UUFD Newsletter, July 2021

July 2021

Beginnings and Endings

Rev. Katie's Animas View

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.

-T.S. Eliot

July is the official start of the “church year.” Our fiscal year begins in July, and we start to plan both governance and ministry. Normally, we would not celebrate a re-gathering for worship until September’s traditional Water Ceremony. But this summer worship, like so much else, is different. We are blessed to be coming back together again on July 4th, when our Summer Series begins.

All of these worship services will be held both in person at the sanctuary, and online, via Zoom. We encourage you to choose the option that makes you most comfortable. Do plan to join us! These services will be led by members of the congregation, selected by our conscientious and dedicated Worship Team.

We are calling this a time of experimentation, knowing that circumstances will be changing as we aim to follow. Unfortunately, I won’t be there to greet you, as my scheduled time away is in July.

I look forward to joining you again the first Sunday in August. I hope to be rested and ready for this new exciting season. And in the meantime, I hope that you enjoy greeting and seeing one another. I can’t wait to be with you again in person.

Always in the Love,

Rev. Katie

July Services (in person and online)

Worship services will now be held both in person at the sanctuary and via Zoom. Please choose the option that makes you most comfortable. To join a Zoom worship, look for the link on the UUFD website.

SUMMER SERIES:

"Lead Ourselves Into the Well"

Our Summer Series this year uses a song as a touchstone: “We Shall Be Known” by MaMuse. Many recordings of the song can be found online, including one by the duo who wrote the song, Sarah Nutting & Karisha Longaker. You may recognize the song from a Sunday service earlier in the year when the UUFD choir performed it.

One line in the song in particular inspired our theme: “It is time we lead ourselves into the well.” As we imagine what those words might mean, we envision speakers telling their personal story about what leads them into a deeper, fuller spiritual life where they thrive - what leads them “into the well.”

We hope that our Summer Series will provide an opportunity to learn from each other the many ways to “lead in love,” as MaMuse encourages us to do during this “Great Turning.” The Great Turning is a name for the essential adventure of our time: a transition between eras, a shift from the Industrial Growth Society to a life-sustaining civilization. Joanna Macy speaks of the Great Turning as a spiritual revolution grounded in an awakening consciousness of our spiritual connection to one another and the living body of the Earth.

–The Worship Team (Anna Royer, Bonnie Miller, Tom Miller, Sheryl Guy, Tim Miller, Mary Ocken)

July 4

Learning to Lead in Love

-Steve Foster, pulpit guest

Taking a lyric from the song by MaMuse, how can we use this mantra for a more meaningful and fulfilling life? One family has taken this approach to share with the congregation.

July 11

Notes on the Journey

-Mary Ocken, pulpit guest

The journey is responding to our times with a deep time perspective and conscious intention. What might be ours to do in this Great Turning?

July 18

The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot

–Marilyn Leftwich, pulpit guest

How might deep spiritual practice enable strength, confidence and certainty in life? Emphasizing inclusion, love and stewardship of Nature, positivity and bonds of loyalty and support, Paganism lifts up the same principles found in Unitarian Universalism.

July 25

It is Time Now!

-Laurie Meininger, pulpit guest

Let’s look at the opportunities we have in this great turning for deeper connection to one another, to our community, to our world.

Looking forward with optimism

Message from John Redemske, UUFD Board President

Dear fellow members of UUFD,

I am honored to be able to serve all of you for the coming year as President of the UUFD Board of Trustees and to have Terri Reherman as Vice President, Carolyn Miller as Secretary, Rachael Lasiewicz as Treasurer, and Jill Bystydzeinski and Steve Govreau as two members at large. Click here for board members' biographies and photos.

All of us, and the Fellowship as a whole, have been through a difficult last year dealing with the Covid Pandemic. The Fellowship, and in particular Rev. Katie, her staff and the Worship Team, have made some amazing adjustments to produce outstanding services on an all-Zoom platform. It has helped us survive the past year.

We have also helped others survive this last year. We extended our compassion to provide the Columbine house to an Aslyee family, Eli and Lio and their young baby, in preparation for their successful settlement into an apartment in Durango this June.

I am extremely optimistic about the coming year at UUFD! With vaccinations on the rise and the population able to get back to more of a normal life, there will be a lot of pent-up need in people to get out and do things. The worship team will be starting summer services in person under current Covid guidelines. It will be a joy to experience each other in person! We also look forward to gathering together in person for small ministry groups. It will be wonderful to re-start a robust Faith Formation program for both children and adults as well. We look forward to a new Faith Formation director to assist making this a reality!

The coming year also brings a tremendous opportunity for UUFD to expand its message to the wider community. Many people have been limited in activities this past year and now are thinking more about how they want to spend their time and what things are meaningful for them. It is time for us to speak to people that we meet more freely about the UU principles that we all believe in so deeply! It is time to promote our new mission statement:

With deep gratitude for you all,

John Redemske

Healthy Congregations Committee begins work

Relational Covenant drafted; additional work begun

The Healthy Congregation Committee is meeting every two weeks to develop a Relational Covenant which sets forth expectations of how we as a congregation communicate and learn to speak with each other and our leadership directly and honestly from a position of respect, kindness, and love. We understand that there is hurt, anxiety and stress within the congregation.

The HCC is tasked with promoting and facilitating open and productive communication and addressing conflict. Conflict is often necessary to keep an organization mindful of and focused on its mission. The HCC is working with the Minister and the Board on promoting learning opportunities and sharing communication ideas and resources.

Last week the HCC developed a first draft of our Relational Covenant for UUFD. Additionally, we began reviewing the book Healthy Congregations - A Systems Approach by Peter Steinke, a foremost expert in this field, to guide our work. Many of his concepts provide a base for understanding what “healthy congregations” really means. There are four core issues that all congregations face:

mission and how to achieve it
anxiety and how to manage it
strengths and resources and how to implement them
wholeness and how to maintain it.

Anxiety, in particular, is like a virus that will continue to grow unless a congregation embraces some important communication skills which we will discuss more in depth. They include not gossiping, blaming or fault finding, telling lies, triangulating or indirect communication. We will continue to discuss these skills more in depth.

Creating a healthy congregation is a learning experience for us all. The HCC will share communication tips and our progress with you on an ongoing basis.

Service is our Prayer

2021 Summer Faith Formation

Our summer faith formation program began on May 30 and will continue through August 29. Using the theme of Service is Our Prayer: Summer of Service, children will be exploring how to live their faith in the world through service.

There will be no faith formation programs on September 5, Labor Day weekend.

Faith Formation will remain multi-platform through the summer (see article below, "We’re at Worship in Person. Why is Faith Formation Still Multi-Platform?". What is multi-platform? That means that some activities can be done at home, some on our Sunday Zoom and some in person, over multiple platforms. We hope to return to in person classes in the fall – fingers crossed.

Our program is centered around a workbook that was sent to all families. Didn’t receive a workbook? Click here for a digital version. Or contact Sara Sautter here to request a printed copy.

Many thanks to Shanan Orndorff and Bobbi Maiers who helped with the editing of our summer service workbook. Thanks!

Covenant Groups

Thanks to all of you who signed up to participate in Covenant Groups, our UUFD small group ministry program. That’s a start!

Your next step is to let us know what kind of covenant group you would like to participate in - a new one or an established one – and when the best time is for you to meet. If you have not already done so, please complete this form. Once we have this information, we will be back in touch with you to let you know which group you will be in.

Columbine House Set Up

As most of you know, Columbine House was used to house a refugee family during most of the pandemic. The family has now moved into a new home. Hurrah!

Now we need to set the house back up for use as faith formation classrooms and meeting spaces. We will do this work on Saturday, July 24. Can you spare a couple of hours to help? Click here to sign up for a shift. Heck, sign up for a couple!

Summer Faith Formation Helpers

You may have heard that it is hard to hire right now. It is! One of our teachers, Cara Keyser, has moved on, and we have been advertising for a classroom teacher for the past few months with no luck. To conform to our Child and Youth Safety Policy, we must have two adults online during our Zoom summer classes.

There’s nothing to it! Our teacher, Kiara Stacey, will plan for the class. All you need to do is be present and play along with the kids. Can you spare an hour one or two Sundays this summer? Just go to our Sign-Up Genius here. Find the Sunday you want to volunteer and sign up! Thanks!

A Letter of Good Bye

Phew! What a remarkable two years I’ve had with you here at UUFD. The first year was full of learning about your fellowship, testing and experimenting. And the second year? Well, that was ALSO full of learning and testing. A surprise pandemic year!

As most of you know, an interim is a specialized role. Interims are trained to be ushers for change. An interim is asked to meet you where you are and provide you with an outline of how things might go - an outline gleaned from experience, best practices and collaboration with your members. Then it is up to you to make the change.

Those of you who have corresponded with me may have noticed my signature line, “Change happens at the speed of trust.” I believe that to my bones. And so, I thank you for your trust. Because you HAVE changed.

You have changed from a congregation that once believed in the importance of faith formation. Now you are a congregation that puts faith formation front and center. You have changed to become a congregation that understands faith formation as a lifelong search for truth and meaning, a congregation that recognizes that what we know as truth at age 6 will change at 16. And again at 26. And again at 46 and maybe even again at 76.

Working collaboratively with your board, with the interim advisory team, and with the faith formation team, you have changed to become a congregation that now holds up your optimism for comprehensive faith formation. Your new Lifespan Faith Formation Ministry will be a well-developed program that goes beyond children’s ministry to provide leadership for all ages in faith formation, one that includes integration with multiple areas of church life.

This is BIG change. And as one of my favorite philosophers, Fred Rogers, told us, “Growth can bring feelings of loss. To get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind.”

Your willingness to make change, a sometimes-painful process, shows trust in the many congregants that served for months or years on teams and committees. It shows trust in the leaders that carefully considered their recommendations. And trust that you, as a congregation, can realize your aspirations.

This congregation has grown, steadily, over the past many years. And with growth in size comes change. Whether you want it or not.

Do you remember being a teenager? I sure do. For most of us, adolescence was a time of rapid change and growth -- to our bodies and, painfully, to our sense of how to be in the world. When I was a teenager, I knew a lot about what I did NOT like. But I had a smaller understanding of what I DID like. These clothes no longer fit or suit me. But what does? Wait. I like that, but, um, is it cool?

At 170 members with one and soon-to-be two full-time staff, you just may be in your congregational adolescence. Feet too large. Full. Of. Promise. And a few ugly zits to manage.

I am grateful for our time together. I am grateful for your trust. And I am full of hope for the future of our faith by the change you have decided to make. Thank you.

We're at worship in person. Why is Faith Formation still multi-platform?

Your questions answered

Some have asked why faith formation is remaining multi-platform while the church returns to in-person worship beginning in July. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, plans were well underway for summer faith formation before the May congregational meeting decision to return to in-person worship. Second, our congregation uses policy to guide our decision making. Creating programs for all ages takes planning and prework, requiring months of “runway” before the programs start. Work was started on our summer faith formation program in the late winter with plans for a May 30 start date.

As with most things during this pandemic year, we’ve had to be flexible. Our initial plan for an on-site summer outdoor program was changed when the board’s COVID Task Force dissolved before policy for in-person congregational programs could be created.

When we began our planning in March, there was a lack of clarity about what was safe for unvaccinated children. Church school is different from public school. In public school, children are kept together in the same daily cohorts minimizing exposure to COVID and its’ variants. In church school, much like extracurriculars, children are together only once a week or perhaps just a few times per month. This increases the risk.

Good policy allows elected leadership to practice covenantal consent and take the time to create a shared understanding of all of the things that should be taken into consideration. With UUFD policy still in development and the start date for summer program upon us, I consulted my UU peers. Less than ten percent of UUA congregations were returning to in-person worship during the summer and less had made the decision to return to in-person faith formation.

Therefore, the decision was made to remain with the plan of hosting faith formation programs on multiple platforms – at home, Zoom, and in-person. Our hope is that by the fall there will be more clarity about the safety of children in church school settings and/or a vaccine will be developed.

Of course, parents are free to make the decision to bring their children to worship. Participation in worship IS important faith formation.

I am proud that our children will be able to explore the joy of service using the faith formation resources in their Service is Our Prayer workbooks at home with their families, during Zoom meet-ups and a couple of times in person over the summer. And I am sorry this has resulted in a difficult choice for families.

Mission: Support Kids

Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

Welcome to the newest group working in the Basic Needs social justice team, Mission: Support Kids. UUFD member Alex Todak-Schwartz turned her passion and experience with foster care into an opportunity to support children in La Plata County in foster care. Other members have signed on to the team to help create comfort backpacks that children can take with them to any home in which they are placed. Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot take care of them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff. While foster care may be necessary for a child’s safety, the circumstances are often traumatic for the child.

Alex shares this personal story as her reason for this new venture: “I remember entering my first foster home and feeling out of place. I was scared. I didn’t know what was going to happen, or what the future held. As soon as I would get familiar with a place, I would be moved somewhere else. What I remember the most from those first few homes were the many nights I spent feeling alone and afraid, crying myself to sleep. I had nothing of my own to anchor myself and feel safe, or loved.

I remember receiving a blanket. An organization had made and donated them. It gave me a feeling of comfort, knowing that someone cared enough to provide these blankets. It made me feel just a little bit more seen and valued.

I know how important those acts of love and kindness are to children in the foster care system. I want to provide something that helps them to feel like they have that anchor, something that they can feel safe in knowing belongs to them. I want to provide items of comfort for those times when they feel alone. I want to provide things that will help calm their worried and anxious minds. I want to show them that they are worthy, valued, important.”

The new team will be creating backpacks with items of support and care: personal hygiene products, a fidget toy, a coloring book and crayons or journal, a gift card to choose a book at Maria’s Book Store, a stuffed animal to hug, and a personal note of care from the team. The backpacks will be provided to the Department of Social Services so that whenever a child is picked up to go to a foster home, that child will be given his/her/their own backpack. No embarrassing stuffing belongings into a trash bag. The backpack provides a sense of containment, a safe place that they know they can keep their things in and take from place to place. It is a small piece of consistency.

The UUFD social justice team budget is helping with the purchase of some items, but the new team is working on ideas for seeking grants, asking retailers for discounts or donations, or accepting donations of items or cash from anyone interested in supporting this work. It costs approximately $45 for one completed backpack. We are grateful to Alex and the members of this new team who will work to bring a bit of love and care to other lonely scared children in La Plata County.

For more information, email Alex at a.rosetodak@gmail.com.

Board Bullets

Notes from May 18 board meeting

May 18, 2021 Board Meeting

Approved appointment of Mike Trefry to Chair Building & Grounds Committee
Discussed COVID policy on re-gathering, drafting policy for vote at June meeting
Planned details of Annual Meeting
Asylee family will vacate Columbine House on June 1
Healthy Congregation Committee asked Board to consider charter re-draft
E-mail action
COVID Outdoor Policy passed by email vote on May 11
Board voted by email on May 11 to recommend Proposed FY2022 Operating Budget for congregational approval at Annual Meeting
Board voted on June 4 to call Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 4 to approve an operating budget for FY2022