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IN THIS ISSUE
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 The Joy of Giving
Rev. Katie's Animas View
Monthly Theme: Earth Was Given As A Garden (creativity, transformation, earth)
The celebration of Easter welcomes us into the month of April. Right away-no joke. And as we prepare to hold two services again this year, at 9:30am and 11:00am, we realize how much the community needs our saving, welcoming, embracing message. As we delve into a month of five Sundays, with full weeks of leadership training and planning, with an Earth Day that reminds us of the importance of our dedication to science, we make preparations for all the programs for the year ahead.
In this month, we are still paying close attention to Stewardship, and although our Celebration Sunday
is over, and although many have thought deeply about the importance of their finances in relationship to this community of faith and hope, we want to make sure that we have all the pledges needed to cover the programs to which our mission calls us.
Why Should I Give?
Sometimes we need to hear in concrete terms all that our funding allows us to do. Our Social Justice Teams have done so much that we've created a slide show.
Our Faith Formation has children and teens occupying every room we have gained. Our Caring Team looks out for those most hurting and at risk.
You may not realize that we do all that we do with minimal hours of staff support. Each week our sexton is paid for just 8 hours, our Congregational Life Coordinator for 6-7, our Financial Secretary has 5, our Director of Faith Formation is paid for 25 hours (but as you might guess, is working more). Our Office administrator works just 22 hours. Our musicians provide transforming music and spend much of their own time in rehearsal, and our choir director is compensated for only 10 hours per week.
What Do You Value?
One of our tapestry of faith programs reminds us, "Our best experiences are those that make us feel we have contributed to the greater good. When we give as stewards, we feel the best and do the greatest good."
I hope you'll show, by your giving, how you value UUFD as we live out its mission inside, and outside in the world. If you haven't filled out a pledge card yet, please contact Elizabeth Crawford or Lynn Griffith
or just reply to this newsletter and we'll contact you.
We love you,
Rev. Katie
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April Sunday Services
Monthly theme:
Earth Was Given as a Garden
(Concepts of creativity, transformation, earth)
April 1 (Two Services! 9:30 am and 11:00 am)
AllelUUia!
-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris
We are part of a faith that is based on tolerance (and appreciation) for a large range of theological diversity. Nowhere does that feel more apparent than on Easter Sunday, when we take cues from multiple traditions, all intending to celebrate this mysterious time of transformation. Bring a basket for the children's egg hunt after each service.
April 8
Toughest Transition
-Mary Ocken, pulpit guest
What does it mean to move through a size transition? What kind of church or fellowship are we called to be? As we deal with our facilities planning, let's consider the questions.
April 15
We Are The Earth Upright and Proud
-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris
One of our strongest traditions comes from Humanist teachings "which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science." Where did this strain come from? How is it with us now?
April 22
Responsible for One Another
-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris
It's Earth Day! Many around the country will be marching with signs supporting the facts of science. Bring your signs with you to worship today, and we'll kick off our new recycling program, too.
April 29
My Story
-UUFD members
Members of our fellowship will share brief spiritual odysseys of their journey to this place. Come, and learn something new about them and yourself.
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President's Message
Tom Miller
Who Ya' Gonna' Call? Ghostbusters!
Well maybe not, in this case. But you may have found yourself asking the question 'who should I call about this?' or 'who makes the decision about that?' at UUFD. Welcome to our dance, which is how Alice Mann describes the transition churches typically experience with growth. In her books
The In-Between Church
and
Raising the Roof,
she says "The primary issue in a time of size transition is suppleness - the congregation's ability to keep dancing with its context, to learn the new steps and rhythms that will carry it from one era of vitality to the next."
Not so long ago, we were a 'family size' church and many activities or decisions were made in an ad hoc manner - someone recognized an issue that needed to be addressed and just went ahead and took care of it. This worked pretty well for us. But we are now of a size and level of complexity that demands a higher level of organization, coordination, consultation and mutual support.
About five years ago, the Board recognized that our anticipated growth would require a different way of organizing our work. The last several boards have been practicing the "dance steps" of a Policy Governance model that Dan Hotchkiss outlines in his book
Governance and Ministry
. The model was created to help churches of our size and growth pattern develop and use their resources, both ministerial and lay, as effectively as possible to enable us to deliver on our mission. This model calls for a "shared leadership" philosophy, with two main categories - governance and ministry.
You may have seen the graphic posted in Bowman Hall that describes this model. To over-simplify it, the Board is responsible for governance - the fiduciary and organizational continuity issues (Board committees). The Minister is responsible for ministry - all the programming (Ministry teams) that delivers the various ministries of the Church. The Minister and the Board share responsibility for several other functions that relate to infrastructure and communication. As we clarify areas of responsibility we recognize new boundaries which are important to being both effective and efficient with our work.
So, who ya' gonna' call? If you have a concern or question about our worship service, faith formation, CUUPS, social justice, caring, hospitality or art & aesthetics, you are going to contact the leader of that team or Rev. Katie. If you need something related to finance, stewardship or risk management, you are going to contact the chair of that committee or a Board member. For membership, leadership development, communications/IT, or building and grounds it would be the leader of that committee, Rev. Katie or a Board member.
Yes, this can seem like it slows us down and complicates what used to seem simple. And none of us are yet professional dancers who know how to smoothly step along as we continue to evolve and grow. We may never be, but we will continue to refine our steps and dance with grace.
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Faith Formation News You Can Use
 Thank you to the students and adults who organized the
March For Our Lives (pictured here) on Saturday, March 24th. What a turnout! Over 1,000 students and community members showed up.
Kate Niles, Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
We welcome Kate as the new Adult Faith Formation Coordinator. Kate shares, "I came to UU last year after the national election, upon hearing that the UU congregation had held a sort of "emergency" gathering the
Wednesday following that fateful
Tuesday. My first thought was, I need that. I attended the UU church in Albuquerque years ago, and have been a spiritual seeker for many years. Buddhism and nature-based religious traditions have served me best, and I continue to struggle with my deep family roots in Calvinist Christianity. It has been a big deal for me to actually join UU Durango, but I have found myself surprisingly nourished! Adult Faith Formation Coordinator means I collect and materialize ideas for furthering the spiritual growth of adult UU practitioners."
Thank you to
Teresa Jordan who led a 3-session book discussion utilizing
Christ for Unitarian Universalists by Scotty McLennan. This examined intersections between Unitarian Universalism and Christianity.
Parents of Infants: UUFD offers a Cafe au Play Parents of Infants play group
on Thursday mornings,
9:30-11:30 in the Columbine House Children's Chapel. Connect with other parents of infants, share ideas and concerns, make friends, and even trade child care.
New Families: The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is dedicated to nurturing, empowering and supporting your children as a part of this congregation. According to our bylaws, individuals must be 16 years old to choose to become a member. How cool is that!
So our Child Dedication Ceremony is rather a promise from the congregation. The children are our present. This ceremony raises that up. It is very simple and involves a (de-thorned) rose dipped in water and offered to the child as a symbol. We would be honored if you would like your children to be part of this ceremony during worship on Mother's Day, May 13th. Contact Lisa McCorry at
[email protected]
See our calendar for a full list of programs, events and spiritual practice offerings
here.
--Lisa McCorry, Director of Faith Formation |
Social Responsibility & Justice Special Features
Environment, disasters
Doing our part for the environment
Many of us share a concern about our environment and the scary direction in which things seem to be going. In the last few months a group of UUFD folks, determined to take at least a small step to do our part for environmental justice, came up with a plan to improve recycling in our facilities. New containers with easier to understand labels are being placed throughout our buildings. Watch for them and use them as directed so you can be part of making this difference. Now that the recycle plan is completed and ready to be put in action, the question arises about what else shall we do and who is interested in doing it? If you have a strong interest in our environment, we'd love to have an active and ongoing Environmental Justice Team and leader to take us further. The strategic plan describes lots of possibilities, but we need a team of people to undertake this justice work. If no one steps up, we will need to postpone additional environmental efforts. If this makes no sense to you and you feel an urgency for action, contact Bonnie Miller at
[email protected]
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Dealing with disaster
It often seems as though there is a never-ending series of natural or manmade disasters somewhere in our world. The heartbreaking impact on people here and in other countries is hard to bear. So what to do? Our church allocates money in our budget each year so we can support those working with these problems. This year we again had $5000 dedicated to Disaster Relief and Development. In October we sent $500 of that money to Charlottesville to assist with medical costs as well as education, training and organizing, in the aftermath of the white supremacists' march and violence. We recently decided to distribute $3000 of the remaining funds to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to help with their continuing work with marginalized communities trying to recover from the havoc wrecked by Hurricane Harvey in Houston last August. Here are some specifics about who will be helped.
The Living Hope Wheelchair Association works at the intersection of immigration and disability rights. They primarily work with undocumented immigrants suffering from spinal cord injuries. After the storm, the organization's members needed to replace wheelchairs lost to flood waters, repair houses and wheelchair ramps, and raise financial assistance to cover medical, transportation, and basic living expenses.
The majority of Fe y Justicia Worker Center's constituency consists of undocumented immigrant workers with limited access to medical benefits and health insurance - one of the most vulnerable populations after the storm. In the face of continued anti-immigrant political rhetoric and crackdowns, people have been scared to seek even the assistance and benefits for which they are eligible, whether it's medical care for a sick child, FEMA benefits, or wages due.
We are proud of the work that UUSC is doing in partnering with organizations addressing the needs of underserved communities in their time of extraordinary need. And we are proud that our fellowship commits itself each year to doing our part to assist in these important and compassionate efforts.
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 20 - Durango Food Bank volunteers
April 22 - Durango Climate March
April 24 - Manna Kitchen volunteers
April 25 - Days for Girls sewing project, Bowman Hall
April 25 - Making a Difference speaker series, Fort Lewis College
April 27 - Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center benefit, Powerhouse
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Now recruiting two new board members
Treasurer and Board Member at Large
The Nominating & Leadership Development Committee is actively recruiting members to serve on the board. Thank you to those of you with whom we've connected & conversed about board service. We had a very engaging Board of Trustees (BOT) Chat recently with interested UUFD members and the Nominating Committee. It was inspiring to hear the BOT talk about their service, commitment and what they personally get out of board service. We still have two positions to fill and both are a 2-year commitment.
- Treasurer
- Board Member at Large
In April we will submit a slate of candidates to the fellowship and on May 20th at the Annual Members Meeting, UUFD members will vote. The board practices a Shared Ministry approach and works on behalf of UUFD embracing courageous leadership, consensus building and constructive feedback. Use these links to learn more about Shared Ministry and Board Policies:
Please contact Nominating & Leadership Development Committee members Allison Andersen, Dennis Aronson, Susie Francis or the BOT for more information or to answer any questions you may have about board service.
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Dine out to support a living wage
Thrive! presents "Dine out Durango" April 16-20
Thrive! is a broad-based and diverse coalition of citizens in La Plata County who care about the long-term economic health and social well-being of our community. Thrive!'s mission is to enhance the quality of life in La Plata County through fair and just wages for all. Thrive! envisions La Plata County as a place where all workers are paid a living wage, enabling individuals, families, and the community to thrive.
 UUFD has been a long-time supporter of Thrive! and is one of Thrive!'s Certified Living Wage Employers and interfaith partners. The UUFD community now has another opportunity to show its support for Thrive! and Living Wages during Thrive!'s Dine Out Durango event to be held April 16th through April 20th. Six certified Living Wage restaurants in Durango will donate a portion of their profits during this five-day period to Thrive! to help sustain its on-going work to make living wages a reality for all La Plata County workers.
The Dine Out Durango participating restaurants are Eolus, Grassburger, Ore House, Ska Brewing, Smiley Cafe, and Zia Taqueria (south and north).
By dining at any (or all!) of these restaurants between April 16th and 20th, you show your support for Thrive! and for these businesses which have committed to paying their employees a living wage. We suggest going a step further and inviting friends who might not yet be aware of Thrive! and its efforts to join you for lunch or dinner and grow the circle of support for Living Wages and Living Wage employers. Please let the restaurants know you are dining in support of Thrive! and thank them for being a Living Wage employer.
Ilona Hruska & Mark Swanson
Thrive! Fundraising Co-chairs
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Immigration Team Update
The UUFD Immigration Team works in collaboration with, and is guided by, leaders of our immigrant community. We support our immigrant neighbors through education (within our Fellowship), advocacy, witness and service.
Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center partnered with us following the 2016 presidential election to guide us in how we could best support the immigrant community. Their mission is to "create positive social change by supporting all immigrants and their loved ones through advocacy, education, and integrative programs." Compañeros will be UUFD's Share-the-Plate recipient for April, May and June.
In March...
- Compañeros held Know Your Rights Trainings in English and Spanish. Several UUFD members attended.
- Rosa Sabido celebrated 300 days in sanctuary at Mancos United Methodist Church on March 29.
- Edin Ramos, father and business owner in Bayfield, was detained by ICE during scheduled check -in.
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April 27 recital features Southwest Piano Trio
Please join us on April 27 at 7 pm for our final recital series concert! The Southwest Piano Trio, featuring Kay Newnam, violin, Bonnie Mangold, cello, and Marilyn Garst, piano, will perform. Treat yourself to outstanding works by Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms, and Igor Stravinsky. Read more about the program's pieces and performers here.
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Sage Circle announces new meeting time
The Sage Circle will now meet from
10:30 to noon on the second
Tuesday of the month in Columbine House. The contact person is now
Robert Winslow.
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Thanks & invitation to April 8 talk
Long-Range Facility Planning update
The Facility Planning Task Force would like to thank everyone that responded to the questionnaire we posted (either individually or through a committee). In all we received 47 distinct submissions, and with those that respond as part of a group, we estimate that (in total) approximately 80 members and friends of the Fellowship spoke up about the hopes and dreams we share.
The answers to the questionnaire have been shared with architect Tom Umbhau of Bauen Group, who will engage with the various constituent groups for the first round of active dialogue in early April. If you have questions about the process or further comments, you are welcome to offer your input here.
Alice Mann is best known for her book Raising the Roof, which describes the stages of growth that congregations experience. We match her description of a "congregation that is experiencing some pressure from [our] community [and cultural] context to grow." If you would like to know more, Mary Ocken will be our pulpit guest on April 8th providing an overview of this helpful book and highlight some of the insights within. As we are called to expand our walls, Mann invites us to consider that "It may be right for us to step up to another scale of ministry, for the sake of our Purpose or Mission." This is a great reminder that our facilities are the vessel that support of our living faith, and help us to bring our mission to life.
Mary Ocken, Facility Planning Task Force
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Call for Art Gallery Exhibitors!
On
Sunday, April 15,
there will be a UUFD friends and members photography show going up in Bowman Gallery. Please bring up to three of your framed photographs to be hung immediately after coffee hour. Include sales and contact information please.
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Durango Earth Day Events
Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 22
 Earth Day Festival: 10am-1pm, Rotary Park, 5K and 1 mile family run, and kayak races. Music, booths, food, prizes, arts & crafts. Fun for the whole family! Hosted by Durango Nature Studies. Click here for more info and race fees.
Children's Earth Day Parade and People's Climate March: 10:30-11:15 am, downtown Train Station to Rotary Park. Theme: "Every Animal Deserves a Habitat." Join in to march with your poster, animal, or earth art and camera! No charge. Hosted by Citizens Climate Lobby. More info: [email protected] or 970 259-0385
Leaf a Legacy: Tree planting and BBQ picnic featuring local food at Fort Lewis College Food Forest from 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm. Plant a seedling, build something positive! Plant trees, build soil, restore our water table, and sink carbon. Hosted by Environmental Center at Fort Lewis College and FLC Alumni. All are welcome! Free. RSVP at [email protected].
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CUUPS Corner
Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans
CUUPS Schedule for April (drumroll please)
Saturday, April 14 at Noon
Instead of the usual Thursday night meeting, we will meet at the church parking lot and carpool over to the Colorado trail for a special Meditation in the Forest. Anybody who loves nature is invited to come as we ground and listen to the voice of Gaia.
April 19, 6:30 pm
The Silabh Anam Druidic grove will hold their exciting and informative monthly meeting in Bowman Hall.
April 26, 6:30 pm Special Gardening
Magic workshop will be conducted by Bonnie. A chance to get one's hands dirty, learn about the herbs you are planting and even get to keep the product of your labors.
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Pause for Poetry
The Poetry Circle continues monthly meetings, next on April 9 from 6 to 8 pm, in Bowman Hall. Currently the group is working through Kowit's
In the Palm of Your Hand. Light refreshments are served. Details from
[email protected].
Into the Woods
The teachers we remember fondly
Are ones who guess the mysterious
Motifs playing in the depths of our souls.
All fall and winter I practiced scales,
Picked out tunes from The Little Pianist.
Before kick-the can or the Lone Ranger
I labored over the piano keys.
Mom and Dad thought piano lessons
Were a rite of passage to middle-class womanhood.
My teacher hoped to coax a love of music
From a restless freckled faced tomboy.
One spring morning she took me mushrooming.
We wandered about in an ancient apple orchard
Searching for brownish, strangely pitted
Morel mushrooms peeking through
Leaf litter and pine needles.
I felt as I imagined Dorothy did when she
Stepped from gray into a Technicolor world.
I was wandering freely in a new, wild, untamed
Place - alert to the barks of squirrels, the
Songs of warblers and wrens, the murmuring
Of a near-by creek, the nearly silent
Tread of fleeing deer.
Here was the music I yearned for -
These were the motifs playing in my soul.
Doreen Hunter
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