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"When navigating in a Desert, it helps to know what the Oasis looks like."
On Sunday September 15 we gathered to look into our own crystal ball and imagine our bright future. Our Long Range Five Year Rolling Plan was unveiled for your approval, suggestions and responses. The committee did a fine job taking all of our voices and synthesizing them into a well-organized and solid plan of action. October 27, after further meetings and chances for further feedback, we will vote to adopt it (or not).
I recommend that we adopt it. Remember it is not written in stone but a rolling plan that we will revise every year. It is, as we are, a work in progress.
Each of us, no doubt have our own idea of what an ideal oasis would look like. To be in community means that we combine our visions to create something that is greater than any one of us could be alone. But it does help if we have a dream to go by. So as possible inspiration for your own here, once again, is my ideal oasis in the desert. We time travel five years into the future.
It is Sunday morning and as you drive up to church you enjoy looking at the grounds -- a desert landscape at its best. Fragrant desert flowers fill the air. As you enter you choose one of the plentiful and shady parking spaces and take one of the many nature trails to the buildings. Soon you hear the laughter of children and see our greeters welcoming visitors at the door. Some of our older members arrive in our special UU mobile. People smile easily at each other, young and old mingle and our Religious Education wing is buzzing with activity. The director is busy orchestrating an army of teachers and helpers. A class is getting ready to decorate the meditation chapel for our largest coming of age class ever. Our intern minister, who is doing a campus ministry this year, is bringing a group of international students to visit us.
You look around before you go in and see how well the buildings fit in the landscape and feel the cool shade on the covered patios. In the large entry hall you notice the many different booths, flags and banners with pride. So many wonderful choices! Our full time program coordinator has done his job well. All the committees are here and offerings are on the bulletin boards: adult classes, small groups, mid-week worship and food for the spirit. The social action booth has a long line of eager volunteers.
In the sanctuary you are embraced by peaceful silence. Soft music welcomes you into the service. From the choir room the large, family choir enters. The ceiling soars above you and as the ministers enter together, you let go of the daily worries you came with and open your soul to the experience. You know it will move you and satisfy both heart and mind. As the choir begins singing, you remember how this congregation worked together to create this beautiful space.
After the service you have coffee in the social hall. Outside at a table in the shade you talk to friends and newcomers and hear about the latest plans for our newest social event, an international music festival. In the afternoon and all next week you know this place will continue to be busy. School children will use the nature trails, our gourmet group will meet in the large and well-equipped kitchen, and our church is hosting an interfaith conference.
On the way out you stop by the enclosed memorial garden for a moment of meditation. It is a peaceful place with a fountain and a butterfly garden. Trees have names in this garden and so do benches. You sit down on one and look around and remember how all this began. With a vision and a plan. A butterfly lands on your shoulder and you go home, at peace and renewed.
May we make our choices together with wisdom, foresight and courage!
Lone |
Board BitsBy Debbie Dinyes, |
Walgreen's has the talking jack-o-lanterns out, it must be August, er... I mean October.
This month you will be receiving a letter from the board regarding our switch to a new fiscal year. We will be asking you to maintain your 2002 pledge until June 30, 2003 to support an interim budget. This interim budget will be an extension of our current budget. A full canvass will kick off on February 28 with our canvass dinner. The letter will be the only request you get, so please be on the lookout for it.
Please take advantage of the opportunities available to review and give input for our long-range plan. A vote will be taken later this month. It will be an up or down vote like the mission statement. To see a copy of the plan contact Duke Mertz or access it on the church web site. (Five Year Strategic Plan)
Our committees are the life-blood of the church. They carry out the programs that benefit us all. October 27 has the theme of commitment. All our committees will have tables with information about service to the church either by joining a committee or helping with specific events. Check it out between services and after second service. There will be music, food and a prize drawing. In addition Social Action will be collecting canned goods for Paz de Cristo and small donations for Unlimited Potential, a self-help group for families. The donations will be used for English-Spanish dictionaries.
We are still struggling with our income gap. Please see that your pledge is current. We are not yet to the point that the state of Arizona has reached, and we have no intention of going there!
With the coming election in November we will be bombarded with political information. Many of us will be doing political work as an expression of our religious convictions. Please keep in mind that the distribution of partisan political materials in church or the making of partisan political announcements during the service can endanger our tax-exempt status. Thank you.
Check out the VUU web page at http://www.vuu.org/. This web page is often the first impression of VUU to someone searching for a UU Church, and it does make a good impression. Also use our web site to access the long-range plan (Five Year Strategic Plan).
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Lifespan Religious Education NewsBy Marilyn I. Huerter, |
Have you ever thought what church would be like if it were just especially for yoUUth? Come to the sanctuary on Sunday, October 6, at 5:00 PM, and find out! There will be lots of music (from our VUU Band), spirit, and a chance to talk back. The topic will be "What's In It For Me?" All high school youth and older are invited to attend. Bring your friends, too! All are welcome! After the service there will be pizza, drinks, and fellowship. Bring $2.00 for food. Come and have a great time at this special service!
The "Gap" created by lack of young adult programming in our congregations and a Unitarian Universalist presence on campuses creates a black hole into which 90% of the youth in our congregations fall. In an effort to address this situation, the Unitarian Universalist Association is asking congregations to hold a Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday. The goal is to raise more that $2 million to sustain programs for our youth and young adults so that more of them decide to stay in this faith, rather than leave it.
The UU Church will join in this effort on Sunday, October 13, when we will have an intergenerational service: "Mind the Gap." It's about the changes that could happen in our congregation and town if we had a more active and dynamic youth and young adult presence! Think about the difference such a presence would make to your teenaged or young adult children – or those you know! Think about what a difference UUism has made in your life, and what the possibilities would be if we shared it more widely with those in their teens, twenties, and thirties. Then COME to church on Sunday, October 13, with checkbook in hand, prepared to make the most generous contribution you can to support this effort!
"Our Whole Lives," also known as OWL, is the comprehensive sexuality education program created by the Unitarian Universalist Association in conjunction with the United Church of Christ. We are in the process of setting it up for two groups, junior high and grades 4-6. We will have parent orientation meetings for children in these age groups. We will describe the program, answer questions, and present the dates and times they will be offered. We need parent participation for this. The program is based on the belief that parents are the primary sexuality educators of their children, and for that reason, they need to be involved. We don't do this for parents, but with them. More information will come soon.
We need an oversight committee for the Our Whole Lives Program, and are seeking VUU members who would be interested in working on this important project. Please call me for more info.
Marilyn |
Music NotesBy Kellie Walker, |
Calling all those in high school, college, or who are young adults, who like to sing! Our choir invites you to join us for rehearsals 8:00-9:00 PM at the church on Wednesdays, Oct. 2 & 9, and to do a choir performance during the 2nd church service on Sunday Oct. 13. The theme that day is reaching out to young adults, and what better way to do this than through music? The piece will be an upbeat, African-style song called Dansi Na Kuimba, which is fun and easy to learn.
of our choir will be singing at a Faith-in-Action Rally against the Death Penalty on Friday Oct. 11 (7-9:00 PM) at Steele Indian School Park near Central & Indian School Rd. in Phoenix. Please join us there and give us some moral support!
Also, on Saturday Oct. 19 our choir will join with the choir from the UU Congregation of Phoenix to sing at an Ecumenical Choir Festival at Symphony Hall. Call me for ticket info, if you'd like to come hear this concert.
A reminder about applause! Just in general, it is not expected (or even usually desirable) in a church service, as we do not think of the music as a performance, but more as an offering. Applause can be jarring and done all the time could become automatic or meaningless. Of course, when done spontaneously and infrequently, we will accept it graciously as the thank-you it usually means!
A huge thank-you to all of you who made our Cabaret such a great evening! Newcomer Bob Beck organized and rehearsed the VUU House Band and organized all the musical entertainment, Jim Middleton wrote the funny script, Lorraine Rice was in charge of food, Barbara Sorauf coordinated ticket sales, Irene Rosenthal did publicity, Jamie Tillman and friends did the outstanding décor, Igor Glenn loaned his lights, and Jane Paul kept us all organized! We are so lucky to have such talented people willing to help.
Kellie Walker,
UU Director of Music Ministries
When we speak of this world as an organism, we bring to life the sense of something that pulses on its own. than a structure, more than an administrative unit, this church is a thing created by people but is not merely thought through and planned. It is fired by people, energized by good will, good works, and good spirit. These might be compared to a body's blood, its systems, and electrical charges.
We are, thus, an intentional body. We mean this church to do something, be something, say something quite different from other religious organizations. We are an exotic among them, delivering devotion based on a high sense of ethics and creating a cocoon of safety for ourselves and our children as we raise them to speak their own truths.
We also deliver a refuge, a refuge from those who consider us so different, perhaps unwisely different. In our church, we can refine our sense of community and deliver support for our people, while reaching toward others who may need our help.
What can we do to serve this end? Simple participation in every aspect of church life, even a small action, carries oxygen and nourishment indirectly to every other part of our church beyond our reach.
Teaching a Sunday school class, fixing a copier, donating money, serving on a committee. Each one is a gift of heart. Each gift keeps the intention of this church alive. Do all that you can time you make a gift. Each gift is a creation.
- Roberta Burnett
These words are part of our church covenant. If, indeed, we consider service a prayer, how do we act on that prayer? Think about the dozens of things that get done at our church every week. Could you do one of those things, once or many times? On October 27, Lone will lead a special worship on the topic of "commitment." Following each service that day, our hard-working committees will host an old-fashioned fair so you can find out about opportunities for service at VUU Church. Think big or small, long-term or short-term. How about one of the following?
Your donation to Unlimited Potential (UP) gives low-income Mexican immigrant mothers the gift of literacy and English! You can be sure the women will use their new skills to help their children do better in school. The start-up cost for each woman is $8, which covers a paperback dictionary, binder, notepaper, pens and pencils.
UP provides free educational programs, social services, and activities for women and their families in south Phoenix. Donations are greatly needed for start-up costs, nutritious snacks, early childhood programs, family activities, and teachers' salaries (4 are UP graduates).
If given before December 31, donations of up to $200 are eligible for the 2001 Arizona Tax Credit for the Working Poor. This credit can be taken in addition to the credit for public schools and private school tuition. You can also write in Unlimited Potential on United Way payroll deduction forms. UP is a non-profit (501-C-3) agency and tax-deductible donations can be sent to Unlimited Potential, P.O. Box 8814, Phoenix, AZ 85066. Our Board Chair is Roosevelt District Head Start Coordinator, Olanthus Albert. For more information, call the church office.
For those of you interested in joining our church, the next four-week New U.U. class will begin Thursday, October 11th. This is a wonderful chance to meet others who are new to the church, learn about Unitarian Universalism, and find out the pathway to membership. For details and to register for classes, call the church office. Childcare will be provided if prearranged.
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Happy Anniversary Wishes to Long-Term Members! |
VUU would like to recognize the people who are celebrating their 10 Year (or more!) anniversary of being a Member of this Church. We appreciate everything they have contributed over the years to help make this a welcoming and growing community. When you see them, tell them "Congratulations and thanks for being part of our community!"
Come and meet the families of your child's Sunday school classmates! There will be a potluck after the 2nd service on Sunday, Oct. 6 for preschool families (children 2-5, their siblings and parents). We will meet at the outdoor tables outside the preschool classroom. Please bring a food item to share. If you have questions, contact the church office.
The next Social Action meeting will be Tuesday, Oct.8th at 7:15 pm in the sanctuary. The results of the current SA survey will be announced and discussed. The survey covers the community, state, national and international Social Action interests of our congregation. It describes our commitment to provide information and service opportunities for new activities as well our current involvement. This will be an exciting, major topic! We strongly urge everyone interested in leading and/or helping any Social Action activities to attend this meeting. We will also discuss how to do our presentations at the Committee Fair Planning on Oct. 27th. Any questions? Call the church office.
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JOIN US AT THE WOMEN'S CIRCLE |
The Women's Circle met in the Cottage on September 12th and selected the next few meeting places, hosts, and subjects for the coming months. The next meeting will be on October 10th. Call the church office for details.
The VUU Humanists' primary purpose is to enhance, promote, practice and enjoy a meaningful life within the broad context of the Unitarian Universalist Association without reliance on supernatural beliefs, interventions, or dogma. To this end, the VUU Humanists will arrange forums, lectures, and discussions to encourage Humanist thought which relies primarily on reason, free inquiry and compassion; and views humans as the primary measure of our world.
Join us during the month of October for two evenings of talk and discussion. First and third Sundays at 7PM In the Sanctuary.
October 6th Lone Jensen will speak on Religious Humanism. Oct. 20th Will Ross will speak on Religion and Humanism in Australia. Questions? Call the church office.
with Bob Beck, Ace Certified Personal Trainer
480-961-6014
Blood Drive! October 6th 7:30 a.m. – noon. UU Parking Lot. Call the church office for details.
Saturday, October 26th, 7-10 p.m. Come to church in costume and have a howling good time with games, treats, prizes, haunted house, and more!
If you're curious about the Zen group that meets on Monday night, a good way to find out about us is to attend a Conversation and Zen Meditation Workshop with John Tarrant Roshi on Friday night, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. ($10 suggested donation at the door) and Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($40 advance registration is appreciated). Both events take place in the sanctuary. John is the Zen teacher of our former minister, James Ford. This event is open to everyone and all levels of experience are welcome. For additional information and to register, call the church office.
The holiday season will soon be upon us, and life just becomes busier and busier, with the routines of work and school. If something happens and you find yourself overwhelmed, and community support could make things easier, call your Neighborhood Contact. We'll be happy to help. If you haven't met your contact(s) yet, introduce yourself at services. If you would be willing to help when the need arises, be sure to call or email and let them know what you would be willing to provide. Call the church office for the names of your Neighborhood Contacts.
VUUpoint is published by:
The Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
1700 W. Warner Rd. Chandler, AZ 85224
Karen McBeath, October Editor
Office Phone: (480) 899-4249
Office Fax: (480) 899-2408
VUU Web page: http://vuu.org
Email: vuu@qwest.net
Church Office Hours:
M 8-3, T 8-3, W 11:30-4:30, Th 10-3, F 11:30-4:30
Rev. Lone Jensen's hours:
M off; Tu works at home, call office; W, Th, F, call office for appointment.
For an emergency, contact the church office (480) 899-4249
Love is the doctrine of this church;
The quest of truth is its sacrament;
And service is its prayer.
To dwell together in peace;
To seek knowledge in freedom;
To serve humankind in friendship;
Thus do we covenant.