Upcoming Sunday Services on ZOOM
Make sure you have a Chalice available to light before the Service begins.
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 Services can be seen on Zoom every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Our Touchstones theme for December is kindness.
December 6th:
Sunday Service with Rev. Fred Wooden, Marci Beaudoin, Noell Hyman, and Joel Sannes
Sermon: Love the Guest
Join our Service every week at this link: Zoom Worship Service
If you missed last week's service see it here.
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In the Meantime
It’s just after 9 pm Tuesday December 1st as I write and I just finished a supplemental board meeting. If you do not know, you have an awesome board, and as I hate using the word ‘awesome’ casually that means I think they are really good. What makes them awesome is that they care about each other. What makes them awesome is that they are humble about themselves but hold their work as a great honor. What makes them awesome is that they treat this work as spiritual work.
This is a great segue for my other thought. Tomorrow I will be at a demonstration here in Grand Rapids on behalf of Black Lives Matters, a monthly presence that has gone one every month since 2015. Before that, we held monthly demonstrations for marital equality for many years. Notice a pattern?
Repetition. People talk about spiritual practices a lot these days, but honestly the key is not what you do but that you do it over and over again. Repetition is how pianists learn scales, athletes learn layups, and so on. Practice means repetition.
Spirituality takes practice. That’s why we worship every week, not once a month. That’s why I devote time every day to studying Hebrew. My daily walks are a spiritual practice, and so are board meetings. Or they can be. Repetition is one part of spiritual practice, but making it consciously for your spirit it the other.
This Sunday I begin a series of sermons about Advent, a Christian spiritual practice. This may not seem something we UUs should do, but trust me here. There is something to learn from other religions about building our spiritual muscles. Just as I learned that Social Action can be a spiritual practice if you do it regularly, and that even board meetings can be a spiritual practice if you let them. - FW -
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Transition Team
Over the next two years, our interim minister, Fred Wooden will be helping our congregation move beyond our last ministry and prepare to welcome a new, different ministry. A lot will happen during this period of time as we transition from one settled ministry to the next settled ministry, and he is going to need some help. To this purpose, the Board has appointed a Transition Team of congregational leaders to assist Rev. Wooden in achieving the many tasks that lie ahead of us. This new team consists of Evan Anderson, Jodi Cicirello, Jenni Echols, and Jamila Miqbel, with Linda Horton as Chair.
 At our organizational meeting we began the work of answering the following questions:
1. Where has our VUU congregation been?
2. Where we are now?
3. Where we are going?
4. What community resources do we need to successfully make this transition?
During the month of December, we will focus our efforts on Question One. To this end, we are asking all VUUers to share their memories of VUU. What brought you here? What can you tell us about a significant time or in our congregation’s history? What kept you here? What are your most vivid personal memories of events at VUU? How did this become your congregational family? Please send your stories to History@vuu.org.
We'll collect your stories all month. In January, we will share a timeline based on the stories we have received, and request further submissions as fill-ins.
So... start your jotting down those memories now! It's a great antidote to the boredom of quarantining.
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Music Committee
The music committee requests that people submit pictures of themselves and/or their families and/or their children lighting a candle or holding a candle. It does not need to be used to light a chalice. Our tech team will be putting the photos together to accompany the singing of Silent Night at our Christmas Eve service. Please send your photographs to Blake Hyman. Email: blakehyman@gmail.com
We hope many of you will participate to help make our Christmas Eve gathering special.
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Congregational Conversation Sunday
This Sunday, immediately after the service, we will hold a Congregational Conversation. Members, friends, and visitors are welcome and encouraged to grab a quick bit to eat or otherwise take a five-minute break before we launch the conversation to provide updates on congregation business and committees.
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Recognition Sunday
The Special Funds Committee is pleased to announce the 2020 Recognition Sunday Honoree of 2020. Mary Logan Rothschild has been a member of VUU since 1985 and has had a significant impact on VUU congregational life since the day she arrived. No one can tell her story better than Mary herself! She provided her motivating story when she was notified of her nomination. Please click here to get to know Mary a bit more.
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Happenings Announcements
Want an announcement in Happenings? Fill this out.
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Free Covid Testing
If you or someone you know needs a Covid test you can go here.
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Coming of Age - Fundraiser
If you haven’t ordered a wreath or table centerpiece from Rockdale before (this is our 6th year offering their amazing products) you are missing out!
All products are handcrafted from fresh balsam in Maine.
Wreaths are available in a variety of styles: lights, ribbons (red, blue or
white) &/or pinecones!
Orders can be direct shipped to any address you put in – send wreaths as
gifts for family and friends.
https://www.rockdalewreaths.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=4&cat=Wrea
ths
Use Quick code 4368
Fundraiser supports the next Coming of Age trip to Boston!
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FAITH FORMATION PROGRAMMING THIS FALL
Registration link
 ELEMENTARY: 2yr olds - 5th graders, Sundays 1-2 pm: CartUUns, Unitarian Universalist values through the animated short films of Pixar and Disney.
Please note:
1) Monthly "take home" bags of supplies
will be created for each participant. Please
indicate (on registration) if you can pick up
bags at VUU, help deliver, or need delivery.
MIDDLE SCHOOL: 6th-8th graders, Sundays 2-3pm : Crossing Paths, Exploring the World's Religions using a UU theological framework. Virtual visits will enable youth to experience our "neighboring faiths.”
Please note:
1) Classes will be recorded and uploaded as PRIVATE to the VUU YouTube channel. Families will receive an email with the link to view the videos.
HIGH SCHOOL: 9th - 12th graders, Sundays 4:30- 5:30 pm: TED Talks, Discussion based programming.
Please note:
1) TED Talks will cover a variety of topics including social change, race, LGBTQ+ issues, environment, criminal justice reform, peace/conflict and may include some swear words.
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Winter 2020:Hosting Chandler I-Help
We will continue to host the Chandler I-HELP Shelter in our Sanctuary at least through December. Would you like to help by washing sheets? You would pick up dirty sheets on a Tuesday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and return them  clean the next Tuesday during those same hours. Interested?, please click here.
Thanks to the food donors, the sheet washers and thanks to the whole beloved VUU Community for your generous hospitality during these challenging times. Our guests and those who run the Chandler I-HELP program are so grateful.
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VUUers are still getting together virtually, meeting and doing good works of love & justice
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Knit Wits
Holiday Help Needed for Gift Stockings
Knit Wits, a group of knitters and crocheters from VUU have been busily producing warm hats and Christmas stockings for our IHelp guests. Now, we need to help Santa by filling the stockings. We have written to the Bombas sock company requesting a donation of socks. But, we'd like your help to complete the gifts. To fill the stockings, we need 25 of each unless otherwise noted:
bars of soap (5), face cloths (17), tooth brushes, combs, small bottles of shampoo, bottles of hand sanitizer (5), pairs of gloves, chocolate bars
Also: Several bags of hard individually wrapped candy that we can split among the stockings.
There is a large gift wrapped box in the lobby of the VUU office into which you can deposit your gifts. The list above will be updated weekly, and any extras donated will be brought to the UMOM homeless shelter. Questions? Please contact Sue Keen at jancarnation@yahoo.com or 480-570-1071.
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Environmental Action Team
Are you looking for ways to address climate change? We see things happening around us and we know something needs to be done, but what?? The Environmental Action Team at VUU has those same thoughts and concerns, and our goal is to provide education and action opportunities for VUU Congregants, individually or collectively, large or small. The pandemic has made our opportunities for action challenging, but we cannot give up on seeking solutions to the plight of our warming world. Join us December 16th via Zoom to discuss ways we can engage our beloved community in the work of solving climate change issues that affect all of us. (Contact Sandy at sandyariz@cox.net for more information).
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EastVUU Meeting, Dec. 10, 6:30 pm 
EastVUU Meeting Notice, Thursday, Dec. 10, 6:30-8:30 pm. Join us for our Annual Review. We will be sharing our ideas about what's working and what we hope for our future. We are excited to get everyone's input!
Save the date: EastVUU Social Night, Christmas Eve. Dec. 24, 6:30-8:30pm
EastVUU Zoom Meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 739743734?pwd= MXZST25uRUMvbjUrK0hXVlJWa2VzUT09
Meeting ID: 739 743 734 Passcode: 920559
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 Food for Life & Planet
FLP 12/11 Meeting: Feeling Good About Composting! There are so many benefits to composting, it’s hard to know where to begin! Let’s start with how beneficial rich compost is to the soil in your garden. Or the fact that you are reducing the amount of material sent to landfills. But do you know how to do it successfully? Here’s a quiz (Answer below—no cheating!)
Of the following, which is NOT a great item to add to your compost? A) Grass clippings; B) Egg Shells; C) Vegetable Peels; D) Fruit Rinds; E) Coffee Grounds
Join the Food for Life and the Planet Committee on Friday 12/11 at 10am to explore the world of composting. Chris Lueck from Dayspring United Methodist Church will be our guest speaker. Chris manages Dayspring’s beautiful community garden and admits that’s composting has been a topic close to her heart since 2001! Even if you don’t have a garden, come and learn! We are happy to accept compost donations at the VUU Green Sanctuary Garden! Hope to see you then! Denise (Quiz answer: Egg shells)
ZOOM Information:
FLP: Food for Life & Planet, Fridays 10:00 - 11:30 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82566280722?pwd=U3ViaWU0bG5RaDFpMXo4WmxWVVpudz09
Meeting ID: 825 6628 0722
Passcode: FLP
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The Page Turners - Book Selection
Join The Page Turners for our annual Book Selection Party. December 17 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. We will be selecting our books to read for 2021. We meet once a month on the third Thursday at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in attending, please email agmonahan@gmail.com for additional information.
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“Come Enjoy the Garden” Day Cancelled 12/8 
We usually gather on Tuesday mornings from 8am to 9am to do light maintenance and project work in the VUU Green Sanctuary Garden. This upcoming week, however, we are having some work done in the Garden and must cancel. We’ll resume on Tuesday, 12/15. For more information, please contact Kat Karpinen (katkarpinen@gmail.com). Thank you!
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Social Distance...But Make it Social Justice
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Thank you all for an incredible year sharing the work of justice together as UUJAZ. December brings a break from our regular programming, so our team can plan for an exciting 2021. Be sure to subscribe to our emails, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and if you are inspired to do so, become a monthly supporter at UUJAZ.org/donate.
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