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Sunday Worship
January 25, 9:15 and 11:15am



Come join Rev Aaron as he helps us celebrate the perfect beauty in our imperfections.

In case you missed it . . .
Video image of Rev Aaron
Here's the video of last week's sermon by Rev Aaron McEmrys - Inheritance - Saying YES to the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr

If you're unable to join us in person this Sunday, please view our live podcast at www.uucava.org at 9:15 or 11:15am (ET). Recordings of most of the sermons are also available under the "Archive" tab. To see the whole service that includes music, readings, etc., you must view the live podcast.
Give-the-PlateGivePlate
In Remembering Selma & Little Friends for Peace
Little Friends of Peace logo January is the month of remembering Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and his work for peaceful multi-racial community. In honor of his legacy, UUCA will give its Sunday morning offerings to Little Friends for Peace (LFFP), an organization that teaches peace to children of all ages, races, ethnic groups, and economic classes. Little Friends for Peace is a non-profit organization that empowers children and adults to solve problems nonviolently, to build relationships through compassion and empathy, and to create a culture of peace.

Last week's GTP total was $2,489. Thank you for your continued support and generosity.
Peace Camp
June 22 to July 3
Registration is now open for Peace Camp 2015, a summer camp offered each year in partnership with Little Friends for Peace (LFFP).  This year camp runs at UUCA from June 22 to July 3, from 9am to 3pm for ages 5-14, extended care available.  The cost is $295 per week, extended care is extra.  Register your children now for either one or two weeks to ensure a spot.

Peace Campers discover that peace begins with them through hands-on opportunities in cooperation and conflict resolution in a safe and supportive environment with children from UUCA and community partner organizations.  Campers learn skills to deal with their problems in a peaceful manner and are encouraged to create their own solutions. Activities also include art, music, nature, storytelling, and cooperative games.

Register your campers (ages 5 to 9) for one or both weeks, tuition includes lunch and snacks.  Pre-care and after-care available.  Scholarships available.  Other opportunities include Jr. Counselor in Training (ages 10-11), and Counselor in Training (ages 12-14). Staff positions are also available: Jr. Counselors (16-18), Counselors (18+) and special guest presenters.

For more information and to register, visit the Peace Camp table in Fellowship Hall after each service on Sunday.
Board Update

Monitoring Church Groups, the Endowment, and Finances

From Janice Morris, Member, Board to Trustees
The UUCA Board of Trustees met on January 20 and welcomed our guest Rev David Pyle, District Executive for the Joseph Priestly District.  We began with a discussion of Board evolution and the Trustees shared how personally they had grown as Board Members through listening, learning, and leading with patience, understanding, and openness. In our policy governance leadership, the Board received monitoring reports from Rev Aaron regarding church groups and the Endowment Fund.  Rev Aaron presented a plan to comply with our policy goal that all church groups are aligned with our mission. The Board requested that he share his progress with us in March.  Rev Aaron's monitoring report for the Endowment Fund included a copy of the church's balance sheet with the Endowment's balance listed to show compliance. The monitoring reports will be attached to the minutes of the Board meeting on the website. The Board then voted on behalf of the congregation to serve as the sponsoring church for Shelly Thompson, our intern minister.  

In an effort to expand our relationship with the congregation, the Board is undertaking a linkage initiative aimed at creating a greater understanding of what it means to Connect, Grow, and Serve as a Member of our church.  Listen for more to come on this project, as we prepare to engage the membership in a dialogue about what the church means to you and how we can grow in our connections and service to the community and each other.

Brian Smith, church administrator, reported that despite strong pledges and contributions in December, the level of giving for 2014 so far has been $70,000 short of the previous year.  Partly as a result, UUCA is still projecting a significant deficit.  The Board and Rev Aaron discussed the possibility of having to reduce the scope of our overall ministry if the vision the church holds for itself is not met equally in financial contributions.  Rev Aaron will be outlining his vision for the church in the coming months, and we hope that everyone in the congregation will help to make that vision possible. 
New UU Class with Rev Aaron
UUCA logo Our next New UU class (formerly known as Introduction to Our Faith) will be Saturday, January 24,  8:30am to 12pm. This class is a great opportunity to learn about the history and theology of Unitarian Universalism.  There will be plenty of chances to ask questions and to get to know others in the class.  The class is free, but registration is required.  Register here. Free childcare is available, please RSVP with Sarah Masters.
Religious EducationReligiousEd
Last Sunday's RE Service Chapel
Last Sunday, kids in RE brainstormed ways to be of service in our UUCA community.  We met in the Chapel, listened to a story, and then split up into groups where we came up with quick projects that included the following:
  • First graders (9:15) cleaned Chapel chairs
  • Second graders (9:15) tested our supply of scissors and markers
  • Third and fourth graders (9:15) made art supply caddies
  • First and second graders (11:15) cleaned the bathroom
  • Third graders (11:15) picked up litter from the grounds.
Thank you all for participating in our Service Day!  Now that you know how, we hope classes will feel empowered to continue brainstorming such projects now and then, to show others how we love our community, take care of each other, and together create a welcoming sense of hospitality for all who come through our doors.

Gentle Reminders
  • All children two years and up begin Sunday with their parents in the Sanctuary or Worship Caf� (The Center) for the first part of the worship service.
  • Then parents are to escort their children to and from their classes and sign them in and out (fourth grade and below).
Questions? Contact Erica Shadowsong, Director of Religious Education.
THANK YOU for Supporting Our Youth
Many thanks to all of you who helped support the Youth through our "Brunch Sale" last Sunday!  With your help we are well on our way to raising the money needed to make our Spring Break Outreach trip to the Hopi/Navajo Reservations.  Proceeds from that effort exceeded $2,700! Stay tuned for more fundraising activities to come.
Faith in Action: Connecting - Growing - ServingFaith

Selma Re-Awakening

This winter UUs around the nation are joining in a time of study and reflection, action and witness  to recall how we were a part of the Civil Rights struggle in the '60s, and to determine how we can engage with the new struggle, to insist that our society understands that black lives, all lives, matter. UUCA joins other UUs in remembering and reflecting on the long road to and since Selma, and invites members, friends, and neighbors to:  

  • Watch the January 11 & 18 Sunday sermons at www.uucava.org
  • THIS SUNDAY, Jan 25 & Feb 1 - Join a Conversation Circle about the book The Selma Awakening by UU African American theologian and historian Mark Morrison-Reed, at 12:30pm in the Board Room.
An Ordinary Hero
Joan M photo On Sunday, January 18, an appreciative crowd of some 100 UUCA members and neighbors met to listen to Joan Mulholland tell of her experience desegregating schools in Arlington and then working in the deep south as a civil rights activist alongside many that are famous leaders today.  She showed clips from a documentary about her experiences.  Click here for the film trailer. As a "thank you", UUCA made a donation to the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization with the mission of educating youth about the Civil Rights Movement and empowering them with the idea that they can make a difference.

Another chance next week!  For those who missed our event last Sunday, Joan is appearing at the Alexandria Public Library (5005 Duke Street) at 7pm on Tuesday, January 27. She'll be joined by Mike O'Brien, who is featured in her documentary and author of the book We Shall Not Be Moved.
Black Lives Matter

Revs Linda and Aaron on floor of cafeteria
Photo of die-in at Capitol cafeteria

 

On Wednesday of this week, Rev Aaron and Rev Linda had the privilege to be in community, shoulder to shoulder, witnessing to our values and our faith that all humans' basic rights need to be protected and affirmed. They joined a group of faith leaders from across the nation gathered on Capitol Hill to bring the demands of the "Black Lives Matter" movement literally to the footsteps of Congress. They were able to shut down Congress' lunch for an interfaith die-in. They disrupted their routine -- made them uncomfortable -- made sure the message got through. This is a life-or-death issue. This is not politics as usual.  

 

Stories were featured in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, The Guardian, and other major media outlets.  

Write Here! Write Now! Go solar in Virginia - More than a bright idea




With the approaching of Earth Day on April 22, Rev Aaron has called us to take action to help protect and care for our planet. As a community, one of the ways to take action is to promote solar energy in Virginia. Virginia happens to lag far behind our regional neighbors due to the lack of legislative support. Last Sunday during our "Write Here, Write Now" campaign, nearly 70 congregants wrote letters asking their Virginia elected officials to promote policies that bring the many benefits of solar power to our communities.  Our "Write Here, Write Now" campaign will continue for the next two Sundays. You can pull up background information here (plus a link to coverage of a recent meeting held at UUCA concerning the barriers to solar energy in Virginia). And, if you haven't already done so, please be sure to sign the green Earth Day pledge. 
Rejoice, chocolate lovers!  Valentine's Day is coming!
Equal Exchange logo This Sunday, January 25, Equal Exchange chocolates and other products will be for sale after both services.  In addition to the usual selection of coffees, teas, cocoa mix, olive oil and chocolate bars, we will have boxes of dark chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day. The candy and other products are purchased through  the Coffee Project, so the UU Service Committee (UUSC) gets 5% of the price of the products sold.  At UUCA, we have been serving Equal Exchange coffee since 2005. This is a win-win-win situation.  You win by getting quality products at a good price, UUSC wins with the donation of 5% from EE and the growers win by getting a good price for their products and business advice from EE.  For more information or to volunteer to help with the sales, contact Sara Anderson.
UUCA's Two New Accompaniers
Gomez photo Last Sunday Rev Aaron challenged us to come when we are called to help our brothers and sisters in need.  One of the many ways UUCA answers this call is through its continued sponsorship of the human rights Accompaniers in Guatemala.  Graham photo Through Partners for Arlington and Guatemala (PAG), UUCA sponsors two Accompaniers,  Munroe Graham and Jhonathan Gomez.  On Sunday, stop by the PAG table in Fellowship Hall to learn more about these remarkable young people.
Buckingham Helpers
Need help with yard work or house cleaning? Buckingham workers offer many services, such as mulching, moving furniture,  photography and catering.   To fill out a request form,  visit the Buckingham Outreach table in Fellowship Hall after services on Sunday.   For more information about the program, contact Nancy Hall.
Preschool Open House
Sat, Jan 31, 10am to noon
AUCP classroom Arlington Unitarian Cooperative Preschool (AUCP) will hold its annual open house on Saturday, January 31 from 10am to noon. Children are welcome to attend.  Founded by UUCA members in 1969, the preschool has educated young children for over 40 years.  The curriculum is child-centered, focusing on the process (exploration, experimentation, problem-solving) over the final product.  As a true cooperative, parents work along with the teacher in their own child's classroom on a rotating basis, and participate in many of the administrative and maintenance functions of the school.  Parent education is a big part of the AUCP experience, and as a result of working so closely together, the staff and families of AUCP enjoy a supportive community where parents and children learn and grow.  UUCA members and friends receive priority in the application process and are encouraged to apply by February 13.  For more information, visit the school's website at www.aucpva.org or call 703-892-3878. Click here for flyer.

Parents - Mark your calendar for March 12
AUCP will present an evening with Wendy Zevin, PhD.  Dr Zevin will discuss anxiety in preschool-aged children on Thursday, March 12, from 7-9pm.  Please RSVP to Laurel Miller at [email protected].
Get UUCA to GA

GA attendees This year's annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Portland, Oregon, is a wonderful opportunity to experience the largest gathering of UUs that come together to connect, worship, learn, and bear witness to our principles. Anyone can attend; you do not have to be an official delegate, though one must be a delegate to be eligible to vote. This Sunday, there will be a GA table in Fellowship Hall to take sign-ups and answer any questions you may have.

 

People are talking about GA . . .   

The blessing of sharing the experience of hearing Rev William Sinkford preside as President of UUA with church member Robert Eldridge at GA 2002 in Quebec City. Robert has been a long-time UUCA member who worked on civil rights in the 60s. He expressed his joy of full acceptance and that it was something he never dreamed of seeing an African American head of UUA.  
-- Carol Hopper

I attended the May Meeting which is now called General Assembly in 1960 as a Universalist delegate in Syracuse, New York.  I voted in favor of Unitarian-Universalist Consolidation  which was approved and that is how we got the name Unitarian Universalist Church.  
-- Jane Peak

 

Selma movie image UUCA Young Adult Group Goes to the Movies - SELMA
The Young Adult Group will be going to see the film SELMA on Friday, January 23, at the Regal Theater in Ballston. Meet in the lobby at 7pm for the 7:30pm movie. We will have a discussion and food/drink afterwards. Please look for updated details on the YAG Facebook page.
Circle Dinners are Forming
The 2015 Circle Dinner groups are forming.  Here's your chance to enjoy an evening of good company, good conversation and, of course, good food.  Spend some time getting to know others over a good meal either with a Pot Luck group or with a Restaurant group (your choice). All you need to do is sign up and commit to attending at least two of the three dinners (March, April, May dates to be agreed upon by each group).  For those who are uncomfortable making that commitment, you can request to be placed on our substitute list. Sign-up opportunities and more information will be available after church services on Sundays from January 18-February 8 - or SIGN UP HERE. Questions? Contact Jennifer Frum 703-979-4925 or Sarah Masters, Director of Congregational Life, at 703-892-2565.
Calling All UUCA Valentines
hearts-icon.jpg Did you meet your significant-other at UUCA?  If so, you're invited to a special UUCA Valentine Party/Potluck on Saturday, February 14, 6:30pm.  If you and your honey would like to join in this special potluck, please RSVP with coordinators Beth Moffett and Matt Powell at [email protected] or call 703-841-1946 by February 7.
Monday Night Buddhist Meditation
Jonathan Foust, of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, returns this Monday night to lead a guided meditation class - the topic: Wise Speech. There is no set fee for this class, though donations are accepted. In the Buddhist tradition, classes are offered in a spirit of generosity and desire to make accessible to all. Class begins at 7:30pm and ends at 8:45pm, with tea and snacks afterwards. For more information, contact Bob Gayer. Childcare available.

UUCA Art Galleries Invites Artists
CALLING ALL UUCA ARTISTS: In conjunction with the upcoming Chalice Theater production of Children of Eden, we hope to host an exhibition of artworks in our QUUest galleries inspired by themes from the play. The play's setting is a timeless, magical place; a dreamscape of the imagination. The overall concept is "What makes us a people of promise?" and the six sub themes include: the spark of creation; If it's not good for us, why is it here? (difficult choices); caring for the earth and all its inhabitants; parents and children; Are we alone in the Universe?; seeking the garden (returning "home"). For a fuller description of concepts follow this link.

Artworks will be accepted on Sunday, February 22 from 9am to 12pm in the Board Lounge. If you are not able to bring your work* in at that time, please arrange for someone else to delivery it. Due to the tight window for organizing this show we have to accept and hang the work on February 22.

* All work must be ready to hang - 2-D on rigid substrate with hanging wire.
LOST & FOUND
Please stop by the lost and found section in the upper level coat room to see if any of the items belong to you. All items left after February 1 will be donated to charity.
Wheel of LifeWheel
Loving thoughts to Marsha Bell and her cousins, as they deal with a health crisis in the family.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington   |   4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington VA 22204   |   703-892-2565