In February of 2011 UUCOC worked on a very special
Social Justice program.
A number of our members, friends, and members of the community participated in the "It Gets Better Project," a campaign started in response to the many suicides of gay teenagers who had been bullied and mistreated.
The community was invited to share their "It Gets Better" stories which were videotaped and are being edited and posted on our UUSocialJustice YouTube Channel as well as on the "It Gets Better" website.
Remember: If you need to talk to someone about these issues, you can always call the Trevor Lifeline Project at 1(866) 488-7386.
The Pledge:
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are.
I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors.
I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work.
I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."
Our Videos:
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Feb 7, 2021: Life is Like A Box of Chocolates:You Get What You GiveLife is Like A Box of Chocolates:You Get What You GivePaul Fucile will be in our virtual pulpit to discuss how Gratitude & Service are the cornerstones of Love, Faith, and Community. -
Jan 24, 2021: Building A New World Takes WorkWe all have to be part of dismantling white supremacy. Daniel Polk is in our virtual pulpit. - ">
Jan 17, 2021: What Would Martin Do?What Would Martin Do? A brief exploration of "Black Lives Matter," Martin Luther King, Jr., and The 8th Principle OF Unitarian Universalism. Susan Ammons will be in our virtual pulpit. -
Jan 10, 2021: 2020 -The Year to End All Years2020: The Year to End All Years The COVID-19 pandemic and what it means for the future of the UUCOC Community. Paul Fucile will be in our virtual pulpit. -
Jan 3, 2021: Widening the Circle of ConcernWidening the Circle of Concern: how we can become more diverse and welcoming as we move forward into a new year. Beth Ferree will be in our virtual pulpit to welcome in the new year. -
Dec 27, 2020:Kujichagulia:Defining, Naming, Creating & Speaking for...Kujichagulia:Defining, Naming, Creating & Speaking for Yourself. Kwanzaa starts the day after Christmas and Cat Luster will be sharing the 2nd principle of Kwanzaa on Sunday, Dec 27th, the 2nd day of the seven day celebration. -
Dec 24th: Celebrating the Greatest Unplanned PregnancyChristmas Eve: Celebrating the Greatest Unplanned Pregnancy Join Paul Fucile in our virtual pulpit for our Christmas Eve Service - Did Mary give consent? Reclaiming the Infancy Narrative! -
Dec 20, 2020: Yule: How We Celebrate the Longest, Darkest NightJosh Hile will be presenting a message, co-written with Joeie Hile, about how Norse Pagans view the Winter Solstice, its meanings for the year past and the hope it holds for the year to come. Hail and well met! -
Dec 13, 2020: Circle of ConcernCircle of Concern. The UUCOC Social Justice Ministry team has put together a service to introduce the Circle of Concern report from the UUA to the congregation. Sarah Spencer is in our virtual pulpit. - ">
Dec 6, 2020:The Pendulum between Colonialism & Community & the...The Pendulum between Colonialism and Community, and the Hope in Between. As we enter the time leading up to the Winter Solstice and the season of Advent, Paul Fucile asks the question the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked more than 50 years... -
Nov 29, 2020: Feeding the Community as We Feed OurselvesFeeding the Community as We Feed Ourselves: How caring for others becomes self care. Cat Luster will be in our virtual pulpit. -
Nov 22, 2020: Zen and The Art of TranscendenceZen and The Art of Transcendence. How our spiritual practices can allow us to find the wisdom and courage to deal with trauma and adversity. Beth Ferree will be in our virtual pulpit. -
Nov 15, 2020: Spiritual FreedomSpiritual Freedom: It’s yours but make sure you are prepared as it comes.This sermon will discuss how important it is to go on the quest to find one’s spiritual connection. One that is centered and grounded in how you see yourself and what you... -
Nov 8, 2020: Holy Sh*t EverydayHoly Sh*t Everyday Finding the holy where you're at-- even if where you're at is depressed, stressed, and a mess! Renée Brill will be in our pulpit with a message about making holy moments in hard times. - ">
Nov 1, 2020: Make Something!Make Something! Poetry. Painting. Fabric Arts. Sand-sculpting. Song. Dance. Dinner. A garden. A curated display shelf of aesthetic trinkets. Make something, because the act and practice of making is a spiritual practice, regardless of the... -
Oct 25, 2020: When the Darkness Seems Too MuchWhen the Darkness Seems Too Much: The Light Side of the Dark Taking solace in the positive aspects of darkness. Sarah Ricke will shed some light on Samhain, the wheel of the year, and why honoring the 'dark time' of the year is important. -
Oct 11, 2020: Holy Hands and Smart ButtsHoly Hands and Smart Butts: How body care and embodied practice can enrich our spiritual practice. Renée Brill will be in our virtual pulpit. -
Oct 4, 2020: Mind Blowing Concepts from Philosophy & ScienceMind Blowing Concepts from Philosophy & Science How curiosity shapes life views from the perspectives of the scientist and the mystic/philosopher. Beth Ferree and Jayde Harrington will share our virtual pulpit. -
Sept 27, 2020: Holding Space as an act of Building a Spiritual PracticeHolding Space as an act of Building a Spiritual Practice One of the key tenets to building a spiritual practice is to make space for yourself and your spiritual community. Holding Space is one way to do this. Join us for a discussion on how to... -
Sept 20, 2020: Personal & Communal Spiritual PracticesPersonal & Communal Spiritual Practices: Beth Ferree will be exploring what we do both personally and in community to strengthen our spiritual connections -
Introduction Our Board Members -
Sept 13, 2020: StewardshipUUCOC Endowment Committee Member Jim Klipp and Board President Beth Ferree will be in our virtual pulpit addressing stewardship. -
Sept 6, 2020: Toward a Rich & Meaningful UU SpiritualityRenée Brill will be in our virtual pulpit for an introduction to the Spirit in Practice sermon series. We will begin by looking at a broad definition of spiritual practice and by exploring some of the benefits of having an intentional regular... -
UUCOC Sunday Service, August 30th: The Year Without IngatheringRenée Brill answers the question - how can we have ingathering without gathering? -
August 23rd: MembershipMembership - What does it mean? What is it that people seek when they affiliate with a UU church? What is it that congregations owe to their members and conversely members owe to their congregations? Susan Ammons will be in our virtual pulpit. -
August 16th: The One Where We Talk About PolityAs part of a continuing series at UUCOC that follows The New UU curriculum, Matt Pargeter-Villarreal will be presenting a reflection on the church polity, what it is, and why it is so important for us to talk about as UUs. -
August 9th: UU Social Justice Philosophy & PracticeHow social justice ties in with our Seven Principles. Sarah Spencer is in our virtual pulpit. -
Promoting Sunday, August 9th Sermon on SJ -
August 2nd: How We Grow In Faith - Principles of REBenefits and challenges of religious education and exploration at any age, from a veteran volunteer. Leah Pittmon is in our virtual pulpit. -
Leah Pittmon on UU Religious Exploration & Education -
July 26th: Exploring Our UU RootsExploring our UU Roots - Where we began, how the Unitarians became connected with the Universalists, and a short history of our own congregation. Beth Ferree is in our virtual pulpit. -
July 12th - Unitarian Universalist Theology: What We BelieveHold up, wait a second. I joined this church because you wouldn't tell me what to believe. What are you doing giving a sermon about what Unitarian Universalists believe when we don't agree on what we believe? Well... That's a good place to start.... - ">
July 19th: "Radical Saints or Sainted Radicals?""Radical Saints or Sainted Radicals?" investigates people who helped push the boundaries of UUism and helped expand the consciousness of our church. Daniel Polk is our guide on this exploration.
IT GETS BETTER PROJECT www.itgetsbetter.org
