All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana
A home for Unitarian Universalism and liberal religion in Shreveport, Bossier City, and Northwest Louisiana since 1950
We are proud to announce that our own Rev. Barbara Jarrell is one of the six winners for the 2023 Kerrville New Folk Emerging Songwriters Contest.
Rev. Barbara will be performing in the winner’s concert today (Saturday, 3 June 2023) at 1:30 PM. The concert will be broadcast on the YouTube link provided above.
If you would like to have this experience in the company of some of your All Souls friends, please join us today in the All Souls Social Hall at 1:30 PM.
Announcement of Special Congregational Meeting
In accordance with the Bylaws of our church, and as Secretary of the Board, I hereby announce that All Souls will hold a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, 16 April 2023, immediately following the 11:00 AM worship service.
On the Agenda
We know this is a hard and emotional vote. We encourage you to read the minutes of the last congregational meeting and to attend this meeting and let your voice be heard (either in person in the sanctuary or via Zoom.
We are announcing time and location for next congregational meeting:
On the Agenda:
We must have a quorum.
Congregational meetings are open to all but only active members of 30 days or longer may vote.
We have an updated agenda for our upcoming congregational business meeting on Sunday (29 January 2023).
We are announcing time and location for next congregational meeting:
On the Agenda:
We must have a quorum.
Congregational meetings are open to all but only active members of 30 days or longer may vote.
We are announcing time and location for next congregational meeting:
On the Agenda:
We must have a quorum.
Congregational meetings are open to all but only active members of 30 days or longer may vote.
Please join us on Sunday (4 September 2022) at 9:00 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom.
On this Sunday, we will continue our two-part exploration of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights within the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Please join us on Sunday (28 August 2022) at 9:00 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom.
On this Sunday, we will begin a two-part exploration of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights within the Unitarian Universalist Association.
From the Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray:
Boston, Mass. (June 24, 2022) – The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued its decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women Health Organization case, which overturns Roe v. Wade, upending nearly 50 years of access to abortion. Below is a statement from Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), regarding this decision:
This decision manifests the worst fears of those of us who have been working for decades to protect and affirm reproductive rights.
The overwhelming majority of Unitarian Universalists (UUs) support keeping abortion legal in all or most cases. This is rooted in our Principles and our core religious beliefs that affirm gender equity. It also reflects a moral commitment to the idea that reproductive care is healthcare and is essential to the well-being of individuals and families.
This anti-choice decision by the Supreme Court infringes on our deeply held religious beliefs. Access to abortion and the right to choose is an issue of gender equality, bodily autonomy, and religious liberty, all of which are long held Unitarian Universalist religious teachings.
As I said when the draft decision was leaked in May, I fear this decision will justify efforts to further limit the rights of women, pregnant people, and other vulnerable people and communities. Curtailing reproductive rights will be felt most by people of color, young people, poor and working-class people, and those living in rural areas. The rights of people in more vulnerable communities will only become more limited and diminish healthcare equity. Too many people are already deprived of ready access to comprehensive and equitable reproductive healthcare, including abortion access.
Unitarian Universalists are committed to Reproductive Justice, a framework created by Black women in the 1980s and 1990s, which affirms the human right to have children, not to have children, to parent the children one has in healthy environments, to safeguard bodily autonomy, and to express one’s sexuality freely. The UU faith has a long history of collaborating in this movement and advocating for safe, legal, accessible abortion care.
The Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health decision does not alter Unitarian Universalists’ commitment to Reproductive Justice.
Comprehensive reproductive care, including access to abortion, is essential to the health and well-being of individuals and families. The decision to limit this basic human right means that this fight will shift to state legislatures across the country. Guided by our moral values, we are prepared to be a part of that ongoing struggle and continue to show up for Reproductive Justice in all aspects of public life.
Our faith calls us to advocate on behalf of all those who need ready access to safe, legal abortion care whenever and wherever they need it. We will not rest until that reality is true across the country. I urge lawmakers, elected officials, and leaders in public life across the country to take action for gender and healthcare equity for all.
This Sunday (7 November 2021) at 11:00 AM, All Souls will have our first in-person worship in the sanctuary since March 2020.
We are asking for your cooperation.
Masks are required of all attendees (age 4 and up) when we are indoors. Children younger than age 4 are encouraged to wear masks if they are able.
We will have masks on hand if you don’t have one.
Masks are also required when outdoors when in close proximity to people who are not in your family or “bubble.”
Social distancing will be observed to the maximum extent possible.
All adults and youth who are eligible to be vaccinated are required to be fully vaccinated to attend worship in person at this time. If you have a documented medical condition that prevents being vaccinated, you can attend without vaccination.
In order to be fully vaccinated, one must be at least two weeks past their final COVID vaccine shot (final shot is second Pfizer / Moderna shot or first Johnson & Johnson shot).
Please bring proof of vaccination — CDC vaccination card, a photo of your CDC vaccination card, or your LA Wallet app on your smartphone showing your vaccinated status. You only have to show this to us once.
At first, we will not have religious education classes or nursery care for children and youth. Our classrooms and nursery facilities are too small to be safe and our younger children are still unvaccinated. We need time to be together before we recruit and train teachers.
However, we will have “busy bag” activities for children sitting in the pews with their families. We hope to resume religious education classes in January 2022.
If you are not comfortable attending in person, we will still be offering a streaming video worship service through Facebook Live.
Please bear with us as we once again climb the learning curve for yet another new way of doing church.
Continue to watch our website and social media spaces for updates as we discover what we’ve forgotten and what we have learned with yet another way to do church.
Feel free to ask questions as we move forward with in-person worship. Susan Caldwell (Director of Lifespan Religious Education) will answer your questions or forward them to the church leaders who have the answers.
Please join us on Saturday (9 October 2021) from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM for our monthly building and grounds work day.
There are tasks indoors and out for all ages and abilities — come for the whole time or for whatever part of the day you can make it.
Vaccinated or not vaccinated — please wear your mask when you are working near others. Hope to see you there.