Tag: connect

Messy Church – Food of Belonging

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Saturday, October 1, 5 – 8 pm in the Hewett Centre

Messy Church Potluck is back! This Saturday, October 1st, 5-8pm.

photo collage of games, art, yarn, painted hands, and food

Open to the entire UCV community embracing multigenerational fun and connections over food.  Dinner includes a centering worship element, time to check-in with yourself and each other, and leaning into play.  Our youth provide childcare attention to the kids with Cardboard Kingdom creations and games.

For Potluck: The Dish That Brings Back Belonging  

For potluck this month let’s nourish our souls and our bellies! Think of a food or recipe that takes you back to a memory of deep belonging (our September theme). Maybe it was the secret ingredients your grandma put into her apple pie: orange juice and bourbon. Or it might be the tostones your beloved aunt taught you how to make. Whether it was your dad’s way of doing BBQ or the go to dish you made when your kids were little, there’s likely some beloved “belonging food” you’ve not made lately.

So, this weekend, make it! And don’t just stop there: bring it! And don’t just share the dish but share the story of how it anchors you in some precious piece of belonging in your life, how it connects you to belonging and how sharing it with someone else deepened your sense of belonging with them.

Live from many places…it’s the CUC!!

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The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) is an organization of Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist member congregations and individual Unitarian Universalists acting to enhance, nurture and promote the Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist religion in Canada.

Learn more this way:

  • Subscribe to the CUC Monthly eNews.
  • Read the January 2021 CUC eNews
  • Read previous issues of the CUC Monthly eNews
  • Pad your resume! Join in local discussions with UCV’s Unitarian Universalist Connections Committee (UUCC) about CUC’s mission, vision, goals, and strategic priorities, and, if you’re a congregational member or an associate member, become eligible to be a voting delegate. Contact UUCC Chair Keith Wilkinson, or members Lynn Armstrong, Kiersten Moore, Olivia Hall, or Emilie Adin.

Mark your calendar
for the 2021 Canadian Unitarian Council Conference and take part from the comfort of your home!
CUC National Conference 2021: Sustaining Our Light – Online via Zoom

  • Saturday, 8 May 2021 – CUC AGM
  • Friday, May 14 – Sunday, 16, 2021
  • Details to follow at the CUC Conference website. (Registration opens 15 Mar 2021)

Participate in the AGM Motions Roundtable 2021
Saturday, 20 February 2021 at 9 am PT |10 am MT | 11 am CT |12  pm  ET |1 pm AT
Online via Zoom: http://bit.ly/CUCMotions   Join us for a discussion session on the motions…

(The big stone photos were taken at E’eyalmo in winter 2021 and spring 2020.)

And while you’re waiting…here are a few book and podcast suggestions from me (Keith Wilkinson) that I thought were consistent with Unitarian principles and sources. My 8 favourites are marked with asterisks*.

On democracy and autocracy

  • Sarah Kendzior, 2020. Hiding in plain sight *
  • Sarah Kendzior, 2018. The view from flyover country
  • Steven Livitsky & Daniel Ziblatt, 2018. How democracies die *
  • Kishore Mahbubani, 2018. Has the West lost it?
  • Timothy Snyder, 2017. On tyranny *
  • Hannah Arendt, 1973, The origins of totalitarianism
  • Left right and centre (a PRX podcast) *
    “PRX is a non-profit media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. We believe strong public media is anchored in journalism, strengthened with diverse voices, and amplified by innovative technology”)
  • IQ2US Debates – Intelligence Squared US Debates (a Panoply podcast) *

On equity and racial justice

  • Layla F. Saad, 2020. Me and white supremacy
  • Isabel Wilkerson, 2020. Caste: The origins of our discontents *
  • Isabel Wilkerson, 2010. The warmth of other suns

On persistence and gender equity

  • Victoria James, 2020. Wine girl
  • Sara Seager, 2020. The smallest lights in the universe *
  • Chris Hadfield, 2013. An astronaut’s guide to life

Poetry

  • Margaret Atwood, 2020. Dearly *

 

Virtual Coffee Hour: What would you like to talk about and with whom?

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Coffee hour starts at 12 noon. Join at ucv.im/coffee

Breakout rooms are set up with a variety of options including some of these:

  • sermon discussion – share comments about today’s service hosted by a member of the Connect and Engage team
  • open discussion – you just want to connect with some other Unitarians – talk amongst yourselves and perhaps meet some new people!
  • (Please let us know, preferably in advance, if there’s a topic you’d like to discuss so it can be added.)

Please make sure your name and any additional information (pronouns, location) are in your name rather than your phone # or name of your device (ipad)  From: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/200941109-Attendee-controls-in-a-meeting

You can now choose your own breakout room and go back to main session to choose a different one. You need to have updated your zoom client within past two months.

When others leave your breakout room, you can return to the main session to be placed in a different room.

Co-hosts: There will be several co-hosts on to make sure we’re only letting in identifiable UCV folk.

It helps us to know it’s you if you have updated your zoom profile with a name we’d recognize and also your picture. Click here to see how to do that https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201363203-Customizing-your-Profile.

We like to continue to keep the main session as a “welcome table” – Just like the entrance to Hewett Hall there’s not space for people to congregate there so I hope you’ll move along and find your group.

If you’re not familiar with zoom, please join the monthly zoom practice session if you can.

On Sunday, just click here to join us: ucv.im/coffee

All members and friends are welcome to join. Watch our Sunday service on youtube and then join us for coffee. Visitors welcome. You can come directly after the service, or drop-in at any point.

 

Zoom Update

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Virtual coffee hour hosts

  • John Smith – 1st Sunday
  • Donna – 2nd Sunday:  includes Book group at 12:30 pm
  • Erin – 3rd Sunday
  • Nan – 4th Sunday – includes Refugee committee at 12:30 pm

Usual breakout rooms include: Sermon discussion, open discussion and whatever you suggest.

Volunteer opportunity: We’re looking for someone to host 5th Sundays and be a backup if one of the regulars isn’t available. Training and a nice team available to help.

Facilitators for break out rooms always welcome. There have been rooms for discussion of indigenous studies, anti-racism and could be on the monthly soul matters theme.

If you’re not sure how to contact the hosts, the office staff can help you access an online directory (“Breeze”) or look up contact info for you.

Zoom Practice: We are now meeting once a month on the first Tuesday at 4 pm. Mary, Donna and John facilitate and we usually have Unitarians from across Canada join us.

The series of tech workshops is now complete for now. Contact John Henderson or office staff if you want links to handouts and videos on slack, breeze and what’s app.

Here are some links that might help you make your zoom meetings more interactive:

Zoom Icebreakers: 10 Activities to Energize Your Zoom Meetings

https://teambuilding.com/blog/zoom-games

 

Zoom Youth Group Games

 

https://www.bustle.com/p/21-icebreakers-thatll-make-your-zoom-happy-hours-the-highlight-of-your-day-22774216

 

View at Medium.com

If you use some of these, I’d love to have you post on our googlegroup or members facebook group which ones worked for you.

And here’s an article on limiting zoom fatigue.

https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-combat-zoom-fatigue

 

3 BC, AB, and UK online Unitarian events – Aug 2020 to May 2021

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UCV members and friends may be interested in exploring some of the following on-line learning events in the wider CUC and UK Unitarian communities.

1. Exploration of World Religions

8 Sep 2020 to 18 May 2021, twice a month, Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00 pm Pacific (see dates below)

In a unique partnership between South Fraser (SFUC) and Calgary Unitarians (UCC), the Revs. Debra Faulk and Samaya Oakley, and UCC member Lynn Nugent, are pleased to offer an exploration of nine of the major world religions/faith traditions this coming year – one a month from September through to May. This program is open to Unitarian Universalists in Western Canada. You’ll be able to participate several ways:

  • Attendance at the monthly Sunday service when we will have a guest speaker from the faith tradition we are exploring in the program;
  • Each of the monthly Soul Matters/Reflections packets will contain a spiritual practice, readings and resources from the traditions under consideration, and
  • Twice monthly gatherings where you’ll be able to delve deeper into the history and current practices of that tradition. We ask for a commitment to attend as many of these sessions as reasonably possible.
  • Our twice monthly gatherings will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm Pacific/ 7:30-9:00 Mountain.

Together we’ll be exploring:

September – Judaism – September 8th and 22nd;

October – Wicca – October 6th and 20th;

November – Hindu – November 3rd and 17th;

December – Christianity – December 1st and 15th;

January – Bahai – January 5th and 19th;

February – Buddhism – February 2nd and 16th;

March – Sikhism – March 2nd and 16th;

April – Islam – April 6th and 20th;

May – Indigenous Spirituality – May 4th and 18th.

As there are significant expenses for the resources being used, we are asking for a free-will donation of $10.00 per session on a sliding scale basis. We suggest you use the CUC’s green bottle sliding scale model to determine your contribution.

https://cuc.ca/about-cuc/support-subsidies/sliding-fee-scale/

To register simply click on the World Religions Exploration Program link. 

Please contact anyone of the following for more information:

Rev. Debra Faulk – [email protected] 403-702-6486

Lynn Nugent – [email protected]

Rev. Samaya Oakley – [email protected]; 604-323-4341

2. Discussion Group on White Fragility

27 September 2020 at 3 pm (plus 3 additional sessions in Oct, Nov, Dec)
Sponsored by South Fraser Unitarians

You’re invited into a group that will examine and discuss the ideas Robin DiAngelo presents in her book entitled White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (Beacon Press, 2018). Written with white people in mind, participants are invited into the work of learning skills to disrupt racism as a Unitarian Universalist faith commitment and practice. Together we’ll explore paths to come to terms with our own and others’ fragile, defensive, and coded responses when a conversation turns to race.

Over three sessions, we’ll examine ways that conversations about race, either interracially or among white people, can—whether one is aware or not—reinforce racial hierarchy. We’ll engage in a series of questions, activities, and reflection and sharing opportunities to find, in your stories and experiences, ways in which they have upheld and reinforced the culture of white supremacy.

Join us on Sunday, September 27th at 3 pm for an organizing session where we’ll set dates and times for our three sessions (October, November, and December). In order to prepare for the discussion circles, you’ll need a copy of the book.

For more information, contact Rev. Samaya Oakley, [email protected]; 604-323-4341

 

3. Hucklow Summer School – audio recordings from 2020 and previous years

Hucklow Summer School (HSS) is a Unitarian religious education gathering held each August at the Nightingale Centre, Great Hucklow, in the Peak District of the United Kingdom. Hucklow Summer School focuses on matters of religion and spirituality and intends to draw out and develop the potential of all participants. This year’s theme is ‘Speaking the Truth in Love’: Having the Courage of our Convictions in a Post-Truth Age. The 2020 events run from 22 Aug through 28 Aug, most for 90 minutes starting at 11 AM Pacific time. The talks are free but pre-registration is required. Although you may be too late now to pre-register, if you want to try, send an email to [email protected]. Meetings will be via zoom with passwords required.

If you see this posting too late to enrol in the live 2020 events, you can listen to the audio recordings from this and previous years. All the 2020 talks are being recorded and made available on YouTube and via the Summer School podcast stream and website (which contains over 10 years of audio recordings of past theme talks). Check the HSS website for these audio recordings. https://www.hucklowsummerschool.co.uk/talks/

 

Family Zoom – join any Sunday at noon

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from Mary Bennett

Although many children’s programs (and Kiersten!) are on vacation right now, there’s now a team to make sure there’s a kid-focused space during coffee hour every Sunday as a breakout room during virtual coffee hour. Myself, Sandy, Catherine and Meaghan take turns facilitating, often with a few conversation starters or an activity, but as often just a willingness to meet our kids where they are. Kids often do a show-and-tell with some artwork or tell us about something they did that week. And we love hearing that.

On the first Sunday of each month, we especially like to provide a chance for Mystery Pals to check in with each other.  We hope some pairs might want to use the chance to have a breakout room of their own to check-in, whether for 5 minutes or more.  They can do a quick check-in and then return to the main session if they want.
The Family breakout room will still be there for any of you, whether or not you’ve been a mystery pal.

In other news, if you missed Sunday’s service, do check it out with link from main page vancouverunitarians.ca  Until Saturday only it includes the kids’ play and Rose reading the Connections are made slowly poem. The procedures UCV is now using is that the greetings are edited out immediately after the service, and then after a week (6 days actually) everything except for the sermon is removed. Contact Marie, chair of communications team, at [email protected] if you have any questions about the procedures.

The next mystery pal program will start up as usual in spring 2021 (we assume), but in the meantime, I’d really encourage you to find some way to connect with past pals if possible. If you need contact information, you can contact the administator or office assistant Monday to Friday. If it’s urgent, ask me.  [email protected] 604-261-7204. If you want a directory of members and friends either hardcopy, pdf or Breeze database access, Aurora or Marcus can help with that.

Labyrinth picnic anyone?

Some of the kids have enjoyed our garden path labyrinth at 49th and Oak. I enjoyed visiting it briefly when I was there this past Sunday (for the first time in four and a half months).  Once this heat wave passes, I’d love to meet with a few of you to walk, play (and weed!) the labyrinth. Drop me a note if that would be of interest. We’d socially distance of course, but there’s a lot of space there to spread out.

Some links you might find of interest:

Last week’s service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4J_jD52taU&feature=youtu.be
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Vancouver.Unitarian.CYRE/
Covid-19 Plan for UCV site: https://vancouverunitarians.ca/ucv-covid-19-go-slowly-forward-plan/

Note the Main hall can be used for up to 20 people by arrangement with the office in advance. Details on procedures can be found at that link.

I will likely send regular notes about what’s coming up for Family Zoom (and anything else I might know and think you’d want to know too).  You’re not obligated to read everything (LOL!) and if you don’t want to receive at all, just let me know.

If you did not receive this message via email and want to receive them in future, please just let me know.

[email protected]

Happy Pride 2020

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Greetings: Happy Pride! What does Pride Mean to You? 

Vancouver Pride is first weekend in August so during the July 26 worship service we want to include a diverse selection of UCV members and friends wishing us all “Happy Pride”. A 15-second (maximum) video saying “Happy Pride” and or what “pride” means to you or what you are doing this year to celebrate Pride. 

We hope you’ll have some flags, posters, buttons and maybe even feather boas in your video!

You can record and send your video any time up until Saturday noon July 25, but the earlier the better. We’d like to include as many as possible and also have a handle on the length of time required.

Here’s a link to make it easy for you to record or upload your video:

Sunday Greetings

 

 

Vegan Cooking with umami

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Twelve people participated in our (first?) vegan cooking zoom call.
There seems to be enthusiasm so we may pursue this further, possibly with a monthly “ethical eating” zoom call, sharing our questions, answers, recipes. If you’d be interested, let me know at [email protected].

Possible topics

  • vegan desserts
  • environmental effects of the animal industry
  • nutrition issues
If you want to review the recording (technology glitches and all!) just click here:
Access Password: ucvucv1!

Resources

Denise has sent me a lot of information that I’ve pasted below.

If you’re on Facebook, do join us at the Unitarian Ethical Eating Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/unitarianethicaleating/

Goals of the Ethical Eating Group:

  • build education and awareness around the importance of food choices
  • respect individual choices and diversity – provide support and information for people wanting to shift their eating choices
  • encourage congregational engagement on ethical eating and action.
  • provide information on Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist initiatives related to ethical eating and encourage people to engage as individuals or as congregations

Approved by the Environment Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver on October 13, 2013.

(more…)

CUC May 2020 National Conference & AGM Highlights

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Featured image – Susanne Maziarz, Music Director at Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Toronto; co-leader with Rev Wayne Walder of a cross-Canada ceremony of remembrance, We are together, at the national gathering on 17 May 2020.

*12 more photos at the end of this post!

CUC eNews Coverage here.

CUC May 2020 National Conference Highlights

  • Video of the CUC Cross Canada Sunday Service One Storm, Many Ships
    (edited video, 90 minutes). The wonderful story for children of all ages read by Kiersten Moore has been deleted from the saved video pending copyright approvals from Disney.
  • CUC 2019 Annual Report (pdf document, 56 pages)
    The annual report is full of information about CUC’s work and how you might participate. It’s very worthwhile reading!
  • Attendance at 4 meetings via Zoom & YouTube: 150, 170, 200, 1,000
    (Numbers are approximate because more than one person may have been on one connection and some people had more than one connection!) Details of events follow.
  • If you’re interested in participating in these events in the future, contact the UCV UU Connections Committee – currently Keith Wilkinson, Lynn Armstrong, Kiersten Moore, & Emilie Adin. Text or phone Keith at 604-838-5643 or Lynn at 778-835-2546 or watch for a newly updated UCV Directory of Small Groups, Committees, and Teams, anticipated soon!

Plenary session – Thurs 14 May 2020, 150 participants; informal discussion of the resolutions being presented at the Sat AGM.

Gathering Ceremony – Fri, 15 May 2020, 170 participants, virtual banner parade with photos sent from many congregations across Canada, with music added, assembled by Amber Bellemare in Montreal.

Cross Canada Service – Sun, 17 May 2020, 1,000 participants, four ministers, many musicians and singers
Video available on CUC’s YouTube channel.

Annual General Meeting – Sat, 16 May 2020, 200 participants (97 delegates, 100 observers, 45 congregations)
See the CUC Annual Report for details.

  • Reviewed CUC’s expected investment performance with the investments manager;
    (investments at the end of Dec 2019 were valued at $6.1 million);
  • Approved an operating budget of $812,000 (compare this to UCV at $600,000);
  • Approved changes in procedures for electing board members;
  • Elected new board members;
  • Approved 2020-21 goals and strategic priorities;
  • Responded to questions about the International Council of Unitarians and Univeralists (ICUU) conference still scheduled for Montreal in October 2020;
  • Received reports regarding a few of the many initiatives outlined in the Annual Report:
    • Youth and Young Adults (Annual Report, pp 23-26)
      plus CazUUm – CUC youth zoom conference (34 participants)
    • Truth Healing and Reconciliation Initiative (Annual Report, pp 29-31)
    • Social Justice Action (Annual Report, pp 26-28)
    • Dismantling Racism (Annual Report, p 35)
    • Polyamory Task Force (Annual Report, pp 36-55 – the full 19-page report from the task force on this complex subject, including recommendations for the CUC.)
  • Celebration of special awards:
    • Sharing our Faith Awards – Awards to support emerging programs in several congregations (Durham, Mississauga, Edmonton)
    • Northern Lights Award – support for a major initiative, this year for Northwest Toronto Co-housing Project (involving Unitarian fellowship of Northwest Toronto)
    • Shining Lights Award – for new innovative programs (see CUC website for details)
    • Theological Education Fund Award – Co-sponsored by CUC and UUMOC (UU Ministers of Canada) for support of ministerial students (grants made to two ministerial students ths year)
    • Knight Award – Awarded to Rev Frances Deverell for dedicated service on social justice issues including work with the Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice CUSJ
    • See the above links or email the CUC office for more details about any of the CUC award programs.

 

Some screen shots from the CUC Canada-wide Virtual Service, Sun 17 May 2020  

(Google the congregational web sites for more images and information!)

Sunday Service Leaders:

Rev Norm Horofker, Halifax Universalist Unitarians

Rev Karen Fraser Gitlitz, Saskatoon Unitarians

Rev Meghann Robern, Winnipeg Unitarian Universalists

Rev Wayne Walder, Neighbourhood Unitarian Fellowship, Toronto

Rev Samaya Oakley, South Fraser Unitarians, Surrey BC

Spoken Word

Taz Trefzger, Hamilton Unitarians & 2020 CazUUm Co-Dean

Carter Mahoney, Peterborough Unitarians, Young Adults Ensemble

Wonderful singers and musicians from across the country

– Halifax, Peterborough, Toronto, Vancouver…

James Morris (guitar), Halifax, playing Making Waves, composed for the occasion.

Peterborough Unitarians – Spirit of Life (Mark, Julie, Katherine, Stephira, Ben, Linda)

Vancouver Unitarians Elliott and Edgar playing work by Cape Breton’s Allistair MacGillivray

James Hill teaching us the ukulele “peace chord”.

Vancouver Unitarians Choir Leads: Beth, Erin, Bryan, Gavin
leading Canadian Unitarians in Blue Boat Home.

 

Theatre Friends – share your reviews and recommendations

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Paula and Mary invite you to a weekly theatre discussion on zoom – Mondays @ 4pm.

Sign in at https://ucv.im/theatre  You’ll need the regular connect and engage password.

Mary also has set up a private facebook group called “Theatre Friends” – theatrefriendsmary If you have a connection with UCV and/or Mary, you’ll be approved for membership after you answer the member questions and agree to rules.

Hoping to help us all take advantage of the amazing theatre available online at this time, and post-pandemic share theatre reviews and information and perhaps even a theatre project together.

This weekly discussion grew out of a book and video discussion, so we may throw in a bit about what we’re reading and films we’re watching as well. Hope to see you there!

Sponsored by Connect & Engage team