Learning and exploration is about transformation of the individual, our community, and the larger society. Participation helps us grow in wisdom, compassion, and ethical living. See our upcoming activities, programs, and workshops for adults.
Saturday November 3: Come Dance with Us!
Learn international folk dancing with instructors Sandy Helperin and Teri Hoffman. Folk dancing is for anyone who loves to move to traditional music. No partners needed! New dancers are welcome. We meet from 7:30-9 pm in Forbes. Contact: Ellen Levy.
Tuesday November 6: Women Over 60 Group
Want to enhance your life? Want more personal and spiritual growth? Want to be with other women who can relate to what you are going through? Then this group is for you! We meet from 10-11:30 am in Forbes. Contact: Sandra Beebe. Note: November 20th date has been canceled.
Thursday November 8: Humanist Voices
Humanism is the progressive philosophy of life guided by reason and compassion that, without the supernatural and beyond questions of the divine, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of meaning and purpose that aspire to the greater good of humanity and our planet. This month’s selection will again highlight “The Church of What We Know.” Peter Mayer considers the confusion and ambiguity he has heard from UU youth in working out their own beliefs against the backdrop of many diverse faith traditions to which they’re exposed. He suggests that a more inspiring and empowering path for UUs may lie in the truth of what we, collectively, *do* know about the universe rather than what we don’t. The knowledge about our place in nature and its intricate workings that human endeavors have discovered in just the recent past, he argues, is part of a living tradition that none of the world’s traditional faiths were privy to at the time of their founding. Fully embracing the meaning of this new knowledge, says Mayer, could help to chart our unique path forward at a time when organized religion and church attendance are in decline. We will meet from 7-9 pm in Forbes. Contact: James Witker.
Monday November 12 and 26: Open Meditation
We sit quietly for 20 minutes, walk with gentle awareness for 7 minutes, and explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through journaling, readings and sharing. Anyone who senses they would benefit from 20 minutes of silent, non-guided sitting is welcome to join us. We meet from 7:30-9 pm in Classroom 3. Contacts: Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring.
Wednesday November 14: A Year to Live – Reminder (Registration Closed)
This is a class for those who are tired of waiting around for their “real life” to start. It is a class that will jump start us out of our ruts, our avoidance, our fears, our unrealistic fantasies and propel us into more acceptance, more focus, more intentionality, more accountability and surround us with people who will love us into the people we’ve always wanted to be. Although the end-result for those who see it through will be more love and more joy, make no mistake: it is not about empty promises and feel-good phrases. It’s going to be hard work “getting real” with ourselves and daring to allow people to love us in the process. This is a year-long course, the second meeting will be on the second Wednesday from 7-9 pm in the Sanctuary. Contacts: Rev. Greg or Bev Shoenberger for correspondence.
Wednesday November 14 and 28: Balanced Behaviors
Through education, mindfulness and support, we will explore ways to make lasting changes that are compatible with your life and life style. Learn new practical skills such as environmental control and “calories as money” to make the behavioral changes you would like to see in your relationship to food and other aspects of your health. Discover, design and experiment with small steps on your own path as you recalibrate and refresh your habits and choices. Learn how you can best support and encourage yourself as you move closer to realizing the optimum way you would like to live a healthy life. Know that you can realize your goals by changing behaviors that no longer serve you. We meet from 7-9 pm in Classroom 3. Contact: Teri Lucas.
Saturday November 17: Conversations and Connections
This program will provide our church community the opportunity to develop meaningful connections, two people at a time. Within the context of small group gatherings, we will break into two, encouraging conversation between us that deepen our connections. Each meeting will offer an opportunity for these one-to-one conversations with at least 3 people. Our guiding intention is to provide structure and opportunities for meaningful connections between individuals in our congregation. We believe as the number of one-to-one connections grows over time there will be an expanding web of connections in our community based on trust and acceptance. This group meets in the Warren Mathews Conference Room from 10-12 pm. Contacts: Bettye Barclay or Sue Stoyanoff.
Monday November 19: An Enjoyable Dive into Who and What We Are
We endeavor to answer the questions Who am I? (attitudes and beliefs) and What am I? (Essence or True Nature). This class will include meditations which explore participants’ spiritual goals. This group meets from 7:30-9 pm in Classroom 3. Contact: Bill Blake.
Sunday November 25: AAHS Freethinker Forum
AAHS Freethinker Forum: Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, and Secularists is an open group that meets for lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion and philosophy. We also host occasional guest speakers, films, and outings. We are a home base for non-believers and questioners, but everyone is welcome. For many, it is said that atheism/agnosticism is a first step. Humanism is the thousand steps that come afterwards. We meet from 12:30-2 pm in the Warren Mathews Conference Room. Contact: James Witker.
Sunday November 25: The Disability Support Group
The Disability Support Group will be promoting a dialogue on a selected topic at each of its meetings throughout this church year. There is a different theme for each month. All church members interested in the topic are invited to attend. For November, we will be discussing “Dating Opportunities and Challenges.” We meet the fourth Sunday of each month beginning at 12:30 pm in the NE Cottage. Contact: Michael Young.
Highlights of additional interest groups coming in November:
- Body-Mind Tune Up for Seniors All Fridays 10-11 am in Forbes Hall
- UU Men’s Group Thursday November 1 and 15, 7:30-9 pm in NE Cottage
- Fiction Reading Book Club Monday November 19, 7-8:30 pm Classroom 1
- “New York 2140” by Kim Stanley Robinson
- Science Non-Fiction Book Group Tuesday November 20, 7:30-9 pm Forbes Hall
- “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them),” by Lucy Jones
