Hello People of Westside!

I hope you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend and are easing into Fall. The Equinox will soon be upon us; in two weeks we will be celebrating the balance of light and darkness before we shift into full on fall. Although if the prevalence of pumpkin spice foodstuffs, soap, air freshener and hand lotion is any kind of testimony, we may be prematurely there already. I actually love the spices we associate with fall, but I confess that I found the recent display of a pumpkin-spice protein drink to speed weight loss to be too much.

Here’s what’s happening at Westside in the next week or so:

• Saturday, September 7th at 9:30 am in the Social Hall we will hold a New Member Class. If you are not yet a formal member of our congregation, we encourage you to attend this one-time class (it comes complete with brunch!) to find out more about UUWC. It is a time to learn a bit about our history, our goals, and our ongoing programming. It is a time to ask questions and network with a group of people in similar circumstances. The class is led by Rev. Nancy and Nika Quirk (our Council Moderator). Following the class we hope you will take time to consider formal membership and let us know of your decision. Please email Rev. Nancy (ministeruuwc@gmail.com) if you will be attending. An accurate head count means adequate coffee!
• On Saturday September 7th at 10 am the Humanist Group will meet in the Conference Room. Please use the Courtyard door.
• Tuesday, September 10th at 7pm the Men’s Group meets.
• Wednesday, September 11th at 9:45am the Community Care Team will meet in the Conference Room. Please use the Courtyard door.
• Saturday, September 14th at 1pm there will be a “UU the Vote” postcard party at Ruth Tucker-Bogart’s house. More info to follow, but mark your calendar!

On Monday, September 9th at 2pm there will be a Celebration of Life for B. Leo Cafferty at the Daniels Funeral Home on 4th St. in Albuquerque.
Leo died on June 21st at the age of 96. He was a long-time member of UUWC who will be remembered fondly by those who knew him. Rev. Nancy will officiate.

This Sunday is our very special UU Water Communion Service. If you have water that you have collected in your travels, please bring it. You may also bring water from your own back yard or faucet or the Rio Grande or the puddle up the street. This is a reflective service of unity that will explore the complex interdependence of human life, using water as a visible/tangible symbol. You do not need to have special water to participate; there will also be water provided during the service. This is one of four services that are unique to us as UU’s, so please join us if you can.
Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Greetings People of Westside!

I am happy to have returned home after a successful trip across the northern part of the lower 50 states during my vacation. We successfully moved my son from Portland, Oregon to Massachusetts. Since we then drove up to see extended family in Portland, Maine, I can say I’ve literally driven from Portland to Portland and sea to shining sea. It was great to see family, including my 7 month old grand-nephew. Baby time always makes me smile.

I am still smiling as I return to life at UUWC. We’re wrapping up the end of the Summer with a low-keyed week. Here is a list of what’s happening:

• Saturday, September 7th the Humanist Group is meeting in the Conference Room. Contact Karen Schafer for more info.
• Also on Saturday, September 7th we are holding a New Member Class. If you are interested in more information about becoming a member of the congregation, this class is for you! We will start at 9:30 by serving you brunch, and then engage in sharing material that will be helpful to you in your decision. We hope you’ll join us, but that decision is yours to make after thoughtful consideration. Please RSVP to Rev. Nancy (ministeruuwc@gmail.com) so we have an accurate head count for Brunch!
• UU the Vote is gearing up! You are invited to a “Postcard Writing Party” at Ruth Tucker-Bogart’s house on Saturday, September 14th at 1pm. More info to follow, but mark your calendars now!
• Our Programming Team meets this Sunday, September 1st at 12:30 in the Conference Room. If you would like to share ideas about future programs for Sunday services and/or educational events, please come! This is a highly collaborative process, so don’t be shy. If you are interested in presenting a program or assisting in one, please let Rev. Nancy know. We offer training/practice sessions for that as need arises. We also promise not to commandeer participation for any reason.

If you did not have a chance to explore the links that Nika sent in last week’s email, please notify Rev. Nancy and she will resend them to you. They are well worth looking at!

Our service this week is led by Aeryn Dowling-Toland and Wendy Dampier. They will be leading us in an exploration and celebration of Labor Day- an occasion dear to UU hearts.

Shalom!

Hello UU Westsiders! 

Your Council Moderator, Nika Quirk here, sending out the newsletter while Rev. Nancy is on vacation.

You can feel in the air that Summer is coming to a close, chiles have roasted, and the Harvest rolls in.  Enjoy the golden days and rain showers.

Take a minute to read this great article celebrating the work of Feed Rio Rancho Kids (and mentioning UUWC as their partner).  We are honored and proud to support this critical work in our community.

https://www.rrobserver.com/news/feed-rio-rancho-kids-has-been-doing-just-that-since-2019/article_0e28c02a-5a5c-11ef-8ff3-5f2752f9cc77.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-bloc

k

This week we are sending out a Call for Artists for our Third Annual Enchanted Vision Art Show, which will be held the weekend of Nov. 15-17 at UUWC.  Do you know artists who might be interested in entering?  Please share the attached flyer with them.

Lots going on during this upcoming weekend:

Drum Circle gathers this Friday August 16 at 6:30 p.m.  Bring your drum or borrow one from the UUWC collection.  It should be a gorgeous night to drum on the porch!

Next Anti-racist Book Club Event: Friday August 16th 9-11 am

Finishing the book: My Grandmother’s Hands

Location: Whispering Bean by Sprouts on Corrales Rd.

Next Labyrinth Event: August 17th at 9:00 am. Come join us in a community walk. If you would like to help groom the labyrinths, meet Dee Curry at 8:00 am.

Next Border Event: Saturday August 17th at 10 am  We will be making hats for winter donations. If you have a loom and yarn, bring those items with you. If you don’t have these items, they will be provided for you. If time permits, we will have an update on border issues.

Stacie Gebeke is our presenter for this Sunday’s Service at 11 a.m. entitled “Woodstock Revisited”. The music, the weather, and the counterculture that made history over 4 days. Unexpected connections and spiritual growth.

Our monthly potluck and Townhall Meeting follows the 8/18 service.  All are welcome.  Please plan to join us.

Don’t Forget! Monday through Thursday each week, there is Yoga with Cathy Frank in the Social Hall.  Check the Events Calendar on uuwestside.org for class times.

We are Open for Space Rentals – when you hear of someone planning a big birthday or anniversary, looking for space to teach a class, or needing space for another type of event, please refer them to Erin, our Office Coordinator, 505-896-8192, coordinatoruuwestside@gmail.com.

Greetings UUWC!

This is my last email for the next few weeks! I am flying to Portland, Oregon tomorrow to meet my son. He is moving his “stuff” back to Massachusetts, so we will be driving across the country in a van filled with boxes etc. I am looking forward to seeing him as well as both of my daughters and my extended family. By the time we’re done, I will have travelled from sea to shining sea and literally from Portland to Portland. I will be back in the pulpit on Sunday, August 25th.

In my absence, Nika Quirk will be sending you the weekly newsletter, so make sure to look for it!

Here’s what’s happening this coming week:

• Tuesday at 7pm, the Men’s Group meets.
• Wednesday at 9:45 the Community Care Team will meet in the Conference Room. Remember to use the Courtyard Door!
• This Sunday 8/11 our Church Council meets. If you have something you’d like them to consider, contact Nika Quirk before noon on Saturday.

This coming Sunday our service is titled, “Kindness and Caring: We Need Them Both” led by Laurel Anderson. Be kind to yourself- come and reconnect with your spiritual community!

Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Dear UUWC Members and Friends,

I hope you all have somewhere comfortably cool to be during this very hot week. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the air as the politics of our nation adapt to the recent changes. And yes, there is still a lot of well-placed concern. You will be hearing more about our “UU the Vote” program in the next few weeks which will give us an opportunity to act on our convictions to encourage people to vote. In the mean-time here is what is happening this week:

• These 3 programs will no longer be part of the Meet-up notification system: Community Labyrinth Walk, Anti-racist Book Club, The Border Project. Look for information about them on our website as of August 15th. If you have questions, contact Dee Curry.
• Here is a link that will take you to our UU Pacific Western Region newsletter. The feature article in this edition is from Rev. Summer whom a number of us met last fall. There are also several online videos and programs available for your participation, so check them out! If you’re interested in following up on any of them as part of our adult religious education, please let Rev. Nancy know! Here is the link: PWR Newsletter – August 2024 (activehosted.com)
• Rev. Nancy will be on vacation from 8/8 to 8/22 inclusive. She will be accompanying her son on a move across country- literally from Portland to Portland, sea to shining sea- and then visiting with family on the east coast before returning. During her absence please contact Nika Quirk, your Council Moderator if you need help. Nika will also be writing this newsletter in Rev. Nancy’s absence, so if you have something you’d like included in it, please send it to her.
• This Sunday our Programming Committee meets at 12:30 in the Conference Room. All are welcome.
• This Sunday Albuquerque poet laureate Mary Oishi will explore the “priesthood of poetry”—how it connects us to the universal creative/manifesting spirit—and to each other.  She’ll also share what it was like growing up as a Japanese American child raised by a Ku Klux Klan family.

Have a good week!
Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Greetings People of Westside!
Whatever your political persuasion, there has been a LOT going on this past week. I hope that those of you who were able to join us for last Sunday’s service took Rev. Carole’s advice to heart and are remembering to find something sweet in every day. We all need to be diligent about self-care so that we can continue to take care of all the other things that matter to us. One way to do that is to participate in the life of your congregation by attending services and classes and participating in the work of our various committees. Being with people who care about you and share similar concerns about the world we live in offers us opportunities to give and to receive the care we all need.

We are also offering a New Member Class on Saturday, September 7th. If you would like more information about UUWC this is the place to be! Please let Rev. Nancy know of your interest. We are still coordinating details like time etc. Expect to be fed brunch, connect with a group of people, and learn about this congregation!

• On Tuesday evening at 7pm the Men’s Group will meet.

• Friday, July 26th, 6 pm Potluck and 7 pm ritual offered by Moonspirit CUUPS as we celebrate Lammas at 1650 Abrazo Road NE, Rio Rancho. Please bring a glass jar with a lid (you will be taking it home with you). We look forward to having you join us! **Lammas is the festival of the First Harvest**

• Our Social Justice Committee meeting is this Sunday at 12:30 following Coffee Hour. Meet in the Conference Room!

• As of August 15th all events that were posted on Meet-Up will be posted on our website (uuwestside.org) and on Facebook (facebook.comuuwcrr) Meet-Up has increased its prices by 1/3rd. You will no longer receive notices about meetings in your email box; you will need to check these sites for updated information.

• Feed RR Kids is launching a new program to add to the current production of snack packs for the week-end.  We are collecting donated supplies for teachers when their kids run out of stuff.  There are many programs at the beginning of school to supply backpacks with school supplies but as the year runs on they disappear.  Many teachers spend a lot of their own money to restock critical items.  There is complete information about what we need on the front of the white doors leading out of the Social Hall to the Green Room.  The next Assembly Day is August 27th at 9:00 a.m. in the Green Room.  All are welcome.
  –Karen Schafer, Co-Founder, FRRK.

This Sunday our service is titled, “Doomed to Repeat”. Aeryn Riley will be speaking in a commemorative WWI service designed to help us learn from history. On Sunday afternoon at 2:pm there will be a viewing of the documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old”. Directed and produced by Peter Jackson, this 90 minute film includes actual footage of the war and interviews with veterans. There will be an opportunity to gather in the Social Hall afterward to “debrief”, snack, and discuss the film. Please let Lisa know if you will be attending so she can plan adequate snack supplies!

This is also the last week of World Watercolor Month. If you took a canvas and paints home, please use them and bring in your contribution. We have a number of amazing designs on display and would very much like to add yours to it. You do not have to sign it…..

An update: Bram Cast-Hecht has been at UNM in Albuquerque this past week. Please send cards to her home address: 2210 Margarita Drive SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Judy Deutsch broke a hip and is at Rust following reparative surgery. Her address is: 1498 Sagebrush Drive, Corrales, NM 87048. Both Bram and Judy are healing and ask for no visitors at this time.

Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Greetings People of Westside!

There’s been a lot of craziness and violence in the world around us recently. Sometimes we need to fall back and regroup in order to move forward with conviction. If that’s where you’re at, Fear Not! We have several opportunities to recharge your batteries this week!

This Friday, July 19th we have several events:

The Anti-racist Book Club meets in the morning at 9am; contact Dee Curry for more information about this meeting.

AT 6:30 pm on Friday, come to our Drum Circle. Drumming is a surprisingly soothing activity. It often helps discharge and direct energy as well as calming our heart and mind. Bring your own drum or use one of ours!

Saturday morning is our Community Labyrinth Walk at 9am. If you’d like to help groom the labyrinth, come at 8am. It’s definitely cooler in the am- although you are free to use the labyrinths at any time.

If you’d like to channel some of your energy into a creative and useful purpose, come at 10 am to learn how to make hats for people in need at the border. While it’s hot now, it will be bitter cold by November and these will be very important! Contact Karen Barrett for more info!

Next, mark your calendar for the CUUPS meeting and potluck on NEXT Friday, July 26th. The meeting is at 4pm with Potluck scheduled for 6pm.

That done, refocus on this coming weekend. It is our Town Hall Meeting and Potluck Lunch Sunday, with a special feature: see below! (Remember to bring your potluck dish to share!)

Also, BRING YOUR WATERCOLOR TO CHURCH!! If you have grabbed a canvas and a watercolor set to help us observe World Watercolor Month, it’s time to start bringing in our art! WWM is an “awareness cause” that promotes creativity, peace, and children’s art programming as an effort to stimulate creativity and peace. In addition to lighting a candle in our services, we are painting- anything you want! We still have a few canvases and watercolor sets- although you are welcome to use your own materials also. We will be displaying our creativity in a number of places- you may sign your art or not as you prefer!

Now, for the Special Event at our Potluck, read on:

If you’re feeling anxiety about the state of our country and our world, come and refresh your spirit this Sunday in our service called “Life Is Sweet.”  Carole Eagleheart will help us find ways to recapture our energy for the months that lie ahead of us. It’s National Ice Cream Day and we’ll celebrate with ice cream sundaes as dessert for our potluck lunch!

Have a wonderful week in spite of the headlines!
Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside!
Below is the agenda for the coming week. Many of our travelers are returning home- at least for a while- and others of us are just setting out on a summer jaunt. Whichever part of the cycle you’re in, you can keep in touch with our UUWC community via this newsletter and our Breeze church program. Speaking of which: if you have not already done so, PLEASE sign up with Dick Barrett to have your picture taken! It doesn’t take long and you are the only one there- no audience! Our goal is to be able to provide a pictorial directory online through Breeze. Dick has volunteered to take photos of the congregation at no charge, although if you wish to purchase them for yourself you will be able to do so. You will be given a password to use on his website so only you can sign in and see your pictures. There is no charge for those uploaded to Breeze. Just a reminder: While we use Breeze online, it is a private program just for UUWC. The public cannot access it. Pictures are being taken in the Sunroom; enter through the courtyard door!
Here are this week’s activities:

• Saturday, July 13th at 1pm: the HUMANIST GROUP meets in the Sunroom/Conference Room. Enter through the courtyard door.
• Tuesday, July 16th, the MEN’S GROUP meets at 7pm.
• Wednesday, July 17th: the COMMUNITY CARE TEAM meets at 9:45am in the Conference Room. Please use the Courtyard door.

ln the near future:
July 19th Special Event for Anti-racist for participating members.. Resume and conclude book August 16th “My Grandmother’s Hands”

July 20th 9:00-10 am community Labyrinth walk. If you want to help groom, come at 8.

July 20th at 10-11 am. Come make winter hats for the children and discuss immigration issues.

Happy Fourth of July!!

At a time when so many of us are deeply concerned about the political scene and the restrictions of many former freedoms, it is more important than ever to celebrate Independence Day.

Especially when we feel like celebrating may be more of a farce than a genuine expression of joy, we need to take a deep breath and refuse to let anyone or anything deprive us of the freedom to dream and to act in accordance with our dreams. Independence Day has always been about the struggle for liberty; it has never come cheaply. So get on your party spirit and connect with those you love and celebrate your dreams together. Remember the words of US General “Vinegar Joe” Stillman during WWII: Don’t let the bastards get you down!”

UUWC has no meetings scheduled this week. There is a kind of freedom in that insofar as everyone needs time to relax and regroup. Our Sunday Service is titled “Freedom: To and From”; we’ll explore many dimensions of freedom. Our Programming Committee meets at 12:30pm in the Conference Room following the service.

Have a Spirited Fourth of July!!
Rev. Nancy

Dear People of Westside,
This past Sunday we held our Flower Communion, a uniquely UU service with an unusual history rooted in the work of our forebears. Rev. Dr. Norbert Capek initiated the Flower Communion as a ceremony designed to help congregations visualize the beauty of their community and strengthen their connections. Below is a picture of what UUWC created. As you will see, the colors are vibrant. It is a 360 degree bouquet, although the picture does not rotate- sorry. It’s beautiful and so is our community.

I’m not good at editing stuff so here’s the rest of the info you need for this week; the picture is at the end b/c it’s huge.

This Thursday, June 27th, we will host a PRESIDENTIAL POTLUCK DEBATE. Join us in the Social Hall at 6pm with a dish of your choice to share. (Please label with ingredients as possible). At 7pm we will adjourn to the Sanctuary to view the televised Presidential debate between Biden and Trump. In addition, we will be filling out postcards of encouragement to voter suppressed areas, encouraging them to vote. Members of the Sandoval Democratic Women will be joining us.

The Men’s Group will meet on Tuesday, July2nd at 7 pm.

Our Social Justice Committee will meet this Sunday at 12:30 in the Conference Room

This Sunday, June 30th, our service is titled, “Tantra for UU’s”. Cathie Frank will lead us in some chanting and pew yoga as part of her presentation about Tantra Yoga. Come expecting to learn something new and share a unique experience with your UUWC Community.

Dear People of Westside,

This past Saturday we participated in the Albuquerque Pride Parade. We also shared a booth with 1st Unitarian at Balloon Fiesta Park. I am happy to report that both events were a wonderful success! Our float in the parade proclaimed a theme of “UUWC Sees You; Come See Us” on the top of Chase’s white truck with an enormous set of rainbow spectacles on the hood of the truck. We were able to chat with more people than anyone could count which is great PR for us! Our service on Sunday am continued the joyful spirit. As an Open and Affirming Congregation, this is a focal point for us each year. Many thanks to everyone who participated in this event- including those who served on the committee, made decorations, donated supplies, walked in the parade and staffed our booth! You all demonstrated what it looks like to belong to Beloved Community.

This week is a lot quieter! Our Men’s Group meets Tuesday evening at 7pm, and next Friday is our Antiracist Book Club at 9am at Whispering Bean. The group is reading, “My Grandmother’s Hands”. Contact Dee Curry for more information.

Our Council meets this Sunday at 12:30pm. If you have something for them, please contact either Nika Quirk or Delbert Schafer by NOON on Saturday.

Our service this Sunday is a Father’s Day Service, led by the Women’s Group. You are invited to bring a photo or memento of any/all of the fathers in your life to place on the table at the front of the Sanctuary. Please place your item on the table as you arrive BEFORE the service begins. You may reclaim it after the service. Thank you!

If we’re really lucky the picture of our Pride Parade truck will open when you click on the link below.

Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Dear Westside Community,

The month of June is Pride month here at UUWC. We are participating in the Albuquerque Pridefest on June 7th and 8th- details are below! Pride events have always been a vibrant part of our community values and identity as an Open and Affirming congregation. We have held that status within UUA for a number of years and are in the process of renewing our official standing. The opportunity to renew this is a new development; when we first made the commitment it was a “one and done” deal. Expect to hear more about these new developments in the near future!
Here is what you need to know this week”

• On Wednesday, June 12th, the Women’s Group will meet in the Conference Room at 11am. We will review and finalize the Order of Service for our Father’s Day Service on June 16th.
• Saturday, June 15th at 9am is our Labyrinth Walk. If you’d like to help groom the Labyrinth, come at 8am.
• Saturday, June 15th at 19am is our Border Meeting. No Human is Illegal! We will be learning how to make winter hats for one of our next projects. The hats can be made at home once we’ve learned how to do it.

Here is the PRIDE schedule:

• Friday, June 7th from 5-8pm is the FREE Pre-Fest at Balloon Fiesta Park. We are co-hosting a booth with First Unitarian. Come check us out!
• Saturday at 10 am the PARADE starts. We have a float that you really need to see. (There’s a pun in there!) Details for the parade can be found at abqpride.com
• Saturday at 3- 8pm the Festival at Balloon Fiesta Park officially opens. There is a $25 admission fee; tickets are on sale online at abqpride.com  We’ll be there too!

This Sunday is Pride Sunday. Rev. Nancy will lead us in celebrating Pride and exploring it’s ongoing development and meaning for all of us. Expect special photo’s of UUWC at Pride and special music too!

Next Sunday, June 16th, the Women’s Group will lead our Father’s Day service. You are invited to bring a picture or memento that honors the fathers in your life. Please arrive early enough to place it on the table at the front of the sanctuary before the start of the service. Thank you!

Shalom,
Rev. Nancy Unsubscribe From This List | Manage Email Preferences

Dear People of Westside:

Here are several pieces of important information for you:

• The Social Justice Committee would like to encourage people to educate themselves and others about the background to the current conflict in Gaza. Here is a link to a four-minute video from the United Nations Palestinian Rights Committee. It was recommended by Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, and contains information that many people may not know about the roots of the conflict:

  https://youtu.be/yBjMbe24Vu0?si=vSL3FFAeax7k_zGl
• Also on behalf of the Social Justice Committee, here is a link to information about candidates running for public office. It’s titled Leaders We Deserve.

leaderswedeserve.com

• This Sunday, June 2nd, our service will begin as usual at 11 am in the Sanctuary. We will have an abbreviated service that omits a formal presentation/sermon. Instead, we will adjourn to the Social Hall to participate in a Values Clarification exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to identify the values we hold in common that are most important to us. Your input is important! This is a collaborative effort designed to help us plan our future together. Please plan to attend if at all possible; lunch will be provided.

• Due to the special Values Exercise on 6/2, our regularly scheduled meetings for the month of June will all slide up one week. This means that Programming will meet on 6/9; Council will meet on 6/16; our Town Hall Meeting w/Potluck will meet on 6/23 and the Social Justice Committee will meet on 6/30.
• This weeks’ Community Conversation Circle will meet on Thursday, May 30th at 2:30 pm in the Green Room. Light refreshments provided.

• The Men’s Group will meet as usual on Tuesday, June 4th at 7pm.

Shalom,
Rev. NancyUnsubscribe From This List | Manage Email Preferences

Dear People of Westside,
This week has lighter scheduling than many other recent weeks! Here is what’s happening:

• Saturday at 10 am: The Humanist Group meets in the Library. Please use the Courtyard door.
• Saturday at 10:30 am our Community Conversation Circle meets in the Green Room. Please use the Social Hall door.
• The Social Justice Committee meets at 12:30 pm on Sunday following our morning service. All are welcome to attend.
• If you were not able to examine the compostable/disposable trash bags provided by Jami Hart, look for them this week on a table in the Social Hall. These bags have it all- they contain your trash and they decompose in the landfill our trash ultimately lands in- a win/win proposition. Information about purchasing them is available at the table. You may take a bag home with you to try out too! Thank you Jami!!

Looking ahead: Next week, June 2nd, we will hold a special service. Beginning at 11am (our usual starting time) we will hold an abbreviated service in the Sanctuary. In place of the sermon, we will engage in a congregational Values exercise. Lunch will be provided! We will conclude at 1pm. Our goal is to identify our common goals so that we can plan meaningfully as we move forward. There are no right/wrong answers- and you can expect to have fun doing this. Please plan to participate if at all possible. Look for more information in next week’s newsletter too.

Throughout the month of June our weekly meetings will slide up a week so that we can work on our Values on June 2nd. Here is the updated schedule:

June 9th: Programming Team   (also Pride Sunday)
June 16th: Council Meeting   (also Father’s Day)
June 23rd: Potluck and Town Hall Meeting
June 30th: Social Justice Committee

Our service this week is titled, “Esprit de Corps” and will be focused on the dynamics that connect us as a denomination and as a spiritual community. Rev. Nancy and Kathy Wright will be leading the service.

Shalom,
Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside Community!

Last Sunday we had a guest speaker: Curandero/Professor Cheo Torres. It was a great opportunity to hear about how traditional and western medicine can work together for the greater good of all. In an uncanny way, Cheo’s presentation fit right in with one of our major themes for our congregational life: NOT Either/Or, BUT Both/And! If I had to choose a motto for our community, that might be it! We live in a world that asks us to choose the “one right or best” response in everything from our spouses and long- term partners to politics to you-name-it. One of the driving forces in our culture is the need to have and to be “the best!”. Of course, as UU’s, we all recognize that what that best thing is varies from person to person; there is no single right answer or best way to do things! Not even our own- which our fellow UU’s are often quick to point out to us! The good news is that we work at making room for everyone. The bad news is that we work at making room for everyone- which is often overwhelming despite our noble ideals. The very real good news is that our congregation is an intentional voluntary community where people choose who they are and how to express that. We work on that together and challenge and support each other in building a healthy community with a harmony of creative differences at our core.

That said, PLEASE come to this week’s service! We will be celebrating our Chocolate Communion Service. Don’t know what that is? It is a uniquely UU service designed to help us identify and embrace the values of our community. It is a participatory service- to whatever extent you are comfortable participating. You may recall that chocolate has medicinal value and was used historically by people on a spiritual quest. We’ll be reviewing that history-briefly- and applying it to our very modern community. Guests are welcome. You will be served a non-dairy/vegan, gluten-free, organic, free-trade cocoa as part of our service. If you have any other questions, please email Rev. Nancy. Oh, and it’s delicious!  Ruth Tucker-Bogart and I will be hosting this service. Expect it to be the best kind of fun, in which we learn a lot and connect meaningfully with each other. 

Sunday Service Schedule:

2/11: Chocolate Communion Service

1/18: Saving Our Democracy w/Rev. Judy Deutsch (this is Town Hall Sunday with POTLUCK! Bring FOOD!)

2/25: Guest Speaker: Amina Everrett/Black History Month.

ALSO, I/Rev. Nancy am on vacation. I am technically “off” this week (except for the Chocolate Communion Service and Council meeting) and I will be away from2/12-2/20 to celebrate my 50th Wedding Anniversary. I will return to full capacity on Sunday 2/25. That Sunday we have invited a guest speaker, Amina Everrett, to speak to us in honor of Black History Month. THERE WILL BE NO NEWSLETTER DURING THAT WEEK!

If you are in need in any way during my absence please contact a member of your Council: Ruth Tucker-Bogart; Nika Quirk, Delbert Schafer; Kathy Wright. (Carole Eagleheart is on extended vacation in Fl) They will have access to me for any emergency. Otherwise, please remember that although you may email me, I will not be responding till after 2/25!

Here is the schedule for the next 2 weeks as best I have it:

• Adult RE will meet on 2/11 in the Conference room at 9:30 to continue our discussion of “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill. Everyone is welcome to attend, so if you’re good at jumping into the middle of things, come check this out. I have one more copy of the book to loan to anyone who’d like it.  NO CLASS ON 2/18!!
• Your church council meets this Sunday at 12;30 in the Conference Room. If you have issues for their consideration, please email BOTH Nika Quirk and Delbert Schafer BEFORE NOON ON SATURDAY 2/10!!

Our Social Justice Activities: (contact Dee Curry for more info)

• February 16^th at 9-11 am we will be discussing the first 136 pages of “Unsettling” by Gilberto Rosas for our Anti-racist Book Study at Whispering Bean Coffee shop on Corrales R. 

• February 17^th at 10-11 am we will continue planning our next asylum seekers project in our “No Human is Illegal” group at UUWC sanctuary. 
•  February 17^th at 11 am please feel free to come, learn, and walk on the 2 labyrinths on our property at UUWC.                                       Coming up – quite a weekend of Lunar events!  Friday 2/9- New Moon: Fresh starts, new beginnings, growth & transformation, Intentions. Lunar Imbolc: dark, seeds-of-the-future, germinating time.
• Saturday 2/10 –
  Lunar New Year: The Yang Wood Dragon of 2024 symbolizes transformation, growth, and balance. It encourages us to embrace change, honor our inner energies, and seek harmony between the Divine Masculine and Feminine.

NEXT WEEK’S EVENTS:

• Tuesday, 2/13: Rio Rancho Feed the Kids assembly at 9am. Contact Karen Schafer for more info.
• Tuesday 2/13: Men’s Group at 7 pm. Contact Bill Shore for more info.
• Wednesday 2/14: Community Care Team at 9:30 am in the Green Room. Use Courtyard Door to avoid disrupting Yoga! 
• Wednesday 2/14: Women’s Group at 11-12:15 pm in Green Room. Led by Ruth Tucker-Bogart. 
• Friday 2/16: Drum Circle at 6:30 pm.

Shalom till 2/25!

Rev. Nancy

 

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

We’re in that weird time of year that is sometimes known as the Winter Doldrums. You won’t find it on any seasonal calendar and CUUPS doesn’t have a ritual for it, (can we create one?) but it’s here nonetheless. The days are getting longer- but in such small increments that it’s hard to notice or make much use of. We’re on the downside of the winter holidays and nowhere near close to spring. While a few people are traveling, many more are sick with colds that are hanging on forever. A lot of folks tell me they’re just going through the motions and waiting for spring.  Fear not! Connect with UUWC and discover that your community is thriving- sometimes quietly and sometimes at full tilt. The good news is that you don’t have to choose one way of connecting over the other; you can have it all! We have BOTH quiet reflective opportunities AND active energetic opportunities. If you don’t find what you’re hoping for on our schedule, consider talking with a Council member or myself about starting it up. 

Here’s what’s happening this week:

• This Sunday, Adult RE will meet in the Conference Room at 9:30 to continue discussing the book, “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill. So far, we’re finding it amazing that this fantasy story marketed for teens is also a scathing indictment of a lot that we regard as wrong in our world. Copies of the book are available if you’d like to join the discussion. Everyone is welcome!
• Our Programming Team meets on Sunday, 2/4 at 12:30 in the Green Room. Delbert Schafer will be joining us to discuss media issues and possibilities for improving our experience both as leaders and members of the congregation in our services. The good news is that we have options for how we move forward in a tech-savvy and meaningful way. We also have several suggestions for future programming of several different kinds to consider as well as working on our Sunday schedule for the next 6 weeks. If you have some ideas about any/all of this, please join us! Everyone is welcome, both members and friends of the church.
• TOGETHER WE GROW is the name of our new mural in the Social Hall. There are suggestions for posting and crayons and pens etc. to make it possible right in front of it. Please contribute your ideas about what kind of community you would like to see us grow into. Feel free to use words/phrases/poetry/sketches/comics/etc- anything that speaks for you about who UUWC is and how we want to live together as an intentional community. In addition to your own posting, please take the time to read what others have posted. It is OK to comment or add additional thoughts to what is already there. You may either sign your post or not, as you choose. These materials will become part of the resources for developing our Relational Covenant as our task force begins to draft that for us.

It is with regret that I share with you the news that Fanny (Steve) Fankuchen died this past Saturday evening.  His family will be holding services both in California (where he was living near his son) and on the East Coast where other friends and family are located. Fanny was an active presence in our congregation for a number of years prior to the pandemic lockdown, and he continued to maintain connections as his health allowed after that. If you would like contact information for his son, Jory, please email me and I will send it to you. There are tentative plans to hold a “Memorial Event” for those of us who knew him at UUWC in March. Please let me know if you are interested in participating in that. In keeping with who Fanny was, it will be a non-traditional event. 

This Sunday, 2/4, we have a guest speaker! Eliseo “Cheo” Torres retired recently from teaching at UNM. He will be speaking about an inclusive model for health care that incorporates the traditions of Curanderismo and his lifelong experiences as a healer. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about time-honored practices and expand our awareness of health and healing.

If you have information about programs/meetings/activities that need to be on our calendar, PLEASE contact Erin Uhles, our office administrator. It is very important that our calendar be accurate! Erin can be reached at: coordinatoruuwestside@gmail.com

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

Greetings and Salutations!

Last Sunday we held our Annual General Meeting, complete with Potluck Lunch. Close to 40 people attended, a wonderful mix of members, friends and visitors. Conversation was warm and lively over all of the food! The desert table was especially impressive! Our meeting was highly productive; both By-Law update/revisions were passed unanimously, as was our 2024 Budget and the 2024 Ballot for elected positions! Good Work Everyone!

Moving ahead with this week’s events:

• Tomorrow, Friday January 26th , please join Rio Rancho MoonSpirit CUUPS for our Imbolc celebration.  It will be a deep contemplative ritual with some dance and a bonfire at the end to burn your leftover Yule greenery.  We will begin with a potluck at 6pm, followed by ritual.  Bring warm clothing layers, and robes if you have them (not required, but adds a nice deep touch to the ritual). 
• Tuesday, January 30th the Men’s Group will meet at 7pm onsite. Contact Bill Shore (evolvself@outlook.com) for more information.
• Our Social Justice Team meets on Sunday at 12:30 following our service. We will be in the Conference Room; all are welcome!
•  Since UUA is not holding a General Assembly this year, there is a regional opportunity to meet other UUs, discuss ideas and learn. Threads That Connect, Stories That Inspire, our Pacific Western Regional Assembly on April 19 and 20, is now open for sliding scale registration. People can attend either in person, at First Universalist in Denver, or remotely.
  Register here ->  https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/q15hy8g61be3aym/

This Sunday Bill Shore will be our speaker at our Sun. Service. His title is: “My Life As a Social Activist”. Bill will have copies of his recent book to examine and a special event for us to participate in during the service. As people committed to Social Justice, this is close to our hearts!

Have a wonderful week!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside Congregation!

All sorts of things are happening in our congregation this week. Our heating/cooling system has been worked on, Adult RE is starting a new book- read down this list to see what it means to you:

• 9am on Friday our anti-racist book club meets at Whispering Bean to discuss the book, “When the Line Becomes a RIver” by Francisco Cantu. Contact Dee Curry for more information.
• 6:30 pm on Friay is our Drum Circle. Bring your own instrument or use one of ours! Contact Stacie Gebeke for more info.
• Saturday at 9 am: Come walk the Labyrinth! Dee Curry will be there to answer questions.
• Saturday at 10 am: Our Asylum Seeker Support Program will update you as to what is happening at the border.
• On Wednesday, January 24th, the Women’s Group will meet at 11-12:15 in the Green Room.
• On Wednesday 1/24 at 3-4:30pm the Craft Group will meet in the Green Room. Bring whatever portable handcraft you are working on!
• On Sunday 1/21 our Adult RE class will begin to explore the book, “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelley Barnhill Contact Rev. Nancy if you are interested and need access to the book.
• On Sunday, 1/21, we will host our monthly Potluck Lunch. Please bring a dish of your choice! If your dish needs to be kept hot or cold, or reqires a last minute stirring or garnish, please tape instructions to it and be prepared to LEAVE IT IN THE KITCHEN FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS.  They will gladly coordinate safe food handling practices for whatever is donated. We are trying to minimize the people in the kitchen for SAFETY SAKE, so please do not linger! Thank you.
• On Sunday, 1/21, our wall mural will reappear in the Social Hall. We are asking for your input in regard to our values for the community as we grow. What is important to you to include as part of our life together? You can name single words/phrases/ poetry/sketches- whatever helps you express yourself most clearly. Pen & Pencil, crayons, and watercolors and markers will be provided. You may post in person or anonymously. This is the first step in Part II of our Community Healing Process. Everyone- including friends and guests- may contribute.

THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK:

Our Annual Meeting will be held in the Social Hall following our Sunday Service. If you are a voting member, you should have received an official notice that includes the agenda and the By-Laws and proposed updates to them. PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING if it is at all possible. We need a quorum to be able to conduct our business legally. If you are NOT a member, you are invited to attend the Potluck lunch AND the meeting. We customarily extend voice without vote to non-members. Please remember to READ the proposed By-Law updates in the attachment.

Our Sunday Service this week is titled: A Year of Growth. Rev. Nancy and Nika Quirk will co-lead this service. We will be reviewing some of 2023 and looking ahead to 2024 and new opportunities for spiritual growth, deepening community connections, and taking meaningful action in our world. We have a lot to look forward to!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

 

Greetings Westside!

I hope you all received the official notice from your Council about our Annual Meeting 2024. It’s scheduled for January 21st, the 3rd Sunday of January per our By-Laws. In it you will find information about the agenda and an attachment containing a copy of our current By-Laws with the proposed amendments in PURPLE ink. The amendments are inserted directly after the current material that they would update if voted into use. Please take a few minutes to look this over. We will have time for discussion at the meeting, but it is very helpful if we all arrive well prepared. If you have questions prior to the meeting, please contact either Nika Quirk or Rev. Nancy for more information. Also, PLEASE KEEP THE BY-LAWS FOR YOUR RECORDS!! We are all responsible for being familiar with them; saving them on your own computer is a good way to have them handy. 

Here is what is happening this coming week:

• Monday, January 15th at 5pm we will be holding a Media Training event in the Sanctuary. Wendy Dampier will lead a hands-on training of PowerPoint and how to prepare a media presentation for UUWC using the provided template. Please come, and bring your personal laptop, or we have one to loan. Wendy  will provide us tips and tricks, including where to find images, music, and graphics.
• Tuesday, January 16th at 7 pm our Men’s Group will meet at the church. Contact Bill Shore for more information.
• Friday, January 19th at 9am our anti-racist book club will meet at Whispering Bean to discuss the book, “When the Line Becomes a River” by Francisco Cantu. Contact Dee Curry for more information.
• Friday at 6:30 pm our Drum Circle will meet in the Social Hall. Bring your own drum or other percussive instrument or use one of ours!
• Saturday, January 20th at 10 amwe will be meeting at UUWC in supporting Asylum Seekers on our Southern Border. This group time will be a learning time, update on our 2 shelters, and a time to share new learning, experiences, and/or ideas about immigration. We are collecting warm clothing to be taken to the Deming shelter on January 15^th. All Clothing donations MUST be onsite at the church by Sunday January 21st.  Clothing may be any size any style. 
• Saturday at 11 am Dee will be present to facilitate using our Labyrinths. They are open dawn to dusk 365 days/year for personal use. If you would like to walk them in the company of others or learn more about the and different ways to use them, come at 11 am!

This week our Sunday Service is titled, “UU Principles for a Beloved Community”. Stacie Gebeke and Rev. Nancy will lead us in exploring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. 

ALSO ON SUNDAY: The Rio Rancho Interfaith MLK service is at 3pm at Church of Christ Rio Rancho 1006 22nd St. /SE. Please join us for this if you can. It is a multi-church event with choirs and readings and a guest speaker. This year Dean Wilbert Nelson of Phoenix College will be speaking to the theme “It Begins with Us”.  If you would like to contribute to the offering, please bring dry/canned goods for Storehouse West. Checks should be made out to Storehouse West. All cash donations will go to Storehouse West also. 

We are looking forward to a busy and meaningful week leading up to our own Annual Meeting on 1/21/2024!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy Hitt

 

 

Greetings Westside in 2024!

It feels odd to type out 2024! I hope all of you had a lovely New Year celebration- however you prefer to do that. There were fireworks in my neighborhood, although I spent the day without a whole lot of fanfare myself. I’ve always enjoyed having a day dedicated to doing nothing in particular with plenty of time to think ahead. And there are a lot of things to think about for UUWC!!

Here are the events for the coming week at UUWC. There are a lot of them, so make sure you check the whole list! 

• Tuesday, 1/9/24: Rio Rancho Feed the Kids will assemble the snack backpacks beginning at 9am in the Green Room. Please remember your last minute donations for this Sunday so they can be included! 
• Wednesday, 1/10/24 at 9:30 am the Community Care Team will meet in the Green Room. PLEASE USE THE COURTYARD DOOR! 
• Wednesday, 1/10/24 at 11-12:15 pm the Women’s Group will meet in the Green Room. PLEASE USE THE COURTYARD DOOR! 
• Wednesday, 1/10/24 at 3pm-4:30 the Craft Group will meet in the Green Room. Bring your handcraft of choice! Please enter through the Courtyard Door. 
• This Sunday, 1/7/24, our Programming Team will meet at 12:30 in the Green Room. We will be planning upcoming services for February and March, discussing both Children’s and Adult’s RE programming, our Media Team and a new choir program. Please attend if you want to contribute to ANY of these things. 
• In support of Asylum Seekers, we are collecting warm clothing. Clothing may be for any size adult or child. Especially helpful are scarves/gloves/mittens/hats/jackets/heavy sox…anything to keep people warm in the cold weather. New and used clothing is all welcome. Items must be AT UUWC BY 1/14/24 for shipment to Deming NM on 1/15/24. If you have any questions, please contact Dee Curry. 

We also have 2 special announcements:

• On Sunday, January 14th at 3pm, the Rio Rancho Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Observance will be held at the Church of Christ, Rio Rancho. 1006 22nd Street SE, Rio Rancho. This years’ service is titled, “It Begins with Us” and features Dean Wilbert Nelson of Phoenix College as the guest speaker. Please bring a contribution (dry/canned goods, cash/check) for Storehouse West as an offering if you would like to contribute.
• Our UUWC Annual Meeting is scheduled for January 21st following the 11am service. You will be receiving an official notification of the service and the agenda, along with a copy of our By-Laws if you are an active voting member. If you are a recent new member, please plan to attend this meeting! It is very important that we fulfill our By-Laws criteria for a quorum and that everyone is part of the evolving life of our congregation. Friends of the congregation are also welcome to attend the meeting as vocal/non-voting participants. This will also include our regular Potluck lunch. 

This week our Sunday Service is titled: 12th Day Math Is a Mess! Come start the new year with a little humor, some tragic drama, and realistic hope.

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

I hope that you are finding this week between Christmas and New Years to be a relaxing interlude. It’s delightful to have reduced traffic on the roads and less shopper frenzy in the stores. My trip to the grocery store today was almost a Zen experience compared to the past few weeks! Things are calm at UUWC also, but there are still things happening. Skim through the material below to make sure you don’t miss anything!

• This SATURDAY AT 2PM IN THE SANCTUARY Carole Eagleheart will lead a Media Training. We need a team of people who are able to create and/or run the video slides in our Sunday services. Our goal is to have a group of people who take turns doing this so that all of our services include this feature and no one is overwhelmed by doing it all the time.  If you are willing to learn how to do this so you can be part of this team, please come! If you are someone who leads services from time to time, (or who would like to!) please come to this meeting also. It is helpful to know how best to format information for the media people so that their job is easier. You will not need your own computer/laptop; we have a dedicated laptop for this purpose.
• The Craft Group is gathering again! Starting Tuesday, January 2nd, bring your handcraft of choice to share tips and skills and make social connections! Bring whatever portable handcraft you enjoy doing. The group will gather in the Sun Room. Please use the Courtyard door.
•  The Mens Group meets at 6pm on Tuesday evening, January 2nd. Please contact Bill Shore for more information.
•  The UUWC Humanist Group will meet at 10:00 on Saturday, the 6th in the Sun Room.  Doug Clark will lead a discussion on the essay, “Love at the Ethical Basis.”  All are welcome.  Please enter through the courtyard door.  
• There will be NO Adult RE class this week due to the holiday. (Sunday is New Year’s Eve.) Expect to resume class on January 7th when we will examine several books and options for our next project together.

This Sunday’s service is titled “Kwanzaa: The American Holiday”. Cathy Donovan will lead us in an exploration of the roots, practices, and meaning of this uniquely American holiday. Come to expand your knowledge and understanding of this celebration of racial heritage. 

I hope to see you on Sunday- but if not- Happy New Year now!

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

Tis the season to be jolly, to enjoy snow, and hot cocoa and cookies and the warmth of community. While I cannot guarantee the snow (although the Sandia’s look beautiful with their long strokes of snow running jagged down the mountainside) I can guarantee that there are numerous opportunities to celebrate community. Some of them are highly practical and some are downright mystical! Many have elements of many kinds of experience. 

• Your Nominating Committee will be contacting people to ask them to serve in our elected positions for 2024. This includes our Council, our Endowment Committee, and the Nominating Committee itself. All other positions are either appointed (Committee on Ministry) or voluntary (everything else). Please consider what you might like to do to serve your congregation. Annual Meeting and the election is on Jan. 21st, 2024.
• The Women’s Group will meet next Wednesday on 12/27 at 11 am in the Green Room. All people identifying as women are welcome. This is a collaborative group that rotates leadership monthly. Come check it out!
• On Saturday, December 30th at 2pm we are holding a “Techie Teach-in”. Carole Eagleheart will present both information and a hands on demonstration of how our video screens and their supporting computer work. We need a team of people who can run the video slides during a Sunday service. We are hoping to be able to schedule people so that no one is overwhelmed by the task. If you are someone who occasionally speaks in a service, we ask that you try to be there so you will have a sense of the overall process. This equipment is still very new to all of us, so let’s learn together how to make the most of it!
•  Our Craft group is restarting! We will meet in the Sunroom; please use the Courtyard Door. Bring any kind of portable handcraft: painting, stitching, sketching, mosaics, clay, knitting, etc! We begin on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 2pm.

Our Sunday Service is at 11 am as usual despite the fact that this Sunday is Christmas Eve Day. Our program is titled: Those Holiday Dudes: the Grinch, Santa, the Elf on the Shelf, Scrooge, and Jesus. Come to consider what their stories have in common and why we’re so culturally obsessed with them year after year! We will sing some seasonal songs and there will also be 2 trivia questions with prizes for the people with winning answers!

There will also be cookies and gingerbread houses to decorate (and eat!) in the Social Hall after the service.

Our Christmas Eve service begins at 6pm. If you would like to sing in our Pop-up choir, please come at 5 pm to rehearse. The service is titled, “Dance in the Desert”; it is based on a book of the same name by Madeleine L’Engle. We will sing lots of carols and enjoy the stories of long ago. Following this service there will be bread and soup and cookies and cocoa in the Social Hall. If you would like to contribute anything to that menu, please let Carole Eagleheart or Rev. Nancy know. 

I know that a number of you are already enroute to your holiday celebrations with family and friends. I hope you travel safely and enjoy your celebration!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy Hitt

 

 

Winter Greetings Westside!

The weather forecast is calling for genuine winter weather this evening and into tomorrow- but for those of you who hate the cold I have two pieces of good news. The first is that the weather should be milder by Sunday so it will be easy to come to church AND we have fully functioning heat in every room of our building! So get out your pen and mark your calendars- or cue up your calendar app and start typing- because we have a lot for you to do in very cozy comfort! 

• The Men’s Group meets on Tuesday at 7 pm. Everyone identifying as a man is welcome. For more information, contact Bill Shore.
• CUUPS will hold its Winter Solstice celebration on Friday, December 22nd at 6pm in the Social Hall. If you want to help with setting up, be there at 5pm. For more information, contact Donna Johnston.
• This Sunday is our monthly Town Hall Meeting. Delbert Schafer, our Council Scribe, will lead the meeting. Delbert and Ruth Tucker-Bogart will include a live demonstration of how to use our Breeze directory. Please plan to attend this! We are switching our directory over to an online format. This is in keeping with our certification as a Green Sanctuary. This program is very easy to get the hang of!
• Our Pot Luck Lunch will occur right before the meeting. Please bring a favorite dish of your choice, labelled with ingredients if at all possible for those monitoring dietary needs.
• This Sunday’s service will be a Yule Celebration, led by Carole Eagleheart, Rosie Emery and Jeannette Lloyd. It will be a joyful celebration of the return of the light, filled with bells, music and candles. Come and celebrate!
  
• We have new locks on all of our outside doors and the Church Office door. If you have had a key, it will no longer work. Please contact a member of the Council (Carole Eagleheart, Delbert Schafer, Kathy Wright, Nika Quirk, Ruth Tucker-Bogart) or Erin in our Church Office for a new one. 

Last Sunday we experienced technical difficulties which meant we could not view the video about Hanukkah miracles. I insisted that even atheist and humanist UU’s can appreciate the miraculous, and I promised a link to it- it’s 3 minutes of your time that will be well spent viewing it.  Here is the Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h03yne66y8

On Sunday, December 24th we will hold our customary service at 11 am, followed by a cookie-decorating and gingerbread house- making event during our Coffee and social time. There will be no committee meeting that Sunday; the Social Justice Committee will meet on Sunday 12/31 instead. The Morning service is titled: Those Holiday Dudes. It will feature Scrooge, Santa, Jesus, the Elf on the Shelf and the Grinch. We will sing some seasonal songs and explore these figures from a UU perspective. Expect to laugh and to think differently than you may have before! Our Christmas Eve service will begin at 6pm in the Sanctuary. If you would like to sing in our “pop-up” choir, be there at 5pm to practice. In addition to the traditional story of Christmas Eve, we will share a special story by Madeleine L’Engle. Her story (and our program) is titled, “Dance in the Desert”. Plan to stay for Soup and Bread and Cocoa and Cookies to warm you up on your way home!

Remember to introduce yourself to one of our 8 new members who were received into membership last week!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

 

The past few weeks have been busy ones for us! On December 1-3rd we hosted our second annual art show titled: Enchanted Vision. It has proven to be a roaring success!! This years event grew; we had more artists and more art than last year. Our total sales figure is at $1936.00. We made some wonderful connections with the community around us and were able to hold some intriguing conversations with people who asked for more information about who we are as a congregation. Many people worked on this event, but our primary organizer (without whom there would have been no event) was Carole Eagleheart. To everyone who cooked, cleaned, donated time, $$$, energy and effort, we say THANK YOU!! 

Greetings Westside!

NEWS UPDATE !

I had originally planned not to send this newsletter this week due to the holiday, but it appears there is a lot going on! So, rather than lose our momentum, here are the Minutes from the Town Hall Meeting last Sunday and some other helpful information as well:

This month’s Town Hall morphed from a special Gratitude program that began in the Sanctuary and moved into the Social Hall. A special Autumnal feast for all participants was served to a joyous group of participants.

• Art Show – call for help to broadcast the show over next few weeks.  Please take a flyer or two – post them somewhere or share with someone you think would enjoy it.  If you use social media, please take a photo of the flyer and post it.
• Call for Volunteers – we have some specific opportunities.  Our community truly needs everyone to be engaged with what makes this congregation a vibrant place for us all.  Remember – many hands make light work!

o By-Laws Task Force – there are a couple of clarifications that need to be made in the By-Laws language; we need 2 people to work with Nika and Rev. Nancy to get that ready for a vote at the Annual Meeting. This is not a major overhaul of the By-Laws, we are updating and clarifying a few specific passages. These changes must be voted on at Annual Meeting, January 21st, 2024.

o Greeters – read Theresa and Bram’s invitation to join the Greeting Team found below.

o Cleaning Committee – contact Melinda; a few more hands would really help out! This is a once-a-month commitment.

• Safety in Children’s RE – although we only have a small group of children and youth that attend our Sunday services, we continue our work to have meaningful RE activities in a safe space for any child or youth that attends.  The Council has revisited the UUA recommendations and we will follow their guidance to always have “at least two non-related or partnered adults working with our children and youth.”  This is effective immediately. As of January 2024, we will be requiring a background check for all RE volunteers.  This is for the safety of the children, the volunteers, and our congregation. It is also our denominational policy.
• Building Issues – your Council is continuing to work on bringing our physical building and its systems up to what it should be.

o T-coil – after a thorough search, we have not been able to find any record of who installed the system.  Delbert has found someone to inspect the system on 11/20.

o HVAC – Council members are continuing negotiations with Kidzz, the contractor, to complete the heating/cooling system in Sanctuary and Social Hall.

o Water – after getting a couple of months of very high water bills and the realization that the conference room bathroom has no water, Delbert arranged for an inspection on 11/15 which showed that we have a large pool of water under the building.  Your Council approved the repairs, which have been made.

• Learning from Feedback – part of being a healthy person or a healthy congregation is to be willing to receive and consider difficult feedback.  Now that we have a couple of months distance from the events of late August, we want you to know that Rev. Nancy and the members of the Committee on Ministry are reviewing the communications that the Council received from those who left our congregation.  We want to make sure that we learn from that feedback.  Rev. Nancy and the Committee will make recommendations as needed to the Council.
• Developing our Relational Covenant – our Wednesday Healing Conversations have ended and we are no longer scheduling any Wednesday meetings at this time. Our next steps are taking place in a variety of ways:

o The Adult RE class is now beginning to read and discuss Gil Rendle’s book on Behavioral Covenants.  We have a few copies of the book available for you to borrow.  Class meets at 9:30 in the Conference Room on Sunday mornings. Everyone is welcome!

o Rev. Nancy will be putting up a new mural in the Green Room (due to the Art Show) so that we can engage in Envisioning Our Future together. Please add your thoughts, words, images, poetry etc! What are the characteristics and qualities you want to see our community develop? What is it that you hope to be able to do together with our congregation? What kind of UU congregation do we want to become? Please post your questions in addition to your hopes. Dreaming together this way helps lay the foundation for our Relational Covenant and other plans for our future as a healthy community!

o Our recent services have included what it is to be a Beloved Community, how we can practice the 7 Principles, what it is to Listen more carefully to each other.  We will continue to use our verbal covenants at the start of each meeting and have activities in our Townhall Meetings that invite us to be in deeper connection and conversation with each other. We will also be scheduling a workshop or two in the new year to explore and practice our communication skills. Expect to laugh a lot, learn a lot and munch a lot. We WILL feed you!

o In January, after our Annual Meeting, our intention is to gather a 5-member task force to do further work with the whole congregation to develop our UUWC Relational Covenant.

The congregation participated in an exercise to discuss the meaning of our mission statement as a means of getting to know each other better.

Treasurer Ruth Tucker Bogart emphasized that the stewardship committee has sent out the pledge packets. She asked that they be returned by Dec. 1 so that she can work on creating the budget for 2024. Please return your pledge card ASAP if you have not already done so! Thank you. If you have lost/misplaced it, please let Ruth know so we can give you another one.

Stewardship Opportunity Available: aka Could YOU be a Greeter?

• Wanted: Young of heart person with an affable personality, a ready smile and a warm greeting to welcome folks to our church home.  Experience is not necessary. Nor is age an issue. Training is free and is conducted by world renown greeter Bram Cast-Hecht. Compensation includes gratitude, return smiles, conversations with interesting folks, and more stars in your crown! To apply see Bram or her trusty sidekick Theresa!

Our Social Justice Team meets this Sunday in the Conference Room at 12:30. All are welcome.

Our service this week is titled: “Living the Lie”. It will include a dramatic presentation by a new ensemble of our members as we explore healthy communication. Expect to laugh and learn with your spiritual community!

I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, however you choose to observe it. I am thankful for your presence in my life and the work we do together!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside!

• Our Sunday Service this week is a Celebration of Thanksgiving. It is a special service with its own format just for this one day. We will begin as usual at 11 am in the Sanctuary. Following a program of music, reflection, and thanksgiving, we will adjourn to the Social Hall for a celebratory meal. There will be no sermon, and Joys and Concerns may be offered in the pauses provided in the Thanksgiving ritual. Once in the Social Hall, we will light the chalices on each table and sing “We Would Be One” before beginning the meal. There will be a break between the meal and dessert, during which we will engage in a special activity designed to help us connect more profoundly with our mission statement as a congregation. Following that, we will help ourselves to desert and attend to the Town Hall Meeting Agenda as usual. Announcements will be made during Town Hall Meeting. Rev. Nancy, Kathy Wright, Carole Eagleheart, and Nika Quirk will lead these events.
• Our Potluck Town Hall Meeting just happens to occur on Thanksgiving Sunday this year! (see above) Please bring the Thanksgiving side dish or dessert of your choice; turkey will be provided. Please label your contribution with an ingredient list if possible; it helps people to be responsible for their health.

I hope to see you on Sunday morning for our special service and community meal. If that is not possible, I wish you a deeply meaningful Thanksgiving holiday of your own. There will be no news-blast next week. 

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

1. Great news:  We will be holding our 2nd Annual Enchanted Vision Art Show the first weekend in December.  Those of you who were involved last year will remember it as a fun and exciting event.  In the weeks to come we’ll be inviting you to help, especially on opening night, Dec. 1, when we kick off the show with hors d’oeuvres and wine.  At the moment we’re asking you to spread the word to your artist friends who might want to participate in the show.   They can go to https://forms.gle/25RmpCiANbZfkokE8  for the entry form.
2. “We had a visitor at the little library this evening. I happened to see them and went out to converse with them. The mother told me that the young boy was in cross country racing, and would run by my house, and he begged his parents to bring him to the little library so he could check out the books. I brought out all my extra books.  The young man must’ve taken off with at least 10 books! I am so delighted!”
   Karen Schafer says THANK YOU to all who helped with the snack packs for FRRK.  They did 251 packets, the most ever in one session!  And, remember FRRK is collecting new winter coats for elementary age kids.  If you get one, please bring it to UUWC and put it in the Conference Room.
3. This Sunday, 9/24, the Pagan Pride Day will be at Bataan Memorial Park, 748 Tulane Dr NE, Albuquerque from 10 am to 6 pm. Our Moonspirit CUUPS group is participating and Donna Johnston, Nika Quirk, Jeannette Lloyd and Michelle Martin will be staffing our booth, creating an altar and providing a children’s story time. There will be food trucks, music, and vendor booths. A wonderful event to include in your weekend plans!

This is a lot of information, but it’s all important! Thanks for reading to the end 

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside Community!

Greetings fellow Westsiders!

Antiracist Book Club: Join us at Satellite Coffee on Alameda Friday,  August 18^th at 9:00 am for our discussion of “How to Raise An Antiracist” by Ibram Kendi.

Immigration Group: Come be a part of a group interested in supporting asylum seekers and learning more about what is happening with immigration in the US. We will be meeting Saturday, August 19^th at 10 am.

Labyrinth Group: If you want to learn more about the labyrinth, help maintain our labyrinths, or simply walk our labyrinths, join us Saturday, August 19^th at 9 am.

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

I hope you’ve been enjoying the cooler nights after the recent rainstorms as much as I have! It has been delightful to wake to cooler mornings, puddles, and freshly washed air. 

Here’s what’s happening this week at UUWC:

• Last Wednesday Melinda and Eric delivered 99 lbs of canned and dry food goods to Storehouse West for us. Thank you Melinda and Eric for continuing to transport our monthly donations for us! 
• Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Breeze Gift Campaign. Your gift helped us to meet our quota (we needed to receive 25 donations of $10 or more) and receive 3 months of free service from Breeze. Hooray for the gift that keeps on giving! 
• Here is a corrected link to the Sustainability Survey. My apologies for the glitch last week! Please take a quick look at this and fill it out and send it back to Heidi Raki. Just hit “submit” and she’ll get it!  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfAZLxNonfa2JvyOxtluBiil8K2u4-xsHp5CXQGUhGmGVCsiA/viewform?pli=1 
• Next Wednesday at 11:30 am our Women’s Group will meet in the Green Room.
• This Sunday is our scheduled Council meeting after coffee. The Council will meet in the Conference Room at 12:30. If you have items for their consideration, please get them to Jay Cain by noon on Saturday! (jeanettecain.jc@gmail.com)

This Sunday Carole Eagleheart, assisted by Debbie Rettke, will present a service on “Protecting Our Beautiful Planet.” She will reflect on the beauty of our earth and propose practical actions we can take as individuals and as a congregation.  You’ll get to see stunning landscapes from her trip to Iceland, hear Icelandic music, and even taste Icelandic candy. 

A SPECIAL EVENT: Our long-awaited stained-glass window/shadowbox will be dedicated in this Sunday’s service. The stained-glass piece is a memorial gift from the Jeys family; it hung in the central spot on our front Sanctuary wall for many years. During the reconstruction of our Sanctuary we discovered it had suffered much damage from our New Mexico sun and windy weather. The window was removed and repaired by an expert stained-glass artist. It has now been encased in a shadowbox frame, complete with interior backlighting to highlight its beauty. It has been hung in place and is ready for our first ceremonial lighting and dedication this Sunday. Be sure to take the opportunity to thank John 

Stover, Les Goldner, Becks Choudhoury and Forest Spring for their efforts on our behalf in creating and mounting our stained-glass.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Rev. Nancy

Greetings UUWC,

Greetings Westside Community!

• If you are among those who are considering either Membership or signing up for Build Your Own Theology II, remember to let Rev. Nancy know! Several of you have responded to the recent email about this but we can’t really plan well till we hear from all of you! It is NOT necessary to be a member of the congregation to attend any class we offer, so you can also do both! 
• Friday, July 21st at 6:30 pm our Drum Circle will gather. Bring your own drum or use one of ours! Bring friends and “beat the heat”. 
• Asylum Seeker Donations: We will be collecting quarterly for Asylum Seekers. Our last day to collect items for this quarter will be Sunday, August 8^th. This quarter they need snacks for “Go Bags” (peanut butter crackers, Welches fruit snacks, Vienna sausages, and granola bars).  Also needed: underwear and socks of all sizes both kids and adults. Delivering items to UUSCF for us is a Quaker group from Santa Fe. If you want additional info, call Dee at 502-939-1954 or email to dee0z2018@gmail.com
  
• Our evening Women’s and Men’s groups will meet at 7pm on Tuesday, July 25th on site.
• Wednesday, July 26th our Crafting Group will meet in the Green Room at 3pm. Bring your current project to chat over! We will be in air-conditioned comfort, so think of this as a calming, cooling opportunity in an otherwise warm week. 
• Our Social Justice Team meets this Sunday, July 23rd in the Conference Room at 12:30 pm. Our new mini-split provides great temperature control. 

This week’s service is titled: “Forgiveness: An Invitation to Love”. Rev. Nancy and Theresa Watson will lead us in exploring the complex topic of forgiveness as an essential building block of Beloved Community. This will be an introduction to the perspective offered by Desmond and Mpho Tutu.   Come prepared for (real) Drama- as well as thoughtful consideration of a difficult topic. Find us in the Social Hall under our functioning swamp cooler!  

Namaste,

Rev. Nancy

This past week has seen some exciting things happening at 1650 Abrazo Rd! Tuesday was the Fourth of July; close to 20 people and 3 dogs enjoyed a potluck, grilled foods, and the fireworks together. The temperature was a bit cooler and the light evening breeze was refreshing as the colors burst overhead. It was a nice interlude in the midst of our first heat wave of summer. Keep reading for the rest of the updates and future events:

• Next Tuesday, July 11th, the Men’s and Women’s Evening Group will meet at 7pm onsite.
• Next Wednesday, July 12th, the Crafting Group will meet at 3pm in the Social Hall. Bring your current project or something new to start!
• If you are interested in joining the official membership of our congregation, please let Rev. Nancy know. She is working on coordinating a class that includes Brunch and a chance to learn more about UUWC and other things UU. She would like to be able to include all interested parties in an email soon, so plan ahead and share your interest with her.
• Dee Curry will return from her travels and resume both the Labyrinth and Asylum Seeker programs, beginning July 15th. Make sure to check here next week for details!
• The electricians are wrapping up the installation of our heating/cooling units for the Green Room, Sun Room, and Conference Room. Safe temperature control will be a wonderful addition to these spaces.
• The painters arrived today and began painting the exterior of our building. They started in the Courtyard which is now a rich jewel-tone turquoise. The head painter said he rarely takes before/after pics of his work, but that he was definitely taking them of our property! He expects it to “pop” when they’re done- which is likely to be by Sunday. This will only be the basic colors; it will NOT include the chalice project on the Sanctuary doors, nor the flower mural. Those are future projects for us.
• This week our Council meets at 12:30 following our service. If you have questions/suggestions/etc, please get them to Jay Cain by Saturday at 12 noon.
• Our Sunday Service is titled: The Three Faces of Eve. Join us at 11 am as we take a look at three distinct and interconnected faces of the Bible’s first acknowledged cis-gender female. They are the face of the temptress, the face of the wise woman goddess, and the face of the homemaker and mother – each offering us something valuable about women, even if we need to strip off misinterpretation, blame, misogyny, and shame to find it. Steve Poiani will be leading this!

Have a great week and stay cool people!

Namaste’

Rev. Nancy

Greetings Westside!

• Next Tuesday, July 4th, we will hold a potluck barbecue at 6pm.  Bring a grilling item of your choice; we will have more than 1 grill in place for veggies/meat separation. Bring a potluck dish to share of whatever says “Fourth of July Fireworks!” to you. We have an almost 180 degree view of fireworks from the front side of our building. Bring your own lawn chair too to relax in while we watch them. 
• Wednesday, July 5th: the painting of the exterior of our building is set to begin.  Do not be surprised by painting supplies on grounds. Please use alternate entrances  as needed. 
  
• Wednesday, July 5th: 10:00 am Community Care Meeting in the Social Hall!
• Ditto, 11:30 am: Women’s Group in Social Hall.
• Tuesday, July 11th: Both the Evening Women’s and Men’s groups meet at 7pm.
• This Sunday, July 2nd, the Programming Team will meet at 12:30 in the Conference Room. All are welcome!

WE NEED A TECH TEAM TO SUPPORT SUNDAY SERVICE SCREEN USE!! 

Please consider being part of this and contact Steve Poiani for information about instruction! 

Our service this week is titled “BYOT” which means: Building Your Own Theology. It will be led by the first class to complete this UU curriculum in the last 10 years at UUWC. Class members will share what their experiences have meant to them and how it has contributed to their own faith and their understanding of the faith of others. Come, learn and be inspired!

News this Week at UU Westside 06/23/2023  through 06/30/2023

Greetings Westside Community!

Today is the Solstice! At 8:58am the exact moment of the Solstice was reached, making today the longest day of the year. So if you’re feeling like things are dragging, you may be right! alternatively, this is the most sunlight we’ll get all year, so bask in its energy and enjoy it while you can!