• Our Women’s Group meets Wednesday, December 13th from 11-12:15 pm in the Green Room. All women are welcome.
• Any church member who would like to serve on the By-Laws Task Force should contact either Nika Quirk or Rev. Nancy. We are not doing a total overhaul; there are a few specific portions of our By-Laws that need updating. This is a short- term task force.  Once the recommendations are in place, the congregation will vote on it.
• Your Council meets on Sunday at 12:30. If you have issues you’d like to draw to their attention, please email them to Delbert Schafer, Council Scribe, by 12 noon on Saturday 12/9. All meetings are open until/unless the Council moves into executive session.
• Feed Rio Rancho Kids will not need to assemble additional packets this month.  However, we start early in the New Year with packet assembly on January 9 at 9:00 a.m. in the Green Room.  Please also add to your calendar an APPRECIATION PARTY for FRRK volunteers and donors on January 20 at 3:00 pm in the Social Hall.  More on that later.  A huge thank you to all UUWC members and friends who help make this program possible every month! 
• WE NEED A TECH TEAM!! On December 30th at 2pm Carole Eagleheart will be in the sanctuary to teach all interested parties HOW TO USE THE VIDEO SCREENS and how to DESIGN THE SLIDES!! If you have ANY tech ability at all, or if you participate in preparing and leading services on Sunday mornings, PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND. Our goal is to have a team with a dependable schedule so that no one is overwhelmed by this task. If you lead services, it will help you to know how to facilitate your material so that it’s user-friendly for the Tech person.
• We will be receiving people into membership during this week’s service! Please plan to attend and extend your welcome to them if you can.

• The Wisdom Walkers trip to Siphon Beach needs to be updated because the beach is officially closed at this time. If you are interested in being part of a comfortable hike to a different location, please contact Theresa Watson at denaliteton@gmail.com. The group will choose a new route together!

• If you are providing food for the Art Show on Friday evening, please drop it off by 3pm on Friday. Laurel Anderson will be onsite at 2 pm to receive your donation. Thank you!
• THE ART SHOW STARTS FRIDAY EVENING at 5 -8pm. Come to view and purchase exciting new art for your home or as a gift. Bring your family and your friends! Friday begins with a wine and cheese soiree’, complete with door prize. The event continues on Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm   and also on Sunday following our regularly scheduled service from 1- 5 pm. Please let Carole Eagleheart know if you can help clean up!
• Sunday AM Adult RE will meet as usual in the Conference Room to continue discussion of Rendle’s book on Behavioral Covenants at 9:30 am. If you have read the book- or even skimmed one of the 13 copies that are circulating among us, please join us!
• On Sunday we have a guest speaker! The Rev. Kendyl Gibbons, a published UU humanist author, will be presenting a program titled: How to Be a Humanist. We will also have live music in the Sanctuary courtesy of Marikhel Windsong at the piano. This is a special opportunity to explore humanism from a UU perspective- and YES, there is more than one way to identify as humanist! Come to learn and explore.
• Following the service, there will be coffee etc in the Social Hall so that you can meet Rev. Gibbons in person.
• The Programming Team will meet at 12:15 (or ASAP after the service)  in the Conference Room. The early time is to allow for the Art Show to resume at 1pm. Please bring your coffee/snack with you; we need your voice! We will be ending our meeting by 1pm for the Art Show.
• We need greeters, especially for the first Sunday of the month. If you’d be willing to serve in this capacity, you will be supplied with “hands-on” training by experts. All you need to bring is a smile and the ability to say hello; everything else will be provided. If you are interested in this, please contact Theresa Watson at denaliteton@gmail.com   Thank you!
• Wisdom Walkers: Let’s try that walk at Siphon Beach again. We’ll meet at the church on Saturday Dec. 10 at 10:00 and carpool to the site. The walk is approximately 2 1/2 miles long running parallel to the river and through the Bosque with a nice viewpoint at the end. RSVP to Theresa via text 757-752-1678 or email <denaliteton@gmail.com >.
  
• Community Care Team: Next Wednesday at 10:30 we will meet in the Green Room to coordinate and update a variety of projects. Please enter the building through the Courtyard door to avoid interrupting other meetings.

• 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.

• Our November 12 service, presented by Laurel Anderson is entitled “Lend Me Your Ears”.   It is about listening- how we listen, when we listen, if we listen!  Come join us!
• The Council meets on Sunday 11/12 at 12:30 in the Conference Room. All are welcome. 
• Feed Rio Rancho Kids is having their next packet assembly on 11/14 at 9 am in the Green Room. 
• The Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (#ASWAA) is a bi-partisan bill that would allow asylum seekers to support themselves and their families sooner AND fill needed jobs. It would alleviate overcrowding in metropolitan shelters and disperse workers to needed businesses throughout the country. The current 180-day waiting period has harmful effects on people seeking safety, their communities, and the economy overall as businesses everywhere struggle from historic labor shortages. Here is the link to the petition re: asylum seekers:
  https://nwmd.io/s/email/ZBY5BzfEHP_tQW-qKrQ=/r
• Our December Art Show is coming up sooner than you think – December 1-3! Here is a list of foods that we need to have donated for the event. Connect with Laurel Anderson to sign up! Cheese, Pepperoni and Olive bites Brie with water crackers Sushi California Rolls Deviled Eggs Mini Muffins Veggie tray with Dressing for dipping Cheese stuffed dates Fruit tray Dried Apricot with Cream Cheese & Walnut Cheese Board Mini Beef Tacos (Trader Joe’s) Mini Cheese Pizza (Trader Joe’s)
• If you have not received a Stewardship Packet or have received one without a pledge card, please contact Kathy Wright. If you HAVE received one, please complete it and turn it in either to the offering plate or the Admin Office on Sunday.
• If you need help in Rev. Nancy’s absence, please contact Nika Quirk, your Council Moderator. Nikaquirk@mac.com

 

Greetings Fellow Westsiders!

• Our Drum Circle meets this evening (Friday 10/20) at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to join the circle; bring your personal drum or use one of ours!
• Saturday at 9am come and join our Labyrinth Walk and Social Justice presentation.
• Tuesday October 24th: Join the assembly of the snack backpacks for Feed the Rio Rancho Kids at 9:00 am! 
• Wednesday, October 25th at 11:30 am the Women’s Group meets in the Green Room. All women are welcome!

Here is an update regarding our Healing Conversations and future plans for our healing journey:

• On Wednesday, October 25th we will hold our fifth Healing Conversation meeting in the Green Room at 1:30-3pm. Everyone is invited to participate in conversation about your thoughts and feelings in regard to our crises in late August and our healing process since then. If you have already attended, you are welcome to come again and speak to how you are feeling now. If you have not attended before, you are welcome to come and share whatever your experiences have been. These meetings have been very well attended by over half of our congregation. We have observed that the overall feeling-tone has changed from processing our feelings of injury to beginning to look forward to new developments as a congregation that incorporate what we have learned from our experiences. This will be the last regularly scheduled (see below) meeting to focus on processing our initial responses. But hold this slot open…………….!!
• On Thursday, October 26th we will hold a final ALTERNATE day/time meeting in order to make this format available to those of you who have not been able to attend on a Wednesday. This meeting will convene from 1-2:30pm in the Green Room. EVERYONE is invited to attend even if you have attended other meetings on Wednesdays. If you would like to support those whose schedules made the Wed. meeting unavailable to them, please join us on Thursday too! This is a one-time opportunity for a final sharing of this kind.

Beginning on Wednesday, November 1st, we will hold our first meeting to begin Envisioning Our Future Together. From 1:30-3pm we will meet in the Green Room to discuss how we want to live together as a congregation. This will include all sorts of brainstorming about who we are as a UU congregation and how we want to plan for our future together. These conversations will be used to generate material for a Covenant of Relationship that will be developed in our future. A Covenant of Relationship is a UU tool for congregations that helps us describe how we want to live together. It is a simple descriptive document with a behavioral focus that each congregation develops for themselves. Where it is posted and how it is used is also up to each congregation to decide. These conversations will also help us identify how we want to respond to conflict and other crises as we continue our congregational journey together. We are NOT rushing this process; it will take some time to identify and discuss all of our thoughts and concerns and dreams. This meeting is the beginning of what will ultimately become an ongoing process that is incorporated into our life together. As we move forward, your Council will convene a task force to produce a document for Congregational and Council approval. There will be lots more information about that both here in this newsletter and in Town Hall Meetings and in our Sunday am Announcements as we move forward. We are also planning a series of workshops (they will be FUN!) on conflict management and other activities to increase our collective skills at being the congregation we want to be. No one is born knowing how to do this; we all need to learn throughout our lifetime.

Also on November 1st, we will remove the Healing Wall mural and put up a new one. This mural will be brightly colored as befits Envisioning Our Future Together. Please use it to post your thoughts- descriptive words, phrases, concerns, images, suggestions, cautions- whatever comes to mind- about what you would like to see incorporated into our life together and into our Covenant of Relationship with each other. Poetry and pictures are welcome- not that we’ll be able to use them in the final document of our Covenant, but if it helps express your vision more clearly, please share it to help everyone better understand your ideas!

I know this is a lot of information. If you have questions, please try to attend one of the scheduled meetings AND/OR contact either Nika Quirk or Rev. Nancy with them. We expect to be sharing the information repeatedly in many different ways so everyone has access to what they need.

At her recent visit, Rev. Summer described our congregation as “wonderful”. I second that motion! We are doing an excellent job at a difficult task that is equipping us to grow together in new ways. Thank you!

Shalom,

Rev. Nancy

• On Wednesday, October 11th we will hold the 3rd gathering of our Healing Conversations. We will meet in the Green Room; light refreshments and water are available. Everyone (member and friend) is welcome to attend. Conversation is focused on the personal thoughts and feelings in regard to the events of 8/20 and 8/27 of those present. Participants are asked to hold the process of the meeting in confidence; many people are sharing deeply personal and sensitive information. Time: 1:30-3pm. If this time is not possible for you, please let me know so we can schedule the same event at a day/tie that DOES work for you. We are trying to make this opportunity available to everyone as we move forward.
• On Thursday, October 12th, the Reverend Summer Albayati will be visiting us to consult with both leadership and the congregation. She will meet with your elected/appointed leadership from 11-12:30pm; then she will meet with the congregation from 12:30-2pm for a Potluck Lunch and whatever conversation you would like to have with her. She is your best resource for all things UU! She has advised us that she will not be telling us what to do; that is not the UU way! She will be listening to our questions and concerns and suggesting possible responses and resources. 
• At the Potluck Lunch with Rev. Summer we will appreciate whatever contribution you’d like to bring! So far, we know to expect soup and some amazing bread. More/other bread, fruit, salad, cheese, and/or dessert food is all welcome!
• On Saturday, October 14th, From 9-12pm in the Social Hall. Brunch Potluck, Crafting, Labyrinth Walk, and Eclipse Viewing! The partial eclipse will begin at 9:13 AM and end by 12:09 PM. The full eclipse will last for 4 minutes and 48 seconds with the maximum at 10:37 AM. 
  We will hang out together as the eclipse progresses. Bring your potluck contribution, a safe eclipse viewing device if you have it, (we have some!) and a crafting project if you are working on one. We hope to see you!
• This Sunday is our Town Hall Meeting and Potluck Lunch! Nika Quirk, your newly confirmed Council Moderator will be leading our Town Hall Meeting. Please plan to be there to support her in her new role! Potluck Lunch is planned as always; please bring the dish of your choice, with an ingredient label if possible!
• Our Sunday Service this week will kick off our Stewardship campaign for 2024. Our slogan for this year is: Stronger Together; Dreaming Big. You will receive your stewardship packet in the service; if you are unable to be there we will hold it for you or mail it via snail mail as needed.

• Our Healing Wall mural is being used very constructively to express our feelings about our recent (8/20 and 8/27) experiences of crisis. Make sure to add yours. If you’ve already posted, feel free to do so again as your feelings evolve. Please take time to read what others have posted also; it’s a great way to be aware of what’s happening in our congregation.
• Our 2nd Healing Conversation meeting was this past Wednesday. Again, we had ~ 12 people, half of whom had attended the first meeting and half of whom had not. It was a deep and sensitive discussion of many different aspects of these events. Please remember that our 3rd session is next Wednesday at 1:30-3pm in the Green Room Light refreshments are available. Everyone is invited; you do not have to be a formal member of the congregation to participate in these events.
• Thursday, October 12th, Rev. Summer Albayati from UUA will be here to meet with the congregation from 12:30-2pm. We will be hosting a potluck, so bring the lunch food of your choice. Rev. Summer will be available to meet with us face-to-face and chat with you about all sorts of things UU. She is our Church Life Staff person from UUA and is working with our Council and the Committee on (Shared) Ministry to help us develop plans and monitor our progress as we heal together. A former resident of NM, Rev. Summer is looking forward to meeting with us. If you have questions about how UU congregations do anything, she is the person to ask! As her title suggests, her primary focus is on the congregations in her care and their relationship to the denomination. Her job does not include individual counselling. This is a unique opportunity to meet with her, so please come for whatever period of time that you can!
• There is no meeting of the Women’s Group this week; our next meeting is 10/25.
• Saturday October 14, 9-12 in Social Hall. Brunch Potluck, Crafting, Labyrinth Walk, and Eclipse Viewing!  The partial eclipse will begin at 9:13 AM and end by 12:09 PM. The full eclipse will last for 4 minutes and 48 seconds with the maximum at 10:37 AM. We will hang out together as the eclipse progresses. Bring your potluck contribution, a safe eclipse viewing device if you have it, and a crafting project if you are working on one. We hope to see you there!
• Below is a link from Dee Curry to information about the Border Project. A list of needed donations is included.
• Your Council meets this Sunday at 12:30 in the Conference Room. If you have issues or ideas for them to consider, please contact Nika Quirk, Council Moderator at: nikaquirk@mac.com Remember that all Council meetings are open to the congregation with the exception of Executive Sessions. If you have something you’d like to address, make sure to contact Nika ahead of time so it can be included on the agenda.
• This week’s service is our Animal Blessing Service, led by Bram Cast-Hecht and Theresa Watson. Please bring photos of your pets; there will be a table for pictures of the pets we are currently living with and a table for those who have crossed the rainbow bridge as well.

• This past week saw the installation of our Healing Wall mural in the Social Hall. There are markers and crayons etc. for your use by the mural on the rear wall of the Social Hall. Many of you have already sketched pictures and posted poetry, or comments, questions, concerns and hopes on it. Please continue to use it. It’s very helpful for all of us to see the range of feeling in our congregation; it helps us to better understand each other. There is no limit to how many times you can post on it. You may sign your post or not- your choice. Even if you prefer not to post anything, I encourage you to read what others have posted.
• The first of our Healing Conversation meetings occurred this past Wednesday. A dozen of us gathered in the Green Room for 90 minutes to discuss the events of 8/20 and 8/27 and the thoughts, feelings, and questions that have arisen from them. It is very helpful for us to share our responses so that we can support each other and plan wisely for the future. We will be offering these meetings on Wednesdays from 1:30-3 as we move forward. Please attend whenever you can- and if this is not a workable time for you, please let Rev. Nancy know so we can find a good alternative. We want everyone to have the opportunity to speak and to listen in our healing process. 
• The Men’s Group will meet on Tuesday, October 3rd at 7 pm onsite. Bill Shore is leading the group; Bill has had a lot of UU experience in both congregations and fellowships over the years and as a clinical psychologist he is well equipped for this group. 
• Our Programming Team meets this Sunday at 12:30 in the Green Room to plan services and RE for all ages. If you have ideas about either Sunday service programs or educational programs of any sort, please come share them! 
• This week’s service is titled, “Up, Up, and Away!” and will be led by Stacie Gebeke and Rev. Nancy. Stacie promises an “uplifting” experience- all puns intended!

• HVAC WORK WILL BE DONE THIS WEEK IN THE SOCIAL HALL. PLEASE ENTER THROUGH THE COURTYARD OR SANCTUARY.
• Wednesday, September 27th the Women’s Group will meet in the Green Room at 11:30am.
• On 9/27 from 1:30-3pm we will hold the first of a series of Healing Conversations. See below for details.
• This Sunday, September 24th, the Social Justice Team will meet in the Conference Room at 12:30. Everyone is invited. 
• Our service this week is titled, “Mystical Humanism: Say What?” Although it looks like an oxymoron, the term is actually a good description of many UU Humanists. Come find out more about this aspect of being UU. We will explore the roots and wings of Humanism. 

• A Healing Wall is being constructed in the Social Hall. The purpose of this blank mural is to help all of us express our feelings in response to our recent experiences. You are invited to write poetry, descriptive paragraphs, expressive phrases or just words that convey your feelings. You may draw or paint pictures. There will be pens/markers/crayons/watercolor paints available for your use. In addition to posting your own expressions, please take time to read/engage with others. It will be helpful for us to connect with each other. You may post difficult thoughts and feelings and positive thoughts and feelings; the content is up to you. We will be exploring this together in the future. Please remember that this is shared space and be respectful of other people’s postings.
• On Wednesday, September 27th from 1:30-3pm we will host the first in a series of Healing Conversations in the Sun Room. Please enter through the Courtyard to engage in conversation with Rev. Nancy and a member of the Committee on Shared Ministry. There will be light refreshments available. These conversations will be scheduled on upcoming Wednesday’s with Nika Quirk (our new Council Moderator) and Rev. Nancy. They are a “come as you can” event; you do not need to reserve a seat! You may come to one or none or many of these events. We are all aware of our shared need to talk about the recent troubling events and how we grow from here; this is a comfortable way to begin this conversation. 
• On Thursday, October 12th,Rev. Summer will visit us onsite from 11am -2pm. From 11-12:30 she will meet with church leadership; from 12:30-2pm she will meet with the congregation at a potluck lunch reception.  Expect to receive more information about this event as we move forward. Rev. Summer is taking time out of her vacation to visit us; she is eager to meet UUWC! 
• These plans replace earlier plans. If you are among those who expressed interest in meeting individually with Rev. Summer, please speak to/email Rev. Nancy about alternative plans. 

• On Tuesday, September 19th, Rio Rancho Feed the Kids will assemble backpacks at 9:30 am in the Green Room.
• On Saturday, September 23rd, we will hold a Membership Class at 10am at the church. The meeting will include brunch and end at 12 noon. If you are interested in joining the congregation, please email Rev. Nancy (ministeruuwc@gmail.com) to let her know. This is a one-time meeting to acquaint potential members with information about UUWC so that they can make an informed decision about “signing the book”. 
• Remember your water! This week’s service is our annual Water Communion Service, led by Stacie Gebeke. You are invited to bring water from places that are meaningful to you- from your travels, your home, our recent rain- for use in the service.
• Following our Sunday Service we will hold our monthly Potluck Lunch in the Social Hall. Please bring the dish of your choice- with ingredients labelled if possible for those on special diets.
• Town Hall Meeting will follow our Potluck Lunch. This month’s agenda includes updates about recent events and plans for the future.

• Rev. Summer will serve as our Mediator in helping us to repair and rebuild our community in the aftermath of these events. 
• Rev. Summer will meet individually via Zoom with the persons involved in the events.
• Rev. Summer will also meet separately with both the Committee on Ministry and the Council.
• Rev. Summer will be available to meet with individuals in the congregation who want to speak to her about their experiences of these events and what it has meant to them.
• Rev. Summer will host a whole church meeting via Zoom to facilitate discussion of our plans to move forward.
• Rev. Summer will visit UUWC in person during the second week of October.  This date is non-negotiable; she will be in NM on vacation to visit family and has offered to take advantage of that to meet with as many of us as possible in person. TIme/date TBA. 

• On September 15^th at 9:00 am at Whispering Bean, we will begin our reading of “The Other Slavery“, The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andres Resendez..Andres is a professor and historian at the University of California. This book is a Winner of the Bancroft Prize and a National Book Award Finalist. 
• On September 16^th at 9:00 am, we will be meeting at UUWC to walk as community on our labyrinths. You are welcome to join Dee whether there are two or ten people. We will begin in the sanctuary! Anyone interested in helping me groom the labyrinths, meet at 8:00 am.
•  On September 16^th at 10 am, we 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 will be planning this quarter’s asylum project.
•   Our weekday Build Your Own Theology classes- series 1 & 2 begin NEXT week. BYOT 1 on 9/13 from 2-4 and BYOT 2 on 9/15  from 1-3pm. Our Saturday classes are not yet scheduled.
• The Community Care Team will meet on Wed, 9/13 at 10 am.
• The Women’s Group will meet on Wed, 9/13 at 11:30 am. We will be discussing the future and reformatting.
• Rev. Nancy and Jay Cain have a consult scheduled with Rev. Summer Albayati, our UUA  Congregational Life Staff person for the Pacific Western Region, to which we belong. We have asked for Rev. Albayati’s help with our crisis on 8/27. Expect to hear more about this in the future.

Do you like the cartoon “Calvin and Hobbes”?  We laugh at Calvin’s antics but some of his observations are profound.  This Sunday’s guest speaker Lisa Silva will present the program “My Spirituality through a Calvin and Hobbes Lens.”

• Next Tuesday, August 7th at 7pm our Men’s Group will meet onsite. 
• On Wednesday our Crafting Group will meet at 3pm in the Green Room. Bring whatever handcraft you prefer to chat over!  The AC will be on and the room will be comfortable. We will leave a notice on the Social Hall door with a number to call/text if you arrive late. Maintaining onsite security means locking the door once we’re in the Green Room, but if you call/text us we’ll be delighted to come and get you! 
• Asylum Seeker Donations: Sunday, August 8^th will be the last day for this quarter to bring donations for UUSCF shelters. They need the following: Underwear and socks all sizes, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, Welches fruit snacks, and small size Vienna sausages. Any questions: deeoz2018@gmail.com
  
• ARE YOU GOOD AT GREETING PEOPLE? Of course you are! We need more people to be greeters at our door on Sunday morning. Greeters need to arrive 30 mins before the service. They are responsible for welcoming everyone, for handing out programs, and for providing name tags for our guests. They are also responsible for asking people to sign in with their contact information and seeing that they are introduced to at least one other person (from a list of provided names) who will answer questions after you show them to their seat. We will be offering a short (15 minutes!) orientation and promise to schedule an “old-timer” with you until you feel secure in this role.  We will be happy to schedule you on any basis that works for you! Please speak to either Bram Cast-Hecht, Roxey Cast-Hecht, or Theresa Watson if you are willing to serve in this way! Use your new Breeze link to access their contact info or speak to them on Sunday! 
• THANK YOU to the 15 people who have donated to UUWC through Breeze in order to earn us 3 free months of service! We need a total of 25 people to contribute $10 (or more) in order to qualify. This a gift that gives twice; first directly to UUWC and the fund of your choice and then again to offset our expenses for our software. IF you are a member of UUWC you have received your login information to access Breeze. If you have questions about that, please contact Nika Quirk:  nikaquirk@mac.com  Thank you!
• Included here is a link to a survey we would very much like you to fill out. It is in regard to sustainable “green” habits and practices that you may either already be familiar with OR would like to learn more about. We will be basing future programming on your response!  
• Our Adult RE program is going to be reading “Hijab Butch Blues” by Lamya H. This is a personal memoir of a devout Muslim woman who is working through how to be Muslim and Lesbian without forfeiting either as meaningful parts of her life. While the author does not answer every question about these issues, she opens the process of how she did this in her life to the rest of us. We are beginning with a simple overview of Islam to help us separate media fiction and stereotype from fact. The book is available via Amazon for your device. It is newly published, so there are very few used copies available; you may be able to access it at either abebooks.com or thriftbooks.com. Otherwise your best bet is Amazon. This class meets on Sundays at 9:30 in the Conference Room. Heidi Raki will be joining us to share her experiences of living in a Muslim country and family as they apply to the issues raised in the memoir. Everyone is welcome!
• Our Programming Team meets this week at 12:30 following coffee in the Social Hall. Everyone is welcome. 
• Depending on the weather, we are going to TRY and hold our Sunday service in the Sanctuary. If the heat proves to be too much, we’ll set up in the Social Hall. Our service is titled: “Shiny Metal Rules”.  

Shalom,

 

• 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. 

• 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!

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!

• If you registered for our June 23rd Murder Mystery Night, remember that it is this Friday at 6pm!
• Tuesday, June 27th: both Men’s and Women’s groups meet (separately) at 7pm.
• Wednesday, June 28th at 3pm: First meeting of our Crafting Group. Come to work on your existing projects (bring them with you!)  and to learn or teach new skills; come for the conversation and enjoy the whole shebang! All portable crafts are welcome. 
• If you would like to view the General Assembly meetings of the UUA General Assembly, you may do so using the link below. These are the business meetings of the denomination. The Article 2 Proposal to change the 7 Principles to 6 Core Values is part of the agenda on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So far, NO OTHER EVENTS are open to the public. If you would like to view these in the company of your congregational community, we will be doing so in our Sanctuary on Friday and Saturday from 12:30-3:30pm. These will be live, so we can’t tweak the time. Just show up and join the group in our Sanctuary using the big screens to see what’s happening. As of this moment, it appears that the vote on this proposal will be taken Saturday and the outcome will be announced on Sunday at the final meeting. This means we will NOT know the outcome prior to our service! There are also other proposals and general business that are important to know about, so I encourage you to either view these sessions at home or join us when you can. We are only hosting community viewing on Friday and Saturday because that’s when our TECH people are available to facilitate it. If you want to catch the Article II presentation in its entirety, make sure you view the 12:30 pm session on Thursday too. The proposal will be addressed over 3 sessions/days. 
• This week our Social Justice Team will meet after our Social Hour in the Social Hall. We gather in the Conference Room; all are welcome. This is a volunteer team with flexible membership that focuses on the Social Justice ministries of the congregation both inhouse and in the community. All questions/comments/ideas are welcome. 
• Our service this week is titled, “Great Expectations“.  Rev. Nancy will be sharing material from the 2023 General Assembly, especially as it pertains to our denomination’s goals for the coming year and what they can mean for us. Or not! Your choice as a UU! We will also be singing some special-to-us-as-UU’s songs.