Dear WUU Community, I can hardly believe it’s April already! Time is racing by, and it’s poignant for me to realize I have only three months left to call myself your minister. I will miss you very much. And I continue to have great confidence and hope in your future. As you might have seen in our weekly Spiral email, my last Sunday leading worship will be June 18. Then I’ll be off to our UUA General Assembly in Pittsburgh, PA along with our in-person congregational delegates. And then I’ll be back for just a couple of days to pack up my books and… by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle team …it starts when you say We and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more. –Marge Piercy, from The Low Road Out of all our themes this year, resistance is among the most complex. But it also may be the most simple. Let’s start with the complexity. Sometimes resistance involves bravely picking up a picket sign; other times it asks us to courageously put down our masks and expose who we really are. Sometimes it involves defeating the enemy; other times it’s a matter of noticing that treating them as… Minister Transitions: I’m delighted to report that February has been a busy month to plan for our future: The Board (current and nominees) met with Rev. Tyler Coles from the Southern Regional UU Office. Linda Lane-Hamilton summarized our meeting with Tyler at the Annual Congregational meeting. The major portion of our regular monthly meeting focused on next steps. Four congregants attended in-person/online. Our first major decisions: We voted to select a search committee for an Interim minister. The Board was silent about the length of the Interim Ministry and the type of ministry (the two choices appear to be a Settled Ministry as we have now or… Dear WUU Community, Have you heard about the Tidewater Cluster Gathering coming up on March 11? If you’ve never been, let me tell you about what’s happening: Unitarian Universalists from 7 congregations, Fredericksburg to Richmond all the way down to the tip of the peninsula, are converging on the gorgeous campus of our Virginia Beach UU neighbors, the Coastal Virginia UUs, for a full day of fun, learning, worship, and community. If that sounds good to you, please note that this Friday, March 3 is your last day to sign up! Your registration of $30 for adults and $10 for youth (with financial support available—just ask… by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Did you know that Religious Education recently completed a session of Our Whole Lives for upper elementary? Our Whole Lives Grades 4, 5, and 6 Our Whole Lives is our comprehensive science based sexuality education program. Parent permission was required. Thank you to our awesome team of facilitators: Kim and Scott Dellinger Nan Hart Melissa Stump Kurt Williamson Melissa and Kurt took the lead on this important offering making sure that the children who signed up for this class got important information covered in the OWL curriculum. Way to go, team! Please thank these… by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle team It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings. ~ Wendell Berry This month is a tricky one for us UUs. Let’s be honest. Berry’s celebration of vulnerability and limits is just not our thing. We are, after all, the religion of human potential, goodness and power! We… by Katrina Landon, Auction Chair Gosh, have we been having fun! Our first online Auction generated quite a few live events which we hope will carry over to next year’s online Auction scheduled, tentatively, for November 5 – 11, 2023! Here are some events coming up that you can still join from this year’s Auction! Nutrition Class: Ingredients Matter: Friday, Feb. 3, 6-8 PM, Room 108, cost: $10 per person. This class is led by Lesa Craig and will explore hidden sugars in your diet and how to kick the sugar addition. Make-and-Take Gift Class: Bath Salts and Candles:… Transitions. I wish that we had more information to share with you about what happens in the next few months. However, our schedule doesn’t exactly align with the UUA’s structured schedule for ministerial transitions. As reminders: In December, Rev. Laura indicated that she intended to leave WUU to pursue a different form of ministry. Her intention is that her last Sunday with the congregation will be toward the end of June. If, however, she is offered a job before that time, she will work with the Board to set a mutually agreeable departure date. We contacted the Regional Staff in December… Dear WUU Community, Welcome to February! I’m excited to share with you today some important news about the future of Unitarian Universalism. Spoiler alert: UUs will soon be voting on whether to radically update our seven principles and put love at the center! Our what now? If you’re a newcomer, you may not have learned about the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism yet. The seven principles are both part of Article II of the Bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and a statement of values that have been guiding UUs since they were created in 1985—the latest in a long line of statements we’ve created… by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle team The path of love. It began from the beginning, for most of us. Came in the form of family. A bloodline that brought us into being, and at its best, allowed us to bloom. Then sent us on our way with courage, and a reminder tucked into the pocket of our heart which read, “You can always return, no matter what.” Its shape then shifted, showing up as friends who helped us feel seen and sung our song back to us when we could not hear it with our ears alone. Then somewhere…
April 2023 Notes from the Minister: Starting to Say Goodbye, part 1
Welcome to The Path of Resistance
March 2023 President’s Report
March 2023 Notes from the Minister: Why Connect?
Thank You, Our Whole Lives Facilitators!
Welcome to The Path of Vulnerability
Auction Update: It’s Not too Late to Attend Auction Events!
February 2023 President’s Report
February 2023 Notes from the Minister: Love at the Center
Welcome to The Path of Love
