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.
Volunteers Make the Magic Happen
As our Religious Exploration programming continues to grow, so does our need for wonderful volunteers!
Whether you'd enjoy:
Leading a class
Assisting a facilitator
Helping little hands explore the garden
Supporting Wonder Worship
Or serving quietly behind the scenes...
...there is a place for your unique gifts.
Each Sunday we're currently seeking:
2 adults for K–2
2 adults for Grades 3–5
2 adults for Grades 6–12
1 Adult Discussion Group Guide
1–2 Wonder Worship volunteers (serving 2–3 Sundays each month)
Not a classroom person? Wonderful! We have plenty of behind-the-scenes opportunities as well.
If you'd like to explore where your interests and gifts best align, we'd love to hear from you!
Volunteer Interest Form:
https://form.jotform.com/262058660418055
Background checks are required for those serving with children and youth and are provided by the church at no cost to you.
Join us for church on August 9, 2026.
9:30 am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
12:30pm Metaphysical Group Presentation
The Merchant's Last Coin is a story of a person who gives up everything for the sake of greed. How much can we lose when we lose sight of who we are? And if greed can transform us, can generosity do the same?
A Little Space to Breathe Before Our RE Year Begins!
Our fall Religious Exploration schedule has shifted! Summer All-Ages RE will continue August 9, 16 & 23, followed by a celebratory All-Ages RE Kickoff on August 30. After our Labor Day weekend pause, regular K–12 and Adult RE classes will officially begin September 13!
Religious Exploration: A Little More Space to Breathe
After hearing from our RE community, we're excited to share our updated schedule for the beginning of our new Religious Exploration year!
August is a season of transition—summer winds down, school begins, schedules shift, and families and volunteers start finding their new grooves. Your responses made it clear that a little extra space to breathe before jumping into our regular classes is very welcome!
Here's our new schedule:
Registrations are officially OPEN!
Whether you're enrolling a little one, a youth, or yourself, now is the perfect time to reserve your place for the year ahead.
A special note for our adults: If you're currently participating in—or interested in joining—one of our Adult Discussion Groups, please take a moment to complete the registration form, too. Registration isn't just for children...YOU matter, too!
Your registration helps us:
* Plan for our continually growing programs.
* Understand participation as we dream about future expansion.
* Keep our communication lists up-to-date so everyone who wants information receives it.
Register Today:
Nursery through Grade 12:
https://form.jotform.com/262060977369064
Adult Discussion Groups:
https://form.jotform.com/262061181173146
You can also find program descriptions and QR codes on colorful material throughout the sanctuary, in the lobby, on the REZ door and billboard, and in the Fellowship Hall!
Let us know what kinds of social justice issues you’re interested in tackling as a congregation by taking this quick survey from the Social Justice Committee.
Email sjchair@hvuuc.org with any questions.
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.