News

Worship service at 9:30 a.m. in the chapel and via livestream

Sunday, June 15, 8:30-9:45 a.m. in Nathan Johnson Hall Cooks and bakers, get out your recipes! Bring your favorite morning dish and ready-to-eats for the All-Church Breakfast Potluck that kicks off Annual Meeting Sunday on June 15. 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 dish” forms ready at all serving tables to fill out when you arrive with your potluck offerings. We’ll have a location with outlets for your crock pots etc., to keep your contribution hot. Plan to pack your contributions as best you can to keep them appropriately warm or cold for the one-hour meal span. We’ll have a couple of microwaves 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. 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 Potluck 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 labeling ingredients. 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 : The UUC Board has recruited volunteers to help as sign-in clerks (verifying members-in-good-standing and issuing voting cards), tellers during the meeting (counting and reporting votes), and a few other roles. Please email Janine.larsen@uuchurch.org to sign up for any of the volunteer roles. Many thanks for your support!

Meeting  Materials Now Available Sunday, June 15, 10:45 a.m. in the UUC chapel and via Zoom

Applications due by June 15 I am sorry to share the news that Shameka Davis , one of UUC's Childcare Providers, will have her last day with us on June 15. Shameka and her family are moving out of Seattle, and the commute is just a little too far to make it feasible for her to continue providing childcare at UUC. Shameka has been at UUC a little over a year now and in that time has provided a calm and grounded presence in Sprouts, supported a nurturing environment for young children, and brought lots of fun and creative activities for kids. We will miss Shameka and her daughter Maya! I hope you will join me in congratulating Shameka on the move and wishing her well in this next phase of life. This means that UUC's Family Ministry is seeking a part-time Childcare Provider to support Sprouts and childcare events at UUC. Those who work with our youngest community members are instrumental in providing a strong foundation in what it means to be a part of a loving and supportive church community. Childcare Providers at University Unitarian Church support a safe, fun, and caring environment for children on Sunday mornings and at church events. They work with other staff and volunteers, including teens, to guide young children in creative free-play activities during their time at church. For the full job description and information about how to apply, please click here . Applications are due by June 15, with interviews commencing immediately. Please contact Director of Family Ministry, Aria Curtis , with any questions.

Monday, June 16, 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the UUC chapel, by pre-registration

In many years, the Eliot Institute summer camps are already filled by now. But recent events have raised some concerns about the ease of travel between Canada and the United States. Some of our B.C. regulars have decided not to risk crossing the border. So it's not too late to sign up! Not familiar with the Eliot Institute? Read general info about the camps further below, after the specifics of the three upcoming summer camps.

Tuesday, June 24, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. by appointment in Nathan Johnson Hall

UUC's Science Book Group will take a long summer recess to go outside and play during July and August. We will resume meeting on September 9, discussing Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World by Marcia Bjornerud. Join the Science Book Group in UUC Connect to automatically receive information about future meetings.

Friday, June 6, 6–8 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Wednesday, June 4, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

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

We have some upcoming staff transitions in the Music Program. I'm sad to say that two of our wonderful section leader/soloists, Rick Scheyer and Camille Watson, will be moving on from UUC this summer. Rick Scheyer has been our phenomenal bass section leader/soloist for the past 24 years! He has been the solid foundation of the choir for all that time, and we will miss his cheerful presence, rousing solos, and thoughtful leadership. Rick has relocated to Mt. Vernon, which makes for a challenging and long drive to Seattle, and so he has regretfully decided that it is time to bid farewell to his position at UUC. Camille Watson joined us as soprano section leader/soloist in 2023. In addition to singing, she has a thriving business creating social media, websites, and photography for local musicians. Her business has become so in-demand that she unfortunately has decided to move on from UUC in order to make more time for her business. We will miss her, but congratulate her on her success. On the good news front, we already have a new soprano section leader/soloist chosen to take over when Camille leaves. Amy Peer has done quite a bit of subbing this past year (both for Camille and for Cally Lindenmier), and she will officially join the music staff in June as our soprano section leader/soloist. Amy will be a familiar face and voice to many, and we are so happy to welcome her in her new role! You'll be able to hear Amy sing at the first summer service, on June 8. Rick and Camille will sing their final Sunday services with us on June 1, Flower Communion Sunday. Please join the Loft Choir and the entire Music Program in thanking them for their time with us when you see them on June 1. Karen P. Thomas Director of Music

The chancel flowers for June 1 have been given by Judith Wood in loving memory of all who have brought their blossoms of varying shapes and hues to this ceremonial sharing table over many years. To sponsor flowers for Sunday worship, perhaps in honor of a loved one or an occasion, please contact the church office .

The Bridging Ceremony celebrates the passage from youthhood to young adulthood; these teens are aging out of Youth Group and taking their place in our religious community as young adults. To symbolize this moment, Bridging teens will each receive a blooming rose, thorns intact; these teens are coming into their own, resilient and ready to face the joys and challenges that life will bring.  Our Bridgers: Phil Crowther has attended UUC since he was 6 years old. Since then, he has been a fixture at Chalice Camp, first as a camper and later as a counselor, and has co-taught the Roots class for the past few years. Phil is passionate about film (Phil made the Family Ministry video used in this year's pledge campaign!), photography, and ultimate frisbee, and will be pursuing all three at DePaul University in Chicago starting in September.

From the Nomination Subcommittee of the UUC Board of Trustees As we previously shared, the Board of Trustees is pleased to introduce our proposed slate of seven exceptional UUC members who have stepped up to serve as members of the Ministerial Search Committee. A large display, highlighting these seven candidates is now located in Nathan Johnson Hall or as you enter the sanctuary. At the Annual Congregational Meeting on June 15, members in good standing will vote on the full slate of candidates. This slate includes all seven individuals listed. Members will cast a single vote to approve the entire slate and not each individual candidate. We are lucky to have found an outstanding group to select our Senior Minister, and we encourage you to attend the Congregational Meeting and vote to approve this full slate, which was selected with the greatest care and with each of you in our heart and minds. Read more about the nomination process .

June 18–22, Baltimore, MD or online

Sign up by Thursday, May 29 Child dedication ceremony on Sunday, June 1, 9:30 or 11:15 a.m.

Tuesday, May 27, 5–7 p.m. in Knatvold

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

Janine Larsen, Acting Administrator We are pleased to announce the selection of our Congregational Engagement Coordinator, who will start July 1 . Morgan Sherwood (she/her) is a lifelong UU who grew up at the Boulder Valley UU Fellowship in Lafayette, Colorado. In high school she fell in love with the UU community she found at Cons (youth conferences) and camps and was very active in youth leadership. Morgan recently graduated from Whitman College with a degree in Environmental Studies-Biology. At Whitman, Morgan served as an Inclusion Fellow in the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and spent three semesters taking and teaching classes inside the Washington State Penitentiary. Morgan is thrilled to be embarking on this new journey with UUC! The Congregational Engagement Coordinator is a new position at UUC, which will: Provide front office presence and direct response to inquiries including meeting scheduling; Coordinate volunteer teams who support general office reception and database tasks; Manage and promote use of our relational database, UUC Connect; Support Connections and Sunday Welcoming Teams; Work closely with our Communications Coordinator, Susan St. John, and our incoming Associate Minister in carrying out our website, social media, and onsite communications strategies. Thank you to the Interview Team for this position—Leslie Robinson, Lora Poepping, Stacy Carlson, and Cynthia Setel—who interviewed 8 candidates (screened from 21 applicants) offering a variety of strengths and diversities. We're looking forward to introducing Morgan to the congregation and arranging opportunities for her to get to know our Sunday Welcoming Team Leads and volunteers, and our Connections Team. Morgan is also looking forward to meeting other Young Adults at UUC and planning some activities together over the next program year.

From the Acting Associate Search Team Dear Members and Friends of University Unitarian Church, We are excited to share some wonderful news with you! The Acting Associate Search Team has concluded its efforts, and we are thrilled to introduce Rev. Victoria Poling as our new Acting Associate Minister for Community Engagement . The position is part of our new staff team that emphasizes working with congregational teams to share the ministry of several essential areas including welcome, caring community and social justice. We will be very collaborative within the staff, as well as with lay leaders to continue to expand leadership development and build partnerships within the congregation and beyond. The associate position is acting, which indicates in this instance that it will likely remain in place as we transition into the new lead ministry and will allow the lead minister to have flexibility to continue the current ministry or seek another associate in line with their vision to build a vibrant and effective shared ministry. We were lucky to have strong candidates for the position. However, the search team was impressed by Victoria’s insightful and experienced understanding of ministry, her wise and compassionate understanding of the ways of church life, and her considerable experience working with lay teams in congregations. As one search team member wrote, "[Victoria] has a calm, grounded presence and, according to members of her current congregation, the humility, spiritual grounding, relational skills, and creativity that was pivotal to supporting their congregations and lay leaders through periods of significant complexity and uncertainty. She is deeply called to serve the land, water, and people of the Salish Sea and has a longstanding commitment to engaging with our UUC community through various roles, such as supporting our Coming of Age mentors, collaborating with UUC family ministry leaders, and leading summer services." Victoria holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Seattle University School of Theology & Ministry, and in addition to her ministerial experience, Victoria has an impressive background in nonprofit management and environmental education, which will enrich our church’s programs and initiatives. Her multifaceted skills and deep compassion make her a wonderful addition to our community. Rev. Poling will begin her ministry with us in August , but will most likely begin some behind the scenes work in late July. Please join us in welcoming Rev. Victoria Poling to University Unitarian Church! We are looking forward to the many ways she will engage with UUC and assist us all as we grow together. Warm regards, The Acting Associate Search Team Aria Curtis, Becca Hutcheson, Eileen Bianamara, Scott Maxson and Rev. Doug Wadkins

~Janine Larsen, Acting Administrator My turn. As of June 30, I’ll be retiring from full-time work at UUC. I’m ready to take up a different pace in my life and turn more fully to other passions. It’s particularly satisfying to wind up my staff position with the end of this fiscal year, to help staff restructuring to be fully embraced and more effectively funded going forward. While I’ll discontinue my Leadership Staff role and full-time presence at the church on June 30, my relationship with the congregation will transition differently than we’ve experienced with other recent staff retirements and resignations. Unlike the “no contact” protocols other staff have followed or chosen, I’ll continue to be available to consult with Leadership Staff as new staff come on board, particularly around on- or off-site orientation and training for the incoming Congregational Engagement Coordinator (look for an announcement next week!). Given current needs, this will likely include some continuing paid time when more than minimal help is needed for staff support, special projects, or to cover gaps in office coverage through the summer months. Most importantly to me, I’ll continue to lead our lively Zen Buddhist Meditation and Study group at UUC. As the program has grown, we’ve named ourselves the Bright Cloud Zen practice groups. We’re affiliated with the larger UU Buddhist Fellowship, and we’re part of the Empty Moon Zen Sanghas, founded by UU Minister and Zen Roshi James Ford. To provide clear boundaries around my continued involvement at UUC, I’ve asked to be recognized as a Covenanted Community Minister, in accountable relationship with the ordained UU ministers of this church. Such appointment will be similar to the “Minister Affiliated” role called out in UUC’s bylaws, but different in some significant ways. First, I am not a UU Minister and will not be eligible to represent UUC as ministerial delegate to the UUA General Assembly. I was ordained as a Zen Buddhist Priest at UUC in 2019. My calling is to serve UUs and others who are exploring or have committed to the path of Zen Buddhism, informed by Unitarian Universalist values and practices. Second, I will be in covenant with UUC’s ministers and Leadership Staff, not the congregation as a whole. So, my appointment will come from the Senior Minister, not by vote of the congregation as is the standard for UU Ministers Affiliated. We’ll have the chance to share this at the short Worship Service before the Annual Meeting on June 15. I will continue to be a regular member of UUC, but in order to make space for UUC’s staff and volunteer transitions I will largely absent myself from participating in congregational meetings, Sunday worship, and most other community events for a while, except by request and consent with the Senior Minister and Staff Leadership. Here’s a fun example of that: I will be your guest preacher on July 6! We continue to walk this liminal time together, very much as I entered UUC in July 2016. I feel like I’ve carried out transitional ministry my entire time on staff here. It has been completely consistent with my Zen practice of “being with what is” and meeting each moment with curiosity, determination, and love. As I approach my 70 th birthday at the end of October, I am eager to devote myself to things that beckon me now: Getting my house in order (literally!), paying attention to my health by making more time for exercise and “sleep hygiene,” the joy of cooking, planning some road trips, hanging out with dogs, and expanding my devotion to Zen practice and teaching beyond UUC. I know we wish each other well and enter this new phase with great fondness. We will still see each other, but not as regularly and without getting into the intimate details of UUC structures. Thank you for your deep care of me, and welcoming me into your community so joyously. Serving this congregation has been a great blessing to me. 

With sadness, we report the death of long-time member Nola Ahola, on May 8, 2025. She was 88 years old. At UUC, Nola was long involved with Covenant Groups and Women's Groups. She particularly valued serving as a mentor for UUC's Coming of Age program. Nola also took great pleasure in attending the UU Memorial Day Weekend Retreat at Seabeck Conference Center for many years. Nola was a Pacific Northwest artist and art teacher whose career spanned six decades. She first gained recognition for her figurative art during the 60s and 70s, portraying dancers and live models in large scale brush drawings. Her later works include vivid watercolors and intricate collages, both figurative and abstract. Nola lived on Lopez Island from 1992–1999 and wrote a bi-weekly arts column, "Artsake" for the Islands' Weekly . Her works were exhibited at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art as recently as 2021. Examples of her art may be found at nola_ahola_art on Instagram and at Saatchi Art . A Celebration of Life for Nola will be held at her art studio on Saturday, June 7. Details are still being finalized; contact the church office for information.

Saturday, May 24, 5:30–9 p.m. at Cal Anderson Park, Seattle

Sunday, June 15, 10:45 a.m. in the UUC chapel and via Zoom

Through May 26, online or with a check

Thursday, May 22, 7:00–8:45 p.m. in the Knatvold room

Wednesday, May 21, 6:30–7:30 p.m. in Knatvold

Wednesday, May 21, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Wednesday, May 21, 6:30–8 p.m. in the Knatvold room by registration

Artist Reception on Sunday, May 18, 1–3 p.m. in the UUC chapel Exhibit on display through June 27

From the Nomination Subcommittee of the UUC Board of Trustees Over the past few weeks, we have been enthusiastically and thoughtfully moving through a truly important process: identifying the slate of nominees for the Ministerial Search Committee that will spend the next year identifying the best candidate for our next Senior Minister. The Nomination Subcommittee of the Board was composed of Gayle Childers (former Board President), Sooraj Kuttykrishnan (current Board Secretary), and Lora Poepping (current Board member). They focused on: Fair access to voting for all members, providing online and paper ballots. Consistent, repeated, and multi-channel messages encouraging nominations and self-nominations. Clear descriptions of the key attributes of a strong candidate. A comprehensive candidate application process. Selecting a slate to be presented to the Board that embodies the spirit of collaboration and is a cross-section representing our whole community. We are pleased to introduce our proposed slate of seven exceptional UUC members who have stepped up to serve as members of the Ministerial Search Committee. Their bios (below, in alphabetical order) will also be shared in a display in Nathan Johnson Hall until our Annual Congregational Meeting on June 15, to be held after first service. The subcommittee spent many hours counting ballots, identifying candidates to move to the application stage in the process, and reviewing each application. The result is a slate that we believe reflects our community, honors the past, envisions the future, and will be truly thoughtful in their discernment. We believe you will appreciate that this slate, reflects UUC. You will see those who have worked with Family Ministry, volunteered with Tent City, participate in music programs, previous Board members and leaders, newer members, tenured members, deep knowledge around immigrant justice, and more. We are lucky to have found an outstanding group to search for our next Senior Minister, and we encourage you to attend the Annual Congregational Meeting and vote to approve this slate, which was selected with the greatest care and with each of you in our hearts and minds.

The title "Minister Emeritus" is an honorary designation. That honor is bestowed on a minister for the minister’s excellent contributions to a congregation. Rev. Jon Luopa served UUC in an exceptional capacity for 25 years. A few of his contributions are as follows: He consistently provided outstanding sermons and leadership in the pulpit. He selected and worked with an excellent staff including Family Ministry and Social Justice. He navigated the church through the COVID pandemic and the building of a new building. For these reasons and more the Board of Trustees recommends granting Jon Luopa the honorary designation of Minister Emeritus. The Board of Trustees conducted three listening sessions in March 2025 to hear from the congregation about this issue. There were about 25 attendees at the sessions. Participants voiced many of Jon’s strengths. All felt that Jon should be declared a Minister Emeritus. In addition to the three in-person meetings, we sent out a survey to which 41 people responded. The vast majority felt that Jon should be declared a Minister Emeritus. The following resolution will be on the agenda of the UUC Annual Congregational Meeting on June 15 : "Shall the members of University Unitarian Church bestow on Jon Luopa the honorary designation of Minister Emeritus?"

The UUC Nominating Committee is pleased to announce nominations for the two positions on the UUC Board of Trustees. 

Sunday, May 18, 1–2:30 p.m. in Knatvold

Sunday, May 18, 1:15–2:30 p.m. in the Dix room or via Zoom

Coming of Age Services All Ages worship services at 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the chapel and via livestream

UUC Art Committee chooses “artivist” Nikkolas Smith’s work The Bridges room in the UUC Children’s Suite is named after Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to attend a whites-only elementary school in 1960 New Orleans. The new portrait of Bridges was made by Black illustrator and author Nikkolas Smith, who calls himself an “artivist”—artist and activist. It replaces the Norman Rockwell image that was retired during UUC’s building renovation. Smith uses digital tools to create art that sparks conversation and inspires meaningful change. Bridges selected him to collaborate with her on her children’s book I Am Ruby Bridges , published by Scholastic. Smith says that the Norman Rockwell image of Bridges walking to school under armed guard always hung in his house. “I always want my visual art to be like that oil painting,” he has shared. “I want it to have a lot of movement, the feeling of oil on canvas.” When considering an image to honor Bridges, the UUC Art Committee wanted to select a living artist of color to illustrate her childhood role in the civil rights movement. Other images in Smith’s body of work include a depiction of Martin Luther King, Jr., in a hoodie, a protestor kneeling and holding up a mirror before a phalanx of armed police, and a portrait of George Floyd, which was the centerpiece billboard in New York’s Times Square in 2020. You can learn more about the artist at www.nikkolas.art . The members of the UUC Art Committee are pleased to have discovered this artist-activist for the Bridges room! All are invited to stop by and take a look.

Sunday, June 15, Annual Congregational Meeting Thursdays, April 24 and May 15, Board Meetings

Since the Board of Trustees approved UUC’s participation in the Faith Land Initiative (FLI) in October, our FLI cohort team (comprised of Gayle Childers, Patricia Graesser, Dave Mentz and Rev. Beth Chronister and now Rev. Doug Wadkins) has been quite busy. Trainings Our FLI team participated in three all-day trainings in November, December and April. These trainings covered community organizing tools, an anti-racist framework, land access/exclusion history timeline, values-centered reflection, creating a story of us and now, conducting meetings for discernment, the participatory learning process, asset mapping and planning. Researching The team held research meetings with Byron Krystad and Cynthia Setel to understand past and present facility uses and considerations for any future uses. After an initial collaborative meeting with social justice and UUC facility leaders in January, the team expanded to work on three particular areas of interest: Research meetings with external parties Criteria refinement Congregational meetings Research meetings with other faith communities so far have included St. John’s United Lutheran, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox, Gesthemane Lutheran, Seattle Mennonite, Maple Leaf Lutheran, University Lutheran and University Congregational United Church of Christ. Research meetings with community organizations included Seattle Library, Eckstein Middle School, King County and North Seattle Opportunity Center. Communicating At meetings with UUC members and friends on April 6, 22, 27 and May 4 the team provided an overview of the Faith Land Initiative and asked for congregant thoughts on four questions: Which values do you strongly believe we should prioritize in considering ways to share our physical resources? What do you feel UUC is being called to do in our community now? What hopes do you have about the potential for sharing our physical resources? How do we share our space and remain responsible stewards, leaving a legacy for those who come after us? If you weren't able to attend one of these meetings and would like to share your thoughts, please fill out our online questionnaire . Preparing Our FLI team is now documenting learnings from research meetings and common themes from congregational meetings and preparing for a presentation at UUC's June 15 Annual Congregational Meeting. Questions? If you have any questions or would like to share any input relating to this process, please contact Patricia Graesser , Gayle Childers or Dave Mentz .

Thanks to the almost 60 community members who attentively gathered this past Sunday, May 4, for an information-packed session focused on budget, finances, and staffing as we prepare for the next church year. A collaborative effort of the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, the Stewardship Committee, and Staff Leadership, the purpose of the session was to communicate openly to the congregation in a way that paints the whole picture in context and (hopefully) fosters greater understanding. The session covered the following topics, followed by time for questions and comments: Timeline of fundraising and budgeting process Update on FY26 Giving Campaign Proposed FY26 Budget & Staffing Looking Ahead For those not able to attend (or for those who want a second look), you can view the slides here . Whether you attended on May 4, reviewed the slides after the fact, or simply want to weigh in with questions and suggestions, we would appreciate your feedback via this very short survey . Questions? Please contact Kathleen Cromp . Please plan on attending the UUC Annual Congregational Meeting on June 15, 2025. More information to come.

Sunday, May 11, both services (9:30 and 11:15 a.m.)

Saturdays, May 10 and May 17, 3 p.m.

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

Tuesday, May 6, 7–9 p.m. in Nathan Johnson Hall

Wednesday, May 7, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in Knatvold and via Zoom

Thursday, May 8, 1:00 p.m. at UUC Rev. Doug Wadkins will officiate the memorial service for Thomas Clayton, husband of Virginia Day, on Thursday, May 8. You can read his Seattle Times obituary here .

(Part of the UW's 2025 Stroum Lecture Series) “Jewish and Christian women desiring women in the early Roman empire” Thursday, May 8, 4-5:30 p.m. via Zoom

Thursday, May 8, 7:00–8:45 p.m. in the Knatvold room