312 FILLMORE STREET, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10301 PHONE: 718-447-2204
We do not hold Sunday Services during the summer months. We will resume in-person services in September, with a virtual option via Zoom link. To keep up with our summer activities check the Events and Services page, our Instagram and Facebook, and the Friday newsletter to Members and Friends.
Listings are in reverse chronological order. Scroll down to the date you want.
Listings are in reverse chronological order. Scroll down to the date you want.
Current Events
Sunday, August 4, 2024 • 11:00 am
UCSI Book Discussion: Caste will be Moderated by Debbie-Ann Paige The discussion on August 4th will focus on Parts Five and Six. The other dates in the biweekly schedule are: August 18, September 1. All will meet at 11:00 am. If Debbie-Ann's recovery from knee surgery permits, we expect to continue meeting in the side yard of the Church at the corner of Clinton and Fillmore, weather permitting. Otherwise, we will update with the Zoom link. If you have not read the book yet, don't be shy! The discussion is not "by the book" as anyone who knows Debbie-Ann's thought-provoking style can attest. Just listening to the conversation can be stimulating in itself. From August 4th, weather permitting, we will gather in the side yard of the church at the corner of Clinton Ave and Fillmore Street. Be prepared to bring a thermos of a cool beverage of your choice and a camp chair of some kind. If it is raining, we will gather in the Church Library or Sanctuary. Enter by the main door. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people...she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their outcasting of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Sunday, July 28, 2024 • 1:00 pm Lunch at Ayat: Authentic Palestinian Restaurant We will meet for lunch (pay your own way) at Ayat, a delicious and beautiful Palestinian restaurant located at 2018 Hylan Blvd, across from the Colonnade Diner. We had a wonderful time last summer when a large group from UCSI met at Ayat for dinner. It was such an enjoyable evening! Please join us this year and experience the delightful atmosphere and large menu of Middle Eastern favorites. The link below will take you to a New York Times feature article about the original Ayat restaurant in Brooklyn and a review of some of the food, with mouth -watering pictures. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/dining/ayat-review-palestinian-food.html Note that there are both vegetarian and vegan options and there is a small parking lot behind Ayat. For street parking turn onto Jefferson Blvd, on the north east above Ayat, to find street parking nearby. Reserve a spot with Sarah Dolinar at [email protected] so we can have a good count for the reservation! Hope to see you there. Recent Sunday Services
Sunday, June 9, 2024 • 10:50 am
The Revolution of Love With Visiting Minister Ember Kelley in the Pulpit In a time of fear, upheaval, transformation, and change, how do we ground ourselves in love? Les Miserables is a story of love, family, and revolution. Join Visiting Minister Ember Kelley for a message that considers the lessons of Les Mis for the present moment in our lives, world, and congregation. For in-person gathering: Masks Are No Longer Required in the Sanctuary. Social Distancing. People are still reminded to be conscious of social distancing. For Access to Video Online: A video of the service is subsequently posted on our YouTube Channel. https://bit.ly/3xgePI3 Sunday, June 2, 2024 • 10:50 am
When The Revolution Comes: Anarchism and Unitarian Universalism With Guest Speaker Erol King Delos Santos in the Pulpit Anarchist Theory has a rich domestic and international history, but there are those who are committed to misunderstanding its core values and goals. This Sunday, June 2nd, let's explore what Anarchism is, how it is similar and different from Unitarian Universalism, and how allyship can be cultivated in both communities in order to work toward liberation for all. For in-person gathering: Masks Are No Longer Required in the Sanctuary. Social Distancing. People are still reminded to be conscious of social distancing. For Access to Video Online: A video of the service is subsequently posted on our YouTube Channel. https://bit.ly/3xgePI3 |
Upcoming Events
![]() Get/Stay Connected with the UCSI Women's Online Gatherings
Every Tuesday at 7:30pm Through weekly meetings of the Women's Group on Zoom, we enjoy catching up with each other and getting to know one another better. You can either video call or phone call in to these gatherings. Please contact Kathy Santo at [email protected] for more details. ![]() Virtual Children and Youth Programming resumes.
Children's Chapel Children's Chapel and Workshops Every Sunday with CCNY • 9:30 am Sunday Chapel starts at 9:30am. It is a sacred space for kids to share Joys & Concerns and to connect with friends old and new. We light the chalice together, sing hymns, and make way for movement or meditation as time allows. Our chapel welcomes young people ages 5-17, and we invite families with children younger than 5 to attend with their little ones too! Religious Education Workshops for grades K-8 begin right after Chapel and run until 11:00am. This year in our workshops, we’re celebrating the interdependent web of existence! Using a Circles & Cycles curriculum, kids will be making connections between our 8 UU principles and 6 UU sources of inspiration to build a network of understanding about what was, what is, and what can be. We’ll explore tenets of Judaic and Christian teachings, other world religions and cultural traditions, and examine the words and deeds of prophetic people both past and present to strengthen understanding of how we can live faith into action on matters of social and environmental justice. UU Kids Connect Every Third Thursday • 7:00 pm Starts on Thursday October 21st This fall UU Kids Connect is the place to be for kids in grades K-8 who want to meet new friends from new places, share their joys & concerns, show & tell what they’ve been up to, and have FUN! The UU Kids Connect Team creates a safer online space for social support and spiritual development as kids journey forward through their years. The UUKC GATHERINGS will happen every third Thursday of the month from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm (Eastern) beginning on Thursday, October 21st. Registration is FREE and open! |