West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Diane D Agostino, President West Valley UU Church

Transcription

1 December 2018 West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church WEST VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH 5904 W. Cholla St. Glendale, AZ (623) Board Of Trustees President Diane D Agostino dmseneca@yahoo.com President Elect Emily Whitmore emilyawhitmore@gmail.com Secretary Sandra Mahoney s_1mahoney@cox.net Co-Treasurers Kathy Dugan k.dugan@cox.net Mark Oelerking markoelerking@gmail.com At-Large Noel Johnson longroper623@gmail.com Newsletter Editor David Moore mooredavid06@gmail.com Diane D Agostino, President West Valley UU Church dmseneca@yahoo.com Four WVUUC Board members along with Reverend Cathy Corbin-Mannino attended a Board Development Day sponsored by the Pacific Western Region UUA in Chandler last month. Joining them were Board members and ministers from the Valley UU Church in Chandler and the Surprise UU Church. My goal for attending this day long event was two-fold. First, I wanted us to have a shared experience as a Board that differed from our monthly meetings. And second, I wanted to find resources that would strengthen our leadership skills. By the end of the day, I felt confident we had learned more about each other and our approaches to the needs of our congregation. We also collected resources and references to help guide us in the future. Jan Christian, our presenter, started off with an important trust building model developed by Dr. Brene Brown. She moved on to several other topics during the day. One was an practice to help identify who is responsible and accountable for tasks as well as who needs to be consulted and informed. I was especially grateful for information that helped leaders in a personal way. For example, Peter Steinke s 7 Habits of Health-Promoting Leaders reminded me to pay attention to myself as a leader by staying spiritually grounded, managing my own anxiety, and staying connected to my own beliefs. The most important thing I took away on Board Development Day was to evaluate more closely how I, as a member of this church, was serving the mission of this congregation. (continued on page 3)

2 2 Sunday Services begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by a light lunch and fellowship. Child care is available for children ages 3 and up. December Theme: Peace December 2: Sacred Circles of Peace Dr. Kaden Sheffield Throughout human history, circles have been used to mark sacred spaces. One of the most famous, Stonehenge, had a remarkable function in peacekeeping, one that echoes across history. It has lessons to teach us, especially in troubled times. December 9: Jesus and Buzz Lightyear Rev. Cathy Corbin-Mannino We talk about peace, we sing about peace, we work for peace, but still we experience conflict, confrontation, anger, and hostility. How can we really be the peace in the midst of chaos? December 16: This Is Your Life In Six Words Sharon Moore Know thyself, and peace can be yours. This service is an opportunity to reflect on your past, present, and future then express your essential self. It is an interactive service with people crafting and sharing six-word memoirs. December 23: The Gifted Rev. Cathy Corbin-Mannino This time of year, we think a lot about gifts. We have all been given a gift that most of us have never even heard of before. Come find out what that may be. December 30: Unifying Theists and Humanists Skip Worden What is the essence of religion? What is distinctive about transcendent experience, and how does it relate to compassion? We ll see how this relationship can unify theist and humanists.. West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association. We are a welcoming congregation whose mission is provide a safe place for celebrating diversity, drawing inspiration for living better lives, fostering social and environmental justice, and compassionately supporting each other in our spiritual searches. We are a theologically diverse community who encourages you to seek your own spiritual path. We provide a caring environment for each adult and child to learn more about yourself and your place in the interdependent web of existence. Sunday services celebrate our community, challenge us intellectually, and engage us spiritually.

3 3 Gavel Talk (continued from page 1) A quote by Peter Steinke caught my attention: Healthy congregations focus on mission. Mission helps mobilize the energy of the community; if the congregation isn t focused on mission, it will focus on its past, its budget, problems or something else. This doesn t just mean that the congregation has a mission statement, but that it uses that mission statement to organize its activities. I had a personal reaction to those words. I say the mission statement each Sunday, but while thinking it over, I asked myself to provide an accounting of what I was doing for each of the lines. For starters, we need to provide a safe place before anything else. Am I doing that? How about celebrating diversity in my congregation? What part am I playing in providing inspiration for the members of our congregation? How about promoting justice on social and environmental issues? Do I support everyone in their spiritual searches no matter where we are on the road to greater awareness? I admittedly have a long way to go, but at least I know where to start. I need to be more active and engaged. Active engagement is something I need to practice a lot more. There are many ways to be actively engaged at WVUU Church. Donate craft items to the RE program, dump the trash after hospitality hour or wipe down tables, and attend the discussion group before the Sunday service are some ways I can stretch myself a bit more. On Sundays when I am a congregant, staying in the spiritual moment rather than thinking of my to do list of church chores after the service would be a definite plus. I can read a bit more and write a review for the newsletter, donate to the food collection box on a regular basis, and find ways for WVUU Church to reach into the community and be a presence. As I wind up 2018, I ve already set my sails for And to all of you at this special time of year, a few words from the song, Love Has Come Again. by Sal Salbella and Greg Jasperse: Gather round, lend a hand Spread the joy throughout the land. Out of the cold and dark of night Love has come again. Enjoy the spirit of the season, whatever it may mean to you. Take care!

4 4 The WVUUC Winter Congregational meeting will be December 9 after the Sunday Service. Please plan to attend! Our special family Holiday Service will be December 24 at 6:00 p.m. with hot cider and snacks afterwards. Join us for this special service as well as holiday refreshments. There will be readings and music and lots of singing An informal discussion group to talk about current events and other matters of interest has started. We meet at 9:30 on Sunday mornings in the Hospitality building. Everyone is welcome. Contact Terry Mead, terrycmead@gmail.com, for more information and to share possible subjects. On February 11, 2018 the WVUUC Board adopted a Safety Policy in light of recent violence at churches. Board members solicited information from other places of worship, insurance companies, and police departments. Main points of the policy are as follows: 1. No person may possess a firearm or other weapon on the premises. Signs to this effect are visible on entrances to our property. who will notify appropriate church members and authorities. 3. Worship associates, greeters, Board members, teachers, and congregants should follow recommended safety procedures such as locking doors during services. In case of an emergency, call 911, evacuate the building, get behind locked doors, and pull a fire alarm. 2. Potential threats should be conveyed to the President of the Board

5 5 5 WVUU SILENT Art Auction (Beginning BID $45 on each piece, minimum advance bid $5) ART on display in our West Valley UUC Sanctuary 5904 W Cholla St, Glendale AZ Auction Beginning Sunday, November 4th Ending Sunday, December 9 5:00 PM With Holiday Wine and Tapas & MUSIC & final opportunity to bid (Your presence not required to win!) FEATURE ART: In the Fall of 2016, tourist-photographer, Tom Arn, discovered Rosenstrasse, a street in Berlin given over entirely to the art of graffiti. Tom took numerous photos and later had them enlarged, printed & framed. The result is the exhibit on the South wall in our Sanctuary. This art is unique because of the nature of graffiti, each piece of art would likely have been painted over within hours of the photographs being taken! Additional art will also be on display in the Sanctuary for silent bidding. CONTACT: Ann Harper at digbyhill@gmail.com with questions please.

6 6 Sharon Moore As we come to the end of this year and look toward the new one, many people take this period to reflect on the past and renew their commitment to making a better life in the future. Part of that reflection could be on how well you are living your faith tradition. Join me in pledging to do a better job living our seven principles in the coming months. 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person From an article by Donna Hicks, Ph.D., on what dignity is: Everyone recognizes that we all have a deep, human desire to be treated as something of value. I believe that it is our highest common denominator. This shared desire for dignity transcends all of our differences, putting our common human identity above all else. While our uniqueness is important, history has shown us that if we don t take the next step toward recognizing our shared identity, conflicts in our workplace, our personal lives, and between nations will continue to abound. Is this true? How do you know that? 2nd Principle: Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations Be an advocate. Our church calls on us to be advocates for the downtrodden. There are plenty of persecuted and oppressed people in the world and plenty of organizations designed to be the voice of the voiceless. Try getting involved with time, money, letter writing, or other ways the group suggests. 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations Refrain from giving advice and trying to solve the problem of another person. We want to help. It's a natural instinct. But often that instinct to help is experienced as criticism. Remember the last time someone gave you advice? Instead, just listen to let the other person think more clearly and show us who he or she really is. 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning Vis-à-vis a search for meaning, consider this quote during your daily meditation or just while out walking. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible. Viktor E. Frankl 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large What is conscience s role in some of the major issues of our day? Consider this quote by E.J. Furton: (continued on page 7)

7 7 Principled Minutes (continued from page 6) We have a moral obligation to follow the light of conscience. Indeed, this duty is so fundamental that, even if one s judgment is in error, conscience must still remain the standard of our conduct. To argue otherwise would be to say that we should do what we personally judge to be immoral. 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, justice, and liberty for all World Peace can be overwhelming to contemplate, but it is true that you can t bring peace to others if you don t feel peaceful yourself. Peace begins at home. During the upcoming holidays, try not to yell or get involved in any arguing, and try to bring the family together with activities like game night and family dinners and conversations instead of interrogations. 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part At no cost of time or money from you, a group wants to use your computer s free time to help scientists study important research topics. Here s from the website When you become a World Community Grid volunteer, you donate your device s spare computing power to help scientists solve the world s biggest problems in health and sustainability. Kathy Dugan Total Operating Income - $6,141 Donation Income - $5,383 Facility Use - $370 Fundraising - $388 k.dugan@cox.net Total Operating Expense - $6,967 Facilities - $615 Interest on Member Building Loans - $4,375 Payroll Expenses $646 Worship Services - $500 Net Operating Loss - $826

8 8 Valerie Lynch grew up in Long Island, New York in a large Catholic family. Even as a child she was curious about other religions, and that interest has continued. She moved to Phoenix in 1987 because she wanted an adventure. While here, she worked in a law office for years but wanted something different, so she joined the Navy Reserves to work as a religious program specialist. Her duties were to assist clergy, so she had to learn about different rites, rituals, and beliefs of other religions. Valerie met Nick while waiting for a plane in San Diego for a weekend reserve meeting. The following month they met again in the airport, and he asked her out. They lived here until the San Francisco earthquake in 1989 which led to Nick getting a contract to redesign one of the collapsed highways there. Next, they lived in Indianapolis for 15 years where they became involved with the foreign exchange student program. They had a new student each year for those 15 years. Valerie was an Activity Director for a retirement community and later a nursing Sandra Mahoney s_1mahoney@cox.net home; she then became a coordinator for an Episcopal church. She and Nick attended an Episcopal church and a Quaker meeting. Since 1980, Valerie has worked for the Community UU Church of New York which has about 150 members. Since her parents were still in New York, that worked well. However, living there was too expensive, and she and Nick moved back to Arizona. As membership coordinator in New York, Valerie contacts visitors and others who inquire about the church, keeps the data base current, and connects visitors to others in the church. She maintains the church calendar and is the acting facilities coordinator, arranging events in the eight spaces owned by the church. When there in person, she connects with the new people and has created a card-making activity which has regular attendees. With Valerie s interest in different faith traditions, being a UU is a good fit. She likes that UUs appreciate there is wisdom in all religions. She characterizes herself as having always been a Universalist, even as a child she wanted everyone to have a chance with God. Valerie loves the flexibility of members of WVUUC. People share feelings and are appreciative of leaders. People seem proud of and devoted to the church. Valerie served as a Canvass Co-Chair and has been on the Board of Trustees. For relaxation, Valerie paints small abstracts with acrylic, watercolor, and alcohol ink. She likes to read political espionage thrillers.

9 9 Four WVUUC board members attended a board development workshop on Nov. 3. The theme was creating a We-Church vs. an I-Church and increasing engagement by the congregation. Noel Johnson has donated his old solar panels to the church. The costs of installing them will be added to one of his loans to the church. Eventually, the panels will save us costs on electricity. We have rising rates for insurance for the church due to rising insurance costs nationwide. Increases in construction costs and increased liability due to shootings at churches and synagogues contribute to this rise. The Fall Congregational meeting is set for December 9. A new Leadership Development Committee leader is needed; this position involves finding people to serve on the board and chair committees for the church. The Board voted to approve a bid from B & C Tree Co. to trim all the trees on our campus. This will use up almost the entirety of the Facilities budget, but is a necessary expense. Please consider making an extra donation to the church for facilities in the next few months to assist with these costs. We have 44 trees on our property and must maintain them properly to keep them healthy and avoid code violations. The city of Glendale requires us to trim, thin, and shape all trees and keep trees from overhanging on sidewalks or buildings. Landscaped areas must be free of trash, debris, weeds, and dead plant material, and shall in all respects be maintained in a neat and clean fashion. The Worship Services Committee does not plan the Christmas Eve Service. This service is entirely up to volunteers. Please contact Barry Linden at blinden@cox.net if you can help. Printing costs for the OOS are rising, and we are considering ways to reduce costs: have sponsors, reduce size to one-half sheet only, eliminate OOS entirely. Other ideas? If you are new to our church family or a frequent visitor still checking us out, consider signing up for one of our monthly Circle Suppers. Circle Suppers are a way to interact with church folk. You sign up on Sharon Moore s clipboard, and the host will contact you about what food to contribute to the structured potluck. The homes vary in how many can attend, from five to twelve, so it s always a good idea to sign up the first Sunday it s offered to ensure your spot. Sign-ups are the two Sundays preceding the Second Saturday Circle Supper. Questions? Grab Sharon (leadmoore@gmail.com) or one of the hosts and ask away!

10 10 Stacy Fitzwater Unitarian Universalist Justice in Arizona Network (UUJAZ) Issue Action Teams work for education and advocacy across the state in four focus areas: Education, Immigration, Racial Justice, Water. They meet once a month via video conference. To learn more about the role of members, visit issue-action-teams.html. office@uujaz.org to join in the work on an issue that matters to you! UUJAZ is hosting a series of webinars for Arizona UUs, designed to encourage, support, and strengthen us for justice work. Register for the next webinar, and access recordings of past presentations here: Connect from wherever you are to strengthen your justice muscles with UUJAZ! If you want to be added to the UUJAZ "Immigration Action Team News Alert" list, office@uujaz.org. UUJAZ and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) support the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition The Trump administration wants to slam the door on working-class immigrants Immigrants applying for a green card or visa could be deemed to be a public charge someone who depends on the government and turned away if they earn below 250% of FPL and use any of. a wide range of public programs for working families, or are deemed to be likely to use them in the future. This is an assault on America s fundamental values, and we must fight back. Whether you re an immigrant yourself, a community advocate, a service provider, a business owner, an elected official or just a concerned citizen, you can help us ensure that the government receives an overwhelming number of unique comments on this issue. Go to miracoalition.org The National Organization for Women Sun City/West Valley will meet at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 5 at the UU Church of Surprise, N. Avenue of the Arts, Surprise. Senator Elect Lela Alston will be presented the Golden Apple Award and will speak on the upcoming AZ Legislative session. Alston has distinguished herself serving four terms as District 24 Representative and serving on the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board. She has supported education for women and girls and has worked on restoring funding for public schools that provide career and technical training to students. Some previous recipients of NOW SC/WV s Golden Apple Award have been Janet Napolitano, Kyrsten Sinema, Ed Pastor, and Shirley McAllister. For more information, call or visit our website; aznow-scwv.org.

11 11 Running for good. (2018). First Spark Media. Reviewed by Cara Lancellotti I recently watched the documentary Running for Good. It tells the story of Fiona Oakes, a vegan ultrarunner whose goal is to raise awareness for animal welfare. Vegan means she doesn t eat or use any animal products. Fiona runs a farm sanctuary called Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary in Essex, England. She takes care of over 400 animals including pigs, horses, cows, dogs, and sheep. She rescues animals that have been abandoned, neglected, and abused. She started the sanctuary in 1993 and works tirelessly to take care of the animals as well as fundraise for them through running. The documentary details her life at the sanctuary as well as her running adventures. One is "the toughest foot race on Earth," the Marathon des Sables, which is a six day race in the Sahara desert that totals over 155 miles. Another is her Guinness Book of World Records feat of being the fastest woman to run marathons in all seven continents and the North Pole. In 2015 she ran six marathons (26.2 miles) in six continents in six days. What is even more amazing about Fiona s story is that she had over seventeen knee surgeries. They began when she was a teenager. She had her right kneecap completely removed and was told she would never walk again, let alone run. This documentary was very interesting to me as a vegan and a runner. It also fits well with our Unitarian Universalist principles, especially Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. Fiona spends her time and energy taking care of animals who would die without her. Seeing someone overcome so many personal obstacles and spend so much time and effort helping animals in need is inspiring. I really enjoyed this documentary and think it is informative, well-organized, and thought provoking.

12 12 Go to this online calendar for WVUU events: westvalleyuu.org/ events/calendar/ Keep up with WVUU church and member news, post comments, and share articles and photos with friends at these websites: Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven principles: 1.The inherent worth and dignity of every person; 2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; 3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth iin our congregations; 4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; 5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society at large; 6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; and 7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Unitarian Universalist principles are drawn from six sources: Facebook Group facebook.com/ groups/wvuuc Facebook Fan Page facebook.com/ WestValleyUnitarian UniversalistChurch Pin and browse UUrelated visuals at this site: pinterest.com/pin/ / 1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life; 2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love; 3. Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life; 4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves; 5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit; and 6. Spiritual teachings of Earthcentered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.