Join us for church on August 10, 2025!
9:30am RE
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Youth Pizza Fundraiser
12:00PM Holy Ground Workshop
The power of religions to make homes, cross boundaries, intensify joy, and confront suffering. These reflections invite us to think more deeply about what religion is and how it helps u navigate the human experience.
With guest speaker Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler
The Music Team is looking for anyone who enjoys music that would like to occasionally help volunteering as a temporary choir director in the near future. James or Alesha will be more than happy to coach you on what to do and would only ask to schedule you for services that you are able and willing to be involved.
Email musicdirector@hvuuc.org if you would be interested to learn more!
Social Justice Committee have purchased, "Know your rights" cards and placed them on the shelf near the library in the sanctuary. These red cards can be used as a reference for individuals and also handed to police and/or immigration to communicate constitutional rights; such as remaining silent and requesting an attorney. These cards are written in both, English and Spanish.
These cards were purchased by Social Justice Committee as part of the church's, "Statement of Support of U.S immigrants facing oppressive violence" and "Standing on the side of LOVE". This statement can be found at https://hvuuc.org/immigration-support
Please take these cards for yourself and anyone else who may benefit from knowing their rights.
August 6th is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which nihilated over 200,000 humans. This is a prayer that this never happens again. Pray for Peace.
A NUCLEAR PRAYER
The Beginning and the End are in your hands, O Creator of the Universe. And in our hands you have placed the fate of this planet.
We, who are tested by having both creative and destructive power in our free will, turn to you in sober fear and in intoxicating hope.
We ask for your guidance and to share in your imagination in our deliberations about the use of nuclear force.
Help us to lift the fog of atomic darkness that hovers so pervasively over our Earth, Your Earth, so that soon all eyes may see life magnified by your pure light.
Bless all of us who wait today for your Presence and who dedicate ourselves to achieve your intended peace and rightful equilibrium on Earth.
In the Name of all that is holy and all that is hoped.
Amen.
Rev. Bishop Swing,
United Religions Initiative
Join us for church on August 10, 2025!
9:30am RE
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Youth Pizza Fundraiser
12:00PM Holy Ground Workshop
The power of religions to make homes, cross boundaries, intensify joy, and confront suffering. These reflections invite us to think more deeply about what religion is and how it helps u navigate the human experience.
With guest speaker Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler
The Music Team is looking for anyone who enjoys music that would like to occasionally help volunteering as a temporary choir director in the near future. James or Alesha will be more than happy to coach you on what to do and would only ask to schedule you for services that you are able and willing to be involved.
Email musicdirector@hvuuc.org if you would be interested to learn more!
Social Justice Committee have purchased, "Know your rights" cards and placed them on the shelf near the library in the sanctuary. These red cards can be used as a reference for individuals and also handed to police and/or immigration to communicate constitutional rights; such as remaining silent and requesting an attorney. These cards are written in both, English and Spanish.
These cards were purchased by Social Justice Committee as part of the church's, "Statement of Support of U.S immigrants facing oppressive violence" and "Standing on the side of LOVE". This statement can be found at https://hvuuc.org/immigration-support
Please take these cards for yourself and anyone else who may benefit from knowing their rights.
August 6th is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which nihilated over 200,000 humans. This is a prayer that this never happens again. Pray for Peace.
A NUCLEAR PRAYER
The Beginning and the End are in your hands, O Creator of the Universe. And in our hands you have placed the fate of this planet.
We, who are tested by having both creative and destructive power in our free will, turn to you in sober fear and in intoxicating hope.
We ask for your guidance and to share in your imagination in our deliberations about the use of nuclear force.
Help us to lift the fog of atomic darkness that hovers so pervasively over our Earth, Your Earth, so that soon all eyes may see life magnified by your pure light.
Bless all of us who wait today for your Presence and who dedicate ourselves to achieve your intended peace and rightful equilibrium on Earth.
In the Name of all that is holy and all that is hoped.
Amen.
Rev. Bishop Swing,
United Religions Initiative
Join us for church on August 3, 2025!
9:30am RE
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Unitarian theologian James Luther Adams once said "Church is a place where you get to practice what it means to be human." In these days, how do we welcome, encourage and protect the humanity of each other?
With guest preacher Rev. Laura Bogle
Headlines
Minister’s Note
RE News
Holy Ground Workshop
Backpack Blessing
Church Picnic
Game Nights Return
Click here to read the entire newsletter.
Click here for past newsletters.
You can also find a few printed copies at our visitors table in the sanctuary.
Up to date church info is always available at www.hvuuc.org
Pastoral Care Support is Available during Rev. Tiffany's Sabbatical from our DRE, Justin Ridley
As you may know, Rev. Tiffany is currently on sabbatical through the end of August. During this time, I will be coordinating pastoral care for our HVUUC community, working closely with our dedicated Caring Team.
My name is Justin Ridley, and I'm your Director of Religious Education. I'm honored to step into this expanded role and offer support to our congregation. My five years of hospital chaplaincy experience and nearing completion of spiritual director training uniquely equip me to walk with you through life's challenges.
I am available to offer confidential support during times of crisis, grief, and other significant life events.
If you need support beyond the scope of our Caring Team, I have office hours available for appointments.
Please email pastoralcare@hvuuc.org to receive a link to schedule a time.
I look forward to being a supportive presence for you during this interim period.
The Religious Education Collaborative is collecting feedback on a potential topic for an RE class. There has been some interest by Religious Education members for a class on the topic of Jesus. To help facilitate this interest please fill out the survey below.
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/c1iHoCWD7Gd7XRVo9
For questions please contact our DRE, Justin Ridley, dre@hvuuc.org
Join us for church on July 27, 2025!
9:30am RE
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Historians pine about the ancient knowledge lost in the Library of Alexandria, but how much is legend and how much is fact? Guest speaker Bradley discusses the history of the library, why people like it so much, and whether or not its reverence is justified.
Summer temps are still with us, but we still need our coffee and conversation. Please consider volunteering to host coffee hour. August has five Sundays, so there is room for anyone interested. If you need help or instruction on what coffee hour hosts do, just email coffeehour@hvuuc.org. Thank you.
Service Info:
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Sunday, August 10
Title: Making Homes and Crossing Boundaries: What Teaching World Religions Has Taught Me
Description: The power of religions to make homes, cross boundaries, intensify joy, and confront suffering. These reflections invite us to think more deeply about what religion is and how it helps you navigate the human experience. With guest speaker Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler
Workshop Info:
Time: 12:30 - 3:00 pm, Sunday, August 10
Title: Holy Ground: Reimagining the Religious Landscapes of Appalachia
Description: How do we understand religion in Appalachia beyond familiar church steeples and denominational labels? Join Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler, a historian of religion at East Tennessee State University, for a workshop that explores the surprising diversity of religious life across the Appalachian region. Dr. Adler invites participants to explore how sacred landscapes, lived experience, and vernacular religious practices have shaped Appalachian identity, often in unexpected ways. This workshop offers an opportunity to challenge stereotypes, reflect on your own community’s religious history, and gain new insight into what religion has meant—and continues to mean—in Appalachia.
BIO: Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler is an assistant professor of history at East Tennessee State University, where she teaches courses in world religions, American religious history, and religion in Appalachia. Her research focuses on sacred space, material culture, ritual practice, and lived religion in American life. A first-generation college student and native of Indiana, she earned her A.B. in Government from Harvard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University.
Additional Information: Childcare is available for both the service and the workshop. The Youth Group will be hosting a Pizza Sale Fundraiser between the service and workshop during coffee hour -- 12:00 - 12:30.
Dear HVUUC family, unbeknownst to the congregation, I have spent the last half a year doing my best to try to care for an ill family member. It has taken a toll on my well-being. With the support and encouragement of the Committee on Ministry, our Board of Trustees, and our excellent Staff Team, I have decided that I must take a mini-sabbatical in the month of August.
The Religious Services Committee, along with a few wonderful minister colleagues of mine, are working to ensure that we have truly excellent programming in August while I am out. I hope you'll enjoy what they're cooking up for you in August!
Justin Ridley, our Director of Religious Education, has agreed to offer Pastoral Care support in our absence. He comes to us with extensive experience as a hospital chaplain, and is currently studying to be a spiritual director, so he is quite qualified to offer support should you decide you need it. He will be available for Pastoral Care by appointment only so please reach out to him at pastoralcare@hvuuc.org if you have a need. And of course, our Caring Team is always available for support as well, and you can reach them at caring@hvuuc.org
I have a week of vacation schedule for right before this sabbatical begins, so my last day before I'm off is this Sunday, July 20th. I'll be back to it on Friday, August 29th, hopefully with renewed energy!
Join us for church on July 20, 2025!
9:30am RE
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
The spiritual practices of joy and pleasure are not optional, but are essential for building resilient communities who are grounded in Love. Come explore with Rev. Tiffany and your community, how we can engage with Joy!
You are invited to join the community install of artist Aaron McIntosh’s participatory artwork: Invasive Queer Kudzu. This event will be taking place on Thursday, July 31 from 2 to 4 pm at the Reece Museum.
Invasive Queer Kudzu will be the final artwork that is installed as part of the Reece Museum’s upcoming exhibition, The Place Speaks. This exhibit is designed to explore intersections of Appalachian culture, folk art, and folk religion, as well as interpretations of nature and Appalachian placeness as it reveals the divine to artists. The Invasive Queer Kudzu project raises visibility of Southern queer folks and their communities by using the metaphor of kudzu to exponentially grow queer stories across the South.
Participants of this workshop are invited to craft their own stories or messages of support that will contribute to the growing mass of Southern queer kudzu. Participants will be provided with a cloth kudzu-shaped leaf, which they can write/draw/adorn with their stories using fabric markers, embroidery floss, and other embellishments, which could include small personal mementoes, symbolic vestiges, or tokens of memory brought from home. “Engulfing hills, trees and old buildings in a dense stranglehold, the kudzu vine colonizes, and alien landscapes emerge. An ‘invasive’ species, kudzu taps into our fears of otherness, connecting it in many ways to perceptions of queerness.” – Aaron McIntosh.
Aaron McIntosh (b. 1984, Kingsport, Tennessee) is a cross-disciplinary artist whose work mines the intersections of material culture, family tradition, sexual desire, and identity politics in a range of works including quilts, sculpture, collage, drawing, and writing. As a fourth-generation quilt maker whose grandparents were noted quilters in their Appalachian communities, this tradition of working with scraps is a primary platform from which he explores the patchworked nature of identity. Since 2015, McIntosh has managed Invasive Queer Kudzu, a community storytelling and archive project across the LGBTQ South.
This event is free & open to the public. Invasive Queer Kudzu will be part of the exhibition The Place Speaks: Sacred and Artistic Genealogies of Appalachia, which opens on Monday, August 4, 2025.
The Reece Museum is a unit of the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, which is housed in the ETSU Department of Appalachian Studies. The Reece Museum is located on the campus of East Tennessee State University and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Follow the Reece Museum on social media for more content and digital programming. For more information, please visit http://www.etsu.edu/reece or phone (423) 439-4392. ETSU is an AA/EEO employer. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
