Announcements

Online Adult Religious Education — 17 May 2020

Please join us on Sunday (17 May 2020) at 9:15 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom.

We will be sting Faith Forward:  Spiritual Practice with “Session 4 — Prayer.”

We will explore questions like “what is prayer?” and “what is prayer for you?”

The first question may have several definitions in the dictionary but the second one is very much your own.

I am including this passage from Anne Lamott as a way of reassuring you that all are included in this session regardless of one’s relationship to a higher power or lack thereof:

You may in fact be wondering what I even mean when I use the word “prayer.”  It is communication from the heart to that which surpasses understanding. Let’s say it is communication from one’s heart to God.  Or if that is too triggering or ludicrous a concept for you, to the Good, the force that is beyond our comprehension but that in our pain or supplication or relief we don’t need to define or have proof of or any established contact with.  Let’s say it is what the Greeks called the Really Real, what lies within us, beyond the scrim of our values, positions, convictions, and wounds.  Or let’s say it is a cry from deep within to Life or Love, with capital L’s.

So let’s say it is any and all of those things plus whatever it is for you.

And if it’s nothing for you, we want to talk about that too.

See you on Sunday.

New UU Class Continues 17 May 2020

The “New UU” adult religious education class will be meeting this Sunday (17 May 2020) at 1:00 PM via Zoom.

Bennett is once again offering this class for new and not-so-new members alike.

This week’s topic is “How Are Decisions Made?  Governance and Polity” — exploring our tradition of democratic process in all that we do at the congregational and denominational level.

If you’re interested, email Bennett and he will send you a link to join the class.

“What We Choose: Ethics for Unitarian Universalists” Class Continues

Please join this ongoing class — “What We Choose: Ethics for Unitarian Universalists” facilitated by Bennett Upton (All Souls Board President).

This class will meet at 12:00 Noon on Saturday 16 May 2020.

Check Slack or email Bennett for the Zoom link information to join this class.

This course from UU authors Amber Beland and Manish Mishra-Marzetti offers an intentional process of engagement with others in examining ethical concepts, dilemmas, and questions to help us clarify and expand our ethical understanding.

Participants examine how they have arrived at ethical positions that they hold dear.

They explore new perspectives, identify areas for further questions and exploration, and perhaps more fully embrace ethical positions they reach through careful discernment.

This program will deepen and expand participants’ knowledge and skills for a process of ethical reflection that is central to living our Unitarian Universalist faith.

Zoom Lunch (20 May 2020)

Please join us next Wednesday (20 May 2020) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch.

Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

This a chance to connect and catch up midweek.

At some point we may decide to bring in speakers but for now we’re just hanging out and enjoying each other’s virtual company.

Hope to see you there!

Great Decisions Group Meeting Tonight (16 May 2020)

The Great Decisions Group is meeting online tonight (Saturday, 16 May 2020) at 6:00 PM.

Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs, sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association.

If you are interested in being a part of the group, email Melodie here and she will send you the link for the meeting.

How Are You Doing … What Do You Need … And How Do You Want to Stay Connected?? — Updated 16 May 2020

Bennett Upton (All Souls Board President) has designed surveys to determine how you are faring through the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and what kind of help you might need or might be able to give.

We also want to know what kind of online programming you would find most helpful to keep you connected to your church community even when we can’t be together in the same room.

Please take just a few minutes to fill out these surveys and help us shape a strong and resilient congregation for the days to come.

  • Coronavirus Check-In — How are you? We’re trying to assess the impact of the coronavirus on the congregation to find our areas of greatest need.  We’ll keep this information held within a small group of staff and lay leadership in the congregation.
  • Staying Connected — We’re looking to see how we can serve you better and keep you connected to the community.  We’re interested to hear all of your thoughts on how we could do it better.  We’ll also use this to better target our communications with you.  Your answers will be kept confidential, held in a small group of members only and anonymous whenever possible.
  • Share Your Interests — Interested in participating in some guided discussion groups?  We can offer these and would be happy to keep you in the loop on whatever you are interested in.  We are more likely to offer things that people have expressed interest in.

Feel free to share these survey links with people that you feel might be interested as church membership is not a requirement for participation in these surveys.

We welcome the inputs from anyone who participates in the All Souls community.

Online and Offline Giving Options During COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic — Updated 16 May 2020

Due to the recent COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and the  restrictions limiting us from having worship in face-to-face settings, we need to find another ways to keep everything happening at All Souls.

If you want to donate to All Souls, you can click on the link provided to our secure donations server.

On this site, there are four options for your donation:

  • 2020 Pledges
  • Capital Fund Drive
  • Collection Plate
  • General Fund

Pick the desired options for your donation.  Your donation can be a one-time donation or a recurring donation (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly).

Note:  If you give online, be sure to include your name in your entry. Several of our pledges are showing up anonymously.  If you wish to remain anonymous, thank you for your generosity and we will certainly honor that.  But if you want credit on your All Souls pledge statement, be sure you are filling in the space that says “Name on Card.”

If the name on the card is different from the pledging member, please specify the name on the pledge account in the Comments section and again — thank you!

If you want to send a check, please mail your check to:

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church
9449 Ellerbe Road
Shreveport LA  71106

Please indicate on the memo line of your check if your check is for the 2020 pledge campaign, the capital fund drive, the collection plate, or the general fund.

Thanks for your continued support during these challenging times.

10 May 2020 Worship Livestreaming Video

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we have begun to broadcast a livestream video of our Sunday morning worship services.

This worship video will be available live and in recorded formats.

For our livestream video of our worship services, we are using Facebook Live.  One does not have to log into Facebook or have a Facebook account to view this video.

You can find the 10 May 2020 worship video here.

Online All-Ages Worship (10 May 2020)

Please join us on Sunday (10 May 2020) at 11:00 AM for “Celebrating Mother’s Day” — A service in celebration of Mother’s Day featuring All Souls members James Peck, Pamela Carlisle, and John Allen.

Our service will be livestreamed on Facebook Live here.

If you’re on Facebook, just enter All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church- Shreveport, Louisiana in the search bar and go to the All Souls Facebook page around 10:55 to join in.

Because the All Souls Facebook page is a public page, you should be able to see the worship service whether or not you have a Facebook account.

You do need a Facebook account to “like” and comment on the worship service.

While we are remaining physically distant, we want to know how you are doing and what you need.  You can let us know using these online surveys.

And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.