The pandemic has been hard on all of us. Engaging with our shared community is more important than ever. To that end, we encourage all folks who plan, develop, or coordinate WUUC events to carefully consider including people who may not be able to participate in person by offering hybrid or online options whenever possible. Training and/or help with setting up virtual/hybrid events is available. Please contact May Killorin, Office Manager, for assistance.
The Advocates for Social Justice invites you to participate in the 2022 Giving Tree. This holiday fundraiser supports 11 families with 19 children living in the Greenleaf Apartments, a subsidized housing community in Kenmore. Donations will help purchase gift cards the families can use toward presents for their children and groceries for special meals. Donations of any amount will be appreciated!
For example:
$10 helps a family buy new socks or cleaning supplies
$25 covers a Lego set or new shirt
$50 purchases a warm sweatshirt for a teen
$100 helps a family purchase groceries for their holiday meal
Choose from three ways to contribute by Dec. 18
Use this link and donate through Realm: https://onrealm.org/wuuc/-/form/give/givingtree Be sure it says “Giving Tree 2022” in the “Fund” category. This option allows you to use a credit card.
Choose one or more cards worth $10, $25 or $50 from the Giving Tree at church that will be set up during the Thanksgiving Potluck after church this Sunday, Nov. 27. The cards will have a QR code on them that takes you to the Realm form described above.
Drop off cash or check at the church for our Office Manager to deposit.
The UUA Article II Study Commission has proposed extensive changes to the UUA Bylaws, Article II – Principles and Purposes. Article II lists our seven principles, six sources, the stated purpose of the UUA, and includes statements about inclusion and freedom of belief. The Article II Study Commission (AIISC) was created by the UUA Board of Trustees after the General Assembly of 2020 and charged with reviewing all sections of Article II, as stated below.
“The Commission is charged with reviewing all sections of Article II, and is free to revise, replace, or restructure them as needed to meet the objectives stated above. There is nothing sacred about the number of principles or sources, nor their specific wordings, nor in the way that Article II is laid out. We encourage creativity.”
The document below compares the current “Article II Principles and Purposes” and the new draft “Article II Purposes and Covenant” as of 11/7/22. To be accepted by our denomination, the proposed revision of the Article II Principles and Purposes must pass a majority vote of the delegates at General Assembly 2023 and then pass a stricter 2/3 majority vote of the delegates at General Assembly 2024. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with these proposed revisions.
The Commission hosted several feedback sessions in November for UUs across the country to share reactions and input to the proposed changes. Further feedback sessions are expected to be scheduled by the Commission in December. Within our WUUC congregation, there are strong feelings both in support of and in opposition to the new Article II draft. A board task force is working on a process for the congregation to discuss the Article II proposal.
In Community, WUUC Board of Trustees Leslie Morton, President Jan Radoslovich, Vice-President Terry Santmann, Secretary Kermit Sprang, Treasurer Linda Sherry, Member-at-Large Jeff Lu, Member-at-Large
Proposed changes to UUA Bylaws Article II Principles and Purposes
compiled 11/7/2022
Section C-2.2 2.1 Purposes.The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate organizational powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose purposes of the Association is are to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles equip congregations for vital ministry, to support and train leaders both lay and professional, to heal historic inequities, and to advance our Unitarian Universalist values in the world. We will transform the world by our liberating love.
Delete the following:
Section C-2.1. Principles.We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote
The inherent worth and dignity of every person;Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Add the following: Section C-2.2. Values and Covenant.
Love is the enduring force that holds us together.As Unitarian Universalists in religious community, we covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our association, to support and assist each other in engaging our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom and reason, hope and courage, building on the foundation of love.Love inspires and powers the passion with which we embody our values. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:
Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all people thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of oppression within individuals and our institutions. We are accountable to each other for this work.
Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
We covenant to freely share our faith, presence, and resources. Compassionate generosity connects us one to another in relationships of mutuality.
Evolution. We adapt to the changing world.
The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.
We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Evolution is fundamental to life and to our Unitarian Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, theology, and experience. We covenant to learn from one another and openly explore the depth and breadth of our many wisdoms. We embrace our differences and commonalities with love, curiosity, and respect.
Equity. We declare that every person has the right to flourish with dignity and worthiness.We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain a fully inclusive and accessible community of communities.
Interdependence. We honor the sacred interdependent web of all existence. With humility we understand our place in the web. We covenant to care for and respect the earth and all beings by fostering relationships of mutuality. We work to repair the bonds we have broken.
Section 2.3 Inspirations. As Unitarian Universalists, we draw upon, and are inspired by, the full depth and breadth of sacred understandings, as experienced by humanity. Grateful for the religious lineages we inherit and the pluralism which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.
Section C 2.32.4 Inclusion.Systems of power, privilege, and oppression have traditionally created barriers for persons and groups with particular identities, ages, abilities, and histories. We pledge to replace such barriers with ever-widening circles of solidarity and mutual respect. We strive to be an association of congregations that truly welcome all persons who share our values. and We commit to structuring congregational and associational life in ways that empower and enhance everyone’s participation.
Section C 2.42.5 Freedom of Beliefbelief. Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian Unitarian Universalist heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any congregation unless such is used as a creedal test. In expressing our beliefs, we do so in the spirit of love, in ways that further Beloved Community.
From left: Rev. Dan Lillie, John Gamble, Katherine Kelly, Arianna Bryan, and Membership Coordinator, Amy Genova. In front, Owen. Photos courtesy of Holly Beck.
Katherine Kelly and John Gamble
Katherine and John moved to WA state five years ago from New Mexico. They have two human children: Ezra (3) and Owen (6), and a lovely mutt, George (9). After muddling through the pandemic, they are grateful to find a church home where they and their kids can learn and grow. Katherine works as a faculty librarian at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and John works as a physicist at IonQ, a startup company building quantum computers. Besides chasing after their children, in her free time Katherine enjoys the outdoors and eating fun, interesting, food, and John likes complicated board games and making furniture using old tools.
Arianna Bryan
Arianna is a local Western Washington enthusiast with a passion for organization and a myriad of hobbies (not the least of which are cooking, gardening, and interior decorating). She works as an internal business specialist for a project management firm by day and virtually tutors mathematics for students in need by night. Arianna was (FINALLY!) married this past summer after having to postpone the wedding during the pandemic and is happily settling into married life with her husband at their first home in Lynnwood with English Lab pup Clover.
On Sunday, October 30, Woodinville UU Church co-hosted a Trunk or Treat event with the Woodinville Country Day School (who share our space Monday – Friday). We had volunteers from both communities show up to pass out candy, run the cider and cocoa station, loan lawn games, and pass out candy, an many kiddos turned up in costumes. A ghoulishly-good time was had by all! A big THANK YOU goes out to all of the volunteers and donors who made this fun event possible.
Here are a few pictures of the event, but if you were there and have some pictures you’re willing to share, please send them to May Killorin at office@wuuc.org.
In October, we welcomed two new members to the WUUC staff team. Amy Genova is our new Membership Coordinator, and Skylar Hopkins is our new Director of Religious Education. They will both be around on most Sundays, so please take a moment to say hello and welcome them when you see them!
Here is a little about Amy Genova:
Amy Genova grew up at the foot of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado. She has also lived in Arizona, Texas, Indiana, and Missouri. She and her husband, Thomas Perchlik, relocated to Washington state 6 years ago, just in time for their granddaughter, Willow’s, first birthday. Her husband, Thomas, introduced her to Unitarian Universalism when she was 23, and they later were married in the backyard of the Greeley UU fellowship. They have two children, Emily Perchlik, second lead architect of the Northgate Bridge and mother to a small grove of grandchildren: Willow, Olive and Hazel, and Molly Perchlik, a research scientist at the University of Washington. Amy enjoys poetry, reading, cooking, walking, swimming, movies, games, voting rights, a good protest and social justice.
And here is a message from Skylar Hopkins to the WUUC community:
Hi everyone, I’m Skylar. Most of you have probably known me for a large portion of my life as I have been a member at WUUC since 2003. However, if you don’t, here’s a few things about me. I grew up in Woodinville and I currently live in Snohomish with my family, my partner Zach, and my dog Holly – a pomeranian husky mix. One thing you should know about me is that I love music. I play piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, and I sing. It’s likely that you’ve seen me perform a song or two during a service with my family and other members of the church. In the past few years I have found a passion for working with children and returned to school to begin my journey towards a degree in education. Two years ago I combined my love of music and working with children into a job teaching music lessons. I am excited to bring my creativity and experience with kids to this new job. I look forward to getting to know all of your children and helping them on their spiritual journeys.
