From September to June, our Society donates each month to a Dedicated Offering recipient and splits every Sunday’s offering plate 50/50 with the recipient organization. Our October offerings for Foyer Angelique Orphanage in Haiti will be shared in a future newsletter.
Our November Dedicated Offerings will be for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lawton, OK. Located 87 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, 4 miles from historic Fort Sill, and 53 miles from the Texas border, Lawton is close to the center of the continental United States. With a diverse population of well over 91,000, it reflects the intersection of many cultures, indigenous among them. Lawton’s economy is bolstered by its proximity to Fort Sill, home of the U.S. Army’s Field Artillery School. In short, Lawton is a multi-faceted, dynamic community reflecting many historical and cultural perspectives. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lawton is one of 130 religious organizations in the greater metropolitan area. Organized in 1996, it is a small but steadfast congregation, dedicated to promoting UU values. However, during the last year or two, it has faced challenges to its very existence, as shown in this news broadcast from last January:
In addition to this fire, there has been vandalism to the back of their property, where the congregation built a lighted refreshment station for homeless people to wash up and obtain necessities. Now the congregation is considering selling their modest building and moving to a rented space that may be safer. Their goal is to continue having two Sunday services—one traditional and one pagan, both lay-led because they cannot afford a minister. Beyond services, they want to open their space regularly as a social venue where all are welcome. They strongly believe in the power of caring community to change the world for the better.
Though small in number, they are seeking ways to promote UU values and grow, as expressed in these excerpts from an email we received from the UUCL board:
“Thank you for extending this kindness our way! We are humbled by your well wishes, condolences, and generosity. Our board had the opportunity to discuss your magnanimity, and we hope that this forms into a \ long-lasting friendship between our churches. We have always hoped to work with another church who shares our same mission.
“The vandalism has been a challenge, especially because of the timing of it all, but it has made us stronger as a congregation. However, the continued support we have received has made it that much easier to overcome. We want to continue being a safe space for people who are othered, oppressed, or rejected by society. There are so few places like ours in the Lawton area. This act of kindness you have bestowed upon us will help more than our church alone, but the people we service as well. We can’t thank you enough!”
The Dedicated Offering Committee selects non-profit organizations that our Society will support with donations from our Sunday collections. We solicit UUSA’s members for names of organizations through a form which is available in the office and on-line here. A representative of the chosen organization is asked to speak about it, usually on the first Sunday of the month. We welcome new members. If you are interested in learning more or joining DOC, please contact Anne Perkins, Mary Beth Seminario, Linda Callahan, Carolyn Holstein, or Kat Nowicki.
