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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Northwest Tucson
3601 West Cromwell Drive, Tucson, Arizona
Living Green / Reaching Out
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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
L. H. 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
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Board of Trustees
President:
Betty Meikle
1st Vice President:
Sybelle van Erven
2nd Vice President:
Jan Anderson
Secretary:
Elizabeth Reed
Treasurer:
Tandra Goodwin
Trustees:
Jim Gessaman
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Charity of the Month
The charity for July will be our prison ministry with the UU fellowship at La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy. The money will be used to purchase hymnals for use in their weekly services. For more information about this Standing on the Side of Love initiative, contact Margaret Fleming. 888-7059 or margefleming@earthlink.net
Please remember to make checks out to MVUU and put the name of the charity in the memo line.
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Summer Office Hours
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 7 am - Noon
Office Phone: 579-7094
Donna's cell: 441-0870
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To Submit Announcements for Publication
Please send to publications@uucnwt.org. NOTE: We are no longer using the OOS@uucnwt.org address.
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Sign Placers Wanted
Here is an easy way to help the congregation. We need volunteers to put out our directional signs on Sunday mornings. Some of us who have been putting them out are mobility-challenged with arthritis, back problems, and so on. So all you younger folks (younger than 70, that is), please step up and take your turn.
The fire/ambulance station at the corner of Thornydale and Cromwell has agreed to let us store the signs inside their utility room, just to the left of their back door. So all you have to do is go in--there's no door-it's an open entry--take the two signs and put one on the median strip and one on the sidewalk in front of the station. There's a sandbag for each one to keep it in place. Then, after the service, you retrieve the signs and store them away until the next week. That's all there is to it.
If you can do this once a month, or more often, please contact John or Margaret Fleming at 888-7059 or elfuturo@earthlink.net
Thanks for your help.
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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
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Interweave and Green
Sanctuary
The Interweave Meetings and Green Sanctuary Meetings are postponed until the fall. With folks traveling for the summer months and everyone's busy schedules, the committee thought this would be a wise decision. See you all in September, fresh and ready to go.
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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!
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Free Books
While reorganizing the RE rooms, we found that we have more books than we have room to store. Books in the bookcase next to the bulletin board in the large R.E. room are free for the taking. We wanted to give congregation members the first chance to take them, after which they will be donated to a library.
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14th Annual Yoga and Wellness Retreat
at Camp de Benneville Pines, Angelus Oaks, CA
Friday September 7th - Sunday 9th, 2012
Early Registration Discount ends on June 30, 2012
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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.
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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.
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Interim Minister's Farewell Column
Words of Joy
The time has come for me to say "goodbye" to you. These past two interim years have been a very busy time for this congregation, and for me as your interim minister. We have worked hard together on various interim tasks and have accomplished much together. When I first arrived, as I mentioned from the pulpit and in other venues on several occasions, I sensed a bit of a slump in congregational morale and sense of direction. This is a common mood when a congregation is entering a transition. Now, with pledges up, a balanced budget, progress being made on obtaining proper certification from the county, and a newly called, settled minister arriving in just one month, the slump has changed into an upward slope. There is a sense of anticipation and hope as this congregation faces its future. I am grateful for all the good work of so many dedicated volunteers during these two transitional years.
Looking back on it all-the services, special workshops, social events, committee and other meetings, pastoral ministry, adult seminars, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the life of this congregation.
One task of interim ministry that is always difficult, but must be undertaken as the transitional time comes to an end, is for the interim minister to be sure to say a fond "goodbye," and then to leave completely. For twenty-five years before I became an interim minister ten years ago, I was a settled minister, and though settled ministers must also at some point bid farewell to the congregations they serve, they don't usually start out knowing when the eventual "good-byes" will be uttered. We interims know from the outset that "hello" will be all-too-quickly followed by "goodbye." But despite the fact that we are "temps," we come to feel connected to the congregations we serve, as a minister, interim or otherwise, naturally does with a congregation. I have felt a deep connection to you during these past two years. But now, I must sever that connection, and make way for your new minister, Ron Phares, who will form that special bond with you.
Offering a fond farewell is a bittersweet, but necessary, task. Already I have been bidding farewell to people in the past few weeks as they leave for vacations or for their summer locations, and to various committees and groups as I have met with each for the last time. My final "goodbye" to you all will be at the Sunday service on July 1st.
Please know that I will carry you in my heart to the next congregation I serve, and that being your minister for this brief time has been very enriching for me. As I leave, I have great faith that you will grow, and thrive, and be the beacon of light you have told me you aspire to be in the Tucson community!
May your summer be restful, and your future bright!
Warmly, and with grateful fondness,
Joy
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MVUUs Participate in GA
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 We were well represented at GA this year. A sizable number of MVUU members, including 5 of our teens, attended all or part of the Justice General Assembly in Phoenix. We will be hearing more from them in the future.
The UU rally against SB1070 made the national news. Thanks to all of you who participated.
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Animal Blessing Service June 30
There will be a ceremony for the blessing of animals on Saturday morning, June 30th at 9:00 am in the sanctuary. If you would like to participate, you may bring your well-behaved pet to be blessed. Cats must be in closed carriers. If you have questions, please contact Joy.
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Going Away Party July 1
There will be a Going Away and Thank You Party for Rev. Joy after her last service with us on Sunday, July 1.
Event organizers are Lara Brennan and T.J. Boothroyd. They welcome your help to make the event happen. If you want to help, please contact them and let them know: larabuggy3@gmail.com; tjboothroyd@gmail.com
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Weekly Activities
Book Group on Sundays, 8:30 am
Anyone interested in thoughtful discussion of books read is welcome to join this group.
From July 1 through July 15 we will discuss Learning to Be White by Thandeka, who is a UU minister. See John Clark for more information. www.alvinjclark@aol.com
Writers' Workshop on Wednesdays, 10 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. Conversation about Stewardship on Wednesdays, 7 pm The MVUU Community Growth; Stewardship, Leadership, & Membership group is discussing chapters 4-6 (through page 55) of Creating Congregations of Generous People. Anyone interested is welcome, whether you have read the book or not. For more information, please contact Tom Bunch at www.sparky9132000@yahoo.com |
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Monthly Activities
Movie Night July 15
"A Better Life", 7 pm, Sunday, July 15, at Conrad and Jane Paul's, 9922 N Sumter Creek Pl. Demian Bichir was nominated for an Oscar for his role as an illegal immigrant who is trying to keep his son out of trouble. Please bring a snack to share. Please email John at john.wilcox2008@comcast.net or telephone at 531-1413 to reserve and receive driving directions if necessary. There will no longer be a signup at Mountain Vista UU.
Bookaholics Unanimous July 25
July's book is The Perfect Gentleman; a Muslim Boy Meets the West by Imran Ahmad. Yes, it's the very one written by last month's guest speaker. We hope you'll join us on July 25th at 6:45pm in the Fireside Room to share your comments about this funny and insightful book with us. We always have a good time--if you come, you can have one, too.
August 29th's book is Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. We traditionally plan for our August book to take place in a cold location; man, did we ever succeed this year. September 26th we're discussing In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. None of these books will disappoint you.
Contact: Elaine azbooklover@comcast,net 290-1026
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| MVUU Connect
This is a fun and easy way to stay connected to your UU Friends! www.MVUUConnect@yahoogroups.com is our Electronic Community Bulletin Board. Use it to share short messages. Post any notices of interest to our community that would not be official MVUU announcements, newsletter articles, or posted on our website. This group is not intended for discussions on religious questions or church practices or policies.
If you have not received your invitation, and would like one, please let Donna know in the office, 579-7094, or email her at www.office@uucnwt.org |
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Religious Education News
The "Share Your Passion" Summer RE Program continues. Thank you to all the members and friends who have agreed to help out this summer. The Tigers and TAMS will meet together in the Large RE Room.
July "Share Your Passion" Program
July 1 Poetry with Alberta Gunther
July 8 Intergenerational Service
July 15 Crayon-Making with Sybelle van Erven
July 22 Homemade Paper with Clarke Gillette
July 29 Wax Casts with Lara Brennan
Thank you to Robert Brewer for donating a canister of lemonade, and to Diana Chapin-Tsai for donating glue sticks and construction paper. Also, a special thank you to the person who has been anonymously adding items to the RE pantry. All donations are greatly appreciated.
Wish List: Goldfish Crackers, Teddy Graham Crackers, or any other bite-size snacks. Thanks!
If you have any questions, please call Donna anytime, (520) 441-0870 or email her at cdpratt1@live.com
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Christiane's Path to UU Ministry
 Many of you have gotten to know Christiane Heyde over the last 10 years, as she has become more and more involved in our congregation. Over the last few years she has written children's plays, presented sermons, chaired the Worship Associates' team, and been the contact for the pastoral associates. Many of you have experienced her in these roles, and many of you kept asking the question: "How come you are not a UU minister?" Here is her answer and her update on the process she has now undertaken:
I started studying theology in 1977 in Berlin, Germany, my hometown. I moved to California soon after, where I received my Bachelor's degree in Ministry in 1980 and my Master's in Counseling in 1982. While I was an evangelical Christian in my teens, I outgrew the need to know all the answers and started questioning--my theology, my views on life, as well as my attempt to be straight. I came out as a lesbian and began a new journey of discovery.
After I moved to Tucson in 1983, I found a liberal religious community at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church. I was hired as Minister of Children, Youth, and Family in 1987, and I began the process of taking graduate courses to qualify for ministry in this denomination. After completing that process in 1990, the denominational powers decided to not consecrate me as a diaconal (community) minister due to my being a lesbian.
My search began anew, and I became involved with a small congregation called Kairos, a group that left the Methodist Church. I was their part-time minister for a while until my wife Melva and I adopted again and became too busy. I started to attend our UU congregation periodically soon after, and our children grew up in the RE program. Almost 2 years ago, I started to inquire with the UUA about the possibility of becoming a UU minister. Once I began the process, I was amazed at how many doors opened for me. Instead of needing to complete the whole 3-4 year Master's of Divinity program, I was given credit for the courses I had taken in the 70's, 80's, and 1990, and the experience I had in ministry and counseling. I received a short list of 6 classes to take, and began with a required career assessment. I have now completed 5 out of 6 courses in the last year, and I became an official candidate for the UU ministry after interviewing with the regional credentialing committee this past March.
The biggest challenge which remains is an internship, which I will complete at UUCT on 22nd Street starting this August, and one class, which I will probably complete as an independent study. Then I will interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, for which I have an extensive reading list to complete. Once I pass their scrutiny, I will be accepted into "Preliminary Fellowship" of UU ministers. Then it will be time to schedule and plan an ordination. My MFC interview will most likely be next year in September, if not before.
I am excited about everything I have learned and continue to learn in this process. I have made a point of scheduling myself for several sermons in May, June, and July of this year, so I could share some of my new thoughts and inspirations with my congregation. I will stop attending Mountain Vista for most of the next school year and will miss my beloved congregation.
Then I will be back next summer, and will continue to share my process with all of you. I do not know what comes after ordination. It will be great to finally have a conclusion to a chapter which started in the 1970s and has been incomplete for way too long. In a few years, once my children are grown and independent, I would love to be a congregational minister somewhere, but I am not planning on moving any time soon.
I want to thank you all for inspiring me to find courage and strength as I restarted my pursuit of ministry, and the many affirmations and inspirations I have received from so many in the congregation. I especially want to thank Rev. Joy Atkinson and Rev. Susan Manker-Seale, whose support made this a much smoother process and a truly inspired journey.
With much love and gratitude for my dear Mountain Vista congregation,
Christiane Heyde
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| Aluminum Cans
Please bring your empty aluminum cans to church and place in the special bin. Proceeds from cans go to the Camp de Benneville Pines Scholarship Fund. Thank you to Emily Ricketts for sponsoring this worthwhile project. | |
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Sunday Services for July
July 1, 2012
"Joy's Moving Sale"
Rev. Joy Atkinson
This will be our interim minister's last service before she moves back to the San Francisco Bay Area to begin a six-month leave from interim ministry. The sermon will sum up the work we have done together during this two-year transitional time, address issues regarding closure for minister and congregation, and gaze into the "crystal ball" to speculate on what the future might look like for this congregation. Romy Fouad is Worship Associate.
July 8, 2012
"Who Is My Neighbor?"
Christiane Heyde
Christiane will guide this intergenerational service. With stories, songs, a play, and personal shares, we will get to process our experiences of Justice GA as well as our own feelings about belonging and exclusion. Sher Hakes is Worship Associate.
July 15, 2012
"Science versus Philosophy. Who Is Winning?"
Adrian Korpel
Evolutionary biologists explain love, altruism, and belief in God as a consequence of evolution; neuro-scientists discover how this translates into the structure of our neurons, which makes "free will" a superfluous notion; and physicists conceive of a self-generating universe of universes. Where does this leave philosophy and religion? John Clark is Worship Associate
July 22, 2012
"Stepping out of Our Comfort Zone"
Galina DeRoeck
Galina De Roeck will share from her memoirs about her physical and spiritual travels and evolving social action perspective. Galina's history with our congregation goes back to our early days. Her talk dovetails with the themes from the recent UUA General Assembly. Sher Hakes is Worship Associate.
July 20, 2012
"Is God a White Racist?"
Christiane Heyde
Christiane Heyde will share a sermon with this provocative title, exploring African American Liberation theology, the cause of injustice and evil, as well as our concept of the divine. Margaret Fleming is
Worship Associate.
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