Please visit our new online bookstore!
A new way to support your Fellowship! Anything you buy from our new online bookstore, or after clicking on the
Powered by Amazon.com
logo, will provide a percentage to help support our Fellowship.
UU Visalia
Quick Links
Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
|
|
Calendar
September 2008
September 7, 2008 - 5:00PM - "Ingathering"
As we return from our summer travels, Marilyn Giese will lead us in our annual "Water Ceremony". Bring a few ounces of real or symbolic water from your travels to mix in our Ingathering bowl. See more information below.
Religious Education Team meets after potluck - all interested parties are invited.
Monday, September 8, 2008 - 5:45 PM -
Board Meeting at Colima's Restaurant on Noble Ave. near Roller Towne. All members welcome.
September 14, 2008 -
4:30 PM - Classical Music Performed by Ken Elias. Come early!
5:00 PM - "Unitarian Heresies" - a sermon by Rev. Christine Robinson, presented by Janet Wood. Learn how our forebears created the heretical views which today still allow us the "freedom to choose."
Social Justice & Green Sanctuary Team meets after potluck.
September 21, 2008 - 5:00 PM - "International Day of Peace" - presented by Visalia peace activist Jovita Harrah. Worship Team meets after the potluck.
September 28, 2008 -
4:30 PM - Classical Music performed by Ken Elias. Come early!
5:00 PM - "Association Sunday" - presented by Don Chapin. This Sunday, thousands of UUs across the nation are
simultaneously celebrating our shared commitment to Unitarian
Universalism. This year's theme is "Growing in Spirit."
Marriage Equality Team meets after the potluck.
Please Note: (Service topics are subject to change)
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 enough and your company is most welcome. |
|
UU Visalia Fellowship News
Low Carbon Rings Continue in September
The second "Low Carbon Ring" group to fight global climate change and save energy!will begin on Thursday, September 4 and be led by Harold Wood. Each Ring is limited to 5 to 8 households. We also would like to begin another week-night group for a different day of the week in November; please volunteer if you would be willing to moderate that group. Contact your group leader to order the two workbooks we'll be using. You will also want to download the free materials posted on the UULM website: http://uulmca.org/main.html#climate This special "low carbon challenge" program will save you money, save energy, and save the planet, while enjoying and working with other members of your Carbon Ring.
 September 7 Worship Service: "Ingathering"
This is a time when the church year begins again, welcoming everyone back
from all corners of the country and the world. We'll begin with a procession of celebration, (starting
outside the building at 5:00pm sharp!) and all participants are asked
to bring a musical instrument or noisemaker to join in the
festivities. The Board will lead the procession with our banner, and
the route to the Sanctuary will be around the building and through all
of the rooms. Each room will be blessed with the smoke of white sage
as the procession moves through. Each person will also be smudged and
welcomed as Sanctuary is reached. Those who have visited other parts
of our fragile planet are asked to bring small amounts of real or
symbolic water from those places visited, which are then mingled in a
common bowl. This act symbolizes our diversity - from many, one.
Children's Education Opportunities
Children's "Religious Exploration" will resume on September 7 with a class focussed on Unitarian Universalist values and led in alternate months by Debra Lynn and April Hill. A second adult volunteer or paid childcare provider will enjoy guiding our students each week. We are advertising for a babysitter, aged 18+, to assist the RE teacher and be paid $20 each week. Applicants may contact info@uuvisalia.org for more information.The Children's RE budget is limited and adult volunteers have been regrettably scarce. Donations above your regular pledge are gratefully accepted. In addition to Sunday classes, the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship offers religious education resources that you can use at home with your family. .
UULM Water Justice Tour in Visalia - The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California (UULM) road trip for young adults arrived in Visalia on Friday 8/8 and spent the day with the Community Water Center on a tour to Tooleville and East Orosi, talking with community residences about their water challenges. We also heard from Paul Boyer of Self-Help Enterprises and Chris Eacock from the Fresno UU Church (and Bureau of Land Management). On Friday evening UU Fellowship members hosted a potluck dinner, provided home hospitality and sleeping mats for their stay at Friends Meeting House. (Thanks Katherine, Daljit, Dorothy, Sandy, Debbie, Patti F, Lesley, David H & April). The trip ended with a worship service at the UU Church of Fresno. Check tour highlights at www.uulmca.org.
MEETINGS
September 7, 2008 - 6:45 PM - Religious Education Team meeting after potluck in the solarium at the Meeting House. September 14, 2008 - 6:45 PM - Social Justice & Green Sanctuary Team meeting. After potluck in the solarium at the Meeting House.
September 8, 2008 - 5:45 PM - Board Meeting at Colima's Restaurant on Noble Ave. (Near Roller Towne). All members welcome.
September 21, 2008 - 6:45 PM Worship Team Meeting. After potluck in the solarium.
Ongoing Meditation Sessions Each Wednesday, 6:30-8PM at Friends Meeting House. An opportunity to practice this universal spiritual discipline and discuss mindfulness.
Friday UU Visalia Social Lunch Group
Join us every Friday for the lunch buffet at the Taj Palace Indian Restaurant, at southwest 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 harold@uuvisalia.org. (We do miss an occasional Friday - so call or e-mail ahead to R.S.V.P. if you can!)
Our Vegetarian Cookbook Project
Please contribute your recipes for our Vegan / Vegetarian UU Visalia Cookbook. 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."
We Need More Chalice Lighters!
Because our Fellowship plans to apply for another grant from the Pacific Central District (PCD) of the Unitarian Universalist Association, it will help if more of our friends and members would become Chalice Lighters, pledging at least $10 three times a year in response to a Chalice Lighter call. It's easy to sign up on the PCD web site, and doing so is a powerful act on behalf of promoting Unitarian Universalism throughout our region.
 UU Visalia Online Bookstore Expands
Our online bookstore allows you to purchase anything available from Amazon.com (even cameras, ipods, and auto parts, etc.) at www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/ We have a number of new books in our Featured This Month section, and have created an entirely new category for "Famous UUs." We also have a large number of relevant CDs available in our new Music section. Our bookstore is a valuable resource for spiritual growth, learning and just plain fun. Please support our Fellowship fund-raising when buying online!
Reminder to GoodSearch! Search the World Wide Web with www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! Search on "Unitarian Visalia" to earn monetary points for us.
Bring Your Used Printer Cartridges! Recycle your cartridges and earn cash for the Visalia Fellowship. Please place in the Empties4Cash box on the shelf in the entry. Thanks!
Share Your UU Magazines After you have read the UU World, Interconnections and/or CLF Quest publications, please contribute them to the library for visitors and potential new members.
Visalia UU Fellowship Worship Services -
5PM, each Sunday. To find us, check out our new Directions and Map page on our website, including a printable map! Go to www.uuvisalia.org |
Worship Topics Survey
The UU Visalia Worship (program) Team would like your opinions as they plan services for the 2008-2009 year. Please answer the very brief 6 question survey online, which you can access here:
Worship Topics Survey
http://tinyurl.com/5bk6em
If you prefer, you you may print it out and hand it to either Anna Garcia or Janet Wood in person.
|
Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
 UU LEGISLATIVE MINISTRY - "Deepening Faith, Growing Leadership, Building Justice"
September and October are crucial months for defeating a November 2008 ballot measure (Proposition 8) amending the California constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. Contributions can be made to the UULM Action Network PAC at www.uulmca.org or to Equality for All at www.equalityforall.com The Visalia UU Fellowship is considering sponsoring a film showing and discussion. The next PFLAG meeting (9/21, 3PM, COS Admin Bldg Rm 1) will include a short program about the campaign. Conservative precinct walkers are out and we can respect their opinions, while standing up for our own. Listed below are facts and language that may help you articulate your own position.
Three Quick Facts About Marriage Equality
1. California was the first state in the union to allow mixed-race marriages back in 1948. It took almost 20 more years for the U.S. Supreme Court to catch up.
2. Only 22 percent of Californians are firmly opposed to same-sex marriage. Another 42 percent are firmly in favor of making it legal. That leaves 36 percent undecided - more than one in three people! - and a single conversation with someone like you can turn the tide. 3. Full legal marriage provides more than 1,300 federal financial and social benefits. Domestic partnerships and civil unions don't even come close. 10 Ways to Start Conversations About The Freedom To Marry1. Think about it - what if you were told that you couldn't marry or do something that was personally and profoundly important to you? How would that make you feel, change your relationship, your future plans, your life? 2. In a free society, two people in a committed, trusting, and loving relationship expect the freedom to marry and the honor and support that come with marriage. 3. People can have different beliefs and still treat everyone fairly. 4. Having the same opportunities to realize hopes and dreams is a cornerstone of freedom. 5. Even if we disagree on marriage for gay and lesbian couples, does that mean it should be illegal? Is it for us to judge other people? 6. Should we close the door on marriage and full inclusion in society for some people? 7. Not everyone wants to get married, but right now the government is making that decision for gay and lesbian people. 8. Does excluding someone from marriage impact their family's perception of their relationship? 9. Domestic partnerships don't provide the same security as marriage. They exclude people from marriage and create a two-tiered system at odds with the principle that separate is not equal. 10. If two people want the responsibility and commitment of marriage, is it the business of government to tell them they can't marry, whether they are gay or straight?
SAVE THE DATE!
October 17-19 Friday-Sunday - 12th Annual Pacific Central District Men's Retreat
A weekend of fun, community building, kinship, singing, workshops and more around the theme of "It's All About Showing Up". Cost $225; scholarships are available. More information at http://pcd-uua.org/men/frames.htm or by contacting Harry Mersmann at 209-955-0291 or pcdmensretreat@gmail.com
January 24, 2009 ~ Stewardship - PCD presents a one-day
workshop led by Wayne Clarke,
Director of Congregational Fundraising
Services, and author of the wonderful book,
Beyond
Fundraising. Wayne defines
stewardship as the growing, nurturing,
promoting, and building of our gifts, call,
and spiritual vocation. the UU Marin
congregation will host.
February 21, 2009 ~ Marketing - a one-day
workshop at our UU Society of
Sacramento, brings UUA Marketing Director
Valerie Holton back to the PCD. Help start a regional guerrilla
marketing group for the Valley-Sierra region. Everyone attending will leave with
increased understanding and effective tools
for their own congregation's outreach
initiatives.
March 21 or 28, 2009 ~ Big Ideas for Small
Congregations - UU Stockton will
host this special one-day workshop. Led by
one or both of the authors of Big Ideas for Small Congregations,
Ellen Germann-Melosh, former DE of the
Mountain Desert District, and the Reverend
Jane Dwinell, former Small Church
Specialist for what was the New
Hampshire-Vermont District, and the Editor of
Small Talk newsletter.
Unitarian Universalism: Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World
|
|
Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
Visalia "Citizens in the Know" - A six-week program designed to educate and help citizens understand the workings of their city government. The program is for Visalia residents 18 years of age or older. Sessions on from 5:30-8:30PM on 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29 and on 11/1 from 9AM - 12PM. Apply on-line by September 5, 2008 at www.ci.visalia.ca.us. Contact Nancy Loliva, City of Visalia at 713-4535
Sept 12-21, 2008 - Tule River Tribal Pow-wow "Spirit of the Gourd Dance" on Reservation Road outside Porterville
Sept 28, 2008 - Sequoia Forest Days
Join Wildplaces at the Trail of 100 Giants in the Giant Sequoia National Monument to plant a Giant Sequoia seedling. Visit www.wildplaces.net or call 559-539-5263 for more information.
PFLAG-Tulare Kings County The newly formed Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meets on the third Sunday of each month from 3-5PM, in Room 1 of the College of Sequoias Administration Building (9/21/08, 10/19/08, etc.) Programs and support group, dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity. Come to a meeting to learn more or check www.pflag-tulare-kings.org.
SAVE THE DATE!
October 4-5, 2008 - 2nd Annual Three Rivers Environmental Weekend
On Saturday October 4 come to the Three Rivers Arts Center to enjoy Solar Cooking Demonstrations, video and PowerPoint presentations on the environment, information on green options for your home and life, an exhibit of Yokohl Valley photographs, plus a drawing for free door prizes!
On Sunday October 5th, the Three Rivers Environmental Weekend will again sponsor
an Earth Friendly Home Tour, this time on the Valley floor, in Visalia
and Elderwood. Two tours will be held, one leaving Three Rivers
at 12:00 noon and another at 1:00 p.m. Attendees from Visalia will
meet at the first stop for each tour. You will visit the new police
station in Visalia using straw bale construction, and 3 green homes in
the Quaker Oaks area. Those include rammed earth, double adobe brick,
straw bale, radiant slab floors, photo voltaic, and more. The home in
Elderwood is passive solar with an insulating earth berm on the north
wall. Cost is $15.00 per person or $25.00 per couple, and reservations
are required, since space is limited. Proceeds from the tour will
benefit Tulare County Citizens for Responsible Growth, under the
umbrella of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, and are earmarked for the
effort to save Yokohl Valley. For information or reservations for the 12:00 o'clock tour, phone 561-4676. For the 1:00 p.m. tour, phone 561-4149. Visalia Farmer's Market - Saturdays - 8-11:30 AM at Sequoia Mall Parking Lot (near Sears) and Thursday evenings in downtown Visalia. Come buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Remember - buying locally grown food is reduces your impact on global warming! It's all part of Ethical Eating! | |
|
