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Rev. Katie's Animas View
Religion points to that area of human experience where in one way or another man comes upon mystery as a summons to pilgrimage. -Frederick Buechner
My bags are packed and I'm ready to head out for my big trip of discovery and transformation. First landing in Budapest, Hungary, meeting there with fellow colleagues and pilgrims to begin our anniversary trip as partners to the Hungarian Unitarians living in both Budapest and Transylvania, Romania.
The history of the religious movement goes all the way back to the Diet of Torda in 1568. There have been Unitarians in this part of the world all these many years. I have studied this history in my seminary training, I have preached about it, I have met the many visiting scholars when they have been part of my ministers' chapters, and I have invited them to preach in my pulpit, but I have never experienced first-hand their culture or their deep and abiding theology. What makes them committed to be Unitarians in this difficult part of the world? What wisdom might I learn from them to transmit to our congregation to take into our next fifty years? I am excited for these uncoverings.
When I return, I will take the remainder of my vacation, visiting with my husband and children, and then be ready for this exciting church year ahead. I'll be looking forward to hearing of your pilgrimages, whether they be up the nearby mountain peaks, or returning to your homeland of origin. Be sure to gather a vial of water from your travels to mingle in our ingathering service, September 11. Also, I hope you'll mark your calendar for September 25th, for the 4pm Installation Service. It'll be a celebratory event for all those from UUFD.
These last few weeks much of the news in the world has been hard to take in. Remember to be kind to each other as each story we hear often sits heavy on an already overburdened heart. Let us listen to each other with love and compassion.
I send you love, and peace.
In faith,
Rev. Katie
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August Sunday Services
 SUMMER SERIES 2016
Stories of Transformation
Join us as we explore various ways that stories have played a transformative role in life.
Stories can conquer fear you know. They can make the heart bigger. -Ben Okri
August 7
Defeating Fear and Accepting the Joy in All Life's Experiences
Tekla Miller, pulpit guest
We all have had to face unexpected and often daunting events in our life that could paralyze us. Yet we are also capable of turning these obstacles into successes if we believe as Eleanor Roosevelt said: "I have lived through the horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. I must do the thing I think I cannot do."
August 14
My Recent Transformation from Techno-Utopian to Apocaloptimist
Rev. Michael Dowd, pulpit guest
Personal transformation can occur through rejecting both "the myth of perpetual progress" and "the myth of the apocalypse." Can we find a deep inspiration honoring 'facts as modern-day scripture' and 'ecology as the new theology?'
August 21
In Spirit and Justice Book Communion
Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris
Our fourth principle invites our search for truth and meaning. Bring a book to leave on the altar for another's enjoyment, and don't be afraid of some change when you take home something new. Together, we'll participate in our summer book communion.
August 28
Székely Blessing: A Hungarian Unitarian Reflection
Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris
What might we learn from our current-day religious siblings in Eastern Europe? Where is our newness and discovery found amongst our historic beginnings?
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President's Message
Teresa Jordan
Leadership Training is a topic that has been on my mind. In the past, our fellowship has relied on individual members with existing leadership skills to step up to serve on the board, committees, and ministry teams. UUFD has been very fortunate that such caring and experienced people filled those positions. Going forward, instead of relying on sheer luck, let's plan for leadership training.
To this end, the board has asked the Nominating Committee to help develop a
leadership training program for UUFD. At this writing, two members of that committee, Allison Andersen and Maureen Maliszewski, are attending the Russell Lockwood Leadership School in Palos Verdes, California for an intensive week exploring the Unitarian Universalist liberal religious tradition and developing skills for UU leaders. Expect the Nominating Committee and Faith Formation to offer some new courses on UUism and leadership this fall at UUFD.
With leadership development concerns in mind, I selected sessions in the Wi$dom and Generosity Track to attend at the UUA General Assembly in Columbus at the end of June. I heard a "flash" presentation of some of the most innovative and successful fundraising ideas and annual giving campaigns used in UU congregations. I was able to meet others concerned with leadership development including Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, who was our guest minister last month at the Four Corners UU Retreat at Pine Song, and Rev. Roger Bertschausen, a church consultant, former senior minister at Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Appleton, Wisconsin, and friend of Rev. Katie. The worship services, lectures, and general session presenters were very moving and inspirational. Most are available to you online at
uua.org. Thanks to the congregation for supporting my attendance to GA.
The Board of Trustees will consider consulting for leadership training. Using a consultant, we should be able to train current and future leaders on site at UUFD, which would allow us to train more members with our leadership training budget.
The board will be at our
annual planning retreat on September 1. We will consider our vision of ministry and plan for our growing congregation. Expect to hear more on these topics and participate in discussions as congregational conversations will be needed this coming year to discern the best ways forward.
You are always invited to address your board at any of our monthly board meetings scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday in Bowman Hall. Agendas and minutes of board meetings are posted on our website
here. Please contact me about placing an item on the board agenda. The agenda always has time reserved for public comment.
Please join me in welcoming Vice President Tom Miller and Associate Secretary K. Redford to the Board of Trustees. Our new members were called to immediate duty: Tom chaired the July board meeting in my absence and K. accounted for monies at the Four Corners UU Retreat at Pine Song and our Sunday plate collections beginning in July. Thanks, Tom and K., for your willingness to jump right into your board duties.
Finally, I want to thank everyone who participated in the success of the
Four Corners UU Retreat at Pine Song. I continue to be amazed and inspired by the generosity of Lois and Ken Carpenter in sharing their beautiful property for the retreat. I am so appreciative of our own Rev. Katie Kandarian Morris for her role in creating worship services for Friday evening vespers and Sunday morning worship. I am grateful to the Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar and his family for joining us at the retreat and leading the story telling workshop and discussion and delivering the Sunday morning service. The musical contributions of Rev. Katie, Liza Tregillus, Lisa Govreau, Alane Brown, and Lawrence Nass added to the services. John Schwob constructed the prayer looms. Lisa McCorry organized the children's activities. Making sure everyone was heard was our sound crew: Burt Coleman, Ed Cox, Graham Smith, Joe Sikes, and John Schiffel. Eb Redford wrangled tables and chairs between UUFD and Pine Song. Working quietly behind the scene to bring together all the elements of the retreat was our retreat coordinator Terri Reherman. Thank you all so much.
Teresa Jordan
Board of Trustees President
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| Board President Teresa Jordan prepares to parade with UUFD banner at UUA GA in Columbus, Ohio. |
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Free popcorn and movie night! Social Justice and Responsibility invites you
Coordinators: Charlie Clements, Bonnie Miller, Betty Schwartz-Bozeman
 The Social Responsibility and Justice program is celebrating! We have had a wonderful year in which our Fellowship has strongly supported work toward achieving our social justice mission. Through actions such as serving at Manna Soup Kitchen, supporting the new Rainbow Youth Center, letters to the editor, helping with Thrive! Living Wage, supporting the Crop Hunger Walk, marching in the Durango Pride Festival parade, purchasing Equal Exchange products, attending the FLC Diversity workshop, participating in the Durango Love Out Loud outreach, reading, learning and protesting on issues of racism, supporting petition signature drives, and donating funds to support local and international needs, we are making an impact in our community and beyond.
In appreciation, we are having a free popcorn and movie night on Friday, August 12 in the Sanctuary and we hope you will come and celebrate with us! The movie is "Pride," which came out in 2014 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Motion Picture award. It is based on the true story of how a group of young gay activists finds themselves in the Welsh village of Onllwyn in the midst of the miners strike in the UK in 1984. An unusual partnership and friendships develop in which they support the miners. The movie is both comedy and drama and is rated R for language and brief sexual content. We will provide childcare and a G movie in Bowman Hall for children - just sign up at the SRJ table after the Sunday service or contact one of the SRJ Coordinators. We wish to thank all of you for your dedication to working toward a community with peace, liberty and justice for all and hope you are pleased with the progress we are making.
2016-17 Priorities We are continuing our focus on the three social justice priorities identified in the previous year as we move into the new fiscal year. Those priorities are
Basic Needs - issues of food insecurity, living wage and affordable housing;
Healing Racism; and advocacy and support for
LGBTQ. If you would like to join a team working on one of these areas, we would love to include you! Just contact one of the SRJ Coordinators for more information.
Share the Plate During the 2015-16 fiscal year we once again exceeded previous years' donations to our selected recipients. Beneficiaries included Thrive! Living Wage, Community Emergency Assistance Coalition, Rainbow Youth Center, and Crop Walk for Hunger. In July we began donations to our next recipient, the Durango Adult Education Center UUFD scholarship fund. Donations July 2015-June 2016 came to a grand total of $8756.01, an all time high! Your generosity is both inspiring and appreciated.
Starting August 21, we will be accepting nominations for new Share the Plate recipients. Criteria used in selecting recipients include that it is a nonprofit, locally based, addresses a pressing need, and is related to one or more of our SRJ priorities (see above). If you have an organization you would like to nominate, stop by the SRJ table after Sunday service and complete a form provided. We will select four recipients, each receiving our Share the Plate donations for a three month period, beginning in October.
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CUUPs Corner
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
If you truly love nature,
You will find beauty everywhere.
-Unknown
It is not unique to Pagans only that we watch the cycle of the year and see Spirit in all of Creation. Our Ancestors have done the same. We celebrate this month with this theme. We enjoy a talk and slide show on ancient Scotland. We will see and discuss ancient ruins. We are especially blessed to have Dr. Karlene Stange speak on Animas: the Spiritual Nature of Animals reviews the world's religious and spiritual teachings about animals. Dr. Stange is a holistic veterinarian that practices locally in the Durango area. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
-Linda Gumper
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Equal Exchange is a Different Way of Doing Business
Your purchases count twice
 By choosing Fair Trade, you help small-scale farmers support themselves, their families and their communities. By purchasing Equal Exchange products through our congregation, you are directly supporting our denomination's Small Farmer Fund. Last year, congregations across the U.
S. purchased over 634,557 pounds of fairly traded products from Equal Exchange. As a result, Equal Exchange contributed $107,000 to our faith partners for their efforts to improve the lives of small farmers worldwide.
This fall EE is offering 3 new teas:
- Organic ginger from Sri Lanka. Naturally caffeine-free!
- Organic green tea with ginger from Sri Lanka.
- Organic Rooibos chai from South Africa, and Chai spices from Sri Lanka. Naturally caffeine-free.
Please let me know if you would like me to order any of these.
Again, many thanks for supporting fairly traded products.
-Janice Taylor
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Sunday, Sept 25, 4:00 pm
Ceremony of Installation
UUFD Sanctuary
Save the date for this Ceremony of Installation, a celebratory service of formal recognition and covenant with our first minister, Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris. We know it seems like a long way off, but this will be a special time for our congregation and for Rev. Katie, so we'd like to give you as much advance notice as we can. We hope to see you there!
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New members
Welcome to the following new members who have "signed the book" to officially become UUFD members in the last several months!
Mary Ruth Bowman
Dennis Brown
Elizabeth Crawford
Hannah Dzubinski
Jack Eberhart
Sue Eberhart
Nancy Fisher
Lisa Govreau
Steve Govreau
Linda Gumper
Susana Jones
Katie Kandarian-Morris
Elizabeth Long
Marsha Porter-Norton
Sam Rose
John Schiffer
Melissa Stacy
Trenton Wahn
Bill Wallauer
Edwin Young
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Plan for Fun and FROLIC!
Co-chairs: Lynn Griffith, Connie Jacobs, Bonnie Miller
 Yes, we are approaching the time again for our UUFD Frolic...an event where we raise money to support desired projects while having a great time with family and friends! Please reserve the date of Saturday, October 15, on your calendar so you can join in the festivities. We promise to continue the tradition of yummy food, good drinks, entertainment and enticing items to bid on.
The 2014 Frolic made possible some awesome projects - remodeling the two bathrooms in the main building to attractive gender-neutral facilities, adding fencing to the playground area to make a safer place for our children, upgrading the lighting in our Sanctuary, and providing an extraordinary new pulpit that brings an additional touch of beauty to the chancel area in the Sanctuary. The Board will soon be considering our next most pressing needs to which we will dedicate Frolic funds.
We have an amazing history of success with the Frolic, much of which is due to the generous help of so many folks. We need you to help us continue this tradition! If you are willing to work on food for the event, entertainment, catalogue of donations, communications, setup and take down, or any of the assorted tasks for that evening, please let one of the co-chairs know. We will be scheduling an initial planning meeting soon and hope that you can join us to share ideas for the event and help us get organized with the varying tasks. We are already looking forward to this community-building fun event and the potential of good work it will enable!
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Pause for Poetry
Meeting every second Monday evening from 6 to
8 PM
in Bowman Hall, the Poetry Circle invites guests to share their poetry and their favorites over light refreshments. Inquire and/or RSVP at
durangofolk@frontier.net
. On
August 8,
there will be a discussion of the poetry of the Twentieth Century American poet, Robinson Jeffers, in addition to contributions from member poets.
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