Category: UU Connections

Unitarian regional and national (CUC) news; news from metro Vancouver congregations; news from other UU organizations such as ICUU etc.

Be the Change Earth Alliance

Be the Change Earth Alliance is a charitable organization that lives at the end of the hall in the Admin Building at 49th and Oak. They are a busy hive of activity, bringing eco-social education to secondary schools throughout BC.

Formed in 2005, they create empowering workshops and learning resources to help fulfill their vision for ‘an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet’. To learn more about their work you can visit their website: www.bethechangeearthalliance.org They greatly enjoy the warmth and kindness of all of the UCV staff.

If you see them having lunch under the maple tree in the summer or enjoying a tea break in the courtyard, make sure to say hi!

Global Climate Strike in Vancouver


Contact the Enviro Team | Join Our Email Group

Photo: Vancouver Unitarians join the Global Climate Strike in downtown Vancouver on September 27th 2019

Above: Vancouver Unitarians join thousands at the Global Climate Strike in downtown Vancouver on September 27th 2019

An estimated 100,000 people, including Unitarians from all four Metro Vancouver congregations, rallied at Vancouver City Hall on September 27th for the Global Climate Strike

Unitarians from all four Metro Vancouver congregations – including three Unitarian ministers – gathered under the Vancouver Unitarians banner at the start of the Global Climate Strike in Vancouver on September 27th.

The event was organized by students and we proudly joined with tens of thousands of them to fill the length of Cambie Street on our way through downtown Vancouver to the CBC building at West Georgia and Hamilton streets.

photo: Vancouver Unitarian youth at the 2019 global climate strike in downtown Vancouver

Above: Kiersten M. with UCV youth at the historic September 2019 global climate strike in downtown Vancouver

It was exhilarating – and reassuring – to be a part of this massive mobilization of Canadians. Police estimated that 100,000 people participated – perhaps the largest march ever in Vancouver.

Would you like to join us for future rallies, marches and activities? Learn more about Environment Team or contact the Outreach Coordinator by Email

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Many tens of thousands gathered for the Global Climate Strike at Vancouver City Hall September 27, 2019

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Join Our Social Media and Communications Team

Our UCV Communications Team is looking for someone to post web links to our facebook page. We’d like to post, on average, 5 links per week, preferably spread out over the week including posting the link for the Sunday morning service on Friday. Each post would only take you a couple of minutes if you regularly sign into facebook anyways.

You would be made an admin for the page and post as UCV (not as yourself). You would be welcome to get more involved than that such as adding photos, updating the cover photo more often, but that’s not required for the basic role.

Thanks to a growing team of volunteers, we have been able to increase our social media and web outreach over the past months and years.

Our Communications Team meets two or three times a year. You would be encouraged to attend to find out what else is happening and contribute your ideas. A lot goes on between meetings with individuals and sub-groups taking on tasks. Our meetings are mainly a check-in for individuals and small groups to report on what they’re doing and get feedback from others on their projects.

Video – We’d like to be able to do more

Our youtube channel has been mobilized. Here’s the link for Rev. Phillip Hewett’s Memorial Service and memories shared after the service.

 

People from across Canada and beyond have been so appreciative of being able to attend Phillip Hewett’s memorial service through youtube.

Among the notes I’ve received is one from Patricia Pavey (previously Yates) who attended UCV some time ago and is the composer of our “Carry the Flame” benediction. (And in case you’re wondering about the extra part that some congregations sing, that part was added by Louise Taylor who was music director at the Victoria congregation.)

We have podcasts of Sunday sermons

Click here to find the most recent three sermons–and check back regularly.

Our Closed Facebook Group

On advice from other congregations, we set up a Facebook Group (for community communications) that complements our Facebook page (for external/outreach communication). Our page has over 900 Likes (up from 800 in March, 2018).

You must have a facebook profile to join Members and Friends of Vancouver Unitarians. 

Note: you can see what’s on our Facebook page  even if you’re not on Facebook. If you are on Facebook – please go there regularly and like, comment and share. That’s how we increase our outreach.

Volunteers Needed

We need more help to continue to expand this work.

Some tasks, like posting links to our facebook page, take only a few minutes to do and don’t require much learning.

Most committees now have someone to post events and articles (“posts”) on the web but others need help getting their message out. Training is available and if you’ve used wordpress it will be easy to learn about our system.

We’d like more photos posted on instagram, facebook and the web, especially (with permission) of our many events and our beautiful campus (with people shown). If you like to take photos, we’d like to have you on board.

Other tasks such as editing videos (adding title pages, tweaking sound and light) take a lot of time. We need at least two more people if we’re to do video-recording, some of our events. Some ongoing tasks would only take about 15-30 minutes each week. Congregational consultant Peter Bowden says if he could suggest one thing it would be to do a very short video about the upcoming Sunday programs. Rev. Samaya Oakley of South Fraser Unitarians has been doing this.

How to attract and welcome visitors using social media

Are you interested in how Unitarian congregations can use social media well? I liked this article by Peter Bowden, emphasizing how much research visitors do before showing up in person and how important it is to respond very quickly to them.

If you’re 18-35 and want to meet other Unitarians your age…

A special invitation from the Canadian Unitarian Council to new-to-UU young adults

Are you interested in connecting with other young adult (18-35 year old) Unitarian Universalists? Gathered Here is a monthly 75-minute online check-in and gathering that will give you a chance to meet other UU young adults and experience the warmth of our national community.

2nd Monday @ 5pm on Zoom

Join other UU 18-35 year olds on Zoom (a video-conferencing platform) for the sharing of joys and concerns, deeper check-ins, prayerful reflections, and an opportunity to process current events with a spiritually grounded community. Gathered Here generally takes place on the second Monday evening of each month at 5pm Pacific/ 6pm Mountain/ 7pm Central/ 8pm Eastern/ 9pm Atlantic. It’s a free drop-in gathering, so no advance registration is necessary. Search “Gathered Here” on the CUC website or on Facebook to find upcoming dates and login instructions.

Here are some more ways for UU young adults to connect online.

CUC Website

http://cuc.ca/young-adults/

Our congregation supported this year-long project

http://cuc.ca/young-adults/young-adult-project/

Facebook Links

Canadian Unitarian Council Youth and Young Adult Ministry page

https://www.facebook.com/CUCyayaministry/

UU Young Adults in Vancouver

Closed Group (You can ask to join)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/122226307860396/

90 members

UU Young Adult Connections

Closed Group (You can ask to join)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/698574876830392/

A continental group only for those between 18 and 35

1300+members

Description

There are a lot of UU young adults* wandering the continent but it’s easy for us to feel isolated. This group is here to combat that feeling and connect us to each other. Feel free to share events and information, ask questions, and invite other young adults you know. THIS GROUP IS INDEPENDENT OF THE UUA. *The UUA defines young adults as people between the ages of 18-35. If you are younger than 18 or older than 35, this is not the group for you. Note: We also welcome anyone who identifies as a U/U (Unitarian or Universalist) rather than as a UU.

 

Text reminders

There’s a lot to keep track of, which is why we’re offering a new way to get the most important info about young adult events sent directly to your phone. We will use this service to send monthly reminders about Gathered Here, as well as other important event notices such as registration deadlines. Here are instructions for how to sign up for text reminders using a service called Remind.

1) By text:
Just text @cucya to (502) 694-1142 and you will be signed up for reminders. You should receive a confirmation from Remind right away.

2) Online:
Visit rmd.at/cucya to sign up for text, smartphone notifications and/or email reminders. By creating an account, you can change your settings or unsubscribe at any time.
* Remind was designed for classrooms, so you’ll get a prompt asking whether you’re a teacher, student, parent, etc. Just choose “student” to move to the next page.

3) By email:
Send an email to young-adults@cuc.ca and request to be added to the reminder group. Please include your cell phone number in the message.

[Thank you and credit to BLUU for the text notification idea and instructions! Visitblacklivesuu.com/ to learn more about their incredible work]

Additionally, you can always check in on what events are coming up for young adults atwww.cuc.ca/community/young-adults/young-adult-events/

 

North Shore Unitarians are hosting a Green New Deal Town Hall

Pact for a Green New Deal

Pact graphic NSUC town hall.png
CUC logo.png

The Canadian Unitarian Council is one of 65 organizations that launched this movement on May 6th, calling on Canadians to urge their leaders to:

  • Meet the demands of Indigenous knowledge and science and cut Canada’s emissions in half in 11 years while protecting cultural and biological diversity.

  • Oversee a rapid, inclusive and far-reaching transition to deeply reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect critical biodiversity.

  • Fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

  • Meet the demands of the multiple crises we face, create over a million jobs in the process, leave no one behind and build a better present and future for all of us.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • Sign the pledge for a Green New Deal and if you are part of an organization, encourage it to endorse and participate.

  • Help develop a shared vision by joining a town hall near you. Our very own Catherine Strickland is hosting Green New Deal Town Hall at our church at 7pm on Sunday, June 16th. All are invited!

  • Help make the climate crisis a federal election issue by pushing political leaders to act.

  • Share this campaign with your networks.

  • On social media use the hashtag #GreenNewDeal.

  • Call on federal election candidates in your riding to support a Green New Deal.

Welcome to Wilderness

<< 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

 

 

For other Unitarian Camps

Sharing Our Faith grant received for our Hogwarts Summer Camp

Thank you to the Canadian Unitarian Council

I am pleased to announce that our Harry and UU Summer Theatre Camp has received a generous grant in the amount of $3,000 from the Canadian Unitarian Council’s Sharing Our Faith Fund. This grant will help us hire camp staff at a fair compensation rate, provide an excellent student-counsellor ratio, and insure affordability for Vancouver families. Check out our summer camp web page for more details.

Sharing Our Faith

The Sharing Our Faith program provides funds for congregational initiatives which enhance ministry, aid congregational projects and outreach, and enhance the Unitarian Universalist movement in Canada. Once a year, congregations are encouraged to hold a “Sharing Our Faith” worship service focused on the UU faith in Canada, with a special collection for the Sharing Our Faith fund. The fund consists of these monies, often supplemented by a Foundation Fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. The funds are allocated in the form of grants to congregations for growth projects and initiatives.

Your Support

Part of the grant asks for a show of faith from us in supporting our own initiative. You can help families with limited financial resources attend our engaging and unique program by donating to our Campership Fund.

A campership may include before and after care, public transportation, and lunch if requested. Applications will be processed on an ongoing, first-come, first-served basis as long as funds are available. A deposit in good faith of an affordable amount is requested to hold a spot.

Donate to Campership Fund

Donations to our Campership Fund are tax deductible and ensure that all children are able to attend camp with us, regardless of their family’s financial situation. Click the link above to send a secure donation by credit or debit card. Cheque donations to the Unitarian Church of Vancouver with “HP Summer Camp Donation” in the memo can be submitted using the Sunday morning donation envelopes or mailed to:

Unitarian Church of Vancouver
Attn: HP Summer Camp
949 West 49th Ave
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

 

CUC National Programs Update – May 2019

Latest eNews from the May 2019 CUC Annual General Meeting

The New 2019-20 CUC Board:

President: Margaret Wanlin | Western Region | president-board@cuc.ca
Vice-President: Chuck Shields | Eastern Region | chuck@cuc.ca
Treasurer: Joanne Green | Western Region | treasurer@cuc.ca
Secretary: Kiersten Moore | British Columbia Regionkiersten@cuc.ca
BC Region: Michael Scalesmichael@cuc.ca
Central Region: Tanya Cothran | tanya@cuc.ca
Rev. Rodrigo Solano Quesnel | rod@cuc.ca
Eastern Region: Glenna Hanley | glenna@cuc.ca
Minister Observer: Rev. Debra Thorneminister@cuc.ca
Youth Observers: Liv Gardiner and Fiona Butler | yob@cuc.ca

Executive Director: Vyda Ng vyda@cuc.ca

“Sort of” clockwise from 12 o’clock rear: Michael Scales, Kiersten Moore, Vyda Ng, Glenna Hanley, Joanne Green, Rod Solano Quesnel, Chuck Shields, Rev Debra Thorne, Tanya Cothran, Liv Gardiner, Margaret Wanlin. (Thanks for serving this big country!)

———–

And check out this great resource – What we wish people knew about UU – statements from Unitarian Universalist Ministers across Canada, instigated by UCV’s Rev Steven Epperson (the 2019 President of UUMOC – Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada) and compiled by UCV’s multi-talented Marcus Hynes.

“Instruments of the Spirit”

A Mass for Peace – Join North Shore Unitarians on May 11th

The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace was commissioned for the millennium by the U.K. Royal Armouries and had its premiere in London. The CD was released on September 10, 2001.

On May 11th, our church community will join many other singers from the wider community to make a strong, collective statement as to the folly of war. A choir of over 100 singers will perform this powerful and intensely moving work as a concert at Highlands United Church.

The human longing for peace is a visceral presence in this mass, as each movement adds to the larger story of war’s devastating impact. The various texts, as well as the music itself, embrace time periods from the first millennium B.C. to modern times, incorporating the poetic beauty of Islamic, Hindu, and Christian cultures.

ALISON NIXON, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Alison was appointed Music Director in September 2003. She conducts several other choral groups in the area including the Douglas College Choral Society, Note Bene Women’s Choir and SummerChor.

Alison is an accomplished violinist and has performed with orchestras in Britain, Switzerland and Vancouver. She is responsible for the church’s music program, which includes a 40-member adult choir, classical ensemble, folk choir and children’s choir. Alison also coordinates the musical component of the weekly Sunday services.

 

Recognition of new members

Sunday April 14, 2019 we will welcome our newest members into the congregation during the Sunday service.  We are so glad to be on the road together as part of the Unitarian family!  Congratulations and warmest welcome.