SUNDAY SERVICES

10:30 am

Children & Youth

Religious Education

10:30 am

Minister

Rev. Joy Atkinson

revjoy@aol.com 

262-8480

Office Hours:

10 am - 3 pm, T, W, Th  
Director of

Religious Education 
Donna Pratt  406-5121

mklo@earthlink.net   

Choir Director

Lyle Brown

579-7094

lbrownvh@yahoo.com 

Congregational

Administrator

Donna Pratt  579-7094,   406-5121

office@uucnwt.org  

Office Hours:

8 am - 1 pm  MWF

Newsletter Editors  John and Margaret Fleming
888-7059

margefleming@earthlink.net 

Deadlines: 12th & 24th

Note: because of the holiday, this month's deadline will be Dec. 26.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Board of Trustees

President:

1st Vice President:

Treasurer:

Jim Gessaman 

Green Basket Charity

The Green Basket for December is the Emerge Center against Domestic Abuse.Emerge is dedicated to stopping the cycle of domestic violence and providing a safe environment and resources for victims and survivors of all types of abuse on their journey toward healing and self-empowerment.

2011 Arizona School Tax Credit

For the last three years the Congregation has joined together and made tax credit contributions to two Flowing Wells elementary schools, Davis and Laguna. These contributions have exceeded a total of$15,000. The money is used to support activities that would otherwise require payment of a fee. Many of the families of these children cannot afford these fees and the tax credit contributions permit participation by kids who otherwise could not do so.

Davis uses some of the money to take kids to the Grand Canyon including rafting the river. Other uses include music, tree planting and many others. Your contribution is a credit, not a deduction, against your Arizona income tax liability dollar for dollar. Single filers can contribute up to $200 with joint filers limited to $400.

This represents a joint opportunity for community action by members of the Congregation. Please add your support. Steve Weatherspoon will be collecting checks on Sundays until December 18th. He will submit the checks, with appropriate forms, to the school district and it will send you the form needed for your taxes. Thank you.

Thinking about Going to GA 2012?    

Were you inspired by Carolyn Saunders' talk on Sunday November 27? Are you thinking about going to Justice GA in Phoenix June 20-24, 2012? Even if you are not sure about it, you should join the Yahoo group of Southern Arizona Unitarian Universalists who are (thinking about) going to GA 2012.
On this list we discuss planning, ideas for lodging, transportation, news about GA, immigration issues, learning Spanish and more.  

Find the group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GA2012_for_Southern_AZ/ and ask to join. Or send an email to Sybelle at UUSybelle@gmail.com to be added.

Diary of a Cold Gardener

Things are looking good. How unusual. The front garden has enough lettuce, spinach and radishes for salads. In the back, beets and carrots are coming. I even have pea plants four or five inches high. Maybe this year they will keep growing. At least I shouldn't have aphids this time of year. What I had thought were bush beans turned out to be just weeds. I don't know where the beans went.

The only problem now is the cold. I actually had to cover things for a few days. I didn't move here for cold. I could have stayed North for that. And the fog, Last Sunday I thought I was in Oregon. I've seen fog that bad before but not here. One time in college a fog settled in for a full week.

I had a great horned owl in the ash tree for a couple of days but he, or she, left. Could be because the leaves were rapidly falling, leaving bare branches.

More later. Happy Holidays, whichever one you celebrate.

Grocery Gift Cards

Easiest way ever to help our church. Just see Alberta Gunther and let her know which store you frequent. She will explain how each time you visit the store can result in money to MVUU! She has accounts set up with Albertson's, Fry's, Basha's and Safeway. It is quick and easy to get started. Help our church each time you shop. Please sign up today.

Update Your Own Website Areas

When we created our new website, the intention was to provide an easy way for different committees and task forces to update their own areas. The site is now well established, and there are pages for a number of different areas of congregational life. Not all of them are up to date, however.

Any of you who don't know how to input information (it's incredibly easy), contact John Fleming, Roger Broussard, or Darcey Spears.

Winterfest Opens Holiday Season

Our annual Winterfest service on December 11 featured a Nativity play--not just a play, though, but a "participatory re-living." And it was participatory. Besides all the children and youth who took part, there were many congregation members who volunteered as stars, angels, shepherds, animals, and wise persons. By the end of the play there were almost as many people on the stage as in the audience.

Thanks to Betty Meikle and T.J. Boothroyd, who co-directed the play; Eb Eberlein, who provided a sound system; Donna Pratt, who backed up the directors wherever and whenever needed; Steven Ballesteros and Ali Brennan, who narrated the story; Bibi van der Heiden, Rachel Kreger-Pratt, and Robyn Pratt, who were stage managers; all the other kids who attended rehearsals and the parents who brought them; and a most appreciative audience.

Thanks also to our superb choir, under the leadership of L.B., who provided beautiful and appropriate music for the service.

The festive mood continued after the service with a well-attended luncheon put on by our tireless hostesses, Lara Brennan and Sybelle van Erven and their team of helpers.

May our holiday season continue in the same spirit.  

Holiday Fun December 16 

On Friday, December 16, the YRUU youth would like to invite one and all to meet in the Fireside room for a fun social evening. We will be there from 7-9 pm, with desserts, seasonal drinks, board and card games. Please come join us and if you want, bring a dessert to share and your favorite game.

We hope to see many of you for this fun evening for the young and young at heart!!

If you don't drive at night, please let Sybelle know at 471-3557 or UUSybelle@gmail.com and we will try to get you a ride.

The MVUU yUUth

Tucson Chamber Artists and L.B. December 17

The professional choir of Tucson Chamber Artists, including our own very talented L.B., presents its immensely popular Christmas Lessons and Carols Concerts by Candlelight Saturday, December 17, 7:30pm, and Sunday, December 18, 2:00pm, at St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church. In addition to traditional texts and choral pieces, the audience joins on favorite carols. For tickets: 401-2651 or www.TucsonChamberArtists.org.

Winter Solstice Celebration December 21 to Feature Harpist 

On December 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm we are celebrating the longest night of the year with a VERY jubilant Celebration. Megha Morganfield (aka Meesha G.) is collaborating with us for a very merry event. And ALL are invited: members, friends, families and holiday visitors. We will begin at 7 pm, concluding by around 8:30 pm. The festivities will be outside, weather-permitting, so please dress accordingly. In case of rain or cold, the celebration will be moved into the Sanctuary.

We will hear Meesha's solstice carols, hear her play her Celtic harp, and participate in a spiral "dance", among other things. Yes, come prepared to play, sing, and commune...as well as to listen to "a little harp" music. This is a night not to be missed.

The event will be free of charge, except for a Love Donation that will be added to the Green Basket Charity of the month, the Emerge Shelter.

So please spread the word: come one, come all...for what better way to finish off the old and thus begin the New Year, than with your UU family.... (Note: Anyone wanting to help with the festivities, please contact Kathy Kouzmanoff.)  

Remember the Guest at Your Table 

Reminder to include Guest at Your Table during this Holiday Season of giving. Final Collection of GAYT funds will be Sunday, January 8. Thank you!!   

Guest at Your Table has been an important part of UUSC and UU culture since 1975, when it first began.

Ministerial Search Committee Update

We are currently on the UUA website declaring our search for a 3/4 time minister. And we have four potential candidates interested in our congregation!! This is very exciting!! Because of confidentiality concerns, we can not share names with you, but we are extremely pleased with these prospects. They have a mix of experience and backgrounds and all are interested in MVUU.

Our next step is to exchange packets with those candidates who seem like a good fit for us at this time. We have asked all four ministers to exchange packets with us. We send them to our online Congregation Packet and they send us their Ministerial Packet.

The Congregational Packet gives the ministers much more information about MVUU, including the survey results, financial information, our history, our hopes and dreams. If you are interested in reading the packet, you can do so on our website under the heading "Congregational Packet" at www.mountainvistauu.com. The Ministerial Packets, which we will receive soon, include much more information about each candidate. Now we have to get down to some big decisions.

The MSC reviews each packet and decides who to interview. We plan to conduct online interviews via Skype, so that we can evaluate each candidate. After that, we narrow the field again, and ask those who best fit our needs to come to preach at a neutral pulpit so that we can meet in person and continue the interviews. During this time, we are checking references, talking with District contacts and generally trying to get the most information about these pre-candidates as possible.

We then have the opportunity to choose that person who best fits our needs. If everything goes well, we will present that candidate to you in April, when we will get to hear the candidate preach on two consecutive Sundays. That candidate will be here for a week, during which time we hope everyone will get a chance to meet and ask questions and generally get to know her or him. The minister will meet with committees and the Board, as well as in social settings. On the last Sunday, the candidate will again be our speaker. After the service, the congregation will have the opportunity to vote on whether to call this candidate as our next minister.

We on the MSC are very excited about our future and the possibilities that it holds. We will keep you informed as we move forward through our search. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you all in this process. We feel honored to be part of this congregation and we believe that our congregation has a very bright future.    

Survey Summary Available On-Line

The Executive Summary of the Mountain Vista UU Survey is available to all on the congregation website (uucnwt.org). We on the Ministerial Search Committee encourage you to read it to learn about the makeup of our congregation and our priorities in seeking a new minister. Those who do not use computers can order a printed copy by calling Anne Tatum, MSC Chair, 742-4007.

Let's Help Our Kids Go to GA

Some of the money raised by the luncheons to help kids go to GA will be used to apply for matching funds from the Gateway Project. John and Helen Wilcox have made a generous donation to help some of our young people go to GA, and this will also be used toward the application. Thank you, John and Helen. We are so happy that you were willing to do this, and we hope the money can be matched. In the spirit of the grant, we will use it toward the expenses of the kids who are involved in making the immigration documentary. Other funds raised will go toward the expenses of the other kids, so everyone will have a chance to attend.

It was wonderful to see the explosion of energy among our youth at the Winterfest service, and we want to encourage them to keep participating, to make contact with the larger UU community, and to reach out to all of Tucson. We know there are lots of calls on our members' financial resources at this time of year, but if anyone else would like to contribute toward this GA project, it would be greatly appreciated.

The registration for a youth is $190. We estimate that the total cost for registration and housing for the duration of GA will be between $300 and $350 per person. Any amount would be appreciated. Contact Margaret or John Fleming (888-7059) or margefleming@earthlink.net.  

If you do decide to contribute to this project, we may be able to get matching funds if the contribution is made before Dec. 31, which is when the grant expires. If you can't contribute now but could do so later in the year, that would also be wonderful.  

Thank you from the R.E. Committee and the Gateway Project.

Firewood for Sale

Help SAWUURA raise funds to protect the 100 acres owned by UUs of Arizona.

SAWUURA is the Sierra Ancho Wilderness Unitarian Universalist Religious Association. The SAWUURA-owned camp is located five miles south of Young, Arizona at an altitude of 5500 feet. SAWUURA is a

beautiful 109 acres of wilderness nestled in the heart of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness and surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest.

Please ask friends and neighbors if they need firewood. Trailer load is $150 for ¾ cord and can be divided into ¼ cord deliveries. To arrange a purchase, please call SAWUURA Board Member Eb at 520-622-6966 or email eb@dakotacom.net

Remember Chalice Lighters

Don Gunther has received a call from Chalice Lighters, asking for donations. Don, who has been the organizer, manager, and promoter of this program in our congregation for many years, wants to remind us of the benefits we receive by belonging.

Chalice Lighters is a program of the PSWD which exists to help fund the growth of member congregations. It is supported by donations from individual UUs. Contributions can now be made by electronic funds transfer, as well as by credit card and check. The most recent call from Chalice Lighters describes two projects it has recently funded, and it is easy to see why congregations appreciate this program.

We have been fortunate in the past to have received two Chalice Lighter grants to make physical improvements to our property. One was for alterations to the Goldblatt Building; another was to upgrade the parking lot with marked handicap spaces. It has been suggested that we might apply for another grant since the requisite amount of time has passed; however, to be considered, we must be up to date on our fair share dues payments to both UUA and PSWD, and we must have a 20% of our members subscribers to Chalice Lighters.

To learn more, talk to Don Gunther, or visit the Chalice Lighters website by clicking here. It  will tell you how you can contribute to the growth of Unitarian Universalism. 

Stoking the Embers of Action

Debbie Gessaman and Chuck Tatum have organized a task force to support the UUA program Standing on the Side of Love. This program has as its aim to support marginalized and underrepresented groups such as undocumented immigrants and GLBT persons.  

The task force has met twice and identified three issues to focus on: immigration, sponsorship of Navajo elders, and contact with a small UU group incarcerated in a private correctional facility in Eloy. Immigration is something we were already working on in several ways. The Navajo program is one that Steve McGeeney and Tandra Goodwin have been involved with for several years, and the UU inmates is a project just beginning. Rev. Joy has been contacted by one of the chaplains at the facility at the request of the UU group within.

More information will be forthcoming about these programs. The immigration activities are described in a brochure and are posted in a new area on our website. To see it and find out more details about what we are doing, click here.

Bookaholics Unanimous

January 25th: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

February 29th: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

March 28th: The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer

These books begin our sixth year. Not bad for a bunch of fun-loving, opinionated readers!

Contact: Elaine azbooklover@comcast.net 290-1026

Volunteer of the Month

Jim Gessaman  

Jim is one of those quiet and unassuming people who gets things done. He has talents that many of us are not even aware of. When he first came to our congregation, he perceived a need and moved to fulfill it. It was he who arranged for the option of having our pledge payments automatically transferred from our own banks to the church's account. This was something a number of members had been requesting, and they were very happy to have Jim do it.  

Jim was chair of the Pledge Drive for two years in a row. Members will remember his Cupid costume, complete with red tights and gauzy wings, for the first, and his Superman outfit for the second. Most recently he has appeared as Father Time. Not every man would be brave enough to wear such costumes in public, but Jim always carries it off with aplomb.

Jim is always ready to help with landscaping and maintenance work on the property. He is an expert on Power Point and has made numerous professional presentations for congregational meetings. He taught a class on Power Point last year as part of the UU Gateway Project. He is also skilled in Excel, which came in handy for the Search Committee when they were tabulating survey results.  

Jim's most recently discovered talent is that he's a sex educator, having taught that subject when he was at the University of Utah. So we were happy to be able to recruit him to help with OWL this semester.

Have we missed anything? Oh, yes. He's a member of the Board this year. And, with his wife Debbie, he is managing the Alternative Giving project. No doubt there are other talents of Jim's yet to be discovered, but he has shown himself to be a truly dedicated volunteer.

Upcoming Services

December 18, 2011
"Jesus the Sage"

Rev. Joy Atkinson

On this Sunday before Christmas Eve, the sermon will explore some of the recent scholarship concerning Jesus, whose birth so many will celebrate on Saturday evening. Who was this remarkable figure, beneath the legends? How much of what is attributed to him did he really say? Romy Fouad is Worship Associate. 

December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7 pm

Rev. Joy Atkinson

Once again we will gather to celebrate Christmas with carols, stories and readings, and the warm glow of candlelight in this dark time of the year.The Choir will sing. Christiane Heyde and Steven Ballesteros are Worship Associates. 

December 25, 2011: Christmas Day

"Twelve Other Gifts"

Rev. Joy Atkinson

Join us as we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. The service will include a homily, carols, stories and readings appropriate to the season.Barbara Gates is Worship Associate.