UUFD Newsletter, Feb. 2022

February 2022

On My Mind

Message from Rev. Gary Kowalski, UUFD Targeted Minister

Our chaste Pope Francis erred when he recently proclaimed that childless couples are “selfish.” That said, children do widen our circle of being. Every child that is born connects us to our forebears and descendants whom we will never know. Each child born links us to those of other lands and cultures, where moms and dads love their kids just as we do. Every child born connects us to the world of nature, which hatches out pups and chicks in a never ending cycle of becoming.

Parenting is a spiritual practice. It teaches us about unconditional love (and often teaches patience). It asks that we ourselves grow up and learn to be responsible caregivers. It opens access to the inner world of innocence, where wonder, play and imagination are still undimmed.

It seems odd that our UU Principles spotlight individuals, congregations, society-at-large, a world community and the web of all existence, yet never mention families. Blended, gay and straight, adoptive, families come in many shapes and sizes, yet all form the basic unit of human nurturance. Where would we be without them?

Maintaining meaningful ministries for families has been so challenging during this pandemic. I spoke with one dad who confessed that, choosing between another Zoom and getting his kids up on a ski slope an hour earlier, he would opt for the latter. Who can blame him? But that doesn’t mean we should stop seeking new ways to connect.

There’s a traditional Masai salutation, “How are the children?” The customary reply is, “The children are well!” It suggests that the health of any tribe is measured by the welfare of its smallest, most vulnerable members. Let our UU tribe take note.

Gary

February Services (online)

As of Jan. 2, worship services are held at 10 am via Zoom only. To join a Zoom worship, look for the link on the UUFD website. Make sure to check your weekly E-announcements for updates, in case services should shift back to in-person.

February 6

Welcoming the Stranger

-Rev. Munro Sickafoose

How do we navigate our values in a time of xenophobia and extreme tribalism? What does radical hospitality look like? How deep does our generosity extend to those not of our tribe? There are no easy answers. As one of my teachers used to say, don’t simplify, complexify.

*Rev. Munro will be in Durango February 6 – 9. Please email revmunro@durangouu.org if you’d like to meet or take a walk!

February 13

How to Bless the World

-Rev. Munro Sickafoose

One of the meanings of “to bless” is to sanctify or make holy, but traditional religious language and practices can be challenging for Unitarian Universalists. Nevertheless, giving blessings is a necessary and important part of our lives, or should be. Let’s explore the why and the how of it.

February 20

What To Do When Your World Turns Upside Down

-Rev. Gary Kowalski

A Gallup poll quizzed church-goers on what sermon topics they found most useful. Dealing with adversity and coping with grief were at the top of the list. No wonder. I recently spoke with a member who, in the space of a few months, lost both his parents. His partner fell down a flight of stairs. His job was terminated. This morning’s talk draws on the ancient book of Job for a bit of insight on how to survive and thrive when bad things happen.

*Rev. Gary will be in Durango this weekend; please email revgary@durangouu.org if you’d like to meet.

February 27

Calvin, Hobbes and the Meaning of Life

-Rev. Gary Kowalski

Bill Watterson’s classic cartoon characters often faced weighty existential problems, while their namesakes (French theologian John Calvin and English political theorist Thomas Hobbes) continue to shape our views of human nature with their gloomy estimates of society. Are people basically trustworthy and cooperative, or otherwise? Is life really as Hobbes described it, “mean, nasty, brutish and short”? This morning Rev. Kowalski takes a look at the evidence, with some help from the Sunday funnies.

Message from John Redemske, UUFD Board President

Hello fellow UUFD members and friends,

This has been an exciting time at UUFD! In January we welcomed our new Targeted Ministers, Rev. Gary Kowalski and Rev. Munro Sickafoose! Things moved very fast, and within several weeks at the beginning of January, the front section of the Columbine house was transformed by many UUFD volunteers into a comfortable apartment for them to reside when they are in Durango (see photos below)! We are fortunate to have Revs. Gary and Munro with us for the next 5 months. They will help us keep our church functions operating, and will guide us on our journey to be an even more caring, thoughtful and action orientated congregation.

The Transitional Ministry Search Task Force will continue to work over the next several months to apply for an Interim minister with an aim for one to start in July or August at the beginning of the next church year. Not much will happen for several months with this, but the Transitional Ministry Search Task Force will be communicating updates as they become available.

In the coming months, we will take a close look at what we do and how we are in covenant together. There will be an opportunity to join a new task force to review our 5 year Strategic Plan that was approved in 2017. This task force will determine what recommendations we have accomplished and, for those items that were not accomplished, why they were not. There will also be an opportunity to join another new task force that will evaluate and recommend improvements to our Bylaws. The Healthy Congregation Committee (HCC) will be active in the coming months to lead discussions about the concerns voiced in the Listening Circles and to talk more about our Relational Covenant.

Unfortunately, the Omicron variant of the COVID virus has surged and the Board, in consultation with the UUFD COVID Advisory Group and the Worship team, decided in late December that we had to return to Zoom worship in January until local COVID levels fall. Our COVID Advisory Group however, had determined that the Zoom Sunday services could be conducted safely from the Sanctuary by a small group of people. It is great to see our beautiful Sanctuary on Zoom during the Sunday service! I want to thank the Worship Team, Worship Leaders, Music Leaders and all others involved for the great job in making a very rapid switch to Zoom conducted from the Sanctuary! The Omicron Variant has a history in other regions of dropping rapidly in prevalence after the surge. Our COVID Advisory Group is tracking this daily and will let us know when it will be safe to hold in-person Sunday services again.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about Board activity, please give me a call! 603-345-2244.

With gratitude to all of my fellow UU members and friends,

John Redemske

FAMILY MINISTRY AND FAITH FORMATION NEWS

Welcome!

A message from Leah Ongiri, family ministry coordinator

Our February Faith Formation theme is welcome! We’ll be thinking and learning about hospitality, widening the circle, how to be in relationship with each other, and even how to welcome some of the parts of ourselves that we might otherwise keep hidden.

Thanks to all who have helped us welcome our new Sunday Morning Learning Coordinator Harrison Wendt. You can read more about him and his role with us here. Children, youth, and families are invited to join him (and sometimes Rev. Leah and Fellowship members) on Sunday at 11 am or whenever the service ends.

Questions, concerns, ideas, accolades? Family Ministry Coordinator Leah would love to hear from you at familyministry@durangouu.org.

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COVID-19: Where are we?

Update and information from UUFD's COVID-19 Advisory Team

We are beginning the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a rough ride. Concerned for the safety of our Fellowship, the Board of Trustees closed, reopened and again closed the Sanctuary. What is our plan, and what do we expect in 2022?

The Board has developed a UUFD COVID-19 Policy which aims to control the risk of contagion in our indoor spaces. The Policy relies on a scientific understanding of the risk factors for indoor contagion, while at the same time respecting our values of choice and openness. Occupancy guidance is based on the MIT COVID-19 Indoor Safety Guideline. Using this guideline, we set the risk of contagion very low, no more than one single episode of COVID-19 spread per 100 Sunday services. The guideline software caps the indoor group size and meeting time duration that are within this risk tolerance. These occupancy limits are specific for a set of variables, one of which is the county prevalence of COVID-19 infection. The UUFD COVID Advisory Team calculates prevalence from information readily available on county and state public health websites. Higher prevalence means higher risk of contagion, which mandates smaller and shorter indoor gatherings.

When can we anticipate worshiping in the Sanctuary again? The Omicron wave is receding but has a long way down yet to go. Barring the emergence of dangerous new viral variants, my guesstimate is that within one to two months, up to 60 masked people may safely enjoy in-person services. For 100 worshipers, the time might be three months. And yes, we will reach a time when we can put away our masks.

Before that day, we rely on your cooperation to keep us all safe. Follow the Policy. Do not come to UUFD if you are ill; rather, get tested. Please e-mail our Office Administrator Jeanne MacKenzie to schedule all indoor events at UUFD. She will consult with our Team if she is concerned that your planned occupancy exceeds our risk limit. Report to Jeanne and to your Team/Committee Chairperson if you test positive within two weeks of any UUFD meeting; that way, people whom you may have exposed can be notified and act appropriately.

Graham Smith

For the UUFD COVID-19 Advisory Team

The 2022 Pledge Campaign kicks off!

Theme: "All Together Now"

It’s that time of year that members and friends of UUFD eagerly watch for their pledge packets to arrive in their snail mail box. This packet will explain the When, What, How & Why of pledging. What would we do without this critical routine?

Heads up: Celebration Sunday, our Pledge Campaign Finale, will be March 20. Please plan to join us, and stay tuned for details.

Pledge Campaign Time Line

(UUFD's Fiscal Year runs July 2022- June 30 2023)

January & February: The Finance Committee will solicit and process team and committee budget requests for 2022-2023

February: The Board & Finance Committee will prepare a budget proposal for the May 22 annual meeting

February & March: All of us will participate in the Pledge campaign. Watch for your pledge packet in snail mail and let your awareness begin.

March 20, Celebration Sunday: At the end of the service, we'll each deliver our completed pledge cards.

“ALL TOGETHER NOW!”

What did we hear when we listened?

Healthy Congregation Committee (HCC) plans events in response to Listening Circles

The HCC invites you to save these dates!

Sunday, February 13, 11:30 am: All-Congregation Listening Circle

Saturday, May 14 time to be determined: HCC Facilitated Workshop

What have we learned from the Listening Circles? As you know, the HCC and the BOT facilitated Listening Circles every Sunday morning starting in November to provide a safe space for the congregation to share their thoughts and feelings and be heard about any church related topic. Sixty people participated over two months. Four major themes emerged that are weighted in terms of most frequently commented. There were multiple layers of feelings and thoughts expressed about each particular topic. The most frequently mentioned topic was communication, followed by governance, congregational relationships, and our ministry. For example, there were comments addressing the need for more transparent and respectful communication and concern that shared governance was not being practiced or well understood. Some people were confused by issues and conflicts and generally concerned about the health of the congregation. Others were excited about change and future opportunities. Some hoped that the church would be more proactive in spreading the UU message.

Pending an increase in interest again, the weekly circles will not continue for now. We WILL hold one more LARGE Circle on Sunday, February 13 at 11:30, the usual sermon reflection time. This circle is open to the entire congregation and will not require advanced registration.

The next HCC step will be a four-hour facilitated workshop for the entire congregation on Saturday, May 14 to increase communication skills, present and further discuss the themes from the Listening Circles, brainstorm ideas for systemic communication changes, and discuss and adopt the Relational Covenant. Save the date!

Two new Task Forces seek members

"Service is our prayer"

The well being of our congregation depends on volunteers who care about our goals, governance and mission. Please consider adding your voice to one of the following new task forces that will help guide UUFD into the future.

Strategic Plan Review Task Force (click here for task force's charge)

Five to eight volunteer members from the congregation are needed to review the five-year Strategic Plan completed in 2017 to determine what goals, objectives and tasks were accomplished and how, and what goals, objectives and tasks were not achieved and why.

By-Law review and Revision Task Force (click here for the task force's charge)

There will be two members from specific areas and two volunteer members from the general congregation. This task force will review the current By-laws and determine what changes are necessary to make them appropriate for the Fellowship as it has matured; to conform to Colorado law; and to enable the Fellowship to fashion and ultimately adapt the form of governance it chooses through the development of policies.

Please contact John Redemske if you are interested in joining either of these task forces.

Recital Series update

Feb. 11 performance rescheduled to May 20

Because of the continuing COVID-19 surge, the recital originally scheduled for Feb. 11 has been postponed to Friday, May 20. That recital will feature John O’Neal, music professor of percussion and jazz studies at the college. He will perform on the marimba, vibraphone and various drums and be assisted by Joe Nibley, trumpet, and Justin Hubbard, saxophone (both also on the faculty).

The recital scheduled for April 22 will hopefully stay on the calendar as planned. It will feature Andreas Tischhauser, flute, and Marilyn Garst, piano, in a program of duos by 20th-century composers from four countries—USA, France, Russia and Czechoslovakia.

Mission: Support Kids

Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

In the summer of 2021, UUFD formally organized a new project under the Basic Needs social justice team. The project, led by member Alex Todak-Schwartz and supported by a team of UUFD individuals, is called Mission: Support Kids (M:SK), with the purpose of providing comfort backpacks to children entering foster care in our area. The team assembles sturdy backpacks containing personal care items (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, comb/brush, hair ties, tissues, hair gel, deodorant) and support items (stuffed animal, fidget toy, journal and pen for older children, coloring book and crayons for younger). We also include a personal note of support and a gift card to select a book at Maria’s Bookshop. The team is in the process of developing Toddler Totes with items appropriate for ages one to three, and later may develop an infant pack.

Whenever a child is being placed in foster care, a case worker gives the child one of our backpacks, which becomes theirs to keep no matter where they live. The team worked with child therapists to confirm that the backpack with items helps with creating an emotional safety net during a very traumatic experience.

Personal donations made possible the startup of this project, but more funds were needed to provide support to children in all three area foster care agencies: La Plata County Department of Human Services, Whimspire Foster Care, and Southern Ute Indian Tribe Social Services. Fifty-six backpacks have been provided to date. To build our resources, we applied for a grant through the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program, specifically for social responsibility. We were successfully awarded $11,500 for the 2022 year. This support allows time for the M:SK team to build long-term financial sustainability through partnerships in the community.

The UU grant also awarded us an additional $1000 Challenge Grant, meaning that it will match contributions from new donors totaling up to $1000! We are sharing this good news in hopes that hearts touched by this project to help children will attract donations of any amount toward this challenge. We are most grateful for the support expressed for this project, the help with early project costs, and the participation in assembling backpacks. If you’d like to make a donation, specify Mission: Support Kids on the memo line of a check made out to UUFD. Our next backpack assembly day is March 3 at 3:00 in Columbine House. For more info, contact Alex at A.rosetodak@gmail.com.

Needham Elementary School

Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

Education is one area of attention of our Basic Needs social justice team. A few years ago we elected to partner with our neighboring school, Needham Elementary, to support areas of need. Needham serves a significant population of low-income families, including some unhoused or living in a local motel. Through donations from UUFD members, we’ve provided financial support which has enabled school staff to meet the needs of some of their children such as clothing, snacks, activity fees. We also have funded educational materials that teachers needed, and were often purchasing from their own pockets, when the school budget wasn’t able to provide.

This year we see a priority to support educational staff themselves. Staff at Needham, like many schools, is under extraordinary stress. The multi-year pandemic has multiplied many times over the usual demands. Teachers may lose precious planning time in their schedule as they fill in for sick colleagues as there aren’t enough substitutes to cover all classes. Extra hours of teaching are required to help students who have missed class due to quarantining. More intense support to students is needed to help them with continued emotional, social, and learning impacts of remote learning. And recently public schools are experiencing the added stress of political turmoil over issues such as masking, vaccination, and questions about curriculum. A typical comment from educators is that this is the hardest time to work in education ever and people are exhausted.

While we can’t solve all these challenges, we believe we can offer a little tender loving care and support that may shore up morale and provide encouragement. Beginning in February, we will provide morning coffee/tea and snacks for the staff on the first Friday of the month, along with a note from UUFD that expresses our appreciation for all that the staff continues to do to serve our children and community. We will purchase carafes of coffee from our social justice budget, but ask for donations of snacks, e.g. muffins, scones, cookies, cheese, or fruit from anyone willing to contribute to this good work. If you can help by providing a treat for one of the first Fridays, contact Bonnie Miller at yjmiller2@gmail.com for more information. We’ve received many notes of thanks from Needham for the things we’ve already done to support them. From Principal Riley Alderton: “Thank you for wanting to support Needham’s staff. I so appreciate your care for our community and the work the people here are doing each day…having a little boost is always appreciated.”

Healing Racism Team Reflections Series

A message from Steve Foster

As a parent and caregiver in the UUFD community, I try to do the best I can when talking to my kids about race. With that said, it can be difficult - and complex! Just a few days ago, we discussed the immense contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - including "Why is it that some people have the day off for President's Day but not for Martin Luther King Day, Daddy?" In the same week, father-daughter "car ride" conversations included the George Floyd murder and the "Blue Lives Matter" movement. Phew - I need some help!

Thankfully, there are a ton of great, age-appropriate books out there to help with these conversations. I have found, as both a parent of two and as a teacher, that reading books together with kids can be a super-effective way to at least start the conversation - whether related to race or other complexities that exist in our world. Because let's face it, for many of the questions that kids ask, we are still trying to figure out the answers for ourselves! And often, the number one demographic for being able to "call out shenanigans" when we adults act like we know something when we really do not, are children ages 3-14!

Please click here to check out a list of books and other resources to use in talking with kids about racism, and feel free to email me (address at the top of the linked list) if you have any other great suggestions!

Altar flowers still needed

Zoom services enhanced by flower donations

UU members, please remember that, even though we are currently on Zoom only, the camera still lets us see floral contributions on the altar. You can volunteer to contribute by filling out an online form here. Commemorate a special event, or just donate anonymously. Thanks from your Chancel Guild!

Thanks to some very hard working volunteers and donations of elbow grease, construction expertise, and furniture, Columbine House's front rooms were transformed into a comfortable living space for our new Targeted Ministers.

The rooms were cleaned till they sparkled, a wall was constructed to divide the living spaces from the meeting rooms, curtains were made and hung, art was installed, and much more.