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UU Visalia
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Home Page:
uuvisalia.org
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Service Calendar
Sunday, May 3, 2009
4PM Choir Practice
5 PM - Worship Service: "Justice Sunday - UU Service Committee" presented by Allison
Eriksen: The history of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
and a look at their current projects. Special emphasis on recent
victories in the human right to water.
7 PM - DRUM CIRCLE (see info below)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
5 PM - Worship Service May 10: Guest minister - Sam Webster - "What is spirituality and how do I know if I have it?" Sam is a ceremonialist whose worship services are an art form.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
4PM Choir Practice
5:00 PM - Worship Service: "Human Security" presented by Daljit Singh:
Human security and
national security are interchangeably linked. Security of the
individual or group is intrinsically dependent upon the viability of
national and local institutions and their public policies. No nation
can be described as fully secured if its citizens feel threatened due
to their inability to find meaningful employment and food for
nourishment; inability to provide for their healthcare and shelter;
inability to provide for adequate safeguards against human made and
natural disasters. Feelings and perceptions of insecurity are
compounded due to the lack of institutional and community response. A
case of Pakistan will serve as a backdrop for discussion on the
concepts of human security.
6:45 PM - Worship Team meets after potluck.
Sunday,
May 24 - 5:00 PM - Worship Service: "Spreading the Good News" presented
by Marilyn Giese. We will also celebrate Flower
Communion.
Each individual should bring a flower to contribute to the congregational bouquet.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
4:00 PM - ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING - NOTE EARLIER TIME!
No
worship service today - instead all members exercise their responsibility to democratically elect officers and continue to plan our goals for financial, spiritual, maturational, and numerical growth. All members who have signed the Membership
Book at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting are eligible to vote. Non-members are welcome to attend.
4 PM meeting will be followed by socializing and a light potluck
of salads.
Please Note: Service topics are subject to change
The 5PM Worship Service is followed by a 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
May 10 Deadline - HELP US PLAN FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR!
Please mail or hand in your pledge commitment by May 10, 2009
You may delver it to our Treasurer, Sandy, or any board member.
May 31, 2009 - ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
4 PM - Please note earlier time!
No
worship
service today - instead we enact the UU principle of democracy. All members are strongly encouraged to attend this year's annual meeting since we have some special issues to decide. We need your input and involvement on making our recently adopted "Action Plan" a reality. How will we fund our goal to hire a part-time minister? How can we better engage in community social justice issues and improve hospitality to visitors? How can we serve not just ourselves, but really serve the many people in our community who hunger for a liberal religious alternative, who do not know that we are one "organized religion" which rejects dogma and superstition in favor of reason and justice?
We will also elect new leadership for the Fellowship, adopt a new budget,
and celebrate last year's accomplishments. All members
who have signed the Membership Book at least thirty days prior to the
Annual Meeting are eligible to vote. Non-members are welcome to
attend.
4 PM meeting will be followed by socializing and a light potluck
of salads.
UPDATE ON FELLOWSHIP GOALS
Most of you volunteered to do something as part of the following Action Plans, so please come to the Annual Meeting prepared to report on your progress!
Spiritual Growth:
I. Improve Quality & Consistency of Worship Service
II. Hire a Part time Minister
III. Enhance Spiritual Practice / Expand Theological Understanding
Maturational Growth:
I. Religious Education Program for Children
II. Improve Hospitality to Visitors
III. Active Engagement in Local Social Justice Issues
Numerical Growth:
I. Marketing
II. Evangelizing
III. Visibility in the community
IV. Physical Visibility
VERY SUCCESSFUL ECO-AUCTION!
Thanks to all who helped out with the Eco-Auction / Bake Sale! We raised over $800 to help Tulare County Foodlink fight hunger in Tulare County! The eco-friendly household cleaning kits and the brand-new Eco-Friendly Favorites Cookbook were a big hit! If you'd like to buy a cookbook featuring vegetarian recipes from our members and friends, they are still available for $12 each.
GREAT SUCCESS WITH SAVEMART S.H.A.R.E.S. FUNDRAISER!
For the first quarter of 2009, the UU Fellowship of Visalia has raised $181 due to members and friends using the Savemart S.H.A.R.E.S. card when shopping for groceries! We send 25% of proceeds to Food Link, while 75% of he proceeds go to UU Visalia Ethical Eating projects. Special thanks to Jolene for organizing this program! If you need another card, please contact Jolene!
BUT... AMAZON.COM EARNINGS DOWN
Our special online bookstore continues to generate earnings for your Fellowship. However, the first quarter of 2009 for some reason only generated $11.34 compared to $44.00 in the same period in 2008. But we note that thanks to some electronics and health care appliance purchases, we've raised more than that in April 2009 already: $12.11. And in 2008, we earned a total of $121.08! Remember, you can buy ANYTHING on our Amazon-powered bookstore, including shoes, clothes, health care products, electronics, etc. as well as books and music - everything for both your spiritual and physical health!
http://www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore
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Unitarian Universalist
Events & News
 May 1 -3, 2009 PCD DISTRICT ASSEMBLY
Join 400 Vibrant & Vital Unitarian Universalists Planned events include: · Banner Parade and Opening Celebration · Meet the two UUA President Candidates, Rev. Peter Morales and Rev. Laurel Hallman · Workshops for everyone · Youth and Young Adults - Worship · 5 levels of Child & Youth Programming · PCD Annual Meeting · PCD Bookstore
More information at www.pcd-uua.org/events
June 24-28, 2009 - UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLYSalt Lake City Join others from UU Visalia for the annual national conference for UUs!
Registration is now open:
http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/
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. Registration for lodging began on March 2, 2009 - register early - nearby hotels fill up early! Unitarian Universalism: Nurture Your Spirit. Help Heal Our World |
A link to an article in the New York Times which describes an interesting approach to the future:
The Transition Movement
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/
magazine/19town-t.html
Much to consider, especially the community aspects..
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Community Events for Social Justice and/or Personal Spiritual Development
CROP WALK REPORT  At the 4/25/09 event, about $5,500 pledges were collected,
including approximately $200 from two UUFV walkers.
Please make donations by 5/25/09, either through Rob Osak or April
Hill. Donations may also be made on-line at www.churchworldservice.org. Funds support
FoodLink of Tulare County and international disaster relief efforts -
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee or Church World Service.
CALIFORNIA BALLOT PROPOSITION RECOMMENDATIONS
for the May 19, 2009 Election are available at the UU Legislative Ministry website www.uulmca.org . After careful study, the UULM Action Network recommends voting "no" on all the propositions.
May 3, 2009 - 7 PM - DRUM CIRCLE at Friends Meeting House
We sponsor this 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, but a freewill
offering will be appreciated. Contact: 687-1891 or email
monstermath@rocketmail.com
May 4, 2009 - 7PM - Public Forum on Special May Election Ballot Propositions at Visalia Rotary Theater, 330 S Dollner St @ Mineral King. The forum will feature one guest presenter for each proposition. Participants will have a chance to ask the guest presenter questions regarding the propositions. The forum is sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Tulare-Kings Counties, League of Women Voters, Tulare County Association of Realtors, Tulare County Board of Supervisors, Tulare County Farm Bureau, Visalia Chamber of Commerce and the Visalia Times Delta. For more information, call Jeff Forbes or Jed Chernabaeff at (559) 636-5000.
May 4-8, 2009 National Drinking Water Week,
Visalia's Community Water Center and the A.G.U.A. coalition will hold a
number of workshops to share technical knowledge and
resources - a
drinking water convening , a practical workshop for private well owners, free one-time
testing of private wells, a training on choosing the right water
filters, and a youth
convening to build a youth voice for water justice.
As you may know, many families here in
Tulare
County
and throughout the
Central Valley
do not have access to safe drinking water, primarily due to nitrate
contamination. Unfortunately, Tulare County also has some of the
highest poverty rates in the state and many families with unsafe water
in their homes cannot afford treatment technologies or alternative
water supplies. Families have to make the choice between buying bottled water and other basic necessities, despite paying up to 10% of their household income for unsafe water.
All donations are fully tax-deductible. You can donate by sending your check to the
Community
Water
Center
at 311 W. Murray Ave.Visalia,
CA
93291 or by donating on-line at www.communitywatercenter.org.
At the Community Water Center, we believe clean water is a human right,
not a privilege. Please join us in working to make that right a reality
enjoyed by all here at home.
May 14, 2009, 1:30-3:30PM, Stakeholders Meeting for Tulare County Housing Element Update at Resource Management Agency Main Conference Room, 5961 S Mooney Blvd, Visalia 93291. 733-6291.
May 15, 2009 - 7PM "John Muir and the Animal Kingdom" presentation by Harold Wood at the Tulare County Audubon Society meeting. Harold (along with other talents) is a John Muir scholar who has extensive experience promoting the Sierra Club founder through lectures, websites, and political action. This will be a joint meeting with the Mineral King Group of the Sierra Club. Meetings take place at the County Department of Education building on the corner of Woodland and Burrel Avenue, Visalia.
May 16, 2009 Fresno Unitarians walk for National Alliance on Mental Illness at Roeding Park. Register online at www.nami.org - click on NAMIwalks, CA, Fresno, team UU.
May 17, 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.
Support time will be followed by a presentation. Website - www.pflag-tulare-kings.org; E-mail -
info@pflag-tulare-kings.org; MySpace -
www.myspace.com/pflagtularekingscounties
May 19 - VOTE ! ! !
Visalia Farmer's Market - Saturdays - 8-11:30 AM at Sequoia Mall Parking Lot (near Sears) and Thursday evenings in downtown Visalia.
Lawn Mower
Exchange Program = Registration began 4/23/09 for So Cal Edison's Lawn Mower
Exchange Program. Pay just $100 or $160 for a brand new electric
cordless mower valued at $400 or $500 when you exchange your gas mower.
Find quick registration instructions and program details online at
ww.sce.com/lawnmower or call 888-425-6247 once registration opens.
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Online UU Classes
Transforming Our Whiteness
It is hard for those of use who are white, and who live in societies
where whiteness is the norm, to see our own white power and privilege.
In this workshop we will identify what whiteness is, clarify the ways
it operates on our lives, and explore ways of transforming whiteness
into a force for justice.
We will explore how whiteness took shape in colonial times and how it
has changed over time. We will be particularly interested in the
racialization of European immigrants into whiteness.
The challenge here is to develop a positive white identity that will
empower us to work for change. We will discuss being a good ally to
people of color, working to end racism in white controlled
institutions, and nurturing a positive white racial identity in our
children.
This course will be taught by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and the
Rev. Bill Gardiner. They serve as co-chairs of the Unitarian
Universalist Allies for Racial Equity Education Committee and lead
transforming whiteness workshops for congregations and community
organizations.
The class starts May 4 and runs for five weeks.
Humanism Today: Issues and Origins
The heritage of humanism is a central strand in Unitarian
Universalism. We will explore the history of this idea in classical
philosophy, western intellectual development, and American religious
development. We will also examine the variety of institutional forms
of contemporary humanism, the issues it confronts, and the unique
spiritual resources that it offers in the context of our UU movement.
Taught by the Rev. Drs. Kendyl Gibbons and Bill Murray, two of the
most noted humanist scholars in our UU movement.
This class begins June 15 and runs for eight weeks.
You can sign up for these and other classes at our Online Learning
Center -- see www.clfuu.org/learn for more information about how
classes work and how to sign up. These classes carry a $40
registration fee.
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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. And... bring your receipts for the Raffle!
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 environmental books from MIchael Brune and Van Jones. And, we've added a new section on Ethical Eating. 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 ANYTHING online!
Before going to Amazon, just visit: www.uuvisalia.org/bookstore
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!
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.
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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