News from the Districts - January 5

White text on PWR background says News from the Districts and then lists the four districts.

Mountain Desert News

Save the Date: All About Stewardship

Join PWR's Rev. Sarah Schurr and Kay Crider from Stewardship for Us for a day that is All About Stewardship! We will cover: Fostering a Culture of Generosity; Building and Sustaining a Good Stewardship Process; and Capital Campaign Readiness & Basics.

February 10 • 10am-3:30pm. Lunch provided.

Fees: $20 per participant.

Boulder Valley UU Fellowship
1241 Ceres Drive
Lafayette, CO 80026

Contact Rev. Sarah Schurr at sschurr@uua.org for further details.

MDD Awards Open

Dale Arnink Award

The Dale Arnink Preaching Award goes annually to the preacher of a sermon that explores and promotes understanding and application of Humanist teachings in Unitarian Universalism. All Unitarian Universalist professional religious leaders, as well as those studying for professional leadership, are eligible to be considered for this award. Sermons are judged through a blind process by a panel of UU religious and lay leaders. The award will be presented at the MDD board meeting at the PWR Assembly on April 27-29, 2018 in Portland, Oregon if the recipient is present, and will be posted on the Mountain Desert District website.

Have you preached or heard a good sermon reflecting Humanist teachings lately? Submissions for the Award should be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2018 in order to be considered.

Download the Nomination Form for the Dale Arnink Award – 2018

Walk the Talk Award

The Walk the Talk Award is given to a Unitarian Universalist lay person for living a life which best exemplifies Unitarian Universalist principles. The award will be presented at the MDD board meeting at the PWR Assembly on April 27-29, 2018 in Portland, Oregon if the recipient is present, and will be posted on the Mountain Desert District website.

Complete and return the Nomination Form for the Walk the Talk Award by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 19, 2018.

Pacific Northwest News

Seminary for a Day

Please plan to join us as Seminary for a Day returns to First Unitarian Church in Portland on Saturday, January 27. Dr. Robin DiAngelo will offer our keynote presentation, “Seeing the Racial Water,” as well as a follow-up afternoon workshop. Learn more and register now for the stand-alone morning session ($20), or the full day including lunch ($65).

Dr. Robin DiAngelo is a former Associate Professor of Education whose scholarship is in White Racial Identity and Race Relations. In addition to her academic work, Dr. DiAngelo has extensive experience as a workplace consultant in issues of race relations and racial justice. She has numerous publications and books, including, “What Does it Mean to be White?: Developing White Racial Literacy." Her work on White Fragility has influenced the national dialogue on race and been featured in Alternet, Salon, NPR, PBS, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate and Colorlines.

Additional afternoon workshops on such topics as Lectio Divina, Writing As a Spiritual Practice, Anti-Racism and Spiritual Organizing, Sacred Movement: Tai Chi & QiGong, and many more, offered by local clergy and other Unitarian Universalist teachers, will make this a rich and rewarding day.

Inheriting the Flame Youth Con

January 14-15, featuring local poet and performer J. Mase, III

What is East Shore Unitarian Church FLAME Mini Con all about?

FLAME Regional mini-con is a PNWD tradition of hosting a mini-con focused on the intersection of spirituality and social justice. This year, we’re honoring this tradition by holding the event over MLK Jr weekend. East Shore is bringing in J. Mase III, a trans person of color from Seattle whose intersectional and faith-based work will both teach and inspire the youth. His performance will include the youths’ voices, and there will be time to share with one another their workshop-generated poetry, vision, and activism.

Please consider these questions beforehand, and we will explore them together!

  • How can we create space for non-white narratives?
  • What are spiritual practices that can be used to cultivate justice and compassion?
  • How can we sit with discomfort and approve our ability to empathize and self-reflect?
  • How can we acknowledge and work against the inequity and violence of our society?
  • How can we be accountable as allies?
  • What do solidarity and liberation look and feel like?
  • What are the communities we want to create; how do we envision them?
  • What role do I play in the creation of this beloved community?

Inheriting the Flame Details and Forms [docx]

Pacific Southwest News

Memorial Service for Rev. Elizabeth “Bets” Wienecke

A memorial service for the Rev. Elizabeth “Bets” Wienecke, who died on December 28, 2017 at the age of 81, will take place at 2pm on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Live Oak UU Congregation of Goleta, California.

Rev. Bets served as the minister at Live Oak for 18 years and then worked as a Ministerial Settlement Rep in the Pacific Southwest District for several years following her retirement from parish ministry. As many as four of our women ministers credit her nurturing and inspiration as essential to their pursuit of ministry. And countless colleagues remember her grace, good humor and kindness.

Notes of condolence can be sent to Peter Haslund at 3224 Serena Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Live Oak UU Congregation of Goleta, 820 North Fairview Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117.

PWR Congregations in the News

Taking a stand in Edmonds - Edmonds Beacon
“The return of the Rev. Cecilia Kingman to the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Congregation in her new roles has revitalized our faith development offerings for children and youth, and has opened new, exciting energies and vistas for social justice engagement in our congregation,” Rev. Eric Kaminetzky said. “Cecilia's focus on justice work as a ministry that is accessible to everyone is bringing new people through our doors and into our programs, justice-oriented and otherwise. And the emergence of her justice ministry at the church is helping us hone our efforts and get our message out to people who are hungry to make a difference now, in this moment, in the community. That is priceless.”

Boulder church welcomes Peruvian immigrant seeking sanctuary - Daily Camera Boulder News
In the meantime, she will be the first immigrant to take sanctuary at Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, which voted in October to open its doors to immigrants seeking to avoid deportation. "It is a key part of our religious exercise," Rev. Kelly Dignan said. "When sanctuary is offered, there is no intent to hide a person's whereabouts. We are open and honest with the authorities regarding our activities and intentions and the fact that we feel we are performing our religious duty."

Las Cruces group calls for release of detained Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto - Las Cruces Sun-News
Tuesday's news conference was organized by a group of Gutierrez's friends and supporters who are calling themselves La Alianza. Led by local activist Elisa Sanchez, the group gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces on Solano Drive and demanded the immediate release of Gutierrez and his son.

When The Fire Comes And There's No Home To Evacuate And Nowhere To Go - Huffington Post
Among the invisible victims of the fire are hundreds of homeless men and women living in the area. While the fires have been burning in the surrounding foothills, the effects on the streets of Santa Barbara are dramatic. “There’s ash blanketing everything. It looks like a snowfall,” the Rev. Julia Hamilton, head minister of the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, told HuffPost on Thursday. “Imagine lying down to sleep in the middle of this toxic ash. There’s nowhere to go.”

Vandal confesses, finds forgiveness from Fort Collins church - Coloradoan
Foothills Unitarian Church leaders have decided against pursuing criminal charges against a man who vandalized the church in an act they originally feared might be an angry political message. A man threw a rock through a window of an auxiliary building at the Fort Collins church on Saturday night, leaving a hole in the inside wall.

Davis resident might avoid deportation - Davis Enterprise
The felony Melchor referenced was “for joyriding as a young man,” according to Kathy Robertson, a Davis resident and member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis. Robertson explained in an Enterprise opinion piece earlier this month that “in 2002, (Kong) accepted a plea deal that sentenced him to a year in jail — one day over the limit for deportation — without being told the agreement would adversely affect his immigration status.”