President's Reports for 2022
Week of June 19th
From The President’s Desk:
If you happened to be on Zoom this past Sunday, the 19th, you know we had an incident of Zoom bombing. Thankfully, it was quickly taken care of. Shout out to Scott Grey and Sherri Randall for staying on top of things!
This past weekend we also had a flurry of activity on our Facebook page that needed some attention, as a small group of fundamentalist Muslims found us and took umbrage with one of our posts. Since we have now reached 10,000 likes (congratulations Alicia Kalich!) we recognize that such things are largely a byproduct of popularity and indicates we are reaching a wide audience. Alicia, Scott, and I went on and took care of most of it, while still leaving room for personal viewpoints. Admittedly, as the world gets more chaotic, this part of our ministry gets more complicated.
The platform for the Texas Republican party just came out and it reflects the fear and anxiety of some of their leaders as they struggle to remain relevant. Having said that, I want to emphasize that this does not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of everyone in that party and we need to acknowledge that so we can be welcoming to those with different conservative ideologies.
As a socially aware congregation, we have committed ourselves to justice, equity, and the concept of providing sanctuary. It’s time to change a few things so we can keep everyone safe.
The monthly calendar will be handled at the Coordinating Council meetings on the second Wednesday of the month, at 7:30 pm, when all ministry and committee leaders gather. If you have a great idea for an event or fundraiser, this is where it gets presented. Anything happening that is not an already scheduled event or meeting should always go through Rita, so it gets on the calendar. Events that need board approval will be presented at the next board meeting, tentatively scheduled for the third Wednesday at 7:00 pm.
While we want to encourage use of our space, if you’re planning to be on campus for any reason, please let Rita know. That way if anything happens, we are aware of who was there and what is taking place. If you happen to see anything unusual or suspicious going on, call me immediately. We do have a small group of homeless who use our water and electricity on a regular basis, but they are always very polite and a few of us have developed a relationship with them. Having them on campus gives us a small level of protection because they are aware of what is happening when we are not. Just because I know who they are, doesn’t mean everyone does, so I am available if there are any concerns. Alicia Morales, Rita Jackson, Reverend Deneen, and Autumn Van Volkinburg are also there a great deal of the time. Other than in the case of an emergency, it’s not necessary to contact me personally if someone else is aware of what’s going on at any given time.
If we all commit to communicating with one another we can fight injustice, provide sanctuary, and maintain safety on campus, without any misunderstandings or conflict. Thank you!
There is a board meeting this Thursday, June 23rd at 7:00 pm. As usual, it’s an open meeting and everyone is invited to attend. This week we will be focusing on transition to the new church year and taking care of a few loose ends. Starting next month, there will be a few changes in how the board meetings are run, but you’ll always be heard, and your input is invaluable.
Have a good rest of your week!
Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of June 12th
From The President’s Desk:
My goodness it’s hot out there! Despite over 100-degree temperatures, however, the NerdCon held Saturday, June 11th, was a lot of fun! It turned into a great outreach opportunity and brought in an extra $354.
I want to acknowledge those who brought concerns that our fundraisers aren’t making enough generally to offset the income from rentals. I believe it’s important that we look at these smaller events as an opportunity for outreach. The more outreach we do, the more income we will bring in later as visitors start coming to check out our services. For the most part we do bring in at least one or two potential members and it all adds up. We need to look at this as part of our long-term investment towards growth.
This Thursday, June 16th, there will be a Coordinating Council meeting at 7:00 pm. If you are a ministry or committee leader, I encourage you to attend this one. Kirsten LaBauve, our new Vice President, will be there and I want to be sure she knows everyone and the purpose of each committee. We will be meeting in the Hope Chapel as well as online using Zoom. Now that the pandemic is over, I’ve discussed with Kirsten how we can get Coordinated Council back on track. We've had a few glitches lately with events that didn’t get on the calendar or go through proper channels. We need to fix that as we move forward, so everyone is on the same page.
Rebecca Mohr is out of town so there’s no Workday Wednesday this week. I hope you can all stay cool and find something relaxing to do with your time.
The Board will be meeting next Thursday, the 23rd at 7:00pm. We will be discussing the ongoing issue with Waste Management and our plans as we transition to the new year. Everyone is welcome to attend, and the link is in this eBlast. Some of us will be on campus as well, so you’re also welcome to attend in person.
We did host a friend of the church Monday afternoon as we waited for her air-conditioning to be fixed. If you, or someone you know needs help, there are cooling stations at the West Dallas multipurpose center and the Martin Luther King activity center. Also, Reliant and the City of Dallas are giving away air conditioners. I will have these added to my list of resources. If you need more info, you’re always welcome to reach out to us at
Enjoy the rest of your week and stay cool.
Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of June 5th
From The President’s Desk:
I hope you’re all looking forward to coming to NerdCon on Saturday! There will be games, food, vendors, and a cosplay costume contest. This is the perfect opportunity for our younger members to get involved and invite their friends. If you’re not into the anime and cosplay element, there are also going to be board games going on. You’ll find more information elsewhere in the eblast.
Please join us for Workday Wednesday from 5:00-7:00 pm this week to help get the campus ready for Saturday. Susan Ammons and I will be digging through more discovered history, so if that’s something you’re interested in, we would love an extra pair of eyes or two.
There will be a meditation on campus June 20th at 11:30 am. A half hour will be dedicated to conversation before meditation begins at 12 noon sharp. This is part of a worldwide meditation time to usher in a period of Harmony. Even if you can’t join on campus you can meditate at home as part of the energy lines connection.
On Tuesday, June 21st at 8:00 pm we will have the summer Solstice celebration led by Sarah Ricke. It’s always a beautiful celebration of the changing seasons and the labyrinth has so much peaceful positive energy I have no doubt joining the group will help you move into summer with a hopeful attitude. Something we all need during this time of social and global chaos.
Our next Board meeting has been moved from June 9th to June 23rd to accommodate our outgoing Vice President, Renee Brill, who will be traveling to Maine. This will be her final meeting with the board before our new Vice President takes office in July.
Not much else to report on my end since I’m largely buried in paperwork this month. I hope I see you on Saturday and Sunday! Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of May 29th
From The President’s Desk:
I can’t believe we just had Memorial Day already and The Fourth of July will be here before we know it. Since we have reopened the time just seems to be flying by much more quickly.
I have heard so many wonderful reports on our new minister! And, her partner, Sara, provided a fantastic service this past Sunday. When she asked me for feedback, I said, let’s do more of that! If you missed the service on Sunday, you can watch it on our YouTube channel, or on Facebook, or on our website.
The team working on the NerdCon coming up on June 11th has been very busy getting the word out to everyone. If you have a friend or family member who might be interested in taking part, invite them! We still need vendors, items for displaying, and a lot of goodies for our concessions. Be sure to email
I am gearing up to welcome the new board next month and prepare for the retreat as well as creating archives of information and files. We’ve been dealing with an issue of disappearing files and information so one of my goals is to centralize everything and possibly investigate getting a hard drive we can use to back up everything. If you happen to have any church documents or archives in your possession, please bring them to the church. Thank you.
The next board meeting will be held on June 23rd at 7:00 pm. We will be welcoming our new member, taking care of some business and setting a date for a possible board retreat.
As Deneen has stated we will be having healers in residence on campus available to anyone who needs it. If this interests you, or you want more information, you can reach out to her at
Anyone interested in doing face painting or balloon animals for PRIDE this coming Saturday, you can let Daniel Polk know at
Don’t forget we are still doing Workday Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00 pm.
I think that’s it for this week. See you all soon. Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of May 22nd
From The President’s Desk:
I hope you’re all having a good week and remain safe during the potentially dangerous weather headed this way. At least we had a couple of cooler days before we soar back up into the 90s. I guess two days of spring are better than none.
This past Saturday, May 21st, we held a memorial for Tommie Kinney in Hope chapel. Although we intended to hold it at the labyrinth, Mother Nature had other plans. The same storm that interrupted those plans also caused those people running our fundraiser with CraftCycle to abort mission and declare it done. As a result, I think we cleared $5 on that one.
On Saturday, June 11th we will be having NerdCon thanks to the Hile family and their planning. There are a lot of activities planned, so help us make this a big fundraiser. We need people to staff the event and bring concessions to sell. You can sign up at www.tinyurl.com/nerdconvol. We also need you to help us spread the word. You can look for our Facebook event to share on social media and share our web page, www.oakcliffuu.org/nerdcon.
We will also be planning for our Halloween Haunted Forest in a few months. Since a few of us have been making a huge effort on outreach, I believe these events will bring in members of the larger community and the younger visitors we need.
As you’ve probably heard, our minister, Deneen Robinson, headed to the ER in the wee hours of Saturday morning and is currently a patient at Baylor, Scott, and White hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery. When I spoke with her partner, Sara, Monday morning Deneen was currently undergoing tests. We will update you as we know more. Sara will be speaking this coming Sunday and I’m sure she will also update the congregation then. Flowers are being sent on behalf of the church.
On Sunday, May 22nd, most of the board members gathered at the church to approve the transfer of our banking to Frost from Comerica. Autumn did a great deal of research into our best option, and, as many of you know, we have discussed the need to change banks for years. It feels good to be accomplishing several goals that have been on hold.
One of the issues brought up in TalkBack this last Sunday is the possibility of losing our coffee hour. We only have three people volunteering to do it, so it’s not sustainable. Unless more are willing to do so that part of our service will be spotty at best. This is probably the one thing we need to focus on continuing as we gather during this year. While we all value the contribution, we must also be willing to help make it happen. If you’re interested, you can contact Johnnie at
Enjoy the rest of your week!
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of May 15th
From The President’s Desk:
A huge thank you to everyone who voted and/or showed up for the Parish meeting Sunday, May 15th. We had well over quorum represented and the meeting went very smoothly. The Endowment bylaws passed with a few grammatical changes made, and the Budget also passed. Despite acknowledgement that our budget has some issues that need to be fixed, it was so wonderful to see everyone embracing the possibilities rather than focus on what we do not have. The board’s first action toward our financial future is to change banks, which should bring our bank charges down to a manageable level. We will also be investigating alternatives to AT&T for Internet and phone services and looking at the possibility of finding a different insurance company. If anyone has any thoughts on these matters, please reach out to Autumn at
Another way we are cutting costs is by sunsetting our bank withdrawals with Vanco and instead using only Breeze, so we aren’t paying for two services. If you had set up an automatic bank withdrawal from Vanco, look for an email from Rita (
Remember to add
Here are your church officers as of July 1st:
President: Beth Ferree
Vice President: Kirsten LaBauve
Secretary: Nancy Harms
Treasurer: Autumn VanVolkinburg
Trustees: Yolanda Graham and Sherri Randall
Endowment Fund Managers: Jim Klipp, Alice Kinsey, and Steven Martinson
Leadership Development Committee: Kenneth Jackson, Nancy Johnstone, Kathy Grey
Thank you all for agreeing to be members of our leadership.
Although I was hesitant to accept another term as President, I already see so much potential in this next year. Having Deneen taking the lead in caring for our congregation’s spiritual needs will enable me to focus more on tightening up the board and focus on how we can attract more leaders with the help of Leadership Development. We managed to get a great deal of work done despite the pandemic, and I’m very proud of our accomplishments. Now we will focus more on how to meet our goals for the upcoming year. The board goals will be determined at our board retreat later this summer.
One of my personal goals is to have a more relaxed Parish meeting in the fall, where we can get to know what’s happening in our ministries and committees as well as to honor those who have put in so much work over the course of the pandemic. I will be asking for nominations for the Harry and Sally Jones awards in August. These awards are given to our outstanding volunteers for their work.
Since we’ve reopened the church for services, I’ve noticed the energy change. There’s more excitement about the future and less anxiety. While there’s certainly still much anxiety over the state of the world, it feels as though there’s a much greater desire to work toward the one goal we all have for our church – to create a beloved community for everyone who comes through our doors. Can we do it? We’re already headed in that direction and, together, we can do anything!
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of May 8th
From The President’s Desk:
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of May 1st
From The President’s Desk:
It was so good to go to church this past Sunday, May 1st and find so many in person! I believe the count was around 27.
The service was wonderful, and I always love listening to others during TalkBack as I learn so much about them. Congratulations to Sarah Ricke who was declared our May Queen and Kenneth Jackson who served as our Green Man!
We are gearing up for the Parish meeting on the 15th and an email with information and a link to our online voting form, as well as copies of the proposed budget and requested changes to the endowment fund bylaws, was sent out on Sunday. Please be sure to check it out since we have a few important items to be voted on. Given how we are conducting the Parish meeting, we need you to vote in advance of the 15th on a motion being made to temporarily waive the term limits section of our bylaws and to cast your vote for our elected officers. Absentee (advance) votes on the budget and the proposed endowment fund bylaws changes can also be submitted at the same time, but the final vote on those two items will only be recorded during the meeting in case anyone would like to wait until discussions have been held. (If you do vote on those two items in advance, and happen to change your mind during the meeting, your updated vote will be counted.) We encourage everyone to please be on campus that day, so we are offering the opportunity to join the meeting from the Hope building, as well as from the Sanctuary. This will be a hybrid meeting, so those who cannot join in person can participate on Zoom. If you can’t join in person, or on Zoom, please remember to fill out the absentee ballot completely so we can count it toward our quorum and register your votes. If you have any questions about your status as a voting member, please contact Rita at
Just remember, if you don’t join us in person, you will miss out on our first potluck in over two years as well as the opportunity to reconnect with your church family!
Please note that we are moving the start of the Parish meeting from noon to 11:15 am. The potluck will be held immediately after the meeting, but there will be coffee and snacks available during the meeting to tide everyone over until lunch. Given there may be some serious discussion needed on the budget, we hope that this will provides a way for everyone to decompress after the business of the meeting has been completed and also serve to remind us that we are a community of hope and love.
I also want to encourage you to look at the proposed budget carefully. Unfortunately, with costs for the necessities rising and our plans to hold more in-person events, we are showing a significant projected deficit. Also, since we’ve been closed for so long, the numbers are still a best guess. I have so much appreciation for our new treasurer, Autumn VanVolkinburg, who dove in and worked hard to put this together on a tight timetable. Work will continue to find ways to reduce some expenses and create a better organized budget with the help of our new finance ministry team.
On Saturday, May 21st, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, we will be hosting a booth at the New Vida’s Parking Lot Market in conjunction with CraftCycle Dallas. (New Vida is the church on the east side of the Five Mile Creek Cemetery next door to us.) We will have craft items available to sell and you’re welcome to join us if you’d like to sell items you’ve made. If you decide to participate, you will get the profits you make less 20% which will go to the church. Please send a message to
Saturday, June 11th, will be the Nerd Con Joeie and Josh Hile are organizing. I’ve seen the trophy for the best cosplay costume and it’s cool. You will want to come dressed up and ready to play. There will be games, concessions, and all sorts of silliness to enjoy. This is an event we want to encourage our youth to attend as well. The schedule is as follows:
- 10:00 am - doors will open for venders and set up
- 12:00 pm - open to the public
- 3:00 pm - costume contest
- 6:00 pm - doors will close
We’re heading in the right direction and I’m excited about all the things we have going on already. It’s going to be a good year.
I will be signing up people interested in taking OWL training August 5th through the 7th. It is an intensive training, so we need people who are willing to commit to working with our children. We currently have four people interested and the classes will be covered by the RE grant provided by NTUUC two years ago.
Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of April 24th
From The President’s Desk:
It’s been a busy week as we prepare for the upcoming Parish meeting on May 15th. Since we need to have the announcement and proposals out to you all by the 1st the board spent some time Saturday on the budget and proposed agenda. Thursday evening, April 28th, the board will meet at 7:00 pm to approve everything going out.
We received a letter of resignation from our board from Alex Kennedy this past week. I want to thank Alex for helping on the board. As we know, life gets busy, and Alex needed to step away to focus on work. Thursday the Board will be presented with Sherri Randall who has agreed to finish Alex’s term. We will also be considering a replacement for Marco Villegas on the endowment committee but are awaiting confirmation from the person proposed to replace him.
It's so great to have a minister in house now! Deneen has been a welcome presence in the services and, as it was pointed out this past Sunday, her laughter is infectious. I hope to see more people on campus as we get closer to the Parish meeting.
This past Sunday, there were around ten in the sanctuary. Since Dallas County has placed us in green on the COVID infection risk, I gave those on campus the options of taking off their mask. This was not a blanket policy for all future events; rather, it was a decision based on who was present and their personal preferences. Given that the County has determined it to be safe for vaccinated people to gather I’m looking at possible ways in which someone can make it known if they would feel safer with a mask mandate when they attend services. If you are one of these people you can let us know by emailing
In other news, Deneen’s partner, Sara, is currently working on some exciting possibilities for the church! One of the options she was working on Sunday was the addition of a drum circle. This is an exciting time for our church and there will be a lot more happening as we focus on switching from pandemic mode to growth and opportunity.
You’ll also find a list, in the members' section of the new website, of our ministries and committees with a description of who to contact for what. We did this because Scott is getting overwhelmed by the personal requests for doing things that are part of the Communications team’s job. Scott is our tech guru, and his job title has been adjusted to reflect that. As we grow in the future, keeping the requests going to the right channels will make a world of difference in our sometimes-complicated communications issues. One of the board’s top goals is to operate in full transparency and fix the communications problem.
We’ve got the description for the finance committee approved now so we just need a few more people to step up and be willing to help us maintain communication and transparency in our financial health as well. Autumn VanVolkinburg has been working hard to adapt to her new job as Treasurer, and many great ideas have been voiced that will keep our financial team accountable. Many of these ideas will be applied to endowment and fundraising as well. It’s essential that every part of our church operates in full transparency and with open communication.
Have a great week everyone and I hope to see you on campus soon!
Namasté
E. Beth Ferree
President of the Board at Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff
Week of April 17th
From The President’s Desk:
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, whatever your chosen traditions. I heard great things about Sunday’s service and loved seeing all the photos that were posted in TalkBack. I spent the day near the Oklahoma border with our friends at Red River in Denison. It was a good day and a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with one of the other churches in our North Texas cluster.
Last Thursday, I participated in a weekly Zoom with TXJUUM, led by Rev. Erin Walter. Each week there is a different focus on a social justice issue, and we work together to send out emails or make phone calls. On this call, we focused on actions to help Melissa Lucio, who is currently facing the death penalty for the death of her child. There is plenty of evidence that shows her innocence, so it’s important we make our voices heard before April 27th, which is the day she is scheduled to be executed. I hope some of you will join in that fight. If I remember correctly, the next meeting will be focused on the rights of trans children. For more information and the link, please contact me at
In the meantime, I will be on campus Wednesday, and possibly Thursday, to do some of the necessary tasks in helping Deneen get settled in and creating the Parish meeting agenda.
Wednesday continues to be our Workday from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and we welcome everyone who can to participate. There’s always a lot to do, especially this time of the year when everything is blooming. As much as possible needs to be accomplished outdoors before it gets too hot.
Our next fundraiser with Craft Cycle Dallas is coming up on May 21st in the parking lot at New Vida, the church on the other side of the cemetery. If you wish to sell something you made, or are just interested in helping staff the booth, please contact
Enjoy the rest of your week and I hope to see you this coming Sunday.
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of April 10th
From The President’s Desk:
It was the worst of weeks; it was the best of weeks. (My apologies to Charles Dickens).Sadly, late last week we lost one of our members. Tommie Kinney passed away on April 6th. I do not have many details yet, but please keep Carol Dengle and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they process this loss.
On April 11th Deneen Robinson and I signed her contract! She will be providing our Easter service, which will also be our first live sermon in over two years. We hope most of you can join for this special event. Unfortunately, I agreed to speak at Red River over three months ago, so I won’t be in attendance.
Leah Pittmon will also be there this Sunday and available to keep the children entertained for the entire service with arts and crafts. You’re also encouraged to wear your Easter bonnets and bring your favorite Easter candy to share with others. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun!
If you can’t attend in person this week, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know Deneen as we continue to work toward a fully open campus. The Parish meeting on May 15th will include a sermon from Deneen, a potluck, and she will be introduced to the congregation during the meeting. The congregational meeting will start at 1:00 pm and there will not be a TalkBack on that day. You will get your formal announcement by May 1st since we have some bylaw changes to consider so be sure to watch for it.
Rebecca Mohr hasn’t been feeling well, but Wednesday Workday is still scheduled, so be sure to join the other volunteers as the church is prepared to welcome everyone back. You can find more details in this Eblast.
If you have thought about joining the Worship ministry, but want to learn more, you can join us at 1:00 pm Thursday as we do a run through to make sure we’re prepared for Sunday. You don’t have to help; you can simply watch and see what the team does to put our services together.
I’ll hopefully see you all soon. Enjoy your Easter holiday!
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of April 3rd
From The President’s Desk:
It’s been a busy, but productive, week. We held a board meeting this past Sunday, April 3rd, at which we approved Deneen’s contract. I am clarifying a few things and it will be sent off to her on Tuesday, April 5th by noon. Her start date will be this coming Sunday, April 10th.
The Board also approved Autumn VanVolkinburg as our new Treasurer. Since we also approved the description of the finance committee, we will have more than one set of eyes on the finances and there will be more transparency for the congregation in the future. With the elections coming soon, the board will be working on the budget for fiscal year 2022-2023 at the next meeting on April 23rd at 11:00 am. After the Parish meeting on May 15th, we will add members to the finance team.
The other matter brought to the Board was a request from Scott for $200. He will be using it to finish purchasing some equipment needed for us to begin services from the sanctuary again, while also including those attending on Zoom and on our other media services. The primary issue that needs to be resolved is to adjust our stage lighting so the speakers at the pulpit do not disappear into the background. We are planning a dry run this next Sunday, April 10th, to be sure everything is working correctly before Easter Sunday, which will be Deneen’s first service as our minister. Be sure to join us either in person or on Zoom! Please remember that we are still working out the new technology, but nothing that will dampen our sense of community.
At the worship team meeting on April 3rd, plans for an Easter re-opening were discussed. Possibilities include a picnic lunch on campus with everyone bringing their own lunches. We will have our first real potluck before the Parish meeting on May 15th. Since Deneen will be attending the next meeting this coming Sunday, there might be more news on this next week. This meeting of the committee will be held on campus at 1:00 pm. If you’d like to be a worship leader, or help with tech, you’re encouraged to attend.
Don’t forget to join Rebecca Mohr for Workday Wednesday this week from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. They are working hard to get everything cleaned and fixed for our re-opening.
If you have a little time this Saturday, we could use a few people to help us clean out a storage unit. The unit contains tons of quilting and craft supplies for Aline McKenzie’s Craft Cycle Dallas program. Much of this will be used for our next craft sales fundraiser.
We were gifted four large bags of purses by First Church this past week. Many of them are simply too nice to hand out to the housing insecure because it would put them at risk for being targeted by criminals. Our plan is to sell the nice ones, and use the money to purchase items for our next Bags for the Homeless program. I still haven’t figured out how this sale will happen, so I’ll keep you posted. If you’re at the church, you can go through them and see if you’d like one. (There are a couple of Kate Spade bags in there.) Which reminds me, we need to rename that program, as referring to people as "homeless" is not using the correct terminology in keeping with our work on Widening the Circle of Concern. We need to be using "housing insecure." Since Bags for the Housing Insecure doesn’t exactly roll off your tongue, I’m offering a free bag to whomever comes up with the best name for the program. Please send your suggestion to
A friend of the church, Carlos Sánchez, lost everything in a fire on Friday, April 1st. The pastoral care team has agreed that anything donated to the Hopeful Hearts fund for the next two weeks will be donated to Carlos and his family. Carlos has been a huge help in helping the church with some of the issues with the acoustics in the sanctuary. You can donate by going to www.oakcliffuu.org/hopefulhearts or by texting your donation to 214-225-5996 with HH in the text.
Have a good rest of the week and I hope to see a lot of you in person this coming Sunday!
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of March 27th
From The President’s Desk:
Here we are, already headed into April. I don’t know about anyone else, but it does seem as though time is speeding up. Maybe because I’m older, maybe because I just feel older this week.
On Sunday, March 27th we had a board meeting to discuss the contract we will eventually hand over to Deneen. After a lengthy discussion a few changes were suggested so we will vote on it at the meeting on April 3rd at 3:00 pm. This means we will need to push back Deneen’s proposed start date at least a week, but I’ll update you next week in this report on the status of our incoming minister.
We also heard from Joeie Hile. Due to COVID, the Comic Con event has been rescheduled for June 11th. It sounds like there will be a lot of great opportunities for anyone identifying as a nerd, so watch for more information as it gets close - especially if you would like a vendor table or want to participate in any way.
Since the contract discussion lasted two hours, the Board tabled the discussion on the budget until next week. A reminder to everyone that ministry and committee requests need to be sent to the board as soon as possible for consideration. If you are the head of a committee that has not been active, you can let us know what you’d like to accomplish once we are fully opened. Share your dreams with us at
Speaking of finances, I want to thank Paul Fucile for taking on the role of Treasurer despite being very busy, and thank and welcome Autumn VonVolkinburg for agreeing to take on the rest of his term. Autumn will be very involved in our budget discussions as we prepare for the upcoming new fiscal year.
We are still planning to have our re-opening celebration on Easter Sunday, April 17th, but I am continuing to keep an eye on the COVID situation. I am aware that China is currently locking down for a new strain.
Rebecca Mohr updated me on the status of our kitties. The only two who didn’t get TNR were the black female, Mama Cass, and a black Manx, Brutus Maximus. Since Brutus appears to be male there’s still a possibility of kittens arriving, but they were just too smart to be trapped. All the others have been returned to campus and there are currently no plans to try again unless someone else steps forward to do so.
Wednesday workdays are continuing as we prepare to be fully open. Most of the work is outdoors right now and will likely continue to be until it gets too hot. It’s from 5:00 - 7:00 pm and everyone is welcome.
A huge thanks to the group who stayed on campus this last Sunday to fix a few things that needed attention. Kenneth Jackson and Joslyn Grey worked together to put up molding in the minister’s office to cover the wiring that was exposed. Kathy Grey glued and fixed the desk in the lobby where it was coming loose. Thanks to Scott for getting the computer back up and running. In addition to all that, a shout out to Kirsten LeBauve and Alicia Morales who rushed to prepare the church for in person services. They truly went above and beyond! To anyone I missed, thanks so much for your help as well!
If you’re wondering about the full dumpster sitting on the back parking lot, we’re trying to get it taken care of. We cancelled our service with Waste Management, but they don’t seem to be communicating with each other as we are still getting bills and a threat of bill collection. Susan and Leland Ammons have sent them letters to cease and desist. Another letter was sent a few days ago, so we need to give them a couple of weeks to respond. If we do not get a response, I will create a video in front of all the trash they claim to be picking up and will then take the matter to the public forum. We will also be offering the dumpster to anyone willing to come and get it.
That’s about all for now. Have a good week and we’ll see you soon.
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of March 20th
From The President’s Desk:
I hope this finds you well and no one was affected by the storms that came through Monday evening. We did get quite a bit of lightening and rain, but nothing to write home about.
I have some great news! The transmission risk for COVID is now down to yellow. This means we are going to move cautiously toward a full re-opening while keeping an eye on the new strain that’s starting to crop up in the U.S. If all goes well, we will be delivering our services from the pulpit very soon. A huge thank you to everyone who has been attending the services, virtually or in person. A special thanks for being so flexible with our sudden plot change in TalkBack last week when our control computer crashed. It has been repaired and will be back in the game on Sunday.
While the board approved Deneen Robinson as our new minister, there are still a few hoops to go through to make it official. The ministerial search committee will meet with her Thursday to go over the contract minutia, then the Board will discuss it Sunday, March 27th at 3:00 pm and make a final decision. If all goes according to plan, her start date will be April 1st.
The other discussion taking place at the Board meeting will be the budget for the next fiscal year. We need all committees and ministries with a budget to submit the amount they require and how they intend to use it over the next year. There are limited funds, and we want to be sure everyone has what they need to succeed. Please submit your requests to
Joeie Hile will also be reporting on the date change for the game convention they are planning on campus. It was decided to postpone the event due to the COVID risk.
There is a workday Wednesday this week from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. I’m not sure what the plan is, but there is still a lot to be done before we fully open and your assistance is needed. Remember, your volunteer hours count toward your voting status. Just make sure you sign the sheet in the Hope kitchen when you spend time at the church so your records can be updated by Rita. If you’re volunteering from home, send your time and description of task to
Speaking of voting status, if you haven’t submitted your pledge information since November, please go to www.oakcliffuu.org/Pledge2022 and do so. We are now managing this information in Breeze and your data may need to be updated. You can also indicate what volunteer opportunities you’re interested in so our Leadership Development Committee can reach out when a task comes up that would fit your talents and interests. Volunteering doesn’t need to be painful!
Thank you to Kathy Grey for doing such an amazing job recovering the bench in Faith lobby. It looks soooo much better now!
Enjoy the rest of your week. It looks like after a couple more days of winter, we are heading full force into spring. The flowers and trees are blooming on campus, and they look beautiful. You really should come by and enjoy them.
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of March 13th
From The President’s Desk:
As you may have seen on Facebook, on Sunday, the 13th, the board agreed to hire Deneen Robinson as our new minister, with a projected start date of April 1st. Deneen will be working toward fellowshipping with us through the UUA. This entails helping her find the necessary connections to enable her to continue the education she needs to be recognized as a UU minister. At our March 27th meeting we will finalize the contract the minster search team is currently writing as well as the job description/duties. Deneen will be part of this process as I will keep her updated. In this way, we all have a clear understanding of what we expect as well as how she feels she can best help the congregation. The church will always work best when communication is clear and transparent.
The Board also discussed re-opening. We will begin including live elements in services as soon as we have volunteers available and willing to help with the necessary tasks to make this happen. If you’re willing to help with speaking from the stage or working with the tech elements, you can email
Kids are welcome to come back, but will need to be immunized, and masks will continue to be mandatory. Since we still need to work on getting RE back up and running, they will need to be with their parents during service for the time being. This will be a process of trial and error and we know there’s still a significant risk of Covid in the community. Since we don’t want to close the church again, continuing with certain mandates will enable us to stay open.
We appreciate your patience as we begin navigating how to work with our new normal. If you have any questions or concerns you can contact Worship, myself at
The board created an Endowment bylaws review committee, with Barbara Fudge as chair. This committee will review the current bylaws and consider updates that have been suggested. Once they have finished, the board will review and present it to the congregation for a vote.
At the next Board meeting on March 27th, we will also be working to create a possible budget for the next fiscal year. If you head a committee with a budget I want to encourage you to attend and give input or send a letter to
On Tuesday, March 15th, I attended a meeting with Side with Love on the strategies to be considered when protesting the anti-trans laws that are being proposed across the nation. There were some important points made and links I want to share with you all.
These proposed laws are unlikely to succeed through legislation when you consider that approximately 30-40% of the trans children have parents who belong to the GOP. A parent is a parent in a vast majority of the world. This current attack on trans children is the Religious Right’s way of creating a wedge issue and has nothing to do with the kids themselves. These children are a way to connect the issues they are trying to manipulate in education. Therefore, it’s important to get involved on a local level with the school boards and City Council. The difference you make on a local level is what will block these attempts to change laws on a state and national level.
These laws will not win overall, so we need to focus on keeping these kids safe and creating an environment in which they feel loved. Reach out to the families and ask them how they are doing. I would ask, in this congregation, that we work to create a space in which our adult, and youth LGBTQ congregants can gather to meet and have support. They make up more than 20% of our congregation and it’s essential that we find a way to help get through this difficult time. As Sam Ames from the Trevor Project said, “keeping people alive is the revolution.”
As we met last night, Sam received word that the proposed bill in Idaho failed. We are headed in the right direction. We just must keep focused and join with other groups focused on the same battles.
Those who are cisgender need to be willing to speak up for the kids and parents who are unable to. It’s not always safe for the community itself to speak out, so they need us to do it for them. If you are interested in reading the stories of trans kids/families in a public setting I encourage you to sign up for training as a spokesperson. You can do that at Speak Up for Trans Lives: Spokesperson Training (everyaction.com).
If you’re wanting to help with the Rapid Response team by writing letters or contacting your representatives when something urgent comes up you can join here: Rapid Response Interest Form (everyaction.com)
The actions taken against trans kids are not legally binding. If you know a child who is currently being targeted you can report the issue to the Department of Human Services here: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office for Civil Rights (hhs.gov)
For those who are trans, nonbinary or identify as something other than cis, there is a place of support in the UUA for you to find like-minded friends and allies on your personal journey. I encourage you to sign up and attend. This group is for any age and parents can accompany children. Transgender / Non-Binary Monthly Gatherings - 4th Tuesdays @ 8pm ET / 5pm PT | UUA.org
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this rather long message and I will see you soon.
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of March 6th
From The President’s Desk:
As you know, this past Sunday was both our re-opening and the T’Monde concert on campus. Although we had small attendance at both, it was worth the effort put forth to have human interaction again. While donation amount for the church totaled $67, we made connections that will be very valuable in the future when we are fully open and ready to do more outreach.
Rebecca Mohr and helpers have had an exciting adventure! Four of the kitties were caught and are ready to be fixed! Discovering TNR services are reduced right now, we spent Monday frantically tracking down options, but thanks to Pepper Mintz and her connections, they will be fixed Friday. Hopefully, we’ll catch mama kitty and cut down the cat colony population. Although, I think they probably have a welcome sign up somewhere.
We do have a board meeting next Sunday, the 13th, at 3:00 pm on Zoom. We will be discussing the re-opening, and the ministerial search team will be presenting the candidate interviewed the week before last. It’s going to be a full agenda, so if you have thoughts to share, please keep them brief so we can have input from all. Thanks!
In other news, I’ve been talking to rentals and there are still a few things that need to be completed to keep our campus safe for everyone. The primary item is installing security cameras in the parking areas and in the sanctuary. Scott is currently investigating the necessary specifications and cost of these items. Sadly, we need to accept that the world is increasingly more dangerous. Given the current global atmosphere we must keep our renters safe as well as face the possibility that our more liberal congregation could possibly be targeted at some point.
Don’t forget to pick up the items you won in the auction soon! Contact Donna Leach at
I’m certain I’m missing something; however, if I am you’ll always find it in the rest of the eblast, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or announcements on Sunday morning. We have a great communications team that works hard to get the word out, but it’s up to all of us to read the information put out there for ourselves.
Whatever is happening in your world this week, I hope it’s a good one!
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of February 27th
From The President’s Desk:
It’s hard to believe we’re entering March and the third year of the pandemic. Thankfully, the risk level has decreased some so we’re going to re-open the church this coming Sunday for services. For at least a week or two we will have our services just as we did the last time we dared to open. We’ll gather in the sanctuary distanced and masked, with an interactive Talkback afterwards. As things progress, and we’re certain we aren’t going to need to close again, we will work toward a full hybrid service. This means most elements will be live and shared on Zoom for anyone unable to join. Our County Judge, Clay Jenkins, has relaxed the mask mandate so I'm hopeful we can begin having live services soon; however, we will still be requiring masks on campus until the risk level goes down significantly. We do have a couple of people who cannot take the vaccine, or are immune-compromised, and we want to keep everyone safe.
After the service next week, from 2-4 PM, we will have the band T’monde on campus! The concert will be held in the gazebo, and everyone is invited to bring their lawn chairs and a cooler with your favorite beverage or snack. There will be cookies or bars available to buy and the proceeds will go to the church. Entrance to the concert is a recommended donation of $10, but don’t let that stop you. The money raised from concert proceeds will be partially used to help the band get gas, so they aren’t stuck with us forever. I mean, I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t think they would be on board. If you’d like to donate cookies, please bring them to the church by Sunday morning so they can be placed on plates and wrapped. If you are wanting to drop them off and Rita isn’t at the church, you can always reach out to me by text or email
The minister search team held an interview this past week, and they were very pleased with the candidate, so will be bringing the candidate’s name before the board at the meeting on March 13th.
We will also begin preparation for the Parish meeting on May 15th. I am very hopeful that we can hold elections at the church with a link for those wanting to join on Zoom. We still need officers to fill positions so be sure to write
On March 19th, Aline McKenzie from CraftCycle Dallas is organizing a crew to empty out a storage unit in North Dallas. This is a huge amount of quilting paraphernalia, including frames, fabric, and other supplies. Everything is already boxed and ready to move and the Girl Scouts have agreed to help in exchange for some of the items. The items they take will be donated to a local theater group, while the rest will be used for our next fundraiser. If you’d like to come help transport items, you can let Kathy Grey or me know. Personally, I love anything fabric related! I’m sure if you helped you might be able to get a few cool things for a small donation to the church before someone else snatches it up.
There is a Workday Wednesday this week from 5-7 PM. The weather should be beautiful this week and I’m sure it would be nice to spend a couple of hours outdoors. Let Rebecca Mohr know if you’re planning to come. You can reach her at
We still need help with TNR. Spring is coming, the flowers will be blooming, and the kitties will be – well, you know. It would be helpful if we didn’t go from 5 cats on campus to 25 by fall. I did ask them nicely not to procreate, but that’s about as useful as asking a teenager to clean their room. With it getting warmer the task shouldn’t be quite as onerous now.
I think that’s it for this week. I have much to do before Sunday, so I guess I’d better get to it. Have a great week and stay safe!
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of February 20th
From The President’s Desk:
If you haven’t heard yet, we did have an incident at the church this past week in which a young man was stabbed. This was not a hate crime; it was a domestic dispute. Thankfully, he made it through surgery and should recover. I want to extend a huge thank you to our rentals team who not only handled the situation well, but also spent days cleaning up a lot of blood. I was at the church for a short time myself and saw personally how well the situation was handled by Autumn and Alicia. We couldn’t ask for better rental managers. Thank you both. I will be following up this week with a spiritual cleansing of the building and grounds.When I submitted my first draft of this report, I wrote that we would discuss re-opening at the next board meeting despite still being in red, or high risk of transmission. Two hours later I received word that we were moved back down to orange. If I had known just contemplating the concerns of staying closed was going to work, I would have done it weeks ago! Since the board has already agreed to an on-campus service once we were out of red, we will plan to open for services again on March 6th. As was the case when we opened the last time, masks will be required, and distancing observed. Bring a lunch and stay for the concert!
But there’s good news, too! The online auction brought in more than our goal for the worship team! As of this writing we received $1532.46, and you can still donate through the site at www.oakcliffuu.org/auction2022 . I would love to see us have more of these successful fundraisers in the future, but we need someone who’s willing to lead our fundraising team. If this is something you feel passionate about, let our Leadership Development Team know at
LDC is also currently looking for how our congregants can put their individual talents and passions to work for the church. We need leaders as well as worker bees! The church doesn’t work unless we have volunteers willing to give of their time to keep it going. You don’t have to take on a full-time job, just a few hours a week is a significant boon for us.
On March 6th we will have the T’Monde concert on campus. Right now, it’s planned to happen in the Gazebo. Please make sure you have your mask with you. There will be cookies and beverages provided, with all the donations for snacks going to the church. Suggested donation for the concert is $10 to help cover the band's cost of travel and meals. If the weather is cold, we will take it indoors and distance people. Plan to bring a lawn chair and your own beverages if you want anything stronger than coffee, tea, or water. Just nothing harder than beer or wine, please. We aren’t equipped for dancing on the tables.
Take care, stay safe, and Namasté
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of February 13th
From The President’s Desk:
It’s hard to believe another week has passed. As we get closer to spring it feels as though time speeds up. Or, maybe, it just feels that way to me.
The board met this past Sunday and agreed to reinstate our finance ministry team. We’re still working on the full description, but it will include the treasurer, a member of endowment, and a representative from rentals at the very least. The purpose of this group will be to create a budget and ensure the congregation is adequately represented when it comes to our finances. Having the ministry will not only provide accountability but will also create a smoother pledge drive and stewardship campaign. If you’re interested in serving in this capacity, let us know!
We heard from Jim Klipp, head of our endowment, who tells us we currently have over $201,000 and a change in investments resulted in a 20% growth over the past year. He pointed out we have not been following the endowment bylaws and suggested changes that the board will review at our next meeting on March 13th.
At the next meeting we will also begin the process of creating an agenda for the next Parish meeting on May 15th. The Leadership Development Committee will be present to help and report as well.
On March 6th we will have T’monde (www.tmonde.com) on campus to provide us with a concert. As I mentioned in my last report, they call themselves a Cajun fusion band. There will be a suggested donation of $10 at the door, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the music! The band will also be selling their CDs and other merchandise. If you’d like to donate some cookies you can drop them off at the church during Rita’s office hours on Tuesday and Thursday or make arrangements with one of us and we’ll make sure somebody will be on hand to accept them. I will be on campus the day before to plate and wrap them as well.
On June 11th, we will have our mini-game convention on campus. Joeie Hile oversees that so you can contact her for more information.
There is a Widening the Circle of Concern webinar with NTUUC on February 24th at 7 PM. You can register at www.NTUUC.org/WideningWebinar .
Don’t forget that our auction to benefit the worship team is now up and running! You have a week to check out all the awesome offerings and bid on them. You’ll find it at www.OakCliffUU.org/Auction2022. There’s something there for everyone!
Have a great week and I’ll see you Sunday on Zoom.
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of February 6th
From The President’s Desk:
Greetings, and I hope you all made it through last week’s storm safely. I did hear of a few who lost power, but it sounds like this one was a lot less intrusive than last year’s. Personally, as a transplanted Northerner, I’m just happy to have a brief fling with winter rather than an extended relationship.
Rita and I spent most of the past week or more getting our certification for the UUA finished and sent in before the deadline. Kudos to Rita who was able to get the information together and submitted despite a lack of communication on the part of others. I so appreciate her help in doing the difficult tasks that can be frustrating and thankless.
On March 6th we are planning to join with St. Augustine’s Episcopal church to have a concert by T’monde on our campus. We’re still working on all the details but as of right now it looks like the concert will take place from 2-4 PM in the gazebo. I’ve been chatting with Jim Fears, and they seem to have it well planned so there’s little to do on our end. If you’d like to donate some cookies or snack bars, we would like them to be individually wrapped in cellophane. As is our usual policy right now, masks will be required, and social distancing enforced; especially if we need to move it indoors due to bad weather. T’Monde is a Cajun fusion band out of Lafayette, Louisiana. You can learn more at http://www.t’monde.com or do a search on YouTube. Any donations over $100 (to help pay the band) will go to the church. I should have a better idea of the schedule next week.
A reminder that if you’re interested in attending the Widening the Circle of Concern discussion starting this coming Sunday you can reach out to Sherri Randall at
On February 24th NTUUC will have their next Widening the Circle of Concern webinar featuring two Black speakers sharing their views on White Supremacy. I hope to see many of you there. You can get more information and sign up at www.NTUUC.org/WideningWebinar
On February 15th Side with Love will be holding their next webinar titled Texas Power Hour for Democracy. To learn more and sign up, go to https://sidewithlove.org/actioncenter. You’ll also be able to see other offerings to check out.
Dallas City Council member, Casey Thomas, is calling for anyone interested in holding a book review or discussion on the 1619 project to contact him. If you’re interested in discussing more about the history of slavery and how it affects us today, you can let me know by emailing
This coming Thursday, February 10th at 7 PM, NTUUC is holding a Social Action meeting on Zoom. This will be a monthly meeting on the 2nd Thursday for discussion of how the cluster churches can participate and connect on social action/justice matters. If you’d like to participate and aren’t on Facebook, you can email me for the link.
Good news for our kitty lovers. The condo built by Kenneth Jackson, and the shelters donated by Pepper Mintz did their job. All five of our current known residents were accounted for Sunday by Sarah Ricke. Now, we just need to catch and TNR those that slipped through the cracks last time. If you’re willing to help with that you can contact the church.
That’s about it for this week. I’ll see you all Sunday on Zoom. Let’s all hope we’re out of red soon so we can gather in person.
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of January 30th
From The President’s Desk:
I hope everyone is doing well and those who have had a bout with COVID are healing. There’s not much to tell you since this last week was quiet as far as church activities.
There is a major cold front and storm on the way. Remember to leave your faucets open as well as the cabinet doors where your pipes are. We will make sure the church is prepped for the storm prior to Wednesday night. If you happen to lose power or water, I’m ready to open the doors for anyone needing shelter. You can always email
The Widening the Circle of Concern group is starting its next series of meetings to discuss the report on February 13 at 7 PM. The time is negotiable, but please let Sherri Randall know at
Later in February NTUUC will be offering a webinar on Widening the Circle, which will feature POC voices. We’ll keep you updated once the date and time are confirmed.
Stay safe and warm this week!
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of January 23rd
From The President’s Desk:
Every week I check the status on the COVID situation to find we’re still in red. Sadly, this week it wasn’t entirely necessary given that we have a number of members down with the virus. If you’re one of them and need essentials delivered to your door, please contact
If you happen to get a text from 430-895-7264 claiming to be me, it’s not. Let me know about it by contacting me at my real phone number or through Messenger. If you don’t have my number, you can find it in Breeze or by contacting the church and talking to Rita. My personal site was also targeted this week with a SQL attack. I have an idea of where it is coming from so I’m working to fix the issue. I’m certain I’m not the only one involved in social justice who deals with this. It is a side effect of working for change.
On Monday, Alicia Kalich, Kathy Grey, and I met with Reverend Ranwa Hammamy from Side With Love to discuss our social justice needs and actions. One of the suggestions we really appreciated was to reach out to all of you and ask a simple question. What are you passionate about in terms of social justice? You can let us know by sending an email to
Do you want to tell the world how much you love your church? Alex Kennedy is taking lead on creating short videos of congregants talking about what makes our church so special. Please let her know if you’d like to participate by sending a message to
Don’t forget our auction starting February 14th! All proceeds will go to funding our worship team so we can continue to bring you quality services on a variety of topics. Do you have something you’d like to donate? Contact Donna Leach at
We know some of you love to sing! And we would love to have more voices in our recorded hymns. If the current Wednesday evening recording sessions don’t work, but you want to join, reach out to the worship team at
I think that’s all I have for this week. Take care and I’m sending healing vibes to all those who are currently isolated due to Omicron.
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of January 16th
From The President’s Desk:
I hope this report finds you all doing well and staying warm, or cool, depending on what day it is. I’m not sure Mother Nature has decided exactly what season it is, so you might want to check the forecast before you step out your door.
First, I want to let you know there is a public statement being released expressing our concern and support for the people at Temple Beth Israel after four of their people were held hostage this past week.
At Sunday’s board meeting there was a great deal of discussion about how the church will pay for the minister on a long-term basis. There were a lot of great ideas suggested and a general feeling of possibilities. But let’s be honest here. It’s one thing to talk about manifesting what we want; however, we all know that with faith and hope comes a lot of hard work to make things happen. We can no longer just come up with ideas and no clear plan of how to implement them and expect it to work. You all know I’m big on manifesting, but I’m also realistic about what that entails; especially after all the hard work that was put in to get the needed repairs done. I’m asking you, our congregants, to help make this happen so we can realize our long-term goals of growth. If you have not yet pledged, or have pledged but not updated your information, please do that now. You can do this by going to www.oakcliffuu.org/Pledge2022. We’re fully aware that many are struggling financially after these two years of pandemic so, if you can’t increase your pledge, please consider giving some of your time so the volunteers who have been working will have some help. This is your church; you have shown us you want a minister so let’s do it together!
One of the ways in which you can help is to become part of a finance/fundraising committee. I have asked the Leadership Development Committee to help find a small group of people who best represent the congregation and are willing to provide input for the next budget and do some creative thinking about future financial goals. If this is something you might be interested in helping with you can reach them at
I want to thank Alicia Kalich for agreeing to be our new rep in NTUUC board meetings! The next meeting is January 22nd, and she will bring any concerns we have to them as well as keep you updated on what NTUUC is doing.
Speaking of NTUUC, the Widening the Circle of Concern Webinar from the perspective of Black voices, has been postponed. Originally planned for January 27th, it is currently being considered for February. You’ll be updated as we know more.
I wish I could tell you we were re-opening soon. Unfortunately, Omicron is still creating problems in hospitals across the world. I have heard it’s expected to peak this week, and I’ve heard it’s expected to peak at the end of the month. We remain closed but at the ready when the status changes.
I hope you all have a good week, and I will see you on our Zoom services this Sunday.
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of January 9th
From The President’s Desk:
I’d like to begin this week’s report with a huge thank you to Nancy Harms! Nancy won the pledge drive raffle last week and opted to donate it to the Hopeful Hearts fund where it will be used to help those who need assistance. This is a huge boon for us since this is a large part of our outreach and pastoral care during this pandemic that has left so many people struggling to make ends meet. If you would like to donate to this fund you can do so by texting your donation to 214-225-5996 and specify Hopeful Hearts, using the code HH. You can also donate through Breeze. This past year we helped several people with rent, car repairs and other unforeseen emergencies.
While Dallas County is still in red this week, meaning the risk of transmission is high, it does look as though the Omicron variant is not as serious as previous variants and the experts are expecting things to calm down within the next month. Let’s hope this trend continues and we will be able to meet without concern of another variant showing up.
In Sunday’s board meeting the board agreed to give the Worship team permission to hold an auction fundraiser specifically for the money needed to pay speakers. This money means that we will need to reuse services less often and will be able to provide the congregation with more variety.
Alicia Kalich was present for the meeting and updated the board on the contract and benefits package that would be provided to a new minister. The board agreed to go over all the details next week and come up with a package the search committee can use. As soon as this is provided the search committee will begin the interview process.
The other issue discussed was the problem of Waste Management. Although we officially stopped our contract on November 2nd, the company went ahead and auto renewed us for another year. Susan Ammons and I will be taking care of this this week so we can get their dumpster off the property where it is currently taking up much needed parking spaces.
Scott Grey tells me our website needs to be updated within the next month due to upcoming changes in the web servers we use. This means if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see changed, this is your chance. Please take a moment to look at the site and send your suggestions ASAP to
There is still a Wednesday Workday happening since the upkeep of the grounds doesn’t stop for a virus. If you’d like to join, please contact Rebecca Mohr at
If you’re a ministry leader. Or committee chair, there is a Coordinating Council meeting this coming Thursday. The ministerial search committee will also be meeting this week to discuss next steps.
Namasté
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
Week of January 2nd
From The President’s Desk:
I hope everyone had a good beginning to the new year! I know I’m having a little trouble remembering to put 2022 on things. Let’s hope we’re out of the red soon so we can meet on campus and start the year right.
Congratulations to Nancy Harms, who won the raffle for our annual pledge drive! Nancy will receive a gift card worth $100! When I talked to her this afternoon (Tuesday) she was on her way to the airport in Florida to return to Dallas. She managed to get two extra days of vacation due to airline issues. I hope her return trip went smoothly.
The ministerial committee met again to work on the contract. Soon the committee will be setting up interviews with the candidates. They are making progress!
There will be a board meeting Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm, with a report from the ministerial search committee. We will also be looking at the pledge drive and a request from the Worship Committee. The meetings are open and everyone is encouraged to attend and let the board know your views.
As I mentioned earlier, we are still in the red as far as COVID risk is concerned. This means it’s highly transmissible and this Omicron variant is running rampant. Hospitals are currently overwhelmed. As such, the church will remain closed until the risk level goes down, so be sure to join us on Zoom Sunday mornings. Besides, it’s getting colder, and this gives you the opportunity to connect with your church family without leaving the comfort of your home.
Not much else to tell you. It’s been quiet lately, between the holidays and the shutdown. I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy.
Beth
Beth Ferree, UUCOC Board President
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