by WUUC | Apr 28, 2023 | Announcements
– Leslie Morton
I have two more meetings to lead as the President of WUUC’s Board. Will I be glad to be done? Yes and no. Yes, because I feel ready to move on to new areas to focus on at WUUC and no, because I have gained so much during the last three years with my Board experience. I’ve gained deeper connections with the people I’ve had the honor to serve with. I’ve grown in my ability to engage in sometimes difficult conversations while deeply caring for and respecting those I’ve disagreed with. I’ve gained insight into what it takes to keep this church running, why I’m involved in the church and it’s leadership, what this community means to other leaders in our community and how each of us bring our unique interests/skills/time/treasures to make WUUC the community that it is. I’ve also had fun!
In the coming days/weeks some of you will be getting calls asking you to consider being on the Board and I strongly urge you to consider this opportunity. “I don’t have the time”. “I’m not good at that kind of thing”. “I’m sure somebody else will do it”. I understand all of your concerns/fears because I’ve probably thought all of them especially when I considered being Board President. What made me decide to take on the Board lead was that I realized that all I had to do was to do the best I could with the skills and flaws I have; nothing more/nothing less. The Board meets generally once a month (typically the third Wednesday of each month, this year we have met from 6-8 but that can easily change depending on peoples needs/conflicts). On occasion we have met a second time for a developmental meeting or if something comes up; this month we will be having a second meeting for a discussion on the budget for next year). We have several roles: President (next year it will be Jan Radoslovich), Vice President, Treasurer (next year it will be Kermit Sprang), Secretary (take minutes and send out notices to the congregation) and the rest are members at large that participate in all meetings/discussions without additional duties. Rev Dan attends all Board meetings and I’ve found this a wonderful way to get to know him and his thoughts/hopes for our congregation.
If you get the call asking you to be on the Board, I ask you to please listen to the ask, ask any/all questions that you can think of, think of your unique gifts and how they can add to our community and then take some time to really consider it. YOU are worthy and wanted.
Thank you,
Leslie Morton
WUUC Board President
by WUUC | Apr 28, 2023 | Announcements
– Alaine Davis
Join us on Saturday, June 17, 2023 @ 6 pm for a meeting of the WUUC Nonfiction Book Club, hosted by Jack Brand at the home of Alaine Davis and Lane Owsley in Kenmore. We will be discussing The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy by Anand Giridharadas. RSVP to Alaine <alaine.davis@yahoo.com>.
The lifeblood of any free society is persuasion: changing other people’s minds in order to change things. But America is suffering a crisis of faith in persuasion that is putting its democracy and the planet itself at risk. Americans increasingly write one another off instead of seeking to win one another over. Debates are framed in moralistic terms, with enemies battling the righteous. Movements for justice build barriers to entry, instead of on-ramps. Political parties focus on mobilizing the faithful rather than wooing the skeptical. And leaders who seek to forge coalitions are labeled sellouts.
In The Persuaders, Anand Giridharadas takes us inside these movements and battles, seeking out the dissenters who continue to champion persuasion in an age of polarization. We meet a leader of Black Lives Matter; a trailblazer in the feminist resistance to Trumpism; white parents at a seminar on raising adopted children of color; Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; a team of door knockers with an uncanny formula for changing minds on immigration; an ex-cult member turned QAnon deprogrammer; and, hovering menacingly offstage, Russian operatives clandestinely stoking Americans’ fatalism about one another.
As the book’s subjects grapple with how to call out threats and injustices while calling in those who don’t agree with them but just might one day, they point a way to healing, and changing, a fracturing country.
(Modified from penguinrandomhouse.com)
Four times a year, the WUUC Book Discussion Group gathers to read and talk about a nonfiction book. You only attend the meetings about books that interest you, so we end up with a different group of participants every time. We meet to share a potluck dinner, connect, and talk about a book in depth. Anyone is welcome to suggest a book and/or lead a discussion. Contact Alaine to RSVP, suggest a book, or offer to host a future discussion.
by WUUC | Apr 28, 2023 | Announcements
-Karen Chernotsky, Community Engagement Liaison – Bloodworks Northwest
Dear WWU Blood Drive Team:
Thank you so very much for hosting your most recent blood drive. We are thankful to you for opening your doors and sharing your space with those who want to save lives. Below are the results of our collaboration, and we look forward to working together with you again.
Thank You for Your Support! You are always appreciated.
Blood Drive Results for Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church
For the April 10-12, 2023 blood drive, you had a total of 123 people check in to donate blood, and 105 units were successfully collected. We welcomed 5 first-time-donors to Bloodworks Northwest – we hope it was a positive experience, and that they will consider giving again. You already have 11 people booked for your next event, July 10-12.
The blood that was collected at your event will go to local hospitals, impacting and saving lives of patients throughout the Pacific Northwest. This blood is critical to maintain a stable blood supply for surgeries, medical emergencies, and for supporting patients battling life-threatening illnesses like leukemia and other cancers.
We thank all of the donors for taking time out of their day to give their gift of blood, and we thank you for the extra time and support you put into coordinating the logistics, that made the blood drive possible. On behalf of patients in our community’s hospitals, I wish to extend our thanks. Bloodworks Northwest is the primary supplier for over 90 hospitals in the Pacific Northwest.
We do this because, Someone’s Tomorrow Needs a Blood Donor Today! Check out the Bloodworks Northwest Blog for patient stories and more.
Those who donated at this blood drive will be eligible to give again in 56 Days!
by WUUC | Apr 27, 2023 | Announcements
WUUC 2023-2024 Budget Process – What’s Next?
As of 4/30/23, Kathy Fosnaugh, Stewardship Committee Chair reports that our pledge drive total now stands at $305,977, or almost 94% of our $326,000 goal.
Below are the next steps in our budget process:
- The Finance Committee met on April 25th to review current pledge numbers and recommend specific budget adjustments based off recent pledge numbers. The finance Committee will submit these recommendations to the board.
- The Board will hold a special budget meeting on May 3rd to review the recommendations of the Finance Committee and vote on the proposed budget to present to the congregation.
- The Congregational Town Hall where the proposed budget will be presented and discussed is scheduled for Sunday, May 21st following the service.
- The Congregational Meeting on June 18th is where the proposed budget will be voted on for approval by the congregation, along with voting for elected positions.
If you have specific questions about any aspect of the budget process, please contact Kermit Sprang, WUUC Board Treasurer.
by WUUC | Apr 20, 2023 | Announcements
The WUUC Worship team is starting to plan for the next church year – starting September 2023.
Sunday worship is the heart of our community. We all want our time together to be an important and meaningful part of each week. See below for more background information.
What worship services would you like to see at WUUC?
Please take a few minutes to share your ideas about topics, approaches, and possible speakers. You can do this in one of two ways:
1, Click here to go to a short survey that you can fill out online.
OR
2. Send an email to Winny Schnitzler at winny.hanako@gmail.com, and she will get back to you with the survey questions that you can answer in an email to her.
Thank you, WUUC Worship Team
by WUUC | Mar 31, 2023 | Announcements
Our faith is a Living Tradition, which has evolved over the years to meet the needs of our changing world and it’s been almost 40 years since the last significant revision to Article II. After careful consideration, the WUUC Racial Justice Task Force is endorsing the draft proposed changes to Article II with confidence for the following reasons:
- The updates reflect WUUC’s mission to support racial justice efforts, as clearly stated in the statement from the board on the WUUC website. “WUUC reaffirms our commitment to eradicating racial injustice.”
- The revised Article II also explicitly calls out Justice and Equity as core values, which is essential for promoting a fair and just society.
- We believe that these changes are timely, given the ongoing systemic injustice and violence that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.
- We also recognize that underrepresented UU groups have expressed concerns and called for changes to make our faith communities more welcoming. By incorporating the spirit of the 8th principle and revisiting our practices of diversity and inclusion, we are taking concrete steps towards dismantling racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions, including our faith communities.
- We acknowledge that language is never perfect. The UUA has solicited feedback from many UUs to refine the proposed changes. We believe that modernizing the language will speak more clearly to a younger, broader audience, including the specific values (interdependence, pluralism, justice, transformation, generosity, and equity.)
- Change can be challenging, at the same time we firmly believe that social justice requires us to evolve and adapt to new ways of thinking and speaking. We are confident that these changes will help us create a more just and inclusive community.
Your WUUC Racial Justice Task Force rjtf@wuuc.org.
