OUUC Weekly Update

Author Mia Birdsong writes “Being free is, in part, achieved through being connected.” This framing has much to offer us, as covenantal people of a free faith. Come explore the life-giving possibilities and power held in freedom paired with connection and interdependence.

The worship service starts at 10 am.

OUUC Sunday Morning Service

https://zoom.us/j/873210124?pwd=U21qdmwxcTNyaE1LQ0xlU0MwM3VMQT09

Meeting ID: 873 210 124

Password: 995142

Dial +1 253 215 8782

After Service:

11 am Reflection Circle with Curt Hill
11:30 am Faith in Action Forum with the Estuarium

Service

Did you miss Sunday's service on The Interdependent Web with Rev. Mary? You can find the link to the recording and other information here.

After Service Event: Communicate to Connect Workshop

If you missed Sunday's workshop with the Dispute Resolution Center or if you want to watch it again, you can find the recording here. You can find the slides used in the training here and the Feelings Wheel here.

Thank you to all who have pledged so far. We are at 214 pledges committed to $461,737.60!

Thursdays April 11th to May 30th, 6:30-7:30 pm
One of our Unitarian Universalist values and principles is Interdependence, and we know that we humans are part of the web of life, not separate from it.

In this 8 week class children will explore different aspects of the web of life, learning about the water cycle, photosynthesis, and more amazing examples of nature and interdependence. Science meets spirituality in this celebration and appreciation of the natural world.

REGISTER HERE.

AUCTION 2024: REACH THE SKY!

LIVE Auction & Dinner: Saturday, May 4, 5 - 8 PM at ASHHO Cultural Community Center
ONLINE Auction: April 7- MAY 5
The Auction website is open for donations, tickets, and bidding registration! Want to donate an item or host an event?
Donations of social events, outings, handmade items, and unique opportunities are welcome! Visit the auction website HERE and click on “Donate an Auction Item.” Submit your donations before April 21, 2024.

Everyone is welcome! Tickets are $10 to $100 per person—pay what you can. Find "Buy Your Ticket" on the auction website. Click on "Register" to bid in the online auction April 27-May 5th, and browse current pages of exciting items. You can donate to Raise the Paddle recipients now! The OUUC Board and Rev. Mary have chosen to direct donations to both a high-need OUUC tech upgrade and, with the recommendation of the Faith and Action Leadership, the international humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

With the Auction in mind, OUUC’s Sewing Ministry has handmade a beautiful king-sized quilt which will offered in a raffle. (It’s on display in the sanctuary!)

Tickets are $5 each, or at a bargain price of 5 for $20. Please bring cash or a check and find the Sewing Ministry table in the Commons to purchase tickets after the service on Sunday mornings starting March 31.

Tickets will also be available both at Thursday Community Dinners and the auction. The lucky winner’s ticket will be drawn at the Auction on May 4th.

Fridays, 6:30-8:30 pm

The travel class is back! Covid 19 ended travel for many and thus canceled our class. Many have been traveling again and have stories and reflections to share with us all. Presentations will be more than a typical “travelog,” and will highlight how the journey expanded presenter’s perspective to enrich understanding of ourselves, the world, and how this and relates to our UU values. Read more, see a full schedule of presentations and REGISTER HERE.

In this week's Tiny Little News, a note from our Treasurer, Stewardship Updates, the 2024 Auction, and this week's events:

Last month we sent long-time OUUC administrator, Darlene Sarkela, off to a happy (we hope) retirement. Before she left, Darlene helped bring on board two people to handle much of the administrative and office work of the congregation. In December, we welcomed Isaac Jennings as the new Business Manager. In February, we welcomed Rosie Koppelman as the new Office Assistant.

Isaac works 30 hours per week. Originally this position was to be half-time at 20 hours per week, but Isaac is assuming the bookkeeping job now since our bookkeeper will be moving to a different job.

Isaac works five days per week, Monday through Friday, from 8:30am-2:30pm, and the last Sunday of each month, from 8:00am-1:00pm. You can find him in the church office, sometimes with the door closed as he is pouring over financial or other detailed work.

Isaac is responsible for the financial and human resources management of OUUC, doing bookkeeping and payroll, monitoring budgets and accounts, paying bills, tending to insurance coverage, managing rentals, keeping records for personnel and other administrative matters, tending to office equipment, and developing operational policies for these areas. He is also the supervisor for the Office Assistant (Rosie) and Facilities Manager (Marie Arensmeyer). Isaac is a member of the Association of Unitarian Universalist Administrators.

Please feel free to contact Isaac if you have financial questions, need reimbursement for anything, or have questions about the work of the people he supervises.

Rosie works 18 hours per week. She will be available in the church office each Tuesday from 10-12 and 1:30-3, Wednesday and Thursday from 10-2, and Sunday from 8:30-12:30. You can find Rosie in the Workroom/Office window to the Commons.

Please allow 3-5 days for a response to all messages and plan time-sensitive requests with this timeframe in mind.

Rosie is the first point of contact for general phone calls and emails to the church. She also maintains the church calendar, schedules space in the building, and publishes the Tuesday update. Rosie will also receive and troubleshoot requests for support with Realm and will assist with the copy machine as time allows. Rosie is the backup for other communications, like The Spark and Sunday orders of service. Rosie is also a member of the Association of UU Administrators.

Feel free to contact Rosie if you want to get something on the OUUC calendar, if you want to reserve space, if you need a Zoom meeting set up in an OUUC Zoom Room, if you have questions about using Realm, or if you want to put something in the Weekly Update.

Some people have joked that it takes two people to replace Darlene. While both positions are newly created, they are made up of the work that Darlene did plus some financial work that I have been doing. Financially, the two new positions are funded by the budget used for the administrator position (Darlene) plus some funding used for the former communications position. The money used to pay our external bookkeeper was moved to the personnel budget to fund the extra hours for Isaac as he assumes the bookkeeping and payroll duties. There was no added cost for these positions.

These charts show OUUC’s latest organization for governance and ministry leads. If you have questions about these new positions or how OUUC is organized, please feel free to contact me.

Rev. Mary

Watch Party for Public Worship of Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)

Wednesday May 8, 5pm

Rev. Sara will host this watch party of the annual public worship offered by DRUUMM. Description of the service: Our worship is grounded in the theme of Choosing Joy! Living with Intentionality and Purpose. Be with us as we explore sustaining joy amidst adversity, inspired by Proverbs 17:2. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Discover how a joyful heart can be your sanctuary, even when spirits are tested. A celebration of resilience, purpose, and the healing power of joy.

General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association

June 20th to 23rd, ALL Virtual this year!

General Assembly is many things: powerful worship, opportunities to learn together in workshops, and business meetings where delegates vote on important decisions for our association. This year General Assembly will have an important vote about Article II (we’ve explored Article II for a few years now, learn more HERE).

Visit the General Assembly webpage HERE.

If you are interested in being one of OUUC’s voting delegates talk to Rev. Sara.

Registration Now Open for Kids Summer Camps:

OUUC Chalice Camp “Building a New Way” for ages 5-10 will be July 15th to 19th.

REGISTER HERE.

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Camp for Ages 5-7, July 8th to 12th, 9am-noon each day.

OWL is a developmentally appropriate and much praised sexuality education program.

REGISTER HERE.

Camp is open to all, with a pay what you can sliding scale, feel free to spread the word!

Rev. Sara will be out of office next week, April 14-21, for service to the Religious Education Credentialing Committee of the UUA.

The OUUC Office will be closed on Tuesday, April 23, in observance of Pesach.

Phone and email inquiries will receive follow-up on the next day, Wednesday April 24.

Safety Reminder: Please lock and remove valuables from your vehicles.

Download the flyer below if you would like a list of OUUC events for April. Great for posting on your refrigerator!

Learn more about the following events and others here.

Foragers: A Birthday Celebration for Rachel Corrie

Thursday, April 11 at the Capitol Theater, 206 5th Ave SE

Doors at 6 pm, film screening at 7 pm

The Olympia Film Society, in conjunction with the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, will screen the 64-minute documentary. Following the screening, there will be discussion and a Q&A with Savvina Chowdhury, Political Economy and Environmental Justice Professor at Evergreen; Peter Bohmer, representing Palestine Action of South Sound (PASS); and Prita Lal, Evergreen professor who is currently teaching Food Systems, Social Justice, and the Environment.

With this Gaza fundraising event, our colleagues at the Olympia Film Society (OFS) are kindly marking the 45th birthday of Rachel Corrie, killed by the Israeli military in 2003 as she stood to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family's home in Gaza. Rachel's mom, Cindy Corrie, will introduce the film. Olympita, the Palestinian owned food truck, will have a pop up, serving Za’atar pie and other delicious food!

Tickets are available online now and at the box office 60 minutes before showtime.

$13 General Admission & $10 for OFS members
Proceeds Benefit Palestinian Children in Gaza

Purchase tickets HERE.

The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice invites you to show your support for Palestine each Friday from 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the Fellowship of Reconciliation Vigil for Peace
Percival Landing in Downtown Olympia, 4th & Water Street

Support the Mayday Foundation

Order flowers by April 10th, Volunteer on April 30th

Learn more HERE.

Pacific Western Region Assembly - A multi-day conference centered on connecting across individuals, congregations, and regions. Friday, April 19 - Saturday, April 20. More info here.

Join Washington Indivisible Network and Indivisible leaders and members across Washington and Oregon for a series of virtual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshops led by DEI consultants Lillian Hawkins and LaTricia Kinlow.

Understanding & Mitigating the Impact of Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat
Saturday, April 20 - 10:30am-12:00pm

Intersections of Identity & Racial Privilege
Saturday, April 27 - 10:30am-12:00pm

Racial Microaggressions: What Are They & Why Are They Harmful?
Saturday, May 4 - 10:30am-12:00pm

Read more about the workshops HERE and REGISTER HERE.

Staff Contacts

Rev. Mary Gear, Minister

Rev. Sara Lewis, Director of Community and Faith Development

Troy Fisher, Music Director

Isaac Ezra Jennings, Business Manager

Rosie Koppelman, Office Assistant

Teresa Madsen, Communications and Tech Coordinator

Marie Arensmeyer, Facilities Manager

Anissa Bentlemsani, Religious Education Assistant

Carbon Marshall, Tech Specialist

Office Hours

Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

360-634-2005