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UU Visalia
Quick Links
Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
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Calendar
FEBRUARY 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
5 PM - Worship Service
SPECIAL MUSICAL PROGRAM Presented by traveling UU Musician Jim Scott
7 PM - DRUM CIRCLE (see info below)
Monday, February 2, 2009
5:45 PM Board Meeting - Chipotle Grill, (across from Kinko's on Mooney). All members welcome. Call Harold to attend.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
4 PM - Choir Practice
5 PM - Worship Service
"Celebrating Charles Darwin & Evolution" - Presented by Harold Wood.
6:45 PM - Social Justice & Green Sanctuary Team will meet after potluck.
Sunday, February 15, 2009 -
4:00 PM - Choir Practice
5:00 PM - Worship Service
"Love and Marbles" Presented by Janet Wood.
6:45 PM - Worship Team meets after potluck.
Sunday, February 22, 2009 -
5:00 PM - Special Congregational Meeting
"Next Steps" - Report & Discussion of Our Congregational Retreat Please come prepared to discuss and vote on congregational priorities and plans for handling our congregational growth in numbers, spirituality, and organizational maturity.
See details for each program below.
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. |
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UU Visalia Fellowship News
REPORT FROM OUR FELLOWSHIP RETREAT!
Your Fellowship had a very successful retreat in early January! Stay tuned
for written reports from the various teams who worked on the retreat. All
members will receive a written report via e-mail, and the various "Action
Item" proposals will be discussed and voted on at our February 22 special
congregational meeting.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
An
increasing number of our members and friends are networking with each other
and our Fellowship on the social networking website, Facebook.com. Please
join our UU Visalia Facebook group and have some fun with online interaction and sharing! It's a good way to learn more about each other, and to keep in touch between Sundays!
DETAILS ON WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunday, February 1, 2009
5 PM - Worship Service
7 PM - DRUM CIRCLE (see info below)
SPECIAL MUSICAL PRESENTATION by UU Musician Jim Scott
Jim Scott is the composer of several hymns in Singing our Living Tradition hymnal, as well as in our new hymnal supplement Singing the Journey. He has performed with Paul Winter Consort, and was a co-founder of environmental programs in the Unitarian Universalist movement.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
4 PM - Choir Practice
5 PM - Worship Service
Darwin Day: Celebrating Charles Darwin & Evolution.
Presented by Harold Wood. Come celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th Birthday! Darwin's
theory of evolution continues to have a huge impact on both science and religion. Come learn how the study of evolution is a positive force both in both domains of human endeavor.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
4 PM - Choir Practice
5:00 PM - Worship Service
"Love & Marbles"
Presented by Janet Wood
This sermon from Rev. Jane Rzepka of our Church of the Larger Fellowship examines how love grows and changes over time.
6:45 PM - Worship Team meets after potluck.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
4 PM - Choir Practice
5:00 PM - Worship Service
"Next Steps" - Report and Discussion of our Congregational Retreat
Please come prepared to discuss and vote on our congregational priorities for numerical, spiritual, and maturational growth. Members attending the January Retreat developed proposed Action Plans for each of these three domains. We probably won't want to try to do them all - and yet there may be important goals not addressed. Please join us in advancing our Fellowship's mission.
DRUM CIRCLE
Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-9 pm
and recurring monthly, on every first Sunday
at the Visalia Friends Meeting House
Massive Drum Circle to support our friends across the ocean-- the people of Oroko in Guinea, West-Africa!
Get involved, have fun, educate yourself, and help build a world-wide community through music! No cost to participate, although a freewill offering will be appreciated.
Proceeds to benefit Oroko village in West Guinea Africa.
Join local musicians, from amateur to professional, as we
Share energy, knowledge, rhythm, and the good will of a New Year.
Drum Circles will recur monthly, on every first Sunday and everyone is welcome. So get on board from the beginning and bring a friend! Let's start strong and keep it on. Some drums and percussion instruments will be available for those without. 2009 is the year for change. Do something! Contact: 687-1891 or email monstermath@rocketmail.com
TWO BUILDING YOUR OWN THEOLOGY CLASSES
Previous participants in this class loved it so much, they are going on to the second book of the Series: "Exploring." We will also have a repeat of the introductory class. This series, in an open discussion format, aids our spiritual growth by not telling us what to think, but helping us learn from each other and from the reading resources in our workbooks to literally "build our own theology" - one that can withstand the events of change, and change and grow continually as we go through our lives. To participate:
1. For the Introductory class, Book 1, contact Debbie Wing.
2. For Book 2, "Exploring", contact Janet Wood.
USE GOODSEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR FELLOWSHIP
Our Fellowship raised almost $30.00 in 2008 from our members and friends using GoodSearch to
support our Fellowship! Powered by Yahoo, this search engine works for all your regular Internet searches. Just click on the GoodSearch logo, be sure "Unitarian Visalia" is identified as "who you search for," and
you will raise funds for UU Visalia at no cost to you!
RECYCLE USED PRINTER CARTRIDGES
The Fellowship also raised $17 in 2008 through your recycling of used printer cartridges. Just deposit in the green Empties4Cash box in Meeting House foyer. With gratitude to all you green supporters!
MEETINGS & EVENTS
Monday, February 2, 2009
5:45 PM - Board Meeting
Our monthly board meetings are now on the first Monday of each month. Location for this month: Join us for dinner at Chipotle Grill Restaurant (across from Kinko's on Mooney). All members welcome!
February 8, 2009
6:45 PM: Social Justice & Green Sanctuary Team
After potluck in the solarium.
February 15, 2009
6:45 PM: Worship Team
After potluck in the solarium.
February 21, 2009
Marketing Workshop in Sacramento. Call Harold or Janet if you'd like to join us. See info below.
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Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
UUA President Election
There's another election in front of us, this one for the new President of the UUA. In June of next year, our GA delegates will elect either the Reverend Laurel Hallman or the Reverend Peter Morales when they meet in Salt Lake City. And don't forget that both of these candidates will be at our District Assembly in May. Meanwhile, here's a nice summary of what they are talking about on the campaign trail:
http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/123785.shtml
February 2009 - UUA Social Justice Action of the Month - Speak Up for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Equality" and
February 8-14, 2009 "Freedom to Marry Week - Since November 2008, there is a renewed urgency and opportunity in the movement to restore the marriage rights of same-sex couples in California. Engaging in conversation is the most important action you can take towards achieving marriage equality nationwide. The Freedom to Marry partnership brings new resources for those willing to take part in "7 Conversations in 7 Days" - ideas like comments on Facebook, e-mailing a marriage resolution to friends, wearing a button, attending an event, writing a letter to the editor, talking face to face. Educate yourself with resources available at www.uua.org/socialjustice/actioncenter or at www.freedomtomarry.org/get_involved and many other places
February 21, 2009 ~ Marketing
- Several of us from UU Visalia plan to attend this one-day
workshop at our UU Society of
Sacramento. 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.
Contact Harold to carpool with those going from UU Visalia.
SAVE THE DATE! March 21, 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.
May 1-3, 2009 - PCD DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
2009!
Featuring: Rev. Laurel Hallman & Rev. Peter Morales, Candidates for UUA President. We will gather once again at the Fremont Marriott!
June 24-28, 2009 - UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Salt Lake City
Join others from UU Visalia for the annual national conference for UUs! The 2009 General Assembly will feature an entirely new schedule of programming for attendees. The highly successful lay leadership education program, UU University, will be offered during the GA schedule. Pre-Registration for General Assembly 2008 will begin on March 2, 2009. For information contact Terasa Cooley, tcooley@uua.org, (617) 816-7231 or Harold at info@uuvisalia.org.
Unitarian Universalism: Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World
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Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
January 31, 2009 - Saturday ( 6 PM) Michael Brune, of the Rainforest Action Network, and author of the new book Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Oil and Coal, at Ponderosa Room, Room 350, College of the Sequoias. Brune's book,Coming Clean, sets
its sights on identifying ways that Americans can work together to break our
addiction to coal and oil. The book was inspired by two notions: that we as a
society possess practical and attractive alternatives to traditional fossil
fuels, and that as individuals we possess the ability to unite and work together
to improve each other's lives. This author presentation is co-sponsored by South
Valley Peace Center, Sierra Club Mineral King Group, Tulare County Audubon
Society, COS Social Justice Club, Visalia Friends Meeting, and the UU Fellowship of Visalia. FREE ADMISSION.
February 15, 2009 and on the third Sunday of every month, 3 PM-5 PM - PFLAG Meeting at
Family Healthcare Network's Administration Office, 305 E Center St,
Visalia (Corner of Bridge and Center Streets). Parents, Families and
Friends of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning
Community are invited to meet on the third Sunday of every month.
Support time will be followed by a presentation. Phone- 579-1101.
Website - www.pflag-tulare-kings.org; E-mail -
info@pflag-tulare-kings.org; MySpace -
www.myspace.com/pflagtularekingscounties
February 17, 2009 - Marriage Lobby Day in Sacramento
Activists from across the state will gather at the California State Capitol in Sacramento for Equality
California's MARRIAGE LOBBY DAY and to urge Assemblymembers and Senators to support legislative
resolutions calling for the repeal of Proposition 8. The
day will start at 9:30 AM with lobby training, with a noontime rally to hear from
legislative champions, and lobby visits and other activities in the
afternoon until 5 PM. Make your voice heard! Make
a difference! Register now free of charge at http://www.eqca.org/ or contact Laurie
McBride at <LobbyDayEQCA@...>.
February 20, 2009 (7 PM) - Tulare Co Audubon Society Program.
Gary Lindquist will astonish all with his photography depicting his
latest travels and bird-related discoveries. His extensive knowledge of
feathered trivia will educate and entertain both the novice and expert
birder. Tulare Co Office of Education "Pit" at the corner of Woodland
and Burrel ave in Visalia.
February 27, 2009 (7 PM) - Wind Energy Expert Paul Gipe - Ponderosa Hall, College of the Sequoias. PAUL GIPE has written extensively about renewable energy for both the popular and trade press. He has also lectured widely on wind energy and how to minimize its impact on the environment and the communities of which it is a part. For his efforts, the World Wind Energy Association presented Gipe with their World Wind Energy Award in 2008, the World Renewable Energy Congress honored him as a "pioneer" in 1998, and the American Wind Energy Association named him as the industry's "person of the year" in 1988. Co-sponsored by Sierra Club, South Valley Peace Center and Visalia UU Fellowship
Visalia Farmer's Market - Saturdays - 8-11:30 AM at Sequoia Mall Parking Lot (near Sears). Come buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Remember - buying locally grown food tastes better and reduces your impact on global warming! It's all part of Ethical Eating!
Check out their new website: www.visaliafarmersmarket.com.
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ONGOING FELLOWSHIP EVENTS
Ongoing Meditation Sessions
Each Wednesday, 6:30-8PM at
Friends Meeting House. An opportunity to practice this universal
spiritual discipline and discuss mindfulness.
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."
Please Use your S.H.A.R.E.S. Card at Save-Mart
Our Fellowship is participating in the Save-Mart S.H.A.R.E.S program. If you take one of our S.H.A.R.E.S. cards and give it to the clerk at the check-out counter, our Fellowship will receive 3% of your grocery purchases from Save-Mart, at no extra cost to you. Please get your own S.H.A.R.E.S. card from Jolene.
UU Visalia Online Bookstore
Our online bookstore allows you
to purchase anything available from Amazon.com (even electronics, clothing, cameras and auto
parts, etc.) at www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/ We have a number of new
books in our Featured This Month section - including two new books about famed naturalist John Muir, Recognizing journaling as a spiritual practice, we've added a new section on Journal Writing. 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!
Before going to Amazon, just visit: www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore
Friday UU Visalia Social Lunch Group
Join us every Friday at 12:15 p.m.for lunch - we'll be visiting different
locations each week! If you'd like to attend, contact Harold at 739-8527
or email harold@uuvisalia.org to be added to our weekly notification list.
Join Our Choir
The Choir practices at 4 PM for rehearsal
on several designated Sundays each month. If you are interested in joining the choir, contact Ken Elias at kelias@prodigy.net or phone: (559) 561-0610.
Carpooling
Save money, gas, and the planet! Sign up to commute to Fellowship Worship
Services from Hanford, Three Rivers, Tulare, or Visalia. Look for sign up sheets at
the Meeting House or e-mail info@uuvisalia.org if you're interested.
Our Vegetarian Cookbook Project
Please
contribute your recipes for our Vegan / Vegetarian UU Visalia Cookbook.
Submit your items to Janet Wood or email them to: info@uuvisalia.org.
Reminder to GoodSearch!
Search
the World Wide Web and support our Fellowship at the same time!
Use GoodSearch to support our Fellowship! Identify "Unitarian
Visalia" as "who you search for" and earn monetary points for the Fellowship.
Bring Your Used Printer Cartridges!
Recycle your cartridges and earn cash for the Visalia Fellowship. Please place in the Empties4Cash box in the entry.
Share Your UU Magazines
After you have read the UU World, Interconnections and/or CLF Quest publications, please contribute them to the library.
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Now Available in our Online Bookstore!
www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore/
Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Oil and Coal
By Michael Brune
In this timely book, Michael Brune, executive director of Rainforest Action Network (RAN), who presents a special program in Visalia on January 31, shows us how we, as motivated citizens, can kick our own fossil-fuel habit and pressure policymakers and corporations to change their energy priorities. His vivid reports remind us of the economic, environmental, moral, and public-health costs of fossil-fuel dependence, and how our government and international banks are complicit. Brune also describes the most promising developments in renewables, biofuels, and efficient design, and offers an inspiring vision of the clean energy future within our reach.
Under Brune's leadership, RAN has had stunning success in getting corporations- including Home Depot, FedEx Kinko's, Citigroup, and Bank of America- to green their business practices, and his activist skills and passion are at the heart of this book. Overflowing with pragmatic and well-tested advice, Coming Clean is rooted in the author's faith that Americans acting together can create profound change.
The Green Collar Economy
He electrified our UUA General Assembly, telling us how we can address global climate change while at the same time revive our failing economy. Since his Ware lecture, it's become painfully clear that our economic situation is even worse than we thought. Now Van Jones, founder of Green for All, has a book coming out: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, giving detailed, concrete examples of the ideas he alluded to last year at our General Assembly.
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To contact the Editor, please email: editor@uuvisalia.org
Monthly Newsletter Deadline: 22nd of each month.
Please visit our updated website www.uuvisalia.org for more information about Unitarian Universalism. If you would like to become a member of the Visalia UU Fellowship, please speak with a Board member, and see our Pathways to Membership web page. |
Contact Info
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia
info@uuvisalia.org
(559) 477-4214
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