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

Sunday, June 3, 10:15 a.m. Connection, Growth and Service Through Music A Service of Music Music has the power to bring us together into harmonious, beloved community. Please join us for our multi-generational Music Sunday Celebration and Worship Service. All of our vocal and bell ensembles will be sharing their gifts, and we will be joined by artist in residence Maya Rogers, and The Free Spirits! We will also honor Bea Ann Phillips for the many (and amazing!) years she has served as our beloved Children, Youth and SHINE Choir director. This will be Bea Ann's last service. Bring your spirit and your voices to this interactive community building Sunday! Livestream

Share The Plate June 3 Share the Plate: Equality Virginia Have you heard the saying “Married on Sunday, fired on Monday”? For many gay and lesbian couples, this is the reality. In Virginia and across the US, same-sex couples have the legal right to be married, but in Virginia it is legal to fire someone because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In Virginia, it is legal to refuse to rent to someone because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In Virginia, it is legal to refuse service in a restaurant or store or hotel because someone is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.  As Unitarian Universalists, our first principle calls on us to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We are called by our faith to work for the basic civil rights of our LGBTQ siblings.  Equality Virginia is a strong partner in that work. EV is Virginia’s leading statewide, non-partisan advocacy, outreach, and education organization working for equality for LGBTQ Virginians. Equality Virginia works with Virginia’s elected leaders to amplify the voices of the LGBTQ community and move towards full legal equality across the Commonwealth through vigorous lobbying efforts, engaging thousands of Virginians in grassroots advocacy, and connecting supporters with their legislators. EV engages the business community throughout Virginia by encouraging small and large business to embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and recognizing their commitment to LGBT employees and customers. The statewide Equality Means Business directory now includes more than 800 locally-owned businesses. Equality Virginia strives to empower and uplift Virginia’s transgender community through programming like the Transgender Advocacy Speakers Bureau, grants to trans-led support organizations, and the annual Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit, attended last year by more than 400 Virginians.  Equality Virginia believes that we are stronger together than alone. Meet EV’s Deputy Director, Vee Lamneck, and Transgender Programs Director, Trace Hernandez, this Wednesday, June 6, here at UUCA for a forum on LGBTQ Rights in Virginia. Together we will create a Virginia that is a safe, welcoming, and equal place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and their families to live, work and play. Together we will build the Beloved Community.  Online STP Donation

STP Update Here's a quick Share the Plate update for distributions and goals. This week, UUCA sent checks to the following organizations: Little Friends for Peace - $1,652; Total given to date $9288; Remaining of goal $2262 Metro DC Pflag - $1,999; Total given to date $4125; Remaining of goal $0 VOICE - $5,568; Total given to date $13,802; Remaining of goal $1198 Next week a check will be sent to UUSJ for $2,070; total given to date $6322; Remaining of goal $1928. This week the Share the Plate was targeted for Sanctuaries DC and Sunday donations through Monday total $1,077. Reminder: You can make donations for the STP organization named on Sunday through the following Saturday night at midnight.

Church Matters

UUCA's Annual Congregational Meeting UUCA's annual congregational meeting will be held next Sunday, June 3, 12 p.m. We will vote on the 2018-19 budget, nominees for the Board and its officers, and approve the slate for the Senior Minister Search Committee. All are welcome to attend. Members who have been members for at least 90 days (since March 4, 2018) are eligible to vote. Our Youth Group will sell sandwich lunches before the meeting and childcare will be available. Date: Sunday, June 3, 12 p.m. Location: Sanctuary

SPECIAL FUNDRAISING PROPOSAL At the UUCA Annual Meeting on June 3, members will have the opportunity to vote on a proposal for a special fundraising campaign, which would focus on soliciting the funds to hire a Contract Assistant or Associate Minister. (The vote for this proposal also appears on the absentee ballot sent last week.) As you can read in your Annual Meeting Packet or below, this proposal from Stewardship leaders has the support of the Board of Trustees and of Rev. Beth Miller, our Temporary Senior Minister. Read more here >

Ministry Matters

Coming of Age—A Unitarian Rite of Passage  By LeeAnn Williams, Director of Lifespan Religious Education Many of you who have been around Unitarian Universalism for a while may remember the Coming of Age program. Or maybe you are a UU who experienced this program.  What is Coming of Age? A frequent answer is that Coming of Age (or COA) is Unitarian Universalist confirmation. Well, not exactly. While COA is a rite of passage, the program is about more than just memorizing a set of doctrinal beliefs or statements. The purpose of Coming of Age is to offer our youth (usually 8th or 9th graders) an opportunity to engage in deep theological reflection. Our foundational questions are—what do I love, and how then shall I live. The year usually culminates in a worship service where youth share the insights they’ve gained during this year of reflection and exploration.  We are in the process of relaunching Coming of Age here at UUCA. If you have a passion for working with youth and our UU faith, please think about volunteering as a facilitator or chaperone for COA in 2018-2019. Please contact me for more information at Lwilliams@uucava.org.

Wheel Of Life

A memorial service to celebrate the lives of Chris and John Morrison will be held in our Sanctuary on Sunday, June 10, 3 p.m. Chris and John were longtime members who relocated to Connecticut several years. Rev. Beth Miller will lead the service. Congratulations to Pam Brown and Alicia Sullivan who were married in our Sanctuary on May 19.

Lifespan Religious Education

Don't go hungry to the Annual Meeting! UUCA's Youth Group has lunch covered this Sunday. Donations help with next year's service trips.

Yes! We offer Summer RE for All Ages Nursery care for 2-years-old and younger Preschool thru 1st grade meet in Room 5 for story and play time 2nd-5th grade meet in Room 2 for stories, activities, and active play 6th grade and up meet in the Youth Room, led by Elisabeth Geschiere Please volunteer to lead a Summer Sundays HERE .  Lesson plan and supplies provided. . Living the 7 Principles This Summer Summer is almost here and we are already thinking about what to pack for our vacation. This year, let’s take the 7 UU Principles out into the world with us and even share them if we get an opportunity.  Rev. Beth will offer a general discussion of each of the 7 Principles with concrete examples of how they apply to our everyday lives. If childcare is needed please contact LeeAnn Williams, LWillaims@uucava.org or Regina Koffman, at Regkoff@gmail.com by June 6. Date: Thursday, June 7, 7 to 9 p.m. Location: Activity Room

RE Connect Newsletter Here

Faith in Action

UUCA: Are you willing to be an Unsettling Force for Justice? By Elisabeth Geschiere, Social Justice Coordinator     "There are millions of poor people in this country who have very little, or even nothing, to lose, if they can be helped to take action together, they will do so with a freedom and a power that will be a new and unsettling force in our complacent national life." The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made this statement in 1967, at a time when there were 40 million poor people in America. Fifty years later, a report by the Institute for Policy Studies shows that nearly 140 million people are poor and low income, yet there is still so much complacency toward the poor and marginalized in our country, the wealthiest nation on earth. This is why, for the past three weeks, thousands have taken part in nonviolent civil disobedience once a week with The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival: to become a new and unsettling force that will wake America up! Since May 14, about 20 UUCAers have attended the weekly Rally and Direct Action as well as other events in Washington. Four UUCAers including two staff have been arrested for praying and sitting in U.S. Capitol buildings or the street with hundreds of clergy, veterans, people targeted by racism and classism, immigrants, and mothers whose children have literally died as a result of poverty and lack of healthcare.  Yesterday, there were 50 people arrested for nonviolently delivering a flag and carnations from "About Face: Veterans Against the War" to Senator Mitch McConnell's office. We are a congregation of 850. If just 50 UUCAers were willing to join this Call for Moral Revival, we would literally double our numbers! That is why I am mobilizing our community to show up in mass for the final Monday of the Campaign's national launch, June 18. This gives us two and a half weeks to get organized, take off of work, arrange childcare, etc. If you are willing to join me in being an unsettling force for moral revival and justice, e-mail me at egeschiere@uucava.org! You will also want to get the Campaign's "National Call to Action Rally" on Saturday June 23, at 10 a.m. on your calendar.

A Forum Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters-Arlington, AGLA, and Equality UUCA LGBTQ Rights in Virginia: Where We Are Now Don't miss out on this important forum with special guests Vee Lamneck, Deputy Director of Equality Virginia and and State Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30). We'll take a look back on the 2018 Virginia General Assembly and look forward to the 2019 Virginia General Assembly. What needs to be done to move toward full LGBTQ equality in Virginia? Topics include: Youth Conversion Therapy legislation, LGBTQ rights in housing and public employment, and updating Virginia's code to reflect the Obergefell marriage equality decision. Coming early for UUCA's Happy Hour. See announcement in this newsletter. Date: Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 p.m. Location: Board Room Happy Hour Join us for the June Happy Hour hosted by Equality UUCA. Light snacks and some beverages provided (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to get things started. Please bring a beverage or a snack to share if you wish. Following the Happy Hour, you are invited attend a forum on LGBTQ Rights in Virignia, co-hosted by Equality UUCA, the Arlington League of Voters, and AGLA. Date: Wednesday, June 6, 6-7:30 p.m. Location: Fellowship Hall

Proud to Wave Our Flags Equality UUCA invites you to join in a fundraiser/pride-raiser for UUCA -- let's wrap UUCA in a rainbow for Capital Pride Week in June! Stop by the Equality UUCA table any Sunday in May to sponsor a rainbow flag for $5/flag. Flags will have labels to write a dedication or message. And, mark your calendar for Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m.--the beginning of Capital Pride Week--for a rainbow flag "planting" party.  Will we have enough rainbow flags to make it all the way around the church? We'll find out! Will we have a big, bold, public reminder of UUCA's commitment to the inherent worth and dignity of ALL people? YES! For more information: uuca.equality@gmail.com. Register for June 23 Allyship Workshop As part of our congregation's Live the Pledge campaign to end racism, UUCA has partnered with Service Never Sleeps to offer a racial justice Allyship training. Over 150 UUCAers have already taken this training. Now it’s your turn. This workshop will teach you about the causes of racial injustice, how to be an effective ally for marginalized communities of color, and how to actively influence and educate others. More information and sign up here. UUCA contact Alex Ziehm, Alexandraziehm92@gmail.com. Date: Saturday, June 23,10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: Activity Room

Peace Camp Registration--Some space still available Register now for 2018 Peace Camp, slots are filling fast. The camp runs June 25-29 ($315) or July 2-6 ($265, no camp July 4) at UUCA. The 2018 theme is “Explore a Path to Peace,” and reflects the goal of creating a summer camp environment where campers and counselors alike can experience, learn, and practice peace. Rising K-6 graders are eligible to apply; rising 7-9 grades can be Counselors in Training (same fee, longer hours). Lunch is included! Before and after-care, as well as partial or full scholarships, are available (See www.lffp.org. To register on-line click HERE! Peace Camp – Share your talent and art/craft supplies  We are still collecting art supplies for Peace Camp. Bring them to Fellowship Hall after services on June 10 or 17.  Arts and crafts donations. We can use: Shoe boxes - all sizes , Puppets, Poster board , Drawing paper. Copy paper, Stuffed animals, Markers /crayons, Carpet squares, Paper towel tubes, Plastic salad and fruit containers with tops, and any other craft materials.   Contact Mollie Jewell, 703-941-5643, MollieJewell2@gmail.com

African American Book Sharing Circle The African American Book Sharing Circle on June 15 will read The Color Purple by Alice Walker. While many of us have read this previously, we wonder if a re-read would bring out nuances and ideas not realized earlier, or for those of us who have not read it, this is a chance to plunge into a modern classic. All are welcome to join us as we experience African American writers from new perspectives as a result of living with recent current events as well as what we are learning and experiencing in our Live the Pledge or Allyship involvement. Questions? Contact Linda Lutes Corsoro, lindahlutes@gmail.com. Date: Friday, June 15, 7:30 p.m. Location: Welcome Room LFFP 5th Annual Talent Show Fundraiser UUCA Peace Campers and friends, show your talent! Perform at the Little Friends for Peace (Peace Camp) Talent Show Fundraiser on Sunday, June 10, 5 to 7 p.m., at Busboys and Poets, 5th & K St, NW. Contact Kristen at kristen@lffp.org for additional information. Everyone is welcome to attend. The $15 suggested donation supports the Ann Little Memorial Scholarship to Peace Camp. Questions? Contact Mollie Jewell, molliejewell2@gmail.com. Date: Sunday, June 10, 5 to 7 p.m. Location: Busboys & Poets, 5th & K St., NW

Church Grounds Workday Re-Scheduled to June 16   Originally planned for this weekend, our grounds workday is now scheduled for June 16. Mark your calendar and plan to join DIG and “Do it Green” in pulling a few weeds, spreading mulch, and doing a little planting. Bring tools and gloves if you have them. Sign-ups not required, but helps leaders with planning. Sign up here.  Date: Saturday, June 16, 8 a.m. to Noon Location: UUCA Grounds A Major Ally Opportunity in Arlington   Support Dreamers @ Arlington County School Board Meeting Please come join VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) at the upcoming Arlington School Board meeting on Thursday, May 31, to advocate that the board adopt new practices to safeguard the rights and safety of our immigrant and refugee students. Read more > Date: Thursday, May 31, 6 p.m. Location: Syphax Ed Center, 2110 Washington Blvd., Arlington

Wear Orange THIS SUNDAY June 2 is the 4th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness/Wear Orange Day (as well as the beginning of Pride Week). Orange is the rainbow color chosen to call for ending gun violence in the U.S. Wear something orange on the entire weekend. June 1 wear orange to work or school. Also, wear orange to the Arlington County Courthouse Rally at 6:30 p.m.; June 2 wear orange to to Alexandria's Market Square Rally at 7:30 p.m.; June 3 wear orange to worship at UUCA.  UUCA is an official community partner of the rally in Alexandria. See flyer here. Please support the call to end gun violence by attending one of these events. Learn more about what you can do to end gun violence by contacting Alison Sheahan, ab.sheahan@verizon.net). Culpepper Springtime Party UUCAer’s are cordially invited to join the Culpepper Garden Springtime Party in celebrating the 43rd year of this Arlington community treasure at a garden reception with music, light fare and refreshments catered by Culpepper’s Chef Ray Riddle and staff. Culpepper Garden, opened in 1975, is an award-winning, affordable nonprofit retirement community established by UUCA for low-income seniors. It was the first low-income assisted living residence of its type in the U.S. and remains the only such facility in Arlington. RSVP by May 24. For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact Linda Kelleher, lkelleher@culpeppergarden.org. Date: Saturday, June 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Location: Culpepper Garden, 4435 N. Pershing Drive , Arlington (only two blocks from UUCA)

Music Ministry

Jazz Vespers with Free Spirits Join us for a special evening of music meditations, poetry readings, and improvisations led by the jazz ensemble, Free Spirits (Fred Katz, Topher Dunne, Sophia Morreale). Freewill offering benefits the Peace Camp summer program. Date: Sunday, June 17, 4 p.m. Location: Sanctuary

Congregational Life

Kudos! UUCA's book sale has been on hiatus for several years but thanks to Emily Goodin the book sale had a successful return last weekend. Kudos to Emily and her intrepid crew of volunteers who sorted and organized thousands of books. And, a BIG thank you to everyone who donated and bought books. Over $1,200 was raised and benefits the UUCA's general fund. Leftover books were donated to Turning the Page, a non-profit in the District that helps families build home libraries by offering free books.

Small Groups on Change With The Rev. Beth Miller Details on small groups to discuss your thoughts, feelings, excitement and concerns about changes at UUCA over the past year were in last week's Connections. If you missed it, here’s a link last week's newsletter.  And as promised, here’s a link to the new online signup. There will a maximum of ten and a minimum of five participants per group. If your day/time is full and you can’t make another, there will be a wait list. If your day/time has too few, I’ll contact you and see if we can plug you in another group.  Here are the dates and times:  Thursday, June 7, Noon (note time change) Friday, June 8, 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, 5:00 p.m. Thursday, June 14, 7:00 p.m. Friday, June 15, 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 10:00 a.m. Sunday, June 17, Noon Tuesday, June 26, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, 5:00 p.m. Thursday, June 28, 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 30, 1:00 p.m. As I said last week, come if you need to talk, and come if you’re curious to hear from others. Come if you’re the type who faces change with great anticipation, and come if it scares you to death. As our hymn says, come, come whoever you are. Let’s minister to one another in the complexity and diversity of our feelings as a community of memory and hope.

Have Fun . . . Help UUCA . . . Feed Your Creative Spirit And, you can do this with minimal time commitment and maximum benefit. The Flower Ministry Team invites you to join them. No experience is needed. We work around your schedule. You can help with Sunday services or for special occasions like December holidays, Water Communion, special displays and altars, or table decorations for all-church events. Again, no experience is needed. We mentor each other and have fun. If you’d like more information, please join us on Wednesday, June 6, at 7 p.m. or contact Linda Lutes Corsoro, lindahlutes@gmail.com or Jennifer Wright jenniferohlingwright@gmail.com. Date: Wednesday, June 6, 7 p.m. Location: TBD (at UUCA)

1st Sunday Humanist Hour "Losing My Religion" The First Sunday Humanist Hour will take place this Sunday, June 3, at 9:15 a.m., in the Chapel located on the lower level. The hour will explore Part Two of the theme of "Losing My Religion", with a look at the prominent evangelical minister, Bishop Carlton Pearson, who "lost his religion", and and his church, on his way to finding universalism. There will also be the communal sharings of joys, concerns, announcements, and favorite activities, along with planning "field trips" to see the Bible Museum and the movie First Reformed. All are welcome! If you have any questions, or would like to know more about the humanist experience, contact Bill Fogarty, wafogarty@aol.com. Date: Sunday, June 3, 9:15 a.m. Location: Chapel Young Adult Podcast Chat  Join the Young Adult Group for the Podcast Chat discussion group! We meet twice a month on Saturdays in the chapel downstairs. We provide the name of a specific podcast episode and everyone listens to the episode on their own during the week. Then we get together and discuss. Check Connections next week and/or follow our Facebook page to find out what the next podcast will be. Questions?Contact Elisabeth Geschiere, egeschiere@uucava.org.   Date: Saturday, June 9, 7:30-9:00 p.m. Location: Chapel

Coffee Servers Wanted: Help keep the coffee brewing this summer  Help us ensure the coffee and lemonade keep flowing after services this summer. Positions are available for most Sundays through August. No experience needed. You can volunteer to setup before the service and/or serve and cleanup after the service – or why not BOTH! To setup, plan to arrive at about 9:30am to prepare coffee & lemonade; to serve, stay after the service to keep things flowing and cleanup afterwards. Or better yet, do both! Don't be shy, we NEED your help. If you can help, please sign-up at the coffee table on Sunday, use the link UUCA Coffee Signup or contact Mollie Jewell 703-941-5643, gjewlll@cox.net.  Young Adult Divine Reading Group The Divine Reading Group is a Young Adults Group which treats secular short stories as though they were sacred texts. The belief behind the strategies is that personal truth and meaning can come from a wide variety of sources. This group is ideal for those who love reading and discussion. It is also a place where deep and meaningful introspection occurs, friendships are made, and the very nature of religion is explored. The reading is the final two chapters, 11 & 12, of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Questions? Contact Elisabeth Geschiere, egeschiere@uucava.org.   Next Date: Thursday, May 31, 7-9 p.m. Location: Youth Room

Is growth always good? Is sustainable development misguided? The Men's Book Group will meet in the chapel June 10 to discuss Beyond Growth by Herman E. Daly. In his book, Daly challenges the conventional notion that growth is always good, and he bucks environmentalist orthodoxy, arguing that the current focus on 'sustainable development' is misguided. All men are welcome to join in the discussion. Do you have a summer read (fiction) you'd like to have discussed. Come to the June meeting to share your suggestion for the July read. Questions? P lease contact Ken Marshall, kenmar42@gmail.com or 703-533-8004.  Date: Sunday, June 8, 7:30 p.m. Location: Chapel

Beer, Pizza, and Questions About the Universe Folks between the ages of 21 and 35 are welcome to join the Young Adults for beer, pizza, and questions about the universe every other Tuesday. The event is BYOB--bring your own beer, but the pizza will be provided. We discuss topics ranging from politics, to science, to philosophy. Every time the topic is different but the discussion is always interesting.    Next Date: Tuesday, June 5, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Location: Youth Room Young Adult Sunday Brunch NOTE: We are skipping June 3 because of the UUCA Annual Meeting, which we hope many YAs will attend! The Young Adults meet for brunch every other Sunday after the second service. Ages 18-35 and their families are welcome to come get to know other young adults over a good meal.    Next Date: Sunday, June 17, 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. Location: Activity Room

Day Alliance An Update on the Middle East and Africa With Allen Keiswetter UUCA member and frequent Day Alliance speaker Allen Keiswetter, a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer with decades of experience in the Middle East and Africa, will talk on the Middle East and the consequences of Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and prospects for the Middle East peace process, the situation in Syria and Iraq and changes in Saudi Arabia. Allen has just returned from nearly a month in Ghana and will comment on its prospects of becoming an “ African Lion” in the manner of the the Asian tigers that led growth by emerging nations a couple of decades ago.  Date: Tuesday, June 12, 10:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship; 11 a.m. Presentation; 12 p.m. Catered Lunch (optional) Location: Activity Room; Center Gallery

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 ‌ ‌