News

Sunday, May 19, 10:45 a.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Sunday, May 19, 1–3 p.m. in the Knatvold room

Your Board of Trustees and Interim Minister Search Committee are pleased to announce the hiring of Interim Minister Reverend Douglas Wadkins . The Board has selected Rev. Wadkins to lead us during our interim period between called ministers because of the depth of his interim ministerial experience, demonstrated skill in guiding congregations through transition and his ability to collaborate with others and inspire congregations to do the hard work of discernment. Rev. Wadkins’ deep UU history includes experience as an interim minister at five churches, ministry at United UU Congregation in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and serving as called minister at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship for 13 years. It is also notable that he has successfully led two churches similar in size to UUC through transition, facilitated Beloved Conversations, has a passion for supporting children and youth and has been directly involved in matters relating to anti-racism and anti-oppression work in most of his ministerial placements. We are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a well-respected and experienced leader. There were 25 churches seeking an interim minister and only a few more than 30 available ministers. The fact that we were able to match with one of our top choices is truly a gift. In August 2024, Rev. Wadkins’ interim ministry begins. The Board will offer an information session in July for those wishing to learn more about Rev. Wadkins and the immediate next steps in our path forward. Until then, you are invited to learn more about him at: www.douglaswadkins.org . UUC also has on our website a Ministerial Transition page which is kept updated. The Board is extremely grateful to our interim minister search committee that included Kathleen Cromp, Gayle Childers, Leila Zelnick, Sooraj Kuttykrishnan, John Crusius and Patricia Graesser, who kept as their guiding light the congregation’s mission and a focus on who would be the best person to lead UUC in the interim. The committee met many times for many hours, read reams of material, watched dozens of sermons and had frank, candid and deep conversations, which allowed them to make a thoughtful selection that the committee unanimously supported. With this selection made, we return our Board focus on a grateful farewell celebration for Rev. Jon Luopa on June 16. After Jon retires at the end of June, this summer’s services will be similar to what we’ve become accustomed to, with various voices in the pulpit. Please keep our dedicated staff in your thoughts and show them the appreciation we have for them. We are grateful for how they are holding this ship together as we sail off into uncharted waters. They have a lot to manage right now. In the summer the Board will name a transition team that will serve as the support team for our Rev. Wadkins and begin discussing a nominating committee for the called minister search committee. The search process for a called minister will begin after Rev. Wadkins joins our church in August. You can read about the search process for a called minister in the UUA's online Settlement Handbook . I’m looking forward to sharing in our next phase together with you. ~ Patricia Graesser, UUC Board of Trustees President

Saturday, May 18, starting at 9 a.m.

Sunday, May 19, 1–3 p.m. in the UUC chapel

Coming of Age Service Worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via live stream

Sunday, May 19, 1:15–2:30 p.m. in the Dix room and via Zoom

Click here to express your interest in volunteering at Chalice Camp

Sunday, June 16: 10 a.m. worship service; All Ages celebration starting at noon Please register by June 1

Thursday, May 16, 7–8 p.m. via Zoom

May 12–24: donation tables in Nathan Johnson Hall and in the downstairs atrium

Casserole cooks and treat makers, breakfast set-up and clean-up crews, credentialing clerks and voting tellers are all needed for the June 9 All-Church Breakfast Potluck and Annual Congregational Meeting. To start the day out in community, all are invited to create and enjoy a Breakfast Potluck together, from 8:30-9:45 a.m. Bring the whole family, and a breakfast casserole or a quick bread, pastry, or other breakfast treat to share. Options for omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets are needed. The church will provide the usual Sunday beverages—coffee, tea, and juice boxes for the kids—and we’ll provide compostable plates, bowls, cups, utensils and napkins. You are also welcome to bring your own re-useable place settings if you prefer. Please be sure your breakfast contributions are ready-to-serve when you arrive on Sunday morning. Sorry, food can’t be cooked or prepared at UUC (including cutting up fruit or re-heating). We’ll have “What’s in this food” forms ready at all serving tables to fill out when you arrive with your potluck offerings, too. We’ll have a location with outlets for your crock pots, etc, to keep your dish hot, and we’ll appreciate your packing your dishes as best you can to keep them appropriately warm or cold for the one-hour meal span. We’ll have a microwave available for individuals to heat a single serving quickly if needed. Remember to label your serving dishes and utensils with your name, so you can pick them up as-is when you leave on Sunday! Because all volunteers will be attending the Worship Service at 10 a.m. and the Annual Meeting at 10:45, we are unable to scrape and wash serving dishes – they will be left in place for you. Volunteers Needed for Breakfast and Annual Meeting Set up : We need a few extra Coffee Crew members and potluck volunteers from 7:30–9:45 a.m. to help set up and keep things in order at the potluck, direct dishes to the various tables and help with ingredients labeling. Clean up : We also need a few volunteers to help with clean-up after the worship service and Annual Meeting – putting away chairs, wiping tables, taking out trash, polishing up the kitchen. Annual Meeting : We’re looking for volunteers to help as sign-in clerks (verifying members-in-good-standing and issuing voting cards), and a few more willing to be tellers during the meeting (counting and reporting votes). Please email Janine.larsen@uuchurch.org to sign up for any of the volunteer roles. Many thanks for your support!

Thursday, May 23, 7:00–8:45 p.m. in the King Room

Wednesday, May 29, 5–7 p.m. in Knatvold

No discussion on May 28

Wednesday, May 22, 6:30–8:30 p.m. in Nathan Johnson Hall If you have been involved with the Social Justice programs at UUC in any way or if you would like to learn more about our social justice ministry, you are welcome to join this community potluck! There will be time to connect, lift up our shared efforts, and dream about the year ahead. Please bring something to share.

Sign up by Sunday, May 26

Monday, May 20, 7–8:30 p.m. via Zoom

Sunday, June 9, at 10:30 a.m. in person or through simultaneous Zoom meeting (members in good standing); or live stream (all others)

Wednesday Forum will not meet on May 15. The next meeting will be June 5, when we will discuss the Great Decisions 2024 topic Pandemic Preparedness. And mark Wednesday, June 12 , on your calendar for a potluck with a southeast Asian theme, inspired by our session on Indonesia. Booklets from the Foreign Policy Association ($35) are available for order at https://www.fpa.org/great_decisions/?act=gd_materials .

Tuesday, May 14, 7 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

The UUC Nominating Committee is pleased to announce nominations for election to key leadership positions at UUC. For the Board of Trustees (three-year term): Alison McCormick and Nicholas Eddington . For Moderator (two-year term): Chuck Harwood . We are so grateful for the commitment to service that these individuals make as they stand for election. It is a gift to our beloved community today and well into the future. Election for these positions will take place in connection with the online UUC Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 9, 2024. UUC’s Bylaws allow for alternative nomination by petition by 10 members in good standing. Any such nomination should be sent to Paula Nurius, Secretary of the Board, at board@uuchurch.org no later than May 19.

Sunday, May 12, both services

Worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via live stream

Interested in supporting the health and vitality of the Social Justice Ministries at UUC? Consider joining our Social Justice Steering Committee. The Social Justice Steering Committee (SJSC) works with Rev. Beth to support and guide the Social Justice Ministries as a whole. It is a team that engages in big picture conversations as well as implements specific projects (such as Second Sunday Plates and the Social Justice Jams). The SJSC creates space for justice groups to learn together and may help to catalyze new efforts when an urgent call to action arises. This team meets monthly. (Currently, meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday evening.) Commitment is 2–3 years. It is a fun and dedicated group of people. New team members will start in August/September. If you are interested in learning more, please email Rev. Beth at beth.chronister@uuchurch.org .

Thursday, May 30, 5–8 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Friday, May 10, 6–8 p.m. in Nathan Johnson Hall

Thursday, May 9, 7:00–8:45 p.m. in the King Room

Travel dates: September 12–17, 2024 (arriving on September 11 in Atlanta)

Our UUC congregation is committing to assisting transgender individuals and families who are fleeing oppressive laws in other states. We are connected to the Pink Haven Coalition through our relationships with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and other area UU churches. There is currently a need for housing, as short as a few days for out-of-state health care appointments and such, to longer stays which would allow someone to get a new life organized while finding a more permanent place to live. The Pink Haven coalition very carefully vets and matches travelers to homes, and all hosts will have a support team, a "welcoming village." If you have an extra room, an apartment, a home, or even a good spot for an RV , and are interested in potentially hosting, please email Rev. Beth Chronister for more information. At least 26 US states have enacted and are pursuing legislation making it difficult and dangerous to be transgender or non-binary. In some states it is already a crime for doctors and others to provide gender-affirming care to minors and young adults. As a result, growing numbers of people need to move to safer places and restart their lives. Pink Haven Coalition is a transgender-led collective of organizations and individuals supporting the relocation of individuals and families to safer states along with connections to mutual aid and access to gender affirming care. The most recent issue of UU World discusses this coalition and its important work. “Pink Haven helped my family of five move from one state that is increasingly becoming more anti-trans to a site where we have legal measures set in place to protect us as a trans/LGBTQ family," says a family the Pink Haven Coalition assisted in relocating in 2023. “Had we not received the support necessary to do this move, my family would still be fighting to move somewhere safer. My family is truly grateful for the support we received…” If you would like to learn more about the Pink Haven Coalition and join UUC's efforts, please join our upcoming meeting on Sunday, May 19, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. in Knatvold. There is now a UUC Connect group Pink Haven Coalition at UUC . Take a look. Use the "Join" button there to let the group leaders know you are interested in being in the loop. UUC Connect is our password-protected resource for UUC members and friends. If you do not already have an account, please contact the church office for assistance.

Opens Sunday, May 20

From Patricia Graesser, President, UUC Board of Trustees and Rev. Jon Luopa, UUC Senior Minister Dear Members and Friends: We have finished the visible six-week appeal for our annual giving campaign and are now entering the quieter phase of following up with past supporters from whom we have not yet heard. Our dedicated Stewardship Team will be busy in the next few weeks contacting those members and friends. If you have not pledged yet, please be expecting their call... Nevertheless, we must announce that we are looking at a significant shortfall in revenue for the coming church year... If we are unable to close this gap by the Annual Meeting on June 9, this is what will happen:... 

Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 23, online

Worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via live stream

Since 2022, UUs across the nation have been engaged in dialogue about proposed changes to Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) bylaws stating the UUA’s purpose, which could also be seen as describing Unitarian Universalist identity and practice. UUC’s 4th Principle Dialogue Group invites you to join the discussion here at home. The UUA reviews Article II for possible changes every 15 years. The last proposed revision was voted down in 2009, so Article II hasn’t changed in decades. In June at the UUA’s national gathering, the General Assembly (GA), delegates from UUC will join those representing other UUA member congregations to vote on the new Article II wording, including four new amendments. UUs have differing opinions on this issue, and having differing opinions is a hallmark of our faith. In the fall of 2022, the proposed new wording for Article II underwent substantial changes in response to feedback. In addition, several amendments were added at General Assembly in June of 2023. Now four more amendments have met the requirements to be considered by delegates this June. One amendment would add reason as a core value, joining love, equity, generosity, interdependence, justice, pluralism, and transformation. Currently, reason appears in one of our six sources, and the sources do not appear in the proposed new Article II. Some UUs support this amendment because they consider reason to be definitive to our distinctive UU identity. Other UUs are satisfied that reason is mentioned and implied elsewhere in the proposed text and don’t see a need to elevate reason to the status of a core value. You can see some of the dialogue around this amendment on its page on the UUA’s online forum . Another amendment would add peace as a core value. Currently, the goal of world peace appears among our seven principles, and the principles do not appear in the proposed new Article II. Some UUs consider the goal of world peace to be an important element of our tradition. Other UUs are concerned that a desire for peace could sometimes be contrary to the important work of promoting anti-oppression. At General Assembly last year, delegates voted down a different amendment to add in a reference to peace. Here is the official page devoted to discussing this amendment . Another amendment proposes to add wording about listening to, understanding, respecting, and responding to one another. This wording would be part of the description of the core value of equity. UUs in favor of this amendment say that it is necessary for justice work and for transformation. UUs opposed to it worry that it could be misused to give cover to hate speech, which should not be respected. Here is the UUA’s forum page for this amendment . The final amendment would change wording in the equity section from people having “worthiness” to people being “worthy.” The current Article II refers to “inherent worth and dignity,” and the Article II Commission changed “worth” to “worthiness” so as not to call up the history of monetary “worth” being assigned to human beings under slavery. Proponents of this amendment consider “worthiness” to be clunky and offer the alternative term “worthy” as a way to avoid the word “worth.” Other UUs consider the proposed wording to be fine just as it is. Here is the UUA’s forum page for this amendment . In addition to voting on the individual amendments, delegates will vote on Article II as a whole. Some UUs think that the proposed wording should be voted down like the proposed changes in 2009. They don’t want to see our principles and sources written out of the bylaws, and the don’t consider the new wording to be an improvement. Other UUs want to see the proposed changes passed. They see the new text as a necessary and overdue improvement to the existing Article II, one that will prepare our faith for the future and help us attract and retain a new generation of young people. Judging by the support that Article II received last year, the proposed new wording is likely to pass. Congregants here at UUC have differing opinions on this important issue, and that’s as it should be. In June, delegates from UUC are going to vote on these four amendments and on the new Article II overall, so now would be a great time for you to engage in some good-natured dialogue about these proposals. You can talk to the church’s delegates, who are to be announced after the Board’s meeting on May 16; and you can also talk to friends, members of the 4th Principle Dialogue Group, and church leaders. You can also join the national dialogue on the UUA forums dedicated to these topics . Happy dialoguing! Here is a link to the wording of the current Article II . And here is a link to the wording of the proposed new Article II . ~Alex Colledge, Michael Linenberger & Jonathan Tweet for the 4th Principle Dialogue Group The 4th Principle Dialogue Group promotes the “free & responsible search for truth & meaning,” pursuing the congregational goal of Connected Community. We get to know each other and connect to each other through meaningful, open-hearted dialogue. Drop-ins welcome. Homework not required. See more on UU Connect .

Saturday, May 4, 2:00 p.m. at UUC and via livestream Rev. Jon Luopa will officiate the memorial service for Jayne Cooper on Saturday, May 4. Reception to follow. Livestream available at https://www.uuchurch.org/memorial .

Apply by April 30

Wednesday, May 1, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

There will be NO Social Justice Jam on May 1. Come instead to an End-of-Year Social Justice Potluck on May 22! We've had six amazing Social Justice Jams this past year focused on racial justice, what's emerging in our homelessness ministries, voting rights, community organizing, and sharing our stories with one another. For our May gathering, we are going to have an End-of-Year Potluck for anyone who has been involved in the Social Justice ministry in any way. Come on Wednesday, May 22, 6:30–8:30 p.m., and bring something to share.

Worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via live stream

The formal pledge period for our Annual Giving Campaign ended on April 14. And, we’re not quite done. The campaign has reminded us of the deep impact UUC as on each of our lives. We thank all of you who renewed your yearly support—and special thanks to those who increased their pledge amount. We are grateful to all who submitted a new pledge. Our goal is 100% participation and we are still many pledges short of this benchmark. Each pledge is cherished and MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE! If you haven’t been able to submit your pledge, it is not too late to participate. Every gift brings us closer to our budget goals and aspirations. Please participate, if you are able, as soon as possible. For more information and a link to the pledge form, please visit Annual Giving Campaign Information and Pledge Form .

Applications for Chalice Camp Counselor positions close on April 28 Click here to apply now

Thursday, May 30, 5–8:15 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Saturday, April 27, 1:30–3:30 p.m. in Knatvold

Tuesdays, April 23 & May 14, 7 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

The 4th Principle Dialogue Group is skipping its regularly scheduled fourth Thursday session in April. We will meet next on May 9 to continue our lively discussion of The Lost Histories of Liberalism by Helena Rosenblatt, and our last session of the church year will be May 23 , when we will discuss Rev Jon’s latest sermons.

Information session: Sunday, April 21, 12:30–1:30 p.m. in the Knatvold room We’re now in our precious last few months of Rev. Jon Luopa’s leadership here at UUC before his announced retirement at the end June. On Sunday, June 16 , we will have a congregational celebration to send Jon and Annie out with deep gratitude and well wishes for a joyful retirement. The worship service, with Jon in the pulpit, will begin at 10 a.m. An all-ages celebration will begin at noon. Stay tuned for details and registration. The interim minister search process continues to move forward, aided by our representative at the Unitarian Universalist Association. You can read about the process in the Transitional Ministry Handbook online at: https://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/transitional_ministry_handbook.pdf You are invited to attend an information session the Board has scheduled for April 21 after the second service to learn more and ask questions. There is also a dedicated Ministerial Transition page on the UUC website that we are keeping updated. Our Interim Minister Search Committee (Sooraj Kuttykrishnan, John Crusius, Patricia Graesser, Kathleen Cromp, Gayle Childers and Leila Zelnick) has completed the application for interim ministry and will be publishing our profile and questionnaire responses prior to the April 18 UUA deadline. At the end of April, interim ministerial candidates will look through the profile and information packet UUC provides and, if interested in us, express their interest to the UUA Transitions office. The UUA will then provide our Committee with a set of interim minister candidates on April 28. The Committee will look at sermons, review minister information, interview applicants, and then recommend an interim minister to the Board. Our selection must be made by May 13. Before the end of May 2024, the Board is expected to enter into a contract with an interim minister for a two-year period. When Jon retires at the end of June we begin a new and unfamiliar phase for many. Those of us who haven’t been through a change in ministers like this may not be aware that it is an expectation that the departing minister steers clear of their old church for a couple of years. The intent is to allow the congregation space and time to discern who they are without their prior leader. This break in contact with an out-going minister isn’t unique to Unitarian Universalism, but it may be new to many in our congregation. It’s nothing personal or fraught. Please do keep this in mind though and consider what you may want to do for your best parting with Jon at the end of June. This summer’s services will be similar to what we’ve become accustomed to, with various voices in the pulpit. In the summer the Board will also name a transition team that will serve as the support team for our interim minister. Then, in August 2024, our interim ministry period begins . The search process for a called minister is a separate process that isn’t initiated until after an interim minister is hired. You can read about the search process for a called minister in the Settlement Handbook online at: https://www.uua.org/files/pdf/s/settlement_handbook.pdf As a Board we are committed to keeping you informed of the details as they continue to unfold. In return, we ask for your continued patience and participation as we travel this transitional road together. ~Patricia Graesser, President, for the UUC Board of Trustees

All Ages worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via live stream

Sunday, June 16