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UU Visalia
Quick Links
Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
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Calendar March 2008
All services begin at 5 PM, followed by 6 PM potluck
Note: Announced Sunday topics are subject to change.
March 2, 2008 - "Metaphysical
Musings" with Patty Howard
March 6, 2008 - 7 PM - SPECIAL EVENT: "Thank God for Evolution" with Michael Dowd, America's Evolutionary Evangelist, at College of the Sequoias Ponderosa Hall (Room 350 - Science Lecture Hall)
March 9, 2008 - "We
Are All Made of Star Stuff" by
Janet Wood, JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador
March 16, 2008 - "Ostara" with guest speaker Bernadette Burns, from UU Fellowship of Stanislaus County (Modesto), a minister of Earth-based spirituality, artist, composer and ceremonialist.
March 23, 2008 - "Easter"- no 5 PM service; instead, join the Visalia Friends Meting for Breakfast at the Meeting House
March 30, 2008 - "What is a UU Christian?" with Marilyn Giese
The 5PM Worship Service is followed by a light potluck supper at 6 PM to which all are welcome!
Please do not hesitate to come to church and join us for dinner potluck. Even if you forget to bring a dish, we always have plenty and your company is most welcome.
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Fellowship News
Special Event! Michael Dowd Live!
"Thank God for Evolution" March 6, 2008 - 7PM
Thank God for Evolution! Michael Dowd Live!
America's Evolutionary EvangelistCOS Science Lecture Hall Room 350 (Ponderosa Hall) Come hear Reverend Michael Dowd share a gospel that's billions of years old and find out why Americans everywhere are engaging in a life-changing new conversation about Creation. See for yourself why Nobel Prize winning scientists and religious leaders across the spectrum are lining up to praise his bold new book that builds bridges, provides guidance, and restores realistic hope for people of any religion or belief system. Sponsored by UU Fellowship of Visalia
Evolutionary Spirituality & Ethical Eating
on Our Online Bookstore
This month we are featuring a variety of books on the theme of Evolutionary Spirituality in a new section in our bookstore. check out such intriquing titles as Thank God for Evolution, Darwin Loves You, and Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, And Other Wonders of the Universe.
We've also started a new selection of books on Ethical Eating. Try Michael Pollan's latest best-sellter, In Defense of Food, or Feeding the Kids or Slow Food Nation, or buy some Equal Exchange Coffee!
Buy these books at: www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/ Remember, anything you buy after clicking on the Powered by Amazon.com logo supports our Fellowship:
You will also find a convenient search box at the bottom of our home page.
ADULT EDUCATION
Online Discussion
The Great Turning
In addition to our local five week book discussion course on David Korten's seminal book The Great Turning, you can now participate in an online version of this topic. Please visit www.facebook.com and after joining, do a serch for "The Great Turning - From Empire to Earth Community." You'll be able to read summaries of the book there, and participate in online discussion.
Coming Next Month: April 5th through May 3rd, 2008
In Ancient Times - This five-session adult religious education curriculum is an update of the popular Cakes for the Queen of Heaven curriculum originally published in 1986. It is a course in feminine theology. Themes of the course are: "The Sacred Female, In the Name of the Mother and the Daughter, Womanpower, The First Turning-From Goddess to God, and Reclaiming Women's Heritage of Peace." The sessions will be held on Saturdays from April 5th through May 3rd, 2008 with time and place to be announced later.
Ongoing Meditation Sessions Each Wednesday, 6:30-8PM at Friends Meeting House. An opportunity to practice this universal spiritual discipline and discuss mindfulness.
Use GoodSearch and GoodShop to Support UU Visalia
Reminder, we make a penny or so every time you search the World Wide Web with www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Also, GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall that donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Unitarian Visalia as the charity you want to support. You can also access a search box for GoodSearch on the home page of our website, www.uuvisalia.org.
Friday UU Visalia Social Lunch Group
Join us every Friday for the lunch buffet at the Taj Palace Indian Restaurant, at the Marco Polo Motel, corner of Noble and Linwood, every Friday at 12:15 p.m. Address: 4545-B W. Noble Ave., Visalia, CA 93277 (559) 625-2500. For more info, call Harold at 739-8527 or email green@uuvisalia.org.
Our Vegetarian Cookbook Project
Please contribute your recipes for vegan / vegetarian / dishes for our planned Vegan / Vegetarian UU Visalia Cookbook. Please submit your items to Lesley or email them to: info@uuvisalia.org. Caring as a Fellowship
If you know of any Fellowship member or friend experiencing a life challenge (including yourself!), please tell a board member so we can offer support. E-mail your request to: info@uuvisalia.org or mention during "Joys and Concerns."Let's go again!
Field trip to Other Nearby UU CongregationsSeveral us took a "field trip" to visit the new UU Church of Fresno (www.uufresno.org) last month! It was wonderful to know this big church with music and inspiring speakers is only 50 minutes away! Maybe we can visit UU Porterville or UU Bakersfield too. Join us for a future trip on a Sunday morning. If you are interested, contact Harold at: green@uuvisalia.org.
Your Input Needed: Our Upcoming Summer Series
Although
it seems early, we need to be thinking now of how we will handle our
summer programs. Should we download onine sermons? Read a book together
for discussion? Take Part 2 of the "Building Your Own Theology"
class? Or try something entirely different? We need something that
allows all Fellowship members to take turns leading, accommodating
those who are away on vacation. We need your ideas now! Please send
your ideas now to Marilyn Giese: worship@uuvisalia.org.
MEETINGS
March 3, 2008 - 5:45 PM - Dinner & Board Meeting
Join us for a dinner meeeting at Baker's Square restaurant (on Mooney in front of Sequoia Mall, Visalia. All UU members and friends welcome.
March 9, 2008 - 6 PM -
Social Justice & Green Sanctuary Team Meeting
During the potluck after the service.
March 16, 2008 - 6:45 PM - Worship Team Meeting
After service and potluck.
Networking & Fundraising
UUVisalia on Facebook
Please join our new UU Visalia group on Facebook! Our online group has 8 members so far, plus 7 videos! There is a space for online discussion too. See you in Cyberspace for sharing, networking, online friendship, and to support causes, political campains, and social justice efforts. Once you join facebook.com, search for UU friends and Unitarian Fellowship of Visalia!Recycle and Raise Funds for UU Visalia by bringing in your Used Printer Cartridges! ALSO, add UU Visalia as your favorite charity and use GoodSearch.com as a search engine on your computer at home and work!
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Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
Upcoming Pacific Central District Events:
Saturday, March 15, 2008, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
UU Voices for Health Care Workshop
UU Congregation of Marin or Sat 3/29 at San Francisco UU Society. Sponsored by UU Legislative Ministry. Open to UU members and friends. Worship resources, small group ministry programming, political history of health care advocacy, legislative update and analysis, health congregations, bringing our UU values to the larger community. For more information
April 25 - 27, 2008
DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 2008! Fremont Marriot Hotel - Hotel Registration now open
Featuring presentations by: Rev. Robert Latham, author of Leaving Church Folly Lane, and Rev. Victoria Safford, author of Walking Toward Morning: Meditations. For more info see: www.pcd-uua.org
Fresno UU - California's First 'Green' Church Building
Putting its social justice principles into action, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno has become California's first "green" church, certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the standards are the nationally-accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green building in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The Fresno congregation dedicated its new sanctuary Feb. 24, marking the occasion with a visit by UUA President Rev. Bill Sinkford.
Some key innovations about the building:
. Energy use 33.5% below Title-24 standard
. Water use 43% less than ASHRAE standard
. 100% of construction waste diverted from landfill to recycling
. 14 mature trees retained on site
. Heat Island mitigation with "cool" roof and shaded parking
. High degree of thermal comfort for occupants
. Use of low-VOC carpet, paint, sealants and adhesives
Rev. Bryan Jessup of the Fresno congregation notes that an eco-friendly church building was a priority for the growing congregation, which had made a renewed commitment to social justice. "We wanted our new building to adhere to our faith's core beliefs, including the respect for the interdependent web of life and responsible care of our planet," he said. Pacific Central District E-Mail LIst for Members
The new list, PCD-Connections, is for the members of our Pacific Central District congregations to use in networking with one another.
Subscribing to this list is easy, just go to:
http://lists.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/pcd- connections. You'll be asked to enter your email address and a self-assigned password. You will see another window asking for your name. Though that is labeled "optional," PCD asks that you do enter your real name here, and also include your congregation, e.g., "Chuck Rosene, Oakland." Sign Open Letter to Governor for Freedom to Marry
UUs across California are joining the "Let California Ring" campaign in asking Governor Schwarzenegger to support the freedom to marry. Please click here to add your name! Ask him to send a letter of support to the California Supreme Court today, as it prepares to hear oral arguments on March 4 on the marriage equality cases. UULM provided significant leadership to the Interfaith Amicus Brief before the court, now it is the Governor's turn to show his support!
Your action has new urgency, since anti-gay organizations are in the midst of a paid-signature gathering campaign to amend the California constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. They hope to gather enough signatures to place this discriminatory measure on the November 2008 ballot.
Unitarian Universalism: Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World |
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Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
March 6, 2008 - 7PM
Thank God for Evolution! Michael Dowd Live!
America's Evolutionary Evangelist
College of the Sequoias Room 350 (Ponderosa Hall)
Come
hear Reverend Michael Dowd share a gospel that's billions of years old
and find out why Americans everywhere are engaging in a life-changing
new conversation about Creation. See for yourself why Nobel Prize
winning scientists and religious leaders across the spectrum are lining
up to praise his bold new book that builds bridges, provides guidance,
and restores realistic hope for people of any religion or belief
system.
Sponsored by UU Fellowship of Visalia
March 7, 2008: Interfaith Witness for Peace
Locally TBA: VIGIL AFTER 4,000 MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ
(Present toll 2-28-08 is only about 26 short of 4,000)
The Unitarian Univeralist Association is supporting nation-wide the Interfaith Witness for Peace. on March 7, when people from across the United States will attend religious services at over a dozen different houses of worship and centers of faith at noon. Here in Visalia, the South Valley Peace Center is sponsoring a Vigil for Peace. The vigil will take place on the Saturday following the 4000th death
starting at 1:00-1:30pm at Akers & 198 (Visalia) The group will carpool
to Mooney and Caldwell(Visalia) for 2:00-2:30pm, then to Tulare at the
north-west corner of Prosperity and Hillman (Tulare) in front of K-Mart
from 3:00-3:30pm, then to Porterville to the east side of Prospect,
just north of Henderson across from Wal-Mart (Porterville) from
4:30-5:00. Check for updates at http://www.svpc.info/
March 14, 2008 - 7 PM
Polar Bear Survival Tour 2008
College of the Sequoias, Room 350 (Ponderosa Hall)
Arctic Explorer, Author and Film Maker Chad Kister will take you on a riveting expedition through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, showing the need to protect that area from oil development, along with the horrific impacts of climate change in the Arctic and their global implications.
With last summer's record ice melt, we could see an ice-free Arctic Ocean as early as 2012 according to NASA scientists. Kister ends the presentation with the latest on solutions to climate change through efficiency, conservations, solar, wind, waste methane, geothermal and other proven solutions to the most important issue of our time.
Saturdays - 8 AM - 11:30 AM - Visalia Farmer's Market
Come buy locally grown fruits and vegetables every Saturday, all year long at Sequoia Mall Parking Lot (near Sears). Remember - buying locally grown food is more sustainable and reduces your impact on global warming! It's all part of Ethical Eating!
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