OUR MISSION: TO WELCOME, CARE FOR, AND INSPIRE
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The next newsletter will be published
May 24
. Submit articles to Editor@mvuu.org by 6 pm May 22. Articles may not exceed 250 words.
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Sunday, May 12, 1 pm
Sunday Service:
What's So Funny?
By Rev. Ron Phares
Humor, laughing through the pain, laughing at hard times and laughing through good times.
Sunday, May 19, 1 pm
Sunday Service: Rev. Ron Phares
Sunday, May 19, Directly Following Service
Congregational Meeting
Tuesday, May 28, Exploring Flavors, 11:30 am
Tito and Pep
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President's Message
SAVE THE DATE May 19, 2019
Congregational Meeting-Immediately After Practice (no coffee hour)
Annual Report, Budget Presentation, Elections, Recognition & Gratitude
As we near the end of our church year, we are pleased to include in these pages the MVUU Annual Report, which contains reports on the year’s activities by the Board of Trustees and MVUU Committees.
A limited number of printed copies will be available at the meeting, but if you need a hard copy, we will appreciate your opening the attached .pdf document and print it at home.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Congregational Meeting on May 19. The agenda will include a recognition of the people and the work accomplished this year as well as presentation and vote on next year’s budget and slate for the Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee. Your vote is needed!
Ron is also back in the pulpit for the next three weeks. And May 26 will be his last Sunday at MVUU, so mark your calendars now to be here for his official send-off!
Kaaren Boothroyd, President
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2019 Annual Report
to the Congregation
Click on the link below to read about the workings of MVUU throughout the past year and where our focus is for 2019!
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Stewardship/Financial Commitment Campaign
Our Stewardship/Financial Commitment Campaign for the coming 2019-2020 fiscal year wrapped up at the end of April. I would like to thank the twenty-eight stewards who volunteered this year to contact our pledge units. I am especially grateful to those members who hosted cottage gatherings in their homes:
Jane and
Conrad Paul, Barb and
Bob Seyfried, Deena and
Avery Gentle, Elizabeth Reed and
Bill Casey, Michelle and
Ray Deeney, Nancy and
Warren Reinecke, and
Kathy Kouzmanoff and
Bob Wallace. Over seventy members and friends attended these gatherings to share their thoughts on the present and future of MVUU.
This year, the campaign sponsored the distribution of the booklet,
Inspire, Light, and Shadow, a wonderful collection of poetry and prose by our members and friends.
Sixty-eight pledging units (an individual or a family who makes a financial commitment) committed approximately $140,000 towards next year’s operations budget. The average financial commitment was $2,077 and 29 percent of units increased their commitment from the current year. The number of pledging units decreased from ninety-three units who pledged for the current fiscal year, and the total financial commitment for 2019-2020 was significantly under the total for the current year by about $25,000. This is due mainly to a number of circumstantial factors including: moves away from Tucson, snow and rain birds not returning to Tucson, changes in financial status and—tragically--death.
Chuck Tatum, Stewardship Chair
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Let Amazon Contribute to MVUU!
Some congregants with Amazon Prime Smile accounts have selected MVUU to receive a contribution on every order they place. This brought about $70 to our Operating Fund over that past year.
We can do better!
Here's how to set up your account:
OR
From your desktop
, go to Your Account from the navigation at the top of any page.
Select the option
Change your Charity
OR
From your mobile browser
Select
Change your Charity
from the options at the bottom of the page
Scroll down or pick your own charitable organization.
Enter
Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist
Press Enter
On the next screen,
Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist
appears and a button to select. Press
Select.
Now when you order from
smile.amazon, you will be contributing to MVUU!
We thank you!
REMEMBER! A
lways order from smile.amazon. When you’re in smile,
Supporting Unitarian Universalist Congregation
will appear under the search box.
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Religious Exploration
As we explore curiosity this month, I am reminded that curiosity is one of the tools we can use to dismantle systems of white supremacy. These systems often are masked as perfectionism, exceptionalism and efficiency. I wonder if we can pause this month and lean into curiosity. One way we will explore this with our youth is to discuss what it means to ask open-ended questions, to dive into the deep end of the pool in conversations by getting curious instead of defensive when met with an idea we disagree with, a belief we find strange, or a parent (or partner, or coworker) we find unreasonable. We can ask, “tell me more”, or, “why is that important to you?”. We can invite connection through curiosity, “what makes your heart sing?” or “what story do you have about this?” For more benefits to curiosity, you might check out Brene Brown’s Netflix special
The Call to Courage.
In RE this month, we will explore curiosity alongside understanding, empathy, imagination and humility. We will engage in meditation, art and activities to promote our theme within the context of our UU principles and theology. I also encourage you this month to see what you can learn from the children in our community. They are experts in curiosity.
Linda Hill, Director of Religious Exploration
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Another Reason to Go to The Loft!
We are happy to announce that MVUU has a full-screen advertisement at
The Loft Cinema
. The ad stays on the screen for 10 seconds so we wanted it to be easy to read and comprehend. It will run for 6 months. Here’s what it looks like – only much bigger in person. Better yet, go see it for yourself!
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Exploring Flavors
Tuesday May 28 11:30 am
Tito and Pep is 6 months new, located at 4122 E. Speedway. Is it bistro or fusion or? Exciting food combinations on the lunch menu begged to be tried.
RSVP
by phone or text to
Ann Bowling
by Sunday May 26 at (815) 209-9413.
Parking is limited; consider carpooling for this outing.
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First Friday of the Month Hikes-End of Season
MVUU Hikers meet the first Friday of the month in the morning from
November through May
. We will be taking a break during the warmer months from June through October. Our last hike on May 3 was on the Linda Vista trail with its glorious Spring color. There were six of us. We do easy-moderate hikes 3-4 miles long, generally uphill and downhill. Please let me know if you have a hike to suggest that you are willing to lead.
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Sunday Morning Book Group
This Sunday we will continue discussing our new book,
The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve
by Stephen Greenblatt.
In
this book Greenblatt “
explores the enduring story of humanity’s [alleged] first parents. Tracking the tale into the deep past, Greenblatt uncovers the tremendous theological, artistic and cultural investment over centuries that made these fictional figures so profoundly resonant in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim worlds and, finally, so very ‘real’ to millions of people even in the present… The biblical origin story, Greenblatt argues, is a model for…a deep encounter with problems that have gripped our species for as long as we can recall and that continue to fascinate and trouble us today.”
We will be reading this book through June. For more information contact
John Clark
at
alvinjclark@aol.com
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Bookaholics – May 28
We are a group of enthusiastic readers who meet the
last Tuesday of the month at 2pm
. We select a variety of books based on what has intrigued members. The one who suggests the book generally leads the discussion of that book. Our next meeting will be on
May 28
.
The Book is
Commonwealth
by Ann Patchet.
It is a tale of two families separated yet united by divorce.
We generally meet in members’ homes. If you are interested, new to the group and will need directions to the meeting, contact
Anne Leonard
anne@alartworks.com
520-307-8045)
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Pastoral Care
Life’s not always easy. Know that you are not alone.
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Coffee Baristas - May Signup
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Interfaith Community Services Food Bank
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Please bring a jar of peanut butter, a can of meat (tuna, Spam, etc.) or a can of spaghetti and drop it off in the
ICS Food Basket on the patio
on
2nd & 4th Sundays
each month. If MVUU members and friends deliver foods on their own to ICS Food Bank, mention
MVUU
and we will get credit.
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May Woven Basket Partner: Primavera Foundation
The Primavera Foundation provides pathways out of poverty through safe, affordable housing, workforce development and neighborhood revitalization. It was started by members of our community in 1983 by people who were really concerned about the most vulnerable members of our community. Primavera continues to provide not just vital services, but economic investment back into the community so that everyone has a safe place to call home. When the most marginalized have equity, we are all enriched, and our community can thrive.
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MVUU Photo Directory
For Login Directions & Information
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This Newsletter is published via email every other Friday.
Let a Greeter know if you wish to receive it.
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Dialing for Dollars!:
Text to Give
Number 520-447-4730
If you are inspired to give for any reason, text the amount (i.e. $25) and a descriptor (i.e.,
Donation
or
Mesquite Madness
or
Wooden Bowl
). The donation will go directly into our Breeze database.
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Sunday Reflections on YouTube
Find Out More
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