UUFD Newsletter, Oct. 2020

October 2020

Gathering With You

Rev. Katie's Animas View

I read an article the other day that named the fuel that we’ve been running on, “surge capacity.” Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems –mental and physical –that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. The difference is natural disasters don’t happen over a period of seven months, with more months looming. Right now, our surge capacity is depleted.

We will have to continue to find ways to manage during these upcoming months, recognizing that life is different right now. I’ll remind you to expect less from yourself, to recognize the ambiguous grief that breaks through at unexpected moments. I know you’re good at getting out, finding a new hiking spot, or meeting to walk with a friend, but we’re not going to be able to let up.

Late in the spring of 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Association leadership did deep study, determining the best course we could take for our communities around the country. They have provided recommendations to all the congregations that we continue meeting and worshipping virtually through this church year.

These decisions are grounded in our deep values and provide a care for our communities in line with the kind of faith tradition we strive to be—radically inclusive. I recognize the stress this puts on us, to not be able to gather together, which, for many of us, is the way we understand God.

Our Board of Trustees is developing a policy to allow small groups to meet on our campus in order to meet some of the need. Our staff will work with leaders to assure safety.

In the meantime, we are also working together, and with UUs from across the country, to find creative ways to enliven our worship and other gatherings. Our team is making great efforts to continue to improve our gatherings and make them meaningful.

I send you all virtual hugs and my love.

Always in the love,

Rev. Katie

October Services (all services held online)

To join a Zoom worship, look for the link on the UUFD website. Need help learning to use Zoom? Try this video tutorial or this FAQ.

OCTOBER THEME: Deep Listening

October 4

What Kind of Church Are We?

–The Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

The way we gather and are organized stems from an early agreement, made in 1637. What parts of that covenant lead us in times of trial?

October 11

Lessons from Indigenous Peoples Day

–The Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

“To be an Indigenous person is to be engaged in relationships,” says All My Relations podcast team Adrienne Keene and Matika Wilbur. Let us forge connections and relationships where we live. We’ll feature art from Fort Lewis grads and help them build their connections.

October 18

Keep Journeying

-The Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

Today we’ll recognize our newest members, acknowledging the importance of making a commitment to a new faith home especially in a time of pandemic. John Lewis told us, “The journey toward the Beloved Community is a journey of a lifetime,” and so we will journey with you.

October 25

Love or Fear - A Choice to Be Made

-UUFD LGBTQ Team

How are we to be known in the world? Where do we stand? Do we choose to stand up in love or retreat in fear?

News from the Board of Trustees

K Redford accepts Presidency nomination

As many of you know, Frank Lockwood resigned his position as President of the UUFD Board of Trustees in late September. We are grateful to Frank for his contributions to our Fellowship and wish him well. We are pleased to announce that K Redford has accepted the Board's nomination to be our new President as of Sept. 24. K has a long history of service to our community, most recently as Vice-President of the Board of Trustees. Thank you, K, for stepping into this new role!

You are needed!

Social Responsibility and Justice special feature

Though many adjustments to our social justice work continue to be made due to safety restrictions related to the virus, the need for justice has not diminished. Reading the daily news, you know that justice concerns seem to keep escalating. Every person matters in continuing those actions that bend the arc toward justice and resist the erosion of our democratic and compassionate values. If you have time, there are many opportunities to make a difference, and we invite you to consider and choose something that you can do to contribute. Here are a few ideas:

Encourage everyone to vote! Register with Vote Forward to send heartfelt handwritten letters to unregistered and low-propensity voters encouraging them to participate in our democracy. The letters have been shown to significantly boost voter turnout. Contact Graham Smith for more info.

Contribute to local food drives to help those struggling in our community. The Durango Daybreak Rotary Club is hosting a food drive for Manna on October 10 from 9am to 1pm at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. See this flyer for specific needs.

Support Healing Racism Team efforts. Racial unrest and injustice are at powder keg levels and the time is now to reshape our future. Come to the Durango Peace and Justice Vigils every Friday at 6:00 pm at Buckley Park. Read the book White Fragility and join the UUFD discussion series. Or sign up to help start a local chapter of SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) by completing this form.

Help organizations working with marginalized communities. For example, Days for Girls sends personal hygiene kits to villages around the world. In the absence of working together during the monthly Days For Girls “sew-days” at Bowman Hall, there are still many opportunities to work from home. Available tasks include:

washing, ironing and cutting fabric
dying underwear and washcloths (dye provided)
attaching snaps to shields
straight stitching flannel liner strips
top stitching and cutting pocket strips
sewing shields
various serging work

Arrangements can be made to pick up and drop off work via the drop box at the Methodist Church on Aspen Drive. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please email: durangoco@daysforgirls.org or phone: Susan 970-769-4006; Sally 970-769-6133; or Robbin 419-230-7796.

No matter the darkness or challenge of the times, together we are a powerful force. Mark Morrison Reed, UU minister and historian, says, “It is the church that assures us that we are not struggling for justice on our own, but as members of a larger community. The religious community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be seen, and our strength too limited to do all that must be done. Together, our vision widens and our strength is renewed.”

From our Interim Director of Faith Formation

A tour through the many ways we are connecting at this time

Whew! Yes, there IS a lot going on in Faith Formation as we test a variety of approaches to learning during a pandemic. Here is a quick summary from Sara Sautter, Interim Director of Faith Formation.

FAMILY MINISTRY

As parents, you are your child’s primary religious educators. But don’t worry! We are here to help you in this big job.

Chalice Lighters! All children and youth were sent a chalice box in early September. We would love to have families light our worship chalice on Sundays using this chalice or another you may have at home. All you have to do is show up to worship about fifteen minutes early (9:45) to rehearse on Sunday morning. Interested? Click here to sign up.

UU Parenting Book Boxes: How do you raise an open minded, Unitarian Universalist child? We are sending home books to help you in your role as your child's primary religious educator. Read, journal and pass the book along to the next family. Books include; Tending the Flame: The Art of Parenting a UU Child, The Gift of Faith and prayer and meditation collections for family use.

Creating Sabbath Space: Wise people have often said, “be sure to set aside time and a space for worship, rest and connection.” Simply put, that is what our program Creating Sabbath Space is all about. We want to honor ancient spiritual wisdom that says worship, rest and connection are a must, not “extras” to fit in as we can, especially during trying times. Resources are available on our website to help families build a home chalice, nurture themselves by caring for others, honor what’s special about their family, respect the natural world and learn to connect to the congregation as a whole. Click here.

PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN

We found in the Spring that this age group does not thrive on Zoom. In response we are experimenting with other approaches to teaching our fall theme, Growing an Anti-Racist UU Child.

Book Boxes: Just about all of our kids enjoy a bedtime story each night. We are sending curated picture books recommended by Growing an Anti-Racist UU Child to each preschool and kindergarten child. They will be passed among families each month.

This month’s books include We’re Different, We’re the Same; Yoko; What if the Zebras Lost their Stripes and Marisol Macdonald Doesn’t Match. Each book box also contains a sample set of simple discussion prompts, “wonderings,” for parents to share with their child. Book boxes also contain a journal to allow children to draw pictures or dictate some thoughts to be shared with the next family who receives the book.

Travelling Stuffies: Our stuffies Ollie, Hope and Bernie will travel through the mail to each child (as soon as we get masks made for them!) Each animal will arrive with a few scenarios, “predicaments!”, that the child may act out as they learn how to be an anti-racist. The Travelling Stuffies also travel with a journal for children to draw or dictate their adventures each week.

ELEMENTARY AGED CHILDREN

Children in first to fifth grade do a bit better on Zoom - though not all of them. We have a variety of learning options for these ages.

Zoom Classes: Elementary children do a bit better on Zoom. We are hosting short Zoom lessons each Sunday after the story in the worship service. Taught by Cara Keyser and Kiara Stacey, the lesson will include Sads and Glads, a brief discussion of the story and a lesson with games, crafts or experiments that extend the story theme.

Supply Boxes: Each month our staff will send home a supply box of materials to use during our Zoom lesson. Children are encouraged to have the supplies that match the lesson with them each Sunday.

Book Boxes: Our book boxes for elementary aged children are about Unitarian Universalism, our principles and our values. They include classics such as What if Nobody Forgave, Unitarian Universalism is a REALLY Long Name and Hide and Seek with God. Some of these are longer chapter books with classic UU stories that explain our faith, our values and our actions for younger audiences. The books will be passed among families, and journaling is encouraged.

Travelling Stuffies: BY POPULAR DEMAND, our Travelling Stuffie program has been extended to our elementary school children. Ollie, Hope and Bernie will travel through the mail to each child (as soon as we get masks made for them!) Each animal will arrive with a few scenarios, “predicaments!”, that the child may act out, learning how to be an anti-racist. The Travelling Stuffies also travel with a journal for children to draw or dictate their adventures each week.

MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH

Hello? Bueller? These youth have been missing since the Spring. While we have special programs planned, we need to hear from families that are interested in participating.

Coming of Age: This capstone program for middle school includes working with a mentor to articulate each youth’s current beliefs as they are launched into a lifetime in the search for truth and meaning. The program concludes with a worship service that welcomes the youth into our faith and into membership in the fellowship.

Taking Flight: This human sexuality program for middle school youth is based upon Our Whole Lives (OWL). While OWL may not be offered online, Taking Flight provides an excellent alternative, grounded in the principles of OWL and designed to be offered via Zoom during pandemic times. Class themes include; What is Sexuality, Sexuality and Values, Anatomy and Physiology, Gender Identity and Expression, Consent and Lovemaking.

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH

We will join other Unitarian Universalist high school youth groups from congregations around the nation through Zoom Rooms for games, discussion, projects and more.

Enrolled? Questions? To enroll your children, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Comments and questions, click here.

ADULT FAITH FORMATION

Thank you to participants in our Adult Faith Formation Survey last month. We are working on scheduling classes and finding leaders now. Classes will be posted on our webpage here later this month.

Here are a few of the classes planned:

Examining Whiteness: An Anti-Racism Curriculum - This self-paced anti-racism curriculum for white people allows deeper understanding of issues that are essential to furthering a white anti-racist identity.
Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents - A group read of this important book by Isabel Wilkerson.
Hindsight, Humor, and Hope: Who, Me, an Elder? This class helps people as they begin to redesign their later years into a time of reflection, discernment, soul stretching, and new life possibilities.
Unitarian Universalist History: History Through People and Their Stories. We will look at some of the theologians that shaped our faith and their personal stories of discovery.

UUFD facility use during the pandemic

Pandemic Policy Task Force carefully considers options

After significant research, the UUFD Pandemic Policy Task Force has begun developing an organized, thoughtful policy regarding use of our church campus that complies with UUA and Colorado Department of Health Guidelines.

At our September 22 board meeting, the Board of Trustees decided to focus on developing an outdoor-only policy for limited in-person gatherings, with safety being the primary concern. Moving forward, UUFD staff will now develop procedures necessary for safe use of outdoor space on our campus. Every effort will be made to implement the outdoor policy as soon as possible, while we still have favorable weather. The UUA currently recommends that we plan for virtual operations through May 2021. Stay tuned for further announcements.

Our thanks to the policy task force members:

Sara Sautter, Interim Director of Faith Formation
Nancy Fisher, Membership Committee member and Circle Supper coordinator; retired nurse
Lisa McCorry, Risk Management team and former director of Faith Formation
Donna Nelson, retired physician and former Board of Trustees secretary
John Redemske, Buildings & Grounds Chair; current Board of Trustees member

Choir News

On October 7, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, the Diversitones will start Zoom rehearsals for our November 8 virtual choir. You are invited to join us, even if you have not sung with us before. Contact Elizabeth at choir@durangouu.org.

For all past and present choir members: Even if you haven’t been singing with us this fall, we want you to be part of our Christmas video! Please contact Elizabeth at choir@durangouu.org

Halloween Trunk or Treat at UUFD!*

A fun and safe way to celebrate

Join us on Saturday, October 31 as we create a safer way for our children to celebrate Halloween. We invite adults to volunteer to park their cars in our parking lot with a decorated trunk. Use your creative juices to create a spooky Halloween fright sight! Get even MORE creative and plan out a way to deliver treats to your trick or treaters from six feet – a long pipe to slide the treats down? A grabber like this one? A fishing pole? Or perhaps you just leave candy on a table, spaced out for small grabbing hands.

Cars will be parked at least ten feet apart. Families will be asked to sign up for timed attendance slots. All participants will be masked (not just the Halloween ones, but pandemic appropriate mask as well.) Children will trick or treat with their families, spaced at least ten feet apart, moving in one direction.

Adults – Sign up here to decorate your trunk.

Kids – Sign up here to participate.

*This event is dependent upon current recommendations, pandemic conditions and safety approval on October 30.

Words and Images

All welcome to submit art pieces for eventual exhibition in Bowman Hall

You are invited to participate in the first ever UUFD Ekphrasis Exhibition whenever Bowman Hall Art Gallery eventually opens again. This is the perfect time to channel your creativity into exploring how the written word and a work of art can inspire each other. Each exhibitor is limited to a maximum wall space of 36" by 36" and should include poetry or prose associated a piece of art that can be hung or mounted on the gallery wall. All ages are welcome to challenge head, heart and hand! Email annsmithsws@hotmail.com of the Art & Aesthetics team with any questions.