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  • 13 Jun 2025 9:46 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

      

    Unitarian Universalists
    of the Salish Sea

    Weekly Update
    June 13, 2025

     

    NEXT SATURDAY!

    Join us for our final spring service on Sat June 21 @ 5:00
    "Flower Communion

    St Margaret’s Cedar Cottage
    1530 E. 22nd, Vancouver
    In-person/Zoom

    Bring a flower this week to add to our collective bouquet, as part of our Flower Communion! 

    The Flower Communion is a beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual, developed in Czechoslovakia in 1923 by Norbert Čapek. This ritual symbolizes the coming together of our wild and varied selves into a community, a bouquet, a collective, where each individual's unique beauty is also not diminished by this coming together, but rather enhanced. 

    Come celebrate the unique beauty of our community! 

    also NEXT SATURDAY

    Register for our YEAR END GATHERING directly following our JUNE 21st Service

    We hope you will join us for our 2025 Year End Gathering on Saturday, June 21 after our service until 9 pm. We will start with our Flower Communion followed by a dinner catered by Tamam. During and after dinner, we will share reports from the various UUSS teams and talk about our transition to Sociocracy. Then we will move into an opportunity to offer feedback on all aspects of UUSS’s activity including any barriers you are experiencing to participation. Finally, we will invite sharing of your ideas for the upcoming year.  We hope you will join us!

    Please RSVP by filling out this short surveyIt includes opportunities to share any dietary needs and also to ask for or offer rides to and from the event.

    Come celebrate another wonderful year with us!

    TOMORROW!


    Come hear some of our UUSS folks in their spring concert on June 14!

     

    SOCIAL JUSTICE

    Help Stop Bill C-5 

    The government has introduced Bill C-5, Building Canada Act and is trying to push it through Parliament by Canada Day. This will circumvent proper Parliamentary procedure and eliminate the opportunity for public consultation on a Bill that grants sweeping power to the government to avoid environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation on projects that are deemed to be “in the national interest”. Who decides which projects qualify and what the parameters of qualification are is not specified. And, imagine this power in the hands of a government that you don’t agree with! To learn more visit here

    We need to make our voices heard ASAP! Please call, email or visit your Member of Parliament to tell them to ensure that Bill C-5 gets proper public consultation and that it must include both environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation and consent for all projects regardless of their importance to the country.

    Dismantling Barriers: 
    Talking About Joy as Resistance

     Thursday June 26 – 4:00 pm PT 

    Join us on June 26th, 2025 from 7-8:30pm ET on Zoom for a workshop and conversation around joy as resistance.

    As people prepare to move into summer mode, lets talk about joy as resistance and a key factor for the work of dismantling barriers.

    Queer joy, trans joy, Black joy, Indigenous joy, Immigrant joy, working class joy, young joy, elder joy, there are so many kinds of ways to celebrate and practice joy as resistance.

    It is one of my most core beliefs that we must facilitate intentional joy to encourage our faith and counteract the burnout that often comes with the work of dismantling. Let’s talk about it!


    Kudos to Lynda Fownes for making this amazing stole for our chaplain, Barb Moore.  Barb debuted this beautiful art piece while officiating Janni's stepdaughters's wedding a few weekends back.

    Check out our social media!

    We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! 

     

    Check the calendar on our website for more events!

    This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
    If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

    www.uusalishsea.ca      2025



  • 6 Jun 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

      

    Unitarian Universalists
    of the Salish Sea

    Weekly Update
    June 6, 2025

     

    Join us for our final spring service on Sat June 21 @ 5:00
    "Flower Communion

    St Margaret’s Cedar Cottage
    1530 E. 22nd, Vancouver
    In-person/Zoom

    Bring a flower this week to add to our collective bouquet, as part of our Flower Communion! 

    The Flower Communion is a beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual, developed in Czechoslovakia in 1923 by Norbert Čapek. This ritual symbolizes the coming together of our wild and varied selves into a community, a bouquet, a collective, where each individual's unique beauty is also not diminished by this coming together, but rather enhanced. 

    Come celebrate the unique beauty of our community! 

    Register for our YEAR END GATHERING directly following our JUNE 21st Service

    We hope you will join us for our 2025 Year End Gathering on Saturday, June 21 after our service until 9 pm. We will start with our Flower Communion followed by a dinner catered by Tamam. During and after dinner, we will share reports from the various UUSS teams and talk about our transition to Sociocracy. Then we will move into an opportunity to offer feedback on all aspects of UUSS’s activity including any barriers you are experiencing to participation. Finally, we will invite sharing of your ideas for the upcoming year.  We hope you will join us!

    Please RSVP by filling out this short surveyIt includes opportunities to share any dietary needs and also to ask for or offer rides to and from the event.

    Come celebrate another wonderful year with us!

    Come hear some of our UUSS folks in their spring concert on June 14!

     

    SOCIAL JUSTICE

    Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ) is a national Unitarian organization, specifically focused on Social Justice.  https://cusj.org/about/ 

    CUSJ Membership:  https://cusj.org/about-join-the-cusj-membership-form/  

    CUSJ’s AGM is Saturday June 7 at 1 PMRegister 

    The Crisis in Canadian Democracy: On-line presentation with special guests Andrew Coyne and Dennis Pilon
    TOMROROW
    Saturday June 7, 11 AM   REGISTER HERE

    From SHIFT:

    Write to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to ask our national pension manager to reverse course and recommit to achieving net-zero emissions across the portfolio by 2050. Net-zero commitments are essential for managing risk and protecting long-term returns. As climate impacts disrupt markets and economies, pension funds like CPPIB risk falling short on their future obligations without urgent action.

    You can send a quick letter to CPPIB and learn more here:

    Adventure Awaits:
    A Farewell Celebration for Rev. Linda Thomson!
    TOMORROW
    Saturday June 7: 1:30 pm PT

    It is with a mix of great joy and sadness that we share with you Rev. Linda Thomson’s plans to leave the Canadian Unitarian Council in June 2025. After 23 years of dedication and hard work, our wonderful colleague and friend, Linda, is setting off on her next great adventure - retirement! If you have any photos of Linda, over the years with her work with teh CUC, please upload them here

    Register here.

    Dismantling Barriers: 
    Talking About Joy as Resistance

     Thursday June 26 – 4:00 pm PT 

    Join us on June 26th, 2025 from 7-8:30pm ET on Zoom for a workshop and conversation around joy as resistance.

    As people prepare to move into summer mode, lets talk about joy as resistance and a key factor for the work of dismantling barriers.

    Queer joy, trans joy, Black joy, Indigenous joy, Immigrant joy, working class joy, young joy, elder joy, there are so many kinds of ways to celebrate and practice joy as resistance.

    It is one of my most core beliefs that we must facilitate intentional joy to encourage our faith and counteract the burnout that often comes with the work of dismantling. Let’s talk about it!

    Check out our social media!

    We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! 

     

    Check the calendar on our website for more events!

    This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
    If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

    www.uusalishsea.ca      2025



  • 30 May 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

      

    Unitarian Universalists
    of the Salish Sea

    Weekly Update
    May 30, 2025



    THIS SUNDAY Gathering
    "Decolonization as Progressive Understanding

    SUNDAY,  June 1 at 11:00am
    Molly Nye House, 940 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver

    In-person

    We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service.

    Catarina will share how the design process for the parks in Northeast False Creek was a vessel for deepening the understanding of place, cultural translation and replenishment. While this process only lasted 5 years, the learnings on decolonization that emerged were powerful and long lasting.


    Join us for our final spring service on Saturday June 21 
    @ 5:00pm

    "Flower Communion

    St Margaret’s Cedar Cottage
    1530 E. 22nd, Vancouver
    In-person/Zoom

    Bring a flower to share - look for more details in next week's enews.



    Register for our YEAR END GATHERING directly following our JUNE 21st Service

    We hope you will join us for our 2025 Year End Gathering on Saturday, June 21 from 5 pm to 9 pm. We will start with our Flower Communion followed by a dinner catered by Tamam. During and after dinner, we will share reports from the various UUSS teams and talk about our transition to Sociocracy. Then we will move into an opportunity to offer feedback on all aspects of UUSS’s activity including any barriers you are experiencing to participation. Finally, we will invite sharing of your ideas for the upcoming year.  We hope you will join us!

    Please RSVP by filling out this short survey. It includes opportunities to share any dietary needs and also to ask for or offer rides to and from the event.

    Come celebrate another wonderful year with us!

    Come hear some of our UUSS folks in their spring concert on June 14!

     


    CUC AGM 2025 TOMORROW: 

    May 31 10:00 am 

    • The AGM is free and open to everyone
    • Observers are welcome, although only delegates may vote (register delegates here asap if your congregation hasn’t done so yet!)
    • Regular business motions are on the agenda; there are no additional social justice motions
    • Access the AGM on ZOOM here – delegates, please check in 60 minutes ahead of time


    Adventure Awaits:
    A Farewell Celebration for Rev. Linda Thomson!
    June 7: 1:30 pm PT

    It is with a mix of great joy and sadness that we share with you Rev. Linda Thomson’s plans to leave the Canadian Unitarian Council in June 2025.  After 23 years of dedication and hard work, our wonderful colleague and friend, Linda, is setting off on her next great adventure—retirement! If you have any photos of Linda, over the years with her work with the CUC, please upload them here. 
    Register here at the bottom of the page.



    From Rev Heidi Brear at St. Margaret's Cedar Cottage Anglican Church where we are privileged to call our temporary home every month:

    As you know St. Margaret's is a special place and we are so grateful that it is able to provide a community space where so many people are able to gather whether that is to sing, play, learn, connect or worship! Over the last few months we have become aware of some significant needs of our aging building. We have had to replace the lower roof which was causing a leak and will need to replace our two furnaces as they are getting to the end of their useful life. The cost of these two projects is close to $60,000 which is well outside of what we budgeted for and what we can afford. We are grateful to be able to receive some funding through a grant from the wider church, but we will need to fundraise the rest of the costs to keep our building open and able to be used. 

    How can you and your congregation help? Share these great fundraisers with your congregation members

    1. Participate in our summer rummage sale either by donating items for the sale or coming by and buying some treasures! Date and more info TBA soon!

    3. Help leave a legacy at St. Margaret's one chair at a time.For more info visit click here 

    4. Create your own fundraiser! 

    5. Make a tax deductible donation directly to St. Margaret's (https://www.stmargaretscedarcottage.ca/donate.html)

    Check out our social media!

    We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! 

     

    Check the calendar on our website for more events!

    This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
    If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

    www.uusalishsea.ca      2025


  • 23 May 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

      

    Unitarian Universalists
    of the Salish Sea

    Weekly Update
    May 23, 2025

     


    Join us 
    TOMORROW!!

    "Reflections on Belonging"
    with special guests!
     
    Saturday, May 24 @ 5:00pm

    Join us TOMORROW!!

    Please join us for our special Sharing Our Faith service: Reflections on Belonging, in which we will explore the nature of belonging, where one is recognized and appreciated as part of a community.  

    We are delighted to have with us members from the Vancouver Unitarians who are part of that church’s IPA Team (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, plus Allies).  Three speakers who are the offspring of immigrants, will share with us their stories of how belonging is possible when one is straddling two cultures.  As children, they were the bridge between their parents, who brought over their language, culture, hopes and dreams, and the new reality of life in Canada. What did these children experience growing up through the Canadian education system and being immersed in North American culture? How did this experience affect them as they became adults? How did they find their way to the Unitarian Church?  We will, hopefully, reflect on how we can widen our circle in our congregation to include those whose experience is different from ours.



    Magic Carpet Fashions
    Refugee Fund Fundraiser

     Saturday, May 24 2-4pm
    Vancouver Unitarian

    Tickets here.


    LOOKING FOR YOUR INPUT! 

    On 
    June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  There will be a catered dinner so please reach out to info@uusalishsea.ca with any dietary restrictions.


    From our Care and 
    Concerns Committee

    Having trouble getting to UUSS services and events?

    We have heard that some folks have trouble driving across the bridge to Saturday evening services in East Vancouver, and some others have difficulty getting to Mollie Nye House in North Vancouver on Sundays.  We want to try to make our get-togethers as accessible as possible, so please contact the Care & Concerns Team at info@uusalishsea.ca if transportation is a barrier for you.  We will try to organize carpooling as needed. 


    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: 
    May 29 - 4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

    • The AGM is free and open to everyone Observers are welcome, although only delegates may vote (register delegates here  asap if your congregation hasn’t done so yet!)
    • Regular business motions are on the agenda; there are no additional social justice motions. Access the AGM on Zoom here – delegates, please check in 60 minutes ahead of time

    Justice News


    Sacred Trust Water Ceremony 
    Sunday May 25, 8:30 to 2 p.m. 

    Location: Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park, 4141 Dollarton Highway North Vancouver, BC

    Join us for the second Interfaith Water Ceremony hosted by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust and supported by Sierra Club BC! Join TWN as many faiths worship together – one heart, one mind, one prayer.

    The Tsleil Waututh Nation Sacred Trust is asking folks to register via the Eventbrite link so that they can ensure there is enough food.

    They are looking for volunteers for 3 different shifts.  There is also an opportunity to be part of the water ceremony itself, out on the water in a canoe.  Let Robyn know (robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com) if you want to participate on the water (space limited), or if you can help out at any of these shifts:

    • 8-9am > a) setting up tent, table, chairs b) canoe launch support (e.g., helping wrangle folks to sign waver and get in place and oriented)
    • 11:30am–12:30pm > Helping with lunch distribution
    • 2-3pm > take down tent, table, chairs; tidy up park



    Check out our social media!

    We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! Check out our latest Instagram stats

     

    Check the calendar on our website for more events!

    This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
    If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

    www.uusalishsea.ca      2025

    Unsubscribe


  • 16 May 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Join us for our next service

    "Reflections on Belonging"Saturday, May 24 @ 5:00pm
    Join us for our next service
    "Reflections on Belonging"
    Saturday, May 24 @ 5:00pm

    St Margaret's Cedar Cottage 
    1530 E 22nd Ave

    Please join us for our special Sharing Our Faith service: Reflections on Belonging, in which we will explore the nature of belonging, where one is recognized and appreciated as part of a community.  We are delighted to have with us members from the Vancouver Unitarians who are part of that church’s IPA Team (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, plus Allies).  Three speakers who are the offspring of immigrants, will share with us their stories of how belonging is possible when one is straddling two cultures.  As children, they were the bridge between their parents, who brought over their language, culture, hopes and dreams, and the new reality of life in Canada. What did these children experience growing up through the Canadian education system and being immersed in North American culture? How did this experience affect them as they became adults? How did they find their way to the Unitarian Church?  We will, hopefully, reflect on how we can widen our circle in our congregation to include those whose experience is different from ours.

    Magic Carpet Fashions
    Refugee Fund Fundraiser

     Saturday, May 24 2-4pm
    Vancouver Unitarian

    the Vancouver Unitarian Refugee Committee has invited fashion historian Ivan Sayers back to present a selection of garments inspired by the Middle East and Africa. It is sure to be both informative and entertaining.

    We are also delighted to have local fashion designer Somaya Ahmadipresent one of her fabulous creations. Refreshments will be available at intermission.

    There will also be a sale of much-loved accessories before, at intermission and after the show in Hewett Hall. Prices will be very reasonable. So, do check out the merchandise to find a little gift for yourself or a loved one.

    All proceeds from this event will go towards supporting refugees that Vancouver Unitarians bring to the Lower Mainland through the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Program.

    Bring a friend (or two) for an enjoyable afternoon! Tickets here.

    From our Care and 
    Concerns Committee

    Having trouble getting to UUSS services and events?

    We have heard that some folks have trouble driving across the bridge to Saturday evening services in East Vancouver, and some others have difficulty getting to Mollie Nye House in North Vancouver on Sundays.  We want to try to make our get-togethers as accessible as possible, so please contact the Care & Concerns Team at info@uusalishsea.ca if transportation is a barrier for you.  We will try to organize carpooling as needed. 

    From Dan Leahy

    dear Salish Sea Unitarians. We were proud members of the NSUC UNTIL 2013.....Dan and I are in awe of what you have created and are proud that you chose to create and build a new vibrant community that aligns more with your beautiful spirits and hearts. I am asking for a favour. would you be able to share a link to a go fund me page our daughter set up. Dan experienced chest pain 2.5 weeks ago. went to hospital, got admitted right away, had open heart surgery 5 days ago and is facing 2 months no work. Dan and I are both self employed, and I am off work as well caring for him. any financial support that comes our way would be incredibly appreciated. of course we totally understand if sharing does not fit in for you. thank you so much for your time. Gofundme for Dan.

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 

     After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    Join us for this National Service live on Sunday, May 18 at 10 am  followed by coffee time conversation.

    What if sustainability isn’t just about how long we last — but about how deeply we belong to each other and to the future?

    This service revisits Rev. Ray Drennan’s 2004 Confluence Lecture “An Idea of a Possibility” with insights from the UU Expressionsresearch and other current UU practices.

     Register for the Live Stream

    Why you won’t want to miss this:

     Real voices, raw stories: Hear from UUs across Canada—elders, leaders, and visionaries—sharing their insights and practices.

     A sacred invitation: Reflect, let go, and a reimagining of the possibilities.

     You’re needed here: This is about us—how we bridge differences and reimagine sustainability as belonging to the future together.

    Ready-to-Go Package:
    Can’t join live? On Monday, May 12, a complete service package will be available for congregations and communities who wish to engage with it in their own way. If you would like this package, please fill in this form.

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29 - 4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

    Justice News

    Sacred Trust Water Ceremony Sunday May 25, 8:30 to 2 p.m. 

    Location: Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park, 4141 Dollarton Highway North Vancouver, BC

    Join us for the second Interfaith Water Ceremony hosted by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust and supported by Sierra Club BC! Join TWN as many faiths worship together – one heart, one mind, one prayer.

    The Tsleil Waututh Nation Sacred Trust is asking folks to register via the Eventbrite link so that they can ensure there is enough food.

    They are looking for volunteers for 3 different shifts.  There is also an opportunity to be part of the water ceremony itself, out on the water in a canoe.  Let Robyn know (robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com) if you want to participate on the water (space limited), or if you can help out at any of these shifts:

    • 8-9am > a) setting up tent, table, chairs b) canoe launch support (e.g., helping wrangle folks to sign waver and get in place and oriented)
    • 11:30am–12:30pm > Helping with lunch distribution
    • 2-3pm > take down tent, table, chairs; tidy up park


    International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia May 17

    Simon Fraser University has provided a link to a previously recorded Panel event: Mobilizing Fear and Misinformation: Anti-SOGI and ‘Parent's Rights’ Movements.  In this pre-recorded session, a panel organized by our good friend Dr. Travers, Anthropology & Sociology professor at SFU, discussed misinformation, the forces behind anti-SOGI movements, and how these messages can be resisted. Watch the video.

    May is Asian Heritage Month

    The Vancouver Art Gallery is celebrating with a vibrant lineup of programs and events! Learn more here: https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/asian-heritage-month-2025/


    The Climate Emergency Unit has launched an information & advocacy campaign called #SignedSearedDelivered. The initiative flips the classic tourism postcard on its head with a scorching message to those in power.  This campaign seeks to connect the dots between escalating wildfires, the climate crisis & the burning of fossil fuels. It calls on our leaders to hold Canada’s fossil fuel industry accountable & make climate action a priority.    

    Check out our social media!

    We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! Check out our latest Instagram stats



  • 9 May 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Thanks to all who joined us this past Sunday for 
    Liz James' workshop! 

    And bringing such wonderful treats and most importantly, a special thanks to our Sunday Gathering Team: Barb, Allyson, Lynn, Lindsay, Catarina and Joy for organizing the whole event!

    Looking to join the UU Hysterical Society?  The URL for the Facebook group is www.facebook.com/groups/uuhystericalsociety/, but the simplest is just to log onto Facebook and search “UU Hysterical Society”.

    Looking for more Hysterical content?  Check out our website, at UUHystericalSociety.com.  There, you can subscribe to our mailing list, find out about our comedy podcast, find great worship resources, and fun downloadables.

    Interested in supporting what we’re doing?  You can support outside-the-box UUism in many shapes and forms by becoming a Saint, at www.uuhystericalsociety.com/shop/patron-saint.  Unlike with traditional Sainthood, we do not require you to die first.  Hooray!

    Want to learn more about the charity we raise funds for with our merchandise?  You can learn more at Flaminginternational.org.  If you want to learn more about the story of their relationship with UUHS (It’s a really amazing story), you can read more at www.uuhystericalsociety.com/fci-stories/2022/12/8/so-uh-whats-the-connection-between-flaming-chalice-international-and-the-hysterical-society


    Our Next Saturday Service will be on May 24th (note date change: the 4th Sunday instead of the 3rd)

    Reflections on Belonging

    Please join us for our special Sharing Our Faith service: Reflections on Belonging, in which we will explore the nature of belonging, where one is recognized and appreciated as part of a community.  We are delighted to have with us members from the Vancouver Unitarians who are part of that church’s IPA Team (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, plus Allies).  Three speakers who are the offspring of immigrants, will share with us their stories of how belonging is possible when one is straddling two cultures.  As children, they were the bridge between their parents, who brought over their language, culture, hopes and dreams, and the new reality of life in Canada. What did these children experience growing up through the Canadian education system and being immersed in North American culture? How did this experience affect them as they became adults? How did they find their way to the Unitarian Church?  We will, hopefully, reflect on how we can widen our circle in our congregation to include those whose experience is different from ours.

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, 
    May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 

    After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    From the CUC

    CanUUdle XXV:
    AdventUUres on the High Seas!
     
    May 16-19
    Unitarian Church of Montréal

    CanUUdle is the annual national conference for Unitarian Universalist youth (ages 14-19) and their adult advisors (25+). It’s a beautiful weekend where youth and adults create an amazing community, worship together, grow as spiritual beings, and join in multigen activities. CanUUdle attendees stay overnight at the Unitarian Church of Montréal from Friday to Monday. 

    National Worship Sunday Service "From Possibility to Practice"May 18 - 10:00am

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29 - 4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

    Public Worship:
    There Will Always Be Dancing

    When: May 15 @ 5:00 PM 

    Where: Online, please register for details

    Through the destruction and the devastation, something enduring resides within us that cannot be stamped out by bigotry, greed, or exploitation. No matter how much injustice we face and the burdens we carry, there will always be movement. There will always be music. There will always be dancing.

    From this inner well, we sing, pray, resist, rejoice, dream, and rebuild—because our liberation is bound up together, and our spirits are uncontainable. Let us gather to remind one another of our sources of courage, joy, and power.

    Join DRUUMM for our 2025 Public Worship with guest preacher, the Rev. Joan Javier-Duval of Vermont, and Dr. Jolie Rocke, our musical artist based in Texas. Rev. Christina Shu of California is our liturgist. This event is open to all.

    Justice News

    Concerns raised about Provincial Bill 15: the Infrastructure Projects Act  

    Quick Summary: On May 1st, the BC NDP tabled Bill 15, which will allow a minister and the cabinet to designate a broad range of public and private sector projects as worthy of jumping the regulatory queue. Bill 15 will empower the government to intervene as it sees fit on behalf of “provincially significant projects,” public as well as private. The NDP intend to pass this legislation on May 28.

    BC will not meet its emissions targets

    At the end of April the BC government  released its (long delayed) 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report. For those unfamiliar with it, the BC government is required every year to report on their CleanBC progress. You can read the report HERE

    Quick summaryWe know the B.C government was never on track to meet its 2030 climate targets. In this latest report, the B.C government finally admits it won't achieve them (see page 2). B.C. expects to reduce emissions 2% by 2025, missing this target by 9 million tonnes, and expects to reduce emissions 20-21% by 2030, missing this target by 13 million tonnes. 

    CleanBC review just announced:

    Quick Summary: CleanBC is B.C.’s road map for cutting climate pollution and building a cleaner, more sustainable future. The Province is launching an independent review of CleanBC programs to ensure they are effectively reducing emissions, while making life more affordable and supporting a strong economy.

    South Fraser UnitarianCongregation invites you to our beautiful neighbourhood. Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz will be conducting a service and a workshop. Here are the details for this Sunday:

    Date: May 11, 2025 2:30-3:30 pm (doors open at 2:10)
    Venue: Peninsula United Church (Sunnyside location)
    Address 15629 24 Ave Surrey BC

    Unitarian Service: Making, Knowing & Dreaming Justice

    How can tapping into our own creativity help us care for one another and work towards justice? Karen will draw from the perspectives of science, therapy and the arts to consider how creativity might help us respond to the challenges of our world.


  • 2 May 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    JOIN US THIS SUNDAY, MAY 4
    10:30am to 2:30pm 
    Molly Nye House, 940 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver

    We would also appreciate it if some participants could bring veggies, fruit, savoury snacks or sweet treats to share. 

    About the workshop:

    Liz James will be at Mollie Nye House to lead UUSS in a workshop called  The Church of Our Imagination, a congregational/community development workshop. In it, we will look at strategies for congregational adaptation. This isn’t a “How to use Facebook” style workshop. This is about changing how we think about ourselves. We will talk about what it looks like to get the word out in a viral world, how to re-envision what the “main part” of what we do really is, what streamlined governance and a failure friendly culture can really look like, and more. This is a story heavy workshop, with lots of examples of how UU communities are successfully adapting (as well as some jokes, discussion and a game thrown in).


      World Labyrinth Day 2025 in Surrey!   Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025   Time: 1:00 PM   Location: Seven Circuit Classical Labyrinth, Fleetwood Park, Surrey

    Be part of a global wave of peace and mindfulness as we "Walk as One at 1" with thousands across the globe.

    Our Labyrinth: 
    - Metro Vancouver's first public park labyrinth 
    - 42 feet in diameter 
    - Established in 2011 through community partnership 
    - A symbol of Surrey's commitment to pluralism and diversity

    Event Schedule: 1:00 PM - Labyrinth Introduction & Mindfulness Follow With Global Synchronized Walk

    From the CUC

    AGM Conversations:  
    May 7 4:30pm

    CanUUdle XXV:
    AdventUUres on the High Seas!
     May 16-19
    Unitarian Church of Montréal

    CanUUdle is the annual national conference for Unitarian Universalist youth (ages 14-19) and their adult advisors (25+). It’s a beautiful weekend where youth and adults create an amazing community, worship together, grow as spiritual beings, and join in multigen activities. CanUUdle attendees stay overnight at the Unitarian Church of Montréal from Friday to Monday. 

    National Worship Sunday Service "From Possibility to Practice": May 18 - 10:00am

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29  4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

     

    Justice News

    Free training opportunities to support your social justice activities!

    Right to Be offers excellent and free trainings that give you skills to engage in social justice in a way that is in alignment with our UU values. If you don’t know what to do when you witness a microaggression or want to increase your capacity to engage meaningfully with social justice work, consider participating in one or more of their trainings listed here.

    Register for the Screening of Incandescence on May 2, 2025, at 7 pm.

    Every summer, wildfires increasingly ravage places around the globe, darkening the skies with thick smoke and reducing communities to little more than ash and debris.

    Award-winning directors Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper weave together immersive on-the-ground footage with first-person accounts from Indigenous Elders, first responders, and ordinary people forced to react to a rapidly evolving ecosystem in the feature documentary Incandescence.

    Register here

    From Decolonial Solidarity and Dogwood:

    On Wednesday, May 28th 2025 the Gitanyow will go before the BC supreme court to argue their case for Title —standing up for their lands, laws, and the generations to come. The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs are together claiming title to the 6,200 square kilometres of the Gitanyow Lax’yip, located in the Nass and Skeena Watersheds (Kitwanga and Kispiox Rivers). When the Canada negotiated the Nisga'a Final Agreement with the Nisga'a Nation they did not consult the Gitanyow, despite their overlapping territorial claims.  Gitanyow Territory is now under threat from the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline (PRGT). Their title claim goes hand in hand with their struggle to protect their territories from destructive development and safeguard salmon in the Nass, Cranberry and Kiteen river.

    The Gitanyow are calling on their allies to march with them from Robson Square to the steps of the BC Supreme Courthouse. If you are in Vancouver on the morning of May 5th, please join the Gitanyow and their allies. You can also support by sharing this call with any and everyone!

    Location: Meet between Robson Square Ice Rink and Vancouver Art Gallery. Commence march up the Hornby sidewalk. Arrive at the front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC

    Time: 8:00am gather - 8:45am start the march - 9:15am arrive front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street

    After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, 
    May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 



  • 25 Apr 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    J
    OIN US TOMORROW at 5:00pm
    "Inherent Mirth and Dignity"
     5:00 FOR A SPECIAL SERVICE

    please come if you can and 
    welcome Liz James!


    On Saturday, April 26, UUSS Worship Circle has invited Liz James, founder of Mirth and Dignity and the UU Hysterical Society, to speak as part of our service entitled "Inherent Mirth and Dignity".  Join us at St. Margarets Cedar Cottage at 1530 E. 22nd Ave.

    What do you do when the life you’d imagined for yourself is stuck in committee? Join us for the story of the UU Hysterical Society...The practical joke that accidentally turned into a 230,000 person UU community on Facebook. It’s a story of feeling lost, finding yourself, and UUism-outside-the-box with  UUHS founder, Liz James. 

    Liz James is the founder of a 270,000-person online UU community called the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society (UUHS); half of The Cracked Cup podcast; and is working on a book with Skinner House Press. She also runs Mirth and Dignity, an organization devoted to supporting diverse expressions of Unitarian Universalism. She believes in a Unitarian Universalism that is filled with meaning and joy, and that sees change as an adventure.


    Also on Sunday, May 4Liz James will be at Mollie Nye House to lead UUSS in a workshop called  The Church of Our Imagination, a congregational/community development workshop. In it, we will look at strategies for congregational adaptation. This isn’t a “How to use Facebook” style workshop. This is about changing how we think about ourselves. We will talk about what it looks like to get the word out in a viral world, how to re-envision what the “main part” of what we do really is, what streamlined governance and a failure friendly culture can really look like, and more. This is a story heavy workshop, with lots of examples of how UU communities are successfully adapting (as well as some jokes, discussion and a game thrown in).

    From the CUC

    Congregational Conversations

    AGM Conversations:  May 7 4:30pm

    CanUUdle XXV:
    AdventUUres on the High Seas!
     May 16-19
    Unitarian Church of Montréal

    CanUUdle is the annual national conference for Unitarian Universalist youth (ages 14-19) and their adult advisors (25+). It’s a beautiful weekend where youth and adults create an amazing community, worship together, grow as spiritual beings, and join in multigen activities. CanUUdle attendees stay overnight at the Unitarian Church of Montréal from Friday to Monday. 

    National Worship Sunday Service "From Possibility to Practice": May 18 - 10:00am

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29  4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

      World Labyrinth Day 2025 in Surrey!   Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025   Time: 1:00 PM   Location: Seven Circuit Classical Labyrinth, Fleetwood Park, Surrey

    Be part of a global wave of peace and mindfulness as we "Walk as One at 1" with thousands across the globe.

    Our Labyrinth: 
    - Metro Vancouver's first public park labyrinth 
    - 42 feet in diameter 
    - Established in 2011 through community partnership 
    - A symbol of Surrey's commitment to pluralism and diversity

    Event Schedule: 1:00 PM - Labyrinth Introduction & Mindfulness Follow With Global Synchronized Walk

     After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, 
    May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 

     

    Justice News

    Join Tim Nash of Good Investing on Tuesday, April 29th, for his FREE Green Bonds: Financing the Green Transition webinar, where we’ll talk about what meaningful, transparent, values-aligned investing looks like—and how you can be part of the next wave of real change.Let’s keep planting the seeds.

    From Decolonial Solidarity and Dogwood:

    On Monday, May 5th 2025 the Gitanyow will go before the BC supreme court to argue their case for Title —standing up for their lands, laws, and the generations to come. The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs are together claiming title to the 6,200 square kilometres of the Gitanyow Lax’yip, located in the Nass and Skeena Watersheds (Kitwanga and Kispiox Rivers). When the Canada negotiated the Nisga'a Final Agreement with the Nisga'a Nation they did not consult the Gitanyow, despite their overlapping territorial claims.  Gitanyow Territory is now under threat from the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline (PRGT). Their title claim goes hand in hand with their struggle to protect their territories from destructive development and safeguard salmon in the Nass, Cranberry and Kiteen river.

    The Gitanyow are calling on their allies to march with them from Robson Square to the steps of the BC Supreme Courthouse. If you are in Vancouver on the morning of May 5th, please join the Gitanyow and their allies. You can also support by sharing this call with any and everyone!

    Location: Meet between Robson Square Ice Rink and Vancouver Art Gallery. Commence march up the Hornby sidewalk. Arrive at the front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC

    Time: 8:00am gather - 8:45am start the march - 9:15am arrive front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street

      World Labyrinth Day 2025 in Surrey!   Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025   Time: 1:00 PM   Location: Seven Circuit Classical Labyrinth, Fleetwood Park, Surrey

    Be part of a global wave of peace and mindfulness as we "Walk as One at 1" with thousands across the globe.

    Our Labyrinth: 
    - Metro Vancouver's first public park labyrinth 
    - 42 feet in diameter 
    - Established in 2011 through community partnership 
    - A symbol of Surrey's commitment to pluralism and diversity

    Event Schedule: 1:00 PM - Labyrinth Introduction & Mindfulness Follow With Global Synchronized Walk

    From Decolonial Solidarity and Dogwood:

    On Monday, May 5th 2025 the Gitanyow will go before the BC supreme court to argue their case for Title —standing up for their lands, laws, and the generations to come. The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs are together claiming title to the 6,200 square kilometres of the Gitanyow Lax’yip, located in the Nass and Skeena Watersheds (Kitwanga and Kispiox Rivers). When the Canada negotiated the Nisga'a Final Agreement with the Nisga'a Nation they did not consult the Gitanyow, despite their overlapping territorial claims.  Gitanyow Territory is now under threat from the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline (PRGT). Their title claim goes hand in hand with their struggle to protect their territories from destructive development and safeguard salmon in the Nass, Cranberry and Kiteen river.

    The Gitanyow are calling on their allies to march with them from Robson Square to the steps of the BC Supreme Courthouse. If you are in Vancouver on the morning of May 5th, please join the Gitanyow and their allies. You can also support by sharing this call with any and everyone!

    Date: Monday, May 5, 2025

    Location: Meet between Robson Square Ice Rink and Vancouver Art Gallery. Commence march up the Hornby sidewalk. Arrive at the front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, BC

    Time: 8:00am gather - 8:45am start the march - 9:15am arrive front steps of BC Supreme Court, 800 Smithe Street


    The UUSC launches the Resistance Network.

    We are living in a time of escalating injustice, but also powerful resistance. Those in power seek to divide us, weaken our movements, and strip away fundamental rights—but we know that justice is only possible when we build solidarity together. Our faith in human dignity, our belief in collective liberation, and our commitment to justice call us to act.

    Yesterday, the UUSC launched the Resistance Network—a mobilization hub designed to take immediate action when civil liberties, democracy, and human rights are at risk. The threats we face are vast, but history shows us that resistance works when we act together. The Resistance Network is an opportunity to live our values as Unitarian Universalists and take collective action. 

    Check out our social media!



  • 18 Apr 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    JOIN US NEXT SATURDAY AT 5:00 FOR A SPECIAL SERVICE

    please come if you can and 
    welcome Liz James!


    On Saturday, April 26, UUSS Worship Circle has invited Liz James, founder of Mirth and Dignity and the UU Hysterical Society, to speak as part of our service entitled "Inherent Mirth and Dignity".  Join us at St. Margarets Cedar Cottage at 1530 E. 22nd Ave.

    What do you do when the life you’d imagined for yourself is stuck in committee? Join us for the story of the UU Hysterical Society...The practical joke that accidentally turned into a 230,000 person UU community on Facebook. It’s a story of feeling lost, finding yourself, and UUism-outside-the-box with  UUHS founder, Liz James. 

    Also on Sunday, May 4, Liz James will be at Mollie Nye House to lead UUSS in a workshop called  The Church of Our Imagination, a congregational/community development workshop. In it, we will look at strategies for congregational adaptation. This isn’t a “How to use Facebook” style workshop. This is about changing how we think about ourselves. We will talk about what it looks like to get the word out in a viral world, how to re-envision what the “main part” of what we do really is, what streamlined governance and a failure friendly culture can really look like, and more. This is a story heavy workshop, with lots of examples of how UU communities are successfully adapting (as well as some jokes, discussion and a game thrown in).

    Check out the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society!

    This is primarily a humour group, made by Unitarian Universalists (but welcoming everybody!), that arose kind of by accident out of a practical joke in 2015.

    They are a special corner of the internet, due largely to the tireless work of a professional mod team that works 24/7 (okay, not really at night) to approve posts, approve members, and watch over threads.

    Below is an example of the fun postings you will find there - join the group!


    https://www.facebook.com/groups/uuhystericalsoci

    Justice News

    “Saving Our Planet: Faith in Action 3,” 

    A dynamic gathering is taking place on World Earth Day, April 22,2025, at St. Andrew’s Wesley Church. Brought to you by the Foundation for a Path Forward, the Interfaith Climate Alliance, and supported by St. Andrew's Wesley United Church. 


    From the CUC

    Congregational Conversations

    Connect and Deepen: April 19 1:00 pm PT

    AGM Conversations: April 19 – 10:00 am & May 7 - 4:30 pm": 

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking About Bylaws April 24  4:00 pm

    National Worship Sunday Service "From Possibility to Practice": May 18 - 10:00am

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29  4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

     After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, 
    May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 


    Happy Birthday, Jilly!



  • 11 Apr 2025 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

     Liz James set to visit us on both
    April 26 and May 4!

    On Saturday, April 26, UUSS Worship Circle has invited Liz James, founder of Mirth and Dignity and the UU Hysterical Society, to speak as part of our service entitled "Inherent Mirth and Dignity" 

    What do you do when the life you’d imagined for yourself is stuck in committee? Join us for the story of the UU Hysterical Society...The practical joke that accidentally turned into a 230,000 person UU community on Facebook. It’s a story of feeling lost, finding yourself, and UUism-outside-the-box with  UUHS founder, Liz James. 

    On Sunday, May 4, Liz James will be at Mollie Nye House to lead UUSS in a workshop called  The Church of Our Imagination, a congregational/community development workshop. In it, we will look at strategies for congregational adaptation. This isn’t a “How to use Facebook” style workshop. This is about changing how we think about ourselves. We will talk about what it looks like to get the word out in a viral world, how to re-envision what the “main part” of what we do really is, what streamlined governance and a failure friendly culture can really look like, and more. This is a story heavy workshop, with lots of examples of how UU communities are successfully adapting (as well as some jokes, discussion and a game thrown in).

    More info on Liz James

    Liz James began preaching and leading workshops twenty years ago, as a growth consultant for the Canadian Unitarian Council. Ten years ago, she founded the UU Hysterical Society, now a 270,000 person humour group on Facebook.  She then went on to found Mirth and Dignity, an organization devoted to diverse expressions of UUism.  She is cohost of the UU humour podcast The Cracked Cup, and working on a book with Skinner House press. 

    Justice News

    EARTH DAY EVENTS!!

    Celebrate Earth Day with Seniors for Climate at Trout Lake Community Centre on Saturday April 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Lots of activities for https://seniorsforclimate.org/en/vancouver-earth-day-2025-celebration/ for details.

    The 3 North Shore Municipalities will be consulting with residents on housing needs, in light of new requirements from the Provincial Government.  It is important to note that municipalities will no longer be holding public hearings for housing development proposals, so this is your best opportunity to advocate for affordable housing and complete communities. The District of North Vancouver has already started this review: public input sessions scheduled for April 12 and 16.  Find out more here: 

    District of North Vancouver: 
    https://www.dnv.org/community-environment/official-community-plan-update-2025


    From the CUC

    Congregational Conversations

    Transitions:  April 12 – 10:00 am

    Connect and Deepen: April 19 1:00 pm PT

    AGM Conversations: April 19 – 10:00 am & May 7 - 4:30 pm

    National Worship Sunday Service "From Possibility to Practice": 
    May 18 - 10:00am

    Dismantling Barriers - Talking about Solidarity: May 29  4:00 pm

    CUC AGM 2025: May 31 10:00 am 

    New Membership Team!

    Looking for Volunteers

    We are looking for volunteers to join a brand-new Membership Team.  To give you a sense of what the work might entail, I’ve developed a possible “Terms of Reference” document which is shown below.  One of the first tasks of the new group will be to review the ”Terms” and change them if you think it advantageous to do so.

    Please let me know if you’re interested.  I’m including a special invitation to any youth who might find this work of interest.  Your participation would be more than welcome.

    John Slattery (for the Planning Team)

    This Team shall:

    1. Maintain the official Membership List and control access to it
    2. Prepare name tags for members and stick-on labels for visitors
    3. Keep Membership materials in an updated, organized container
    4. Prepare and make available (for weekend services and gatherings) information about our congregation, special events, etc.
    5. Serve as Greeters, or if needed, recruit Greeters for these services and gatherings
    6. Provide information about what it means to be a member and how to become a member for those interested
    7. Develop and organize Becoming-a-Member sessions
    8. Inform (tba) about the Team’s activities on a regular basisDevelop an annual action plan (and an associated budget request) and evaluate how well it has met its goals by the end of the planning year.
    9. Review the Terms of Reference annually or more often if needed
    10. Liaise with other Teams, or individuals (e.g.  Worship, Sunday Gathering, Care and Concerns, Communication, etc.) to ensure clear communication
    11. Meet as needed to carry out the above tasks



     After our regular Saturday service on June 21, there will an annual big bash held right afterwards.  Stay tuned for more details!

    Join Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust at their Interfaith Water Ceremony planned for Sunday, 
    May 25 at Whey-ah-Wichen / Cates Park. 



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We acknowledge that we live on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation), which lies within the shared territories of the Tsleil-Waututh, Katzie, Musqueam, Qayqayt, Squamish, and Sto’:lo Nations. We thank the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm who continue
to live on these lands and care for them, along with the waters and all that is above and below
.     

www.uusalishsea.ca.     2025


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