HVUUC, the RE Collaborative, and RISE: Healthy for Life invite you to a documentary film screening of Under G-d, on Sunday, May 5, at 1:00 pm. A light meal will be provided after the service before the screening begins.

Under G-d
A film by Paula Eiselt

Under G-d is a documentary short about the national Jewish response to the Dobbs Decision woven through the lived experiences of impacted women and the various lawsuits currently being launched by Jewish and interfaith leaders to challenge the overturning of Roe v. Wade, state by state.

We will watch the film together, then facilitators from RISE will lead a discussion on the film and what actions we can take together in our community/state/country.

See the trailer below and visit the Facebook page to RSVP:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1137351984178387/?ref=newsfeed
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4aB-3Bxw3c

For questions or more information contact Justin Ridley - dre@hvuuc.org

Headlines

• Minister’s Note

• Game Nights

• Coffee House Concert

• Sunday Potluck

• Beltane Ritual

• Women’s Night

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 some key church leaders at the DEI Summit 2024 Conference on May 17th.  Scholarships are available!

 This is DIFFERENT from our Thursday night DEI workshop on May 9th.

DEI Alliance Summit in Kingsport

The 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit will be on Saturday May 17, 2024 from 7:30 am – 3:00 pm at the MeadowView Convention Center in Kingsport, TN.  Rev. Tiffany and our Social Justice Chair will be attending to gain essential insights and skills for fostering a more inclusive and equitable religious community. as well as network with community leaders committed to creating positive change in your organization and beyond.
And we would like to invite you to join us!

Registration cost is $45 but the Social Justice Committee is offering two partial scholarships of $25 for the first two people who request them, to make this program more accesible.  Please reach out to sjchair@hvuuc.org to request this scholarship opportunity.  Visit this website for more information about the program and speakers, and to register: https://deialliance.org/summit/#register


If you can't commit the entire day but are still interested in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, you can join us for a briefer, more focused free workshop here at HVUUC on Thursday, May 9th.  Click here for more information on that opportunity: https://hvuuc.org/events/2024/5/9/diversity-equity-inclusion-and-food-workshop

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 28, 2024!

• 9:30am Religious Education

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Congregational Meeting

“May Day Yesterday and Today”

May 1 is International Labor Day. And yet, we never hear about this holiday here in the United States. We have a separate Labor Day in September. Did you ever wonder why? Come explore the Labor movement with us today in story and in song.

And stay after church for our Annual Meeting!

Our April 28, 2024 Annual Congregational Meeting will be held in person only.

Listed below is our final slate of Board Candidates that will be voted on at our April 28 2024 Annual Meeting.

Immediate Past President – Dottie Blades

President – Tish Kashdan

VP – Noel Marshall

Treasurer – Sarah Sanders

Secretary – Alisha Culbertson

Facilities – Steven Roberts

Stewardship – Greg Kramer

Programs – Bradley Quick

Membership – Lori Krause

Fellowship – Peggy Wolfe

Nominating Committee – 2024 – 2025/2026

Michele Markstrom-Frish (2025)

Dana York Ensor (2025)

Jen Corbin (2026)

Ellen Barker (2026)

Emily Hand (2026)

Remember how much we all loved monthly Sunday Potlucks after church? It's time to get them going again! But we need a coordinator to make sure the notice gets published (so people know to bring in food that Sunday), and to line up folks to set up and clean up.

Call Kim Ray or email potlucks@HVUUC.org if you're interested.

Please email all submissions for the May newsletter by Monday, April 29th to newsletter@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.

Join us for church on April 21, 2024!

• 9:30am Religious Education

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Coffee Hour

“Is Tolerance Passé?”

Stephen Gallagher, a philosopher living in North Carolina, believes that tolerance is passè. He thinks "Tolerance is, by definition, one-sided. The tolerator graciously decides to tolerate the Other. The Other has no say in the matter, nor does the Other have the power to return the favor. Tolerance is thus a more or less naked deployment of power." Is he right? You decide.

SAVE THE DATE!

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 28th immediately following the church service in the sanctuary. Childcare will be provided. Anyone who has been an official member of HVUUC for at least 60 days as of April 28th is eligible to vote at the meeting. Items on the agenda will include:

A congregational vote on adding a new Trustee position: Membership Trustee. This Trustee position is being added as we are splitting the Fellowship Trustee into two (Fellowship Trustee and Membership Trustee). The Fellowship Trustee position alone has become unwieldy for one person.

Vote on the slate of Nominees for Board of Trustee positions recommended by the Nominating Committee.

Vote on the 2024-2025 Budget. Click here to see the proposed budget.

Any other items as needed.

The complete Agenda, nominations as well as a finalized budget for congregational approval are now presented to you.

We are not sure at this time if the Annual Meeting will be set up for a hybrid Zoom/In-person Annual Meeting so that members who do not want to attend in-person meeting will still be able to be involved. We’ll let you know about that option as soon as possible. 

Please contact Dottie Blades if you have any questions at: president@hvuuc.org.

Congregational Meeting Agenda for April 28th

(1)    Vote on the new position of Membership Trustee

(2)    Change Bylaws to reflect the addition of a Trustee as described below:

        Article VII: The Board

        1. The Board will consist of ten (10) members, four (4) Officers: President, Vice President Secretary, and Treasurer, five (5) Trustees: Facilities, 

            Fellowship, Membership, Programs, and Stewardship; and the Immediate Past President. The Minister will be a non-voting member of the Board. The terms

            of office for the President, Vice President, and Immediate Past President will be one (1) year. If the Immediate Past President is unable to serve on the 

            Board, the Nominating Committee will nominate another Past Present to serve. The terms of office for the Secretary, the Treasurer, and each Trustee will be 

            two (2) years.

(3)    Vote on slate of new officers determined by the Nominating Committee:

        Vice President : Noel Marshall

        Treasurer: Sarah Sanders

        Fellowship: Vacant

        Facilities: Steven Roberts

        Membership: Lori Krause

        Officers who will remain on the Board:

        President: Tish Kashdan

        Immediate Past President: Dottie S. Blades

        Secretary: Alicia Culbertson

        Programs: Bradley Quick

        Stewardship: Greg Kramer

(4)    Vote on Budget for 2024/2025

(5)    Meeting Adjourns

We are seriously in need of volunteers for coffee hour. This is an easy way to show your love to your church community. Training is available for first-timers, and all needed supplies and snacks are provided.

Sundays we need covered specifically are:
April 21
April 28
May 19
May 26

Please email coffeehour@hvuuc.org to sign up

We have a guest musician coming for our Sunday Service April, 21. Laurel Hells Ramblers. From the Hills of Virginia, this 3 piece string band presents gothic mountain bluegrass. "How blue is my grass? Pretty darn blue, as it turns out – but not totally. The pickin’ is righteous and the tune has a pedigree so steeped in Appalachia that its author is lost to the mists of time, but the singing is far from high and lonesome: raw, raspy, scoured. It works like gangbusters." By Christopher Treacy and Dale Henry Geist of Country Gueer.

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.

Note to UUs and UU friendly folks!

Hi all! 

We would love to invite you to join us at SUUSI this summer, July 21-27 in Radford, VA, a fantastic week long adventure with some of the most favorite people you will ever meet. 

The Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute is an intentional community of UUs and kindred spirits, including all ages and races, LGBTQIA+ friendly, singles, families, adventures from outdoor hikes to board game to nightlife to crafts to worship. We come together to explore our interconnectedness, delight in nature in the Blue Ridge Mountains, enjoy music, art, and learn new ways of seeing ourselves, our world and each other.

Visit SUUSI.org, and please sign up here to get our latest information. You may also follow us on Facebook and Instagram!  

Join us for church on April 14, 2024!

• 9:30pm Religious Education

• 11:00am Sunday Service

• 12:00pm Youth Group Discussion

“Flower Communion”

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 receive 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.

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.