Click through for a collection of upcoming news and events at HVUUC. Click the images to be directed to more information.
Proposal: HVUUC disposes of all plastic kitchen utensils and use the Green Sanctuary Fund to purchase non-plastic kitchen utensils to replace them.
Sources:
The news story reporting the study: Black-colored plastic used for kitchen utensils and toys linked to banned toxic flame retardants | CNN
The news story with Dr. Leonardo Trasande: Black plastic items could contain harmful chemicals, study finds (youtube.com)
Join us for church on November 24, 2024!
NO RE this week
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
We can only become our truest selves, our most holy and hopeful selves, when we touch the wounds of God not by turning away from suffering but by confronting it. Join us this Sunday as Chaplain Michael Woods shares his thoughts on this important topic.
There’s a lot going on this Holiday season, here’s everything we know of at the moment!
Thanksgiving Potluck, Thursday November 28th at 2:00pm
Email thanksgiving@hvuuc.org. Come early to help with setup!
(office will be closed Thanksgiving Day)
Decorating The Giving Tree, Friday November 29th at 11:00AM
Tree #113 in Kings Commons Park, Johnson City.
Email givingtree@hvuuc.org
Tree Lighting Ceremony, Saturday November 30th at 6:30PM
Meet at The Giving Tree #113 in Kings Commons Park
Cookie Exchange during coffee hour Sunday December 1st
Bring a batch of favorite cookies to the kitchen before church and we’ll all get cookies during coffee hour. Email fellowship@hvuuc.org
A Giving Tree Women’s Night, Friday December 6th at 6:30PM. We will be packaging items for the Giving Tree and enjoying snacks.
Email womensgroup@hvuuc.org for location.
Green Arts Fest, Sunday December 8th at 12:00PM. Come ready to shop and support local craftspeople at this fun annual event.
Email greenarts@hvuuc.org
Greening of the Sanctuary, Saturday Dec 14th 9:30AM-12:30PM
Help us decorate for Festivals of Light. Email rosemary@hvuuc.org
Festivals of Light, Sunday Dec 15th at 11:00AM
Join us for our favorite, pluralistic holiday tradition. This service is a must see!
Christmas Caroling, Sunday December 15th at noon.
After Festivals of Light stay for soup and then we will carpool to sing Christmas Carols for some of our members and friends.
Email minister@hvuuc.org
Christmas Eve, Tuesday December 24th time TBA
We will gather for cookies, carols, and candlelight again on the night before Christmas.
Pancakes and Jam, Sunday December 29th at 11:00AM
Our favorite casual “service” where we leave the sanctuary for the Fred Ball room to eat breakfast and enjoy some open mic music.
Email pancakesandjam@hvuuc.org if you’d like to sing or play.
TN Environmental Council Tree Day is March 15, 2025. Order early for best selection.
Plant a tree!
The TN Environmental Council has announced its 2025 annual Tree Day event.
Planting trees benefits our environment in many ways including decreasing air pollution, filtering rainwater, and improving wildlife and pollinator habitats. For more information about the impact of native trees: https://www.tectn.org/tennesseetreeprogram.html
Tree orders are underway and continue through early March 2025. Order early for the widest species selection. To order seedlings visit: https://www.tectn.org/tennesseetreeday.html
HVUUC is serving again as a community pick-up location! The dates are March 14th and 15th, 2025. Volunteers welcome to help with bundling and distribution during morning hours. We will need a tall stack of newspaper to bundle seedlings. Newspaper donations appreciated early 2025.
For questions or to participate one or both days contact, environment@hvuuc.org
Join us for church on November 5, 2023
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Our All Souls Day service invites us to gather to remember those who have passed away within the last year. Bring a photo, name, or memento for the altar if you have someone you wish to honor. Together, we will remember and reflect on those we have lost.
Headlines
Minister’s Note
Green Arts Festival
The Giving Tree
Wednesday Night Suppers
Plant a Tree
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
Join us after church on Nov 12 for the Green Arts Fest. Local artisans will have homemade items for sale. Find treasures for yourself & for gifts. From chocolate to greeting cards, wood to crochet--something for everyone!
Do you make homemade food, art, or craft items you'd like to offer for sale? If you’d like a table to sell your wares, email Kim at greenarts@hvuuc.org No fee to vend or attend--vendors are asked to donate 10% of any sales to the church's Green Initiative.
Potpourri, pine cones, tie dye, paintings, pickles, leather, wood, cocoa bombs--more treasures than a pirate's lair -- without the pesky pirates. Whether you're shopping for yourself or a gift, come join the merriment at the Green Arts Fest right after church on Nov 12 -- in the Fred Ball Room
As part of Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church's commitment to economic justice within our walls, we offer the opportunity to pledge volunteer hours for auction credits. This allows our members who might not be able to afford to bid in our auction to still take part in the fun!
This is a little complicated. If you think you may want to participate in this program, please take a look at the details below:
We will credit you $15 per hour for your volunteer hours
We must cap the number of hours you can pledge at 10 hours this year, allowing for up to $150 worth of volunteer credit
Your volunteer hours cannot be for things you've already committed to. If you're already on a committee or teaching a class, those things don't count. But things like cleanup days and coffee hour kitchen duty will always count, and new volunteer efforts of any sort would be welcome
Rev. Tiffany, Jessica our Office Manager, and the volunteer receiving payments will be the only people who know you are participating in this program
On the day of the auction or in the days leading up to the auction, contact Rev. Tiffany at minister@hvuuc.org (or in person at the auction) and let her know that you would like to participate in this program so that the office can follow up with you after the auction.
Bid on items in both the live auction and silent auction like any other bidder, but don't exceed $150 total worth of bids.
When it comes time to pay, let the money collector know that you are paying with volunteer hours
Rev. Tiffany or the Office will follow up with you the following week to confirm the hours that you are committed to (and Rev. Tiffany may even have some suggestions about how you could volunteer)
You will be instructed on where to send reports of your completed volunteer hours
Volunteer hours must be completed by August 2024
Join us for church on October 29, 2023
9:30am Combined RE - Mask Making!
11:00am Sunday Service
12:00pm Trunk or Treat
When you knock on the door to trick-or-treat, you never know who is going to answer the door. Who will answer? And what will they teach us? Dressing up in costume for this service is encouraged, and be prepared for a trunk or treat to follow.
This Sunday after the service we will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event!
Currently only 7 cars have signed up to participate.
Please email Justin at DRE@hvuuc.org if you’d like to decorate a trunk and hand out candy this Sunday.
Let’s make this a great event for our kids! Don’t forget to wear your costumes!
The auction is quickly coming upon us, Saturday November 4th at 6:00PM!
Things you may need to know:
Sunday October 28th 2:00PM Auction Donations Closed!
If you can't be at the auction, you can request a proxy bidder!
Please update your name and emails on the Auctria Website. Find link under Auction News or Stewardship Tab on the website and then Auction.
Drop off Auction Items Friday Evening 2 to 8.
Drop off Auction items Saturday noon to 4.
Auction Doors open at 5.
Email auction@hvuuc.org with any questions.
We are also in need of folks to bring snacks to share to help make this a fun time of fellowship. Email fellowship@hvuuc.org with questions about snacks.
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.
