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The Power of Inclusion and Belonging: Different People, One Community
February 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person
Dr. Keith Barnes
Dr. Barnes will begin by briefly differentiating between diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging given recent efforts to misrepresent the terms. Dr. Barnes will define inclusion while describing its evolution from exclusion (Re-link, 2024). Dr. Barnes will stress the importance of belonging using the scripture reading and Dr. john a. powell’s (2024) concept of moving from “breaking to bridging” as a pathway to creating a fair, equitable, and humane community.
Keith R. Barnes, Ed.D., Biography
Keith started his appointment as the inaugural Vice President of Equity and Inclusion with Rock Valley College in June 2021. He served as the Executive Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, CO, from August 2016 to June 2021. Keith earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational/Corporate Communications, two Master of Science in Education degrees in Adult and Continuing Education and Instructional Technology, and a Doctor of Education degree in Community College Leadership at Northern Illinois University. He founded Joshua Bee, LLC Consulting based in Denver, CO, to provide training, consulting, and lectures/presentations on various topics about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Joshua Bee was named after his son, Joshua Barnes, who passed away on October 24, 2011, after a premature birth. Keith is married to Dr. Teresa Barnes, and they reside in Boone County, Illinois, with their daughter, India Barnes.
We will share the plate with Al Otro Lado Al Otro Lado provides holistic legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the US and Tijuana through a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based practice.
We provide direct, free, legal services on both sides of the US-Mexico border and beyond. We engage in zealous individual representation, medical-legal partnerships, and impact litigation to protect the rights of immigrants and asylum-seekers.
Volunteers for Sunday, February 2 Thank you to the Board and Finance Committee for volunteering this Sunday!
Sunday Morning Meditation
Meets this Sunday, February 2nd
Enjoy group meditation from 9:15 – 9:45
Yogic meditation helps strengthen and integrate body, mind and soul while bringing calmness and well-being.
We meet in the Library
Led by Mario Caputo
Workshop
Feb. 9th, 12:30-2:30, Deale Hall. What are our Goals?
After a brief review of the draft mission and vision, we’ll start working on goals. What should we accomplish in our lives, in the church, and in the wider world over the next 3-5 years? What difference will we make? Come be part of this very important conversation as we shape our collective future.
NOMINATE SOMEONE TODAY!
Your Nominating Panel (Katy Conrad, Larry Hughes, Gary Lawrence, Renee Mealey, and Spitty
Tata) is seeking nominations for open positions on the Board of Trustees, Nominating Panel,
and Covenant and Safety Team for 2025-26 to replace members completing their terms as
specified in the church bylaws (on the church website under “governance”).
The typical commitment for a term is about two hours/month for two years. Nominations will be
accepted until March 31. We’ll select and confirm candidates in April, and provide a complete
slate of committed candidates for the congregation to vote on at the Annual Meeting in early
June.
CALL TO ACTION: Please send an email to nominating@uurockford.org to nominate a potential
church leader. You do not need to specify a position; we’ll figure out the best matches of
candidates to positions through our questionnaire and personal contact.
Send any questions you have to nominating@uurockford.org or ask any Panel member.
We look forward to and appreciate your help in this most important matter.
Sincerely,
Your Nominating Panel
Rev. Matthew challenged us before he left for his sabbatical to respond to action requests from Rev. Violet Johnicker of RUM during his absence. He said, “When she says, “Go!” ask, “Where? When?” and then show up!
In these anxious, uncertain times, we can’t sit on the sidelines and complain about the state of the union. We have to act; to speak up; to help the vulnerable.
Now we have an opportunity to help our undocumented neighbors. Last week, an undocumented immigrant was arrested by Winnebago Sheriff’s deputies and turned over to ICE. ACLU Illinois has been informed and will track this immigrant in order to defend him.
In response to growing concern about Winnebago County’s willingness to work with ICE, volunteers are needed for a court watching program that will begin Monday, February 3rd.
Zoom training for court watching will be Sunday night, February 2, at 6 pm. Sign up at this link:
This training session will be recorded for later use.
A sign-up sheet will be shared for Monday – Saturday at 1:30 pm at the Winnebago County Courthouse in downtown Rockford.
The goal of court watching is to collect information about accusations brought against individuals and track whether they were detained, and, specifically in this case, if they are given an ICE hold. This data will be shared with ACLU attorneys
Court observation is an important tool for community oversight and accountability of law enforcement. We will make the sheriff and state’s attorney aware that we are conducting this program, and that steps will be taken if state laws are not followed.
To read the 14-page “Guidance: Illinois Law Governing Law Enforcement Interactions with Immigrant Communities,” January 2025, by Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General, access this link:
Past Sunday Services
Did you know you can watch past Sunday services anytime? We have them on our website under past worship services so you never have to miss a Sunday! Click here to find a service that you haven’t seen yet! You can also always go to our Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Board of Trustees:
President: Matt Menze
Clerk: Kim Lowman Vollmer
Vice-President: Wendy Bennett
Treasurer: Bob Spelman
Trustees: Clark Logemann, Rebecca Beneditz, Neita Webster
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
