OUUC Weekly Update 1-3-18
News from the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Worship Services - January 7, services at 9:15 and 11:00 am
Thursday, January 18, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Meaningful Movies Olympia
Free and open to the public. This month’s film, “On the Edge,” focuses on family homelessness. The showing will be followed by a discussion led by local professionals and volunteers working to end homelessness in our community. Donations are requested; no one is turned away. In this film we see seven women who courageously step out of America's shadow of shame, homelessness, lugging family troubles and deep-seated anxiety as they grapple to avoid returning to their nomadic existence. Each woman has fought to regain her independence with a fragile support network, based on society’s ambiguous standards. Winner of the Big Muddy Film Festival and John Michaels Memorial Film Award.
Seeing the Racial Water: A Workshop with Robin Diangelo
Haven’t registered for this event? Do it today!
January 21, 1:00 pm at OUUC. Cost: OUUC members and students: $10; general admission: $15. Register here.
During the workshop, participants will learn skills in bridging racial divides by discussing ways to identify more constructive cross-racial practices and experience new and effective ways to comfortably talk about race. Dr. Robin DiAngelo is a former Associate Professor of Education. She is a two-time winner of the Student's Choice Award for Educator of the Year from the University of Washington. Dr. DiAngelo has extensive experience as a workplace consultant in issues of race relations and racial justice. The workshop is made possible through generous funding from TESC and OUUC.
Tell Thurston County What You Think!
Indicate your satisfaction with services and issues such as homelessness, housing, criminal justice, and the environment in Thurston County. The County is conducting a survey to help develop goals and priorities for the Thurston County Strategic Plan for 2018-2021. The survey is approximately 35 questions and should only take you 10 minutes. The questions represent categories including overall impressions of how the County is doing, issues of importance, tax dollar value, growth of the County, communication, and general demographic information. You can take the survey here through January 12.
Annex Update -
The “For Sale” sign will be going up on the Annex property on Thursday, January 4. The listing will be handled by Spence Weigad of Virgil Adams Real Estate Inc. In preparation for the sale, the Annex has been cleaned and the plywood covering the windows has been removed. If you happen to drive by, you may notice lights on - part of the marketing and security effort. The initial asking price arrived at by the Negotiating Team was judged too low by our realtor. After he consults with his peers we will let you know the final listing price in our update next week. This is good news for OUUC. This could well mean we net more than originally anticipated when we voted on sale of the property. If you have questions, contact one of the members of the Negotiating Team—Jerald Dodson, Linda Selsor or John Tafejian.
The agenda for the January 11 meeting of the Board of Trustees is available here.
Recycle Sunday
It’s the first Sunday of the month, so bring in your dead batteries and fluorescent light bulbs. Your Green Sanctuary Committee will see to they are properly recycled or disposed of.
Soul Matters Second Sunday Lunch and Discussion Circle!
OUUC's New Initiative
Global temperatures and sea levels may be rising, BUT SO ARE WE. Please join us January 7 as we launch OUUC’s new initiative: Year of Environmental Justice.
Religious Education Lesson Planning Party
January 11, 6:30 pm. Come brainstorm and help plan the next few months in our classes! All are welcome: teachers, parents, and kids. Just come share your ideas! (If you would like childcare during this event, please request it by January 4.) Contact Sara Lewis.
This Week in Religious Education
Our Whole Live Parent Orientation
Our Whole Lives, a holistic and developmentally appropriate values-based sexuality education program, will be offered for 10th-12th grades starting in January. Save the Date for a Mandatory Parent Orientation January 21, 12:30 - 4:30 pm. Learn more here.
The Books Beans and Brownies Fundraiser is Coming February 24!
This event features an enormous book sale, wonderful music acts in the Commons throughout the day and coffee and brownies for sale throughout. This annual event benefits homeless services in our community and has raised $10,000 to $14,000 annually for local providers. 2018 recipients will be Interfaith Works Homeless Services (Emergency Overnight Shelter, Warming Center -- if opened -- and the Care Center), and Family Support Services, which operates Pear Blossom and serves the needs of families.
Sunday start bringing your books to donate to church! Leave them in the Religious Education wing close to the drinking fountains. We will be distributing collection boxes after services next week. By placing them at your workplace and in the community, you will help us make this another fun and impactful event!
Workers needed to sort books. Take a shift Sundays from 9:00 am - Noon, or Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6:00 – 8:00 pm, January 9 through February 20. Sign-up in the Church Commons on Sundays beginning January 7 or contact Yvonne Ashenhurst, volunteer coordinator for the sale.
Adult Education Classes - Sign Up Today
Adult Education classes for winter-spring are out and ready for registration! We have some new classes for you to check out for January: “Simply Pray” with Sara Lewis, The “UU Common Read” with Carol McKinley, and “Fundamentals of Tai Chi”, to expand your flexibility and spiritual practice options (with Ellen Wolfhagen). We’re presenting a special all-day workshop “Mental Health First Aid” on the January 27. This class, taught by Brooke Amyx through Providence, will give us the basics of responding appropriately to mental health and substance use problems and finding needed resources. Join us in opening minds and filling hearts as we learn together in community. Adult Education catalogs are in the Commons and online.
"What Does It Mean to be White?" Adult Education Class
What Does It Mean to Be White?, the book by Robin DiAngelo will be discussed in three sessions at OUUC led by Tom Womeldorf, TESC faculty member. Join others on Mondays, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, January 29, February 5 and 12, to learn about useful tools for understanding racism and white people’s role in it. Three copies of What Does It Mean to Be White? are available in the OUUC library.
Collecting Historical Oly UU Photos!
Wondering what to do with your collection of pictures of Olympia UU people, places and activities? All those shots of the Yule Play, the Auction dinner, your child in Religious Education classes, the Tumwater Church, Bart & Gladys and the Unitarian Fellowship of Olympia (UFO)? Share them with us! We are assembling an archive of photographic material that portrays the history of our church community as far back as we can go. We are looking for original prints, slides and negatives, color and black & white, along with as much information about each (where, when, who) that you may know. Please bring any materials you are willing to share to Church Administrator Darlene Sarkela; we will gladly scan and return any pictures you wish to keep. If you have any questions, contact Tim Ransom.
Social Groups
YUUNG (Age 21-31ish) - Church and Lunch (Every last Sunday). Come to church, sit with the young adults. Contact Ryan Baye.
PUGs (Powerful Unitarian Universalist Gals) - All women are welcome to join us for fellowship and conversation. Wednesdays 10:30 - Noon, PUGs at OUUC meets in the Youth Room. You may bring a beverage in your own container. - Contact Pat Sonnenstuhl.
Ladies Unitarian Social – All women affiliated with OUUC, and their guests, are welcome at Lady Unitarian Social Hour. We meet weekly on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00 pm to share conversation and refreshments. Please feel free to drop in at any of our weekly gatherings. January 9 - Ricardo's Restaurant, 676 Woodland Square Loop SE. - Contact Meliz Maatta or Susan Bakke.
Guy’s TGIT meets on Thursdays at 4:30 pm. January 4 - Hoh River Brewing, 2443 Mottman Rd SW. - Contact Bernie Brady.
MUGs (Mighty Unitarian Guys) meets for eclectic discussions every Thursday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 am at Traditions Cafe in downtown Olympia. Men of all ages are welcome. - Contact Jim Lengenfelder.
Small Group Dinners - deadline: January 17
Time to sign up to host a dinner(s) for our Spring 2018 Small Group Dinner Program for February, March, April, May. Sign up on line at our OUUC website. These dinners are open to anyone who would like to attend. Dinners are usually held on the 2nd Saturday If a host needs to change the date, they can negotiate an alternate date with the participants. If you feel that you do not want to Host a dinner, sign up for the ALTERNATE LIST. Signing up for the Alternate List means you can be invited to fill out a gathering by a host/hostess. announcements from now until our deadline. If you have questions, please contact Carol Williams or Pat Sonnenstuhl.
New Issue of Literary Zine
Bulletin Board
Please see Tom Best's request for information about temporary housing that is posted on the bulletin board.
In the Larger Community
Seminary for a Day will be returning to First Unitarian Church in Portland on January 27. Dr. Robin DiAngelo will offer our keynote presentation, “Seeing the Racial Water” -- as well as a follow-up afternoon workshop. Dr. Robin DiAngelo is a former Associate Professor of Education. She is a two-time winner of the Student's Choice Award for Educator of the Year from the University of Washington. Her scholarship is in White Racial Identity and Race Relations. In addition to her academic work, Dr. DiAngelo has extensive experience as a workplace consultant in issues of race relations and racial justice. She was appointed to co-design the City of Seattle's Race & Social Justice Initiative Training. She has numerous publications and books, including, “What Does it Mean to be White?: Developing White Racial Literacy. Her work on White Fragility has influenced the national dialogue on race and been featured in Alternet, Salon, NPR, PBS, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate and Colorlines. Additional afternoon workshops on such topics as Lectio Divina, Writing As a Spiritual Practice, Anti-Racism and Spiritual Organizing, Sacred Movement: Tai Chi & QiGong, and many more, offered by local clergy and other Unitarian Universalist teachers, will make this a rich and rewarding day. Register online for the stand-alone morning session, or the full day.
About Us
Email: liberalfaith@ouuc.org
Website: http://ouuc.org
Location: 2315 Division Street Northwest, Olympia, WA, United States
Phone: 3607866383
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlympiaUUC/
Twitter: @OlyUUC