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 April 20, 2025!
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Egg hunt and Open Mic
4:00pm Youth Group
An Easter celebration highlighting the diverse perspectives present within Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. This member-led service offers us an opportunity to hear about Easter, past and present, from four of our members, Denee Mattioli, Deb Helmer, Charlie Miller, and Lee Sinnot.
Our annual Flower Communion service is on Sunday, April 27th! Please plan on bringing a flower for this very special service: store bought, from your garden, or a roadside wildflower: all are welcome!
If you'd like to volunteer to bring in an entire vase-worth of flowers to share with people who didn't bring a flower, email minister@hvuuc.org to volunteer!
Registration closes April 30th, limited rooms still available as well as camping. INFO & REGISTRATION HERE: Www.tinyurl.com/hvuucwomen
THEME:
Radical Joy in Hard Times
PLACE:
The Peace Pentagon (www.peacepentagon.net)
88 Oracle Way, Independence, VA
We will have access to the entire campus which includes New River frontage, a babbling creek for water ceremony, turtle labyrinth, medicine wheel and peace pole as well as the picnic pavilion, bathhouse and, of course, the Peace Pentagon chapel.
CONVENER:
Rev. Becky Suzik, UU Peace Fellowship (https://uupf.org) Raleigh, NC;
Rev. Becky’s personal charity: www.joyfuel.org
The purpose of our gathering is to persist in bringing the frequency of JOY into our lives as we face difficult times. The greatest antidote to fear and separation is community, heart resonance and kindling JOY. And, yes, better together!
This gathering is flexible. Come Friday evening for a bonfire, drumming and stay on campus – rates ranging from $25/night camping to $100 for a private King bed and bath. Another option it to rent the whole house and share costs. Plus taxes.
OR – come for just Saturday.. arrive at 10 for a full day of JOY immersion.
PLANNING:
Are you interested in planning the details for the gathering? For example, food committee, leading a JOY activity, other?
REGISTRATION:
Fee: By Donation – No One Will be Turned Away;
INTERESTED? – More details as they are developed.
Email Noel: VP@hvuuc.org
Our first ever Trunk or Treat is happening on October 30th, immediately after the service. Such spooky fun!
We would love to have a few more trunks involved! Please email Sarah at DRE@HVUUC.ORG if you can participate. RE will be sponsoring a prize for the trunk voted most favorite!
John Robert Charles was born in Rogersville, TN on February 28, 1939. A professional artist for six decades, John refined his skills from New York City to Hollywood then settled in Northern California before returning to East Tennessee. He died at age 83 in Kingsport, TN of cardiac arrest on September 22, 2022.
John is survived by his daughter DonnaTina Charles, son Vincent, younger brother Edwin Barrett Charles (Barbara), step-sister Josie Ruth Starnes and step-sister-in-law Helen Weems along with many treasured family, cherished friends, admired classmates, esteemed colleagues, and dear neighbors.
John Charles was a friend of Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church for well over a decade. While a fall in 2019, and then the pandemic kept him at home in his last years he has stayed connected with us through YouTube and visitation. We grieve the loss of John Charles, and we also express deep gratitude for his children, DonnaTina and Vincent, who have done so much to care for him. We will miss John Charles' artistic spirit and his wry sense of humor.
Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, October 22 at 11 am at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park (Visitor Center, Gathering Room) in Elizabethton, TN. A potluck will follow at noon, and all are welcome to bring a dish to share (and a serving utensil)
The next meeting of the HVUUC bUUk Club is this coming Tuesday Oct 18th at 10 a.m.
If the weather is good we will meet on the back deck, if it is cold we can meet in the Fred Ball Room which allows for a bit of room to spread out. If we are inside, it might be a good idea to wear masks.
Our book is Bewilderment by Richard Powers and our Facilitator is Jo Anne Medlin.
Please email buukclub@hvuuc.org with any questions.
Below is our reading selection for the upcoming year.
Do you believe every body is sacred? Are you interested in organizing on the side of love for LGBTQIA+, gender, and reproductive justice?
Join Side With Love for the official launch of our latest organizing campaign, UPLIFT Action! This virtual event will be held on Thursday, October 13th at 5pm PT / 6pm MT / 7pm CT / 8pm MT. Register at https://bit.ly/UpliftActionLaunchParty.
You can also find a few printed copies of the newsletter on the visitors table in the sanctuary.
Click here to read the entire newsletter.
Click here for past newsletters.
Up to date church info is always available at www.hvuuc.org
Next week we have some absences and changes:
Rev. Tiffany will be out of the office from 10/3 until 10/9.
Sarah White will be out of the office from 10/4 until 10/7.
Charis Carter will be out of the office from 10/8 until 10/15.
And Jessica will be working from home instead of in the church office on 10/4 and 10/6.
Please plan accordingly, and contact your board members if you have an emergency.
Due to expected heavy rain this coming weekend the church work day planned for Saturday has been cancelled.
An alternate work day for outdoor tasks including weeding, picking up limbs, raking leaves, and general cleanup of the grounds will take place TOMORROW September 30th. Anyone that can help with outdoor chores is welcome to join around 8:30 am or anytime you wish.
Contact Doug at facilities@hvuuc.org for details or questions.
HVUUC currently has two paid childcare workers for the nursery. We also have a few people who have volunteered to serve as backup if one of the paid workers can't make it. We need more backup volunteers.
Hours will be 915 to 1215 when there is RE. You may be called on very short notice. Please volunteer to take care of our future at HVUUC.
Contact Joshua Beckett at childcare@hvuuc.org if you can help out.
When: 9:30-10:45 a.m., Sunday Oct. 2
Where: Youth room upstairs in the REZ building
Why: Because it is important for adults to know what youth need and want rather than deciding what youth need and want.
Youth in middle and high school are invited to eat donuts and participate in a listening circle this Sunday morning during regular RE. Cindi H. works with a group of organizations in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee that want sex ed and reproductive and sexual health services to be more accessible to all youth. These organizations are interested in knowing how youth feel about the sex ed they get in schools, what other resources youth have, and what they want. Youth, if you have thoughts (and we know you do!) about this, please join us for donuts and deep listening.
We’ve made some great progress on our playground/deck area, but still have a few chores there plus many other things to do to keep our grounds looking great.
Please join us for this work day and bring any outdoor tools you may have such as weed eaters, rakes, loppers, chainsaw, etc. If you have a truck and are willing to haul mulch, please bring it.
Water and individually wrapped snacks will be available.
Our annual church auction needs to be organized, and we need a team to coordinate the festivities. This year we are planning for an in-person component, so your energy to reboot the process will be critical. Please contact stewardship@hvuuc.org if you are interested in a rewarding service to the congregation.
This class will run on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:45.
Oct. 23 & 30, Nov. 6, 13, & 20, Dec. 11
Oct 1, 10:30 a.m.-Noon at HVUUC
Guardians, we want to make sure we have your informed consent for your youth to participate in Stellar Sex Ed, so please plan to attend this meeting if you’re thinking about signing them up. We will have consent forms for you to fill out after the meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting, please reach out to Sarah White at DRE@hvuuc.org.
Stellar Sex Ed engages participants in an expansive exploration of their inner and outer space. It fundamentally changes the way we approach sexuality education. Free of judgment, Stellar Sex Ed dismantles stigma and invites honest, compassionate curiosity about bodies, identities, and relationships.
Over the course of six lessons, participants will cover whole people, basic internal and external anatomy, intersex, body image, gender, orientation, power dynamics, healthy relationships, bias and discrimination, pregnancy, STIs, and prevention methods.
HVUUC is offering Stellar Sex Ed, developed by RISE: Healthy for Life, to this age group because it is a contemporary, inclusive, affirming approach to sex ed.
You've probably seen the Save the Date slides and announcements for the upcoming Installation Service, October 2nd at 4:00pm. But what is an Installation? Basically, and Installation is a special service where a congregation formalizes its relationship with a called settled minister. (That's me!)
(Click to read the full message from Reverend Tiffany)
Starting today, the Risk Assessment Team has determined that we can move our Risk Level back to Medium. For full details see here: https://hvuuc.org/level-2-medium
This now means that:
We will still wear masks during Sunday Services because it's such a large group
Speakers & Singers no longer have to have a Rapid Test (though they should still test if they are uncertain of their health)
Everyone should still stay home if they are sick
Masks are now OPTIONAL in classes and small groups, when everyone present is vaccinated
Food and drink is now allowed indoors
With the lowered Covid level, food and coffee are now allowed to be served in the church!
Please feel free to bring a dish to share, buffet style, for this Sunday's Picnic.
Hotdogs, chips, lemonade and ice water will be served.
Contact picnic@hvuuc.org with any questions. Or call/text Cynthia G.
This Sunday is the church picnic! Here at Holston Valley UU church right after church, on September 25th.
Hot dogs and toppings, chips, and water will be provided.
You may bring prepackaged treats to share with everyone if you would like.
And please bring your own box lunch if you want more than hotdogs!
If you want to volunteer or need more information email picnic@hvuuc.org
