💜 A Note from the DRE | One Fantabulous Year!
🌟 Youth Group Gathering!
🍲 From Vision to Action | Youth Feed the Hungry Project!
🏳️ ⚧️Trans Day of Remembrance | Service & Nursery Care
📚 Free Library Spotlight | A Celebration of Youth Service!
✨ Wonder Worship | What a Wonderful Turnout!
🤝 Religious Exploration Collaborative (REC)
🍂 No RE Programming November 29th
🎂 November Birthdays!
🌈 Gratitudes Across the Bridge
Click through for a collection of upcoming news and events at HVUUC. Click the images to be directed to more information.
As winter approaches, so does Festivals of Lights on Dec 13! This is an annual, intergenerational service that recognizes different holidays around light that are celebrated by people in our congregation and people who have come before us. We are looking for speakers, candlelighters, and singers. This is a wonderful chance to get involved and there are opportunities for all ages and interests.
Email Sarah or Cathrine at festivals@hvuuc.org to volunteer!
We will also be decorating the sanctuary on Dec 12 from 9a-12pm and welcome all help. If you have any fresh evergreen trimmings, please bring them!
Join us for church on Nov 8, 2026.
9:30am RE
11:00am Service
12:00pm Potluck
1:00pm Metaphysics Group
What do the characters of the Medusa myth and the characters of the Moana Disney movie have in common? They can teach us a lot about the paths to healing, both when they work and when they don't work. Come explore these complexities with Rev. Tiffany.
(content warning for trauma stories and a brief mention of sexual assault)
A HUGE thank-you to the groups that have stepped up to help host Coffee Hour! The Men's Group, Social Justice Committee, and BUUK Club have all answered the call, and we truly appreciate their support! And of course, all of the other individuals that routinely step up to help.
However, we still need volunteers to fill in the gaps. Never hosted Coffee Hour before? No worries! An experienced volunteer will show you the ropes and make sure you know everything you need to know. Not able to bring food? That's okay, too! We can provide the refreshments.
Hosting Coffee Hour is an easy way to help out, connect with fellow members, and make everyone feel welcome. All you need to bring is a little time and a willingness to help! For more information, please contact coffeehour@hvuuc.org or speak to Debbie after church.
Join us for church on Sunday May 21, 2023.
9:30am Religious Education, 11:00am Service
Our special music this Sunday will feature a song by musical activist Holly Near.
Stories told about "God" or "the gods" from ancient times often present a Deity that doesn't live up to more current Humanist ethics. How can Humanist wisdom help us be better people? And can there be any value found in these ancient stories still?
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Board President this past year. It was an opportunity to really delve into the workings of our church. I had a wonderful, energetic board who always kept the needs of the congregation forefront in their minds. Thanks you to all the board members!
The Congregational Meeting took a lot longer than our regular Congregational Meetings, so that by the time we were able to adjourn, I completely forgot to thank all those who worked hard to make it as seamless as possible.
Many thanks to: Deb Helmer, Tish Kashdan, Dave Kashdan, Charis Carter, Tiffany Sapp, Doug Chafin, Dottie Blades, Charlie Miller, Rosemary Kelske, Michele Markstrom-Fritch, Bryan Kleske, and Cynthia Goodman. A special Thanks to Frank Schuler who served as Parliamentarian and helped me through the finer points of Roberts Rules of Order.
Going forward, I hope to continue my service to the church in other ways.
Sincerely,
Ann Johnson
Summer RE begins this week -- Sunday, May 21 and runs through August 6th.
Please note that RE classes will be combined into one class 1st grade through 12th grade. We will meet in the Fred Ball Room by the sanctuary.
Each week will be a different activity -- so far we have crafts, nature play, surgery, cooking and astronomy activities lined up! It should be a great summer of RE! Please join us when you are able.
We will devote a segment of the service on Sunday, June 11 to the induction and welcoming of new members. If you have taken the Path to Membership class (recently or in the past) and would like to sign the book, become a member, and participate in this ceremony, please email membership@hvuuc.org before June 1.. Include a three or four sentence (50 words) introduction of yourself to be read to the congregation.
For anyone who has taken the Path class and would like to join, but cannot or does not wish to participate in the New Member Ceremony, a private signing of the membership book can be arranged.
We are so pleased you have found this church. We welcome you to become a member of our congregation.
HVUUC will have a display at this year’s popular Blue Plum Festival at Johnson City’s King Commons on June 2 and 3. This is an all-Church opportunity to bring HVUUC visibility to the estimated 18,000 attendees. We are looking for a few folks to help organize our participation and a few more to staff our table at the festival.
The Social Justice Committee is committed to support; however, we welcome all who can help plan and host our presence to the community.
We are scheduling a planning session for next week. Please contact SJChair@hvuuc.org or Bob Warner to help out.
Join us for church on Sunday May 14, 2023.
9:30am Religious Education, 11:00am Service
We encourage you to bring flowers for this Sunday’s service! We will also be providing some flowers, as well.
A widely celebrated Unitarian Universalist tradition, the flower communion is an interactive service that invites us to contemplate what we bring to our community and what we recieve from our community. Please bring a flower. It can come from the store, your garden, or even the roadside. Additional flowers will be provided so please come whether you have a flower or not.
To follow up on a great presentation Sunday April 16th about Foster Care needs in our community and how we can help... we will be helping Smile Foster Closet, in Kingsport, by collecting needed items.
Smile Foster Closet has monthly themes for donations, but all items are welcome. Suggested donations for May are gently used or new toddler clothes, and bathing suits. One area of particular need mentioned specifically by Aisha Ward was teen hair care products: brushes, scrunchies, hair ties, hair clips.
If you’d like to donate personally or just learn about what this local organization does, you can check out www.smilefostercloset.org.
THANK YOU!
Make plans to attend a bonfire and yard games event for MACHO on Saturday, May 13 at HVUUC.
We need to burn all the wood that has been collected this Spring, especially after that huge gathering on Service Sunday.
This will be a drop-in event, so stop by whenever you choose.
We'll start the fire at Noon and add wood slowly so we don't catch the place on fire. Stop time is 8 o'clock or until everyone has had enough.
You are welcome to stay all day, stay an hour or whatever.
What we will provide: regular and vegetarian hot dogs, buns and condiments.
What you need to bring:
chair
food sides/snacks to share
your own beverage
other foods to cook in the fire if you don't want hot dogs
*$3 to cover the supplies
We'll play yard games, musical instruments or just chew the fat while the fire burns. Please bring any games you have.
The location of the fire is a bit tricky for those with mobility issues, but rides will be available.
Please RSVP so we can get a headcount for food.
*If the money is a hardship, no problem.
Sarah White, former DRE and longtime dedicated member of our congregation, unexpectedly lost her father, David White, last Sunday. The visitation (5-7 p.m.) and service (7 p.m.) take place Friday, May 5, at Ridgeview Baptist Church, 234 Hurd Rd, in Church Hill. Sarah would appreciate HVUUC support. The The Caring Team has organized a meal train for Sarah, Eren, and Eli.
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
Join us for church on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
9:30am Religious Education, 11:00am Service
This week's Special Music features the talents of our own Charis Carter as she covers the soulful harmonies of Rising Appalachia.
In a congregation of our size it is impossible to personally know everyone in our congregation, but through affinity groups, fellowship groups, covenant groups, working groups and religious education we can create an environment where meaningful connections flourish. Rev. Tiffany will reflect briefly on how these interlocking circles of small communities within the larger community can help us thrive. Come for the service and stay for the annual congregational meeting!
Our Sunday Services need several tech-savy people every week to make them happen. If this is your cup of tea, please get added to our list of helpers by emailing tech@hvuuc.org
We need people to run the video camera, run any videos we have in the service, and do video production after the service ends to get our videos on YouTube. All jobs come with some training, and if you want to do video editing and don't have your own software, we can provide some. This may be the way to find your niche here at HVUUC!
April 23rd will be a very special Sunday where we gather for a church work day instead of a traditional sermon. This gathering invites you to come in clothes you don't mind getting dirty, as we get to work around the church! Religious communities, especially Buddhist temples, have a cherished tradition of making caring for our land and building a spiritual practice.
We will gather at 11:00AM and begin with a blessing before dividing into groups organized by our Facilities Task Force to work on projects that are much needed for the building and our grounds.
We will still have nursery and Religious Education classes.
There will also be projects for the kids, and we will have tasks for people who need gentler sitting tasks as well. If you've never participated in a work day before you will really enjoy the camaraderie that is built, and the satisfaction that comes from seeing our sacred space renewed!
Pizza will be provided!
There will be no YouTube service uploaded this week.
April 23rd will be a very special Sunday where we gather for a church work day instead of a traditional sermon. This gathering invites you to come in clothes you don't mind getting dirty, as we get to work around the church! Religious communities, especially Buddhist temples, have a cherished tradition of making caring for our land and building a spiritual practice.
We will gather at 11:00AM and begin with a blessing before dividing into groups organized by our Facilities Task Force to work on projects that are much needed for the building and our grounds.
We will still have nursery and Religious Education classes.
There will also be projects for the kids, and we will have tasks for people who need gentler sitting tasks as well. If you've never participated in a work day before you will really enjoy the camaraderie that is built, and the satisfaction that comes from seeing our sacred space renewed!
Pizza will be provided!
There will be no YouTube service uploaded this week.
Imagine not knowing the when or where of your next meal. The Kitchen of Hope serves dinner to well over 100 neighbors in Kingsport every day except Sundays. HVUUC has served on the first Monday of the month for several years. The need keeps growing. We're trying to start a second team to serve on the first Tuesday. Can you help?
We split up the tasks, to keep them manageable:
Preppers work roughly 1-3:15 PM, getting the carryout containers ready
Cooks work roughly noon-2 PM, depending on the menu
Servers work roughly 3-5:30 PM, including post-meal cleanup
No experience needed--we'll show you everything you need to know. It's lots of fun, too!
If you want to know more, or can help on either day--in any capacity--even if only SOMEtimes--please contact KOH@HVUUC.org or Kim Ray. Thanks very much!
