UUCGV News - February 2023

Welcome to the month of Welcome month of

Love Love Love Love

From Our Minister, Reverend Wendy Jones

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

1 Corinthians 13

(Continued on page 2)

As human beings, the guiding light or the glue that holds us together is love. Many times, when we think of “love” we limit ourselves to thinking about romantic love with a partner. However, there are so many types of love to sustain us and help us endure.

We have the love we feel for our children or our parents, we have the love expressed through friendship, and we have the universal love expressed through the acknowledgement that we are all a part of the interconnected web of all existence.

This month, I invite us to reflect on and bless the love that we have in our lives. Not everybody is in a nurturing romantic relationship. However, that is certainly not a requirement for fulfillment or for experiencing the true joy that loving and being loved can bring.

One of the things I do occasionally is to take a few minutes to write down all of the ways in which I express love and am in turn receiving love.

How are we doing that this year as a UUCGV community? Are we able to reach out and ask for the support and love that we need? Are we willing to be that expression of love embodied as we reach out and share our love, gifts, compassion with those around us?

I want to thank everybody who demonstrated their compassion & love through their time, talent and treasure to help us successfully host the WE Shelter program this year. We started off strong in January! How might we continue to be that expression of love throughout the rest of the year? I ask us to reflect on this both in a personal sense in and as a faith community.

Change for Change

Each month we collect change (coins) from the offertory baskets and donate it to a local charity. This effort usually brings about $100/month. Past recipients have included homeless shelters, environmental groups, pet shelters and many others.

Change collected during the month of February will go to Ariel Clinical Services, dedicated to helping children and adults live and thrive in their communities. We are a collection of committed, positive, creative individuals who believe in the inherent worth of every child and adult.

A Message from

Greetings from your UU Music Director!!

A huge THANK YOU to all who showed their support for our musical fundraiser bake sale; we raised a total of over $400, which will go towards our new choir folders. The ongoing fundraiser for the music program, ‘Wish upon a star’ will be on display outside the sanctuary. For this fundraiser, UU members can choose to sponsor a specific ‘wish upon a star’, with the stars varying in cost and item type (ex. $25 new choir folder, $60 new choir anthem , $20 replenishment copies of old anthems, etc.) please help us fill our starry sky with wishes come true! Also in wanting to plant a seed for fundraising events in February, start thinking of your favorite love song. We will be having a UU Valentines FUNdraiser dance, where you can ‘purchase’ your special song to be performed!

I’m excited to be ramping up our Kid’s Music Program in the new year. Parents, I’ll be reaching out to you directly to discuss your child’s musical interests, potential involvement, and scheduling possibilities, and kids, I can’t WAIT to get to make music with you!

Kid’s Music is beginning Wednesday, February 1st 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.

As a teaser for those of you who have been pondering joining the adult choir, check Uplift’s article on the neuroscience of singing that was shared with me by a member of the choir:

Singing Together Brings Heartbeats Into Harmony

The neuroscience of singing shows that when we sing our neurotransmitters connect in new and different ways. It fires up the right temporal lobe of our brain, releasing endorphins that make us smarter, healthier, happier and more creative. When we sing with other people this effect is amplified.

The science is in. Singing is really, really good for you and the most recent research suggests that group singing is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. The good feelings we get from singing in a group are a kind of evolutionary reward for coming together cooperatively.

The research suggests that creating music together evolved as a tool of social living. Groups and tribes sang and danced together to build loyalty, transmit vital information and ward off enemies. [Read the full article HERE,https://uplift.love/the-neuroscience-of-singing/]

I’m looking forward to an exciting new year filled with wonderful music!

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2023 Stewardship Timeline

Sunday, February 26th - Stewardship Kick-off Sermon

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Sunday, March 5th - Holistic Planning with Kevin and Shae Lynn Watt

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Saturday, March 11th - A Night at the Cabaret

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Sunday, April 15th - Canvassing Finishes

UUCGV Cooking Group

The Men’s Cooking Group, the longest-running organization within our local church, has decided after 23 continuous years of monthly meetings, that it is either time to fold up our tent or make it bigger. We have opted to make it bigger. Henceforth, and starting with our February meeting, the group will be open to all interested adults who are 21 and older. The name of the group will be changed accordingly, though we’re still working on that.

When the group was started, there was already a Women’s Spirituality Group and it seemed appropriate to have a men’s group. We gents decided that cooking and sharing food and beverage and fellowship was how we would celebrate this life. Over time, though, it began to feel more exclusionary than inclusive, and less in line with our values. We also tended over time to do less cooking together, since we prefer to meet in each other’s homes, but not every home can accommodate more than 1 or 2 cooks. So quite a number of us would bring our prepared dishes to our meeting. To remedy this we’ve decided to modify our meeting schedule, by reserving the church kitchen on a quarterly basis so we can all cook to a theme together, and meet in home the other months. As always, we hope to keep to the third Thursday of each month.

We hope that all interested parties will join us, at any meetings you may care to attend, and enjoy the simple pleasures of cooking, eating, adult beverages and company. The February meeting will be at the home of Floyd and Tamara Joramo. For more info, contact David Miller / davidrudolphmiller@gmail.com / (970) 361-2737 or go to https:// grandvalleyuu.org/uucgv-cooking-group.html

Meeting next on:

Thursday, February 16th at 6:00 p.m. Host - Floyd & Tamara Joramo - main dish Theme - Indonesian

Black Canyon Discussion Group

The Black Canyon Discussion Group will meet again on Wednesday, February 1st at 12:00 p.m.

Topic: "Discussion of the act of compromising within significant personal relationships"

COVID vaccination is required to participate. Questions? Call 970-8564226 E Heuscher or email at epheuscher@gmail.com Host will offer the main dish, and then side dishes are provided by the participants.

Chair Yoga

Are you interested in the benefits of practicing yoga? Chair yoga is perfect for people who are new to yoga or who have mobility issues. It can help increase flexibility and strength, as well as improve balance and coordination. Additionally, it can help reduce stress and anxiety levels. Chair yoga is also a great practice for enhancing the mind-body connection through gentle movement and harnessing the power of your breath.

Join us on Monday, February 27th at 3:30 p.m. Remember to wear loose and comfortable clothing.

UU Night!

Come Eat with Us! Every Wednesday at 5:00 pm! (Note NEW TIME)

Please join us for this weekly potluck and time for community, connection, and conversation. Childcare provided!

Adopt a night to cook! It can be an awesome bonding experience and teach the attendees about all the involvement opportunities at UUCGV. It is fun & fulfilling to feed a group of people. You get to see how much they enjoy the meal and each other's company. Sign up in the foyer or contact the office at administrator@grandvalleyuu.org.

City Market gift cards, and monetary donations are always welcome.

UU CO Reproductive Justice Team

New members wanted!

The newly formed UU CO Reproductive Justice Team is a collaborative effort between UU congregations from the Grand Valley, Montrose, Fort Collins, Salt Lake City, and Cheyenne, WY. Our mission is to ensure and facilitate access to reproductive health care for those in surrounding communities where access is limited.

Soup Kitchen Saturday

Soup Kitchen Saturday is the second Saturday of every month at Catholic Outreach, located at the south end of 1st Street between Pitkin and Ute Avenues. A group of folks join to create, cook, serve and clean up a delicious meal for our neighbors.

UUCGV works with Catholic Outreach to provide a meal for the homeless each month. There are two shifts and experienced workers will help you learn what to do. Both shifts are welcome to eat lunch after we serve! Anyone with an interest in helping to prepare or serve this meal is welcome; teens included. Please bring a scarf or hat to cover your hair.

 8:30 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Cooking Shift:

The cooks decide the menu from ingredients in the freezer and pantry.

 11:45 a.m. -1:15 p.m. Serving and Cleanup:

Meet and greet the folks as they arrive, serving up a hot, tasty meal. Please contact Chris Jauhola (chrisjauhola@aol.com; phone 703-216-6479) for more information and to let us know that you plan to volunteer.

Aging Graciously

Open to everyone of all ages! We meet in-person and virtually. The discussion will be lead by Rev. Wendy.

We’ll be meeting next on: Thursday, February 23rd at 1:00 p.m. Go to www.grandvalleyuu.org/aging-graciously for the Zoom link.

Silent Meditation for Healing Our World

Join us at the church on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. for 20-30 minutes of silent meditation for healing our world.

Children’s Religious Education Month of LOVE

A Message from Meg Worthy, Director of Religious Education

We blast off this New Year with a trip through the forest of fear, over the mountains of courage and towards our dreams in the rocket ship of desire! January is a month of adventure where finding our center in life can sometimes be a challenge. What we want, Where we are, Who we become in the process are a few questions we explored each Sunday. Celebrating Martin Luther King by sharing our dreams, we ended this full month building a patio garden labyrinth to ponder our Why.

In February we will spread the LOVE with guest teachers Joanie Leinbach, Jamie Kavanaugh and Betsy Warner. Throughout this month we will cover topics of Love through Service, Self Love, Following your Heart and sharing what you love.

Jump on the Love Train for our All Ages

Valentine's Service Feb 12th and take a trip through the Varieties of Love. For our final Sunday in February we will have a talent show to give our kids an opportunity to try something new or share an old favorite!

Want to be a guest speaker or know someone who would! Please email Meg at dre@grandvalleyuu.org for details.

Please join us in our $5 Valentine's Gram RE FUN-draiser!

All we need is your addressed and stamped envelopes with 3 adjectives or something unique about your loved one, i.e. "Wild Curly Hair, Adorable Dog and Contagious Energy.' We will draw a picture, write a poem and make your recipient feel extra special with our hand made art. Please leave your envelopes in the middle office by February 5th at 10:30 a so we have plenty of time to create!

January Highlights

From Monte High, UUCGV Member

I am planning to interview another member of our congregation, and reveal all their secrets in the upcoming March newsletter. For now, I offer a poem for the New Year. It was inspired in the class that Meg Worthy is offering to raise money for the RE program. I have to say that those who did not join are missing out, big time. Even though it’s just begun, Meg’s class is already unwrapping me (kicking and screaming) from my comfortable, bubble-wrapped, box. That’s what I most feared! –and what I most desired. The Artist’s Way isn’t only for “artists”, it’s about creating a way of life.

Soulful Sundays

Upcoming Sunday Services

Please join us virtually or in person at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday.

Join us on Zoom: www.grandvalleyuu.org

View the Order of Service & Music at www.grandvalleyuu.org/sunday-services

Children’s Programming and childcare provided downstairs.

February ~ LOVE

February 5th

In Loving Care

Rev. Wendy Jones

February 12th

The Love Train

All Ages Valentine's Service

Rev. Wendy Jones

February 19th

Song Lyric Sunday

Auction Sermon purchased by Jan and Richard Hyland

Rev. Wendy Jones & Joanna Wernette

February 26th

Principles of Abundance

Rev. Wendy Jones

A Message from Kitty

Happy New Year! While January marks the start of the new calendar year, we are just halfway through our UUCGV fiscal year. At our halfway point we have received 55% of our expected income and spent 50% of our budgeted expenses, leaving us a net income of $6,323. This is a big improvement over November, which was a bit of a nail-biter as we reached full staffing during a lull in pledge payments. December brought us back into the black as money came in from pledges and the service auction. Offerings are well above budget, reflecting good attendance at Sunday services.

Preliminary numbers from the December 3 Service Auction are:

Silent auction including poster items: $3,657

Live auction excluding paddle: $6,580

Paddle auction: $4,310

Tickets: $1,260

Expenses: $1,000

Net proceeds: $14,807 – well above the budgeted amount of $12,000. Hooray!

With the paddle auction exceeding the cost of IT improvements for the sanctuary, the finance team and board approved putting the excess donations into the operating fund. The first of the IT gadgets is on order.

In October 2022, the finance team and board approved a revised budget reflecting updates to the RE Director starting date and other changes. The revised budget can be viewed online at https://grandvalleyuu.org/annual-report.html. Both the original and revised budgets projected $6600 deficits. If offerings stay strong, no unexpected costs occur, and other income is received as budgeted, we might reach the end of June in the black. On the other hand, as Janet Cummings says, “We are now fully staffed after NOT being fully staffed for some time. In the past years, we had budgeted deficits but ended up with surpluses primarily because we were not fully staffed. We do have a deficit budget for this year, and it may actually come true this time....which may have us leaning on some reserve funds (at Vanguard). We may need to cash out some of our gain there to get through the year. Total budgeted salaries of $140K is an expense of approximately $5800 every two weeks."

Fortunately we do have a small reserve available but of course it wouldn’t be possible to operate in the red in the long term. Here’s hoping for a successful stewardship campaign for 2023-2024.

Living Into Leadership

Board President - Laurel Carpenter

Past President - Elizabeth High

Treasurer - Kitty Tattersall

At-Large -

Laura Jeffries

Dave Collins

Leadership Development Team (LDT)

Richard Hyland

Team Leadership Circle (TLC)

Worship - Catherine Black-Ward

Religious Education (RE) - Angie Ecker

Green Team - Ann (Angeline) Barrett

At-Large -

Jeanie Hendricks

Abby Leinbach

Adrienne Cascarella

Board Highlights Board Highlights

The Board's primary responsibility is to carry out the UUCGV mission through wise governance of the physical, financial, administrative program, and operational resources of the Congregation.

Below are the highlights from the last Board meeting. Our UUCGV Board will meet again on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 7:00 pm. We welcome and seek direct dialogue with members and friends of our congregation.

If you would like to discuss a matter at the Board meeting, please contact Board President Laurel Carpenter at cinnamon06@aol.com by Friday, February 3, 2023.

January 12, 2023 Board Meeting Highlights

Present: Elizabeth High, Laurel Carpenter, Kitty Tattersall, Dave Collins, and Wendy Jones.

Cottage Meeting: Serves as an annual congregational check-in. Usually held in January but this year would be February or March.

Western CO Writer’s Forum: The Board approved UUCGV once again sponsoring Slamming Bricks.

Facilities Manager: Jimmy Blevins’ last day is 1-15-23. Joanna’s husband Jared has learned the sound system in the church. Jimmy will assist in setting up the new sound system equipment when it arrives. It’s currently on back-order.

Vehicle Update: Unanimous agreement that this vehicle donation is not a good fit at this time. We will inform the donors and suggest they consider donating it to Grand Valley Peace & Justice.

COVID Safety Policy: Discussed and updated the UUCGV COVID Safety Policy.

Winter Overflow Program - Jan. 3-17: Discussion of how the WE Shelter Program was going.

Stewardship Campaign: The Stewardship Campaign will begin on February 26th (details on page 4.)

Please Remember that all meetings & events MUST be scheduled through the administrator

(257-0772) or administrator@grandvalleyuu.org.

See full calendar, renters and all, at grandvalleyuu.org/calendar.

UUCGV Calendar February 2023

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley

P.O. Box 1053

Grand Junction, CO 81502

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 118

GRAND JUNCTION, CO

“Return Service Requested”

Minister: Rev. Wendy Jones 257-0772 x2 or minister@grandvalleyuu.org

Director of Religious Education: Meg Worthy 257-0772 x3 or dre@grandvalleyuu.org

Director of Music: Joanna Wernette music@grandvalleyuu.org

Church Administrator: Maya Kraushaar 257-0772 x1 or administrator@grandvalleyuu.org

Facilities Coordinator: Trent Nakagawa facilities@grandvalleyuu.org

Office Hours:

Tuesdays: 10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Wednesdays: 10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Thursdays: 10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Fridays: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

www.grandvalleyuu.org

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.

~ Dalai Lama

“Vitally Inclusive Justice-Centered Spiritually Alive”