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South Fraser Unitarians are on summer hiatus.

We carry the light of truth, the warmth of community, and the fire of commitment in our hearts until we are together again.

July 29, 2022

Summer Spirit

Every week during the summer, we’ll suggest ways to feed your spirit through awareness. Try it! You may be surprised at how your eyes and heart open to the season.

Re-Gathering News

The Worship Arts Team and the Board are moving forward with the exploration of the idea of holding WATCH PARTIES of our Sunday services beginning in September.

What will this look like? The services will take place on Zoom just as they have been over the last couple of years, so you can participate in our services from home.

In addition, you’ll have the option of gathering with others (and Rev. Samaya) at Sunnyside and watching the Zoom service on a large screen television together.

We'll keep you posted as we move forward with these investigations. Please feel free to reach out to our Board President, Dianne, and/or our Minister, the Rev. Samaya Oakley, with further questions.

Our Summer Pics

Dianne sent this photo of a spider web in a porthole at the north end of Texada Island on the good boat Anomandra’s Blues.

We want to see your summer adventures. If you take photos this season, please send copies to Smitty at admin@surreyunitarians.ca to be featured in the Summer Chalice!

The Eliot Institute

It’s not too late to register for August Eliot 2022: “Music Lessons & Rhythm Revelations: with Matthew Meyer, beginning on Saturday, August 06, 2022. Our very own Rev. Samaya is one of the Deans for this camp.

Eliot Institute is a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Pacific Northwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is managed by a volunteer board of directors made up of representatives from the established conferences held each year. Eliot Institute has been presenting camps and conferences since 1947, and currently holds camps each year at Seabeck.

Learn More About Eliot Institute

Hot Enough For You?

BC has been experiencing more “heat events” in recent years (days that are hotter than normal temperatures for the region).

There are two types of heat alerts in BC. Heat Warnings occur when daytime and overnight temperatures are higher than usual, but they are not getting hotter every day. Take the usual steps to stay cool.

Extreme Heat Emergencies occur when daytime and overnight temperatures are higher than usual, and they get hotter every day. In this case, you should follow an emergency plan.

Your plan may include:

  • Identify a cooler space in your home and prepare it so you can stay there at night.

  • Find an air-conditioned spot close by where you can cool off on very hot days. Consider staying with family or friends or find places in your community to spend time such as movie theatres, libraries, community centres, or shopping malls.

  • Practice opening doors and windows to move cool air in at night and shutting windows during the day to prevent hot outdoor air from coming inside.

And make sure to check in with people you know who may be susceptible to heat.

For more information about how to prepare for the heat, click the button below.

CDC Guide to Preparing For Heat Events

If you want to have your special day included in the monthly birthday notice, make sure to send the date to Smitty at admin@surreyunitarians.ca.

Summer Art Series

Watch here for our Summer Art Series — throughout July and August — featuring summer-themed visual arts.

Summer Street Scene in Harlem

1948

20 1/16 x 24 1/8 in. (51 x 61.2 cm.)

Painting: Tempera on gesso panel

Jacob Armstead Lawrence is among the best known twentieth-century African-American painters, known for his modernist illustrations of everyday life as well as narratives of African-American history and historical figures. (Wikipedia)

This painting, one of his most famous, incorporates the flattened surfaces, distorted shapes, and bold colors of modernism to capture the energy and vitality of life in Harlem, New York.

The work was so famous, in fact, that it even inspired poetry like this by Cornelius Eady.

Jacob Lawrence: Summer Street Scene - Cornelius Eady