WUU News

by Katrina Landon, Fellowship Chair Welcome Rev. Michelle! On August 1, the winds of change arrived at the WUU in the form of our interim minister, Rev. Dr. Michelle Collins. I was lucky enough to be in the early queue of folk who took advantage of her 45 minute “get to know me” one-on-one personal meetings. I was really excited to share with her some of the new ideas we generated over the summer to address our need for greater opportunities for our congregation to spend time together after the long dark days of Covid. Over one hundred of you…

by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education August has been a busy month! In addition to Sunday classes, we’ve had quite a few big events. Thank you to everyone who has participated! Teacher Orientation  Thank you to all our volunteer teachers who attended Teacher Orientation on August 27th! Lower Elementary Lesa Craig Margarita RioFrio Marion Wolfe Upper Elementary & Middles Liz Dye BethAnne Klaver Kimberly Richards-Thomas Jenn Sims YRUU (High School) Kate McGaw, lead Karine Borges Lesley Henderson Patrick Jones Catherine Mountjoy The teachers gathered to schedule, lesson plan, and to welcome the keynote speaker, Katie Covey, from Soul Matters….

Front row, L to R: Pat Russo, VP; Linda Lane-Hamilton, President; Franz Gross, Finance Chair; Les Solomon, Secretary. Back row, L to R: Kerry Mellette, Phoebe Kent, Angela Surber, Melissa Stump, Katrina Landon There are lots of changes we’re facing right now, both smaller scale changes as well as larger ones. We’ll explore some of the dynamics and realities of change together today. (Rev. Michelle, the Aug. 10th Spiral) Change is in the air (again and some more!) as WUU moves to our un-official opening the Sunday after Labor Day, as our religious education classes begin again, and as courses…

Welcome to a new month! I say “welcome” intentionally because the Soul Matters theme for September is WELCOME! Welcome is more than a greeting; it is an affirmation of our shared humanity. It is a testament to our commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of every person. It is an expression of our belief in the transformative power of love and acceptance. And it’s also a challenge that we can strive to do as well as we possibly can. In our congregation, we aspire to create a welcoming space for all – a space where everyone feels seen, heard,…

Our adventure together is beginning. I am truly excited to begin this interim ministry with you. As we embark on this journey together, I am filled with anticipation and gratitude for the opportunity to serve this vibrant community. I have served in a number of UU congregations spread from the east coast to the west (literally). Throughout my journey, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with diverse communities, each with its unique strengths and challenges. These experiences have shaped my understanding of faith, community, and the transformative power of love and compassion. As an Interim Minister, I…

Front row, L to R: Pat Russo, VP; Linda Lane-Hamilton, President; Franz Gross, Finance Chair; Les Solomon, Secretary. Back row, L to R: Kerry Mellette, Phoebe Kent, Angela Surber, Melissa Stump, Katrina Landon WUU is in the “gap” month without a minister—Rev. Laura’s ministry ended June 30 and Rev. Michelle’s begins August 1. Yet Sunday services have been well-attended and inspiring, thanks to Liz Wiley who planned these services and David Hamilton and Liz who arranged for music and musicians. Here’s what the Board has been doing; Monthly board listening sessions, third Sundays after the service, will continue. About 20…

by the Journey to Asylum team It has been a whirlwind summer for the Journey to Asylum (JTA) program! We bid farewell to Mike, Stefany, and Alessandra as they ventured out to establish their new home in Norfolk, then immediately began preparations for our next guests. We are thrilled to have welcomed a family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Eric, Ketty, their three children Nathan (10), Aliana (9), and Maelys (7), along with Ketty’s younger sister, Merveille (13).   It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a loving and dedicated community to welcome…

by Natalie Miller-Moore At the UU General Assembly in June, I attended a workshop called “Empowering Young Leaders and Building Multigenerational Community.” Here’s my main takeaway — we need to stop assuming that UU kids will grow up to leave the faith — they don’t have to.  We love it, even if we didn’t grow up in it, and we should shift towards an expectation that UUs will stay because it’s a choice, and there’s lots of room to grow. As one speaker said, “We never graduate from the human experience!” I think that we should adopt this and remind our youth (and ourselves)…

by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education On Sunday, July 23, Williamsburg UU hosted a workshop for our adult youth advisors and youth advisors from Coastal Virginia UU. Guest speaker Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward and I led the gathering, which focused on youth empowerment in our congregations.  Betty Jeanne Rueters-Ward has been a Consultant, Trainer, and Curriculum Developer at the Unitarian Universalist Association for the past 18 years. Ms. Rueters-Ward teaches a flagship course in youth ministry at the Starr King School for the Ministry, and has held multiple leadership positions in the Unitarian Universalist world.  Participants in this interactive workshop…

by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education WUUs of all ages gathered to enjoy Creativity Sunday in May. This interactive worship experience involved various stations with different activities. Folks colored, created, experienced dynamic movement, made music, and got creative with food. Pictured below, WUUs made food art.   Many thanks to the volunteers who made this day possible!