Thursday March 5, 2026

This Sunday, March 8, the Rev Michelle Scott-Huffman will be in the pulpit with the message “Attending to What Matters”.

Don’t Forget to set your clocks forward for Daylight Savings!

• 10:00 Religious Education
  • Children (All Ages)
  • Adults (Spirit in Practice, Seekers, or Meditation Group)
• 11:00 Whole Worship – a hybrid, interactive service
• 12:15 Coffee & Fellowship

You can also attend the Sunday service virtually.

Read this week’s Sunday Service Bulletin here! (subject to change. Will be most accurate closer to Sunday)

• Our office admin, Roland, will be out of town from March 7-23. Newsletters will not be affected and he can still be contacted via his email: admin@springfielduu.org. 
  
• We have upcoming Pathways to Membership Meetings in March and April! If you have an interest in joining our congregation, or just learning more about what we do, we would love to have you join us after service for our upcoming meetings. Our next Pathways meeting will be Sunday March 22 immediately following service. 
  
• The Pyramid  Envelope Wall  fundraiser was launched on Sunday, March 1st and concludes on April 15th. The “Wall” is outside the sanctuary.  Select an envelope, put in the amount designated on the front and put it the collection basket. Proceeds will be deposited in the Capital Fund General and designated for the Raise the Roof Project. 
  
  
• The Raise the Roof Pie in the Sky Event is scheduled for Saturday, March 14 from 5:30-7:30.  Our goal is to sell 50 tickets, so please consider buying your ticket in advance and bringing a friend! Tickets $10 for adults, $25 for 2 Adults and Children and can be purchased by seeing Roberta or Emily beginning this Sunday, or online via this link. Please submit for digital tickets by Wednesday March 11 at 12pm. 
  
• First UU Church of Springfield is now hosting a Think Big bin for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. The BBBS Donation Station project under the Think Big Foundation was founded to become a form of sustainable revenue for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. By donating used clothing and shoes, we directly generate funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks and help to defend the potential of
  the children in our community.
  • Our drivers pick up your donated clothing and shoes collected in the Donation Station bins, and we ship them to our worldwide buyers.
  • 100% of the proceeds of your donated items benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks!
• Acceptable items: Clothing (jackets, coats, pants, shirts, etc) and Shoes (tennis shoes, sandals, boots, etc)
  
• Mark your calendar for the first annual Day of Service scheduled for Sunday April 19. Instead of regular RE and church service offerings we will be joining together to offer service to the church and others in our community. We will have a sign up available soon. Available activities include: joining a sing a long at a local elder care facility, helping clean up the UU rain garden, picking up trash in a Springfield City park and a
  project or 2 for Ekklesia at the Multicultural House at MSU. Looking for a less physical activity? We will also be writing letters for kids backpacks through Ozarks Food Harvest and letters of encouragement for the Drew Lewis Foundation. If you attend church on Zoom and want to participate we can arrange drop off of the letter writing materials. We will have coffee and breakfast items at church to get us off to a good start. More details to follow.
  
• Raise the Roof Garage Sale is scheduled for Friends and Members on Thursday, May 28, General Public Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30th.  Mark your calendars for this event.  Donations will be accepted on Sunday, May 24.  Clean items will make this event successful.  A setup crew is needed after service on May 24th.
  
• February Environmental Tip of Month is reducing plastic by checking out the Soap Refill Station at 1912 E. Sunshine.  They have many soap products to choose from.  Bring in a clean plastic container or use one of theirs to sample some of the products.  Checkout their website at https://www.getmosoap.com/  Save the planet one plastic container at a time.
  
• If you have not already, please make sure you fill out our Time & Talent Survey to give us more information on your skills and interest in volunteering!
  
  
• We have an opportunity to help with the issue of Food Scarcity by restoring our raised beds and growing food.  The Environmental Group would like to rebuild our raised beds and have individuals sponsor a box.  We are collecting coins/$ in the KC Chief Jug located in the kitchen.  Please assist us with this project.
  
• UU continues to support Ekklesia, Rev. Michelle’s campus ministry, by providing occasional Sunday evening meals. If you would like to help provide meals, contact Holly G. You could lead a team to prepare and serve, or join a team that someone else is leading. There is a fund to reimburse for food costs. If you cannot help with a meal team but want to support the project, donations to pay for supplies can be designated “Ekklesia Meals”.
  
• First UU pertinent policies can be found at Docs for Distribution.

PERSONHOOD FOR FERTILIZED OVA

Senator Mike Moon has proposed Senate Joint Resolution 72. It has had a Senate hearing which means that, out of 3000+ pieces of legislation that have been filed, this one is being given attention. It is uncertain whether the resolution will go farther, but it might be a good time to let your senator know your opinion about personhood from the time of fertilization.

“SJR 72 – This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, modifies the equal protection provision of the Missouri Constitution to define “person” as every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including an unborn child. Nothing in the Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or the funding of an abortion.”

Some talking points (courtesy of the League of Women Voters of Missouri):

• U.S. Constitution law has consistently rejected the idea that embryos or fetuses are “persons” under the 14th Amendment 
• Conception based personhood would create un-administrable legal obligations, including criminal liability for miscarriage or natural embryonic loss 
• Pluralistic society avoids enforcing one moral or religious belief through law; it contradicts science, medicine, and constitutional rights 
• An unborn child being identified as a “person” is not consistent with all religious beliefs of US citizens. Judaism and Islam, among others, do not recognize personhood at conception. This can cause concerns for religious freedom provisions and the First Amendment

Senator Lincoln Hough         201 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 419     Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

573-751-1311

Email the Senator  

Senator Mike Moon               201 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 220     Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

573-751-1480

Email the Senator

Senator Curtis Trent               201 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 323   Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

573-751-1503

Email the Senator

If you do not know who your senator is:

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Our Mission – What is ours to do in the world:

Rooted in love and guided by reason, we are a welcoming Unitarian Universalist community that nurtures personal and spiritual growth and advocates for equity and justice in the world.

Our Vision – Where we’re headed as a congregation:

Love – we envision a world where love is at the center.

Welcome – we celebrate our shared values, acknowledge our differing beliefs, and nurture deep connections.

Growth – we engage our intergenerational community in faith development and lifelong learning with a spirit of curiosity and openness.

Justice – we defend and celebrate the Earth. We challenge assumptions, biases, and privilege. We collaborate with partners to build a more equitable world.