Music Ministry Update
Goodbye Message from Jennifer Hedstrom
It is with deep gratitude that I announce my departure from James Reeb UU Congregation. After serving as the Director of Music Ministry for nearly 3 years, I am shifting my life’s direction and pursuing a growing interest in working for public libraries. It has been a privilege to serve a community that has such a deep connection to music. I appreciate the enthusiasm with which my work has been greeted and the trust you placed in me as your Director of Music Ministry. My last Sunday will be Sunday December 14 and my final service will be the Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday December 20. I hope to see you there. [12/3/25]
Job Opening – Directory of Music Ministry – Please Share
JRUUC is seeking a part-time Director of Music Ministry to support our community’s spiritual connection with music, to start January 1, 2026 or as soon as possible after that. Please check out the job description and email apply@jruuc.org with a cover letter and resume if you’d like to apply, or with any questions you have about the position. JRUUC members aren’t eligible to work as paid staff, but please do pass the job description along to others who might be interested! [12/7/25]
Click here to download a copy of the job description.
Folk Group
The folk group will be meeting every Saturday in January 2026 10:30-noon (instead of just the first and third Saturdays). We’re scheduling extra meetings because the folk group will have plenty of opportunities to perform in services until we hire a new music director — come lend your voice to the cause!
Everyone is welcome to sing, play, or just hang out and talk about great music.
We have songbooks to sing and play from, and you are welcome to bring your favorites too. Come and sing with us! And bring an instrument if you’d like to play! If you want to be added to the Reeb Folk Group mailing list, please contact Mike Stimson. You can also contact Mike if you have particular songs you want to share with the group and he will add them to the group music.
Please check this week’s newsletter or contact Mike Stimson to verify the next practice dates!
Sacred Breath Choir
While we search for a new Director of Music Ministry, the choir will not be meeting every Thursday as usual. Please check this page and your weekly newsletter for more information about when we will be meeting regularly, as well as for information about “pick-up music opportunities” in the interim.
Sacred Breath Choir welcomes folks of all voice types and musical backgrounds. We usually meet weekly on Thursdays from 7-8:30pm and sing at 1-2 worship services per month. Singing is nourishment for the mind, body, and spirit. Nourish yourself and your community by joining Sacred Breath Choir! Email us at music@jruuc.org with questions.
December Hymn of the Month: “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Peter Mayer) from Sing Out Love
The original version of “Holy, Holy, Holy” has been published in over a thousand hymnals. The tune, known as NICAEA, was composed by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876) a composer and clergyman from Yorkshire, England. The original text, written by Bishop Reginald Heber (1783–1826), is a song of praise focused on the Holy Trinity. Peter Mayer is a singer-songwriter and a UU based in Stillwater, MN. Beloved by fellow UUs, Mayer has contributed four of his beloved works to the virtual hymnal so far. On “Holy, Holy, Holy,” he writes: “I grew up singing that hymn in church, and always loved it. My version features the traditional melody but with my own text, which represents my effort to write lyrics that feel more resonant with my own beliefs, as well as with present-day cosmology.” I know you’ll enjoy singing Mayer’s text throughout the month of December, as we search for hope during these long winter nights.
Winter Solstice Celebration 12/20/25 5pm
Join us for our annual celebration marking the Longest Night and the Return of the Light! The evening is a deep ritual and celebration of the light that shines within and between us, with reflections, silence, and candlelight, and music featuring Jennifer Hedstrom and the JRUUC Sacred Breath Choir.
This service will be held in our sanctuary and streamed via Zoom.
Share Your Love of Music
Did you know that your Director of Music Ministry gets 1-2 Sundays off a month? On those Sundays, JRUUC volunteers or local professionals accompany Sunday worship in their place. Do you have significant piano or guitar skills and feel capable of leading our congregation in song? Please email us at music@jruuc.org to be added to a list of volunteers who could serve as the primary musician on Sunday mornings.
Check your weekly newsletter for more information about music at JRUUC.
The following are scheduled choir Sundays for 2025-26:
- September 7
- October 5
- November 2
- November 23
- December 20 (Saturday – Winter Solstice 5pm)
- January 4
- January 18
- February 1
- March 1
- March 15
- April 5
- May 3
- May 17
- June 7
Songleaders needed!
Jennifer is seeking songleaders for our Music Ministry team. Songleaders will help lead congregational music on weeks that the choir is not singing in worship. This is a great opportunity for folks who love to sing, but cannot commit to Thursday night choir rehearsals. Email us at music@jruuc.org with questions or to get on the songleader email list!
Open Mic Nights – Saturday 6-8pm
In February 2026, Open Mic will be on February 14th, the second Saturday. Gatherings are usually held on the first Saturday. All are welcome.
Reeb is hosting an open mic event on the first Saturday of every month from 6-8 pm. All are welcome to enjoy the entertainment or take a turn in front of the mic. Suggested donation is $5/person, and all admission and concession proceeds will go to JRUUC. Please come and entertain with your music, poetry, comedy or any other talent you can offer! To donate food or beverages to sell, or for further information, please check your weekly newsletter.
Please send an email to music@jruuc.org with any questions or thoughts you have about music ministry at JRUUC.
Click here for our congregation’s weekly email