OUUC Weekly Update 1-15-20
News from the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Worship Services January 19, services at 9:15 and 11:00 am
Board Listening Session
Updated Governance Chart - Come join the board on January 19 at 12:30 pm in the sanctuary and let your voices be heard. The Board of Trustees is here to listen to you and share some brief updates on the board's service. This month we will be taking final comments on the updated governance chart. After receiving final feedback, the board will publish the chart on the website and in the Commons. Come join us and share your thoughts. Questions and comments on the chart may be sent to board member, James Trujillo.
Meaningful Movies
TRICKED, a shocking look inside America's sex trade.
Thursday, January 16, Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at OUUC. Panel and conversation follow the film. TRICKED looks from the perspectives of the victims involved in sex trafficking, the “johns” who pay for the sex and the pimps responsible for instigating the illegal business. And it helps people spot the scouting and manipulating techniques commonly used by traffickers. Presented by Meaningful Movies Olympia, Washington Trafficking Prevention (WTP) and Thurston County Coalition Against Trafficking (TCCAT).
Shelter Dinners
Time for the Blue Aprons to provide dinners at the Interfaith Works shelter again this month, on January 15 and 22. We need 4 main dishes, 4 side dishes for both Wednesdays, and 2 servers on January 15 only. Contact Billie Williams to provide food, Jo Ann Young to volunteer as a server. Or come to the Blue Apron table in the Commons between services on Sunday to sign up.
From Rev. Mary
It’s Everywhere!
You know how when something comes into your awareness and suddenly you see it everywhere? Well, that’s what has happened for me with our monthly spiritual theme of integrity. Lately I have had several conversations that have included stories of integrity and how hard it can be to stay whole and grounded in values.
Last week I wrote about Fred Rogers and the integrity that helped him educate and love generations of children. This weekend two more movies came out that tell stories of integrity. “Just Mercy” is about Bryan Stevenson, an attorney for the Innocence Project who works hard to overturn an unjust verdict for a man on death row in Alabama. Oh, and both Stevenson and his client are African American. It is deeply grounded belief and integrity that keep both men going despite a racist system. Read more....
Book donations needed!
The Books Beans and Brownie fundraiser for local homeless organizations is coming February 22. To make this a success, we need books! Please sign out a decorated collection box from the Commons and collect books at your work, gym, favorite store, etc. Ask neighbors, post on social media, clean out your bookshelves …
Drop off books through Sunday, February 16 in the OUUC back hall outside Reverend Mary’s office. Want to get more involved in this fundraiser? Talk to Cheryl Hanks and Selden Hall in the Commons on Sundays or contact them.
Blanket and Clothing Drive
To date, because of your generosity, 34 unhoused individuals have received a blanket, comforter or sleeping bag. Each donation is critical during these cold nights. Effective immediately, we will welcome warm jackets, gloves, and hats. They may be left in the blue bin along with any blankets, etc. and will be gratefully received. Thank you for caring.
Sign up now for Mystery Pals!
Mystery Pals is a multi-Sunday event in which children and youth are anonymously (it’s a Mystery!) paired up with an older person (a youth or adult). Pairings are based on shared interests, and participants learn who their Mystery Pals are only on the final Sunday. It begins this year on February 16 and runs through March 8. Sign up here.
Jail Expansion and County Courthouse
Tye Menser, County Commissioner, and Patrick O'Connor, Director of Thurston County Public Defense, will discuss and answer questions about the county jail expansion and proposed new courthouse. These are both important initiatives. The public is invited. 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 13 at OUUC. Presented by Justice not Jails. Contact Steve Tilley.
Quick Notes
Save the Date! The annual OUUC Auction will take place on Saturday, May 2 at South Puget Sound Community College. Mark your calendar, because you don't want to miss this evening of community feasting and love. Contact Melanie Ransom for questions.
Thank you for your generosity! This year we raised $2110.96 for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee with the Guest at Your Table program. Thanks to all who contributed!
Read This Week in Religious Education here.
Friendship Dinners - next series in February and March. If you have not yet signed up, you can do so here. On Saturday, January 18 we have scheduled a gathering of Friendship Dinner Hosts and Guests (and anyone who wishes to learn more). This will be a potluck dinner at OUUC from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Williams, or Pat Sonnenstuhl.
Learn the practice of Insight Dialog (ID). ID is a way to bring the tranquility and insight attained in meditation directly into your interactions with other people. ID is a practice that could well augment the “deep listening” initiative that is now happening. Read more....
All Ages Game Night and Potluck
At a recent lunch I heard a lot of enthusiasm for games, so let’s get together and play! Saturday, January 25, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, we will have a game night and potluck in the Commons. Please bring a dish to share, and if you have a favorite game, bring it along (board games, charades, go fish, poker - you name it). We’ll eat and then start playing – if you can’t make it to dinner, come join us for the games later. Childcare is available for infants or small children. Please let me know by January 18 (contact Sharon Love). There is no charge for childcare. We hope older children will be joining in the party!
Sewing Ministry
Saturday, January 18, from 12:30-4:30 pm in the Commons at OUUC. Anyone interested in participating in our charity sew-in group is welcome. Bring your sewing machine, thread, needles and pins, rotary cutter, rulers and cutting mats. We will be working on finishing projects and discussing ideas for 2020. Questions? Contact Karen Krueger. Also, please let me know if you plan to attend-RSVP is not required but will be helpful if the weather conditions cause us to cancel the January meeting.
Interested in Membership at OUUC?
Attend the upcoming Membership Class to learn more about Unitarian Universalist theology, history, and polity as well as the structures of this congregation and the privileges and responsibilities of membership. * MEMBERSHIP CLASSES – Sundays (3 sessions): February 9, 16, and 23. 12:45 – 2:45 pm OR Saturday (1 session combining all classes): May 9. 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. OUUC staff and leaders. Sign up here.
Meaningful Movies presents"Tricked" - Thursday, January 16, 6:30 pm.*
Sewing Ministry - Saturday, January 18 at 12:30 pm.*
Friendship Dinner Potluck - Saturday, January 18 at 5:00 pm.*
Board Listening Session - Sunday, January 19 at 12:30 pm.*
Community Kitchen - Friday, January 17, 3:30 - 6:30 pm. Join a friendly team of 8-10 from OUUC who prepare and serve 140 meals to those in need at Olympia's Community Kitchen. Who? Adults and youth 14 and older who are accompanied by an adult. Where? Meet at the Community Kitchen located in the basement of Salvation Army shelter at the corner of 5th Ave and Plum street in downtown Olympia. Enter the Community Kitchen from the alley between the Eagles Club and the Salvation Army building.
Adult Education Classes
Would you like to know how grassroots activism can be effective? Sign up for the Movement Action Plan class on January 31 and February 7! Or maybe explore vegetarian food options? Sign up for No Meat? on January 25. Would you like to explore the role of story and myth in making sense of the world? Join "Stories for the Age of Climate Change" January 27, February 10 and 24. Like to explore your own religious past and unpack those beliefs and experiences? Sign up for "Owning Your Religious Past" Tuesdays in February. Would you like to know more about nuclear weapons and what you can do about them? Sign up for "Nuclear Weapons Nowadays" February 24, March 2, 9, and 16. Or would you like to spread more love in this world? Sign up for "Choosing Love" Tuesdays in February. Register for these and other Adult Education Classes here.
Environmental Action Team
Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics have been produced, and half of that in the past 15 years alone. We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. A whopping 91 percent of all plastic isn’t recycled at all. Left alone, plastics don’t really break down; they just break up. Over time, sun and heat slowly turn plastics into smaller and smaller pieces until they eventually become what is known as microplastics. Some microplastics are even small by design, like the microbeads used in facial scrubs or the microfibers in polyester clothing. They end up in the water, eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. They’ve even made their way up to the secluded Pyrenees mountain range and down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. More info. Come to the Environmental Action Team table and share some ideas about reducing our use of single-use plastics.
Weather Emergencies and OUUC
If weather conditions should make travel dangerous, please know that your safety is important to us. We ask that you use your discretion and only come to church if you feel safe doing so. Our church closure procedure is available here. How will you know if church services are canceled or if there is a schedule change? Before heading out to church check the church website. Information will be available on the home page as soon as a decision is made. Information will also be posted to Facebook and Twitter and an email notification will be sent out. (Note that all communication methods are dependent on the availability of electricity and internet services.)
Social Groups
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 who identify as women and who are 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 21 - Pints Barn,114 E St SW. - Contact Meliz Maatta or Emily Ray.
Guy’s TGIT meets on Thursdays at 4:30 pm. January 16 - Cascadia Grill, 203 4th Ave W. - 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 Otto Buls.
In the Larger Community
Be a justice advocate at the state legislature - As a congregation in Washington’s capital city, OUUC has the opportunity to be directly involved in shaping legislation that is just, equitable, and compassionate for everyone in our state. You can make your voice and values heard by attending hearings that address environmental justice, equity, and criminal justice reform. Here are four ways you can be an advocate this week.
*Comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education is addressed in HB 2184, which will be heard in the House Education Committee Thursday, January 16 at 8:00 am. Attend the hearing and sign in to support HB 2184.
*Candlelight rally to end mass incarceration will be Monday, January 20, MLK Day, 5 - 6:30 pm, on the Legislative Building steps. Prison Voice Washington and many other groups come together to focus attention on mass incarceration in this state. Read more at prisonvoicewa.org.
*Register for Interfaith Advocacy Day February 6. The daylong event is presented by Faith Advocacy Network, a statewide coalition of faith communities partnering for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. Read FAN’s legislative agenda and register for Interfaith Advocacy Day here.
*JUUsticeWashington, our statewide Unitarian Universalist legislative advocacy group, is focusing on environmental, criminal justice, and economic equity issues. More about their legislative agenda is here.
Point in Time Count - This annual count on Thursday, January 23 to gather data about the area’s most vulnerable residents is critical for Thurston County’s efforts to address homelessness. Here are two ways you can participate:
1. Volunteer to help do the count. Every person volunteering must do at least one PIT training session. If you are unable to attend one of these training times, you will be able to receive a shorter training on the day of PIT. However, the 1-hour training is more in-depth, and is an opportunity to meet other volunteers:
Tuesday, January 21. 5:30 - 6:30 pm at Olympia City Hall Room 207
Wednesday, January 15. 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Ave
Wednesday, January 22. 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Ave
2. Donate items to be distributed the day of the count. Life-saving gear for those living outdoors is needed. For suggestions of what to donate, contact Faith Addicott, 2020 Thurston County Point in Time Coordinator, 360 867-2566, or 206 249-3039.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture: Dr. Rich Benjamin - Dr. Benjamin will speak on “King and ‘The More Perfect Union’” as part of South Puget Sound Community College’s Artist and Lecture Series. Dr. Rich Benjamin is a sharp observer of modern society and politics and is the author of “Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America.” Tickets available here.
East Shore LIVE presents Jeannette d’Armand on Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 pm. Jeannette presents a breathtaking evening of memorable songs by Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Sting, George Harrison, and others. Accompanied by guitarist John Patrick Lowrie this evening is a love song for your heart and soul. Held at East Shore Unitarian Church (12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue) Tickets are $23 and available here.
This is a free service where low-income people can claim earned income tax credit and refunds. Here’s the AARP site locator (active January through April) and the district website.
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