Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane Monthly Newsletter CREATE COMMUNITY FIND MEANING WORK FOR JUSTICE UP COMING SERVICES TODD S THOUGHTS

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1 December 2016 Volume 24 Issue 12 UP COMING SERVICES Special Note Please note that we will not being holding services on Sunday, December 25th, since it is Christmas day, but will be having both our annual Solstice Singing Ritual on Wednesday, December 21st at 7:00 p.m. and our annual Cosmic Advent service on Saturday, December 24th at 6:00 p.m. Dec 4 Dec 11 The Growing End of Religious Dialog Dr. John Sheveland, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University, Guest Speaker Dr. Sheveland will talk about his personal and professional experience with inter-religious dialog how we develop our capacity to see, hear, and understand others over time, and the benefits of those dialogs for us as individuals and as a society. As a Catholic theologian with scholarly expertise in the interplay between Christianity and Buddhism, Dr. Sheveland has written about how conversations between different faith traditions enrich our understanding both of others and of ourselves. Rudolph, Santa & the Red Scare Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, UUCS Minister The tendency toward fascism has been persistent throughout modern history, including in the U.S. When a society becomes fascist, the only recourse for opposition often comes in the form of sarcasm and art. Such is the case with the two classic Christmas Claymation films following the era of McCarthyism during the 1950s. This message will include clips from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Clause is Coming to Town as a creative response to such groupthink. Dec 18 Children s Holiday Pageant Dec 21 Solstice Singing Ritual (Wednesday, doors open at 6:30, begins at 7:00 p.m.) Dec 24 Dec 25 Cosmic Advent (Saturday at 6:30 p.m.) Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, UUCS Minister Our annual candlelight service utilizing traditional Christmas hymns, readings from a variety of religions, and short homilies to help us celebrate the miracle of every birth and the birth of the Universe itself. NO SERVICES CHRISTMAS DAY Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane Monthly Newsletter CREATE COMMUNITY FIND MEANING WORK FOR JUSTICE TODD S THOUGHTS Thanksgiving, Christmas, and another New Year are upon us, marking the unexpected end to a tumultuous political year in our nation. These events are leaving many of us feeling much uncertainty about the year ahead and wondering what to be hopeful about. I remain hopeful that local communities around the nation and the world will continue to say no to the deadly and dying fossil fuel industry, and the increasing demand for clean energy will continue moving us all toward an age of renewable energy. I hope our nation will continue to examine our racist criminal justice system, end the era of mass incarceration, the drug war, and move toward a system of restorative, rather than punitive justice. I m hopeful the need for income and economic equality in our nation and around the world will remain at the forefront of our thoughts and actions as we make demands of our leaders and politicians. I m hopeful that women everywhere will grow in strength and authority, will have control over their bodies and reproductive choices, and will feel safe from predatory behaviors. I remain hopeful we ll find a way for everyone who wants and needs education to afford it. I hope for snow in winder, rain in spring, smoke free air in summer, and abundant harvests in fall. I hope my family and all the people I love remain healthy and happy. There s so much to hope for, and so many reasons to remain hopeful, that I remain positive about our future, knowing, whatever is in store for us, we will walk toward it hand in hand, arm in arm, working to make our hopes a reality. Rev. Dr. Todd F. Eklof, UUCS Minister

2 We are Now Streaming Our Services Live streaming of our Sunday services are available by going to our homepage at and clicking on the Watch Services button. You can also watch past services by following this same link. If you need to leave the sanctuary, but don t want to miss what s happening, just find our wireless network (UUCS) and enter the access password: UUCSbooster. Then go to our website at The streaming access is on the homepage. WATCH SERVICES BOARD SLIVERS The fall church season is in full swing with lots of opportunities to connect with other members. Congregating is possibly the best way to Trump despair. The Strategic Planning Committee held its first meeting this month. We will be scheduling meetings in December and I would encourage members to participate in the planning process. Look for sign-up sheets or contact the office about engaging in this important process. Georgette Thornton made a wonderful presentation to the board on her ideas to revitalize the adult enrichment program. Look for a number of new programs to be launched in the first half of next year. UUs are curious lifelong learners and we can all benefit from engaging with others to refine and enhance our important life philosophies and practices. The mortgage burning and debt retirement celebration that was held on Sunday, October 23 was a wonderful remembrance. There was well-deserved recognition of many long-term members who created the vision and took the leap of faith to fund our current church home through a capital fund drive by selling building investment notes to members. Thank you to Moritz Kundig for his architectural design which enhances our Sunday experiences. Linda Whittenberg, our minister at the time, was a very important part of this transition and growth phase. It was nice to listen to her perspective that triggered memories of her performing a UU baptism of my daughter in the Spring It matters what we believe. Some beliefs are like walled gardens. They encourage exclusiveness and the feeling of being especially privileged. Other beliefs are expansive and lead the way to wider and deeper sympathies. Sophia Lyon Fahs, Unitarian Universalist Minister and Religious Educator. Renee Larocca <laroccarenee@gmail.com> UUCS Board of Trustees There is a change in the dates for Board Meetings. The next several meetings will be: December 7, January 25, and February 22. All Board meetings start at 6:00 p.m. and are held at the church. All are welcome. Help Needed The Pastoral Care Team (PCT) is looking for new members. Contact Todd or any member for details. The Usher Team Needs Help Our usher team needs additional members. This is a great role for newer members, as well as seasoned members. Usher Team also needs a Scheduler The Usher Team needs help in creating its monthly schedule. This requires about 1-2 hours of week in coordinating the positions that the ushers take each Sunday service. This can be done from home - Contact Warren Carpenter, Warrencarpenter01@gmail.com, (509) (Home), (509) (Cell) for more information. The Social Justice Council has openings for one or two members. Contact Peggy Eklof for details at or peggyeklof@gmail.com. DEADLINES AND PUBLICATION GUIDELINES The SUUN (monthly newsletter) Upcoming Deadlines for Submissions Deadline for Submissions: The third Thursday of the month at 5 p.m. This will be true even if there are five Thursdays in the month. Submitting Articles to the SUUN SUUN submissions to suun@uuspokane.org with UU SUUN in the subject line. Please do not format your article. Submissions may be attached as an MS Word document (Times New Roman font in 12 pt. type), a plain text file, or in the body of your . Thank You! Kathryn Alexander, UUCS SUUN Editor SUUNday FOCUS (Sunday bulletin) Deadline for Submissions: Every Wednesday by 10 a.m. Send SUUNday FOCUS submissions to focus@uuspokane.org To join our Weekly Focus e-newsletter and for other important updates, please sign up on our website. Go to the homepage at scroll to the bottom and fill out the form Subscribe to Our Updates. Thank you for keeping connected with UUCS! Check Run Cut-off Dates Requests for checks from members, teams and staff need to be submitted, along with invoices or expense documentation, to the office by the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. Check request forms (green slips) are attached to the front of bookkeeper s mailbox in the office. Office Hours: Monday Thursday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 2

3 CHURCH OFFICE NEWS We are in the process of upgrading our church database to a new system. This system will allow for up-to-date Directories, church event planning, class and event sign-ups, and much, much more! Members will even have the ability to create a personal account to update your information as it changes. Our goal is to have this implemented by January 1st Leading up to that date, we will be having a verification campaign to ensure that we have everyone s updated information. Even if you think you re up-to-date, please call or us to verify your preferred contact information. Please call during our normal office hours or your information to volunteer@uuspokane.org. If you are not receiving our weekly e-newsletter and would like to sign up for those and other important updates from UUCS please make sure to let us know. More information coming soon! Rebecca Adams, Communications/Office Manager Administrative Office Hours Monday Thursday 10 a.m. 2 p.m. UUCS Solar Snapshot As of Thursday October 20, 2016, at approximately 5:10 p.m., our 75 panel solar array has produced 95 megawatt-hours of electricity since It was projected to only produce 93 MWh, so we are doing very well. Thursday with the overcast and rain it produced 5.72 kwh. This year we have produced 21,635 kwh. We are still operating at 102% of the estimate. In the past month we have had a carbon off-set of 2.09 tons the same amount of CO 2 as 6 acres of trees which is approximately equal to the energy needed to: Power six stadiums for one day MANAGEMENT TEAM M-Team Meetings Your M-Team meets regularly to discuss the daily operations of the church, address concerns of congregation members and teams, and plan how best to move the mission and vision of the congregation forward as per our Policy Governance charge. Our 1 p.m. meetings are held in the Administration Office workroom. Please check with Rev. Todd for the meeting times. Of course, all are welcome to attend the meetings. If you are unable to attend, but would like something to be put on the agenda, please contact Rev. Todd at (509) or minister@uuspokane.org. TREASURER S REPORT UUCS YTD Revenue & Expenditures For the three months ended September 30, 2016 September Actual Year-to- Date Budget Year-to- Date Favorable or (Unfavorable) YTD variance Revenues: Pledges $22,932 $87,557 $96,375 $(8,819) Other $6,126 $24,933 $12,662 $12,271 Total Rev $29,058 $112,490 $109,037 $3,453 Expenses: $38,640 $117,179 $120,897 $3,718 Net Rev. (Loss) $(9,583) $(4,690) $(11,860) $7,171 Endowment Fund Balance 9/30/16: at market value $404,915 at cost $380,198 We sing the heart courageous, the youthful, eager mind; We sing of hopes undaunted, of friendly ways and kind. We sing of roses waiting beneath the deep piled snows; We sing the earth s great splendor, whose beauty round us glows. Ralph Waldo Emerson Since General assembly in Portland a little over two years ago, I pause and take some time to complete this sentence, It makes my heart sing when All four of the things above will make my heart sing. Today though, my heart sings while thinking of you from far away. With hearts courageous and hopes undaunted we complete a fourth of the church year with revenues ahead of expectations by $3,453 and expenses that are $3,718 less than expected. This is only a guideline, as pledges, other revenues and expenses are not the same each month. But it heartens me that we are ahead $7,171 from where we expected to be when you approved the spending plan at June s annual meeting. This is our moral document, directing the activities of the congregation to create community, find meaning and work for justice in the year ahead. So why am I happy to report that we are $4,690 in the hole as of September 30? The quick answer is that we expected to be short some eleven thousand at this time. The annual expenses anticipate the savings that we will begin to realize after the final mortgage payment. We started spending that savings in July, while we have yet to realize the benefit. The marketplace fundraiser should bring us close to even as funds are collected in November and December and from January on we expect to be close to breaking even each month. Affectionately Chuck Elsen, Treasurer huckleberry4114@hotmail.com, Cell (509)

4 3rd year for Bite 2 Go Christmas Box program The Bite 2 Go program through 2nd Harvest food bank provides a weekend breakfast and lunch for the needy kids in all of Spokane s elementary schools during the school year. The UUCS is partnered with Balboa Elementary. Unfortunately, the Bite 2 Go program only runs during the school year, and the kids get no support during Christmas break. So, for the third year the UUCS will expand our support of the Bite 2 Go kids at Balboa Elementary, and provide them with fixings for breakfast and lunch for the two weeks of Christmas break. This program is greatly appreciated by not only the kids and their families, but even by the teachers and staff at Balboa who work with the kids. After we started doing this three years ago several other churches and business that are partnered with other schools through Bite 2 Go followed our lead and started doing Christmas box programs for their schools too. We will be gathering food at the back of church Sunday December 4 and December 11 and taking it to Balboa on December 15. If you would like to help, bring in something from the list of food below, or drop off a donation at the food collection table. To feed 25 to 30 kids for two weeks we need: large jars of peanut butter large jars of jam loaves of bread (only bring bread in on Sunday, Dec. 11) boxes of cereal quarts of shelf stable milk bags of Little Cutie oranges (only bring in on Sunday, Dec. 11) dozen fruit juice packs dozen healthy snacks (raisins, fruit roll-ups, granola type bars, etc.) Note: the food should all be stuff young kids can make for themselves at home. We don t provide anything that needs heating, cooking, or using a can opener, because many of these young kids are home alone during the day. We use any cash donations (or check/credit card) to buy what doesn t get donated from the list above. Last year we had a bit of a surplus and were also able to get all the kids a few pair of warm socks and a gift card to a local grocery store. Everything donated will go to the kids this Christmas. If you would like to help in another way: We still need three or four sponsors for kids during for the school year ($144 a year) We are also looking for volunteers to read with 2nd and 3rd graders one hour per week. Please contact Kent Moline for more information: kent. moline@gmail.com (509) OF INTEREST TO UUS 4 The Third International Women s Convocation will focus on the theme Weaving Global Partnerships... Forging a Just Future Together. To be held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on the Monterey Peninsula, California, February 16-19, The Convocation is intended to bring together UU women from around the world for community and connection, information and inspiration, as well as motivation and momentum that lead to action and change. Increasingly, large international organizations are aware that gender equity is a strong factor in global sustainability. The Convocation provides a powerful opportunity within our own faith to link with this crucial effort! The UUPCC is one of the sponsors of the Convocation. We are encouraging you to enable a woman from your partner congregation to participate in the Convocation by covering the cost of transportation to and from the U.S., and any domestic flights. We also encourage you to arrange a visit with her at your congregation, either before or after the event. The IWC will cover the cost of registration, meals, and lodging during the conference, and will help book the flights to and from the U.S. Having a member of your congregation attend the Convocation, along with your partner s representative, offers an opportunity to forge an even stronger partnership bond. To register for the Convocation and for other details ( To whet your appetite further, ( watch?v=cysu1fgilza) for a 5-minute video about the Second Convocation, held in Transylvania in Given the need for visas, time is of the essence. Please consider this opportunity for partnership today. Dick Van Duizend, President, UUPCC and Rev. Roger Bertschausen, Executive Director, UUPCC CELEBRATING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION A Statement of Support from the Board for the Children and Family Ministry Program The Board recognizes the challenges in maintaining a vital religious education program in today s UU church and supports the efforts underway to re-envision our RE program under the umbrella of a Children and Family Ministry. This program is geared to facilitate the inclusion of children and families in the broader life of the congregation, and to encourage a more meaningful involvement of the congregation in the education and support of our families. Such a multigenerational approach builds our community while assisting families in sharing and living their UU faith. The Board supports this direction and appreciates the challenges inherent in this demanding but important work. We welcome our new Director of Children and Family Ministry, Aria Curtis, and want to express our gratitude to all who are working to institute this important change. The UUCS Board of Trustees

5 UUCS MUSICAL NOTES From Darkness to Light... A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual Experience the magic of the season in story and song as we celebrate the great turning of the year Find that transformative place within you as you add your own light to the world Excitement is ramping up for all the holiday offerings here at church in the month of December! And among those offerings are some musical treats for you and yours. Our Mixed Choir will start the holiday music traditions with some jazz and pop standards on Sunday, December 11th. You will have the fun of a newly conceived Pageant by our new Director of Children & Family Ministry, Aria Curtis on Sunday, December 18th. (Parents: be sure to get your kids involved in this we intend to have some FUN!) Next comes our yearly Winter Solstice Singing Ritual on Wednesday, December 21st at 7p.m. more about that below And to top it off, we ll have our Cosmic Advent service at 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve! So take your pick or come to everything! We aim to add to your holiday cheer! And now a little more about our Winter Solstice Singing Ritual. This service has become an increasingly important one for us since we started doing it in People both inside our congregation and in the larger community find it to be a special way of celebrating and connecting with the earth and its cycles. It brings us together in what is really a very ancient custom all over the world the marking of the turning of the year from darkness to light. This year s winter solstice occurs on December 21st and marks the shortest day (in daylight hours) and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. The origin of the word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium, from sol, sun and stitium, a stoppage. Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter, and we re on our way to spring! So you have a special invitation to celebrate with us on the very night that earth event happens. The Solstice Singers, along with narration and readings, will entrance you with song and myth on this longest night of the year. Come join us as we mark one of the oldest religious observances on the planet. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. In celebration of both the Light and the Dark Deb Jacquemin, Your Music Director Wanted: Solstice Helpers! Our Winter Solstice service (Wednesday the 21st ) is a great way to get into the holiday spirit! We use all kinds of talent to put this on: Graces and Dragons (ushers), Kitchen helpers, Set-up and Clean-up crews and at least 25 bakers of cookies! So come join the throng and be a part of this annual event as a Solstice Elf! Deb Jacquemin at uumusic@uuspokane.org for info, etc. SAVE THESE DATES January 20th Weaving Our Sister s Voices Weaving Our Sisters Voices is a GU Dance performance that brings to life the stories of women from Scripture, creating a sacred tapestry of faith, hope and resilience in the face of violence, misunderstanding, poverty, and loss - contemporary themes which are embedded within these ancient stories. The Dance will be followed by a talk-back session where the audience can hear from representatives from different fields. We will focus on how the stories presented are relevant to various faith communities, the prevalence of issues presented in the script in today s world. Feb. 4, 6:00 p.m. Hungarian Dinner and dancing for all ages. Family friendly event! Join us for sharing a meal and conversation about life in Romania with Elemer & Jolanka Peto our guests from our partner church in Felsorakos Feb. 5 Partner Church Sunday services HEALTHY RELATIONS TEAM In Relationship With Community What do we really want from belonging to a community, whether it be our neighborhood, a civic organization, or our church? What basic needs do people seek to meet? Most people would probably say they want to feel appreciated and accepted, and they also want to feel they contribute something positive to others in the organization. How then can a community, comprised of many types of people of varying ages and generations, satisfy everyone s basic needs? In a community such as ours, a liberal religious church, we value the wide diversity of personalities and histories of all our members, each with his or her own special gifts to offer. While we are all motivated to come to church for various reasons and hope our expectations and needs will be satisfied, that is only part of the story. The other half of the story is having an awareness and appreciation of the needs of others, even when those needs are different from our own. Being in relationship, with one person or with a group of individuals, means developing a sense of mutuality, where both parties are willing to give and take, and where both sincerely care about the needs of others as being as important as their own. Cultivating within ourselves a desire to be considerate of others can actually help us to develop a deeper sense of belonging to our church community, which benefits everyone, including ourselves. Devon Greyerbiehl (Team Leader), Nancy Hand, Candace Schmidt, George Girvin, UU Healthy Congregations Team 5

6 AROUND THE CHURCH Monthly Mid-Week Vespers If you are longing for a respite in the hustle and bustle of life, join us for a monthly mid-week breather. We have re-formatted our monthly Wednesday night Vespers service and encourage you to try it out this fall. The Chapel and Friendship Hall are scheduled for last Wednesday of December, from 6 to 8 p.m. We will begin at 6 with an informal, optional meal together. At 6:30, we ll gather in the Chapel. Using resources and topics from a variety of sources, we have crafted a format that includes singing, sharing, readings and more. This is an Adult Enrichment opportunity that we hope to continue in January. Each gathering is stand alone : you do not need to register or attend every month. At this point in time, the Vespers are appropriate for adults, teenagers and older youth. No childcare is available and the evenings are not appropriate for small children. We will explore childcare for winter and spring if there is a strong call for it. Vespers Core Group, Cindy Phillips, Betsy Lawrence, Carla Brannan, Georgette Thornton, Stephanie Samson. UU Chalice Lighting Program Hooray! This year for the first time in a very long time our congregation became a fair share congregation. This means we are paying 100% of our dues to the UU Northwest Regional District (PNWD) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Paying our dues is one of the prerequisites for eligibility in the District s grant programs. One of the grant programs is the Chalice Lighter program. The Program assists the growth of new and existing Unitarian Universalist member congregations with grants to provide vital capabilities and infrastructure. More specifically the Chalice Lighter grants are intended to help congregations grow by: Securing, improving or furnishing a building Reaching out to the community to attract new members Funding any other creative program to facilitate growth These grants are typically about $17,000 and are funded exclusively through contributions from Unitarian Universalists who participate as Chalice Lighters. About 11% of our congregation has taken the Chalice Lighter Pledge. For our church to be eligible for a grant we need 30% participation. Based on the size of the congregation we need about 70 more folks to take the Chalice Lighter pledge. I talked to one of our Chalice Lighters and she told me that it was one of her most satisfying and fun charitable contributions. The amount is small ($15 at any one time) and you are provided a letter that tells exactly how the money will be used. It is possible, with the program being confined to the NW, that you will know who will be getting the grant. When you become a Chalice Lighter, each year you will receive no more than three call letters. The letter will explain the express purpose of the call and ask for your donation of at least $15. The grant must be used for those purposes, so you will know exactly where your money is going. Ten percent of call receipts, but never more than $2,500, will help offset direct costs of administering the Chalice Lighter program. If you want to read more about the program here is the web page: We are anxious to get to the required 30% of our congregation to take the Chalice Lighter Pledge so that we can become eligible for a grant. We want to be eligible for financial help because of the growth in the congregation we are experiencing and what that might portend for carrying out our strategic plan. The Board will be exploring ways we can up our numbers of Chalice Lighters. Holiday Greens One of the highlights of the holiday season here at UUCS is the decorating of the Christmas Tree. In order for that to happen, we have to actually HAVE a tree to trim! A big one. A real one. It s always a challenge to find a fitting tree can you help?? For many years, we had a family who trekked out to a National Forest area, permit in hand, and cut one for the church. If you ve got a tree on your property that fits the bill, or know where one might be available, contact the church at (509) during office hours. And, if you ve got branches of evergreens suitable for boughs, we need those, too! Craft Show and Faire Please browse the Holiday Craft Faire on Dec 4th and 11th for those special unique gifts. The Faire will be held in the fellowship hall before 1st service, at mid-services break, and after the 2nd service on both days. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the UU Church of Spokane. Featured items include a needlepoint, artisan cloth dolls, colorful seed bead jewelry, wrapped wire jewelry, etched wood images, duct tape wallets, and pens, beautiful dulcimers, hand woven cotton baskets (11th only), select photos, mystery donations from Ann Glynn, whimsical seed bead animal earrings, and perhaps even unique clay sculptures. This is a great chance to buy local and support our church! This event is sponsored by the Art Team. The team is seeking interested artisans to participate in future shows. Anna Vamvakias, Art Team Chair, at bambaka13@comcast.net 6

7 AROUND THE CHURCH Cookie Walk & Decorating Party Saturday, December 3, we will be holding a cookie walk as part of our winter holidays events. Followed by our church decorating party. 3:30-8:30 p.m. The best kind of fundraisers are the ones that create community and raise funds at the same time! We re trying something new this holiday season that should meet both those goals. At a cookie walk, a considerable selection of homemade cookies are displayed on tables. Customers select a variety of the cookies to fill a holiday tin and pay a flat rate for their purchase. Individual cookies, along with cocoa and cider, will be available for purchase for any shoppers who wish to try out the merchandise on the spot! For additional information contact Cindy Phillips at (509) or cindyphillips@centurytel.net. Auction Follow Up Let the Community Auction Fun Begin! If you are one of the 102 people who bid on some of the Community Auction events, you re in for a treat! Just put them on your calendar, and then remember to send your check to UUCS, marked Auction. We sent out s last week, with all the information on what you bought, and who signed up for your event(s). If you didn t get yours, or the dog ate it, just call the church office (509) and someone will get you that information! Or you can log in (your phone number plus last 4 for PIN) at login to access the information yourself. Our thanks to all who participated by either donating or purchasing. You are making connections with other church members and raising funds to support the work of the church. Have fun! Our Hearing Loop System UUCS has a hearing loop system in the church sanctuary/friendship hall area to assist people who have hearing loss. And remember, when in church for services or events, if you have compatible hearing aids, switch them to T-coil or ask at the sound booth for a hearing assistance headset. SOCIAL JUSTICE IS WHAT WE DO! Safer Spokane Initiative Our Church wide Social Justice project to make oil trains safer and reduce pollution from coal trains kicked off on November 29th and will be gearing up over the coming weeks. We need as many folks to volunteer as possible, so that the work can be spread lightly. Contact Jim Lee at , jleecitizen@gmail.com or Jacob Johns at , studio1eleven@yahoo.com for more information. IT S TIME FOR A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN! Why? Because it s important for us, as a congregation, to be purposeful about where we want to go and what we want to be during the next three to five years - what we aspire to, consistent with our values and mission. As Yogi Berra used to say, If you don t know where you are going, you ll end up someplace else. In 2013, a Strategic Plan was developed and served as a useful guide for decision making and funding prioritization. Major accomplishments include: renewing our Welcoming Congregation status, constructing a pulpit/riser system that meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications, streaming and recording our Sunday services, updating our control booth and sound system, analyzing and addressing our current staffing needs, reviewing and enhancing staff benefits, becoming a Fair Share contributing church, continuing and expanding our Social Justice activities, making safety changes to our playground and church building, and funding and supporting a balanced budget. (If you would like more details, check our website for April 2016 Strategic Plan Tracking under Members. ) The Board of Trustees has convened an ad hoc Team to update our UUCS Strategic Plan. The process is as follows: Gather congregational input Analyze and interpret the input Define objectives and action items Get additional input and approvals During the next few months, you ll be hearing a lot more about the process, and are invited to share your thoughts and dreams in a number of different ways, including some very interesting meetings in December. Please accept one or more of our invitations! And, feel free to contact any team member with your comments or questions. Todd Eklof and Dave Gard, co-chairs, Nancy Avery, Lee Dominey, Dan Eacret, Amy Teel, The Strategic Plan Team Strategic Planning Workshops As part of the input gathering process for our Strategic Planning process, there will be a series of workshops in early December. They will use a process known as Dynamic Facilitation to allow groups of Church members to create choices about the future of our church. There will be six opportunities for you to participate, with sessions on: a Saturday, after Church on Sunday, a weekday, a weeknight, and special sessions at Rockwood Retirement and for youth and young adults. Call the Church office at during office hours to choose your session. 7

8 TEAM AND GROUP NEWS Attention Team Leaders Are you wondering how the office staff and volunteers can support your Team s activities and projects? Here are some ways we can help: Make copies; help with mailings, including envelopes and postage; provide supplies, such as tape, paper, folders, markers, pushpins; offer use of staplers and paper cutters. We are happy to work with you and for you. Just ask! Adult Enrichment Adult Enrichment Coming Soon As we close one year and open another, please pay attention to the upcoming programs offered through Adult Enrichment. New courses, classes and events have been designed to complement our mission to Create Community, Find Meaning and Work for Justice. By mid-december, it is hoped there will be a directory on the UUCS website, www. uuspokane.org, outlining the Winter & Spring offerings. A kiosk will also be set up in the Friendship Hall to provide information of what is being offered and when. As 2017 unfolds, more offerings will be added based on the suggestions and recommendations of our members. If there is a topic you would like to explore, or if you are willing to facilitate or instruct a program, please contact Georgette Thornton at gsthornton437@gmal.com or (509) Buddhist Meditation Group Tibetan Buddhist nuns from Sravasti Abbey are teaching meditation this fall on Mondays in December, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in our chapel. Beginners and drop-ins are always welcome! The classes include two meditation sessions, homework, discussion/questions, and reflection on the book Living with an Open Heart though it is not necessary to have the book or to have read it. Contact Susan Virnig <susan@newstories.org> for more information. UU Women December 14th at 11:30 a.m. Lunch, Wednesday, Davenport Tower Hotel. Celebrate the holidays with other UU women! Enjoy lunch together in the Safari Room. Please RSVP Judy Gammon at rog_jrg@msn.com if you would like to join the festivities. All women of the church are welcome! Thursday, December 15th at 1:00 p.m. Third Thursday Book Group. It s time to choose the books for reading and discussion in And a holiday celebration! The book selection for January is The Speckled Monster by Jennifer Lee Carrell. It is a history of smallpox a disease that has been conquered. For more information about the book group or the December meeting, please contact Donna Borden Rhodes at dbordenrhodes@comcast.net. In the tradition of the UU Women s Federation all the women of the church are invited to participate in UU Women s activities. Endowment Team As you may know, a few years ago the Endowment Team joined a large number of UU congregations in placing the management of our church s endowment monies with the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF). The UUCEF shares our church s goals and objectives particularly in the search for green investments. Their Investment Committee has established the following objective for the fund, To achieve the highest possible professional standards in the way it manages and operates the UUCEF, and by so doing, to provide stable investment performance at a reasonable level of risk, while having a positive impact on social and environmental issues. Marie Bjork, Donna Borden Rhodes, Dick & Judy Gammon, Mary Giannini, Mary Monroe, Tom Mosher, UUCS Endowment Team Membership Team New Member Relationship Meeting You may remember in March the church invited Carol Krawczyk, organizer for the Spokane Alliance, to present a homily as part of a service where the Core team presented a Relational Meeting challenge to the congregation. Since that service there have been many one-on-one relational meetings that have occurred and the Core team is at it again. Now, we would like to have brief (30-45 min) relational meetings with our newer church members. These meeting are only intended to get to know our new members better and to share what is important in our lives. We will not be recruiting or asking for anything. These meetings will be done at a coffee house or other convenient location and will be done as a welcoming gesture and in the spirit of building deeper community with our church. We hope when someone calls and introduces themselves from the UUCS Core team, that you can find time to visit. If you have questions contact Marilyn Carpenter marilyncaz@aol.com or Jerry White jerrywhiteis@gmail.com. Partner Church News All the travelers from Spokane who have visited our partner church in Felsorakos will tell you how graciously they were treated. Now it s our turn to reciprocate by welcoming Elemer and Jolanka Peto and their sons Elemer and Arpad. Their passports have arrived and tickets will soon be purchased. The partner church team is thinking of activities they might enjoy. Do you have basketball, hockey or music tickets they might use? Would you like to take them to a place you enjoy? Do you have skis or snowshoes they could borrow? Could you help prepare a meal? They ll be staying at Todd & Peggy s home. Ilona Terts has agreed to be their main translator for the visit, but do you know anyone else who could volunteer to help interpret in Hungarian? Let s all make this a truly wonderful visit for them. Please contact Julie Jose or Stephanie Samson to volunteer your ideas or time. 8

9 TEAM AND GROUP NEWS Lay Leaders Interview with Natalie Palmer This month we are continuing the on-going feature for the SUNN to spotlight the role of lay leaders in our services. The following is from an interview with lay leader, Natalie Palmer, by Marilyn Carpenter. What is your church background? I was raised Catholic, but never felt a connection to the church or its teachings. I learned of UU from a colleague when I was in graduate school, but it took a few more years until we lived near enough to a UU church to finally visit. I turned to my husband with no warning and said, I think I m Unitarian, and I think I want to go to church tomorrow to learn more. A few months later, we joined All Souls UUC in Colorado Springs. Our daughter Genna was dedicated in their beautiful 1893 building. Cascade UU in Wenatchee was our home for eight years, until our move to Spokane in In Wenatchee, I took turns serving as director of Religious Education, Music Director, accompanist, choir member, lay leader, and on just about every committee under the sun. Making a small congregation run takes work! What attracted you to being a lay leader? I love public speaking - in fact, my husband Joe and I were on rival speech teams in high school. Being in front of a group feeds my soul, so lay leading was a natural fit for me. I ve been lay leading for 12 years, it remains one of my favorite ways to serve the congregation. In Wenatchee I had the pleasure of working with Rev. Cecilia Kingman during her time there. She was passionate about the importance of lay leaders - and shaped my view that the pulpit belongs to the congregation- to us. The lay leader represents our shared ministry, and the idea that we all have the calling to speak and the right to be heard. I also hope that, when I m there, it s like saying Hi. I m going to take care of you. Sit back. Relax. And let me walk you through the next hour. How do you prepare for a service where you are going to lay lead? I always start by looking at the message or theme of the service; sometimes I look at what s going on in the community or larger world, or what happened in history on that date. I may have a book I ve been reading. But my secret? Google. Yup. I will put some key words into Google and see what paths it takes me down. I ve found amazing writings just by casting the net wide open and seeing what comes back to me! I always find something that connects to my heart and mind. And occasionally, when listening to Todd, I ve gone into the grey hymnal to find words that better suit what he s saying and switch my closing words with minutes to spare! Pastoral Care Team The Pastoral Care Team (PCT) is looking for new members. If you would like to learn more about joining the Pastoral Care Team, please contact one of the co-chairs: Amy Howard, (509) or Joan Nelson (509) We meet on the 3rd Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. The Pastoral Care Team focuses on needs of congregation members such as (1) transportation for medical appointments or other events including church, (2) meals brought in to the home, (3) social visits and information regarding community services, (4) caregiver respite, (5) home repair and light hauling. These services are provided during times of crisis or life transition. In addition, Pastoral Care also provides help with Memorial Service and reception planning. Trained Pastoral Care Team Members are ALSO available to attend medical appointments with those desiring help receiving and using information from medical personnel. All uses of Pastoral Team services are strictly confidential and are limited to the specific wishes of the congregation member involved. Please keep the pastoral team in your thoughts and whenever you have a need, please contact us. Any team member may be contacted. Team Members Are: Todd Eklof, Minister Joan Nelson, co-leader Doug Huigen Chris Kent Ruth French Cheryl Rohrig Mary Ann Soltis WHEEL OF LIFE Amy Howard, co-leader Cynthia Cilyo Majil Fausel Torge Lorentzen Evan Armstrong Lee Smith If you have a landmark event in your life and would like to share it in the Wheel of Life, please me at wheel_of_life@ uuspokane.org. It is a joy for UUCS to celebrate with you and support you in times of need or sorrow. Because we care Kathryn Alexander, Wheel of Life I notice that your daughter, Libby, also is a lay leader. Do you work together when you prepare? Usually not! She may ask me to talk about the topic and ask some questions, but more often she finds her own words. That s the beauty of the lay leader - it brings diverse voices to the pulpit! 9

10 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Spokane, WA Permit No UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SPOKANE 4340 W Fort Wright Drive Spokane WA Phone: FAX: Address service requested. The SUUN is a monthly publication of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. Minister & Staff Contact Information Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, Minister...minister@uuspokane.org Deborah Jacquemin, Music Director...uumusic@uuspokane.org Heather Koselke, Business Manager...admin@uuspokane.org Rebecca Adams, Communications/Office Manager...commanager@uuspokane.org Aria Curtis, Director of Children and Family Ministry...re@uuspokane.org Covenant Statement We, the Unitarian Universalist congregation of Spokane, promise to: support and care for one another, embrace diversity of persons and spiritual paths, search for truth and understanding, and work for social justice and environmental stewardship. With this covenant, we honor each other with our laughter and tears, our compassion, and respect. We are a community of open hearts, open minds, and open hands. If you no longer wish to receive the SUUN, please contact us at admin@uuspokane.org Board of Trustees: David Gard, President Wayne Attwood Donna Borden Rhodes Warren Carpenter Jerry White Jeff Hedge Julie Rector Board of Trustees (Ex-officio): Chuck Elsen, Treasurer Jan Gard, Secretary Management Team: Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, Minister Heather Koselke Rebecca Adams Stephanie Samson Phyllis Thayer Dan Eacret Church Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.