Announcements
All Ages Worship (6 July 2025)
Please join us on Sunday (6 July 2025) at 11:00 AM for “Reckoning with History and Ourselves” by Susan Caldwell.
On this 249th anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, we seem to be stepping back from the stated aspirations of our founders –who, imperfect as they were — put into words high standards for what this new Republic could be.
Over the years, we’ve made deeply flawed and faltering steps to live into those lofty words and progress has always met with backlash (as we are seeing now).
With so many recent attempts to erase the harder, less flattering parts of our history, it is neither unwise nor unpatriotic to fight that trend and teach it — warts, gaping wounds, and all.
May we love our country enough to want her to heal.
We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service. Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106 if you are able to do so.
Our service will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live here if you cannot attend in person.
State-level COVID data can be found on the Louisiana Department of Health’s respiratory virus dashboard web page. The most sensitive metric to follow for current COVID trends is the “Laboratory Surveillance Data” link. The link is currently showing COVID, flu and RSV maintaining a very low level but also showing a slight uptick in our state as of 28 June 2025.
Masking and COVID vaccination are optional for attending in-person events at All Souls.
We encourage you to be vaccinated against COVID and to also have the most-current COVID booster shots. This provides greater protection to the individual and the church community.
Anyone who prefers wearing a mask is welcome to do so for in-person events and attending worship through livestream video is also an option where required for medical or schedule conflict reasons.
We will still have KN95 masks available in the foyer for anyone who needs one.
We continue to recommend that you stay home if you have any symptoms and that you keep up with all available vaccinations and boosters.
If you are recovering from COVID and have no symptoms, you should mask in public until you have tested negative twice in a 48 hour period.
We also ask that you go by the previous CDC guidelines of waiting at least 5 days past the onset of symptoms rather than the current 24 hour recommendation.
If you have symptoms for COVID or other respiratory illness, please stay home and take care of yourself.
Our July 2025 give-away-the-plate recipient is North Louisiana Interfaith.
And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.
Children and Youth Summer Art Activity (6 July 2025)
For this Sunday, the children and youth will have an opportunity to create geodes from sugar, foil, paint, and glue.
Clothing choices should probably be something that can get a little messy (at least temporarily and washed later).
Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education (6 July 2025)
Please join us on Sunday (6 July 2025) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM.
Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom.
We will continue last week’s topic — “What Makes You Laugh?” — facilitated by Susan Caldwell and Barbara Deger.
Some of us have found that the one thing keeping us tethered to some sense of reality and/or hope is the ability to laugh and the people who help us do that.
Barbara and Susan have chosen a few samples to share with you although they’re also hoping you will have some recommendations too!
Who knows? We may even make this one a series.
We need it after all!
Zoom Lunch This Wednesday (9 July 2025)
Please join us next Wednesday (9 July 2025) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch.
Our weekly Zoom lunch is zoom-only this week.
If you do want to meet in person, send Susan a text message (318-465-3427) to let her know.
Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.
North Louisiana Interfaith — July 2025 Give-Away-The-Plate Recipient
Each month we dedicate all of our non-pledge income to a community organization doing the work that best embodies our Unitarian Universalist values.
For the month of July 2025, we choose North Louisiana Interfaith, a broad-based coalition of congregations and other institutions who work intentionally across lines of faith, race, geography, economics, and politics to create real change in our local community and across our state.
The picture above reflects the culmination of yet another Interfaith victory — the ribbon cutting of the second Community Lighthouse in Shreveport (opening another solar-powered grid resilience hub which will serve as a life-saving haven for our citizens in times of multi-day power outages).
Two ways to donate:
Online — Go to our donation site using this link. If you are paying your pledge, select “2025 Pledges” and enter that amount for your pledge contribution. Then select “Collection Plate” to give the amount you would like to give to North Louisiana Interfaith and then put “GATP JUL 2025” or “North Louisiana Interfaith” in the comment section. All online collection plate contributions for the month of July 2025 will go to North Louisiana Interfaith.
Offline — Please send your give away the plate contribution checks to All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106. Please put “North Louisiana Interfaith” on the memo line of the check if you want to have 100% of your check go to North Louisiana Interfaith. If you want less than 100% of your check to go to North Louisiana Interfaith, please put the amount you want going to North Louisiana Interfaith on the memo line.
Meditation with Larry Androes (5 July 2025)
Please join us on Saturday (5 July 2025) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes.
This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person.
This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching.
29 June 2025 Worship Video
All Ages Worship (29 June 2025)
Please join us on Sunday (29 June 2025) at 11:00 AM for “Pride: Now More Than Ever” with guest speaker Sam Ortiz (LGBTQIAP+ activist and co-founder of ShrevePride).
We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service. Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106 if you are able to do so.
Our service will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live here if you cannot attend in person.
For several years, the Caddo Parish Commission has passed a resolution celebrating Pride Month in June. This year as we increasingly hear from a loud minority who feel emboldened by our country’s current leadership and seek to roll back the gains that have been made over years of struggle, the resolution faced opposition.
After one woman went to the Commission’s work session to present a diatribe against the resolution, the community mobilized, thanks in large part to organizations like PACE and ShrevePride and thanks in large part for leaders like Sam Ortiz.
Sam spoke eloquently in the meeting about the importance of Pride not only to lift up the rights of the LGBTQIAP+ community to live in peace, but also to affirm that a diverse community is a stronger, richer community.
The resolution ultimately passed 9-3.
In their day job, Sam currently serves as Director of Client Services at The Philadelphia Center and is a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in their “spare time.”
Please join us to welcome Sam Ortiz to our pulpit.
We will also take the time to thank our outgoing Board members for their service so you will have a chance to show your appreciation to them as well.
We will also have a brief reception after the service that will morph into our Vegan Potluck and movie screening for all who wish to stay.
State-level COVID data can be found on the Louisiana Department of Health’s respiratory virus dashboard web page. The most sensitive metric to follow for current COVID trends is the “Laboratory Surveillance Data” link. The link is currently showing COVID, flu and RSV maintaining a very low level and declining in our state as of 21 June 2025.
Masking and COVID vaccination are optional for attending in-person events at All Souls.
We encourage you to be vaccinated against COVID and to also have the most-current COVID booster shots. This provides greater protection to the individual and the church community.
Anyone who prefers wearing a mask is welcome to do so for in-person events and attending worship through livestream video is also an option where required for medical or schedule conflict reasons.
We will still have KN95 masks available in the foyer for anyone who needs one.
We continue to recommend that you stay home if you have any symptoms and that you keep up with all available vaccinations and boosters.
If you are recovering from COVID and have no symptoms, you should mask in public until you have tested negative twice in a 48 hour period.
We also ask that you go by the previous CDC guidelines of waiting at least 5 days past the onset of symptoms rather than the current 24 hour recommendation.
If you have symptoms for COVID or other respiratory illness, please stay home and take care of yourself.
Our June 2025 give-away-the-plate recipient is the OutNorthLA Film Festival.
And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.
Children and Youth Summer Art Activity (29 June 2025)
For this Sunday, the children and youth will have an opportunity to create geodes from sugar, foil, paint, and glue.
Clothing choices should probably be something that can get a little messy (at least temporarily and washed later).