Jessica Bowman
Soapbox Sunday - NO RE

Join us for church on July 5, 2026.

  • NO RE

  • 11:00am Service

  • 12:00pm Coffee Hour

  • 5:00pm RE Collaborative Meeting

Soapbox Sunday

This is a yearly tradition in which a handful of your very own friends volunteer to "get up on their soapbox" to speak to us about something they feel is of great importance to them. This is our church's nod to the 1st ammendment rights of the people of this country. This year, we also commemorate the 250th Birthday of our country.

Soapbox Sunday - NO RE
Jessica Bowman
July 2026 Newsletter

Headlines .…

  • S’mores & Stories!

  • K-5 Options During the Service

  • Scam Alert

  • Family Movie Night

  • Solidarity Summit

  • Absences and Closures

  • Women’s Retreat

 

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.

July 2026 Newsletter
Jessica Bowman
S'mores & Stories, RE Collaborative ...

Upcoming News and Events

Click through for a collection of upcoming news and events at HVUUC. Click the images to be directed to more information.

S'mores & Stories, RE Collaborative Meeting, & More
Jessica Bowman
And Your Best Advice Is?

Join us for church on June 28, 2026.

  • 9:30am Religious Education

  • 11:00am Service

  • 12:00pm Coffee Hour

And Your Best Advice Is?

Come explore questions about your own and others "Best Advice". What is it? What was its source? Why is it pertinent? How do you share it? This exploration is facilitated by Steven Roberts.

And Your Best Advice Is?
Jessica Bowman
Religious Education Update — June 28, 2026

✨ REC — Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Part of the Magic

🌟 All Ages, All In: A Summer of Community Connection

📖 Storytellers: S'mores & Stories

🧘 Healers: Family Yoga with Tish & More

🚒 First Responders with Gray Volunteer Fire Department

✨ Visionaries: Stargazing with Donnie and Mike Frisch

📚 RE Book Sale Fundraiser

🎬 Family Movie Night Fundraiser

🌈 Summer RE Class Updates

🦴 This Sunday: Fossil Exploration 2!

📱 Coming Soon: Simplified RE Sign-In & Sign-Out

Religious Education Update — June 28, 2026

Social Justice Sunday (MASKS REQUIRED)

Social Justice Sunday (MASKS REQUIRED)

Join us for in-person church on Sunday, Jan 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.!

Social Justice Sunday

The Social Justice Committee will bring to the pulpit, a message of inspiration, hope and an invitation to engage in 2023. In one year, our Committee has grown from 9 members to 16 – and we are organizing to include many other church members in our collective activities. The service will be followed by a “Social Justice Fair.” We want to hear from you about what YOU want to see HVUUC standing for.

RISK LEVEL MEDIUM

Risk Assessment Team has determined that we are in Risk Level Medium. Masks are required for services.

Let's Chat Covenant Group

Let's Chat Covenant Group

Let's Chat Covenant Group is starting back after a winter hiatus. Start date is April 12th. We will meet in the REZ from 6:30 to 8:30 on second and fourth Wednesdays. Topics vary from one meeting to the next. You must signup with Greg Kramer to attend.

Let's Chat is a long term Covenant Group, which means people may join at any time as long as the group doesn't have more than 10 members. We have much fewer than that. I with the group discuss topics for upcoming sessions. We range from laughter to responsibility. We meet second and fourth Wednesdays at the Church in the REZ room one. The first room on the right as you enter the REZ. We start promptly at 6:30 and end at 8:30. I plan to continue through the summer. You must signup by contacting Greg Kramer at greg@hvuuc.org to participate.

Religion as a Coping Mechanism (MASKS REQUIRED)

Religion as a Coping Mechanism (MASKS REQUIRED)

Join us for in-person church on Sunday, Jan 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.!

Religion as a Coping Mechanism

How is religion used as a coping mechanism, and is it a healthy or unhealthy way to cope? And is Unitarian Universalism exempt from the folies of spiritual bypassing? The answers are complicated but we can dive into asking the questions together, and learn how our own ability to practice discernment comes into play.

RISK LEVEL MEDIUM

Risk Assessment Team has determined that we are in Risk Level medium. Masks are required for services.

Endowment Fund

Endowment Fund

Are you aware that HVUUC has an Endowment Fund? This is a fund which will grow over time and is intended to make payments to the church from its income. The Fund has grown to a sizable amount over its 14 years of existence. This annual contribution to the church is intended to be used for such items as enhancing the ministry of the church and subsidizing new initiatives and capital projects, as well as making major repairs. The Fund is currently contributing over $6,000 annually to HVUUC.

Members and friends are encouraged to make donations to the Fund to, for example, memorialize people within the congregation who have died or in honor of individuals who have served the church in some way. You can contribute to the Fund by placing a check in the collection basket, noting that it is for the Endowment Fund and whom you wish to honor.

If you'd like more information about the Endowment Fund, you can email endowment@hvuuc.org.

New Interim DRE

New Interim DRE

Please welcome our interim Director of Education - Sarah Sanders!

Sarah has been a member of the church for six years, five of those as a member of the Religious Education Collaborative. She is an OWL (Our Whole Lives) facilitator for all ages and has enjoyed teaching our youth about comprehensive and inclusive sex education. She has also helped the church in other ways such as volunteering for Religious Education, assisting with the auction, and being a co-director for our summer camp. Sarah loves playing video games, going on bike rides, playing tabletop roleplay games, and performing in community theater.

Love is Central: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 2 (MASKS REQUIRED)

Love is Central: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 2 (MASKS REQUIRED)

Join us for in-person church on Sunday, Jan 15, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.!

Love is Central: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 2

The central value in the proposed changes to Article II is Love, and much of it is influenced by Martin Luther King Jr's ideas around the Beloved Community. Martin Luther King Day seems like an appropriate time to look at these proposed core values of Unitarian Universalism 

RISK LEVEL MEDIUM

Risk Assessment Team has determined that we are in Risk Level medium. Masks are required for services.

Director of Religious Education Staff Opening

Director of Religious Education Staff Opening

Director of Religious Education Staff Opening – Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Gray, TN

15 hour a week position with flexible hours except for expected attendance on 75% of Sundays

Pay and benefits within UUA Fair Compensation Guidelines Rates begin at $13,350/year for 15 hours, ($17.11/hour) and up

Start Date:  March 1, 2023, or possibly sooner if available

Click for full job description and more details.

Our Living Tradition: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 1

Our Living Tradition: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 1

Join us for in-person church on Sunday, Jan 8, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.!

Our Living Tradition: Article 2 Proposed Revisions Part 1

The Unitarian Universalist Association has been re-imagining our foundational documents. This Sunday we will take a look at the history of Article II, what changes have been proposed, and what the rest of the revision process will look like.

RISK LEVEL LOW

Risk Assessment Team has determined that we are in Risk Level Medium. Masks are not required for services. For full details see here: https://hvuuc.org/level-1-low

***CANCELLED*** Pancakes and Jam Service

Damage to the kitchen ceiling from the broken water pipe.

The Pancakes and Jam Service on Sunday, January 1, 2023 is CANCELLED. No church or RE this weekend.

During the recent cold weather we had frozen pipes at the church. A pipe in the kitchen ceiling broke and has caused damaged to the kitchen, Fred Ball Room, and hallway. Our insurance company has been contacted and the process for repairing the damage has started. We will let everyone know once more information is available.