January 10, 2019
Issue #482

Rev. Marcus Hartlief 

Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2019 bring unexpected blessings in your lives, and in our shared life as a congregation.

This month we are exploring what it means to be a community of Covenant. I know that "covenant" is one of those weird, old, too religious to use much words. But it's also a word with an important history for us as Unitarian Universalists. As a religion with no creed or dogma, no set of beliefs we all subscribe to, our covenant-the shared commitment to certain principles and values-is the glue that holds us together. As Rev. Theresa preached about last Sunday, it's a covenant to "affirm and promote" seven principles and purposes that holds all UU congregations in a common faith.

It's in this context that we launch a concerted conversation about the mission of this congregation. Because covenant is about the promises we make one another, of how we will be together and treat each other. But it is also about the shared promise to a greater calling, the commitment our community makes to a common purpose that transcends our personalities and preferences. This Sunday we will launch this conversation about mission in the service, and then there will be opportunities in the weeks and months to come to share your thoughts. We will have talk back boards in the foyer, ways to engage online and small group conversations. 

The goal is to articulate a mission that covers not the breadth of everything we do, but names the essence of why our congregation matters. And hopefully, to name it in such a succinct and memorable way that one only needs hear it once to understand and remember it. If you're interesting in reading more about the power of a clear and memorable mission, I'd encourage you to read  this article by Rev. Thom Belote from a collection of essays he edited,  The Growing Church: Keys to Congregational Vitality.

With you on the journey,

Rev. Marcus

Upcoming dates link to the UUCM calendar for saving on iCal, Outlook etc.

Congregational Workshop

Friday, January 25, 5:30-9:00pm   (for the entire congregation)

Saturday, January 26, 8:45am-12:00pm   (for congregational leaders)

Rev. Jan Christian, our regional congregational life staff, comes this month to facilitate a "Start-up" workshop. UU congregations across our denomination have found the opportunity for an outside professional to facilitate conversation between a congregation and a new minister early in their ministry to be an incredibly valuable experience. This weekend will energize and inspire us for the road ahead.

On Friday evening, Jan will engage our whole community in exploring the history and culture of the congregation. We'll begin with a potluck supper at 5:30, and plan to end at 9pm.

On Saturday morning (8:45am-12:00pm), Jan will lead a conversation for congregational leaders about expectations of roles and responsibilities, supporting us in clarifying how we will work together to achieve our five developmental goals. The Board, Committee on Shared Ministry, all committee chairs are encouraged to attend.

On Saturday, February 2nd, come celebrate the Lunar New Year with Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Join us for a wonderful fun filled evening with Lion Dancers, festive buffet, and other activities including a raffle with Chinese Dinners, a Vietnamese Dinner, Haircuts, Car washes, a Hand-dyed scarf, and other wonderful items.

 

In addition, we will auction off a 3 night stay in San Francisco for the weekend of the Chinese New Year Parade and festive street fair. The accommodations include a 3 bedroom suite for up to 3 couples to share starting February 22, 2019. The Parade is the evening of February 23rd, and the hotel is located less than a ½ mile from the parade route.

Admission - $25 for adults, $5 for kids under 18

Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 9:45 to 11:45 AM: 

UU Writing Class: Terry Lucas will lead this session.

• T he topic will be looking at narrative arc in all genres: creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry . He is an acclaimed poet and a gifted freelance poetry coach. More about Terry and his work can be found at   www.terrylucas.com . He loves all genres of writing and will provide writing prompts. His poems, reviews, essays, and stories have appeared in numerous literary journals. He is a regular guest speaker for the Dominican University of California's low-residency MFA program in creative writing as well as a freelance poetry coach.  

The UU Writing Group is sponsored by Adult Ed and spearheaded by Kat Braeman. The group is open to new people and meets monthly on the Second Saturday at 9:45 AM. If you have any questions, call her at 202-549-3696 or email: katbraeman@gmail.com.

We would like to post the poems read at the December 30th Participatory Poetry service on the web. Kat Braeman will collect them.  Please email the poem you read at the service to  kajudge@gmail.com or if your poem was handwritten or from a book and you don't want to type it you can hand it to Kat and she can type it for the web site.  

2019 WhaleCoast Alaska tour information is now posted on their beautiful new website   https://whalecoastak.org.

The best part of these tours is that the small group stays with Alaskan UUs and gets a true perspective of this magnificent area through the eyes of people who live there. 

They are offering two tours next summer. The National Park Tour runs from June 8-18, and the All-Alaska Tour will take place July 5-17. Both tours include spectacular scenery, opportunities to see Alaska wildlife on land and sea, engaging Native Culture experiences, and warm UU hospitality. Groups of eight or more get a discount! So if you sign up, mention you are with UU Marin.

For complete information, go to https://whalecoastak.org.