Connections Newsletter All the news you need to know to connect, grow, and serve.

Sunday, February 24, 2019 | 9:15 & 11:15 a.m. "Don't Think of a Minister" Sermon by Rev. Keith Kron Well, now that I've gotten you to think of a minister, what did you think of? What image came to mind? Unitarian Universalist ministers come in a wide diversity, yet stereotypes and assumptions still remain. In conjunction with the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop this weekend, we’ll explore how our implicit bias may affect our ministerial search (and life) and what we can do about it. Betsy Rosenblatt Rosso is our Worship Associate, and adult choir, Sanctuary Singers, will provide music. This Sunday we welcome Rev. Keith Kron to our pulpit. On Saturday, Rev. Kron facilitates our Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop, a workshop to help us recognize and remove unconscious bias and to promote inclusive thinking to help prevent unfair discrimination during our ministerial search. Rev. Kron has been the Unitarian Universalist Director of the Transitions Office since 2010. He previously served as the UUA's Director of the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns. An elementary school teacher before entering ministry, he has taught an online course on children's literature for Starr King School for the Ministry. He also leads workshops on the enneagram and has occasionally been a part-time tennis pro. Please help welcome him to UUCA on Saturday and Sunday! Livestream

Upcoming Services Sunday, March 3, 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. “Until All Are Free” – Guest minister Rev. Vail Weller will be here to help launch this year's annual giving campaign. Rev. Weller is the Congregational Giving Director for the Unitarian Universalist Association and lives in San Mateo, California. Sunday, March 10, 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. "Appreciative Inquiry" - Learn how you can share your hopes and dreams for our community and be a part of shaping the future of UUCA by participating in the Appreciative Inquiry process during services, led by Rev. Terasa Cooley and assisted by members of the Ministerial Search Committee.  More details on upcoming services here .

Friday Morning Devotions We invite you to smooth the path into the weekend with a half-hour of meditation followed by shared reflections each Friday morning beginning at 7 a.m. Please contact in advance either David McTaggart ( dmctagg@gmail.com ) or Gregg Forte ( gforte@mac.com ). A ride is available afterward to Ballston Metro. Date: Each Friday, 7:00 a.m. Location: Room 20 (Youth Room)

Monday Night Meditation Livestreaming Buddhist guided meditation with Jonathan Foust on Monday nights is now being livestreamed for those not able to attend in person. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on most Mondays, you can join Jonathan online at www.uucava.org/livestream. Jonathan is a guiding teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. His classes begin with guided meditation and concludes with a dharma talk. In the Buddhist tradition, the teachings are considered priceless. Therefore they are offered freely and there is no set fee. “The Quickest Way to be Happy” is the dharma talk topic for February 25. For more information on Jonathan and his classes, click here.

Church Matters

Only 2 days away! - Be a part of the search for our new minister!

Will the new minister hear me? Will the minister understand my needs? Will I be able to relate to our new minister?   In answering these questions, a picture of the “ideal minister” (categorized by age, gender, gender identity, nationality, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation) may come to mind—and it can be easy to unintentionally exclude individuals who don’t match this picture. At times, as we get caught up in comparing candidates to our “picture,” we can even forget what it is we hoped for in a minister to begin with.   On February 23, UUCA will participate in the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop facilitated by UUA Transitions Director Rev. Keith Kron , and focused on recognizing and removing unconscious bias, promoting inclusive thinking, and preventing unfair discrimination during our congregation’s search for a new minister. The workshop will be customized for our congregation and will also include discussions of case studies and situations that have occurred at other UU churches.    The Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop is an opportunity for everyone in our congregation to become part of the search for a new minister early on in the process and your participation will inform the Ministerial Search Committee's efforts going forward!   The Ministerial Search Committee will provide free lunch following the workshop. Childcare will be provided. Questions? Contact uuca2020search@gmail.com . RSVP here . Date: Saturday, February 23, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Location: Sanctuary For a complete schedule of upcoming MSC events and updates on the search process, visit the MSC web page at www.uucava.org/2020search/

After “Beyond Categorical Thinking” Rev. Keith Kron’s session this Saturday isn’t all. Coming soon--Appreciative Inquiry process--Please join Rev. Terasa, the Ministerial Search Team, and the Transition Team in an Appreciative Inquiry process—a proven technique to envision our future by building on our strengths. Starts March 10. Read more >>

Lifespan Religious Education

What's Up in RE This Week Spirit Play--Stories of Our Faith 1st: OWL 2nd-4th: Stewardship Lesson 5th: OWL 6th: MakerSpace 7th: Continue exploration of Islam 8th: OWL 9th-12th: Youth Group 1st and 5th grade OWL Classes  First and fifth grade OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality) classes begin this coming Sunday. Please note all OWL classes do not attend the first part of the worship service. Instead OWL children and youth report to class at 9:15 or 11:15 a.m. Both 1st and 5th grade OWL classes are now full. Contact LeeAnn, LWilliams@uucava.org , about next year's programs.

Parents of Infants and Preschoolers (PIP) Come connect with and find support among other families with young children through playdates and other fun activities! Our next event: Playdate Saturday, February 23, 3:30-5:30 Visit the PIP Facebook group or contact Vanessa Chang, vms5q@yahoo.com or Jennifer Bhartiya , jenniferbhartiya@gmail.com , to join the email list.

Welcome Back Dee and Cheryl Dee Setalla, Hopi artist who created our worship chalice, and Cheryl Marzec, president of Sumi Nungwa, the nonprofit that provides support and aide to the elders of the Navajo and Hopi nations, will visit UUCA next weekend to conduct a cultural sensitivity workshop for the youth and chaperones going on the spring service trip to the Hopi nation in Arizona. Cheryl and Dee will join us in worship on Sunday, March 3. Please plan on welcoming them back to UUCA after the service by visiting them at the Youth table in Fellowship Hall.

Adult Education

Below is a list of some of our upcoming Adult Education classes. Click here for more information and registration. Reversing Global Warming, March 27, 7 p.m. Live the Pledge to End Racism, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 4, 10 Adaptive Leadership Workshop, March 17, 2-5 p.m. Sacred Masculine. March 12, 26 and April 9, 7-9 p.m.

The Soul of Aging 10-Sessions begin March 10 What does it mean to be growing older? What image comes to your mind when you think of aging?  Most of us tend to think of aging as dealing with health issues and letting go of life. In fact, growing older can and ought to be quite the opposite experience. As we grow older, we begin to look at life differently. We come to learn from our shared experience, to mature in spiritual presence. Indeed, as we age, we are called “to sage,” to grow in maturity and wisdom, to become wise elders radiating spiritual vitality, love and peace. One is never too young to begin Saging! The Soul of Aging is an experiential retreat program for those who long to understand, accept, surrender and be transformed by the aging process. This program offers space and time to expand our capacity to love, serve, forgive ourselves and others, find peace, and ultimately to embrace our own deaths. Contact David McTaggart, dmctagg@gmail.com, for more information. Details & registration here >>

More RE news here

Wheel of Life

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Charlotte Alexander will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 23, Goodwin House-Alexandria, 4800 Fillmore Avenue, Alexandria, VA. A reception will follow the service.

Music Ministry

Children Choirs Rehearse this Sunday Chalice Choir (K-4th grade) will have rehearsals this Sunday, February 24, 10:30-11:05 a.m. and the TrUUbadours (5-6th grade) will rehearse at 12:30-1 p.m. All children are welcome to join in. Questions? Contact Dana Cook , danadcook@gmail.com .

UUCAers are invited to join the fun! CABOMA Workshop When somebody says the song is a 1-4-5, what does that mean? How do I know the chords if we capo up? CABOMA (Capital Area Old-Time Music Association) invites UUCAers to join them for a workshop on basic music theory. Resident banjoist Evan Sands will break it all down for you, giving you some info to make music more fun and understandable. CABOMA meets at UUCA on the second and fourth Sundays of the month for a music jam session (2 to 6 p.m.). Drop-in musicians and observers are always welcome! Date: Sunday, March 10, 3 p.m. Location: Parlor (Rm. 13/15)

Congregational Life

Re-scheduled to February 27 Won’t you be my neighbor? Happy Hour Due to our snow-day on Feburary 20, this event has been re-scheduled for February 27. The home-based Sunday evening Covenant Group hosts this month's happy hour and they invite you to embrace a large and inclusive sense of love and answer the question, “Won’t you be our neighbor?” Come to our temporary neighborhood in Fellowship Hall from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and enjoy sips and nibbles and warm conversations. Share your curiosity and good energy. Please bring wine or a non-alcoholic beverage to share. Welcome to our neighborhood! Date: Wednesday, February 27, 6-7:30 p.m. Location: Fellowship Hall

Faith in Action

Share-the-Plate February 24: Service Never Sleeps As part of UUCA's commitment to work to end racism, we have partnered with Service Never Sleeps, a nonprofit in Arlington dedicated to their signature workshop called “Allyship.” Allyship is about moving people to a new paradigm of thinking about privilege and marginalized communities. Allyship promotes the idea that we can be bridge-builders who work together, and support each other toward the common purpose of ensuring equality, equity, and inclusion for everyone. These workshops teach about the causes of social injustice, how to be an effective ally for marginalized communities, and how to actively influence and educate others. Your generous donations helps SNS continue its work toward a world where equal rights, justice, and opportunity are available to all. Donations are accepted for each week's STP recipient through the following Saturday at midnight. Make online donations here.

OPENS THIS FRIDAY FOR 3-WEEKEND RUN! TICKETS SELLING FAST! BUY YOUR'S TODAY! The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family--a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before--keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's boyfriend and his parents.   Performances: Fridays: Feb. 22, March 1, March 8 @ 7:30 p.m. Saturdays: Feb. 23, March 2, March 9 @ 7:30 p.m. Matinees: Sunday, Feb. 24, March 3 & Saturday, March 9 @ 3:00 p.m.   Click on ticket button below. TICKETS HERE

Sandwich Makers Wanted! Did you know that UUCA is part of A-SPAN's Homeless Bagged Meal Program? On the last Sunday of each month, UUCA volunteers gather in the kitchen to help pack 50 bagged-meals for the homeless. It's a great volunteer opportunity for groups and families. All ages are welcome. Come to help the homeless and stay for the fellowship and newfound friends. Questions? Contact Ken Perkins-Gough, ken.perkins-gough@comcast.net. Date: Sunday, February 24, 3 to 5 p.m. Location: UUCA Kitchen

NOVA-UUJME Meeting Special Guest: Gazan Woman Who Seeks Asylum in the U.S. Ms. Alaa Hammouda was with the Gaza Mental Health Program and came to the U.S. for a three month fellowship at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Rather than returning to Gaza, she, her husband and two children have applied for asylum in the U.S. Come to this event to learn more about her personal situation as an asylum seeker as well as her perspective of life in Gaza and the mental health conditions there. Alaa is pictured here with her mentor Madeleine Albright who is Chair of the Board of Directors at NDI. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is sponsoring the asylum of the Hammouda family. Questions? Contact Allan Kellum, a.kellum@verizon.net. Date: Wednesday, March 6, 7:30 p.m. Location: Volunteer Room

Human Rights Accompanier Applications Accepted thru March 15 UUCA/ALIANZAS (formerly PAG) has sponsored 20 Human Rights Accompaniers in Guatemala since 2007. This work is done through our partner organization NISGUA. The next Accompanier training session is in June, with an application deadline of March 15. It would be AWESOME to sponsor an Accompanier from within UUCA! See the announcement below. From NISGUA: NISGUA is seeking organizers and activists to join in our work! We have openings for: a staff position as a Digital Organizer & Partnerships Coordinator, based in Guatemala City the 2019 accompanier cohort, with training in June 2019 Accepting Digital Organizer & Partnerships Coordinator applications until March 1 and accompanier applications until March 15. UUCA Delegation in Guatemala A group of twelve UUCAers are currently in Guatemala to meet with our partners and learn firsthand about the accompaniment and scholarship programs we sponsor. You can keep up with their experiences by following this blog.

UU’s Racial History – Part 3, the 1960-1980’s Our congregation will vote on March 31 whether to adopt the 8 th Principle . If adopted, we will commit to “ accountably dismantle racism in our selves and our institutions .” This third in a series that considers UU’s racial history is meant to ground our efforts to create a Beloved community in an understanding of how UU white identity has developed, crowding out movements by people of color to claim space in Unitarian Universalism. Read more here >>

Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop Whether you have had previous anti-racism training, or have never taken a workshop about racism, this workshop will challenge you to deepen your commitment to work toward dismantling white supremacy. Participants explore the history of racism, the concept of implicit bias, the effects of micro-aggressions, the results of structural and institutional racism, and the contemporary Movement for Black Lives. Methods include readings, personal reflection, small group discussion, role plays, and videos. Facilitated by Jessi Huffman and Ann Ulmschneider. Questions? Contact Ann Ulmschneider, aulmsch@msn.com . Register here . Dates: Six Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 & April 4, 10, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Location: TBA

Peace Camp 2019: June 24-July 5 Peace Camp will be in Fellowship Hall after both services on Sunday, February 17. Please stop by and see us about this year’s camp “Circle Up to Find Peace” that emphasizes the need for including others in our own personal journeys of peace. Peace Circles and sharing promote connections with others and foster communities of hope, healing, compassion, and empathy. Camp activities include: art, cooperative games, special guests, peace pledge, learning about peace makers, and so much more. Lunch is included. Before and after-care, as well as partial or full scholarships, are available. Join us this summer as we circle up to find peace! Peace Camp offers programs for ages 5-14 to explore cooperation and conflict resolution in a safe and supportive environment. Children begin as campers at ages 5-9. Then, starting with age 10, campers progress through peace exploration and leadership development. Ages 10-11 are Jr. Counselor in Training, ages 12-14 are Counselor in Training, ages 15-18 are Jr. Counselor, and ages 18+ can be counselor or volunteer as staff or kitchen helpers. Register now to help your camper discover that peace begins with them. Campers can attend both weeks or just one. Registration is now open here .    Week 1: Mon 6/24 to Fri. 6/28 Week 2: Mon. 7/1 to Fri. 7/5, except Thurs. 7/4 Peace Camp is a partnership between UUCA Peace Ministry and Little Friends for Peace .

Bridging the Political Divide: Better Angels Red/Blue Workshop “The mark of wisdom is to be able to hold two opposite ideas in your mind at the same time and know them both to be true.” - from Rev. Teresa’s Jan. 27 sermon Is it possible to disagree passionately with someone but still accept their beliefs as valid? Can people on opposite sides of the painful issues of our day find shared values beneath all the discord? Come and find out! On March 23, UUCA is hosting a Better Angels workshop that will bring together “Red” (conservative) and “Blue” (progressive) community members for an intense day of facilitated conversations, questions, and mutual exploration. Limited space is still available for participants and observers. To register, click here . If you have questions or would like more information, contact Sarah Yue at alanandsarah@gmail.com . Date: Saturday, March 23, 9:30 a.m. -5 p.m. Location: Activity Room

Our Social Justice Web On February 9, Walter Clark, Ministerial Assistant, facilitated a get-together with UUCA's social justice activists to share ideas and visions for our future social justice efforts. It looks like Walter got snared in their web, but in reality the exercise demonstrated how we all care about different social justice causes and there is intersectionality between our causes. More info to come on future social justice efforts!

NEW newsletter deadline: Connections deadline for submissions is EACH Monday at noon with publication on Wednesday. See below on how to submit an announcement.

How to submit an announcement to UUCA's Connections newsletter:   Deadline is noon each Monday. Please put "Connections" or "newsletter" in the subject box. Send announcement (150 words or fewer) in body of email or Word doc attachment. Images and attachments accepted, though no guarantee of publishing Send announcements to pubasst@uucava.org. Questions about Connections? Contact MaryAnn@uucava.org.

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Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA 4444 Arlington Blvd Arlington, Virginia Call: (703) 892-2565 Email: uuca@uucava.org ‌ ‌