“For sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the ocean is more than a muse — it’s an exhibition space and museum. Taylor creates sculptures of human forms and mundane life on land and sinks them to the ocean floor, where they are subsumed by the sea and transformed from lifeless stone into vibrant habitats for corals, crustaceans and other creatures. The result: Enigmatic, haunting and colorful commentaries about our transient existence, the sacredness of the ocean and its breathtaking power of regeneration.”
Join us for this TED Talk presentation featuring Jason deCaires Taylor. A discussion will follow the video.
August 11 ~ “The Foster Care System”
Whitney Davis of the Anchorage Children’s Home will speak to us about the Foster Care System.
“I am the Medical Foster Care Social Services Worker for our 6 county service area. I work closely with the medical foster parents to obtain and maintain licensure and help coordinate services for medical foster care youth.
I began my journey with medical foster care in March of 2018, but I have worked with at risk children and families for the past 11 years in many capacities. My connection to this community runs deep and is continuous.”
August 4 ~ “Grapes of Gratitude: A Lammas Circle”
This Sabbat’s name comes from the Anglo Saxon festival called hlaefmass — that is, in modern English, loaf festival. In the pagan calendar Lammas (pronounced LAM-mass) is celebrated on August 1st north of the equator, and February 1 in the Southern Hemisphere.At this turn of the Wheel of the Year, we celebrate not only the generous bounty of our Mother Earth, but the fruit of our own labour. We honor our strength, our skill, and our vision which allow us to produce a harvest of abundance for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
July 28 ~ “Helping Nature Recover after Hurricane Michael”
Jim Moyers and Scott Jackson will speak to us about the effects of Hurricane Michael on local wildlife.
Scott lives in Panama City with his wife Angela and son Zach. His daughter, Brenna is serving overseas with the Air Force.
Jim has been with the St. Joe Company since 2000 and for the past 13 years has worked as a Wildlife Biologist Manager with them. His roles with the St. Joe Company include: Ecological Restoration Specialist, Threatened/Endangered Species Biologist, Permit Compliance, and Naturalist/Outdoor Educator.
Jim received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Wildlife Biology and Ecology from Auburn University.
July 21 ~ “On Pilgrimage”
Please check back for more information!
July 14 ~ “Climate Change: Facts = No Fakes”
July 7 ~ “Making a Difference through Smiles”
Matt Standish will focus on his time spent as a First Sergeant in the United States Air Force, raising a special needs boy, his current work with the VA, and the development of his personal operating philosophy of sharing smiles.
Biographical Information:
Matthew Standish (USAF First Sergeant Retired)
Veterans Outreach Program Specialist
June 30 ~ “Sharing in UUA General Assembly”
June 23 ~ “Humans of UU #RadicalInclusion”
Unfortunately, Pastor John Pavlovitz will not be making it to the UUFBC. We hope to reschedule him in the fall.
Please come out and support some of our own members presenting a Sunday morning message about Radical Inclusion. Why are we here? Why do we belong to this hopeful, helpful, oftentimes happy spiritual community? What is it like to be included no matter what? Let’s talk about radical inclusion and love. How can this possibly work? Bob Gilmore, Heather Ogilive and Cindy Wilker will work as a team to present an interesting and informative program.
June 16 ~ “We are Better Together”
June 9 ~ “Celebrating PRIDE: Fifty Shades of Gay”
Celebrating PRIDE: Fifty Shades of Gay, a TED Talk by Tillett Wright, with a group conversation to follow!
June 2 ~ “Annual Flower Communion”
The Flower Ceremony, sometimes referred to as Flower Communion or Flower Festival, is an annual ritual that celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community.
Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Capek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Maya Capek, Norbert’s widow.
In this ceremony, everyone in the congregation brings a flower. Each person places a flower on the altar or in a shared vase. The congregation and service leader bless the flowers, and they’re redistributed. Each person brings home a different flower than the one they brought.
There will also be recognition of the unique contributions each of us make to UUFBC. And it’s Potluck Sunday, too!
May 26 ~ “Memory, Recovery, and Resilience”
Rev. Melanie returns for Memorial Day weekend with another service on moving forward after a major disaster, using her ministry experience in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. What part does memory play in recovering from trauma? And what does it mean to be “resilient”? Rev. Melanie’s husband New Orleans trumpet Eric will accompany her and play for us in this service. Rev. Melanie has preached for us regularly since 2013, and was last here in November. During her time with us, she will be available for pastoral visits; please contact Chris May to set up.
May 19 ~ “Annual Meeting”
Come and be a part of the democratic process that we strongly value. In addition to our 2019-2020 Board slate of officers to approve, there will be a new budget to vote on and possibly other business items. Please be a part of the process and let your voice be heard. Childcare will be provided for the meeting.
As stated in the Bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bay County, “The Leadership Development Committee shall present a slate for all Officers, At Large Board members, and Leadership Development Committee members at least ten days prior to the Annual Congregational Meeting.”
“Nominations may be made from the floor at the time of election, but so nominated members must have already agreed to serve.”
It is my privilege to present the 2019-2020 Slate of Board Officers and Members to the congregation for consideration and approval. Included in this election is the nomination for Leadership Development Committee member.
Jo Shaffer, Chair Leadership Development Committee
Slate of Officers July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020
President——- Heather Ogilvie
Vice-President——- Lynne Siegfried
Secretary ——- Jane Nichols
Treasurer ——- Bob Kuchta
Members at Large* ——- Janet Cross & John Shaffer
Leadership Development ——- Committee Cindy Wilker
*Please note that Pat Moran’s and Bob Gilmore’s terms as (Board) Members at Large will continue through June 2020.
May 12 ~ “Poetry and Prose”
Join us and bring a poem to read as Heather Ogilvie leads this service!
May 5 ~ “Spring Curiosity Fair”
Join us for a curious and creative Intergenerational Sunday service. Grab a cup of lemonade and stroll through the booths. From music with Paul McAuliffe and birding with Candice Harbison to cool math with playing cards and mandalas with Gienah Harris, even an outdoor labyrinth (weather permitting) there will be something for everyone.
April 28 ~ “Reflections on Earth Day”
Henry Lawrence will give a talk about Earth Day.
Henry has been directing our local Earth Day Bay County Celebration for 15 years(2005-2019). He directed the Tour de Ranch bicycling Century rides during much of that same time and before and was responsible for creation of the Share The Road specialty license plate as a volunteer and staff to Bike Florida(1996-1999). He holds a B.S.S degree from FSU/PC (1989) and still work part-time as a Landscape Irrigation technician for Lawrence Enterprizes, LLC (Since 2010).
April 21 ~ “Positive Psychology”
Dr. Sturgis will provide an overview of the science of Positive Psychology. After a century of studying psychopathology, psychologists now have a comprehensive understanding of mental illness as defined in the DSM4. Social Scientists are now studying the efficacy of optimistic thought on wellness and happiness throughout the course of a lifespan. As it turns out, people who have optimistic world views tend to be happier and have better life outcomes than do people with negative outlooks. Dr. Sturgis will discuss these and other topics related to positive psychology on Easter Sunday.
Ron is a retired Navy Chaplain. He served 33 years in the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. Ron currently teaches psychology and military resilience courses and is a subject matter expert for Liberty University online. During college summers, Ron was a ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch near Red River, New Mexico. Ron has a BS in Psychology from the University of West Florida, a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Seminary, a Master of Theology degree from Duke University and a PhD in Psychology from Northcentral University. Ron is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ and has extensive experience as a pastoral care giver in a myriad of venues.
April 14 ~ “850-Vulnerable”
A service about how our brains process trauma and the way we protect ourselves.
April 7 ~ “A Piece of Wholeness”
John Shaffer was raised in a conservative Christian home, but was always questioning his family’s chosen religious practices. Since his mother was raised as a Quaker and his father was raised by missionaries stationed in Kenya, his family’s beliefs were an interesting blend, but not a typical one. In an attempt to answer nagging questions and to further his faith journey, he went to Princeton Seminary, finishing the three-year Master of Divinity degree, complete with Greek and Hebrew studies. His faith journey continued, but not as an ordained minister. Instead, he decided to incorporate a love for carpentry and construction inherited from his paternal grandfather. Melding a construction career with his conviction to help others, he and his wife, Jo, started a Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to do just that. What began as a dream, turned into a comprehensive program: buying dilapidated homes in distressed neighborhoods, renovating them, making them available to low income home buyers and watching neighborhoods come alive. Before they were done, they had transferred title of 300 homes to the first-time homeowners.
After a stint as Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, John and Jo moved permanently to Panama City Florida, where he worked as AmeriCorps Director, the federal volunteer program sponsored locally by Goodwill Industries – Big Bend. The AmeriCorps program often partnered with UU volunteers to offer the Glenwood Community PRIDE program, painting and repairing 20 houses.
As an adult, John began attending a liberal Presbyterian Church. After a few years his mentor, the Presbyterian minister, retired and suggested that the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden Colorado might be a good fit. It was! Since then, John has been involved with the Unitarian Universalist faith, moving his membership from Golden to the UUFBC, where he is currently member, having served on the Worship Committee, the Social Justice Team, and the Vision and Growth Committee, while coordinating the Men’s Group.
Please check back for more information!
March 31 ~ “Soul Matters Resource: On the Way”
Chris May will present a sermon from the Soul Matters Resources.
Written by Rev. Luke Stevens Royer in 2016.
“My prayer is that… we focus on what this church means to us in the positive rather than how it is better than, different than, more evolved than, more intelligent than, more educated than, more justice-seeking than, someone else’s faith, creed, hopes, or dreams… to remember we don’t have all the answers, that our openness to mystery and questions doesn’t become an absolutism of rejection of any tradition that offers something different; and that we don’t assume we are the only ones who are open, loving, have questions, love mystery, or have different ideas about religion and faith and God and love and humanity.”
March 24 ~ “Restoring Eden: How to Become Green Again”
Jody Wood-Putnam holds bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from Western Carolina University and a master’s in materials science from the University of Virginia. She moved to Panama City in 1983 and worked for 33 years as a research physicist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. In 2004, she became a Florida Master Gardener, following completion of the comprehensive course offered by the UF/IFAS Bay County Extension Office. She remains active in this program and has had many opportunities to expand her gardening knowledge; she frequently gives presentations on different aspects of gardening. She is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society and is co-president of the local Sweetbay Chapter.
March 17 ~ “Generations- Songs of Family From Babies to Old Folks”
Ken Sizemore will present a musical program concerning ALL ages!
March 10 ~ “Better the Balance, Better the World”
Let’s continue to build a better world with more gender balance!
Serena Dee Latiolais personal bio: bisexual southern white woman, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin, daughter, sometimes poet, facilitator, mentor, teacher, interfaith minister, mediator, coach, counselor, Reiki healer, sometimes tarot reader, sometimes philosopher, working on excellence, lover of life, living in Panama City Beach and loving to travel.
March 3 ~ “Journey: Just Because We’re Wandering Doesn’t Mean We’re Lost”
A focus on Journey: we’re all 99.9% identical. Our divisions reside in the .1% that makes us “different.” All of our journeys begin and end the same, but our paths along the way differ.
Cindy Wilker and Arlene Garner will discuss their paths. A Power Point presentation will include photos from Arlene’s Journey from war torn Rhodesia to Zimbabwe to America and Cindy’s Journey traveling the world looking for herself – and ultimately finding herself in her own backyard. They hope to touch the hearts and (funny bones!) of the congregation.
February 24 ~ “Unitarian Universalist Fundamentals”
Since we do not proscribe beliefs, are there some core ideas and ideals that we share? Reflections on what is vital to our evolving, responsive faith.
The Reverend Doak M. Mansfield is a native of Fayetteville, Tennessee. His wife, traveling companion, and partner is Peggy Owens-Mansfield, retired American Red Cross Chapter Executive Director (Pine Belt Chapter in Laurel, MS).
He has one sister and is the father of two grown sons and ‘Gran’ to five; one Princess and four Dukes.
A graduate of Martin College, Pulaski, TN (1968) and Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN (1970) he received his ministerial education from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and received is Masters of Divinity (1976) from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. He was awarded a Doctor of Ministry (Spiritual Direction) degree (1996) and is a Fellow at the Graduate Theological Foundation Mishawaka, Indiana. He was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist Minister Nov. 28, 1976 by Heritage UU Church in Cincinnati, OH and is in full fellowship with the UUA.
He has been a public-school teacher (Franklin County, TN) and college administrator (Director of Admissions & Housing at Martin College).
His Unitarian Universalist ministry includes pastorates with Heritage UU in Cincinnati for a decade where he is minister emeritus, the UU Church of Huntsville, AL for fifteen years, part-time efforts with Our Home UU Church in Ellisville, MS, half-time with Red Hill Universalist Church Clinton, NC, full time interim minister at the UU Church of Tampa for two years, and he concluded a three-year ministry with the Community UU Church of Pasco, WA July 15, 2018.
Presently he serves as half-time minister with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Emerald Coast Valparaiso, FL.
He served as a US Army Reserve Chaplain for 8 years, Hospital Staff Chaplain for 6 years and Hospice Chaplain for 4. He has been active in social justice issues throughout his 42 years as an ordained UU minister. The author of three books, two fiction (Mockingbird’s Ballad, Jones of Old Lincoln) and one non-fiction work (An Irreverent Guide to Spirituality) he is a portrait artist, old movie fan, avid reader, and will choose almost anything related to history over any other option for fun and recreation. He does try to keep up with the Cincinnati Reds.
Medical retired in 2002 with heart disease he received a heart transplant June 21, 2010 at Ochsner Multi-Organ Transplant Institute in New Orleans. He returned to active intentional ministry in 2011.
He and Peggy are living in Ocean City, FL. (Fort Walton Beach, FL). He likes to be called Doak (pronounced like poke, joke), or Reverend Mansfield.
February 17 ~ “Super Soul Sessions Video: The Anatomy of Trust”
Chris May will present a Super Soul Sessions video called “The Anatomy of Trust” by Brené Brown.
Brené Brown (born November 18, 1965) is an American research professor in The Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy[1] and is the author of five #1 New York Times best sellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead, which is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership. (From Wikipedia.org)
February 10 ~ “Feelin’ Lucky and Still in Love”
We’ll deal with post-Michael and upcoming Valentine’s Day, all wrapped into one!
Lucky Mud is made up of musicians Margaret and Mike McKinney. They perform regularly in Panama City as well as across Florida, the United States, Canada, Ireland, and more. The music that Lucky Mud writes/sings/plays comes from the dirt of their native Florida. Mix that with a little saltwater, sweat, and tears, and you have Mud, Lucky Mud. Lucky Mud plays Swampy Tonk and Folkabilly.
February 3 ~ “On Transgender Awareness and Remembrance”
Pamela Ann Monaco will speak to us about the transgender community.
Pamela Ann Monaco has a masters in Psychology and a masters in social work. She is a licensed clinical social worker and has been in the field for over thirty years. She is a certified transgender care therapist and is the only one in this area.
January 27 ~ “Decoding the Yin and Yang”
Shawn will return to give us another interesting and perhaps interactive program. He says the title says it all. His last talk in July, “Qigong Basics: Breath and Qi,” was well received.
Shawn Palmer is a massage therapy instructor and Reiki Master Teacher who was privileged to train in Jiu Long Yi Qigong under 32nd generation Grand Master Russell Jose from 2001 until the Grand Master’s death in 2014.
January 20 ~ “Where No Sermon Has Gone Before”
In this sermon, where no sermon has gone before, we will discover together little known facts about the intersectionality of Vulcanism and the Bible. There is more there than just “Live Long and Prosper” in common. And at the same time we will discuss how Martin Luther King Jr. was the savior of Star Trek as we all know it!
Rev. Maggie Lovins serves as the Community Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola. She resides in Pensacola with her partner in ministry, and service animal, Daisy Dog, her partner Chad and two loving felines. She feels that Unitarian Universalism is truly a life saving faith and it is her mission to spread the good news that you are loved, valued and worthy just as you are!
Rev. Maggie started her calling in Unitarian Universalism by serving as her home congregation’s Office Administrator and Children’s Religious Education Coordinator along with many other roles and titles. As a lay leader, she also served the Mid-South District as Board Secretary, one of the UUA’s Ministerial Settlement Representatives and the Southern Region as a Smart Church Consultant and Leadership Experience facilitator before becoming Unitarian Universalist Association staff.
Maggie attended Starr King School for the Ministry where she completed her Master of Arts in Social Change with a Certificate in Unitarian Universalist Studies.
We are better together, we can only change the world together, and every day is a new chance to live fully in to those ideals, embrace our diversity and join in building the Beloved Community together!
January 13~ “Art as Activism”
Why are possibilities paralyzing, and what can we do to change that? What if the idea of “possibilities” became freeing and beautiful instead of overwhelming?
January 6 ~ “How to Change Your Mind”
Please check back for more information!