Outreach Opportunities Fund Update
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Articles of interest to current and prospective families e.g. Hogwarts summer camp, Mystery pal program, changes to Messy Church, First Sundays etc.
The Outreach Opportunities Fund Committee has selected a new recipient, the Aboriginal Mother Centre (AMC). It is dedicated to taking at risk mothers and children off the streets by providing housing in 16 suites for mothers and up to three children under nine years old. The Centre is able to offer all the support, tools and resources a mother needs to regain and retain her child. These resources include counselling, advocacy, education, training, and spiritual and social support. AMC also carries out homelessness outreach, a family wellness program, licensed daycare and a community kitchen. Nominated by a congregant, AMC will receive funding from the Sunday Collections starting 1 February.
Mary, Catherine, Nancy, Terence, Morgan and Jen first created an Ancestor Shrine with the children’s program back in the fall of 2013. Transforming the meditation room into a place of remembrance at the end of October has become a firm tradition since then. It is something our children remember and connect with over the years.
Please come explore the Ancestor Shrine after Sunday service on October 27th.
You may bring a photo or remembrance to leave on the altar if you wish (to be returned the following Sunday), and there will be paper and twine with which to write your own remembrances and hang from the willow branches.
May we remember where we come from, and how the tree of life shows us that truly all that exists on Earth is related. Further back we find that we have evolved from the dust of exploded stars–what great mystery!
As you prepare to return to school year routines and schedules I want to offer you a glimpse into the rich material we are planning to cover with families this year at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. Looking back through pictures reminds me of how much fun we have building community around here–and that certainly continues on!
We are continuing our structure around Soul Matters monthly themes and adding a focused exploration of World Religions—one of the six sources of wisdom, guidance, and spirituality that Unitarian Universalists draw upon. We are organizing into three groups this year:
That’s shorthand for Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education and this year we are running workshops for grades 8, 9, and older youth who haven’t had an opportunity to take OWL before. Registration is open—you can read more on our website and contact Kiersten Moore, DRE for more information.
Kids are given a bingo card on entering and when they’ve recorded hearing all of the words on the card, they yell out “Bingo”. Then get a reward at the end of the service.
We start September 8th with our all-ages Water Communion and In-gathering service—Bring a bit of water from home or from travels to add to our communion bowl. If you haven’t collected water from your summer explorations, you may bring an item or memento for our altar—just be sure to pick it up again after the service.
September 15th we open our journey exploring the connection between expectation and the UU idea of Ongoing Revelation, the belief that we should expect our truths to change and grow. This expectation of growth leads us directly into our World Religions focus:
This class will imagine they are all travelling the world. At each country they visit, the children will receive a passport sticker, learn about a different religion, how it relates to the month’s theme, and engage in a spiritual practice utilized by that religion. The focus is to both learn a bit about religions around the world and see how they can be utilized to gain wisdom and develop our own spirituality.
This class follows a long tradition of Unitarian middle school field trips and explorations of neighbouring faiths. We will engage in a more in-depth exploration of five religions throughout the year, beginning with our own Unitarian faith. Crossing Paths is a direct Soul Matters curriculum that takes the approach of religious pluralism. Instead of claiming that one religion is best or that all religions are basically the same, pluralism understands religions as separate systems of belief dealing with distinct human challenges.
September 15th is our opening orientation for Crossing Paths and parents are included! Please plan for at least one parent to attend the Sunday RE session with your child beginning at 10:45 am. Crossing Paths group will not attend the beginning of service this week. This class offers parents an opportunity to learn alongside your child and to deepen your own spiritual understanding.
Our Youth plan to hit the ground running with the final zero waste results from last year’s action project and move forward on the youth group movie project. The youth choose their own curriculum or focus with their advisors in the fall and follow a small group ministry style of discussion with the aim to deepen connections to their selves, each other, and the wider community. Youth also hold social gatherings, attend conferences and regional events, participate in multi-age celebrations and pageants, and a lot more.
We have 14 apple trees on the North West side of the property.
They were planted to celebrate our 100th anniversary.
UPDATE: Next up: The King apples are ripe mid-September to early October.
In the meantime, do pick up any fallen apples.
Yellow Transparent July 10–25
SUNRISE mid-August
Cox’s Orange Pippin late picking straight from the tree recommended.
Scarlet Sentinel – mid to late September
King – September 15 – 25
Florina – late September https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florina_(apple)
McIntosh – not till September 20-30
Ambrosia – mid to late season – October
Liberty – late season
FROM https://www.bctfpg.ca/horticulture/varieties-and-pollination/apple-varieties/
Sept. 20–30 Yellow with red blush
Popular in America since 1811
Yellow Transparent July 10–25 Creamy yellow
Jonagold Sept. 15–Oct. 7 Yellow with red stripes
Jonathan Sept. 20–25 Yellow with red blush
Golden Delicious Oct. 1–15 Yellow
Delicious—red strains Oct. 1–15 Red
Yes, that’s an unusual invitation, I know, but… I’d love people to take a bit of UCV abundance home with them. The rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) makes a lovely bouquet to bring some sunshine indoors.
Encourage your child to play with flowers by making:
Plans are rolling for a second year at Hogwarts. August 12-16 will see Hewett Centre once again transformed into the Great Hall and Hogwarts classrooms.
Harry and UU summer camp is theatre in action for kids ages 7-12. There are volunteer leadership opportunities for youth ages 13+ with a Red Cross first aid certificate. Visit our Summer Camp page to register now to hold your spot in the 2019 Hogwarts West experience.
This year our social justice focus will centre around water inspired by the national Canadian Unitarian Ripple Effect project. We will identify two local water issues to explore and learn about Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. The DA Creators will create a theatre as social action piece to fight our Horcrux. It becomes a week of living theatre, social justice, and a unique summer camp experience for Vancouver children and youth. (more…)
<< Northwest Wilderness Brochure >>
“Leave it wild” was the motto in 1966 when Unitarians purchased land on a river delta on the eastern shores of Kootenay Lake, BC, for family camping.
click here for the July 2019 newsletter
click here for the March 2019 Newsletter
Wilderness is open from July 1st to August 31st. There are no permanent structures, but lots of driftwood for creating temporary shelters for your campsite. There are both pit and composting toilets (built by volunteers!). There are communication devices for emergency.
The Northwest Wilderness Society is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the property as wilderness, and a retreat for its members. We welcome Unitarians and others who seek a wilderness camp, embrace diversity and hold the earth in high regard.
Phone: (604) 612-2643 or (604) 873-0770 (Canada) 425-867-1781 (USA)
Email: info@kootenaywildernesscamping.org
Web: kootenaywildernesscamping.org
It all started at a discussion group while at the 4th Annual Women’s Gathering (http://vancouverunitarians.ca/events/annual-womens- gathering/). Two groups have since been created. Because we want to enrich and empower the lives of women, we are forming a third one.
What will be discussed? Topics will be selected and facilitated on a rotating basis by participants.
Those participating in the current Women’s Groups have said:
“I am delighted that we are a diverse group in terms of age and experiences. Should broaden my horizons.” – Bev
“I’m somewhat new to Vancouver and want to join a Women’s Group to get support from women. I think it’s important to foster that for myself and for other women.” – Cayla
“I thought forming a women’s group would present me with an opportunity to meet with others to construct a safe space to address concerns, challenges and tools for empowerment.
Truly, it is through shared experiences and stories that we grow, reflect and expand who we are. In life and in the context of this group we all shift through life through our interactions with others and thus we assume many roles that include: teachers, mentors, students and leaders.” – Naomi
The new group will meet the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Fireside Room. First session is September 17th. Spaces are limited to 12 participants so REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Contact Sheila Resels at sresels@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.
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