The JUC Crier The Newsletter of the Jefferson Unitarian Church 14350 W. 32nd Avenue • Golden, Colorado 80401 • 303-279-5282
August 10, 2015 • office@jeffersonunitarian.org • www.jeffersonunitarian.org • Volume 2015, Issue 14 Sunday, August 16 • 9:15 & 11 a.m. • Infant/toddler care provided.
Be Here Now presented by Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister, and Rev. Keith Arnold, Minister of Music
Lorna Crozier asks: Where does this singing start… you know… a different kind of music. Listen, it is somewhere near you…. Here, where you are… between your heartbeats… This special service filled with music and word will invite you into that place between your heartbeats, a place of joy, meditation, and celebration. Come experience energized singing in community together, along with transcendent moments in which to simply be. Music: Worship Band; Choir; guest instrumentalists and singers; Adam Revell, piano. Worship Associate: Dindy Fuller. Special plate collection: UUSC Right to Water/Guatemala Partners. Read more on p. 5. Sunday, August 23 • 9:15 & 11 a.m. • Infant/toddler care provided.
Rhythmic Entrainment: How All Change Really Happens presented by Rev. Robert Latham
It is a world where evil seems to be winning. Democracy is being swallowed by economic imperialism. Fundamentalist religion is threatening civilized living. Hate surrounds us. It all seems overwhelming. Can it be changed? Will my drop in the bucket make any difference? The answer to this question is critical because it determines whether life will be driven by hope or despair. There is a principle that governs the entire universe. It is called Rhythmic Entrainment. It answers the question of whether my drop in the bucket counts – and how it counts. It’s the how that is critical. This is the principle we will celebrate during this service in both music and word. Music: Adam Revell, piano. Worship Associate: Sarah Babcock. (Read more about Rev. Latham on p. 9.) ☛ Looking ahead to… Sunday, August 30: Aging and the Spirit presented by Rev. Barry Bloom, Community Minister. Music: Rev. Keith Arnold, piano. Worship Associate: Gail Abbott.
Evergreen Campus
Fall Retreat Registration Deadline Approaching!
2981 Bergen Peak Dr.
There are less than two weeks left to register for JUC’s fabulous fall retreat, and the rooms are filling up fast - only ten rooms left in the Indian Peaks Lodge! With the luxury of almost an entire weekend together at Snow Mountain Ranch, we get to spend some real quality time gathering our spirit and kindling one flame. From workshops to a Saturday night talent show, from heartgrowing muligenerational worship to quiet conversations on a hiking trail, it’s a weekend you don’t want to miss. So what are you waiting for? Go to jeffersonunitarian.org to register by the August 23 deadline! If you’d like to discuss a partial scholarship, please contact Chris Sealy (uucsealy@gmail. com). We want you to be there!
(at Congregation Beth Evergreen) Worship services: first, third and fifth Sundays at 4 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 • 4 p.m.
The Original Manifesto presented by Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister Humanism has been a central part of our theology for almost a hundred years. But what is humanism, and what’s it doing in a church? What gifts does it give us as we live our lives as people of this free faith? Music: Adam Revell, piano. Worship Associate: Kim Hassinger.
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If you wish to be informed about news regarding our Evergreen campus, please contact Sue Parilla, Director of Congregational Engagement (sueparilla@jeffersonunitarian.org).
Evergreen Campus News
1 Path to Membership
Our First 5th Sunday Service: August 30 Since 2011, the Evergreen Campus Sunday worship services have been held on the first and third Sundays of each month at 4 p.m. Beginning August 30, we will add a fifth Sunday multigenerational service:
Saturday, Sept. 19 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (chapel) Designed to familiarize those considering joining JUC with some of our staff, our diverse programs and activities, UU history and the responsibilities and benefits of membership. Sessions include child care and a light lunch. You may RSVP at the Sign Up Site or call the JUC office (303-279-5282). Please call Annie Hedberg, Membership Coordinator (303279-7451), for more information on the joining process.
Invitations
presented by Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister Join us for a participatory and multigenerational service that reminds us each of the power of invitation to transform our lives. Families are encouraged to bring their school-age children to the service. There will be no religious education classes on this day. Nursery and toddler care will be provided, as usual.
Save the Date!
2nd Annual Outdoor Worship & Picnic
Celebration Weekend: Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13
Sunday, September 6, 4 p.m. Outdoors and Off-Site! Worship and Picnic at Heritage Grove - Hiwan Homestead Museum, 4208 S. Timbervale Dr. in Evergreen.
Annual Church Potluck Picnic:
Sat., Sept. 12 • 4 p.m. Golden Campus The afternoon will begin with music and worship followed by a potluck picnic. Sign up to attend the picnic online (tinyurl.com/ JUCPicnic) or at the Sign Up Site. Our grill team will cook up burgers and sausage to complement the wonderful homemade dishes everyone will bring. Volunteers are needed!
Worship service: Sankofa presented by Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister. On this Celebration Sunday, we launch our church year mindful of the image of this mythical bird from Ghana who, with an egg in her mouth, moves forward while looking backward. Profoundly, we are urged to be present to both memory and an imagined future. Together we will learn why this is an important lesson for our church this year. Sunday School for children (K-6th) and Nursery/Toddler care will be held outdoors. If the weather cooperates, there will be no worship service at our regular location.
Find up to the minute info online at jeffersonunitarian.org/AllChurchPicnic
Celebration Sunday Worship:
Sunday, Sept. 13 • 9:15 & 11 a.m. Golden Campus Sankofa presented by Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister. On this Celebration Sunday, we launch our church year mindful of the image of this mythical bird from Ghana who, with an egg in her mouth, moves forward while looking backward. Profoundly, we are urged to be present to both memory and an imagined future. Together we will learn why this is an important lesson for our church this year. Music: JUC Choir; Adam Revell, piano.
Dinner after Church Is a Picnic! On the first Sunday of each month, we go out to dinner together. This time we’ll stay where we are for a community meal. Please sign up at the Sign Up Site after church or on-line (tinyurl.com/DinnerAtChurch). Bring a lawn chair for yourself and a friend and we will be sure to have enough for everyone. Set up and take down help needed: We hope to keep it simple, but we’ll have some chair arranging at the start, picnic set up and clean up. No sign up for this; just pitch in if you can. Rain Plan: An email will be sent and the Facebook page (facebook.com/JUCEvergreen) updated to indicate if we will need to hold the service at CBE (2981 Bergen Peak Drive) because of rain.
Annual Church Auction: Save the Date for the Hottest Night of the Year! The 2015 Island Adventure auction will be held on Saturday, November 7 so mark your calendars for a night of grass skirts, crazy shirts, friendship, and fun. There are many opportunities to help make this year’s auction the best yet! To find out how you can help, please contact Darcy Stanton (303-475-5707), Auction Co-Coordinator.
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Religious Education Ministry Annie Scott, Director of Religious Education (anniescott@jeffersonunitarian.org; 303-279-5282, x18)
Deepening Faith Through Religious Education
I’d like to offer several of you the opportunity to practice your faith in the coming year by being of service to our younger members, the future of our faith and our world, and perhaps you might be stretched as well. Volunteers will serve on a four-person team, with two team members leading RE each Sunday. The year begins with the RE Teacher Training/Orientation on Saturday, August 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Included in the day will be worship, community building and skill-building. Each team will be given a curriculum to use as a guide, a calendar for the year, the how-to’s of communicating with parents, attendance notebooks and time to create a team covenant and teaching schedule for the fall. Throughout the year we will meet to check in about how things are going, learn new skills, and together, make the program the best it can be for our young people and for the future of our faith and our world. Drop me an email or give me a call to talk about the possibility of joining the JUC RE Learning Community.
In 1990, my husband, Mick, and I decided we wanted to find a religious community for our family. We had two young adults, who were out in the world, and still at home were our four- and eleven-year-olds. We wanted a multigenerational community that would reinforce our values. We found a home at the First UU Congregation of Phoenix, Arizona. At first, I wept during the hymns, felt inspired by the sermons and felt more hopeful about the future of humanity. Before long, I was recruited to teach the three-year-old group in the Religious Education program. I was terrified. What did I know about our new faith? What could I possibly teach children about Unitarian Universalism? I was handed a curriculum and told, Go forth. They were three-year-olds, for crying out loud, how much theology did I really have to know? It turned out to be a wonderful experience and the real beginning of my twenty-five years as a devoted Unitarian Universalist. I began to understand that the most long-lasting and deepening ways I can practice my faith are when I am of service to others and when I am stretched beyond my comfort zone. Both were true in that first experience.
In the joy of multigenerational beloved community,
~Annie
Religious Education Ministry News Early Childhood Education Program If you’ve been in the nursery or Sprouts (preschool) room the past few Sundays, you may have seen some new faces. We’re so thankful for Lace Grills, who has become a regular nursery attendant and for Carla Blue-Norton who helped out in the nursery while Vickie Weingardt was away!
Connect with JUC’s Religious Education Ministry! Like us on Facebook.com/groups/JUCFamilies Yahoo group: groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/jucfamily/info Religious Education: jeffersonunitarian.org/ChildrenYouth Family Connections: jeffersonunitarian.org/Families
Elementary Program Among other creative and magical pursuits, our elementary kids have made baby mandrakes, with grass “hair” growing fast! We’ve also made pixies and other mythical creatures, and recently made fairy gardens. We talked about the magical powers of music, and made some original music of our own. We made golden snitches and had a Quidditch match behind the church, and on August 16 we’ll prepare and serve a mini-feast for the congregation. Finally, graduation ceremonies will be on August 23. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone!
8th Grade Coming of Age Parent Orientation Sunday, August 23 • 10 a.m. (M3/4) OR Tuesday, August 25 • 6:30 p.m. (M3/4) Parents of 8th graders are invited to attend an orientation for the Coming of Age (COA) program. We will review the class schedule for the year, the COA program and answer your questions. Parents are asked not to bring their children or teens. COA teens will have their orientation on the first day of the program, Sunday, September 13. COA takes teens through a year of team building, mentored learning, group discussions, fun and service. Our teens are encouraged to explore their personal beliefs, examine their UU identity, take responsibility for individual behavior, and give thought to the variety of roles they play in life. Teens will work with a JUC adult mentor during the program who will accompany them on their spiritual journey. Given the emphasis on responsibility, personal reflection and choice, families are encouraged to enter into this program with an awareness of commitment and sincerity. ~Sue Parilla (303-980-5041) and Debbie Klisis (dklisis@gmail.com), Co-Advisors
Middle School Program
Mandatory 7th Grade Our Whole Lives Parent Orientation Sunday, Aug. 30 • 10:30 a.m. (M1/2) OR Thursday, Aug. 27 • 6:30 p.m. (M1/2)
Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds selfacceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, JUC is proud to offer Our Whole Lives - comprehensive sexuality education. Parents and guardians of children interested in taking 7th grade Our Whole Lives (OWL) must attend parent orientation. Two sessions are offered; both will run two full hours. Parents/ guardians are asked not to bring their children or teens. In a two 3
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RE News continued from p. 3
Small Group: Resonance A New Group for Women with Kids Under 10
parent household, both parents are asked to attend orientation. Participating youth will have their own orientation and receive the first few lessons during the first OWL sleepover, Sept. 12-13. More information about the sleepover, and the class schedule, will be provided at Parent Orientation. Contact: DeDe Cross, OWL Advisor (720-427-0566) or Annie Scott, Director of Religious Education (anniescott@ jeffersonunitarian.org).
2nd & 4th Tuesdays • 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Are you a mother with kids under age 10? Do you desire to connect as women with other women, focusing on our lives and stories that certainly include but also extend beyond our precious youngsters? Does a dedicated time to listen, share, and learn from one another without relying on fleeting moments of connection at church or SOUPS meetings sound refreshing? If so, please consider joining a new small group being offered for the 2015-16 school year: the Resonance Small Group for Women. We’ll meet from September through May, and child care will be available. Our discussions will follow JUC’s small group format and focus on the monthly worship themes. Materials will be shared before each gathering to help reflect on each topic, but fear not, there’s no labor intensity! Whether you have occasion to glance at the title, probe the subject deeply, or just show up, this time is for connecting and being together in peaceful resonance. Please contact Heather DeCaluwe (heather.decaluwe@ outlook.com) or Debby Bower (debbymbower@gmail.com), the group’s facilitators, to ask any questions and indicate your interest.
High School Program Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) YRUU will begin September 13 at 11 a.m. in the Mitchell room (main building - basement). Contact Kelly Thomas, YRUU Advisor (coloradokelly@gmail. com; 303-238-8072), for more information Program Successes from Andrea Aikin During the July 26 Elementary lesson, Making Fairy Gardens & Terrariums, the kids really had fun making the terrariums and fairy gardens and then sharing their intricate designs with the class. In fact, the kids were so excited that parents received an impromptu presentation of their work! The mandrakes were still in the window and those kids who had made one had fun explaining what they were to those who were not at that lesson.
Small Group: Chronic Illness 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 1 p.m.
Time In! Having Fun With Your Child
Facilitated by Dr. Bob Brayden, pediatrician Saturdays, October 17 & 24, 10 a.m. to noon
Our purpose is to uplift and support those who may be struggling with various illnesses. Some of the topics we have discussed are How to communicate with your health care team; seeking financial help; responding to people who make strange remarks; learning to ask for help when needed from a loving community. We encourage all to participate. Contacts: Carole Wheeler (carolewheeler@att.net; 720-389-6112), Chris Gallup (drgresults@gmail.com).
Play is the work of childhood. Focus on having fun with your child; having fun so as to eventually shape behavior. Play the “Sportcaster’s Game,” prepare snacks together, make giant bubbles and chalk art drawings, and discuss screen time, outside play, pets and nutrition. Help your child be in “Time-In.” For families with children birth to 3 years. Limited to six parentchild pairs. Sign up at the Sign Up Site.
On Fire
structure that is designed to help you go deeper and share your voice in a safe place where everyone is committed to listening deeply. We ask our small groups to meet twice a month, from fall through the end of May. Small Groups are scheduled throughout the week, including a special emphasis on Tuesday nights so you can come to ToGather Tuesday dinner, worship and then join your small group for sharing and deep engagement with our monthly themes. Child care is available on 2nd Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and 4th Tuesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m. If you’re interested in being part of one of our Small Groups, and especially if you think you might be able to facilitate one with some training I’ll be offering soon, drop me an email, or watch for sign-up sheets at the Sign Up Site and in the commons soon. In Faith,
Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister (303-279-5282 ext. 28; ericbanner@ jeffersonunitarian.org)
Would you like to know members of our church better? Would you like be known better? Would you like to know yourself better? In a church our size it can be difficult to go deeper and really build relationship, especially on a time like Sunday morning, with all the hustle and bustle it brings. But what I know is that if you really want to deepen to your truest self, connect authentically with others, and engage needs beyond your own, it helps immensely to have a small group of people you turn to regularly to share, to reflect, to listen deeply to both your own heart, and to others. In our church, we do that through Small Groups. Since restarting small groups last fall we’ve had great numbers of you getting together twice a month to share your reflections on our monthly worship themes. This year, those themes are Invitation, Letting Go, Ancestry, Expectation, Resistance, Desire, Liberation, Creation, Blessing, and Simplicity. In a Small Group, you are matched up with 6-12 other adults who commit to coming together at the church, or in a home or other place where you can meet and share both silence and the stirrings of your heart. The church will provide readings and questions, and a
Eric
2nd Tuesdays
Light Dinner • 6 p.m. (commons) Worship • 6:30 p.m. (chapel)
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Worship will be led by one of our ministers; salad, soup and bread will be available for a modest donation. Sign up at the Sign Up Site or online (tinyurl.com/ToGatherTuesday) to donate a big salad, a crock pot of soup/stew or bread. Cooks can be reimbursed up to $25 for ingredients if requested. Next ToGather Tuesday: September 8.
Visit jeffersonunitarian.org/src for general information on SRC Task Forces and their goals. . . . Housing & Poverty Task Force (H&P TF) . . .
JUST NEIGHBORING
http://jeffersonunitarian.org/All-Church-Project
JUC Habitat Build Team Members Needed Friday, Aug. 14 • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Two Just Neighboring projects continue through the summer:
The final JUC build day for our 2015 Habitat for Humanity home is Friday, August 14. No special skills are needed as instructions will be given. All tools, a hard hat, and lunch are provided. This a great time of camaraderie with other JUC members and friends. The build is near Alameda & Sheridan at 731 Quitman. Please contact John & Phyllis Bunting (303420-1580; phyllis.co@hotmail.com) to sign up or to get more information.
Each Sunday, you can volunteer to prepare breakfast for 50 homeless people at Sloan’s Lake Community Church. You work from 7 to 9 a.m., so you can still attend services at JUC that same morning if you wish. You can also volunteer to work at the Edgewater Plaza Food Bank at 2250 Eaton on a Friday from approximately 9 a.m. to noon. They have expanded the program and upcoming dates for this summer are August 14 and August 28. Please sign up at the Sign Up Site in the south commons or contact Just Neighboring Coordinator Jill Armstrong (jarm444@ gmail.com).
Thank You, Family Promise Volunteers! JUC hosted four homeless families in July thanks to over 80 volunteers who donated 350 hours to the effort. Our success is always confirmed by the feedback we receive from our guests after they leave. JUC is truly a special place even to those who walk in the back door instead of the front. Over and over, our guests comment that they never feel marginalized or looked down upon at JUC. This is a virtue that we can spread.
. . . Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Task Force . . .
Special Plate Collection: Sunday, August 16
Everyone was awesome from the start. The people help you out. (The food was) healthy and home made; home cooked with love. (The drivers made me) feel safe. I wish I could stay another week! (because of) the genuine caring and good treatment from the volunteers. . . . Food & Nourishment Task Force . . .
Next Meeting: Monday, August 17 at 7 p.m. Discuss current topics of interest and see a film. Discuss World Food Day, October 16, when people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. When it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero. What can we do to help achieve this goal?
Abundant Harvest Table
Fruits and veggies are rolling from our members’ gardens each Sunday. Stop by between services and gather some to take home. Your financial contributions at the table go to the Just Neighboring All Church Project, which supports feeding those in need via our partnership with Sloan’s Lake Community Church in Edgewater.
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An opportunity to contribute to two highly effective programs working to combat human rights abuses: the UU Service Committee’s campaign to defend the Human Right to Water, and JUC’s Guatemala Scholarship Partners, supporting the right to an educational and economic opportunity. Did you know that more people around the world now die from contaminated water than from all forms of violence? Water is essential to human life, yet almost three-quarters of a billion people lack clean drinking water. The UUSC is in the forefront of the campaign to ensure that all people have access to safe, affordable water. They are collaborating with grassroots organizations around the world and in the US, in communities threatened with water contamination and with those working to slow the impact of climate change on the cost and availability of water supplies. The UUSC envisions a sustainable future in which all people have access to water for basic human needs and water supplies are safe from industrial contamination, over-extraction, and climate change. See http://www.uusc.org/ campaigns/the-human-right-to-water for more information. Our partnership with ADIVIMA supports a scholarship program that is one of a kind in Guatemala. It was designed and is administered by the people it serves—families of survivors of massacres and displacements in the 1980s. JUC has supported this program since its inception in 2007 and it has been wildly successful! Children who had no hope of going beyond 6th grade are now graduating from secondary school with vocational degrees, and many are going on to college. In a country where only 10% of all children graduate from high school, and even fewer Mayan children, this is a flame of hope for these indigenous families. Students come from far-flung rural communities living in extreme poverty, with a burning desire to overcome obstacles to get an education and lift up themselves and their families. Please be generous! Every dollar matters. Thank you for your support. For more information on both programs, visit the UUSC table in the commons, where you can also pick up a brochure to sign up for automatic monthly donations. Contacts: Phyllis Morales (720-987-6502; phyllismorales1@mac.com), Gretchen May (303-233-6113; maygwinQ@centurylink.net).
Pastoral Care
Music Ministry Team:
How JUCers Care for Each Other
Handbells at JUC It is that time of year, when our handbell choirs and ensembles start up again, and you have the opportunity to join one. They all start up again in September.
cares@jeffersonunitarian.org; 720-CHURCH9
Births and Deaths in Our Church Family With Bev LaDuke, we grieve the passing of her beloved husband, Bill Mangham. A memorial service will be held for Bill on Monday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m.
Golden Bells: a non- auditioned choir, open to anyone 16 and over who would love to learn how to play, and those who have played but are not yet ready for the auditioned group. Golden Bells meets on Mondays at 6 p.m. Directed by Bev Curtiss (bvcurtiss6@gmail.com). The first rehearsal is Sept. 14. Contact Bev if you are interested in this group.
Road Closure Alert for Sunday, Aug. 23 The state patrol will be closing 32nd Ave. for the USA Pro Challenge cycling race sometime between 1:45 and 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23. Please also note that a memorial service is scheduled here that afternoon. Guests will be arriving before 1:45 p.m. to be sure they can make it here. Please don’t park in the JUC lot to observe the bike race.
JUC Ringers: This auditioned group plays in worship services about 4 times a year. They meet on Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. Directed by Rev. Keith Arnold (keitharnold@jeffersonunitarian. org). Contact Keith to set up an audition. The first rehearsal is Sept. 9. JUC Ensembles: we also have some ensembles that play throughout the year, and sometimes play at other UU churches in the area. If this is something that you would be interested in, contact Lisa Bickford (bickfordL@pobox.com).
Your Grocery (and Gas) Purchases Can Help JUC!
March with JUC in the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival Parade!
King Soopers, Safeway, and Vitamin Cottage cards are available in the office. When you purchase these cards from JUC, 5% of the face value goes to our operating budget! King Soopers and Safeway cards are now reloadable—fill them back up at the store and JUC still reaps the benefit. Contact: Carol Wilsey, Business Administrator (303-2795282; carolwilsey@jeffersonunitarian.org).
Sat., Aug. 15 • 9:30 a.m. The rally point will be around Chase & 38th Avenue starting at 8:30 a.m. Help us carry the JUC banner! Contact: John Hambright, Board President (JohnHambright@q.com or 303456-5921).
Board Blog Lisa Bickford, Vice President 303-420-0429; bickfordL@pobox.com
What I’m Doing on My Summer Vacation?
the changes involved in Policy Governance and how best to lead the church through this time. We will review the feedback you’ve given us over the last year and analyze case studies to help us develop necessary policies and processes. The Board is committed to communicating throughout this time of change. We have an email address (board_of_trustees@ jeffersonunitarian.org) where you can reach us. Information about who we are and what we are doing is available on the JUC Board’s webpage (jeffersonunitarian.org/Board-of-Trustees). Of course, you can always catch the Board Blog in The JUC Crier for a glimpse of what is current. Help us keep in touch as we build the future of our community together.
As John suggested in the last Board Blog, summer is a time when we travel and have the opportunity to visit other UU churches. As I was traveling, I was reminded how fortunate we are here at JUC. My sister-in-law’s church essentially closes for the summer; they have a social hour for the diehards, but no programming. It reminded me to be thankful for our terrific staff and worship committee that work hard to make sure we have fellowship year-round. Summer time is also transition time. We have welcomed four new board members to their first full month of duty and board retreat. Andrea Aikin, Jon Hassinger, Jef Fugita, and Tom Goodreid have jumped on the moving train of policy governance work that we are doing and are learning quickly. Our August Board Retreat on the 8th and 9th will feature Rev. Rob EllerIsaacs as our consultant to help deepen our understanding of
JUC Board of Trustees Next meeting: Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m. jeffersonunitarian.org/Board-of-Trustees 6
JUC Affinity Groups Affinity Groups are volunteer-directed groups which bring people together around a common interest in a social setting sponsored by the Belonging & Connection Team. All are open to newcomers. Meeting locations are posted in the common areas of both church buildings. Blue Mountain Meditation Group: 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. • Annie & John Hedberg (303-279-7451) For those practicing Eknath Easwaran’s Eight-Point Program for living a spiritual life in the everyday world. If you wish to join without the introductory course, read Passage Meditation by Easwaran and meditate 30 minutes daily for a month.
Quuilters' Group: 1st Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon • Jean Decker (303-274-9872; jeandteach@Q.com) Call for meeting details. Retirees' Brown Bag Lunch: 1st Fridays, 11:30 a.m. • Betty Halladay (303-274-9144) Bring your lunch; join us for conversation. Anyone welcome. Next meeting: Sept. 4. Roving Readers: 4th Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Mike Foster (303456-2647) Open to anyone who reads the monthly selection. Books selected by group participants. Sept. 27: The Prime Minister (Trollope)
Buddhist Sangha: 1st & 3rd Sundays, 5 p.m. • Doug Anderson (dca-crm@hotmail.com; 720-474-6723) The Buddha was a highly unorthodox person. His teachings are not sets of dogma but rather propositions for people to investigate and validate for themselves. No experience necessary. Child care upon request.
Science and Spirit: 4th Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Joe Kraus (swish@nuthingbut.net; 303-933-4399); Pat Emery (stardustpat@gmail.com) Discuss recent discoveries and wonder together. More info at http://jucscienceandspirit.wordpress.com Next meeting: September 27.
Charla! 1st & 3rd Sundays, 5 p.m. • Carol Drew (303-422-5977) Discuss important topics in Spanish. Intermediate level recommended. Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS) • Angela Priest (angelapriest30@gmail.com; 303-877-6055) We hold open public Pagan rituals each Sabbat. All are welcome.
Slow Soup Group: 1st Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Gilla Lachnitt (303-216-9674; lachnittg@gmail.com), Carol Kolesnikoff (303588-9198; eatingethically@gmail.com) We’ll prepare soups together to take home and to donate. Ingredients provided; cost is $10/person.
Dream Study: 2nd and 4th Mondays, 9:15 a.m. • Marie Schottler (303-278-8035; mschottler@comcast.net) Based on the writings of Jeremy Taylor, in this gentle group process questions are asked of the dreamer leading to an aha! about his or her own dream. Please call before attending.
Story Circle: 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. • Lev Ropes (303-2780177; levropes@comcast.net) A gathering to foster the traditional art of storytelling for adults. Tell a polished story for fun, or one you’d like to polish up in front of a forgiving and friendly audience. Receive help from other tellers, or come to listen. All are welcome.
Duplicate Bridge: 2nd Fridays, 7 p.m. • Vince Todd (vincent. todd@coloradowrits.com; 303-989-2568) Great Books Discussion Group: 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Dona Chilcoat (303-989-6945) By reading from the great books of our civilization and discussing them with others, sharing insights and questions, you can reach a fuller understanding of these works than you could on your own. Next mtg: Sept. 14.
Thin Air: Tuesdays, 1 p.m. • Carole Montfort (303-279-1343) An informal group of folks who wish to keep up their musical skills as well as have fun. Repertoire consists of traditional, folk, instrumental and vocal music. Please call for more details.
Issues in Aging: 4th Mondays, 5 to 7 p.m. • Jim Mayer (303431-1740; jimmayer.colo@gmail.com) Sessions cover nutrition, security, loneliness, finances, exercises, and activities of interest/ concern of folks as they age or care for the aging. The goal is to help make the golden years an exciting and fruitful period of our lives.
Travel the World: 2nd Mondays, 7 p.m. • Barbara & Ernie Werren (720-524-3794; werrenskis@comcast.net) View travelogues, have discussions, and share your experiences with others who love to travel! Bring an open mind, questions, suggestions, favorite destinations, ideas. Understanding the Heart of Buddhism: 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. • Doug Anderson (dca-crm@hotmail.com; 720-474-6723) Meditation and discussion presented online by Rodney Smith, author of Awakening; founder of the Seattle Insight Meditation Society. Next meeting: Sept. 10.
JUC Knitters: 3 Fridays, 7 p.m. in members' homes • Jean Decker (303-274-9872; jeandteach@Q.com) All knitters and crocheters are invited to join in making hats and blankets for Denver Health. rd
Nature’s Keepers • Paige LeBlanc (paigeleblanc@att.net; 720-201-5852) Pre-teens (9-12) learn to connect, respect, and earn badges in this action-oriented, co-educational group. Meets once monthly for nature-based excursions and activities including camping, hiking, service work, and fun!
UU Humanists • Jim Bole (randjbole@q.com; 202-968-9198) Working to help members become informed about Humanism as one of the Unitarian Universalist sources from which we draw an understanding of who we are. Next meeting: Sept. 13. UU Liberal Christians: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. • Sara Lohaus (pslohaus@comcast.net; 303-432-3149), Crystal Kreitzer (kieris@ sbcglobal.net; 720-442-5448) Connect with Christianity from a fresh, open-minded perspective.
Non-Violent Communication: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Dindy Fuller (720-402-4099; dindyfuller@gmail.com) Offers actual practice for nonviolent communication skills. Preferred prerequisites: Marshall Rosenberg’s book, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life and at least one 5-week introductory class (or similar experience).
UU Piecemakers: 3rd Fridays, 9:30 a.m. in members' homes Edna Mae Miller (303-989-4793) Work on personal projects as well as quilts donated to charities selected by the group.
Poetry Group: 1st Thursdays, 7 p.m. • Julie Excell (julieexcell@ gmail.com; 541-778-4724) Explore poetry as an art form and a spiritual practice through appreciation of the work of master poets, and through writing and sharing your own poetry.
WomenSpirit: 2nd Fridays, 7 p.m. • Kalin Baker (Kalin@ KalinArtAndSpirit.com; 720-253-6561) A lively community of women 18+ who playfully reflect and share interactive programs based on participants’ interests. 7
Summer Office Hours
Mon., Wed., Fri. • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday • 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. • Rev. Keith Arnold, Minister of Music Tuesday–Friday • 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister Tuesday–Friday • 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Annie Scott, Director of Religious Education Staff will generally be available according to the schedule above, but it is always wise to call ahead!
Sunday Morning Announcements
If you would like your JUC event to be announced via our order of service and/ or weekly email notice, please submit 75 words or less to Rona Bradley (ronabradley@jeffersonunitarian.org) by Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the week you’d like your announcement to appear.
Weekly Attendance Aug. 2
9:15 101 RE: 28 (7 adults) 11 110 RE: 25 (5 adults)
Evergreen 4p 30 RE: 4 (4 adults) Aug. 9
9:15 153 RE: 33 (7 adults) 11 138 RE: 20 (6 adults)
The JUC Crier This newsletter of the Jefferson Unitarian Church is delivered electronically to all members and pledging friends. First class mail delivery is available upon request to the church office (303-279-5282; office@ jeffersonunitarian.org). Upon request, visitors may be added to the email list or receive four (4) complimentary issues, after which they may continue receiving the newsletter by notifying the church office. E-mail ronabradley@jeffersonunitarian.org to submit an article. Editor: Rona Bradley Next deadline: 3 p.m., Mon., Aug. 17 Next publication date: Mon., Aug. 24
Calendar Highlights
(full calendar available online at jeffersonunitarian.org/calendar) Tues., Aug. 11 1:00pm 2:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm Thurs., Aug. 13 6:30pm 7:00pm Friday, Aug. 14 7:00pm Sat., Aug. 15 8:00am
Thin Air (Priestley rm.) Small Group - Rountree (M1/2) Retreat planning mtg. (M1/2) UUSC TF mtg. (M3/4) Board of Trustees mtg. (M3/4) MMG: Bell Ensemble (Priestley rm.) B&C: Bridge Group (MGR, M3/4) 2-Con Dinners (members’ homes) QUUilters documentation (Mills bldg.)
Sunday, August 16 9:15/11am Be Here Now w/Wendy Williams & Keith Arnold 4:00pm Evergreen Campus: The Original Manifesto 5:00pm B&C: ¡Charla! (M3/4) 5:00pm B&C: Buddhist Sangha Service (chapel) Mon., Aug. 17 3:00pm Newsletter deadline 7:00pm SRC: Food & Nourishment TF mtg. (M1/2) Tues., Aug. 18 1:00pm MMG: Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 6:30pm B&C: Story Circle (R6/7) 6:30pm Being UU Team mtg. (M1/2) 7:00pm B&C: Non-Violent Communication (Mitchell rm.) Wed.y, Aug. 19 7:30pm JUC Choir (sanc.) Thurs., Aug. 20 10:00am UU Liberal Christians mtg. (M1/2) 1:00pm Small Group - Chronic Illness (M1/2) 7:00pm Committee on Ministry mtg. (M5) 7:00pm MMG: Bell Ensemble (Priestley rm.) 7:30pm B&C: Blue Mountain Meditation Group (chapel) Sat., Aug. 22 9:00am LD: Public Speaking (M3/4) 9:00am RE Teacher Orientation/Training (chapel) 12:00pm RE Teacher Orientation/Training (R1-8, M1/2, Priestley rm.) Sunday, August 23 9:15/11am Rhythmic Entrainment w/Robert Latham 9:15am RE: Summer Program Graduation (chapel) 10:00am RE: Coming of Age Parent Orientation (M3/4) 12:30pm B&C: Activity Leader Orientation (M3/4) 2:00pm Pat Kraker Memorial (sanc, commons, kit) Mon., Aug. 24 9:15am B&C: Dream Study (M1/2) Tues., Aug. 25 1:00pm MMG: Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 2:00pm Small Group - Rountree (M1/2) 6:30pm RE: Coming of Age Parent Orientation (M3/4) Wed., Aug. 26 7:30pm JUC Choir (sanc.) Thurs., Aug. 27 7:00pm Green TF/CRES: w/Howard Geller (sanc., comm., kit.) Sat., Aug. 29 9:00am LD: Public Speaking (M3/4) 7:00pm B&C: CUUPS (patio, chapel) Sunday, August 30 9:15/11am Aging and the Spirit w/Barry Bloom Mon., Aug. 31 9:00am CURK: SOUPS (kitchen/commons) 3:00pm Newsletter deadline Tues., Sept. 1 1:00pm MMG: Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 7:00pm SRC Meeting (M1/2) Wed., Sept. 2 7:30pm JUC Choir (sanc.) Thurs., Sept. 3 7:00pm B&C: JUC Poetry Group (M3/4) 7:30pm B&C: Blue Mountain Meditation Group (chapel) Fri., Sept. 4 11:30am B&C: Retirees’ Brown Bag Lunch (M3/4) Sat., Sept. 5 9:00am B&C: Quuilters Group (so. commons) Sunday, Sept. 6 9:15/11am Our Real Work w/Wendy Williams 4:00pm Evergreen Campus: Outdoor Service at Heritage Grove 5:00pm Evergreen Campus: Dinner after Church 5:00pm B&C: ¡Charla! (M3/4) 5:00pm B&C: Buddhist Sangha Service (chapel) Mon., Sept. 7 Office Closed (Labor Day Holiday) 4:00pm Bill Mangham Memorial (sanc, commons, kit) Tues., Sept. 8 9:00am CURK: SOUPS (kitchen/commons) 8
Interview with Rev. Robert T Latham, Candidate for Minister Emeritus By Jim Matera
Your life in the ministry began at a very early age. Please share a bit about that chapter in your life.
by Jack Mendelsohn, I decided I could remain in the ministry as a liberal. I contacted the UUA’s Department of Ministry and was accepted as a minister in 1969. My first UU parish was in 1970 in Davenport, Iowa, where I was able to freely express my creativity in worship and was immediately recognized for such in the larger community.
I was raised a conservative Southern Baptist fundamentalist. When I was 12, I had polio and was supposed to die. The doctors said my parents should pray for death, because if I lived, I would be nothing but a vegetable and a liability to the family. My family’s tradition was one where prayer created miracles, so they prayed, my church prayed, and my friends prayed. I survived and when I went back to the doctors, they talked about the miracle of science, whereas my parents talked about the miracle of God. Their belief was that God gives you your life and you give your life back to God. This experience led me into the ministry at the early age of 12. I started preaching at age 13, standing on a box behind the pulpit because I was too short to see over it. By 15, I was preaching revival meetings and was ordained when I was 18.
As you reflect back on the years you served JUC, what do you think were your greatest contributions to our congregation and/or the denomination? The Committee on Ministry (COM) was a new concept that JUC developed and instituted immediately to replace the Ministerial Relations Committee. The COM was a profound part of our relationship. During my second year, the congregation’s deep understanding of the concept of mission began as they wrote an impactful missioncovenant statement, which became a guiding flag for the congregation. In two years, the congregation doubled its pledge income. I think the church thrived as a result of focus on mission and the leadership taking that concept seriously, along with the COM being very deliberate about raising the congregation’s level of awareness. Toward the end of my time here, we went to two services because of attendance overcrowding. We also determined we needed a new building location or we needed to expand at the present location. A committee was formed to look at these two options. The decision was made to stay in our present location. That is the time when I left. I believed that if we were going to build while I was here, I needed to stay for at least 3 years, to ethically follow through with the building program. However, I wanted to write and explore some other avenues outside parish ministry, so I resigned. As regards the larger denomination, the COM concept has become a very important programmatic element in many congregations. Also, I feel I made a contribution with my book, Moving on from Church Folly Lane, which outlines the changes congregations must make when moving to a different attendance size due to the demands of a different institutional culture. The ideas were not originally mine, but I applied them to the uniqueness of Unitarian Universalism. There are quite a few people who would say that my continued focus on mission is another valuable contribution. I humbly can say that I think I made valuable contributions to all the churches and districts where I worked. I have always believed that the power of the local congregation lies in recognizing and engaging its larger connections.
Describe your transition from being an evangelical Baptist to a Unitarian Universalist. Some transitions occur because of traumatic experiences and some occur because of evolutionary change. Mine was both. In my first year of college I was part of a radical conservative group, praying two hours a day and witnessing on weekends. We preached against all the typical evils that evangelicals considered terrible sins. Two traumatic events in those early college years expanded the scope of my education. As a rebel, I was falsely accused of immorality by a college administration that wanted me to leave the college. Though exonerated, I did leave for Baylor University, where I experienced another trauma. I was attacked and stabbed during a squabble in the small church where I was engaged in a weekend ministry. Both traumas taught me, as a 20 year old, much about good and evil, congregational drama and forgiveness. My beliefs were changing. My evolutionary change was facilitated while in seminary in Kansas City. A group of liberal theologians exposed me to views of historical and literary criticism, archeology, and mythology. This opened up a world where everything was a mythic view of reality, even my southern Baptist beliefs. I learned that the Bible could not be translated literally, but had to be seen from a historical context, using idioms, metaphors, and mythology. After completing two master’s degrees in theology, all of these experiences led me to become a military chaplain while trying to find a place where I could freely preach my mind. While seminary was a theologically transforming experience, Vietnam was culturally transforming. I discovered my naiveté about our own culture being different from any other in the world, about the real causes for the war, and that our country’s military expression was pure propaganda. My last year as a military chaplain was spent leading protests against the war in Vietnam. After reading the book Why I Am a Unitarian Universalist
What learning did you acquire as a minister that you feel would be particularly important to share with new UU ministers just beginning their careers?
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The primary one is that mission is the key to everything. As a denomination, we’ve reverted to substitutes for mission, substitutes that focus on symptoms instead of causes. Social action is a primary example. Dealing with
and Nevada.
symptoms gives us a sense of immediate success and make us feel we are actually accomplishing something. But we are not dealing with the causes that create the symptoms. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that if we wish to change a culture’s behavior we have to change the culture’s heart that produces that behavior. You can raise the culture’s consciousness of the need for change through social action, but if you do not offer a message that invites social heart change, the culture is left knowing it needs to change, but not knowing how. In recent years, the UUA’s General Assemblies have focused on social justice, but not what we have to say to the world that is transformative. Both social action that addresses social symptoms and a message of transformation leading to social transformation are important, but one without the other promotes failure. Transformation is our business as ministers – both personally and culturally. I also think we need to pay greater attention to the changes which are required by attendance size dynamics. Different attendance sizes require different styles of leadership, community, programs, and decision-making. Many of the negative issues between congregations and ministers stem from ignoring these dynamics rather than from professional or congregational inadequacies.
Your characterization is accurate. I still do workshops and speaking engagements. This past year I worked in Arizona and Texas, and I will be doing a workshop in Virginia this coming October. I did a series of four workshops for the Columbine congregation on mission, message, social change, and social identity. Recently, I did a kick-off service for the capital campaign for the Namaqua congregation in the Loveland area. Also, I continue to do some consulting with ministers around the continent. I’ve preached and I have helped facilitate programs with JUC’s Recruitment Team, staff, and Committee on Ministry. What would be meaningful about being designated a Minister Emeritus at JUC? I think the relationship we had together over the almost 10 years I was lead minister at JUC was quite transformative. The creation of the COM model, the institution of collaborative shared ministry, taking seriously the concept of mission, the elevation of the congregation’s monetary commitment, and the decision to expand the facilities, were all important achievements. Beyond that, the newer relationship I have developed with Wendy, with my sincere appreciation for her capacities, her perspectives, and her sense of commitment to mission has been meaningful to me. And, of course, the honor of the emeritus status recognition would be received with profound appreciation.
Would it be fair to say you’ve slowed down but not really retired? Tell me about some of the work you’ve been doing since you served as the Interim District Executive in the Pacific Central District of California
Opportunities to Get (Re)acquainted with Rev. Robert Latham There is a process underway to designate Rev. Robert Latham as a Minister Emeritus of JUC, initiated by a petition from members to the Board, and endorsed by Rev. Wendy Williams. See the pamphlet available in the North commons literature rack for an explanation of what this designation means, how it will benefit JUC, and for a brief review of Robert’s contributions to JUC and the Unitarian Universalist movement. The congregation will vote on whether to honor Robert with this designation at the Oct. 18 congregational meeting. Between now and then, in addition to meetings with the Board and staff, there will be several opportunities for people to witness Robert’s talents in action. All are encouraged to take advantage of at least one of these opportunities. Sunday, Aug. 23 Worship Service: Rhythmic Entrainment - How All Change Really Happens Sat., Sept. 26 All-Church Workshop: Mission & Ministry Empowerment - Partnering with Policy Sat., Oct. 11 Fall Retreat Workshop: Creating Me & You - Controlling Existence Through Views of Reality
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