Pink Haven is a collective of organizations and individuals who are committed to trans liberation and joy and to growing community defense, mutual-aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people. Pink Haven says: “We proclaim that trans lives are sacred. Our work centers trans lives and experiences, particularly the lives and experiences of BIPOC trans and gender expansive people.”The ASJ Committee thanks WUUC members and friends for their generous support of our monthly special collections, which typically take place during services on the third Sunday of every month. October’s monthly collection occurs on October 5th. Instructions for giving are posted during the service, and you can also donate anytime at onrealm.org/wuuc/-/give/now, or by sending a check to WUUC at P.O. Box 111, Woodinville, WA 98072. Please make checks out to WUUC and write “ASJ Special Collection” in the notes. Visit wuuc.org/collection.
WUUC’s Recycling Task Force is beginning its work to get WUUC back to honoring our UU value of ministering to the earth and its resources. With a new program called “Refuse—Reduce—ReUse—Recycle—Rot” there will be more than just more trash and recycling cans in all the rooms of WUUC. The Task Force intends to focus on education, facilitation and reminders that there are so many other ways than “trashing it” to deal with our discards.
First, a process and some details: For each thing that comes our way for consumption, consider that we have options on how to deal with it.
Refuse: Just don’t buy new things. Do we really need so much stuff?
Reduce: Let’s all look for ways we can reduce waste here at WUUC. Bring food in reusable containers, don’t print every copy of that document!
ReUse:When we can, ReUse items (and use reusable items!) that would ordinarily be thrown away. If you need it, ask for it via wuuc@wuuc.org– it’s amazing how well The List works for wishes!
But also, don’t use throw-away plates and containers, or throw-away utensils. And save items at home for the Rummage Sale!
Recycle:Choose items for use that can be recycled when we no longer need them. Cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags, glass and metal containers instead of plastic.
You’ll note new waste cans in many locations in the church–one for recycling and one for Trash. Each week for a while a “Recycling Ambassador” will be available to help with which is which. In the restrooms, wet paper towels go in the “compost” bin.
Recycling Ambassadors will be in charge of helping with what goes where by being available for questions and also checking up on what’s in the bin before it goes to the outside bins. Composters will take compost home from WUUC each week. If you have a garden, here’s your chance at more compost! If not, it can go into your Food/Yard Waste bin for pick up at home. If you’d like to be a Recycling Ambassador and or Composter of the week, here’s a link to the sign up sheet
Look for more information from the Recycling Task Force coming soon.
A ‘Mission Possible’ Explained, in 5 easy Chapters
Introduction:
WUUC’s many programs, services and co-created events require a lot of ‘what, why, when, where and how’ components. These activities are created and implemented by WUUC volunteers, often overseen by a Committee or Team, with the support of the staff and leadership of our minister. Over the 30-year history of our church, we had not put into place a systematic sustainable process and infrastructure to keep our governance documents current, relevant and easily accessible by the congregation. Volunteers and leaders have gone through a long struggle of not having a current comprehensive library of the guides needed to do their work. So often a creative team, or committee had to make do with an old policy or set of directions that no longer apply to the here and now. Also, we did not have current Charters that describe the purpose and work of WUUC Committees and Teams, which would aid in the recruitment of new members.
In 2023 the WUC Board adopted an annual goal to: Organize, Update and Refine the WUUC Governance Document Infrastructure in a Sustainable Form. The Board appointed a Governance Document Team to spearhead the implementation of this Herculean multi-year goal.
Chapter 1 A board-appointed Governance Document start-up-Team was formed. The Team Lead, Trina Roulet took on a church document archeologist role in excavating through 30 years of historical governance documents to have a starting point for the team’s work. The Team then began the ‘mission possible’ task of communication with every church committee, team and group to request updated structures of operations; Bylaws, Charters, Policies and Other Documents, framed within a system of renewal. It was as though the whole WUUC community quietly turned itself into a beehive, co-creating a backbone of reliable protected Governance Documents.
Chapter 2 After the first full year, the library of updated and new Governance Documents: Bylaws, Charters, Policies and Other Documents began to take shape. The Governance Team had to create a new process for Board review & approval of these documents. The Governance Document Team and the Board engaged members from all corners of the WUUC community for help in creating or reviewing and updating the needed governance documents. Suspense grew in wondering where exactly WUUC’s backbone of cyber-secure documents would live?
Chapter 3 Marcia Sprang was nearby and happy to help with her operating knowledge of WUUC’s cyber-secure choices. REALM was clearly the reliable safe choice and Marcia helped in setting up the home-base location of WUUC’s cyber fortress. Marcia’s support was like having Zorro in disguise coming to save the day, but Zorro can’t be kept in one place for very long. How were all the updated governance documents going to get to their new safe home?
Chapter 4 A new leadership position was confirmed and added to the Governance Document Team: WUUC Governance Document Archivist, with Gregg Schiller appointed. Gregg is storing originals of recently Board-approved policies, charters, Bylaws in REALM. These are accessible for viewing by Church Leadership. Once our archivist, Gregg secures a document in the cyber-safe home a copy can be found in the Governance Documents section of the WUUC website and Secure Site.
Chapter 5 Current membership of the Governance Document Team: Trina Roulet, Lead; Gregg Schiller, WUUC Governance Document Archivist; Jan Radoslovich and Azure Forte (Blue), at large.
Oh, my! It’s August already! Summer is slipping away and school will soon start again. That means the Totes to Go program needs to get active. Totes provides food for kids who are at risk of missing meals on weekends, when school meals aren’t provided. We support 15 students at Maywood Hills elementary school in Bothell. WUUC has been part of the Totes program for more than 15 years. The school knows it can depend on us and we’ve made a difference for hundreds of kids! Many thanks to all of you who have supported this program!
We have a specific list of items that we collect and deliver to the school by the first weekend of the month. A number of our church members have signed up to buy particular items and bring them to the church soon after the 15th of each month. You could be one of these special donors! We are looking for volunteers to bring these items: 3 boxes (12 sleeves) of salt crackers, 15 cans of tuna, 30 snacks, 12 one-dish meals, or up to 60 granola bars or juice packs. Please contact Grace Simons if you would like to volunteer for one of these on a regular basis.
I put out an update late in the month, asking for folks to fill in any gaps remaining after the “regulars” have brought their items. Please look for those and help out as you are able. Again, thanks so much for your support of Totes. We are helping to see that kids are ready to learn, especially on Monday mornings!
Questions or concerns? Contact Grace Simons or John Hartman, co-coordinators.
Safer Congregation Response Team Update – August 2025
As a congregation, we strive to promote and nurture a culture of respect and consent to keep children, youth and adults safe from sexual abuse, harassment or misconduct while participating in congregational life.
The WUUC Board has taken several actions in support of this goal:
The WUUC Safer Congregation Response Policy received final Board approval on 4/16/25 and is now available on the WUUC website in the Policy section under the Resources/Governance Documents tab. The Response Policy gives us the tools to respond promptly and appropriately if the safety of our congregation is violated through an act of sexual misconduct.
The Safer Congregation Response Team (SCRT) is designated in the above policy to implement response procedures upon an initial report of misconduct.
The Safer Congregation Response Team members were selected by the Board and are: -A member of the Board of Trustees: Lane Owsley -The Minister (in an advisory role): Rev. Dan Lillie -Three members at large: Cora Goss-Grubbs, Kerrie Vespaziani and Jan Radoslovich -One auxiliary member TBD, representing RE/children’s programs to be called upon in the event that the complaint involves a child or youth.
The WUUC Safer Congregation Rights and Responsibilities document was approved by the WUUC Board on 6/28/23 and is available on the WUUC website in the Other Documents section under Resources/Governance Documents tab and will be posted in key locations around the church. The Rights and Responsibilities is essentially a code of conduct that lays the foundation for affirming and nurturing a culture of consent, respect and accountability within our community.
You have the right to report violations of your safety or the safety of others, and to have your concerns or allegations be promptly and thoroughly addressed. Reports can be made directly to the SCRT via e-mail (safe@wuuc.org) or by contacting any individual member of the SCRT. Additional resources for reporting allegations of misconduct are Board of Trustees members, the minister, or a Lay Pastoral Associate.
Questions? Contact any member of the SCRT: Lane Owsley, Cora Goss-Grubbs, Kerrie Vespaziani, Jan Radoslovich or Rev. Dan Lillie.
