Desert Notes January 11, 2024
It’s been busy here at VUU since we’ve come back from the holidays! In addition to renovations which are looking great and moving along, we have a lot going on!
Saturday I attended a Worship Associates mid-year retreat in which we reviewed our work since the retreat in July and did some administrative training needed to keep us all on the same page. I also worked with a small group that has begun meeting called “Creativity Matters” in which we channeled some spiritual work into a creative project. It was a lovely session and I hope some of you will join us next time on the first Saturday of the month from 4-7. On Sunday we held 13 Listening Sessions with 5-8 people in each (about 110 participants) and invited people to respond to these questions:
- How does your engagement with the VUU and /or Unitarian Universalist community encourage you to live your purpose or feel more fully human? or live more wholeheartedly? (For new people: What do you need in your life to more fully live your purpose, feel more fully human or live more wholeheartedly?)
- Think about a story about a time where you were able to live wholeheartedly/be fully human/live your purpose–what was present? What would need to be here (at VUU) (or not) that allows you to have the same/similar experience here…In other words, How would you know that this is the place you can live this purpose/be fully human?
- What kinds of changes (at VUU, in UUism, in the world you move in) are challenging and/or exciting to you right now and how would you like to move through these changes–what would allow you to trust that we are moving through the changes together/as a community? (for example: Think about a time when you moved through a difficult change with others and it went well whether you agreed with it or not–what was present?)
We also invited people to fill out a “wonder card” sharing something each participant wonders about after listening to each other.
The Board of Trustees and the Committee on Shared Ministry also participated in a session prior to this weekend in preparation for serving as facilitators and to make sure their feedback was included as well. We are compiling our notes and observations and the board will consider “what now/what next” with advisory comments from the CSM. This will take some time. I expect we won’t have concrete next steps for a few weeks. Thanks to everyone who participated! We may have an opportunity for folks who weren’t able to attend to come to an online session later this month.
Also this week I participated in a VIP/IAF leadership gathering to look at how we are organizing around mental health issues in our various states and how we can learn from each other in order to have better strategies as we enter a pivotal election cycle. This upcoming weekend on Friday and Saturday, VIP gathers to look at its overall organizing strategies and to engage in planning and training for this year. Please let Barb Quijada know if you are planning to attend! Help us plant seeds for this important shared work!
Chandler Multicultural Festival Saturday, January 13 from 11-6 p.m. VUU will have a table with a children’s art project and information about our congregation. We’d love to have some folks sign up to take a 1 hour shift to share more about why you make VUU your spiritual home! Want more information about the festival? Check this link out!
Some of you have asked about the workshop that Rev. Sam is offering about conflict that is open to all VUU members. Information and a registration link are available here.
-Rev Sarah