses its space needs separately.

We look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between our congregations, supporting and enlivening each other’s missions, and working more closely together as progressive forces seeking justice and healing in the world and in our communities. 

We will share more information about what’s next this fall as leadership in each congregation work to reassess and determine next steps.  

With gratitude,

Rabbi Michael Latz, Bruce Manning (Shir Tikvah Board President), Jeremy Perotti (Co-location Steering Committee),

Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Justin Schroeder, Bryana French (First Universalist Board President), Nancy Gaschott (Co-Location Steering Committee), Cindy Marsh (Co-Location Steering Committee), Kristin Siegesmund (First Universalist Board Representative on Co-Location Steering Committee)

Read this week’s newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal August 22

Read this week’s issue of The Weekly Liberal here: The Weekly Liberal Aug. 15.

Read this week’s issue of our newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal Aug. 8

We are delighted to welcome Arif Mamdani as First Universalist’s new Director of Membership and Adult Ministries. He has officially started in this position as of August 1. As Revs. Jen and Justin wrote when they announced Arif’s hire, “We believe that Arif is the perfect person to build on the already strong foundation that Rev. Elaine Aron Tenbrink built in her tenure with First Universalist.” They continued: “In our interview, we were impressed by Arif’s thoughtfulness, his insightful questions, his deep curiosity, his open heart, and his obvious love of Unitarian Universalism.” read more

Read this week’s issue of our newsletter here: The Weekly Liberal August 1

The exhibit “Faces of Renting,” is on view in the First Universalist Social Hall Aug. 4 through Sept. 29, 2019. Consisting of a detailed, watercolor portrait series by Cori Lyn alongside photos by Nancy Musinguzi, the exhibit provides a peek into just four of the many renter households in the Greater Powderhorn* area. These renters welcome us into their homes, share their joys, discuss their struggles, and call us to rally behind them in South Minneapolis. read more

Part of our June 2 Annual Meeting of the Membership was dedicated to providing the latest information about the conversations First Universalist and Shir Tikvah are currently engaged in regarding potential co-location (campus sharing). Leadership shared information, answered questions, gathered feedback, facilitated small group conversations about our racial justice mission and potential impact of colocation in response to concerns voiced by People of Color/Indigenous congregants, and conducted a straw poll of those members in attendance. read more