The big news:

WE SAID YES!!!

After a joyful, meaningful Candidating Week consisting of two services, two potlucks, a parade, and more than a dozen meet & greet Q & A sessions, UUFD voted Reverend Jamie Elaine Boyce to be our next Settled Minister on Sunday, April 28. Ninety-one members voted unanimously YES. Immediately following the vote confirmation by the Board and contract signing, members and friends erupted into a streamer-waving, resounding roar of appreciation and shouts of jubilation.

After going back to Hamilton, Ontario, to finish her current contract, Reverend Jamie will return to Durango by August 1 to settle into her new home and continue this journey forward together with the hope and promise of our faith.

We again offer our deepest gratitude to the Ministerial Search Committee (pictured at right), who put in hundreds of hours to bring us to this happy day.

Our thanks to Robert Winslow for capturing many great photos of the day! To see more of the celebration, view photos and video here.

President's Message

Like all of you, I’m excited about our future as we welcome our ministerial candidate to our community. Our future together is bright with promise, hope, and filled with inspiring expectations. Earlier this month I was thrilled to be asked to offer a toast at a one of our first meetings with Rev. Jamie: Let us raise a toast to all of us. May our love flourish and bring joy to those in our community. May we always remember the excitement of this moment and enjoy the adventure of our shared ministry. May our path together be paved with laughter, wonder, and abundance. Cheers!

Please mark your calendars for the Annual Meeting, which will be held on Sunday, May 19, following the sermon. The agenda includes the election of Board and Nominating Committee members (see article below for more info), approval of the minutes of the Annual and Special Congregational Meetings held in FY24 (the twelve month period ending June 30, 2024), and approval of the FY25 budget. Click here for the discussion of the proposed budget along with access to the FY25 vs FY24 spreadsheet.



In gratitude and respect,

Steve Govreau

Love courageously. Inspire spiritual growth. Work for justice.

May News from Faith Formation

You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

The Soul Matters Theme for May is pluralism, which is one of the proposed shared values that will  be voted upon at the GA in June.  A great word—pluralism—but what is it really?  According to one dictionary, pluralism is where  “two or more identities or principles coexist.”  Not quite a soundbite, but helpful.  Personally, I long for more than coexistence—I want respect, inclusion.  In short, to be seen.  I believe every person wants that, deserves that. 

Faith Formation in May

Sunday Faith Formation Focus

May 5.  Many Views.  Each person has many identities. 

May 12. Many Sources.  We honor the many roots and sources that created us!

May 19. Many People.  No one gets left out.

May 26. Many Things to Celebrate. We celebrate our differences, not just tolerate them. 

Coming in June:  Introduction to Meditation

Many of us find ourselves so busy and involved with all that life requires of us that we may feel as though we've become a human doing rather than a human being. If this describes you, this introduction to meditation practices may be for you. Those who practice meditation find the practice helps them be more focused, calm, and able to handle the stresses of daily life, and more in touch with that intangible something that makes us our best selves. 

We will meet June 10, 17, and 24 from 6:00 to 7:30. If the weather is warm enough, we'll meet on the patio next to the sanctuary; otherwise, we will meet in Columbine House. The Meditation Book is available in paperback or e-book format.  For a link to registration, or with questions, reach out to Sharon.    

Personal Faith Development –Pluralism  

One powerful way to gain insight into all the different identities we humans have is to look inside ourselves. We each come with a lot of identities, both seen and unseen.  We might be identified by our height or eye color, but what about our birth order or our occupation or the geographic region we call home? All of these contribute to our identity…along with many others.  Try mapping your various identities by clicking here, and then dig a little deeper by looking at this series of questions that includes things like the identity that brings you pain or joy or the identity you’re proud of that no one notices. Surely a deeper understanding of self can make space for a deeper understanding of others.

In closing, enjoy this lovely idea from one of the founders of humanistic psychology, Carl Rogers: “People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be...I don’t find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a little on the right hand corner, and put a bit more purple along the base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color’...I watch it with awe as it unfolds. I like myself best when I can appreciate my staff member, my son, my daughter, my grandchildren, in this same way."

Heartfelt lessons through life's transitions

UUFD Summer Series 2024

What has fed your soul? We have all evolved through personal life transitions. Passages through beginnings and endings can nurture spiritual growth in many different ways. Transitions can be transformative, and sharing them can serve as nourishment for us all. What lessons have you learned through self-reflection that have helped you along your way?

If you are willing to share your learning and growth through transitions, the Worship Team would like to hear your proposal for one our summer series Sunday talks. 

Please submit a short paragraph describing your idea for a presentation. We would like to include a variety of topics, so please also let us know which of the following areas your talk would most relate to:



·        Learning to live Joyfully

·        Finding Courage through adversity

·        Finding Meaning in today’s world

·        The role of Gratitude in your life

·        Living life Authentically

·        Aging and spiritual growth

·        The role of Grief and Loss in cathartic growth 

·        Moving through Discernment toward a decision 

·        Beginnings and Endings of Relationships   

·        Self-Compassion as we move through struggle

·        Other Topic, of a similar nature

Please send your submissions BY MAY 8 to Sheryl Guy at:  ptepte@hotmail.com. The series dates will be finalized later, basically:  July & August (minus PineSong July 12-14). Let us also know if you will be gone on certain dates. 

New justice team!

Social Responsibility and Justice Special Feature

We are excited that the Social Responsibility and Justice Coordinating Team has approved a new social justice team: Preserve Democracy.  The team’s purpose is to preserve and extend democracy. There are 13 UUFD individuals who have committed to serving on the team, with Sarah Wilhelm supporting Bonnie Miller in leading the new team.  

On May 21 at 6:00 pm in Bowman Hall, the team will meet to sort out priorities for the work - what is more urgent and what is longer term work.  In our organizing meeting, we identified free and fair election processes, voter registration and participation, civics and civility education, and media literacy as areas of need. We will be partnering with other organizations to maximize our impact, such as the League of Women Voters, UU the Vote, and Restore the Balance.

Thomas Jefferson said, “It is an axiom in my mind, that our liberty can never be safe but in the hands of the people themselves, and that too of the people with a certain degree of instruction.” The Preserve Democracy Team looks forward to joining our efforts with others who value that all voices be heard and equal rights extended to all.  If you want to learn more or have an interest in joining the team, contact Bonnie Miller yjmiller2@gmail.com, (303) 898-0313 or Sarah Wilhelm sarah.a.wilhelm@gmail.com , 970-903-2108.

Announcing Candidates for Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of our Fellowship. Candidates for the Board and the Nominating Committee will be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Fellowship on Sunday, May 19, 2024.  Board members serve three-year terms and are eligible to succeed themselves only once. Nominating Committee members serve two-year terms and are not eligible to serve a second consecutive term.

Board Members and Nominating Committee Members who will be completing terms in the 2023-2024 fiscal year are:

Board Members: Carolyn Miller and Mark Swanson

Nominating Committee Members: Ilona Hruska and Mary Sison

The following people have generously stepped up to be elected to serve on the Board or the Nominating Committee:

Board: Jim Brooke and Tim Miller

Nominating Committee: Jan Dahlquist and Stephen Guy

Link to Bios of Candidates

In the election process, nominations for the Board or the Nominating Committee may be made from the floor, provided that the nominee is a UUFD member who meets all the qualifications for the office and has given prior consent to such nomination.

Social Responsibility and Justice Team news

Southwest HomeShare Program

On February 4, Liza Tregillus spoke to our congregation about Southwest Home Share as a possible solution to the housing crisis as well as loneliness. Our Social Justice Basic Needs team has adopted this as a critical basic need in our community. Here is how you can help: please reach out to anyone who may benefit from sharing a room in their home, either financially or from help with heavy tasks like snow removal. Please encourage them to list their home on HomeShareOnline.org. Listing is free and does not obligate them to share, but does allow them to see profiles of home seekers. Liza would like to have 10 to 20 home listings before publicizing a launch of this pilot locally in May. Questions?  Contact Liza at lizatrig@gmail.com.

Good News from our Immigration Team!

Three years ago, we hosted an asylee family from Cuba in the Columbine House.  Elizabeth and Loiber had a baby girl with them, but were forced to leave two daughters behind.  Our immigration team has been working tirelessly to reunite them with their daughters, and it finally happened!  The family is now united and living in Denver.  CONGRATULATIONS to the team for completing all the commitments they made to our first asylee family!

Elizabeth, Isabela, Marta and nephew from Cuba

Earth Day Recap

The Environmental Justice Team (EJT) was again a co-sponsor of the community’s Earth Day event. In addition to marching in the parade, the Team hosted a plastic-substitute booth. Booth visitors were offered the chance to make a pledge to reduce their plastic use, write that pledge on a ribbon, and weave it into our Spirit Web. Pledgers were able to then receive a sample of one of the several plastic substitutes on display (e.g. metal straws, toothpaste bits, silicone storage bags, waxed bowl covers, laundry detergent strips, pet waste bags).  The booth was well attended, and we had many conversations about reducing plastic use, as well as UUFD’s commitment to environmental issues. Click here for pictures of the event. Thanks to Robert Winslow for taking and sharing these photos!

Have you returned your pledge card?

The annual pledge campaign is officially ending with this reminder to those who have not yet returned their pledge cards.

PLEASE DO JUST THAT!!

To deliver: 

• Email to:  financeclerk@durangouu.org
• Snail mail: 435 San Juan Drive, Durango 81301
• Offertory basket during service

If you have misplaced your pledge packet, you can just indicate in email or on any paper your pledge for July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

Now that we have had a chance to meet Rev. Jamie, it may be easier to make your decisions about your year(s) ahead at UUFD. As always, the offering of your PRESENCE, TIME, TALENT & TREASURE is much appreciated and much needed.   

Thank you, 

Kathleen Adams & Team