UUFD Newsletter, May 2021

May 2021

Valuing Who We Are, Together

Rev. Katie's Animas View

Dear Ones,

As our “church year” begins to draw to a close, it’s good to remember how well we’ve managed to make our way through this pandemic season. Now comes another challenge: how to sort out how to come back together, when we still are in so much uncertainty. There is exhaustion of many staff and lay leaders, parents, and others who are trying to figure out how to navigate change. We are led by our values of Love and Justice, which help us to aim to be gentle with each other. I turn to gratitude for all whose efforts contribute to making this a fellowship with many thriving ministries.

Our Membership Team leader, Laurie Meininger, will be leaving her role in leadership of that team as she studies for a new direction in her life. Please join me in thanking her for all the organization, care and creativity she has brought us. Also join me in welcoming Sheryl Guy, who will be our new Team leader for Membership. I’m pleased that Sheryl will take on this leadership spot.

Both Ilona Hruska, who was joined last year in co-leadership by Kathy Devine, have capably and generously led hospitality. Thanks to both of them as they step down as leaders, remaining as coffee servers. We are looking for one or two people to take on this role as we get ready to come back together at our UUFD campus. Would you, or someone you know, enjoy leading this team that doesn’t require meetings but provides satisfaction through fellowship?

I hope you scroll down into this newsletter and read the article about Faith Formation by our religious professional Sara Sautter to see the many ways our commitment carries us to where we are today. As the budget is shaping up to present to the congregation (the annual meeting is May 23), we are hoping to be able to hire a new religious educator who will work with all ages of faith formation. We want to staff in accordance with our mission.

Together, may we continue to celebrate the sacrament of community, especially as we move through these days.

Valuing relationship, and always in the love,

Rev. Katie

May 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.

MAY THEME: Story

May 2

Telling the Strong Story

Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

In recurring stories of families or congregations, we often tend to re-tell the problem-saturated story. How can we use our values to find the strong story that already exists but is not told?

May 9

Singing the Living Tradition

Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris & Elizabeth Crawford

In the fall, we sang our way through worship. We’ll do it again today, this time, in honor of mothers.

May 16

UU Parables

-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

What are the stories unique to our way in religion? Some we might know, others may be new to us.

May 23

E Pluribus Unum

-Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris

Tom Owen-Towle writes in Growing the Beloved Community, “the key in healthy churches [fellowships] is the ability to ride as intrepidly as possible this dynamic paradox of unity amid diversity." Immediately following an abbreviated worship, we’ll have our annual meeting.

May 30

Worship With Las Cruces

-Rev. Xolani Kacela

The UU Church of Las Cruces will reciprocate by inviting us to join them at worship today. Let’s join our friends in Southern New Mexico.

Who is UUFD called to be in this world? A new mission statement

Message from K Redford, UUFD Board President

At the annual board retreat in 2020, UUA representative Amy Rowland brought up the importance of both Vision and Mission statements for congregations.

Work on a new mission statement for UUFD had started in 2019 with input from the congregation (sticky-notes on walls at a Sunday service) and the Leadership Council. The results were displayed in a word cloud and a spreadsheet highlighting the top 4 ideas (1/24/2019).

This image is one mental model in understanding mission in a congregation.

The heart in the center is the core purpose of your congregation. Who are you called to be in the world, and in your context? This is your mission.

The arrow pointing upward is your congregation's aspiration of what you hope to become. It points toward your congregation’s vow with the universe, which is your theological understanding of your transcendent purpose. This is your vision.

-Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, Congregational Life Consultant

Reverend Nancy Bowen was invited to lead a workshop on Mission and Vision at the virtual Leadership Council meeting held January 28, 2021. Nancy stressed that perfection is not a requirement, change will be needed in a few years, and most UU congregations have a Mission statement, but few have Vision statements.

Small groups in breakout rooms were asked to answer three focus questions relating to mission and vision. The same questions were sent to all Committee Chairs and Team leaders, and they were included for two weeks in the E-Announcements. All of the input, new and old, was summarized and similar responses were grouped together. Major components (key words and ideas) were identified and sent to our talented wordsmiths. The results:

Mission: Love courageously. Inspire spiritual growth. Work for justice.

Vision: Still in development.

UUFD Mission Statement, Revised 2021

Board of Trustees

Slate of Candidates 2021

Announcing candidates for the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of our fellowship. Candidates for the Board will be elected at the Annual Meeting of the congregation on Sunday, May 23, 2021. The following people have generously stepped up to serve on the board for 2021-2022:

President: John Redemske

VP: Terri Reherman

Treasurer: Rachel Lasiewicz

Secretary: Carolyn R Miller

Member-At-Large: Jill Bystydzienski

Member-At-Large: Steve Govreau

Member-At-Large: OPEN

In the election, nominations for any office may be made from the floor, provided that the nominee is a member meeting all of the qualifications for the office and has given prior consent to such nomination.

Board members serve two-year terms, and are eligible to succeed themselves only once. A person who has been appointed to office, or elected to a partial term to fill a vacancy, may serve up to two additional terms.

Seeking Nominating Committee and Board members

Help lead our congregation forward!

Looking forward to being in our beautiful Sanctuary again and deepening your relationships within our Fellowship? Ready to put “Service is our Prayer” into action? We invite you to consider helping to shape UUFD's future as a member-at-large on our Board of Trustees (1 spot available) or as a part of the Nominating and Leadership Committee (3 members needed).

Candidates are elected by membership at the annual congregational meeting and serve a 2 year staggered term.

For more information about the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee, or serving on the Board, please contact Carolyn Miller at 281-793-1956 or Nancy Burpee at 970-759-8339. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Future of Faith Formation at UUFD

A letter from our Interim Director of Faith Formation, Sara Sautter

As you know, I will be leaving you this summer after two years serving as your interim. By the time I leave, you will have hired a new, permanent religious educator with a new job description and portfolio that matches our learnings over the past two years.

What are those learnings? I’ll try to address most of them in the following paragraphs.

Faith Formation: An Act of Radical Welcome

During our Kick-Off Workshop facilitated by UUA staff member Annie Scott, families present told us they are hungry for the support our fellowship can provide them. We agreed to listen to what they need and commit to creating a family ministry that will respond to those needs...Click here to read more

Healthy Congregations Committee forming

Group will promote healthy communication and conflict resolution within our congregation

You may have heard that a new committee has been formed called the Healthy Congregations Committee (HCC) under the auspices of the UUFD Board with Terri Reherman as the board contact. The members include Sherrod Beall, committee chairperson, Kathleen Adams, Jim Brooke, Mary Hockett, and Laurie Meininger. Our first meeting is May 10.

The purpose of this committee is to develop a clear understanding of our role in promoting respectful, open, productive communication and addressing conflicts within our congregation in the spirit of the UUFD Mission. We will promote learning opportunities and share communication resources for conflict resolution. The first big step for the HCC will be to develop a “Relational Covenant” which sets forth in writing our expectations as a congregation for healthy relationships. Please stay tuned as this new process unfolds!

-Sherrod Beall

Community Connections

Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

“I believe, we can create a better world, a better tomorrow, if we work together. Don’t you?” ― Akiroq Brost

UUFD is not a large organization by most standards. Yet we have a large impact in our community because of our belief in the power of ‘we’ and our commitment to collaborating with others working to achieve greater justice. We know we can accomplish more, and more effectively, when we find community partners with whom to share the work. Here are some organizations we’ve worked with in the past year.

4CORE (Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency) – by donating Share the Plate funds we helped their mission to promote resource conservation and a healthy sustainable environment.
4 Corners Rainbow Youth Center – worked together to get care packages to LGBTQ+ youth during the isolation of the pandemic.
4STAR (Four Corners Support for Transgender individuals, Allies, and Relatives) – co-hosted, along with Fort Lewis College, the first online TDOR (Transgender Day Of Remembrance) service.
4 The Children – helped provide Christmas gifts for children in traumatic family situations.
City of Durango – collaborated to continue Earth Day activities despite restrictions on physical gatherings.
Community Coalition in Support of Asylees – provided volunteers and leadership to prepare for and support asylee family; offered Columbine House rent-free for asylee family.
Compañeros – helped with provision of food boxes to immigrant families who lost income during the pandemic.
Days for Girls – working with the local chapter to provide personal hygiene kits to women and girls in need in Durango and around the world.
Durango Food Bank – providing volunteers and financial support to meet increased need for food in our community.
Durango High School Black Student Alliance – supporting cost of pizza for weekly student lunch organizing meetings.
Fort Lewis College – assisting their food insecurity efforts through the Grub Hub; collaborating to host the TDOR (Transgender Day Of Remembrance) service and the showing of an educational documentary film on intersex individuals and challenges.
Manna Kitchen – supported food backpacks for families during the summer; donating Share the Plate funds to help with purchase of food.
Needham Elementary – provided financial support to meet basic needs of children in struggling situations; supporting summer learning packets for incoming Kindergarteners.
NINA (Neighbors In Need Alliance) – providing volunteers and perishable food twice monthly to help unhoused people at Purple Cliffs.
Rosa Belongs Here – supported sale of tamales to help Rosa Sabido with an income while in sanctuary in Mancos.
Summit Church – partnered to host the Navajo Nation food and supply drive.
SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) – promoting efforts to build a local chapter that supports Southwest Movement for Black Lives.
The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado – provided financial help to meet escalating need for grief services to underserved people in our area.

We’ve also stretched our social justice reach to places beyond Durango. Using our Disaster Relief and Development Fund, we helped the Rogue Valley UU Fellowship in Oregon with their fire relief efforts. Through our partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, we donated funds ($3215 from Guest At Your Table and $1000 from UUFD annual budget) to help areas in crisis around the world. Groups working in Central America, Mexico, Burma, and Bangledesh, as well as in South Texas, benefited from UUSC volunteers and dollars.

We celebrate the vibrant social justice work of so many in our community – and the commitment of UUFD to being part of a network committed to social justice. We enable, support and encourage each other to stay steady and hopeful and to achieve results. In the words of Angela Y. Davis, “It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”

Note from the Board of Trustees

Members and friends are always invited to keep up with board activities by attending a board meeting (currently via Zoom) or reviewing agendas and minutes here. Our next meeting is on May 24 at 4 pm.