UUCGV NEWS
Welcome to the month of
Belonging Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley — Newsletter
October 2019
We are an affiliated congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Mountain Desert District of the UUA.
From Our Minister, Reverend Wendy Jones “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” - Aldo Leopold Nobody belongs everywhere, but everybody belongs somewhere. Belonging is a state of being. It’s the experience of feeling like you’re fully accepted for who you are. It’s a place where you don’t have to put on any masks and you simply and authentically get to be yourself. Caroline McDaniel, one of our congregants who passed away a few years ago used to say that she never really fit in with people, but she always knew that she belonged when she was with her dogs. There’s more than one congregant who would say they belong in nature. I can name a few of us who would say without a doubt that they “belong” on the river.
We are a Welcoming Congregation
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In This Issue
#grandvalleyuu A Place for Liberal Spirituality Diverse Thought and Community Action
Among Us 1-2, 4-6 Service Auction 3 Revelations 7, 10-11 Children/Youth Religious Education 8, 9 Leadership 12-13 UUCGV News Worship Calendar 15 Calendar 15
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So, what does it mean to belong? I think it means feeling totally accepted; feeling like you’re one of the puzzle pieces that’s needed for the larger puzzle. Even if your piece seems jagged or a strange shape, you’re the piece that’s needed to complete that puzzle. Please never be ashamed of your puzzle piece. Sometimes we just have to find our puzzle. I think this Facebook post that I have shared before encompasses the essence of belonging. “One awesome thing about Eeyore is that even though he is basically clinically depressed, he still gets invited to participate in shenanigans and adventures with all his friends. And they never expect him to pretend to feel happy, they just love him anyway and they never leave him behind or ask him to change.” Greta Thunberg says it beautifully too. “When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning! I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And — given the right circumstances- being different is a superpower.” This is what it means to belong. Your puzzle piece, whatever its shape, is welcome with us! ~ Rev. Wendy Jones
Music Notes For some reason when I think of belonging the first thing that comes to mind is the opposite, a feeling of not belonging. I think that to know you’re experiencing belonging you have to have felt at some time the opposite. Growing up and feeling like I never fit in I experienced that quite a lot. Truly when I felt my sense of belonging was when I found my place in music! I’m also reminded of how chords and notes belong to their scale. When we have a dissonant note, one that doesn’t belong to the chord or scale, it often feels tense. However, upon the note’s resolution we realize that the different color made the phrase unique, interesting, and beautiful. I hope that as a community of diverse backgrounds, passions, and ideals we can resolve to come together and unite on the issues that all humans face so that everyone can feel a sense of belonging but that we are stronger and more beautiful for the things that make us different. Sing Everyday! ~ Amandalin Hunter, UUCGV Music Director music@grandvalleyuu.org 2
2019: A UU Odyssey Galactic Space Auction Fall Directory
November 9 5:30 pm
It’s that time again! Please email Maya at administrator@ grandvalleyuu.org with the photo you’d like to use in the updated Fall UUCGV Member Directory.
Andrea Tanner is the captain of the Auction Odyssey and is looking for extraterrestrials to help with cosmic planning, galactic decorating, and out-of-this-world set-up. Please email or call the captain at (970) 216-7359 or achtanner@gmail.com We are now accepting donations for the service auction! Email administrator@grandvalleyuu.org for the link to the donation form. 3
Black Canyon Discussion Group The next Black Canyon Discussion will be held in the Cedaredge/Montrose area on Wedsnesday, October 2, 2019 at 5:30 pm. The topic will be: "In your personal travels, what has been the most inspirational and meaningful experience for you?" Contact E Heuscher at 970-856-4226 for more information.
Men’s Cooking
WHO ARE UU? Come get to know us! Do your friends or family ever ask you, “What is Unitarian Universalism?” Do you wonder what it means when we say that we are a covenantal church rather than a creedal church?
UUCGV’s Men’s Cooking Group is the longest standing group in the church. We meet and cook the third Thursday of the month. If you’re new to the church and are maleidentifying, please join the fun! The next Men’s Cooking night will be held on October 17, at 6:00 pm. For more info, contact Mark McKenney at 970-256-7907 or email mckenneyd@qwest.net
Have you ever wondered if there is a difference between being a "religious liberal" versus being a "political liberal?"
Goddess Group - Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Join us for a religious education curriculum in feminist theology, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven. If you are a goddess who identifies as a woman, you are welcome! Feel free to bring a snack or a drink to share. You may join us for one session or all! Either way, you are welcome! Our next gathering is Thursday, October 24 at 6:30 pm Session 4 of 5: The First Turning: the Shift from Goddess to God. We invite you to bring statues or pictures of Goddesses from around the World for our altar. Contact Miranda for more information: msricerichardson@gmail.com. 4
Rev. Wendy leads a monthly informal gathering for friends, members and guests who would like to learn more about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. This is an ongoing conversation, usually on the second Sunday of every month after coffee hour. All people are welcome! All questions are welcome. Join the conversation on October 13 at the church.
UUCGV Meditation Groups:
Morning Meditation Join us on Friday mornings at 9:00 am for meditation with intentional breathing with Robintix at UUCGV. Contact Robintix for more info at
Peaceful Meditation
EMPTY BOWLS REPLACES OCTOBER SOUP KITCHEN SATURDAY This is a reminder that there is no Soup Kitchen Saturday for us in October. Instead, please consider supporting “Empty Bowls” the soup kitchen’s annual fund raiser at Catholic Outreach, located at the south end of 1 st Street between Pitkin and Ute Avenues. The soup kitchen patrons would appreciate your support on Saturday, October 12 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for a meal of a variety of soups prepared by local restaurants, bread, beverage and desert. Many thanks to the volunteers in September who prepared and served Carni Arrosto al Vino Rosso (Beef Roast in Red Wine) for over 200 appreciative diners. Soup Kitchen Saturday will resume in November. The Annual Empty Bowls event sponsored by Catholic Outreach, takes place on Saturday, October 12th, from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Choose a handcrafted ceramic bowl and enjoy a meal of soup and dessert. The bowls serve as a souvenir, as well as a reminder that there are hungry people in the Grand Valley. Proceeds go to purchase food for Catholic Outreach’s Soup Kitchen – where an average of 270 people come daily for a hot meal. Tickets are also available at Grand Valley Catholic Outreach. For more information, call 970-241-3658.
Laughter Yoga
We meet the second Thursday of every month at 11 am. The next “vibration raising” will be on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Meditation & Qigong Bobbie and Boz will be offering sitting, walking, and moving meditation at our home, at 185 Bevan Lane, on Sunday October 6 at 5:00 pm and at UU on Oct. 7( Monday) at 5:00pm. This is in the tradition of zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, and all are welcome.
It's not really Yoga... come work out your spirit with laughter! Join us in this amazingly fun and energetic session! Every Wednesday at 10:00 am at the church.
Interplay! Are you an adult or teen, who likes to play? Please come and check out an introduction to InterPlay. InterPlay is an active, creative way to unlock the wisdom of the body. We play with music, stories, and movement, which can lead to surprising experiences of joy, fun, connection, and depth. If you are curious or this sounds interesting, please join us on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month from 10:00-11:30 am at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley. However Inteprlay will NOT meet on Saturday, October 12. No skill or training needed – all bodies are welcome. Contact Nancy Banman for more information at nancyabanman@gmail.com 5
Among Us Building Your Own Theology: What were you taught to believe? What are you “supposed” to believe? What do you really believe? Is there a disconnect between those three answers? Perhaps Building Your Own Theology is the place for you to reflect on some of these things! This is one of the most popular Adult Religious Education classes that Rev. Wendy leads. You’ve taken the class before? A few times? Wondering if it is worth taking again? Absolutely!!!! Wendy will be updating and modernizing the class to reflect the year 2019. We always have wonderful conversations, and this is a great way to get to know people better and reflect on what it is you believe and how you understand the cosmos, your life purpose and how this crazy world actually works. All are welcome!!!! Join us on Tuesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. through November 19.
Care-Full Conversations: Is this world getting you down? Are you worried about climate change, the state of our world politics, or just experiencing an unexplained sense of anxiety in general? Would you like to have a space to talk about some of these issues with like minded people in a healthy and intentional way? The Care-Team will be hosting a series of conversations this fall called Care-Full Conversation led by Rev. Wendy. Don’t sit alone at home and deal with the craziness of this world all alone. Come discuss it with us on the fourth Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. We will meet next on Thursday, October 24 at the church.
UU Night! Come spend relaxed time with new friends, enjoy great food, and get to know your UUCGV community in a new way! Wednesday nights are a time for fun, friendship, and family. Come prepared to share food, music, laughter, and conversation. It’s all welcome on Wednesday nights starting at 5:30.
Social Action Team: Put your values into action! It's not too late to join the team! We meet the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7:00 pm at our church. Email Stan Scott at sjoyscott@gmail.com for more info. Our October meeting are on the 14 & 28. 6
Revelations
“Nobody belongs everywhere, but everybody belongs somewhere. “ -Rev. Wendy Jones
This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us. What makes Chelsea, Chelsea? As she is wont to do, she took the question to heart, and I swear I could see her highly charged brain begin to spin around inside of her head! She began “soul-searching.” When you get the opportunity to meet her you’ll soon realize that Chelsea is a beneficent soul. She is passionate about humanity. She wants to make a positive impact on people’s lives. She thrives while working together with others, creating a more benevolent world. Administering love and compassion. Chelsea has recently been contemplating a deeper intention toward the journey inward. Chelsea has carved out a little space for an altar, with the intention to be mindful of her place in the world. Thus far, the altar holds mostly pictures of her family and rocks that she and Ethan have collected on their travels. Family is very important to Chelsea. Hers is not the traditional nuclear family. Hers is wondrously varied and blended. She is the oldest of six siblings. Her sister Emily was born during Chelsea’s fifth year. Emily is Chelsea’s best friend. This summer they spent three weeks in Europe together – Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland. Among the highlights were witnessing the Berlin Philharmonic, exploring Leipzig which is home to many classical musicians, and participating in Kraków’s annual Dragon Festival while stuffing themselves with pierogis. Chelsea is anticipating Emily’s senior clarinet recital in October. The entire family is planning to meet at George Mason University to hear her perform. Chelsea and Emily’s dad, Agostino, was mostly absent. Chelsea, and then Chelsea and Emily, would visit him some during the summer and on weekends. Her dad had two children with Chelsea’s stepmom Allegra – Ariel who is now 17, and Thalia, 13. Chelsea’s mom, Rachel, married Chelsea’s ex-stepdad, Erik, in 2001 when she was eight years old, and divorced when she was 14. Chelsea’s brother and youngest sister were born during this period of her life – Niko, who is now 15 years old, and Maeve, 14. Niko identifies as male transgender and is currently transitioning. (Aside – in high school Chelsea started referring to Rachel as Madre instead of Mom. It caught on and all of Rachel’s children call her Madre.) In 2016, Madre married Liz, at their UU church. They met on an online dating service. Liz was an over-the-road truck driver. They had their first date at a truck stop restaurant. Rachel went on a week- long truck haul with Liz early on in their relationship. They hit it off, and fell in love. It was a nourishing kind of love. A comfortable, celebratory, complementing kind of love. Liz is a very calm and capable person, and tends to balance Chelsea’s somewhat dramatic family. Liz is now working in IT, so she doesn’t have long periods away from home. 7
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Children’s Religious Education You BELONG in RE! This month we will be exploring the question “What Does It Mean to be a People of Belonging?”. We will delve into this theme in our three classes (pre-k through 1st grade, 2nd through 5th grade, and middle through high school) through arts, games, and service projects. See below for a brief description of each Sunday’s activities. Remember, it’s never too late to teach! Please contact dre@grandvalleyuu.org if you are interested in working with our amazing children and youth, or to register your own children for RE. Belonging to a Story Sunday, October 6th What history do we belong to? Learn something about ourselves by belonging to a history that is whole and includes people who have not been included. Practice the skill of making sure no one has been left out of the story.
Belonging to Yourself Sunday, October 13th Who are you? Begin the process of understanding yourself and celebrating each of us as a unique and special person. Help sort the food collected during the service to prepare them for donation.
Belonging and Not Belonging Sunday, October 20th How do we set ourselves free when we feel we don’t belong? Explore the difference between belonging and deciding to stand alone, not belonging. Practice finding the courage to leave when we need to.
Belonging to Big Things Sunday, October 27th How do we belong to the Earth and the Universe? Learn how everything belongs to each other and celebrate the awe of interconnectedness.
UUCGV Childcare: Childcare for babies and toddlers and preschoolers is provided from 10:00 am to noon each Sunday. Childcare is provided by Robintix Perryman. 8
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Other Important Dates UU Moon Farm Fall Extravaganza! Friday, October 4th, 9:30am-12pm Join us at Moon Farm for a fall extravaganza! Enjoy the pumpkin patch, the haunted straw and corn mazes, a petting zoo, and hay rides with your UU friends. Admission is $5/ person ages 3 and older. Bring a little extra if you want to pick a pumpkin to take home with you!
Parents’ Night Out Friday, October 11th, 6pm-9pm All children and youth are invited to our second monthly Parents’ Night Out! Come to UUCGV for dinner, a movie, and games while your grown-ups take the night off. $10/child with a $20 family cap. Mountain Desert District (MDD) Con Friday, October 11th - Sunday, October 13th All high schoolers are invited to attend the MDD Youth Con in October. The event will take place in Los Alamos, New Mexico where you will meet UU youth from all over the district. If you are interested, please contact Chelsea by emailing dre@grandvalleyuu.org so that we can arrange transportation. It’s Scary to Be Hungry! Sunday, October 13th, 10:30am All members are invited to bring nonperishable food and hygiene products to the service. Children and youth are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and trick or treat the congregation for food donations during the Time for All Ages, which will be brought to the Annual Fall Food Day on October 17. RE Team Meeting - NEW TIME Tuesday, October 15th, 4pm Join the RE team to discuss upcoming events and programs for youth and children. All are welcome! Our Whole Lives (OWL) Facilitator Training Friday, February 21 - Sunday, February 23 Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. We will be offering facilitator training in the 7-9 and 10-12 programs this winter at UUCGV. If you are interested in this vital program, please contact Chelsea by emailing dre@grandvalleyuu.org for more details. 9
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Chelsea is a cat person. She and Ethan have a large, black, short-haired cat called Pablo – Pablo Piernas. Piernas is Spanish for legs – when they first adopted him, he was so malnourished that his legs appeared impossibly long. Pablo loves going outside on his harness and leash. He’s not much of a snuggler; he’s very active. They refer to him as “action cat”. Ethan recently traveled to North Carolina to celebrate his grandparents 60th anniversary. The first night after Ethan’s departure, Chelsea was lying in bed and Pablo was lying on the back corner. Chelsea turned around in bed so that she was facing in the opposite direction, in order to draw a little more comfort from Pablo. Chelsea is very close to her grandparents Tim and Leslie – Papa and Grandma. They are very supportive of Rachel and her children. Some of Chelsea’s favorite memories are visits to Papa and Grandma’s house. They helped provide musical instruments for all of the children, and whenever they visited they would arrange a recital. They were especially helpful during Chelsea’s early years. When Chelsea was three, she and Rachel lived with Papa and Grandma. Rachel was a single mother. She was in college when she had Chelsea. Occasionally, when she couldn’t find a babysitter, Chelsea would go to class with her mother. Rachel likes to say how she would bring Chelsea to her evening astronomy class in a baby backpack. After graduation, Rachel started teaching high school science, which she does to this day. She would later go back to school part-time to get her Master’s degree, while continuing to teach. Chelsea Elizabeth Craine was born on June 8, 1993, in Northampton, Massachusetts. In the early years Rachel and Chelsea lived in various apartments in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and a year with the grandparents in Windsor, Connecticut. When Chelsea was five they moved to West Hartford, Connecticut. Rachel married Erik, and a couple years later when Chelsea was 10, they moved to Willis, Virginia. Willis is in Floyd County, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. There is one stoplight in the entire county, and it isn’t in Willis. They lived on a 36 acre farm, accessed by a gravel road. They had chickens, goats, a million (outdoor) cats, and of course horses. Chelsea’s chore was to take care of the chickens. Every morning and every night, watering and feeding and whatnot. She loved the cats. And she loved to ride horses. Her first horse was a beautiful pinto called Pony Boy, but he was mean and would butt his head into you. Her second horse was Princess Rhubarb – Ruby. She was skittish and could make for an interesting ride when she got spooked. Rachel considers herself agnostic. Technically they are Jewish but you have to go back generations to find anyone practicing the faith. Chelsea also considers herself agnostic, though as an 11-year-old she would’ve said atheist. In Willis, EVERYONE went to church. Where do YOU go to church? Emily and Chelsea started coming home from school with stories of children telling them that they were going to hell, that they were bad people. Rachel decided to start looking for a church so that the children could fit in. Rachel found a church she thought might work, in Blacksburg, an hour’s drive away. The UUCNRV – Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the New River Valley. (And we thought our church name was long? We Unitarians tend to like our words!) It didn’t take long for the family to fall in love with the congregation. Every Sunday it was a half day event. Chelsea joined the middle school RE program. It was an eye-opening experience for her. They were using the Neighboring Faiths curriculum, where they studied the different religions and visited different local faith traditions. Yet, the fact that they allowed, and even welcomed, differences of opinion during discussion was most surprising of all. It was okay to express your own way of thinking. It was okay to express your own particular set of beliefs. Imagine that. The congregation did not offer religious education for high schoolers. Chelsea wanted to stay involved with RE, so she started volunteering as an assistant teacher for the pre-k and kindergarten group. She was also involved in the teen youth group that got together weekly on Sunday evenings and for special events. 10
Chelsea’s first instrument was the violin, but when they moved to Willis the school didn’t have an orchestra. Chelsea learned the flute. When Chelsea entered high school she wanted to join the jazz band, but the school didn’t think the flute or the violin were jazzy enough. Chelsea learned the saxophone – the jazziest instrument of them all. The social world of high school was not easy for Chelsea. High school was not generally the happiest of times. One of the highlights was Jin, a foreign exchange student from Thailand that her family sponsored. They shared a room and became very close, best friends for a year. Chelsea attended college at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. Chelsea played the saxophone in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and jazz band. She also played in the flute choir, and sang in a women’s choir and a mixed choir. She also attended the local UU congregation and taught RE classes for two years. She taught 4th and 5th grade using the Harry Potter curricula, which she adored. She earned two degrees – in music, and English with a specialty in creative writing. In her final year she took a linguistics class that left her enthralled – so much so that it would lead her across the country to grad school in Colorado. After graduation Chelsea returned to Virginia, and was living in Blacksburg. She was working at a music store, teaching music lessons and running the register when she wasn’t otherwise engaged. One day she met an intriguing young man buying strings for his guitar. A few days later he returned for a pick. Then he returned for more strings. His name was Ethan, and he was very shy. It turns out that they went to high school together. Ethan was a year younger than her so they didn’t cross paths very often. However, they had been involved in the same philosophy club during Chelsea’s senior year. Chelsea looked Ethan up on Facebook and sent him a friend request. And then she messaged him her phone number. And he called! They planned to meet for dinner the following week, on the night of the September full blood moon. Well, it was a cloudy day and the moon was nowhere to be seen. After dinner they decided to go chasing the moon. They drove into the mountains. They drove and talked and drove and talked, for hours and still no sight of the moon. They found each other. They found out that they were both complete nerds. They also had similar tales of woe. They bonded. A year later they moved in together, into a small cabin in the woods on the outskirts of town. The only heat was a wood stove and they didn’t really know what they were doing, so they did a lot of shivering. A year later Chelsea left for grad school, and Colorado appealed to Ethan so he joined in the adventure. After all, they were partners now. Chelsea attended the University of Colorado Boulder where she received her Master’s in Linguistics with certification in culture, language, and social practice. During her second year she found time to teach the preschool RE class at the Boulder UU congregation. Chelsea enjoyed linguistics, yet as graduation neared she began to realize that she did not want to continue in academia. It was Madre who opened the window into thinking about becoming a Unitarian Universalist Director of Religious Education. During phone conversations Chelsea always appeared to be happiest when talking about her experience working with the kids at the Boulder UU. Rachel brought up the possibility of becoming a DRE. Fortunately, Chelsea chose the UUCGV. She felt welcomed. She felt wanted. Chelsea was looking for more than a job – she wanted a community. Life goes on…
in endless song… 11
When Monte and I started attending Grand Valley UU in 2005 (at that time it was UUUS: Uncompahgre Unitarian Universalist Society), I dreaded the coffee hour. Being an introvert in a room full of strangers was very uncomfortable for me. The first step in my journey to Belonging at Grand Valley UU was the invitation from Libby Kennard (former member) to join a Covenant Circle. Once Monte and I got to know this smaller group of people, we had familiar faces to seek out during coffee hour. Before I felt a sense of belonging in the congregation at large, I felt a sense of belonging in the smaller Covenant Circle (thank you to former member Martha House and to Duane Carr who co-led that group). The second step in my journey of Belonging was probably our attendance at a Mardi Gras Party at UUUS. Such an eclectic group of people showed up, dressed in so many fun and different outfits. And it felt like EVERYBODY (including myself and Monte) were fully accepted for just who we were (and how we danced : ) ). The third step in my journey of Belonging arrived when Shari Daly-Miller invited me to join the Worship Team. With some fear and trepidation I accepted the offer. Now I had a way to contribute to UUUS and felt even more that I belonged. My journey of Belonging since that time has had ups and downs, but I have noticed that when I focus on trying to help OTHER people feel like they belong here, this increases my own sense of belonging. Are you intrigued to test my hypothesis? There are lots of fun ways that you can reach out to newcomers here and help them to feel more a part of our community. You could pick a stranger to chat with during coffee hour. You could write down their name and something you learned about them to look at before the next Sunday’s service. You could volunteer to lead a Covenant Circle: we have full directions and curriculum available; just talk to Rev. Wendy to learn more. We currently do not have a Covenant Circle going and our congregation would greatly benefit from having one. You could volunteer to be a greeter and welcome people as they come in on Sundays; talk to Carmine Nugent to learn more. You could join the Membership Team; talk to Bill Conrod or Peg Oswald to learn more. If you are already on a team (Worship, RE, Care, Green, Property, Social Action, etc) and think someone would be a boon to that team, you could invite them to join. They might say No, and that is just fine. But many people may just be waiting for that personal invitation to get involved. May we all come to feel more ease and Belonging, in ourselves, in this UUCGV community, and in the world at large. Namaste. - Elizabeth High 12
2019-20 Leadership Board President Elizabeth High Vice President Laurel Carpenter Past President Janet Cummings Treasurer Steve Watson At-Large Duane Carr At-Large Richard Hyland At-Large Herb Feinzig Team Leadership Circle (TLC) Worship Miranda Richardson Religious Education (RE) Jan Hyland Membership Bill Conrod Celebrations Kathleen Hedlund Celebrations Mary Delbecq Care Laura Jeffries Honorary Member Green Team Audrey Brainard
Living Into Leadership Board Highlights
TLC 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.
TLC maintains the Programs of the church and the church calendar and hold on close to the Mission, Vision, and Principles of UUCGV. TLC communicates with each other and the board about the day-to-day operations of the church and provide support to the teams if they need it.
Below are the highlights of the Board meeting held on September 12, 2019. Our UUCGV Board will meet again on October 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm. We welcome and seek direct dialogue with members and friends of our congregation.
TLC meets the second Thursday of the month at noon. The TLC met on Thursday, September 12, 2019. The following was discussed at the meeting.
If you would like to discuss a matter at the Board meeting, please contact Board President Elizabeth High at elizabethahigh3@gmail.com by October 4, 2019.
Email tlc@grandvalleyuu.org for questions and comments.
Worship The Worship Team is excited to bring back “Time for All Ages” into the Sunday services.
Leadership Development Team (LDT) The Board, LDT and the Team Leadership Council (TLC) will be participating in a leadership retreat at the UUCGV from 9-2 on September 28, 2019. Safety Team Reviewed and discussed a draft safety plan prepared by the Safety Team.
RE Chelsea has planned monthly “Parent Night Out” events including a meal and a movie for the kids. There will be an OWL facilitator training at UUCGV in February 2020.
Staff-Congregation Relations (SCR) Received an update from the SCR Committee on efforts to better define staff/volunteer team roles in UUCGV facility management. These efforts involve 1. Revamping the Staff Facility Manager’s job description, 2. Creating a new Volunteer Team Role Description for review and discussion by the Property team, and 3. Modifying the UUCGV Project Administration Policy to include more detail on types of projects and how volunteer teams can request projects. Finance Received a report from the UUCGV Treasurer that income/expenditures are on track. Visioning Took the first step toward setting Board Goals for 2019-2020. Motions Voted to contribute $100 to the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), an important voice for social justice on the Western Slope.
Membership We are happy to bring in two new members last month! Celebrations The Car Wash and BBQ was a great success! Our upcoming annual Service Auction is on Saturday, November 9. It is going to be a Space Odessey theme. Care The love baskets are currently being made for members in need. They are looking for donations of small baskets and care items. Green Sanctuary There was a UUCGV table at Western Slope Climate Rally event. Respectfully submitted by Miranda Richardson TLC will meet again on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 12:00 pm 13
From the Worship Team The UUCGV Worship Team is doing a training for anyone who is interested in becoming a worship associate or greeter on Sunday mornings at noon on Sunday, October 20. It is a fun way to share your time and talent to the church. Worship Associates assist the speaker on Sundays to help the service run smoothly and Greeters are the friendly faces you see hand you a bulletin as you walk in the door! We would for current WAs and Greeters to join us too! If you have any questions, you may contact Miranda at msricerichardson@gmail.com.
Interested in Becoming a Member of Grand Valley UU? Every now and then we are asked, "How do I become a member of this congregation?" It is a fairly simple process. If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, it is recommended that you go to one of the “Who are UU?” talks that Rev. Wendy facilitates once a month after the morning service. (see page 4 for more info). If you decide this is for you, then you can talk to Rev. Wendy (minister@grandvalleyuu.org), Peg Oswald (pegoswaldo@gmail.com) or Bill Conrod of the membership team about becoming a member. For more information, contact Bill Conrod at 970-712-8684 or bcconrod@yahoo.com.
Care News: As the new year begins, the Care Team is always looking for people who would be willing to bring food, create care baskets, offer rides, or hold new born babies. None of these activities require joining the team, but would be wildly appreciated. If you are willing to share your time in any of these capacities please contact Laura Jefferies by emailing ljmerlyn@gmail.com Also check our new Care-full Conversations with Rev. Wendy, meeting on the 4th Thursday of each month at 10:00 am at the church.
Big thank you to our greeters in October! Chris Coolidge, Carmine Nugent, Robin Cyr, Duane Carr, Bea Conway, Pooka, Will Harman, & Steve Watson Don’t you love seeing that beautifully friendly UU face handing you the order of service each Sunday morning? Being a greeter at UUCGV is a simple way you can contribute to the life of the congregation. If you’re looking for a short term commitment, please sign up on the clipboard in the foyer, or email administrator@grandvalleyuu.org.
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Change for Change Each month we collect change (coins) from the offertory baskets and donate it to a local charity. This effort usually brings in about $100/month. Our September Change for change went go to Community Youth Choral Charisma Chorus. Our October Change for Change will go to Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). CIRC is a statewide, membership-based coalition of immigrant, faith, labor, youth, community, business and ally organizations founded in 2002 to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state. CIRC achieves this mission through non-partisan civic engagement, public education, and advocating for workable, fair and humane immigration policies.
Sunday Hospitality The Worship Team would like to invite our members and friends to bring snacks and goodies to share after the service on Sundays. We have many requests for healthy items like fruits and veggies but cookies and cakes are always welcome too! Since we do not have a signup sheet for Sunday Hospitality, sometimes we won’t have anything. And that is ok! We all enjoy “just” coffee, tea and conversation too!
UUCGV Calendar
Worship Schedule
October
Worship Services are held Sundays at 10:30am
October 13: Nelly Garcia Immigration & Human Dignity October 20: Rev. Wendy
October Theme: Belonging
2019
October 6: Rev. Wendy Jones Belonging
October 27: Duane Carr Flowers Are Beautiful Because They Die
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. Sunday 29
Monday 30
Tuesday 1
2
7:00 Adult RE
10:00 Laughter Yoga 10:00 Care 5:30 UU Night 5:30 Black Canyon 6:30 Adult Choir
10:30 Worship
6
7
10:30 Worship 11:45 Green Team 12:00 Property Team 5:00 Meditation & Qigong
5:00 Meditation & Qigong
13 14 10:30 Worship 11:30 Who Are UU? 7:00 Social Action 20 10:30 Worship 12:00 Worship Team November Newsletter Deadline
21
Wednesday
Thursday 3
9 10 10:00 Laughter 11:00 12:00 Finance Yoga Peaceful Meditation Team 5:30 UU Night 12:00 TLC 6:30 Adult 6:00 Suicide Support Choir 7:00 Board 7:00 Adult RE Meeting 15 16 17 10:00 Laughter Yoga 4:00 RE Team 7:00 Adult RE
5
9:00 Morning Meditation
9:00 Expanded Awareness Workshop
11 9:00 Morning Meditation
23 24 10:00 Laughter 10:00 Careful Conversation Yoga
6:00 Suicide Support
5:30 UU Night 6:30 Adult Choir
18 9:00 Morning Meditation
10:30 Worship 11:45 Green Team
28
29
25 9:00 Morning Meditation
6:30 Goddess Group
7:00 Social Action 7:00 Adult RE
30 31 10:00 Laughter Yoga 10:00 Care 5:30 UU Night 6:30 Adult Choir
15
19
5:00 Men’s Cooking Auction Dinner 26 9:00-4:00 Uptown Art Colony Show & Sale 10:00 Interplay
7:00 Adult RE 27
12
6:00 Parents’ Night Out
6:00 Men’s Cooking
22
Saturday
4
6:30 Expanded Awareness Workshop
8
5:30 UU Night 6:30 Adult Choir
Friday
1 9:00 Morning Meditation
2
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”
“Vitally Inclusive Justice-Centered Spiritually Alive”
Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 9 am-2 pm Minister: Rev. Wendy Jones Tue 9-1, Wed & Thu 9-12 or by appointment 257-0772 x2 or minister@grandvalleyuu.org Church Administrator: Maya Kraushaar Tuesday—Thursday 9-2 257-0772 x1 or administrator@grandvalleyuu.org Director of Religious Education: Chelsea Craine 257-0772 x3 or dre@grandvalleyuu.org Music Director: Amadalin Hunter music@grandvalleyuu.org Facilities Manager: Sterling VanWagoner facilities@grandvalleyuu.org
“You're imperfect, and you're wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” - Brene Brown
www.grandvalleyuu.org Find us on Facebook & Instagram @grandvalleyuu
We meet Sundays at 10:30 am for Worship