Join us for in-person church on Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.! No coffee hour this week as we are at risk level high.
Click for more service details and upcoming events.
Due to illnesses and scheduling conflicts we’re sadly having to cancel our Christmas Eve Gathering. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Please email all submissions for the January newsletter by Monday December 29 to newsletter@hvuuc.org.
Click through for a collection of upcoming news and events at HVUUC. Click the images to be directed to more information.
Join us for church on December 21, 2025.
9:30 Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
12:30pm Giving Tree Donations Packing
12:45pm Christmas Caroling for homebound members and friends.
During this darkest time of the year, many religions and traditions call us to peace and rest. And yet, this is often the busiest time of the year for many. How can we listen to our needs for rest and better care for ourselves and each other? Join Rev. Tiffany for this exploration of rest and peace, and come to say farewell to James as his time as our Music Director is coming to an end.
Leadership Development Opportunities:
Do you want to serve in a leadership position at HVUUC, but want more training before diving in? Would you like to development your existing leadership skills?
There are a number of trainings coming up:
Southern Region UUA- Lead with Love 2/7/26 in Greenville, SC (https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/qkqkmlm0mhvfl4/)
SOUUL Summit March 19-22, 2026 in Atlanta, GA (https://www.uuca.org/souul/) - early bird registration by 12/31/25!
General Assembly (GA) June 14-21, 2026 online (https://www.uua.org/ga)
UU Institute online training programs (https://uuinstitute.org/).
If you want to submit an application for financial assistance for any of these options, complete this form: www.tinyurl.com/HVUUCleaders or email questions to vp@hvuuc.org.
We are excited to see you step into leadership!
Someone out there is posing as me in email, reaching out specifically to email addresses that are _____________@hvuuc.org.
I will never send vague and covert emails asking you all for money or gift cards, I promise!
You also will be able to tell it’s not me because it does not come from my email address.
Please spread the word!
Thanks! Rev. Tiffany
With our Risk Assessment Level currently at medium or high, every speaker and singer we have unmasked on Sunday morning takes a Covid test that morning before the service.
With our commitment to economic justice, we do not wish our service leaders, speakers, singers and staff to have to pay for this expense out of their own pockets. How sad would it be if someone couldn't contribute to our programming because of that expense! But the expense of the church providing these tests does add up when a higher risk level surge lasts a long time.
Here's how you can help!
You can get free rapid tests through the Postal Service by filling out an online form. You are able to order this up to three times.
IF you do not need these free tests for your own non-church use, and you are willing to fill out this form to get free tests and donate them to the church, we would greatly appreciate it!
Here's the link with the form, and thank you!
https://special.usps.com/testkits
What's Brewing Covenant Group led by Wanda Earp.
Covering a variety of topics:
joy milestones
porch conversations
making friends as we age
work of our hands
animal friends
small kindnesses
our legacy/gifts and more
Starting at 10:30 am and ending at 12:30pm in the Emerson Room of the REZ. Bring our morning beverage of choice and reap the joys of deep listening and sharing.
Dates: Sept 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 31.
Limit of 10 members. Email Wanda at whatsbrewing@hvuuc.org to sign up.
All beds are filled for the Women’s Group sleepover but please join us Saturday August 13 for an optional lakeside swim party! Bring your favorite towel & folding chair. Relax on the deck or swim in the lake.
When: 11am-6pm Saturday August 13
Bring a dish or favorite snack to share as food will be potluck style. Water and ice tea provided.
Please contact womensgroup@hvuuc.org with any questions.
There will be a Path to Membership Class on Sunday, August 28 from 12:30-2:30 pm. Childcare will be provided. This is a class that helps those considering membership learn more about our church and the opportunities for involvement. The class does not commit you to membership, but is a necessary precursor for joining our church. It also allows you to get to know a small group of people on a more personal level.
We would like for this class to be held in-person if comfort levels and restrictions allow. To that end, this class will be limited to 8 people. If more are interested, a second class may be planned. Get your name on the list early by emailing membershipdevelopment@hvuuc.org. There will also be a sign-up sheet on the side counter in the sanctuary.
Please provide the following information:
Name, email, phone, how you prefer to be contacted, and whether you will require childcare. If you require childcare, please provide the number of children and their ages.
We look forward to your participation!
Did you know we accept PayPal for pledges and donations? Go to hvuuc.org/donate to give! If you have any questions about how to use it contact our treasurer, Deb Helmer at treasurer@hvuuc.org.
HVUUC is seeking Sunday Morning Childcare workers. This is a paid position. Any member or friend can apply. Must be 18 or older. Please contact president@hvuuc.org for more information.
After a couple of years of pandemic absence, the TriPride Festival and Parade IS BACK!! It will be held this year on August 27th for the first time in Bristol. Once again, HVUUC will be a sponsor.
As TriPride says, this will be the first city-wide public Pride Parade and Festival in Bristol. We are making history again this year by having the parade down State Street in both Bristol, TN and Bristol, VA. We are the first Pride event in the nation to occur in two states simultaneously! The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. and the festival begins immediately after, around 12:00 p.m. The TriPride Festival, presented by Eastman, is a FREE, good for all ages event that will feature live performances, vendors and exhibitors, health services, food trucks, and beer and liquor drinks. Previous years in Johnson City (2018) and Kingsport (2019) had an estimated 10,000 attendees!
So, what does all of this mean for HVUUC? It means we need to get a group of volunteers to spend time at the HVUUC booth, march in the parade and generally just have a great time as we have in past years. For those who plan to march, you may bring your well-behaved dog this year! Please contact the Social Justice Committee or Dottie Blades to sign up for this great event!
Covenant Groups are a great way to meet others, you don't have to be a member of the church to join us.
“Let's Chat” topics are very variable. The next sessions are:
Hospitality
The Positive Side of Darkness
Centering as a Spiritual Practice and Healing.
We meet 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. We meet in the REZ (Religious Education Zone) the building up the hill from the Sanctuary. We have a covenant which describes on how we are to interact with each other, so you can feel safe.
Email letschat@hvuuc.org with any questions!
Rev Tiffany and our music director Charis Carter are planning a listening circle to discuss MUSIC at HVUUC after the service on July 24th.
We would love your feedback on your experience of music in the service in general. Hymns, Special Music, style, amount of music. Do you feel that music during our services offers a level of fulfillment to you? If so, how fulfilling on a scale of 1 to 5? In what ways is it fulfilling or not fulfilling?
In what ways would you be willing and interested in participating in music making at HVUUC? Choir? Music Committee? Special Music? Other ways? Do you feel like you're getting enough opportunities to contribute? Do you feel like you're being asked to contribute too often?
Kirtan is a Sanskrit word that has many loose translations in English. The music that comes to life in a Kirtan is designed to effortlessly guide a group of people through songs or mantras designed for storytelling, meditation, and a praise and worship to divinity.
This musical concert is designed to be an interactive experience for everyone in the family. It can just as easily be enjoyed solely through the listeners experience but encourages participation in its repetitive and meditative sounds.
The band's name is "Nambhava". Nam references the holy names and Bhava means bliss of existence generated from Bhakti
Sound healing is a practice that has been used for as long as we know and the activation of our inner divinity is at the core of this event. Please join us as we sing together and celebrate this sacred life <3
Suggested sliding scale for the concert is $1-$20.
Stay after the concert for coffee hours! Email any questions to musicdirector@hvuuc.org
The financial summary for the fiscal year 2021/2022 is shown below. Our income was above the budgeted amount due to strong support of the auction and pledges. Our expenses were only 82% of the budgeted amount giving a surplus for the year of $27,122. This surplus is critical for funding major spending that is not part of the annual budget. This year it was divided between the Capital Repairs fund ($14,000), the Capital Projects fund ($8,122), and the Board Discretionary fund ($5,000). Clearly the support of the congregation has us in a very strong financial position.