For many years there has been a group of HVUUC-ers who get together on an approximately monthly basis to play bridge. It has been some time since the group has canvassed the congregation to learn if there are newcomers or others who would be interested in playing in such a group. This is a casual bridge group with player skills ranging from experienced to beginners. We play "party" bridge as opposed to the more serious "duplicate" game.

The group affords the opportunity to enjoy casual conversation and get better acquainted with some of your fellow congregants. If you would like to learn more about the HVUUC bridge group, please email bridge@hvuuc.org with your contact preferences so a current member can get in touch.

The HVUUC garden club would like your input on the garden redesign.  There are 3 poster sheets on the wall in the social hall.  Please write your responses to the 3 questions on those sheets to provide your input.  Our, you can email your responses to garden@hvuuc.org.  Please provide your response any time before the end of social hour this next Sunday, April 14.  

The 3 questions are:

1. What are the priorities that should be taken when developing a new landscape plan for the church grounds?  (i.e.: low maintenance, budget restraints, year round interest, eco-friendly, organic, etc.)

2. After an overall landscape plan is developed, which area should be prioritized for work and updating? (i.e. front entry garden, RE area, hills around the parking area that have erosion, playground area, around the sides of the church building, parking area, etc.)

3. If you are willing to provide labor for a scheduled garden work day, please provide your name, email and phone number.  If you cant provide labor but will donate money to be used to purchase soil amendments, plants, etc.) please provide your name, email, and phone number.

The HVUUC Nominating Committee has placed the following members up for approval at the Annual Meeting on April 28th. Since we are likely to split the Fellowship Trustee position into a Fellowship Trustee and a Membership Trustee, that name will be sent to you as soon as possible before the meeting.

Board Of Trustees Nominations for June 24 – May 25/26 are as follows:

1. Vice President – Noel Marshall

2. Membership/Fellowship – Lori Krause

3. Treasurer – Sarah Sanders

4. Facilities – Stephen Roberts

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.

Join us for church on April 7, 2024!

• 9:30pm Religious Education

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Coffee Hour

“Domestic Violence Awareness”

What is domestic abuse, and how can HVUUC better support survivors by creating a safe space for healing and holding abusers accountable? We will be addressing some hard but very important topics and acknowledge they can be triggering for some people. There will be childcare for children 3rd grade through high school in the RE building up the hill if your family would like to use it.

The Let's Chat Covenant Group is looking for new members! We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the week from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

Previous Chats were about:

• Joy

• Shame and Scorn

• Your purposes in Life

• Experiencing your Vocation

• Empowering our True Selves

Contact Greg Kramer at letschat@hvuuc.org

HVUUC will have a booth at the Blue Plum festival again this year on Friday June 7th and Saturday June 8th. If you would like to help plan for these days of fun, music, and community art, please join us for our planning meeting.

Planning Meeting

Sunday April 21st at 12:30 in the REZ

If you would like to volunteer at the booth, please email blueplum@hvuuc.org to sign up.

Tom Burn's Celebration of Life will be at Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on June 1, 2024 at 3:00pm with a reception at 4:00pm.

Because we will not have an "open mic" at this service, we are inviting people to share their memories, stories and photos of Tom to tomburns@hvuuc.org

You can view his obituary here: 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/thomas-burns-obituary?id=54720518

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.

Join us for church on March 31, 2024!

NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THIS WEEK.

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Coffee Hour

• 12:00pm Easter Egg Hunt

“Who is Jesus?”

This Easter we take a look at Jesus through a variety of sources including the mystical poetry of Kahlil Gibran. His book "Jesus the Son of Man: His Words and His Deeds as Told and Recorded by Those Who Knew Him" is an imaginative work that showcases the humanity and mystery of Jesus from the point of view of people who would have known him. Just as the characters of Gibran's book wrestle with the identity of Jesus, so do we.

Headlines

• Minister’s Note

• Blue Plum Festival

• Coffee House Concert

• Flower Communion

• HVUUC Walking Trail

• UUA Ceasefire Statement

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

All these beautiful early spring flowers around the congregation and in our yards mean it must be getting time for Flower Communion! On Sunday April 14th everyone will be invited to bring their own flower to share, in this ceremony that celebrates the beauty of community. 

Bring your flower on April 14th!

The HVUUC Nursery is in need of back-up volunteers that could be available to fill in on Sunday mornings from 9:30 - 12:00, and at other events that call for childcare. If you have a passion for caring for the youngest among us please reach out to Justin Ridley our DRE at dre@hvuuc.org

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.

Our Office Manager will have adjusted hours for the first week of April. Instead of Tuesday and Thursday she will be working Tuesday (4/2) and Wednesday (4/3) that week and will not be in the office on Thursday.

Any important information needs to be submitted by Wednesday April 3rd or it will not be addressed until the following week during normal office hours.

Join us for church on March 24, 2024!

• 9:30am Religious Education

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Coffee Hour

“Interview with an AI”

Questions abound about Artificial Intelligence. Are they beneficial for us or harmful? Are they going to take all our jobs? Are they going to take over the world? Where do they come from and what is their purpose? Rev. Tiffany interviews an AI with these pressing questions and more, and we hear from a friend of the congregation who is studying AI as part of her graduate studies.

With a heavy heart, we share with you the sad news that Tom Burns’ struggle with post-surgery complications came to an end as he passed away during the night between March 7th and March 8th.  Martha shares that he fought a valiant battle, and we share with her our astonishment that we would lose Tom over a surgery that had such a small change of complications.  Martha and their daughters are supporting each other right now.  Martha shares that she doesn’t need anything right now, but that cards, texts and messages are appreciated.  A Celebration of Life will be held at the church in June.

Please email all submissions for the April newsletter by Wednesday, March 27th to newsletter@hvuuc.org.

The Social Justice Committee invites DEI Alliance as its 5th Sunday speaker on 3/24/2024, due to the 5th Sunday being Easter. Since 2015, DEI Alliance has been working to create and build momentum for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the region. Their hope is to transform the environment of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, so its residents and visitors can thrive.

You can learn more at https://deialliance.org/

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.