This Week @Keystone: Tell Your Stories and Raise Your Voice

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Join us for services Worship Every Sunday – 10:30 a.m. All Are Welcome!  Interactive, Online This Sunday, May 17, 2020 Sixth Sunday of Easter Preaching: Rev. Rich Gamble Worship leaders: Rev. Lauren & Rev. Yuki Text: Matthew 5:43-48 Theme: Love Your Enemy We are continuing to meet online for interactive worship through the Zoom Meetings platform. Pastor Yuki emails the Zoom access information (which remains the same for every worship or study meeting each week) via the newsletter every Sunday morning. SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Our Sundays together begin with Sunday School & Storytime with Teacher Anita at 10 a.m.. Children and families spend 20 minutes in a Zoom Breakout Room with Teacher Anita, then return to for worship, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10 a.m., folks can hang out for a "bring your own coffee ☕ (half) hour" where we have some time to see each other and talk before worship. After worship, we'll also have time for connection and sharing together in Breakout Rooms.  Happy Listening Anytime:  Miss a Sermon?  Down at Classroom? Audio Available Online: Click on a file for a listen HERE, and share! You can now watch sermons and worship services on our new YouTube page here.  Did you miss worship last Sunday? You can watch the sermon from Pastor Rich and also Pastor Lauren's introduction to our Prayers of the People, from our May 10, 2020, online worship service. Sermon on Matthew 6:24-34: Don't Worry, Be Active. Our prayers keep going out:  We pray for ... for Ahmaud Arbery and his family, and that we will be able to overcome the racism affecting all of us in the world. And that we may have the courage to have a real open dialogue on racism in the spirit of love and peace. For family members struggling with grief. For mothers who are homeless, who are in detention, whose children are in detention, and who are fleeing violence and oppression.  Holy God ... hear our prayers! We are especially encouraging each other to send Rev. Lauren a note with a prayer you might like incorporated into our online worship. If you might be comfortable with it included in our prayers, but not necessarily want to unmute yourself, and share it verbally, your prayers can be folded in with the prayers. You can also add your prayers to the Zoom chat box during worship and we will speak them aloud for you. All prayers are welcome, at any time. Have prayers you want to include in the newsletter? Email Yuki (yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org), Rich (keystone5019@gmail.com), & Lauren:  lauren.cannon@Keystoneseattle.org   Text/ call Lauren cell:  773.501.7382 Keeping Our Zoom Safe from Attacks Friendly encouragement from your pastors: You hear us thank you often.  You are using new ways to  connect.  We are grateful.  It is life-giving to hear your voices coming over the worship wires, and to 'see' many of you on video. We ask you to keep it up.  Use the links and passwords to enter our Zoom space, but this is most important: DO NOT POST THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. We were recently reminded of the need for this precaution by an incident that happened close to home. On Sunday, May 10, our friends at Plymouth UCC had a horrific invasion in their online worship service by an internet Zoom bomber, that broke in to the service, impersonating church members, and taking their identity as they were in the Zoom waiting room. Then they showed horrific violent film. Plymouth UCC is now working with police and FBI to respond; they share their news here:  https://plymouthchurchseattle.org/news/list.html Keystone does several things to keep our space sheltered from these folks who work in groups, and are organized to traumatize people in this way.  The tech deacons at Plymouth did a great job to shut it down, and we would do similar actions if our space was compromised.  We promise to keep you updated and know that we are continually grateful, that you keep learning the steps we can all take to be together safely. Please reach out with any questions.  We have brought on more tech deacons (so you may see that Lauren, Rich, Yuki, Dan or Elliot are right there to let you in from the waiting room as quickly as we can.) We promise to keep you updated.  Please know we are grateful, that you keep learning the steps we can all take to be together safely! For now, the best practices you can follow are:   Use the links in the newsletter or emails from Pastors Rich, Lauren, and Yuki to enter our Zoom space; If you're entering with your phone or through the Zoom app, use the password and don't share that password with anyone. Share the good news and welcome folks to join us at Keystone online worship by forwarding our newsletters or sharing the worship link by email only (never in social media like Facebook or Instagram). Or encourage them to sign up for the Keystone newsletter.  We will be posting a video on the front page of our Keystone website, from Rich, Yuki, & Lauren, to invite new folks to email/call/ sign up for newsletter so they can readily join worship Sundays @ 10:30 a.m. With thanks, Pastor Lauren Protect Washington's Ag Workers Washington-state organizers and faith communities, including the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC and the Faith Action Network, are asking Washingtonians to advocate for our state's agricultural workers, who are one of the essential workers most at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus. Ag workers in Washington already lacked access to health care, sick leave, and worker protections, and now during the Covid-19 pandemic they're in danger because of their employers aren't giving them protective personal equipment or the ability to physically distance themselves in order to stay safe. Organizers are asking Washingtonians to call Gov. Inslee at 360.902.4111 and the state legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000, and leave a message to ask the governor and legislature to issue an emergency proclamation to protect agricultural workers in our state. You can use the script provided by the Latino Civil Alliance to leave your message. Keystone Tells Stories: TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m. Keystone's Storytelling workshop continues tonight, where we're continuing to tell stories along the theme of "A Small Thing That Made a Big Difference in My Life." Friend of Keystone and Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC conference minister Rev. Mike Denton will share a story at tonight's session. The storytelling space opens up at 6:15 p.m., and storytelling will start at 6:30 p.m., in the same Zoom space we use on Sunday mornings and for our other gatherings (you'll find a Zoom cheat sheet coming along with this newsletter in your email, but if you have Sunday's emailed cheat sheet you can use that too!). Come for stories and conversation about the small things that changed you in a big way! Introduction to Drawdown Goes Online If you missed a chance to join the Drawdown Seattle Introduction to Drawdown when it met at Keystone earlier this year, you have another chance to find out more about Project Drawdown and how you help move the US toward a greener, more just economy. Drawdown Seattle will have two Introduction to Drawdown sessions online on Zoom on May 14 and May 30. You can register at the Drawdown Seattle's Meetup.com page at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Drawdown Seattle also hosts a twice-monthly Climate Solutions Conversation, also on Zoom. The next conversation will be Sunday, May 17. You can register for these conversations at the link above.  The Pacific Northwest Conference has a new home for sharing news and information about goings-on in the conference: GoogleGroups.  If you'd like to become a member of the Google Group, send an email to pncucc@gmail.com. Hear More About Your Pacific NW Conference The Pacific Northwest Conference is sharing a weekly series of conversations that will bring the work of the Conference, the successes, the challenges to you through video. Watch for these videos on the Conference's new Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/pacificnorthwestucc. This week's video is an interview with the PNC's conference minister Rev. Mike Denton. Check it out! Glance- down- the- Calendar Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: Keystone member Charles's Seattle Social Meetup Zoom meetings, 7 p.m. Register at https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-LuZNpEwh/events/. Just come and say hi, and make a connection while we're all apart from each other. Wednesdays, May 13 (Tonight) & May 27: Keystone Storytelling, 6:30 p.m. at Keystone's Zoom. Continuing the theme: A Small Thing That Had a Big Influence on My Life. Call or email Pastor Rich to tell a story (206.632.6021. or keystone5019@gmail.com). Learn more about storytelling here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo3dpVb5jw  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgeh4xhSA2Q Wednesdays, May 20 and June 3: Justice Bible Study, 6:30 p.m. on Keystone Zoom. This is a new study where we'll read the Bible and start making links between our justice solidarities and our sacred stories, one Bible chapter at at time. You don't have to read in advance to join this study. Email Pastor Yuki for more info, yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Reading for May 20: Mark 1:16-31. Thursday, May 14: Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown interactive discussion to learn more about Project Drawdown, 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Sunday, May 17: Seattle Drawdown Climate Solutions Conversations, 3 p.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Tuesday, May 30: Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown interactive discussion to learn more about Project Drawdown, 10 to 11:45 a.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Tuesday, June 2: Keystone Green Team Meeting, 6:30 p.m. on Keystone Zoom. Sunday, June 7: Faith Action Network Puget Sound Spring Summit, 3 p.m on Zoom. Register at https://fanwa.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/register?id=183&reset=1 Newsletter note: After experimenting with the timing of the newsletter, we're dropping the frequency of the newsletter emails from updates on Wednesday and Saturday, to a single newsletter that will arrive in your email boxes on Wednesday afternoons. You'll still receive the Zoom cheat sheet newsletter on Sunday mornings to help you get into the service easily, plus we'll send that out whenever we have a study or event in our Zoom space.      Michelle Hebner - 5/5 Lauren Cannon - 5/7 Dan Smith - 5/9 Sandie Schumacher - 5/14 Barbara Anderson - 5/17 Here's wishing them each the happiest of birthdays, from all of us at Keystone UCC!  On the last Sunday of the month- we shall have cake at coffee hour (even on line cheer these days!) Please let Barbara know additions/ omissions!    Keep an eye out here for upcoming Keystone Birthdays! Reaching Keystone UCC Pastoral Staff: Reach us at your Keystone church office: (206) 632-6021.  This phone is also checked remotely since all staff serve part-time. Pastor Rich is available Tuesday to Thursday mornings and Friday evenings, and holds additional office times on Saturdays and Sundays.  (Sabbath = Mondays.)  Not all of these times will Rich be in the church office. If you want to see him, it is best to make an appointment. Email him at keystone5019@gmail.com Pastor Lauren is on Sunday thru Friday half days (Sabbath = Saturdays). Email is a great way to line up a meeting: lauren.cannon@keystoneseattle.org  Pastor Yuki (they/them) is at church two Sundays a month and is available to meet by appointment (Sabbath = Fridays). Email them at yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Click here for: Justice Leadership Programs- UCC LIKE Keystone UCC on Facebook Click here to read our Keystone blog at "Latest News" on our website Click here to bounce to Keystone UCC website Give your gift to support Keystone and its many ministries, including the Sacred Heart Shelter, and the Solar Panel Fundraiser. Click the PayPal button below or send your check directly to Keystone. You can also donate through the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC at pncucc.org/donate. ***** To submit content for inclusion, email Lauren & Yuki @keystoneseattle.org  addresses above.  Content must be received by Wednesdays at Noon. *****   ***** Next deadline for Newsletter announcement submissions: to Lauren & Yuki: Wednesday, May 20 @ Noon *****

Copyright © 2020 Keystone United Church of Christ, All rights reserved.This

Midweek Update May 6, 2020: Justice Bible Study, Conference Updates, Sign Up for FAN Summit, and More!

Join us for services Worship Every Sunday – 10:30 a.m. All Are Welcome!  Interactive, Online This Sunday, May 10, 2020 Fifth Sunday of Easter Preaching: Rev. Rich Gamble Worship leaders: Rev. Lauren & Rev. Yuki Text: Matthew 6:25-34 Theme: Don't Worry (Want to spend some time in reflection over this text before Sunday? Click here for some seeds for spiritual meditation from the UCC). We are continuing to meet online for interactive worship through the Zoom Meetings platform. SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Our Sundays together begin with Sunday School & Storytime with Teacher Anita at 10 a.m.. Children and families spend 20 minutes in a Zoom Breakout Room with Teacher Anita, then return to for worship, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10 a.m., folks can hang out for a "bring your own coffee ☕ (half) hour" where we have some time to see each other and talk before worship. After worship, we'll also have time for connection and sharing together in Breakout Rooms.  Pastor Yuki emails the Zoom access information (which remains the same for every worship or study meeting each week) via the newsletter every Saturday, and also on Sunday mornings.  Happy Listening Anytime:  Miss a Sermon?  Down at Classroom? Audio Available Online: Click on a file for a listen HERE, and share! You can now watch sermons and worship services on our new YouTube page here.  Our prayers keep going out:  We pray for ... for essential workers, for the people who have been the touchstones in our lives, for our bodies to find their way to health, for state and national leaders who use science and data to make good decisions, for our elected leaders to have the strength and guidance they need to make the right decisions to get through this crises, for those marking and mourning the losses of loved ones, for neighbors in action who have been keeping in touch with one another and taking care of each other, in food banks and mutual aid societies. Holy God ... hear our prayers! We are especially encouraging each other to send Lauren a note with a prayer you might like incorporated into our online worship. If you might be comfortable with it included in our prayers, but not necessarily want to unmute yourself, and share it verbally, your prayers can be folded in with the prayers. You can also add your prayers to the Zoom chat box and we will speak them aloud for you. All prayers are welcome, at any time. Have prayers you want to include in the newsletter? Email Yuki (yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org), Rich (keystone5019@gmail.com), & Lauren:  lauren.cannon@Keystoneseattle.org   Text/ call Lauren cell:  773.501.7382 Register Today for Faith Action Network Spring Summit Sign up for the annual Faith Action Network Spring Summit, where you and other people of faith across the state will help FAN set its legislative agenda for this year, and build strategies for advocacy on the issues affecting our regions. Because of the physical distancing requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's Spring Summit will be online on Zoom. The Puget Sound Spring Summit is at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 7. FAN will send the link to everyone who registers about a week before the Summit. Go to https://fanwa.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/register?id=183&reset=1 to register for the Summit, and let Pastor Rich, Pastor Lauren, or Pastor Yuki know that you're going.  Join Keystone's New Justice Bible Study Dear Keystone Community, During the Lenten Bible Study on Naomi Klein's book On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, we had a lot of great discussions about the role that Christian faith plays in denying that climate change is real, and in the work to fight the effects of human-caused climate change. Some of us mentioned conversations we've had with friends or relatives who quoted Bible verses to explain why they thought people shouldn't worry about climate change. This made us wonder: What does the Bible have to say about fighting for climate justice? Maybe we should read it and find out. Out of those conversations comes Keystone's Justice Bible Study, where we'll read this book that is so central to our faith and values, and hear (again or for the first time!) the stories that helped lead us to the God of justice and compassion. (And we'll take a look at the places where these stories have also helped injustices flourish in our world, too!). You don't have to read anything before showing up to the study, we'll read chapters and reflect together on what we've heard. Following the tradition of everyday liberation theologians, we'll work out as a community how these stories make sense to us as justice-seeking people today. And we'll see where we meet Jesus in these pages and in our streets. The Justice Bible Study begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday, May 6), on Keystone's Zoom space. Use the same links you use to get into Sunday Zoom worship to come to this study. They're scheduled for the first and third Wednesdays of each month (at least as long as we're following state physical distancing guidelines).  I'm looking forward to taking this journey into stories and teachings with you! Pastor Yuki Make a Zoom Connection Keystone member Charles has set up a daily Zoom meeting for anyone who wants to make a connection and have some time for conversation in these times when we're all separated by physical distancing. The meetings will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, on Zoom. You can sign up to be a part of these metings at Meetup.com at https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-LuZNpEwh/events/. Thank you, Charles, for setting up this opportunity!  Introduction to Drawdown Goes Online If you missed a chance to join the Drawdown Seattle Introduction to Drawdown when it met at Keystone earlier this year, you have another chance to find out more about Project Drawdown and how you help move the US toward a greener, more just economy. Drawdown Seattle will have two Introduction to Drawdown sessions online on Zoom on May 14 and May 30. You can register at the Drawdown Seattle's Meetup.com page at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Drawdown Seattle also hosts a twice-monthly Climate Solutions Conversation, also on Zoom. The next conversation will be Sunday, May 17. You can register for these conversations at the link above.  The Pacific Northwest Conference has a new home for sharing news and information about goings-on in the conference: GoogleGroups.  If you'd like to become a member of the Google Group, send an email to pncucc@gmail.com. Hear More About Your Pacific NW Conference Starting this week, the Pacific Northwest Conference begins a weekly series of conversations that will bring the work of the Conference, the successes, the challenges to you in an engaging way. Watch for these videos on the Conference's new Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/pacificnorthwestucc. The first of these videos dropped this week and features the introduction of the new moderator for the Pacific Northwest Conference, Hillary Coleman. Some of you may remember Hillary as an intern in the Justice Leadership Project and as a community projects manager at the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness. Check out this video and learn a little more about your new Conference moderator! Glance- down- the- Calendar Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: Keystone member Charles's Seattle Social Meetup Zoom meetings, 7 p.m. Register at https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-LuZNpEwh/events/. Just come and say hi, and make a connection while we're all apart from each other. Wednesdays, May 6 & May 20: Justice Bible Study, 6:30 p.m. on Keystone Zoom. This is a new study where we'll read the Bible and start making links between our justice solidarities and our sacred stories, one Bible chapter at at time. You don't have to read in advance to join this study. Email Pastor Yuki for more info, yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Wednesdays, May 13 & May 27: Keystone Storytelling, 6:30 p.m. at Keystone's Zoom. Continuing the theme: A Small Thing That Had a Big Influence on My Life. Call or email Pastor Rich to tell a story (206.632.6021. or keystone5019@gmail.com). Learn more about storytelling here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo3dpVb5jw  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgeh4xhSA2Q Thursday, May 14: Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown interactive discussion to learn more about Project Drawdown, 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Sunday, May 17: Seattle Drawdown Climate Solutions Conversations, 3 p.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Tuesday, May 30: Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown interactive discussion to learn more about Project Drawdown, 10 to 11:45 a.m. on Zoom. Register at https://www.meetup.com/SeattleClimateChange/. Tuesday, June 2: Keystone Green Team Meeting, 6:30 p.m. on Keystone Zoom. Sunday, June 7: Faith Action Network Puget Sound Spring Summit, 3 p.m on Zoom. Register at https://fanwa.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/register?id=183&reset=1     Michelle Hebner - 5/5 Lauren Cannon - 5/7 Dan Smith - 5/9 Sandie Schumacher - 5/14 Barbara Anderson - 5/17 Here's wishing them each the happiest of birthdays, from all of us at Keystone UCC!  On the last Sunday of the month- we shall have cake at coffee hour (even on line cheer these days!) Please let Barbara know additions/ omissions!    Keep an eye out here for upcoming Keystone Birthdays! Reaching Keystone UCC Pastoral Staff: Reach us at your Keystone church office: (206) 632-6021.  This phone is also checked remotely since all staff serve part-time. Pastor Rich is available Tuesday to Thursday mornings and Friday evenings, and holds additional office times on Saturdays and Sundays.  (Sabbath = Mondays.)  Not all of these times will Rich be in the church office. If you want to see him, it is best to make an appointment. Email him at keystone5019@gmail.com Pastor Lauren is on Sunday thru Friday half days (Sabbath = Saturdays). Email is a great way to line up a meeting: lauren.cannon@keystoneseattle.org  Pastor Yuki (they/them) is at church two Sundays a month and is available to meet by appointment (Sabbath = Fridays). Email them at yuki.schwartz@keystoneseattle.org. Click here for: Justice Leadership Programs- UCC LIKE Keystone UCC on Facebook Click here to read our Keystone blog at "Latest News" on our website Click here to bounce to Keystone UCC website Give your gift to support Keystone and its many ministries, including the Sacred Heart Shelter, and the Solar Panel Fundraiser. Click the PayPal button below or send your check directly to Keystone. You can also donate through the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC at pncucc.org/donate. ***** To submit content for inclusion, email Lauren & Yuki @keystoneseattle.org  addresses above.  Content must be received by Wednesdays at Noon for the weekly Midweek Update, and 5 p.m. Friday for the Weekend Reminder. *****   ***** Next deadline for Newsletter announcement submissions: to Lauren & Yuki: Friday, May 8 @ 5 p.m. and Wednesday May 13 @ Noon *****

Copyright © 2020 Keystone United Church of Christ, All rights reserved.Midwe