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

Board of Trustees

President:

1st Vice President:

Treasurer:

Jim Gessaman 

Social Action Meeting Cancelled

Please see Emily Ricketts for more details regarding future meetings.  

Charity of the Month

The charity for May is No More Deaths.

Please remember to make checks out to MVUU and put the name of the charity in the memo line.  

Greeters Needed      

Here's an opportunity to meet a new people. We currently need volunteers to serve as regular or substitute greeters. Don't worry that our standards might be too high. About three minutes of intense training is all that's needed for you to join the ranks of the GREETERS.

If you're interested please contact Gene McCormick at genemick@comcast.net

Kitchen Clean-up 
Someone is in the kitchen with.......? YOU!!!!!

If you use the kitchen, it is YOUR responsibility to leave it clean and orderly.

1) Please clean and replace all dishes, cups, and pots and pans.
2) Please put all the garbage out.
3) Please run and unload the dishwasher even if you have to come back later! (No, you do not have to run it unless it is full.)
4) Please wipe down surfaces, and vacuum, if needed.  

THANK YOU! 

Lifeline Screening at MVUU May 21
9 am - 4 pm

Life Line is a leading mobile health screening organization. Since 1993, they have screened over 5 million people nationally. Special pricing is available for MVUU congregants, and in addition the church will receive $10 for each congregant who receives testing.

Tests Offered:

Carotid Artery - -checks for plaque build-up in the carotid artery. This is the #1 cause of stroke
Peripheral Arterial Disease - -checks for plaque build-up in the arteries of the lower extremities
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm -- measures the diameter of the aorta, to detect the presence of an aneurysm
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm -- measures the diameter of the aorta, to detect the presence of an aneurysm
Osteoporosis - to detect the risk of osteoporosis by measuring for the bone mineral density of your heel, as it is similar to that of the hip

For more info, and for prices, please call the MVUU office at 579-7094, or email the office at uucnwt@office.org.

GA Reminders

June 20-24 General Assembly, Phoenix   

The main GA hotels are the Hyatt and the Renaissance where 1000 rooms have been blocked for UUs at $125 a night. But registration at these hotels must also be done online through the UUA housing office.

District Executive Ken Brown reminds us that as we get nearer to General Assembly, our own PSWD web site has a section on Migration and Border Issues which keeps getting bigger. This section is a resource for individuals and congregations in the PSWD and across the nation. Most of the material is there because in some way the issue or report may be part of events or education at GA and maybe our own District Assembly. Click here to access it.

Lending Library

After the service, please feel free to check out books from the lending library in the Fireside Room. The lending library is open to everyone. It's easy! Select the book you want to borrow, sign the card inside the book, place the card in the plastic bin and that's it. Return the book when you are finished, and replace the card in the book. There's a wide selection of topics to explore. 

2012 UU Living Legacy Civil Rights Pilgrimage

The next UU Living Legacy Civil Rights Pilgrimage is scheduled for October 6-13, 2012, and registration is now open. This unique bus trip is much more than a Civil Rights history tour through Alabama and Mississippi. We will be visiting historic sites and meeting veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, and but will also be spending time together and with guests exploring what racism, white privilege, and barriers to equality look like today in Southern towns we visit---and in our own hometowns.

Beyond experiencing first-hand the civil rights legacy, our goal is to develop commitment, vision and mechanisms within our group to work on issues of race, injustice and inequality that still bedevil our congregations and our society. The Living Legacy Pilgrimage is hosted and organized by the Reverend Gordon Gibson and Judy Gibson; the Reverend Hope Johnson; the Reverend James Hobart; Janice Marie Johnson; Annette Marquis; and Donna Sequeira, and co-sponsored by the Southeast District of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

For more information and to register, please visit www.uulivinglegacy.org. Don't miss your chance to be on the bus! Register early --costs are discounted for those who register before May 15.

Diary of a Surprised Gardener

By Alberta Gunther

Here it is May and I must be doing something wrong. Almost everything I've planted is growing. All of the bedding plants I bought are still alive. Not like the first year when I bought a cucumber plant in the morning, planted it and it was dead by evening. In the front flower bed are the tomatoes. I already have several pear tomatoes coming. On the west side of the bed okra is coming up nicely. Hopefully when larger it will help to shade the tomatoes. In between are some carrots. They too will benefit from the shade. In addition to the three tomato plants, there is one chili pepper. I bought it by error. There is one chili so far.

In the back I have cucumber, zucchini and pumpkin. I have yet to have cucumber plants make it but these look good. I have this ridiculous idea that I will make dill pickles. On a related note, for the first time I have been able to save some produce. I pulled all of the winter carrots, blanched them and then sliced and froze. I ended up with five small (about 2/3 cup) packages. I felt so virtuous.

The only thing left will be to plant the hot weather green beans. I haven't been too successful in the past but this year has promise.

Trip to Northern Arizona

Registration is now open for an exciting trip to Northern Arizona October 13-20 to visit Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, and the Petrified Forest among other interesting sites. This trip is sponsored by and is a fundraiser for the 22nd Street church, UU Church of Tucson. You will travel on a comfortable tour bus and stay at moderate hotels such as Best Western and Holiday Inns.

We have space for 24, and the cost is $1099 per person for a double room. Single room rates are also available. If you register now, you can cancel until July 1st, but after that we are committed to paying the hotels, etc., so no refunds after that date. Payment must be made in full by August 19.

For information and registration, click here. 

A Muslim Boy Meets the West--May 19

Imran Ahmad will speak at Mountain Vista UU at 3 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012, and share his personal journey, growing up Muslim in London. His talk promises to be insightful, engaging, and entertaining, and will be followed by a question and answer session. His memoir, The Perfect Gentleman: A Muslim Boy Meets the West, will be available for purchase, and Mr. Ahmad will sign it on request. The book was chosen by Sue Townsend of The Guardian as her book of the year and is listed in the May 2012 issue of Oprah Magazine as No 1 in "Top 10 Titles to Pick Up Now."

Imran Ahmad swears he's not really a gentleman-rather a social rebel who opens windows on stuffy older British trains-but, he was lucky enough to attend Hampton Grammar School, followed by Stirling University in Scotland, where he learned about chemistry, Islam and women. Imran is on the Board of British Muslims for Secular Democracy, a diverse organization that opposes the imposition of theological values on any individual, group or gender.

For more info, contact Betty Meikle at 520-743-0064 or b_meikle@yahoo.com

Breakfast Is Good Anytime

The congregational meeting on May 20 will be preceded by a brunch. $5 donation will go towards scholarships for our children to go to Camp de Benneville this summer. Please join us between the service and the congregational meeting.

If you can help with a dish, please contact Sybelle at UUSybelle@gmail.com or Lara at larabuggy3@gmail.com to see what is needed.

Congregational Meeting May 20 

The Mountain Vista UU Congregational Meeting will be held Sunday, May 20, 2012, in the sanctuary at 12:00 noon, following our church service and a light lunch.

The following five (5) matters will be considered and voted on by the Congregation:

1. Election of Board. The following slate has been nominated for the Fiscal Year 2012-13 which runs from 7/1/12 to 6/30/13.

President   

Betty Meikle
1st Vice President, Chair of Congregational Life Council
Sybelle van Erven
2nd Vice President, Chair of Administrative Council

Jan Anderson
Secretary  

Elizabeth Reed
Treasurer  

Ron Meikle (acting until permanent treasurer is identified)
Trustee at large 

Pat Reddemann
Trustee at large 

Jim Gessaman

2. Election of Nominating Committee for 2012-2013   

Debbie Gessaman  

Leon Bennet-Alder  

Conrad Paul  

3. Election of Endowment Committee for 2012-2013

Anne Tatum  

David Hatunen  

Clare Toth  

Pat Desai  

Gary Kern   

4. Approval of change to Article V, Board of Trustees, Section 1.

Under the proposed bylaw, all officers would serve 2-year, staggered terms, rather than 1-year terms. Term limits provide for a rotation of responsibilities that support the congregation, help to avoid burn out, and ensure that fresh ideas are introduced in the management and business of the congregation. Staggered terms ensure overlap of officers for continuity and institutional memory.
The new bylaw would read as follows:

ARTICLE V. Board of Trustees, Section 1.
At each Annual Meeting there shall be elected from the voting membership of the congregation a Board of Trustees: A President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two (2) additional trustees. Each officer shall hold office for two (2) years, perform the duties pertaining to such offices, and be eligible for election for no more than three (3) times. The president, 1st Vice President, and Treasurer will be elected in odd years. The Secretary and 2nd Vice President will be elected in even years. Each remaining trustee shall serve for staggered terms of two (2) years, to be elected annually. Each shall take office on July 1 and serve until the end of the fiscal year. The Minister shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting, member of the board.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS are now available Please contact the office at 579-7094 or www.office@uucnwt.org

 

Weekly Activities

Book Group on Sundays, 8:30 am 

Anyone interested in writing is invited to join the Writers' Workshop on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00. Participants share their writing, critique each others' work, and offer suggestions for such aspects of writing as plot development, organization, tightening, and word choice. Come any time for one session or a series of sessions. If you have writing to be critiqued, please bring at least 7 copies.

For more information, contact Margaret Fleming at 888-7059 or margefleming@earthlink.net .    

Monthly Activities

Movie Night May 19

"A Dangerous Method" 6:30 pm at Kathy Kouzmanoff and Bob Wallace's home, 10950 N. La Canada, #11202. This film is about the founders of psychoanalysis, Freud and Jung, and the woman who began as their patient and who became their colleague. Please bring a snack to share. We are limited to 10 persons by space considerations. Look for a poster, review, directions and a signup at Mountain Vista in Goldblatt. john.wilcox2008@comcast.net 531-1413  

Bookaholics Unanimous May 30

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. This is a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear in a modern-day family tale on an Iowa farm; it won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. Well worth reading and even more fun to come and discuss (at 6:45pm in the Fireside Room.)

June's book is going to be skipped in order to give you more time to read our July 25th selection: Imran Ahmad's book: The Perfect Gentleman: A Muslim Boy Meets the West. You can hear him speak in our sanctuary on Saturday, May 19th, and you can get a copy of the book then, too. (Or you could get it from many other sources, but it won't be autographed.) This is a book many of us are going to be reading, so it'll be entertaining to share our opinions. Knowing us--as the lively, outspoken, cheerful UUs we are--it'll be an evening to remember. We meet at 6:45pm in the Fireside Room--we'll look for you there on July 25th. Contact: Elaine azbooklover@comcast.net 290-1026

August 29th: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
September 26th: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
(See: If you choose from our lists, your insatiable need to read can be fed. If you come meet with us, your insatiable need to talk can, too. How UU is that?!)

SAWUURA Memorial Day Campout
May 25 - 28 

Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, Monday morning

Head to the hills for a relaxing weekend under the stars.

Hike and explore, Bird and Bug Watch, play games or just hang out, read or write, sing around the campfire, cook s'mores, clap the sun down, smell fresh forest air, stargaze or look for cloud shapes, worship in the Sacred Grove of the Ancients, lead your own event

Food will be provided and expertly prepared with all of our help. The menu will be a mouth-watering, healthy, omnivorous assortment.

Plan to arrive Friday night or Saturday morning, set up your tent or stay in one of the RUSTIC Summer Cabins.

Fees are $30 per adult and $20 per child. Register by Sunday, May 20th at www.SAWUURA.org or by mail c/o Jan Hatunen at 2167 W Ocelot, Tucson AZ 85713.

The road has been greatly improved, but it is steep in some places. Your car should be at least as good as a SUBARUU. Pets are not permitted for group events.

Religious Education News

Camp de Benneville Pines

For reduced early-registration fees, please register with Donna by Monday, May 21st. Forms returned to Donna with a $75 deposit, you will receive a $35 discount per child from your camp fee. MVUU will be offering a limited amount of funding per camper this year. Please see Donna for more info. Also, Camp de Benneville offers a limited number of $50 scholarships per child. Forms are at http://www.debenneville.org/camps/2012/PSWD/CampScholarship-no%20year.pdf For more info on Camp de Benneville Pines and the various summer camps offered this summer, please visit www.UUCamp.org  

"Share Your Passion" Summer Program

 We need volunteers for our upcoming summer R.E. program. Each Sunday, beginning in June, we will be welcoming a special guest from the congregation to share with the students something they are passionate about. Last summer's topics included drumming, jewelry-making, Feng Shui, birding, mountain-climbing, being a prison guard, scrapbooking, and travel stories. Do you have a passion you would like to add to this summer's list, ot perhaps you would like to expand on one of the above topics.

This is a fun and easy way to help out RE. The kids have a good time, and the adults and kids get to know each other better. Please talk to Donna or Margaret if you have a passion you'd like to share.  

RE Classes

10:30 on Sundays. Students report to the sanctuary for a Story for All ages on the first and third Sundays of each month. Once dismissed, Tigers (K-5) will meet in the Small RE Room. TAMS (6-8) will meet in the Large RE Room.  

For more information, please call Donna any time at 406-5121 or e-mail her at mklo@earthlink.net.

Next Inquirer's Meeting June 10

Newcomers and/or folks who have an interest in learning more about the Mountain Vista church and Unitarian Universalism are invited to attend an "Inquirers Meeting" on Sunday, June 10. It will be in the small RE room in the Goldblatt Building, beginning at 12 noon. Learn more about our church community and UU beliefs. Reverend Joy will lead the discussion and there will be light refreshments and the chance to meet other inquirers.

If you are interested please contact Anne Leonard at 520-825-3449. We hope to see you there.

Visit to La Palma

One part of our Standing on the Side of Love initiative is our contact with a small UU fellowship within La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy. Seven of us made the trip a couple of months ago and a slightly different group of seven made it again on May 4.

The fellowship was organized by a man who had been a member of a UU church in Berkeley. None of the others had been UUs; they were recruited inside the prison. The group got started by his requesting materials from the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), which has long been a resource for isolated individuals and small communities. Then, through the prison chaplain, the group contacted us, the closest UU congregation to them, to see if we wanted to develop a relationship.

A surprising number of our members expressed interest in participating with this new fellowship. To date 12 have taken the required training to be considered religious volunteers at the prison, and there are more waiting for the next chance.

The inmates meet once a week for about 2 hours. They usually begin with an invocation or an inspiring reading; then they discuss some of the articles they have read, or listen to a book review, or have a poetry-writing workshop. Some of them have taken courses in UU history and theology through CLF and are amazingly well-informed.

On both visits, the inmates all welcomed us and said how glad they were to see us. On our first visit, the group said they would like to get a sense of what a regular UU service was like, so this time, we created an approximation of one. It began with their regular invocation and opening reading. Then we had a sort of Celebrating Community, all of us in both groups introducing ourselves and telling a little of how we came to be UUs. We sang a hymn chosen by Rev. Joy, with accompaniment on a keyboard that was available in the room where we met. She gave a sermon about UU identity; we sang another hymn, and then we had a question-and-answer session. After that, the inmates shared the results of that week's assignment to create an acrostic poem using the word JUSTICE, and we visitors were encouraged to participate. Being the verbal and literate UUs that we are, we were able to come up with 1 or 2 words or phrases apiece. The inmates, having prepared in advance, contributed very thoughtful and inspiring lines. Our service closed with a poem written by one of the men.

This was a memorable experience. These invisible men, locked and ignored inside concrete walls, inhabit a meticulously organized zero-scape of bare dirt, cement, chain link, and razor wire. But they are people with opinions and interests just like ours, asking the same questions we ask, troubled by the same injustices we are, people with whom we could immediately connect and share our UU identity. We will be making visits to them in the future, probably about once a month.

Anyone who would like to participate in this ministry should contact Rev. Joy for information on the next training session.

Attending GA on a Budget

Planning to attend General Assembly in Phoenix this June but concerned about the cost? Here are some ways to attend some or all of GA on a budget:

Go for One or Two Days Only
Registration is $320 for adults attending full time ($365 after April 30th) But you can register by the day--$130 per day ($145 after April 30th).

Go by Chartered Bus for a Day
An option from the UUs in Green Valley:?The UU Congregation of Green Valley is arranging to have a chartered bus take people to Phoenix on Sunday, June 24, to attend the GA Sunday service (open to the public whether registered for the conference or not) and browse the exhibit halls (also open to the public that day). The cost per person would be $30 or $20 depending on the size of the bus. Pick up time would be approximately 7 am and return time approximately 6:30 pm. Contact Loretta Carmickle (carlor3344@q.com) or Charles Burkholder (cburkholder2@cox.net), co-chairs of the Justice Action Network of the Green Valley congregation for questions and indications of interest.

Stay at a Local Hotel and Drive to the Convention Center
The two official GA hotels (Hyatt and Renaissance near the Convention Center) cost $125 per day, and parking is extra. You can find a local motel to drive to the convention center from. Parking at the Convention Center is $12 per day.

Stay at Arizona State University Residential Facility, 120 East Taylor Street, $260 for fixed 5 night stay Arrival Wednesday 6/20, Departure Monday 6/25. All double rooms; roommate matching is not provided. You can stay in a double as one person and not utilize the second bed, but the price remains the same. No cooking, laundry, pets, alcohol, or smoking. All rooms have two single beds with bedding provided. Cleaning, towel, and linen services are not available during the five-night stay. Free wireless Internet. All ASU reservations must be made or reservations cancelled by May 10, 2012. UUA will charge your credit card for the full fixed room rate amount of $260 for your room reservation on or around May 11th. UUA needs to prepay for the dorms in order to secure them. No refunds will be provided after May 10. 2012.

Big Changes Coming in the Sanctuary Décor

The Ambience Committee is moving ahead rapidly on a series of tasks to improve the ambiance and flow of traffic for the sanctuary. Charlotte Engvall has already had the space between the front wall and the sidewalk by the front door concreted for safety and to allow more room to mingle. We will move the nametags outdoors in front for the duration of the services. This way we hope to cut down the congestion inside.  

During June we will paint the walls and redesign the podium area. The podium area will be the main focus with a contrasting wall panel and a new chalice design attached to the panel. We are consulting with a professional colorist courtesy of Connie Armstrong. Snow birds should be pleased when they return to see what a change this will make. We are also working on lighting and the possibility of new chairs. New flooring will be a major item when we can afford it. We will keep you posted on a corkboard to be located in the Goldblatt Building.

Anne Leonard 

anne@alartworks.com  

MVUU Pledge Drive 2012/2013

You have questions. We have answers.

Since the beginning of this pledge drive which began on March 18, 2012 we have had a few questions about the pledging procedure and its progress and what it means to you, the congregation. I will list a few questions and hope my answers will clear up some of the confusion this pledge drive has caused.

Q: Is the current pledge drive 2012/2013 connected to the pledge drive we held in October-December 2011?

A: Yes it is. It is the ending of what was called the "Call to Action" pledge drive back in October 2011. Let me clear this up, if I can.

The reasoning for the "Call to Action" Pledge Drive

October through December 2011

Because we were planning for a new settled minister and had to appoint a ministerial search committee, the Board needed to understand what our fiscal year (July 1-June 30.) 2011/2012 looked like from a financial standpoint. The Board was working on a budget, but they still needed more information concerning our largest dependency for cash flow, which is the annual pledge drive. After reviewing past pledge drive performance the Board was concerned that the pledge drive would not meet our immediate financial needs and also future financial needs to attract a full time minister. The Board decided to raise additional funds by launching a special early "Call to Action" pledge drive as well as ask the congregation to commit to pledging the same amount for the next fiscal year, 2012/2013. The Board also requested congregants, if they could, to please consider increasing the pledge amount to help reduce the deficit as well. In this way the Board could have a more accurate understanding of what the income would be for the end of the 2011/2012 fiscal year as well as know what the income would be from pledges for 2012/2013. We sent out a pledge form, formed a canvassing team and proceeded to drive more needed income for the church. This was the Pledge Drive we conducted in October-December 2011.

Q: Did the "Call to Action" pledge drive do what it was intended to do?

A: Yes it did. The "Call to Action" raised an additional $20,000 in pledges from many members and friends who increased their 2011/2012 pledge commitment. The $20,000 raised was recorded as increased individual pledges and afforded MVUU the opportunity to perform our ministerial search and reduce the deficit.

Q: What if you could not increase your pledge, but still wanted to commit a pledge drive amount for 2012/2013?

A: The pledge form also asked if the member/friend would consider pledging the same amount in 2012/2013 as they pledged for 2011/2012. Most of you said, yes, and this, along with the members/friends increased pledges accounted for 70% of the pledge commitments for 2012/2013 in the amount of $108,463. This is why many of you did not need to fill out a pledge drive form this year. You already committed to pledging the same amount from last year to this pledge year, 2012/2013.

The focus on this year's pledge drive 2012/2013

Q: What if I didn't choose to pledge the same amount from 2011/2012 to the pledge drive for 2012/2013?

A: For those who chose not to commit to pledging the same amount from 2011/2012, this is the time to make your pledge commitment for 2012/2013. This group was sent a pledge form the week of March 18^th and we are canvassing now to make sure we get the pledge forms received and registered so the Board can develop a budget based on pledge commitments from the "Call to Action" pledge drive and the current pledge drive, which will make up the 2012/2013 Pledge Drive amount.

Q: Has the combination of the "Call to Action" and the general pledge drive we are in right now helped us raise the pledge drive amount and reach our goal?

A: Yes, the two pledge periods have not only allowed us to reach our goal for 2012/2013 of $130,000, but we exceeded it. So far we have added $29,280 from this pledge period to the $108,463 from the October-December 2011 pledge period for a total, as of 4/26/2012, of $137,743. The pledge drive is not over. We have three weeks to hit $140,000 and more if we receive commitments for all of the outstanding pledge possibilities. Plus, there are members who continue to increase their pledge amounts.

That is it. If you have not mailed your pledge or pledged on line, please do so. Every pledge dollar helps reduce the deficit and support our congregation.

Any questions please contact me at joebredau@aol.com.

Thanks for your time to read this and I hope it helped you understand what has happened over the last two pledge drives.

Joe Bredau

Stewardship

Welcome Our Newest New Members

Marge Brown was born in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York and lived there for 28 years. She has moved about 20 times between the east coast, mid-west, and southwest. At present, she and her husband, Dick, spend seven months in Tucson and five months in Albuquerque.

It was her good fortunate to have had four children; sadly, she lost her oldest daughter, Laurel, on the space shuttle Columbia, on February 1, 2003. In her daughter's memory, she initiated the Laurel Clark Earth Camp, with the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and the University of Arizona Planetary Science Department. There are two camps--one for middle school and one for high school-based on ecology leadership for a shared planet, her daughter's passion.

Dick Brown was born in Madison, Wisconsin, where he lived for 25 years. As a slow learner, it took him eight years to complete his education at the University of Wisconsin. In completing his post-graduate training, he received seven more years of residency and fellowships in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Albany, and Toledo.   Following his considerable education, he practiced hand, plastic, and reconstructive surgery for 32 years in Albuquerque, St. Louis, and Milwaukee, retiring in the year 2000. In the past decade, he has done volunteer surgeries in Haiti, Kazakhstan, and Panama. His five children, all in their fifth decade, are gainfully employed.   

Volunteers of the Month

Anne and Chuck Tatum

Anne and Chuck have been church leaders ever since they moved to Tucson and joined us over 20 years ago. Chuck was President of the Board when we bought the property at 3601 W. Cromwell Drive in 1992. Anne was Fund Drive Chair a few years later, and Chuck has been Fund Drive Chair a number of times. In fact, both Tatums, individually and together, have chaired more fund drives than anyone else in the congregation. One of these was a capital fund drive that they co-chaired to pay off the north property after it was purchased. Anne and Chuck are currently members of the Stewardship Committee.

Chuck has been on the Board again, as Vice President, for the last few years. He and Anne, along with Leon and Evalyn Bennet-Alder, formed an ad hoc task force about four years ago to make suggestions for congregational growth and development. He was also part of an ad hoc marketing task force two years later. In fact, he is always supportive of growth strategies and congregational development, whatever form they may take. And he runs a very efficient congregational meeting.

Chuck co-chaired with Debbie Gessaman a new Standing on the Side of Love initiative for our congregation. There are three strands to it: working with Navajo elders, supporting immigrant families, and visiting our closest UU fellowship, located in the La Palma prison at Eloy. Anne and Chuck are both part of the prison ministry.

Anne has most recently served as Chair of the Ministerial Search Committee, a year-long assignment that took great ability, endurance, and patience, but that resulted in an outcome welcomed by the whole congregation. Before that, she was an R.E. teacher for two years, and will probably be one again, as she likes working with children. She is also a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and the Endowment Committee.

The Tatums are a versatile and talented couple, individuals we are fortunate to have as members of our congregation.

Sunday Services for May  

May 20, 2012

"A Theology of Adoption"

Christiane Heyde

We happen to have many adopted children (and adults) in our congregation. What does this mean? Why does it matter? Are there any relevant thoughts about adoption which affect the rest of this community and our covenant? This Sunday, Christiane will look at adoption from a unique and challenging view point, combining psychology, theology, history, and personal experience. Please join us for this thought-provoking sermon. The choice of sermon topic is a result of last fall's service auction, where Gwen Goodman bid on a sermon topic and asked Christiane to present thoughts on adoption. We thank Gwen for her donation and for prompting the creation of this sermon. Sher Hakes is Worship Associate. The choir will sing.

May 27, 2012

"Welcome the Stranger"

Rev Joy Atkinson

As many of us prepare to participate in this year's Justice General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Phoenix next month, the service will focus on some of the issues surrounding immigration. We will also remember, on this Memorial Day weekend, those who have served, and those who lost their lives in border crossings. John Clark is Worship Associate.