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

Sunday, June 2, 2019 | 10:15 a.m. Social Justice Sunday

Our faith calls us into action! Join us as we hear testimony from different members of the congregation on how their faith invites them to serve justice. Speakers include: Elizabeth Fogarty, Lavona Grow, Allan Kellum, David McTaggart, Becky Ross and MJ Schmeltzer. Sunday's service is led by Walter Clark with David McTaggart assisting as Worship Associate. Special music guest is soloist Gibson Cima singing Over the Rainbow. Lori Rottenberg is our song leader and will sing a newly written song of hope and healing for our times-- Flower in the Gun by Frank Franti. Livestream

Upcoming Service June 9, 10:15 a.m. Music Sunday. A music-centered service featuring all the choirs of our Music Ministry.

Friday Morning Devotions We invite you to center and ground yourself in silence with friends--a half-hour of meditation followed by brief reflections--each Friday morning at 7 a.m. A ride to Ballston Metro is available afterward. For additional information, contact either David McTaggart, dmctagg@gmail.com, or Gregg Forte, gforte@mac.com.  Date: Each Friday, 7:00 a.m. Location: Room 20 (Youth Room)

Church Matters

Annual Meeting - This Sunday, June 2 UUCA's Annual Congregational meeting is this Sunday, Sunday, June 2, immediately following the service. Members will vote on the 2019-20 operating budget and the new slate of trustee and officer nominees (see below). Volunteer awards will be announced and the Governance Task Force will give a report along with other reports. All members are urged to attend. Friends and newcomers are welcome but only members (joining at least 90 days before meeting) are eligible to vote. Child care is provided and a sandwich lunch is offered by the Youth Group. Meeting Agenda 2019-20 Final Proposed Budget Nominee Slate Other meeting documents were previously sent under separate email. NOTE: For budgetary and environmental reasons, limited paper copies of meeting documents will be available. Please plan on printing your own copies or using your handheld device. ACCOMMODATION: If you need accommodation to speak or participate in the annual meeting, please contact Sarah.Masters@uucava.org or speak to Sarah before the meeting. Date: Sunday, June 2, 11:30 p.m. Location: Sanctuary

2019-20 Budget: Presenting a Clearer Picture From the Board of Trustees This year, the Board of Trustees is offering a different budget structure at the congregation’s June 2 annual meeting as we believe it will present a clearer financial picture of our church. First of all, we’re happy to report the generosity of the congregation in the stewardship campaign brought in enough pledged funds to continue our current program and staffing levels, with some slight cost of living increases. More giving is always appreciated, but we’re thrilled to see the commitment to our UUCA community. We’re presenting our budget in a new way in order to provide a clearer financial picture on both our progress and our challenges. The upcoming budget will have two categories: operating and capital.  The operating budget reflects our anticipated revenue and expenses for the work of the church in the coming year, including programs and staff.  The capital budget includes ongoing obligations and long-term expenses.  The largest of these is the mortgage payment, which is a result of our building projects that physically expanded our church. This year that mortgage payment amounts to approximately $200,000. We believe separating out this expense provides two functions: it demonstrates that this debt is a large obstacle to our growth and shows that we want to adopt a different strategy for discharging it rather than through our annual stewardship campaign. At the annual meeting, you will hear about our proposed approach to paying the 2019-2020 mortgage so that the revenue resulting from pledges, space rental, and other sources can be used for church activities, instead of the mortgage.  Additionally, we are putting together a long range financial planning committee with the purpose of eliminating our structural debt and taking other actions which will strengthen the financial foundation of the church. This would include a recommendation to the Board by October 2019 about undertaking a capital campaign.  We are the church. We appreciate everyone’s commitment and contributions as you make our UUCA home possible.  -- uuca-board@googlegroups.com

Only two days before the deadline! UUCA's Congregational Survey is not complete without your input! All of our voices need to be heard! (You don't have to be a member to complete. Friends, inquiring friends, newcomers, youth--If you're receiving this email, we want to hear from you!) If you've already completed the survey--THANK YOU! If not, please do so now. The Ministerial Search Committee needs your input to help identify the right ministerial candidates for our church and to help those candidates understand who and what this big beloved community is all about! Deadline is June 2. Please click below now!

Why I don’t have time to respond to the Congregational Survey (but I did it anyway) By Sarah Yue, Ministerial Search Committee member Most days, I’m barely holding my life together with chewing gum and binder twine. With three young kids and a full-time job, I’m chronically late, chronically overworked, and always playing catch-up. I send my kids to school with crackers in their lunchboxes because we’ve run out of bread. I can’t remember which of the piles of laundry on my bed are clean and which ones are dirty. I answer emails by typing on my phone with one thumb while rocking a restless toddler to sleep. I do NOT have time to do something extra like filling out a congregational survey. No way. And yet I responded to it anyway. Why did I do it? Because people like me--tired, overwhelmed parents who aren’t sure they have anything more to give--are part of the UUCA story. So are young adults. Seniors. Lay leaders. People who hide in the back during Sunday services. Members who have been part of UUCA for their entire lives, and newcomers who walked through our doors for the first time two weeks ago. To make UUCA the home we want it to be, and to find the minister that will nurture and sustain our beloved community in the years to come, all of those voices need to be heard. So I hope you will share your own voice with us by responding to the survey, even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom with your iPad while your kids pound on the door looking for you (yes, that is my life). Here is the link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/UUCA2019

Lifespan Religious Education

Summer Sundays In RE Yes, we offer Religious Education during the summer at our one service. Preschool-1st Grade--Room 5 2nd--5th Grade--Room 2 6th Grade and older--Youth Room

Come prepared to get wet this Sunday! This Sunday, June 2, MoonFire is providing R.E. for the 5-10 year olds, and we will be celebrating rain. (MoonFire is UUCA’s pagan group associated with CUUPs, and meets at 1:30 the third Sunday of every month. Come check us out!) Adults and older kids are welcome to join in and help with the RE rain program.

Don't go hungry on Sunday No need to go hungry at Sunday's annual meeting. Count on grabbing a sandwich with all the fixings right before the start of the meeting. Veggie options available. Hosted by the Youth Group. All donations benefit Youth trips and activities.

Teacher Recruitment We are now recruiting teachers for the upcoming church year. Not only can you grow spiritually while supporting learners form their faith, but you can build lasting friendships and connections with other adults in the congregation. We need about 100 teachers each year in order to be fully staffed. Please consider joining one of our teaching teams next year. Will I still be able to attend services? Of course! The teaching commitment is only twice a month: leading once and assisting once. Stop the RE table in Fellowship Hall on Sunday for more information or email LWilliams@uucava.org. Sign up below: 9:15 Service 11:15 Service

LAST SUNDAY TO DROP OFF CEREAL BOXES Cereal Drive - Bring cereal donations this Sunday! On June 2, (during the Annual Meeting) Religious Education kids will build a house out of cereal boxes before donating them local food pantries. Please bring cereal boxes in to donate this Sunday through June 2. Drop them off at the Welcome Desk downstairs or the RE table in Fellowship Hall.

Rest of RE News

Wheel of Life

We hold close to our hearts John St. Hilaire as he undergoes surgery next week.

Congratulations to Jolie Olivetti and family. Jolie, daughter of longtime, active members Jim and Trudi Olivetti , has just been called to be the minister at the UU Church in Sharon, Massachusetts, starting Aug. 1. Jolie grew up in UUCA's RE program, earned an MDiv from Boston University in 2016, and has wide experience in congregational, environmental, and justice ministry.

Music Ministry

Mini Handbell Festival Concert Members and friends are welcome to a brief handbell concert on Saturday, June 1, beginning at 3:00 p.m. The concert is part of a one-day mini-festival being held between UUCA's Polyminia Handbell Choir and the bell choir at Clarendon United Methodist Church. This is a day of sharing and learning together under the direction of Fran Underwood from Clarendon UMC and Ken Bissell , UUCA Handbell Director. The festival begins in the morning and ends with an informal concert of four massed selections along with each group presenting a solo selection. All handbell ringers, friends and family are invited to attend the free concert beginning at 3:00 p.m.  Date: Saturday, June 1, 3:00 p.m. Location: Activity Room

Congregational Life

Day Alliance What would it really be like to have x-ray vision? By Dr. Cullen Ruff What would it really be like to have x-ray vision? In addition to diagnosis and discovery, what else can we learn by looking inside of people? June's Day Alliance guest speaker is UUCA member Dr. Cullen Ruff . Cullen will share images and personal stories from his work as a radiologist, shedding light on the human condition. Following the talk there will be a catered lunch. No reservation required for the talk, but please RSVP for the lunch to 301-575-6433. Coffee and social time begins at 10:30 a.m. The speaker begins at 11:00 a.m. A catered lunch begins at 12:00 p.m. Date: Tuesday, June 11, 10:30 a.m. Coffee; 11 a.m. Speaker; 12 p.m. Lunch Location: Center Gallery

Men's Book Group The non-fiction book for June 9, is Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood With Britain in Its Darkest Hour," a 2010 work by Lynne Olson. It highlights the work of Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman and the American ambassador, John Gilbert Winant. It also features the crucial role of Dwight Eisenhower in the victory, as well as the contributions of polo star and WW I fighter pilot Tommy Hitchcock, who was important in the U.S. adoption of the P51 B Mustang, "the fighter plane that made D-Day possible."  The book was suggested by Ken Marshall. It is available in paperback and used hardcover and paperback. Questions about the Men's Book Group? Contact Ken Marshall, kenmar42@gmail.com. Date: Sunday, June 9, 7:30 p.m. Location: Chapel

Faith in Action

Deadline to sign up is June 5 UUCA Trip to Israel/Palestine Announcing a UUCA trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories with Rev. Terasa and members of the NOVA UUs for Justice in the Middle East. This is a unique and rare tour led by MEJDI Tours and planned together with Churches for Middle East Peace where we will be led by two local tour guides--one Israeli and one  Palestinian--each providing their narratives and perspectives. The tour includes the ancient holy sites of Jerusalem and opportunities to meet Palestinian and Israeli people of today who are actively working for peaceful and equitable solutions to their conflicts. Tour dates: October 5 – 15, 2019. Deadline to register: June 5. Itinerary here. Informational flyer here. For more details and registration, click here. Questions? Contact Allan Kellum, a.kellum@verison.net.

Wear Orange THIS SUNDAY - June 2 On Social Justice Sunday, June 2, UUCAers are asked to wear orange to show your support of ending gun violence. Then on Friday, June 7, at 7 p.m., join Moms Demand Action and other activists at the Arlington Wear Orange Rally. We will hear from survivors and local politicians, and will dedicate a new garden, Plant Hope--End Gun Violence. For more information about the Arlington chapter of Moms Demand Action, contact Alison Sheahan, ab.sheahan@verizon.net. Dates: Sunday, June 2 -WEAR ORANGE TO CHURCH AND Arlington Rally: Friday, June 7, 7 p.m. Location: 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington Are you looking for a way to Connect, Grow and Serve ?  UUCA's Meals on Wheels program is looking for a (sort of) tech-savvy volunteer to help coordinate UUCA's Meals on Wheels volunteer program. This is an opportunity to serve both the UUCA community and home-bound Arlington residents. This volunteer position does not require much time or travel. Tasks include managing and updating the online sign-up form (remotely) and being on call twice a month during the actual meal delivery times in case of no-shows. Please contact Tina Hinh , tinahinh @ gmail.com , or Sara Anderson , rayandsara@aol.com, or 703-532-3830 to sign up or if you have any questions. Thank you!

VOICE Wants YOU on June 9 Attention, friends of justice: VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) needs your voice (and your feet) to join us on June 9* at our 500-person action, the opening salvo of our commitment to meeting the arrival of the Amazon office complex with an equally bold demand for fairness and accountability. What will Amazon's presence here mean? High-tech jobs and pumped-up tax revenue. Will most residents of Arlington and Alexandria benefit? Not if we are indifferent. But yes, if we stand up and demand that our local governments use the benefits to ensure fairness.  The addition of 20,000+ high-end jobs and the new Va Tech campus together will put tremendous new pressure on the rental market, so VOICE will ask that new funding be injected into housing affordability. Amazon's arrival will put tremendous pressure on school capacity, so VOICE is asking that equity in education be prioritized. And it will stress the lives of many of our community's people of color, who stand to lose entire neighborhoods to accelerated development. So VOICE is demanding respect for the needs of all our neighbors.  We will stand together before our local elected leadership--Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson and Arlington Board Chair Christian Dorsey--and make it clear what we expect in return from the windfall of Amazon's arrival.  When:  Sunday, June 9, 4:30 - 6:15 p.m. Where: Wakefield High School, 1325 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington RSVP?  Yes, please let us know at the VOICE table in Fellowship Hall on Sunday or by contacting David McTaggart (703-835-6944) or Marc DeFrancis ( mpdefrancis@gmail.com ).  --- Change is inevitable, but progress is optional. Be the difference. --- * Reminder: This is the action that was previously announced for June 2. The date had to be moved to accommodate the mayor of Alexandria.

Coming to UUCA!! The Convergence Theater The Convergence Theater collective created a collections of individual's stories on immigration--what people have endured to come to the U.S. It's called A New Nation . They will stage it at UUCA on June 21 ans 22 in a benefit for Alianza . Admission will be by donation. Dates: June 21 and 22, time TBA

Speaking of Amazon! Just a quick reminder that if you DO shop on Amazon.com, please be sure to use the AmazonSmile feature. Use this link and for every eligible purchase, Amazon donates to UUCA.

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.

Thank you for using this link when shopping Amazon. UUCA benefits each time you shop.

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