Gratitudes for December Holiday Events for our WUUC Community

by WUUC | Jan 24, 2022 | Announcements

By Jan Radoslovich
The WUUC church building was finally able to open for hybrid services on Dec. 5, 2021 after being closed due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions since March 2020. Members and friends of WUUC made extraordinary efforts to bring the church to life in December during this opening period.  The Board of Trustees would like to thank all those who made December so special for our WUUC community.

Giving Tree

Thank you to everyone in the congregation and beyond who participated in it, from small to large donations; the BSAFF Team for stepping up to last minute tasks; Denesha McCoy as our Greenleaf liaison; and Pam Green and Cora Goss-Grubbs for overall coordination of the program. Thanks to Carol Taylor, Lane Owsley and Alaine Davis for helping decorate the Kenmore Community Club for the Dec. 20 Greenleaf Holiday celebration.  Over $3,000 in money and gift donations was collected. 

Church Decorations and Christmas Tree

Chuck and Jean Fowler provided the wreaths to decorate the church portico columns and decorated the front doors, donated the Christmas Tree and poinsettias, and put up the Advent banners (made previously by Laurie Rockenbeck) on the pillars inside the church.  They also organized the Choir in decorating the Christmas Tree. 

Worship Services

The hybrid services in December were work-intensive to organize the service elements as well as the human resources needed to put on the services. Much effort was put into having two Christmas Eve services. There were many people who contributed significantly to the hybrid services held in December:

WUUC minister and staff:  Rev. Dan Lillie, Bridget Laflin, Karen Hyams, Lori Varosh

Guest Speaker:  Rachel Eddy (for Burning Bowl)

Worship Leaders:  Steve Okun, Winny Schnitzler, Donna Johnson, Jan Radoslovich, Jean Fowler

Music:  WUUC Choir, Matt Smith, Johnna Ebanks, Terry Levitt, Kambria Tabor, Seth McGaw

Zoomkeepers/Zoommates:  Erika Jackson Kirkendall, Holly Beck, Winny Schnitzler, Jane Flood, David Goss-Grubbs, Lanny Commeree

Camera/Sound/Lighting:  Kermit Sprang, Lori McConnell, Linda Sherry, Phil Archibald (in training)

Worship Support:  Linda Sherry

Ushers: Chuck and Jean Fowler, Connie Berkowitz, Kate Smith, Dottie Simpson, Norm Hostetler, Ann Lu

Greeters: Kate Smith, Ann Lu, Amelia King

Online Engagement Coordinator:  Amelia King

LPAs:  Chuck and Jean Fowler, Marian Johnson, Hilarie Cash, Dewey Millar

A special thanks to Jane and Tevina Flood who provided dinner between services for the Christmas Eve Worship Team.

Labyrinth

The Labyrinth was revived this year on the Solstice, Dec. 21. The Labyrinth path was lined with luminarias: lighted candles set inside a paper bag. This year, the paper bags had starry cutouts, which made them shine even more beautifully.  The set up was designed and coordinated by Kambria Tabor with assistants: Theresa Rensimer, Jessica Belmont, Donna Johnson, Suzanne Dunn-Plaza, Lori McConnell, Kerrie Vespaziani, Winny Schnitzler, Ann Lu, Brianna Lawrence.  Karen Hyams and Lori Varosh created the sign-up sheets and vaccination statuses. 

The Earth-based Spirituality Group also wanted WUUC to know that, unlike previous years, very few of the materials used to create the labyrinth ended up in the garbage at the end of the night — the bags were folded and saved to use again next winter, the sand was collected and will find use on the farm, and even the leftover candle bits were saved, re-melted and repurposed. They were able to create a sacred space in a way that was more closely aligned with their Earth-centered beliefs. Thanks to all who walked the Labyrinth, approximately 40 people. 

Circle Suppers

Two Festive Circle Suppers & White Elephant Gift Exchanges were hosted by Chuck Bean at his home in Duvall on Dec. 11 and 18.  Chuck’s home was brightly decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree and many lights and holiday decorations.  The potluck dishes contributed by those who attended were fantastic and the gift exchanges were a hoot as always. Thanks to Chuck Bean for opening his home to 23 WUUC members over the 2 weekends. 

Helping Hands Fund

The Christmas Eve offering went to our Helping Hands Fund. This important fund supports immediate need for those in our WUUC community and in the extended community to which we belong. We all need a little help sometimes, and we don’t always know when, or what, or how. Having the Helping Hands fund ready to provide immediate support in a variety of circumstances is an essential tool in ministry.  Christmas Eve donations to the Helping Hands fund totaled $781. 

COVID Response Team

We are grateful to the COVID Response Team:  Barbara Ramey, Joni Brand, Kerrie Vespaziani, Lane Owsley and Leslie Morton.  They have had to make difficult decisions regarding timing and type of opening that was safe for our congregation.  We appreciate their decision to open the church for hybrid services and selected other activities in December.  We understand the fluidity of the COVID pandemic situation and are grateful that this team will continue to make decisions in the best interest of the community.

Widening the Circle of Concern

by WUUC | Jan 21, 2022 | Announcements

By Carol Taylor
WUUC Racial Justice Task Force
The national UUA has conducted extensive research into the long-term cultural and institutional changes that would make our faith more inclusive to all. The result was this in depth WCC report which we encourage members of our congregation to read and reflect upon.

Your Racial Justice Task Force will be facilitating a pilot session on Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change starting in February with a small group selected to represent different areas of ministry at WUUC. We will share our learnings and reflections along the way and plan to host sessions for the broader church community in the fall.

Our country and our UU faith have been awakening to the disparities faced by people of color (see UU World Fall 2021). Many companies and organizations are now embracing new diversity and inclusion practices that include examining how their systems and culture can unintentionally and negatively impact people outside the dominant culture. And the UUA and some UU congregations have recently adopted the Eighth Principle as part of their practice as a response to this new understanding.

Our WUUC community has an opportunity to learn from the voices of our own UU members of color carefully captured in the recent report, and from other UU communities that are actively doing this work. We believe this is important for the long-term viability of WUUC and the UU faith and offers a timely opportunity for us to grow into a more welcoming culture.

If you have questions, feel free to contact ctaylor@wuuc.org.

In Community,

Carol A. Taylor
On behalf of RJTF

Pacific Western Regional Assembly

by WUUC | Dec 28, 2021 | Announcements

PWR Regional Assembly is that inspirational, radically inclusive, beyond-the-congregation UU community we’ve missed. Feb. 4-6, we can engage fully, wherever we are. Whether onsite at the Hyatt along the bay in San Diego, or online in the comfort of our own homes, we will have opportunities for connection in small groups, inspirational worship, transformative learning, and just plain community fun.   Join in the community

Adult Religious Education Offerings

by WUUC | Dec 28, 2021 | Announcements

UU 101

Rev. Dan Lillie will facilitate UU 101, a two-session class offered quarterly that covers some basics about Unitarian Universalist History, Theology, and Polity. What is polity, you ask? Come to UU 101 and find out!

The next UU 101 dates are:

Session 1: Saturday, Jan. 15, 1-3 p.m., (Zoom)

Session 2: Saturday, Jan. 22, 1-3 p.m., (Zoom)

Please register by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/pjx1fjUofhtySLtU9