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

Sunday, September 15, 2019 | 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Leadership Matters Sermon by Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, Interim Senior Minister What is good leadership? Are good leaders born or made? How have our expectations about good leadership changed over time? What kind of leadership do we need now? Rev. Terasa will explore many dimensions of these questions for our community and for our world. Gail Crawford is our Worship Associate. Our music includes soloist Lori Rottenberg singing The Last Song of Your Life , the popular hit recorded by Pink and written by Billy Mann. Sophia Morreale , Interim Music Director, plays Bach's Concerto I in G Major and Handel's Allegro Maestoso , both on organ. Livestream

Next Week's Sermon September 22, 9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. “Past, Present and Future” with Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley. We’ll be celebrating the church ‘birthday’ this Sunday — the 71st anniversary of the beginning conversations that formed this congregation. Those early dreamers were responding to some urgent needs that surrounded them. What needs are we responding to now? What needs can we anticipate in the future? This service will feature our friend Charles Brown leading us in music.

Church Matters

Can we talk? Join the conversation about UUCA leadership at the next UUCA Happy Hour co-hosted by the Ministerial Search and Nominating Committees By Frank Corsoro, member Ministerial Search Committee, and Josh Mohr, chairperson Nominating Committee Yes, let’s talk! Join us in conversation at the next UUCA Happy Hour on Wednesday, September 18, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Co-hosts are two church committees deeply committed to questions of leadership of our beloved community! Come and enjoy a light repast at the dinner hour and meet members of the Ministerial Search and Nominating Committees. The MSC will give an update on the timeline of the search process and the NomCom will share their exciting plans to increase their involvement in leadership development. And, be sure to ask about Rev. Terasa’s upcoming workshop on Adaptive Leadership on Saturday, September 21. Following the Happy Hour, plan on staying for the MSC Cottage Meeting at 7:30 p.m. The MSC needs to hear your voice before decisions are made about our next senior minister. Please use this link to register. Registration is not required, though appreciated.

NomCom--What's That? We are the Nominations Committee - good to meet you!  What do we do? We are match-makers! We are here to help you connect your unique gifts and perspectives with opportunities to grow and serve in our community. We work with Rev. Terasa, UUCA staff, and the Board to help you find where you feel the most comfortable developing and sharing your unique gifts and skills as a leader.  You don't have to start as a Board member; maybe you love to cook, dance, teach, fund raise, bird watch, facilitate a discussion group, or start something entirely new.  Let's get to know each other. The Nominations Committee will co-sponsor this month's happy hour on September 18. We would love to hear your stories! And we should have great food for thought after Rev. Terasa's sermon on Leadership on September 15. Talk to you soon, NomCom 2019-20

UUCA Social Justice Committee to receive award from UUSJ Sunday, October 6, 4-6 p.m. Congratulations to Stephanie Thomas, Becky Ross and Paul Blackburn , who will receive the 2019 Racial Justice and Beloved Community Award from the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice at UUSJ’s Awards Gala! Stephanie, Becky and Paul are being recognized for their outstanding work in getting UUCA to adopt the 8th Principle and for tirelessly working to dismantle systems of white supremacy. The Awards Gala is hosted by UUCA this year, from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, October 6. Come celebrate UUCA’s award-winning committee and other social justice heroes from UU congregations in our area, and enjoy music from our own Free Spirits jazz ensemble.  For tickets and information click here.

Art Mystery Please help us solve an art mystery! The paintings "Lavendar," and "Birds of Paradise" were part of a recent exhibit in the Center Gallery by Baltimore artist Sara Bardin. The works disappeared from the Center Gallery sometime between September 1 and 7. We had announced in Connections that the previous week that exhibit was about to close and are very much hoping that someone decided to purchase them and simply neglected to contact Gallery Director Carson Herrington. Can you help us solve this art mystery? Email aparker@uucava.org .

Wheel of Life Our condolences to Georgianne Sheehy on the death of her father George Santa .

Please join us for these opportunities to Connect and Grow 

Write Here! Write Now! Tell Our Senators to Show Real Leadership to Help Avert the Climate Crisis! Sunday, September 15, following services - Fellowship Hall Join us in the Center after each service to write our representatives on the need for climate action and also make signs and a banner to carry on Friday at the Global Climate Strike. Momentum is building to address climate change, sparked by wide interest in a Green New Deal and the bold actions of young climate activists around the world. As UUs we must promote a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future. Congress is appropriating funds now so let’s urge our senators to support programs and policies to build a green economy, protect our air, land and water, phase out fossil fuels, and take action to transform our economic system by creating market incentives to “go green.” On Sunday, Sept. 15. come by our UUSJ Write Here! Write Now! table to write our senators. Background material is available. Letters will be hand-delivered by participants during the Sept. 15-17 UU conference “Advancing Economic and Climate Justice as a Moral Issue: Building a Movement for A Green New Deal." Questions? Contact Lavonagrow@mac.com .

March with UUCA Folks @ the DC Climate Strike Friday, September 20, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Come join the thousands of people who will be gathering to demand immediate action from our elected representatives in Washington, DC to stymie the climate crisis and to advocate for our shared human right to clean air, clean water, and a survivable future. This is part of a global climate strike that will take place all over the world. Sept. 15: Help make posters at the Write Here! Write Now! table after both services. Sept. 20: 10:30 a.m. Meet at SE corner of McPherson Square (I Street & 15th NW). 10:45 a.m. Walk to the White House. 11 a.m. March begins at White House. 2 p.m. March ends at Capitol Building. Connect with UUCA's Climate Crisis Coalition at uucaclimatecoalition@gmail.com. For more information on the global effort, visit globalclimatestrike.net. MoonFire Ritual – Cerridwen’s Cauldron Sunday, September 15, 1:30 p.m. You're invited to join MoonFire this Sunday for a ritual on Cerridwen’s Cauldron. It’s the Fall Equinox, a time of change, such as trees and plants changing from greens to yellows, oranges, reds, and browns; there is now more darkness than light; and warmth being replaced by a chill. As nature goes through these changes, we will call on the Celtic goddess Cerridwen (KARE-id-win), well-known for her great cauldron of knowledge and inspiration, to assist in our own transformations. Please bring your own feast gear and a dish to share for the potluck following the ritual. Further information on MoonFire: www.moonfireuuca.org , or contact moonfirecoords@gmail.com .

UUCA Birthday Bash Sunday, September 22, 12:30 p.m. Our Birthday Bash is less than two weeks away!We have fun events and activities for the kid in all of us! Music, games, a bake-off and, of course, there will be food! We'll start the party with a potluck luncheon. We'd like to keep the dishes balanced, so please let us know what you will bring by doing the sign-up below. Like any successful event, it takes lots of hands behind-the-scenes to make it happen. We have a wide-range of volunteer tasks that need to be filled. Thanks for signing up below. Volunteer for Birthday Bash HERE. Potluck sign-up HERE.

UUCA Great Cake Bake-Off Sunday, September 22, 12:30 p.m. What's a birthday without cake? Of course there will be cake! Our bake-off in the spring was such a sweet success that we are bringing it back! Bakers, dust those cake pans and start baking! The bake-off event is for all ages. We have a separate "Kids" category. For more information on the Bake-Off and how to enter, click here .

Let's DANCE! Back by popular demand! The Center Gallery will rock once again with young and old dancing to the lively beat provided by DJ Myra at our upcoming Birthday Bash. If you missed the dance party the last time at the Spring Fling, you don't want to miss it this time! Let's DANCE! See you at the Birthday Bash!

Birthday Gift Thank You! The birthday celebration has already begun! Thank you to everyone who has already sent UUCA birthday wishes via gifts from our AmazonSmile gift wish-list. We've been receiving little surprise packages all week! Thank you! If you're an online shopper, it's so easy to do. Just use this link.

Faith 360 - UUCA's New Adult Faith Development Program The online catalog and registration is now open. Follow the link for a complete class list and descriptions. Some of the offerings: What Moves Us: UU Theology Neighboring Faiths for Teens and Adults Adaptive Leadership Where I'm From - Poetry Workshop Hidden Wholeness Book Discussion Conflict Transformation The Haunting of Hill House Discussion Neuro Bloom Series Spirituality Book Group - Book list here ONLINE CATALOG/REGISTRATION HERE. Registration can also be done on Sunday at the Faith 360 table. Questions? Contact LeeAnn Williams , LWilliams@uucava.org , 703-892-2565, ext. 1203.

Covenant Group Registration Opens Registration for Covenant Groups, our small group ministry, is now open. Registration will continue through the month of September or until the groups are full. This Sunday, September 15, there will be folks available to help you register after Sunday services. Covenant groups allow us to share what touches our hearts and souls with others in a safe setting. In our groups, we explore our spirituality, build relationships, and provide service to UUCA and the wider community. Each group of 8 to 12 people meet monthly at church or in homes to explore and grow together. Most groups meet from October to June, and participants are strongly encouraged to attend each month. A trained facilitator leads each group using videos, readings, poems, music, and other resources to enhance communication. Most groups focus on the Soul Matters program, a UU curriculum. The program focuses on a monthly theme with the theme being carried through to the Sunday sermons. Other groups consider a variety of topics. For more information on the groups and registration, follow this link. Questions? Contact the UUCA Covenant Group Strategy Team, uucacovgroups@gmail.com .

UUSJ Environmental Conference Advancing Economic & Climate Justice as a Moral Issue Sunday, September 15, 11:15 a.m. through Tuesday, September 17, 5 p.m. Washington DC   Learn how individually and collectively we can help to build a movement for a New Green Deal at this advocacy and action conference on environmental justice, class and race. Attend one day or all three days. Scholarships available. Informational flyer here . Purchase tickets here . Building Safety and Host Training Sunday, September 15, 12:15 p.m. Board Room All are welcome to this special training for building safety and event hosting. All are welcome and those in leadership roles are especially urged to attend. No need to register. Drop-ins are welcome. Questions? Email AParker@uucava.org.

Happy Hour Wednesday, September 18, 6-7:30 p.m., Fellowship Hall Come to an informal get together to meet new people and to catch up with old friends in the church. Snacks are sponsored by the Ministerial Search and the Nomination Committees. The MSC will give an update on the ministerial search process and the NomCom will share news on leadership development. Please bring a beverage to share (beer, wine or non-alcoholic please). Cottage Meetings Sunday, September 15, 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. ALSO Wednesday, September 18, 7:30 p.m. (check link below for additional dates) Come to hear a review from the Ministerial Search Committee of the recent congregational survey. You'll have the opportunity to give your views as to its implications for UUCA's future and you can present questions you think the MSC should ask the ministerial candidates. Several Cottage meetings are scheduled through October 6. Please be sure to attend at least one. The next two meetings are Sept. 15 after the services and Sept. 18, after the Happy Hour (see times above and link below). Sign-ups not required, but appreciated. Sign up here.

New UU Series Sunday, September 15, 12:30 p.m. Welcome Room The New UU Series, designed for newcomers to learn about Unitarian Universalism and UUCA, will begin on Sept. 15 at 12:30 p.m. in the Welcome Room. Replacing the former New UU class, this is a series of six stand-alone classes meeting on the first and third Sundays of each month after second service. Take one or take them all! Topics are Worship & UUCA; Membership, Stewardship & Belonging; Social Action; UU History & Theology; Faith Development, Covenant Groups & Pastoral Care; and Campus Tour & Partners. Each topic will be announced in Connections and the Order of Service. The topic for Sept. 15 is Worship & UUCA. All are welcome. Signups are not necessary. Childcare is available upon request, Sarah.masters@uucava.org. Men's Book Group Born a Crime Sunday, October 13, 7:30 p.m. The non-fiction choice for October is Born A Crime , a memoir about growing up under apartheid by Trevor Noah, the current host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. The fiction selection for the November 10, is The Woman in the Window , a novel by A.J. Finn. As always, please bring any non-fiction and fiction titles you have read and would like the group to read and discuss in future months. All men are welcome and newcomers are especially welcome. Whether you've read the book or not, you are welcome. If there are any questions about the group and its meetings, or if you want to be on our monthly email list, please email Ken Marshall kenmar42@gmail.com or call 703-533-8004.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Classes Offered at UUCA 8-sessions & all day retreat. Begins w/ info session, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. Are you longing for greater balance, well-being, and enjoyment in your life? Would you like to discover ways to reduce your stress level? Join us for a Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) course here at UUCA and learn powerful, life-enhancing skills that can help you shift in a more positive direction. MBSR teaches meditation and other awareness techniques to help people manage stress, pain, illness, and life's daily challenges more effectively and live with greater vitality, balance, and joy. With over 40 years of experience and scientific evidence, MBSR has demonstrated wide-ranging benefits, including improvements in physical, mental, and emotional well-being. For details on schedule and fees, click here. LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER Join UUCA Family and Friends at Annual Fall Retreat September 27-29, Capon Springs, West Virginia For 50 plus years, members and friends of UUCA have gathered for a fall weekend at the beautiful Capon Springs resort in West Virginia to connect, relax and have fun. A two-hour drive from Arlington, Capon Springs is a family-owned and run resort hidden in the hills of WV. Its 4700 acres of natural beauty allows for a true sense of escape in a setting happily forgotten by time. The weekend provides a wonderful opportunity for fellowship with other UUs and for deepening your connection to the UUCA community. Please visit the Fall Retreat table after the services to register or learn more.  Registration deadline is September 15. Questions? Contact Bill Turner, dc_billturner@yahoo.com or 571-266-2147.

African American Author  Book Sharing Circle Stamped from the Beginning Friday, September 20, 7:30 p.m. Our African American Author Book Sharing Circle will begin its year of study by exploring the 2016 National Book Award Winner in Non-Fiction Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi. Kendi uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to offer a window into the contentious debates between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists. Read more >> It's all about UUCA! The UUCA! table in Fellowship Hall on Sunday has information on many groups and activities in the church. And new for this fall, we are selling several new books about Unitarian Universalism! We have the UU Pocket Guide ($9), Welcome ($7), and A Chosen Faith ($16). Can’t make it to church? You can buy these titles and many more at the InSpirit UU Book & Gift Store, here .

Making Music at UUCA | 2019-2020    UUCA invites you to join us in making music this year. No experience is necessary! We welcome all ages and skill and comfort levels to sing, ring, write, and more. Find the groups that are right for you!   All musical groups will have the opportunity to make music during worship services, but this is not a requirement for individuals to participate in the group on a weekly basis. Whether you have been making music your whole life or you have been longing to share your voice or play an instrument or try something new, we hope you will join us in making music this year at UUCA! Click here for informational brochure.

Circle Dinners changed my life. . . Nothing brings people together like good food . . . Good food ends with good talk . . . Food tastes better when shared with friends . . . Food is the ingredient that binds us together . . . There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. Eating together, breaking bread together, is one of the oldest and most fundamentally unifying of human experiences . . . Circle Dinners UUCA's Circle Dinners program is a delicious way to build community by sharing meals together. Participants are placed in groups of six to eight adults who arrange to meet and share a meal three to four times between November and May. Through these meals, we get to know other UUCA members and friends as well as to meet and welcome new members. There are two types of dinners to choose from: Potluck or Restaurant. Potluck group participants bring a dish to contribute to a meal in a private home. Members of the circle take turns hosting. Restaurant group participants take turns organizing the outing and selecting a restaurant for all to enjoy. If you are unable to commit to a minimum of three dinners, you can request to be placed on our substitute list. Link to the sign-up doc here. You can bring the completed doc to church on Sunday and complete the sign-up process in Fellowship Hall after the service. Questios? Contact: Jennifer Frum, frumjb@gmail.com.

Early American to 21st Century Black Women Writers Group Wednesday, September 18, 7-9:00 p.m. Welcome Room Please join us for our next Early American to 21st Century Black Women Writers Group. We're a small but lively group of folks interested in learning more about black women writers in the U. S. from the 1770s to the present. Each month a volunteer introduces short texts by a new writer, so we can read them aloud together and talk about them. There’s no advance reading. Brenda King will lead our next meeting. We're delighted when people just drop in, and no one has to volunteer for anything! Contact: Gay Gibson Cima , cimag@georgetown.edu . VOICE Meeting Are you interested in criminal justice reform? Thursday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. OFF-SITE @ Shiloh Baptist Church And are you interested in criminal justice reform in Fairfax County? A new criminal justice reform team is organizing now. Some of us are experienced VOICE leaders and some of us are new to VOICE. We will focus our relational meetings, listening sessions, research, and action on local Fairfax County criminal justice issues. Please join us at our first meeting, Thursday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church, 8310 Turning Leaf Lane, McLean.  Contact McGennis Williams, mcgennis@mcgenniswilliams.com.

Our Stories, Our Lives Tuesday, September 24, 10:30 a.m. - Noon We all know that sharing stories with one another is a way to understand others better and to clarify and shape our own lives. What better environment for that experience than with a group of UUCA folks?  Starting on Tuesday, September 24, UUCA sponsors a conversation and story-sharing group. “Our Stories, Our Lives” will continue every fourth Tuesday morning, 10:30 to noon. Facilitators will be Jacomina De Regt and/or Diane Ullius . Each person will have about seven minutes (more or less, depending on attendance that day) to tell or read a brief story from their lives, responding to a topic suggested in advance. We’ll have coffee and tea and will ask for a freewill donation. Topic for September 24: Tell us the story of your name—first, middle, and/or last. Where did it come from? How well do you like it? Have you had nicknames? For more information, contact Diane Ullius, Commissioned Lay Minister, Diane.Ullius@comcast.net . Spirituality Book Group: How to be Spiritual Without Being Religious Tuesday, October 1, 7 p.m. Our Spirituality Book Group meets for the first time on October 1 for a conversation on the book How to Be Spiritual Without Being Religious by D. Patrick Miller. It's a book for folks who seek a rich and authentic interior life but find formal religious affiliation unappealing. It's a short book and a great season opener. Find it online or at your favorite bookstore. No need to register. Just drop-in. Questions? Contact David McTaggart, dmctagg@gmail.com. Next month's book: Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. Discussion led by Diane Ullius. Will meet on Nov. 5, 7-9 p.m. More info about the October 1 book launch here.

Neuro Blooms Series

Neuro Blooms is a project by artist Leslie Holt that includes mixed media art and community events intended to spark curiosity and conversations about the causes and stigmatizing myths of mental illness. Images are based on brain PET scans of people experiencing different mental health conditions. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imagery reveals unique maps of brain behavior and function. The Neuro Blooms project makes mental health conditions visible and beautiful.

Connecting creation with mental health through a series of workshops led by guest experts in needlepoint, knitting, writing, music, and activism. Each session meets from 6:30-8:30 pm Sept. 17. Embroidery Activity. $5 supply fee. Sept. 24. Praying in Color. Supplies provided. No fee. Oct. 1. Shrink and Drink--come make Shrinky Drinks with friends and beverages. Oct. 8. Knitting workshop. $10 supply fee or bring your own needles and yarn. Art Panel Discussion Sunday, Sept. 15, 1-3:00 p.m. A panel discussion exploring the space shared between the brain sciences, mental health, creativity, and activism. Open Mic Friday, Oct. 11, 6:30- 9 pm in Center Gallery UUCA’s Music Ministry is thrilled to partner with Leslie Holt’s Neuro Blooms exhibit to offer our first UUCA Coffee House Open Mic of the year. Come share your performance talents—music, spoken word, juggling, etc.--with others. Sign up to perform, here.

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 ‌ ‌