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  • 30 Aug 2024 4:16 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Mark your calendars: 
    Saturday, Sep 21st at 5:00pm
    "Water Communion"

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service.

     

      

      

    And on October on the 19th at 5:00pm:
    "
    Celebrating the sacred circle of life - 
    The interdependent web of all existence after death"

    Life depends on death. Everything alive and vital depends on the death of other things to survive. It is a key part of the interdependent web of life. Lay chaplains Barb Moore (UUSS) and Laureen Stokes (Vancouver Unitarians) present how helping our clients deal with the death of a loved one has shaped our ideas on after death planning and care.  For the grieving, and the deceased.  Laureen will speak on how Terramation - a new method of body disposition - creates new ways to care for our deceased as we grieve, and reconnect us back into the web of life. 


    Did you know they were Unitarian?


    Tim Berners-Lee (1955 - )

    Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist generally credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web, HTML, the URL systems and HTTP. He is a professorial research fellow at University of Oxford and professor emeritus at MIT. In 2004, he was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II and the inaugural Millennium Technology Prize (€1 million) by the Finnish Technology Award Foundation.

    In 1998, he wrote:
    "People have often asked me whether the Web design was influenced by Unitarian Universalist philosophy. I have to say that it wasn't explicitly, as I developed the Web well before I came across Unitarian Universalism at all. But looking back on it, I suppose that there are some parallels between the philosophies. 

    If you're used to other religions you might be confused by UUism being called a religion, but it qualifies I think. Like many people, I came back to religion when we had children. Happenstance had our family living in the Boston area, where UU churches abound, and we were lucky enough to hit on a great one, with a great minister.

    Unitarian Universalists are people who are concerned about all the things which your favourite religion is concerned about, but allow or even require their belief to be compatible with reason. They are hugely tolerant and decidedly liberal. The fundamental value and dignity of every human being is a core philosophy, and they have a healthy respect for those whose beliefs differ. They meet in churches instead of wired hotels, and discuss justice, peace, conflict, and morality rather than protocols and data formats, but in other ways the peer respect is very similar to that of the Internet Engineering Task Force. Both are communities which I really appreciate.

    The is one other thing that comes to mind as common between the Internet folks and the UUs. The whole spread of the Web happened not because of a decision and a mandate from any authority, but because a whole bunch of people across the 'Net picked it up and brought up Web clients and servers, it actually happened. The actual explosion of creativity, and the coming into being of the Web was the result of thousands of individuals playing a small part. In the first couple of years, often this was not for a direct gain, but because they had an inkling that it was the right way to go, and a gleam of an exciting future. It is necessary to UU philosophy that such things can happen, that we will get to a better state in the end by each playing our small part. UUism is full of hope, and the fact that the Web happens is an example of a dream coming true and an encouragement to all who hope."

     

    Volunteer to make our Second Monthly Community Event Happen!  

    Monday Aug 26 was the first meeting of the Second Monthly Event circle. Our community is keen to offer two regularly scheduled UUSS events to help build community and support us to deepen into our faith. If you are curious or interested in joining the circle that will organize the second event every month, please contact Allyson Yee

    . Planing for the second meeting is underway and if you are interested, please fill in this Doodle survey.

    Did you know that almost 300 congregations are hosting a UU Climate Justice Revival!

    On September 28-29, congregations will host UU Climate Justice Revivals to collectively reimagine a spirit-filled and liberatory future. Through conversations, worship, and advocacy, congregations will work together to realize climate justice and collective liberation in our communities. Congregations will receive everything they need to host a revival in their communities, including discussion guides and materials for all ages, training, worship resources, and advocacy actions designed to transform our communities through climate justice.

    At the Revival, congregations will:

    • collaboratively create  representation of the challenges of climate change
    • Identify a vision for a flourishing future and actions we can take to make that vision a reality
    • understand their role in the interdependent ecosystem of creating climate justice and collaborative liberation
    undertsand their role in the interdependent ecosystem of creating climate justice and collaborative liberatIf you are interested in helping our congregation be a part of this historic event, please email catherine



    VanU is Hiring a Head Nursery Staff Person *New!*

    Casey Stainsby is moving into the new Middle Years Coordinator position, taking over leadership of Crossing Paths and other programming for ages 10-12. Casey has been wonderful as our Head Nursery staff over this past year and now we need to fill that position with someone new!

    Our infant and toddler members need supportive, open, and loving care while their parents and older siblings attend service and classes. Our youngest members need to feel safe to explore their burgeoning sense of wonder, joy, awe, and love of the world and beings around them to build trust in this place and its people.

    Are you interested? Contact Kiersten Moore at kiersten@vanu.ca  You may check out the job description here.


    2 Adult Volunteers Still Needed for the BC Fall Youth Gathering *Updated!*

    Welcome Rory Brimacombe as our BC Fall Con Coordinator! Rory came up through UU youth culture in Vancouver through the early part of the last decade and is now back in Vancouver after completing a masters at UBC. They are excited to be able to bring their experience and knowledge to a new generation of youth!


    We still need two adult volunteers for the fall youth conference that will be held at VanU on Nov 22-24. Lots to do before then! You can apply with this form.

    These adult roles are less task focused and more support oriented, they do require a time commitment nonetheless. We need everyone to commit to meetings starting in early September and probably an hour a week of work, ramping up as we get closer to the conference.

    The roles will be almost identical to the CanUUdle staff system, with the exception of online components that we do not do.

    • Advisor’s Advisor (1 adult)
    • Peer Chaplains (1 adult)
    Advisor’s Advisor (1 aduPeer Chaplains (1 adulYou can find more info about all these roles here: CUC CanUUdle Staff Roles

    Thank you everyone! Can't wait for another successful weekend! You are invited to submit an application online here.


  • 23 Aug 2024 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    CHANGE IN VENUE FOR
    THIS SUNDAY

    Join us for our Summer Picnic!
    Sunday, Aug 25 at 11:30am

    Due to a large event at Ray Perrault Park, we are moving our picnic and going back to Norma Elrod’s lovely garden on the Seymour River where we had our magical July service:

    Norma Elrod's garden, 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking is available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street. 

    It would be lovely to catch up with each other before the business of September. To share stories of our summer and how we are all doing.  Anne would love to share what she learned at August Eliot family camp. It is a casual and do-it-yourself affair. Please bring your own picnic (and maybe a treat to share? ). Camping chairs and waterproof ground covers are important as the ground will be wet. If you have extra, please bring them. Any outdoor toys/games you want to play. After picnicking some of us might want to take a walk in the Wild Bird Trust just down the road. Or take in the Persian harvest Festival of Shahrivargaan at Ray Perrault Park. 

    If you know you are coming, it would be great if you emailed or texted or called Anne Mayall. annemayall51@gmail.com. 778-686-3643. That way if the weather doesn’t cooperate we can contact you. But also please feel free to just show up.


    Mark your calendars:
    Water Communion
    Saturday, Sep 21st 

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service

    And in October on the 19th: "Celebrating the sacred circle of life -  The interdependent web of all existence after death"

    Life depends on death. Everything alive and vital depends on the death of other things to survive. It is a key part of the interdependent web of life. Lay chaplains Barb Moore (UUSS) and Laureen Stokes (Vancouver Unitarians) present how helping our clients deal with the death of a loved one has shaped our ideas on after death planning and care.  For the grieving, and the deceased.  Laureen will speak on how Terramation - a new method of body disposition - creates new ways to care for our deceased as we grieve, and reconnect us back into the web of life. 


    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the servi

     

     

     

    And in October on the 19th: "Celebrating the sacred circle of life -  The interdependent web of all existence after death"

    Life depends on death. Everything alive and vital depends on the death of other things to survive. It is a key part of the interdependent web of life. Lay chaplains Barb Moore (UUSS) and Laureen Stokes (Vancouver Unitarians) present how helping our clients deal with the death of a loved one has shaped our ideas on after death planning and care.  For the grieving, and the deceased.  Laureen will speak on how Terramation - a new method of body disposition - creates new ways to care for our deceased as we grieve, and reconnect us back into the web of life. 

    Did you know they were Unitarian?

    Greta Gerwig (1983 - )

    Greta Gerwig is a director, screenwriter, and actor. She began her career primarily focused up on acting, particularly in independent films, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Frances Ha. Her solo directorial debut, 2017’s Lady Bird, saw rave reviews and led to h
    er Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. After earning praise for her movie adaptation of Little Women, Gerwig achieved her greatest box-office success with Barbie, 2023’s highest-grossing movie that also set a new earning record among women-directed movies. Gerwig regularly collaborates with her husband and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach.

    "I was born into the UU community. My parents were married [at the UU Society of Sacramento], and I had my “naming ceremony” in 1983 with the then-minister Ted Webb. My parents ended up leaving the church for a time in the 1990s but have since returned. My mom likes to say that having a time of a “walkabout” is almost part of being a Unitarian. I think religion has always been something that has occupied me as a person, and Unitarianism is the most complete expression of my multiple and, at times, contradictory thoughts about the spiritual life. I think the openness of the community allows for a greater variety of personal faith and ideas. It isn’t oppressively open, but generously so."


     

    Volunteer to make our Second Monthly Community Event Happen!  

    Zoom meeting Monday August 26 at 7:00pm
    (please see details below).

    At our Inaugural General Meeting in June, most of us expressed a desire for a regular second monthly event. To make it happen, we need to create a circle (team) that organizes and coordinates it? You don't need to have experience, just willingness! Ideally, you will also participate in our Sociocracy Workshop, but that is not required.

    There is a strong community interest in having our second event happen on the North Shore (Sat or Sun, time and location TBD). However, what it looks like, what we do together, etc. is still up in the air! You do not need to be willing to lead any activities (although a willingness to lead is welcomed) but rather you will be working with others to organize and determine what our second monthly gathering will involve.

    Our first meeting for this circle will be Monday August 26 from 7:00-8:30pm. A zoom link will be emailed to the UUSS community on Monday morning. All are welcome to attend!


    Call to Action for
    UUSS social justice warriors 

    Tuesday, Aug 27 at 9 am at the PNE Vancouver 

    The Gitxsan will be rallying on Tuesday August 27 starting at 9 am PT at the entrance to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver to demand that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police C-IRG/CRU not trespass on their traditional territory. The PRGT pipeline goes through Gitsxan territory without consent. Gitanyow have set up a blockade on the man camp access road. 

    More at  
    https://pbicanada.org/2024/08/11/gitxsan-to-rally-against-the-rcmp-c-irg-cru-trespassing-on-their-territory-at-the-pacific-national-exhibition-august-27/


    VanU is Hiring a Head Nursery Staff Person *New!*

    Casey Stainsby is moving into the new Middle Years Coordinator position, taking over leadership of Crossing Paths and other programming for ages 10-12. Casey has been wonderful as our Head Nursery staff over this past year and now we need to fill that position with someone new!

    Our infant and toddler members need supportive, open, and loving care while their parents and older siblings attend service and classes. Our youngest members need to feel safe to explore their burgeoning sense of wonder, joy, awe, and love of the world and beings around them to build trust in this place and its people.

    Are you interested? Contact Kiersten Moore at kiersten@vanu.ca  You may check out the job description here.



    2 Adult Volunteers Still Needed for the BC Fall Youth Gathering *Updated!*

    Welcome Rory Brimacombe as our BC Fall Con Coordinator! Rory came up through UU youth culture in Vancouver through the early part of the last decade and is now back in Vancouver after completing a masters at UBC. They are excited to be able to bring their experience and knowledge to a new generation of youth!

    We still need two adult volunteers for the fall youth conference that will be held at VanU on Nov 22-24. Lots to do before then! You can apply with this form.

    These adult roles are less task focused and more support oriented, they do require a time commitment nonetheless. We need everyone to commit to meetings starting in early September and probably an hour a week of work, ramping up as we get closer to the conference.

    The roles will be almost identical to the CanUUdle staff system, with the exception of online components that we do not do.

    • Advisor’s Advisor (1 adult)
    • Peer Chaplains (1 adult)
    You can find more info about all these roles here: CUC CanUUdle Staff Roles
    Thank you everyone! Can't wait for another successful weekend!

    You are invited to submit an application online here


  • 16 Aug 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



    from the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth

    Full Moon Gathering
    Fri Aug 19, 2024, 7 - 8pm EDT

    Let's gather to honour the rhythm of the moon and call on it for support as we imagine!  This month will be extra special as it coincides with what is often called a super moon (when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit and also in a new moon phase).

    Register here:  
    https://forms.gle/P23 KnjKDD6WkQYWN9


    Join us for our Summer Picnic!
    Sunday, August 25th at 11:30am

    We are having a picnic at Ray Perrault Park in North Vancouver on Sunday August 25th at 11:30. Bring your own picnic lunch, chairs or blanket and outdoor toys and activities. The address is 1310 Grand Blvd E. There are tennis courts and a playground. Parking is off east 13th at Grand Boulevard, or on Moody St. or Grand Blvd west side. Easily accessible by the 228 bus from Lonsdale Quay or 240 bus from downtown.


    Mark your calendars:
    Saturday, Sep 21st 

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service

     

     

    Some sad news:
    Frances Prittie has died

    Dorey (daughter of Frances) shared the following news with us:

    Frances passed away unexpectedly on the afternoon of August 8th with her daughter, sister and other family at her side.  

    Frances spent a life time using her many talents and skills across different jobs and places here in BC. She also spent the last 30 years as a stroke survivor and incredible mother.  Frances was a kind, caring, generous person who always wanted to help others.  She is survived by her daughter, sisters, brothers as well as a lot of family, and will be greatly missed by them all.

    Frances loved her time at the North Shore Unitarian Church over the years and was very grateful for such a welcoming community. 


    Did you know they were Unitarian?

    Rod Sterling (1924-1975)

    Rod Serling (December 25, 1924-June 28, 1975), one of television’s most prolific writers, is best known for his science fiction television series, The Twilight Zone and co-writing Planet of the Apes. He believed that the role of the writer was to “menace the public conscience.” Throughout his life Serling used radio, television, and film as “vehicles of social criticism.

    Serling not only write the Twilight Zone series, but he was also the face of it, serving as its on-screen narrator. The Twilight Zone ran until 1964 and garnered Serling an Emmy.

    Serling spent his later career hosting Rod Serling's Night Gallery and teaching screenwriting at Ithaca College. Over the course of his career, Serling wrote an estimated 252 scripts and won a total of six Emmys.

    Rod and his wife Carol were active members of the Unitarian Community Church of Santa Monica, California. The minister of the church was Ernest Pipes whose humanist preaching suited Serling’s outlook and with whom he corresponded on politics and the state of humanity.

    Serling, whose work pace and four-pack-a-day cigarette habit alarmed even his 1960s Hollywood colleagues, died in 1975 at age 50 during open-heart surgery.


     

    Hope Matters: Addressing Our Eco-Grief, Sharing Our Eco-Joy, and Tooling Up For Action
    A Program in 4 Sessions
    Facilitated by Teresa Morton and Rev. Meg Roberts. Beacon Unitarian Church

    Are you overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis? Are you seeking a safer place to think about this existential threat and support in deciding how you feel about it? We offer a series of 4 sessions where we will collectively grapple with how to engage with these challenges, build resilience and explore how hope is nurtured and incorporated into our daily lives. We will be drawing from Elin Kelsey’s book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis.

    These 4 sessions will include:

    • Understanding ecological grief through psychology and ritualBuilding strategies for processing our responses
      Experiencing the power of accessing our ecological joy so we can deeper our connections with the natural world
      Sharing hopeful stories of positive environmental action
      Learning how to shift perspectives and cultivate ecological hope
      Providing resources and support for engaging in sustainability efforts
    • Experiencing the power of accessing our ecological joy so we can deeper our connections with the natural world
    • Sharing hopeful stories of positive environmental action
    • Learning how to shift perspectives and cultivate ecological hope
    • Providing resources and support for engaging in sustainability efforts

    Each session incorporates sharing, learning and experiencing through ritual and creativity.  Sessions will happen every 2 weeks, to give an opportunity to apply what we are learning and bring back insights to share at the next session.

    Thursdays from 1:00-3:00
    Oct 3, 17, 31, Nov 14
    In person & on Zoom
    Email Teresa at president@beaconunitarian.org.


    VBC Fall Gathering youth and adult volunteer staff

    Hello youth and advisors! We are getting ready for another BC con!

    This conference will be held at UCV on Nov 22-24. Lots to do before then!

    All staff roles require a substantial time commitment, even the ones with limited pre-con responsibilities. We need everyone to commit to meetings starting in August, and probably an hour a week of work, ramping up as we get closer to the conference.

    The roles will be almost identical to the CanUUdle staff system, with the exception that we won't do a ton of online components:
    Co-Deans (2 youth)
    Tech Wizard (1-2 youth)
    Activities Coordinators (1-2 youth)
    Advisor’s Advisor (1 adult)
    Peer Chaplains (1 youth and 1 adult)
    Community Captain (1 youth)
    Social Media Coordinator (1 youth)
    Chalice Circle Coordinator (1 youth)
    Worship Coordinators (2 youth)

    You can find more info about all these roles here: CUC CanUUdle Staff Roles
    Thank you everyone! Can't wait for another successful weekend!

    Apply to be on Staff at https://vancouver.breezechms.com/form/bcfallconstaff2024


    Vancouver Unitarians is Seeking a Fall Youth Con Coordinator

    Do you love working with youth? Do you want to spend time with the coolest bunch of them and help them create an event that leaves them (and you) fulfilled, overjoyed, and deeply connected? VanU is looking for a Con Coordinator. That's somebody passionate about supporting youth in leadership who's looking for a 75 hour contract this fall. The Con Coordinator helps the youth to plan a youth con at VanU, Nov 22-24, and then attends the entire conference to manage the event. Are you interested?
    Contact Kiersten Moore at kiersten@vanu.ca. You may check out the job description here.


  • 9 Aug 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Join us for our Summer Picnic!
    August 25th at 11:30am

    We are having a picnic at Ray Perrault Park in North Vancouver on Sunday August 25th at 11:30. Bring your own picnic lunch, chairs or blanket and outdoor toys and activities. The address is 1310 Grand Blvd E. More details to come.


    Mark your calendars:
    Water Communion
    Saturday, Sep 21st 

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service.


    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service

     

     

     

    Did you know they were Unitarian?

    Pete Seeger (1919-2014)

    Pete Seeger was a legendary American folk singer, songwriter and political activist closely associated with causes including civil rights, Vietnam War protests, and conservation of natural resources.

     “My parents believed love was enough, so my brothers and I were not raised in any church,” he says. “Also, my father was a strong believer in letting us make up our own minds in matters of religion.”

    Still, he had ties to the Unitarian  denomination—he had often sung in UU churches, and Stephen Fritchman, the longtime radical minister in Los Angeles, was a close friend. He finally joined the UU Community Church of New York mainly because he needed a place for his chorus to rehearse though.

    Seeger’s vision of the ideal UU church is—like so much of his life—unconventional. “It would be like a water tower,” he says. “I would put the congregation on a platform at the very top, where they could see all around without walls. My church has always been the outdoors.”


     

    VBC Fall Gathering youth and adult volunteer staff

    Hello youth and advisors! We are getting ready for another BC con!

    This conference will be held at UCV on Nov 22-24. Lots to do before then!

    All staff roles require a substantial time commitment, even the ones with limited pre-con responsibilities. We need everyone to commit to meetings starting in August, and probably an hour a week of work, ramping up as we get closer to the conference.

    The roles will be almost identical to the CanUUdle staff system, with the exception that we won't do a ton of online components:
    Co-Deans (2 youth)
    Tech Wizard (1-2 youth)
    Activities Coordinators (1-2 youth)
    Advisor’s Advisor (1 adult)
    Peer Chaplains (1 youth and 1 adult)
    Community Captain (1 youth)
    Social Media Coordinator (1 youth)
    Chalice Circle Coordinator (1 youth)
    Worship Coordinators (2 youth)

    You can find more info about all these roles here: CUC CanUUdle Staff Roles
    Thank you everyone! Can't wait for another successful weekend!

    Apply to be on Staff at 
    https://vancouver.breezechms.com/form/bcfallconstaff2024


    Vancouver Unitarians is Seeking a Fall Youth Con Coordinator

    Do you love working with youth? Do you want to spend time with the coolest bunch of them and help them create an event that leaves them (and you) fulfilled, overjoyed, and deeply connected? VanU is looking for a Con Coordinator. That's somebody passionate about supporting youth in leadership who's looking for a 75 hour contract this fall. The Con Coordinator helps the youth to plan a youth con at VanU, Nov 22-24, and then attends the entire conference to manage the event. Are you interested?
    Contact Kiersten Moore at kiersten@vanu.ca. You may check out the job description here.


  • 2 Aug 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
     

    A wonderful service was held on July 28th in Norma Elrod's lovely garden and was led by Robyn Newton. 

    A wonderful service was held on July 28th in Norma Elrod's lovely garden and was led by Robyn Newton. 
    Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.


     
     


    Mark your calendars:
    Water Communion
    Saturday, Sep 21st 

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service



    Mark your calendars:
    Saturday, Sep 21st 

    Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service

     

     

     

    Coming up in the Fall

    Congregational Conversations 

    Congregational Conversations will return in September.  Your openness and willingness to imagine a strong future is inspirational and we look forward to further connection. more details in August.

    Meaning Making: Roots of Resilience program
    Meaning Making: Roots of Resilience program
    Many
    of you shared how helpful the Meaning Making in Liminal Times sermon series was for your group.  Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz, coordinator of last year's program, is at it again.  The 2024-25 series will include 8 sermons and an accompanying theme program with 8 Canadian theme ministry packages.  Info and registration is available here: https://forms.gle/m586oekUoFSULXQE8

    CUC Co-Lab: Experiences of Transformation 
    Join us from November 1st to 3rd, 2024, when Unitarians, Universalists, UU congregations, and UU inspired communities come together to connect, enjoy, and engage in profound conversations. Register Now! 


     

    Some classes of interest at the CLF

    Some classes of interest
    at the CLF


    You're Soaking In It: White Supremacy Culture
    for White Folks


    October 19 - November 2

    Did you know they were Unitarian?

    Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)

    Christopher Reeve had various stage and television roles before becoming the star of Superman and its sequels. In 1995 he became paralyzed from the neck down following a horse-riding accident. He founded what became the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation in 1996 to promote research on spinal cord injuries. He died of cardiac arrest in 2004.

    When asked about his decision to become a UU late in life in an interview with Reader's Digest, Reeve commented: It gives me a moral compass. I often refer to Abe Lincoln, who said, When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. And that is my religion.' I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us. It may be God, I don't know. But I think that if we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do.


  • 26 Jul 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    JOIN US
    THIS SUNDAY @ 12:30 
    in Norma Elrod's garden!!
    This will be a special service  led by Robyn Newton!

    Location: Norma Elrod's garden, 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking is available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street.  Please bring a chair or blanket for sitting on the lawn, and finger food to share as we will have a "picnic" social at Norma's after the worship service.  

    The service will be focused on our sacred relationship with nature, and our interconnection with the web of all life.  Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.

    Loorz invites us to honour our own experience of falling in love with the world, and that is what Robyn is going to invite us to do in this ceremony "in the wild.



    Some classes of interest
    at the CLF

    How do we not create an "other" in ways that uphold systems of oppression? September 24, 2024

     

     

     

    Coming up in the Fall

    Congregational Conversations Congregational ConversationsCongregational Conversations will return in September.  Your openness and willingness to imagine a strong future is inspirational and we look forward to further connection. more details in August.

    Meaning Making: Roots of Resilience programMany of you shared how helpful the Meaning Making in Liminal Times sermon series was for your group.  Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz, coordinator of last year's program, is at it again.  The 2024-25 series will include 8 sermons and an accompanying theme program with 8 Canadian theme ministry packages.  Info and registration is available here: https://forms.gle/m586oekUoFSULXQE8

    CUC Co-Lab: Experiences of TransformatioJoin us from November 1st to 3rd, 2024, when Unitarians, Universalists, UU congregations, and UU inspired communities come together to connect, enjoy, and engage in profound conversations. Register Now! 


     

    Please send your feedback on the previous year as well as thoughts about the upcoming programming year to the Planning Committee before the August 1st Planning Team Retreat  
    info@uusalishsea.ca


    Hope Matters: Addressing Our Eco-Grief, Sharing Our Eco-Joy, and Tooling Up For Action

    A Program in 4 Sessions: 
    Facilitated by Teresa Morton and Rev. Meg Roberts @ Beacon Unitarian

    Are you overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis? Are you seeking a safer place to think about this existential threat and support in deciding how you feel about it? We offer a series of 4 sessions where we will collectively grapple with how to engage with these challenges, build resilience and explore how hope is nurtured and incorporated into our daily lives. We will be drawing from Elin Kelsey’s book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis.

    These 4 sessions will include:

    • Understanding ecological grief through psychology and ritual
    • Building strategies for processing our responses
    • Experiencing the power of accessing our ecological joy so we can deeper our connections with the natural world
    • Sharing hopeful stories of positive environmental action
    • Learning how to shift perspectives and cultivate ecological hope
    • Providing resources and support for engaging in sustainability efforts
    • Providing resources and support for engaging in sustainability 

    Learning how to shift perspectives and cultivate ecologicalInterested? We need your feedback on when we offer these sessions:

    We’re deciding on whether to hold the sessions on a weekday afternoon or a Saturday session. Please indicate which option you would prefer BY AUGUST 1st by filling out this short online form. 

    Or if more info is required, please contact: Teresa at president@beaconunitarian.org


    Did you know they were Unitarian?

    Lousia May Alcott (1823-1888)

    She was a Unitarian best known as a writer of Little Women. Louisa May Alcott was the daughter of New England transcendentalist philosophical leader and Unitarian minister Bronson Alcott. 

    Alcott served as a nurse in the American Civil War and spent her life as a contented single woman. An abolitionist and temperance worker, she worked tirelessly in feminist movements and women’s suffrage. 


  • 19 Jul 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    JOIN US JULY 28th @ 12:30

    in Norma Elrod's garden!! 
    There will be a special service this summer
    July 28th led by
    Robyn Newton!

    Location: Norma Elrod's garden, 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking is available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street.  Please bring a chair or blanket for sitting on the lawn, and finger food to share as we will have a "picnic" social at Norma's after the worship service.  

    The service will be focused on our sacred relationship with nature, and our interconnection with the web of all life.  Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.

    Loorz invites us to honour our own experience of falling in love with the world, and that is what Robyn is going to invite us to do in this ceremony "in the wild. 


    Some classes of interest
    at the CLF

    Be a Revolutionary Book Club
    September 4 - November 13

    God Is Change: An Intro to Process Theology
    September 11-18

     

     

     

    Coming up in the Fall

    Congregational Conversations will return in September.  Your openness and willingness to imagine a strong future is inspirational and we look forward to further connection. more details in August.

    Meaning Making: Roots of Resilience program
    Many of you shared how helpful the Meaning Making in Liminal Times sermon series was for your group.  Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz, coordinator of last year's program, is at it again.  The 2024-25 series will include 8 sermons and an accompanying theme program with 8 Canadian theme ministry packages.  Info and registration is available here: https://forms.gle/m586oekUoFSULXQE8

    CUC Co-Lab: Experiences of Transformation 
    Join us from November 1st to 3rd, 2024, when Unitarians, Universalists, UU congregations, and UU inspired communities come together to connect, enjoy, and engage in profound conversations. Register Now! 


     

    Please send your feedback on the previous year as well as thoughts about the upcoming programming year to the Planning Committee before the August 1st Planning Team Retreat  
    info@uusalishsea.ca

    Hope Matters: Addressing Our Eco-Grief, Sharing Our Eco-Joy, and Tooling Up For Action

    A Program in 4 Sessions: 

    Facilitated by Teresa Morton and Rev. Meg Roberts @ Beacon Unitarian

    Are you overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis? Are you seeking a safer place to think about this existential threat and support in deciding how you feel about it? We offer a series of 4 sessions where we will collectively grapple with how to engage with these challenges, build resilience and explore how hope is nurtured and incorporated into our daily lives. We will be drawing from Elin Kelsey’s book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis.

    These 4 sessions will include:

    • Understanding ecological grief through psychology and ritual

    • Building strategies for processing our responses

    • Experiencing the power of accessing our ecological joy so we can deeper our connections with the natural world

    • Sharing hopeful stories of positive environmental action

    • Learning how to shift perspectives and cultivate ecological hope

    • Providing resources and support for engaging in sustainability efforts

    Each session incorporates sharing, learning and experiencing through ritual and creativity.  Sessions will happen every 2 weeks, to give an opportunity to apply what we are learning and bring back insights to share at the next session.

    Interested? We need your feedback on when we offer these sessions:

    We’re deciding on whether to hold the sessions on a weekday afternoon or a Saturday session. Please indicate which option you would prefer BY AUGUST 1st by filling out this short online form

    Or if more info is required, please contact: Teresa at president@beaconunitarian.org


    Take a peek at year in review highlights in 30 seconds to learn more about this social justice group


  • 12 Jul 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    JOIN US JULY 28th @ Norma Elrod's garden!! 
    There will be a special service this summer
    July 28th led by
    Robyn Newton!

    JOIN US JULY 28th @ Norma Elrod's garden!! There will be a special service this summerJuly 28th led bRobyn NewtonThe service will be focused on our sacred relationship with nature, and our interconnection with the web of all life.  Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.

    Loorz invites us to honour our own experience of falling in love with the world, and that is what Robyn is going to invite us to do in this ceremony "in the wild. 

    Location: Norma Elrod's garden, 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking is available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street.  Please bring a chair or blanket for sitting on the lawn, and finger food to share as we will have a "picnic" social at Norma's after the worship service.  

    Oliver is STILL
    looking for a home :-(

    Oliver is STILLlooking for a home :-( He's really sweet. An indoor cat. His mom of 3 months was heart broken to learn that she has developed asthma due to Oliver allergy. Please email Barb if interested.  Thank you! 

     


     

     

    Coming up in the Fall

    Congregational Conversations Congregational Conversations will return in September.  Your openness and willingness to imagine a strong future is inspirational and we look forward to further connection. more details in August.

    Meaning Making: Roots of Resilience programMany of you shared how helpful the Meaning Making in Liminal Times sermon series was for your group.  Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz, coordinator of last year's program, is at it again.  The 2024-25 series will include 8 sermons and an accompanying theme program with 8 Canadian theme ministry packages.  Info and registration is available here: https://forms.gle/m586oekUoFSULXQE8

    CUC Co-Lab: Experiences of Transformation Join us from November 1st to 3rd, 2024, when Unitarians, Universalists, UU congregations, and UU inspired communities come together to connect, enjoy, and engage in profound conversations. Register Now! 


     

    Your erstwhile Planning Team (Allyson, Cara, Catherine, Cynthia, Jackie, John, Liam, Robyn and Ryan) will be doing a planning retreat on August 1 which includes looking towards the fall and a Year 1 postmortem as well as going through the survey results.  Please send thoughts that may not have been surfaced at the Annual Extravaganza on June 8th before than to info@uusalishsea.ca


    Hope Matters: Addressing Our Eco-Grief, Sharing Our Eco-Joy, and Tooling Up For Action

    Hope Matters: Addressing Our Eco-Grief, Sharing Our Eco-Joy, and Tooling Up For Action

    A Program in 4 Sessions: 

    Facilitated by Teresa Morton and Rev. Meg Roberts @ Beacon Unitarian

    Are you overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis? Are you seeking a safer place to think about this existential threat and support in deciding how you feel about it? We offer a series of 4 sessions where we will collectively grapple with how to engage with these challenges, build resilience and explore how hope is nurtured and incorporated into our daily lives. We will be drawing from Elin Kelsey’s book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis.

    Each session incorporates sharing, learning and experiencing through ritual and creativity.  Sessions will happen every 2 weeks, to give an opportunity to apply what we are learning and bring back insights to share at the next session.

    Interested? We need your feedback on when we offer these sessions:

    We’re deciding on whether to hold the sessions on a weekday afternoon or a Saturday session. Please indicate which option you would prefer BY AUGUST 1st by filling out this short online form

    Or if more info is required, please contact: Teresa at president@beaconunitarian.org


    Take a peek at year in review highlights in 30 seconds to learn more about this social justice group


  • 28 Jun 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    More pictures from the Interfaith Water Ceremony on June 9


    More pictures from the Interfaith Water Ceremony on June 9


    JOIN US IN JULY OUTSIDE!! 
    There will be a special service this summer on July 28th led by Robyn Newton!

    The service will be focused on our sacred relationship with nature, and our interconnection with the web of all life.  Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.

    Loorz invites us to honour our own experience of falling in love with the world, and that is what Robyn is going to invite us to do in this ceremony "in the wild. 

    It will be in Norma Elrod's garden 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street.

    Stay tuned for more details!


     

    Contribute before June 30th!!
    Unlock Unforgettable Adventures with the 2024 Great Canadian Giving Challenge! 

    For every $10 donation you make to the Canadian Unitarian Council via CanadaHelps.org during June, you earn one entry to win thrilling adventure-themed prizes!

    • 10 x $500 redtag.ca gift cards for your dream vacations.
    • 10 x Parks Canada Discovery Passes to explore our stunning natural landscapes.
    • 20 x $25 Charity Gift Cards to support Canadian charities.

    More information and registration is available here.



    A FEW SPOTS REMAIN for the 
    Magical Mayhem Camp July 15-19, 2024, open to 7-12 year olds.
    Register for Camp here.

    Join us in Integria this summer. This archipelago nation in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle makes its appearance but once a year! The magic guilds of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water need your creativity & imagination to address the problems that reach into the far corners of the world. Spend a week exploring social justice issues through the avenue of role play, theatre, ritual, nature magic, and fun!" Register here.


    We STILL need an official logo for UUSS! Whether or not you are a trained designer or just enjoy drawing - we need you!  Here is a link to get you started. Please send your ideas as a file to info@uusalishsea.ca.


    On June 8th we held our Inaugural General Meeting (IGM). As part of the meeting there were two opportunities which we would like to extend to those of you who were not able to attend in person. Both can be accessed through this link to a Google Forms Survey: https://forms.gle/VzJfqADNFGigsgAG9


  • 21 Jun 2024 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    JOIN US IN JULY OUTSIDE!! 
    There will be a special service this summer on July 28th led by Robyn Newton!

    The service will be focused on our sacred relationship with nature, and our interconnection with the web of all life.  Much of it is based on the book "Church of the Wild" by Victoria Loorz.

    Loorz invites us to honour our own experience of falling in love with the world, and that is what Robyn is going to invite us to do in this ceremony "in the wild. 

    It will be in Norma Elrod's garden 2012 Old Dollarton Road North Vancouver. Easily accessible by bus and parking available on the street nearby or in the shopping plaza across the street.

    Stay tuned for more details!


     

    On June 8th we held our Inaugural General Meeting (IGM). As part of the meeting there were two opportunities which we would like to extend to those of you who were not able to attend in person. Both can be accessed through this link to a Google Forms Survey: https://forms.gle/VzJfqADNFGigsgAG9


     

    TOMORROW, June 22 @ 7:00 
    "Colourful" 

    ComCCome to the Out in Harmony - Colourful Event! Join us on Sat June 22 2024 at 7:30 PM PDT at Vancouver Unitarians, on the corner of Oak Street and W 49th Avenue to experience an exciting repertoire of songs that has everything to do with colour and celebrating standing out in a black and white world! Grab a friend and come support local queer music!

    Tickets can be found here. For any questions, please contact: oihconcerts@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!


    A FEW SPOTS REMAIN for the 
    Magical Mayhem Camp July 15-19, 2024, open to 7-12 year olds.
    Register for Camp here.

    Join us in Integria this summer. This archipelago nation in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle makes its appearance but once a year! The magic guilds of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water need your creativity & imagination to address the problems that reach into the far corners of the world. Spend a week exploring social justice issues through the avenue of role play, theatre, ritual, nature magic, and fun!" Register here.


     

    Congratulations to Barb Moore on her affirmation as Lay Chaplain! And there is a new Lay Chaplain Circle being formed with Beverly Grice and Ann Mayall. More details to follow as well as a special web page devoted to ceremonies on our web site.


     

     

    We need an official logo for UUSS! Whether or not you are a trained designer or just enjoy drawing - we need you!  Here is a link to get you started. Please send your ideas as a file to info@uusalishsea.ca.





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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