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
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 13, 2025!
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Potluck
Jeremy Bentham's panopticon has handed us a surprisingly relevant concept for understanding how social media is increasing our self-consciousness to an oppressive degree. Rev. Tiffany explores how we are using technology as a weapon against ourselves, and makes some suggestions about healthy boundaries we can set with ourselves.
Who has been working to save the Nolichucky River?
Who has been serving justice issues for over 40 years?
Who has been holding a MLK gathering for decades?
Who won the Gorbachev/Schultz Youth Leadership award?
Appalachian Peace Education Center and Yogev Von Kundra!
Please support this important local organization!!!
Halloween is going to be a blast this year at HVUUC! Join us for several fun events.
Join us to carve pumpkins and watch family friendly Halloween movies. A limited number of pumpkins and tools will be provided. We recommend bringing your own materials to be sure you have the opportunity to carve. Feel free to bring a snack to share, as well! Email cuups@hvuuc.org with questions.
We are combining our youth RE classes for a fun mask making event in the Fred Ball Room / Deck. Email DRE@hvuuc.org with any questions.
Please be encouraged to wear a costume for this fun service as Rev. Tiffany brings us a Halloween message.
Directly after the Halloween service we will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event in our parking lot. Please contact our DRE to let him know if you will be decorating a trunk for this event. A prize will be awarded to the favorite trunk, as voted by our kids!
Join CUUPs to celebrate these two pagan traditions. Click here for more info.
Join us for church on October 22, 2023
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
1:00pm Intersexion Film Screening
All of us have certain habits of thinking when it comes to problem-solving, brainstorming and discussions. But we don't all think the same way, and that's a good thing. The Six Thinking Hats, a tool developed by psychologist and philosopher Edward de Bono, invites us to consider the what we bring to the table, and the perspectives that can benefit group work.
Every auction we have a special item that we ask the bidders to donate to. This year we had two items that the Board could not decide on. So, we are asking you, the bidders, to decide!
We will have two items to donate to and which item gets the most donations will be the item that gets all the money. These items were suggested by our facilities Trustee, these are the things that he gets the most questions about during the last year.
The first item is: The front garden is a lively collection of flowers and plants, that is high maintenance and not much maintenance is happening. Would you like to have a professional designed garden with native plants to attract native pollinators.
The second item is: The Covered Deck has no lights nor any sockets to plug fans or other equipment into, limiting our ability to keep bugs at bay.
Which item interests you? By donating to the item you choose will determine which is chosen.
Last year new furniture for the deck was the item selected for the donation.
Do you make homemade food, art, or craft items you'd like to offer for sale?
Our Green Arts Fest will be held from noon-2 on Sunday, Nov 12 at HVUUC. (Set up 8:30-10:45 AM)
No fee to vend or attend--vendors are asked to donate 10% of any sales to the church's Green Initiative.
Interested in a table? Or have questions? Contact Kim greenarts@hvuuc.org
Join us for church on October 15, 2023
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
12:30pm Generational Strengths Workshop
Life keeps moving in an endless flow, and as it does, the torch of humanity is passed from one Generation to another. Churches are one of the few Intergenerational places left in American society. Here at Holston Valley UU, five generations work side by side: The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. What does each generation have to offer our community, and what can we learn from each other?
We will devote a segment of the service on November 12 to the induction and welcoming of new members.
If you have taken the Path to Membership classes and would like to sign the book, become a member, and participate in this ceremony, please email membership@hvuuc.org by or before Sunday, October 22.. Include a three or four sentence (50 word) introduction of yourself, written in third person, to be read to the congregation.
For anyone who has taken the Path classes 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.
The Social Justice Committee will once again decorate and supply gifts for “The Giving Tree” this upcoming holiday season in downtown Johnson City. Last year was our first Giving Tree and it was enthusiastically supported both by HVUUC and others in our community. Our larger community heard about it on the news and in the newspaper. They came baring gifts and put them on the tree. Also area businesses helped out as well. The presents are bagged in clear plastic and hung on the tree for those in need to take.
Click through to read more about specific items needed.
Join us for church on October 8, 2023
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Our Minister Emertis Jeff Briere retired two years ago. What's he been up to? As the has-been minister, does he have anything worthwhile to share with us? Attend this service or watch on YouTube and find out.
HVUUC Service Auction coming in less than a month, on November 4th. This page and email offers some important links for your convenience in finding information about the auction and the donation submission form.
The HVUUC Service Auction is November 4th. It is time to start submitting donations.
The link to the 2024 online donation form: auctria.events/2023HVUUCauction
To learn more about the service auction and see past items submitted visit:
https://hvuuc.org/service-auction
Read more about the basics in the "What is a Service Auction" article:
https://hvuuc.org/congregation-news/2023/9/12/what-is-a-service-auction
Headlines
Minister’s Note
Covid Risk Assessment
Auction Donations Needed
Generational Strengths Workshop
The Giving Tree
Trunk or Treat
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.
Up to date church info is always available at www.hvuuc.org
You can now add Donations to the auction catalog!
We would encourage you to donate items that can be redeemed during the next year. All donations will be collected using the Auctria website. This is the same website we have used for donations the past few years.
As items are donated, they will appear in the catalog on the Auctria website. You can review the catalog to consider what you would like to target the evening of the auction.
If you need assistance, please email auction@hvuuc.org.
Join us for church on October 1, 2023
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Art used to be something everyone did, it was a practice that was good for the soul, and was less about making something objectively good, and more about engaging in processes that invited us to the present moment. Today we are going to reclaim that art is for everyone. This highly interactive service invites us to do more than talk about Art and Spiritual Practices, but to actually give them a try. All art projects presented during this service come with a 0% chance of messing up your clothes, so come play with us.
