News
You can get daily or weekly digests of news posts, delivered by email.
Headlines .…
S’mores & Stories!
K-5 Options During the Service
Scam Alert
Family Movie Night
Solidarity Summit
Absences and Closures
Women’s Retreat
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.
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 June 28, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
And Your Best Advice Is?
Come explore questions about your own and others "Best Advice". What is it? What was its source? Why is it pertinent? How do you share it? This exploration is facilitated by Steven Roberts.
✨ REC — Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Part of the Magic
🌟 All Ages, All In: A Summer of Community Connection
📖 Storytellers: S'mores & Stories
🧘 Healers: Family Yoga with Tish & More
🚒 First Responders with Gray Volunteer Fire Department
✨ Visionaries: Stargazing with Donnie and Mike Frisch
📚 RE Book Sale Fundraiser
🎬 Family Movie Night Fundraiser
🌈 Summer RE Class Updates
🦴 This Sunday: Fossil Exploration 2!
📱 Coming Soon: Simplified RE Sign-In & Sign-Out
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 June 21, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
4:00pm Youth Group
Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone
People try so hard to be remembered--to have a legacy--after their death. No other creature on the planet cares about this except humans. Guest speaker Bradley discusses his thoughts on humanity's fight against natural law, why we do it, and is there any point to it.
Due to the July 4th holiday weekend, the July first Friday Women's Night is cancelled. The Women's Nights will resume in August: save the date of August 14th, the second Friday for women's night at the Kingsport home of Tish.
✨ A Note from Jess
🌟 All Ages, All In: A Summer of Community Connection
📚 RE Book Sale Fundraiser
🎬 Family Movie Night Fundraiser
🌈 Summer RE Class Updates
🦴 This Sunday: Fossil Exploration!
📱 Coming Soon: Simplified RE Sign-In & Sign-Out
Please email all submissions for the July newsletter by Wednesday June 24th to newsletter@hvuuc.org.
The deadline is a little shorter this month as the office will be closed the following week.
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 June 14, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Potluck
12:15pm Music Committee (all welcome!)
Name UnNamed
How do we, as Unitarian Universalists, talk about God? The Unitarian Universalist hymn "Name Unnamed" offers us several metaphors for exploring and understanding concepts of the sacred. Rev. Tiffany will reflect on how our lives are interwoven with sacredness.
For $1500 HVUUC can get 125 radio spots aired on WETS during the year. We are $500 short. If we can raise the needed amount by June 20 we can get information about our church to a wide audience of radio listeners.
HVUUC has usually managed to raise enough money to get a yearly contract with WETS. Then we hear something like this on the radio:
"Support for WETS comes from Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, a religious congregation working together as a church to share love, pursue justice, and seek wonder."
This year we are $500 short of our goal. Can you donate before the June 20 deadline? Pay by cash, check, or Zelle--just be sure to designate it for WETS. Thank you!
Beware!
Rev Tiffany and staff will never ask you for help getting gift cards or ask you to send a copy of our directory via email. These are common scams to watch out for.
If you’re unsure of a request be sure to check in with office@hvuuc.org or minister@hvuuc.org.
This report highlights accomplishments, challenges, and plans for 2026-2027. Our leaders are guided by HVUUC's Vision of "We work together as a church to transform ourselves, our community, and our world by sharing love, pursuing justice, and seeking wonder."
You can find the annual report in the “Members Area” of our website. If you need to password to the Members Area, email office@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 June 7, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
12:30pm k-5 Service Option Meeting
The Problem of Evil
What do we do with the word "evil." Many of us, who may have been called evil ourselves because of who we love or what we do or don't believe, probably want to shy away from the word altogether or claim that evil isn't real. But life in 2026 might be inviting us to name what evil actually is, and to consider what we might do about it. Rev. Tiffany offers her reflections on one of the big questions of life.
Here are some dates to keep in mind this summer involving staff absences and holidays.
Rev. Tiffany will be out June 15-July 13th.
Jess, our, DRE will be out June 14-June 20th and also July 6 - July 12th.
Our office manager will be out Tuesday June 30th and Thursday July 2 and our office will be closed that week.
No RE July 5th!
Headlines .…
Flamy Grant Concert!
K-5 Options During the Service
New Service Group
Family Game Night
Litha Ritual
Path to Membership
Ukulele Jam
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.
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 May 31, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Leading with Love
What does it mean to be a leader? Are you a leader? Probably! This Sunday Rev. Tiffany commissions our Board for their year of service and reflects on what it really means to be a leader.
Please email all submissions for the June newsletter by Monday June 1 to newsletter@hvuuc.org.
Religious Education Update — May 31
✨ The Happenings:
🌈 Wonder Worship was filled with JOY!
🎉 All-Ages End of Sessions Celebration — This Sunday!
🤝 Interested in helping shape RE?
🧸 Fidget Station Reminder
🌿 Quiet Room Reminder
📱 Join the Families Facebook Group
On May 31, Justin Hall, President of TriPride, will be speaking to the congregation about TriPride, the organization's significant work in our communities and inviting the HVUUC community to again participate in this Fall's activities and to financially support the TriPride mission.
We will be collecting our traditional Fifth Sunday collection for TriPride, which will hopefully fund a “sponsorship level” status with TriPride’s Fall Parade and Festival. Your donations are greatly welcomed. An envelope will be provided in the Order of Service for this purpose.
If you cannot contribute at church on that date and want to donate electronically, to go to HVUUC’s website at https://hvuuc.org/donate to donate via PayPal and designate special instructions that it’s for 5th Sunday. People may donate one week prior and one week after May 31. There is a 3% fee to the church for PayPal, so please increase your donation by 3%.
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 May 24, 2026.
NO RE
11:00am Service
11:15am Wonder Worship
12:00pm Coffee Hour
The Enigma of Domestic Violence: Moving Beyond the Caricature of the Battered Woman
The images we typically associate with women experiencing domestic violence focuses on bloody and violent acts. What if we could change that narrative to become reflective of what the day to day life of a woman experiencing domestic abuse actually entails? Using a mix of empirical data, and personal experience our guest speaker Sophia aims to demystify the discourse around domestic abuse, and encourage ongoing dialogue around supporting survivors.
TW: Domestic Violence, Gun violence, Reproductive Coercion
Wonder Worship activity will be available for youth ages kindergarten and up, during this service. It will start just after the chalice lighting.
The Hands Team is the new name for our service group. It is open to ALL! We assist church friends with low-skill “multi-handed” projects like a house move or a backlog of yardwork. All levels and types of capability are welcome, from lifting and carrying to planning logistics to providing refreshments or encouragement. Pitch in, do good, and build community all at the same time!
Join our Google Group (https://groups.google.com/g/hvuuc-hands-team) or email handsteam@hvuuc.org to get notifications about upcoming opportunities, with no obligation to participate.
Religious Education Update – May 24, 2026
✨ Youth Lock-In Success!
Our very first Youth Lock-In was an absolutely awesome experience!
The youth kicked off the evening with a full democratic debate to establish a “rule council” for one of their favorite versions of Uno. Each candidate had three minutes to present their case and answer questions before voting began — and the silly, dramatic enforcement of those rules throughout the night made for some truly unforgettable rounds of Uno. 😆
We connected more deeply through the card game Worst Case Scenario, sang our hearts out during karaoke, and watched Logan build a giant Avatar creation that turned out to be just as fun to destroy as it was to build. The Sensory Corner was a huge hit and provided a calming, grounding space between activities.
We also got to explore Justin and Logan’s family commune-building YouTube channel, Axis Vitae — definitely worth checking out! Conversations throughout the night led to thoughtful discussions about generational shifts in social connection, online gaming, and group hangouts. As someone who grew up in the “play outside until the streetlights come on” generation, it was genuinely insightful and engaging to hear everyone’s perspectives.
A huge shoutout also goes to Justin for repeatedly saving the day by fixing the A/C so everyone could continue gaming comfortably!
As the night came to a close, Mary and Bentley became the final two standing — and Mary claimed the victory as Bentley surrendered to a well-earned mini power nap. 😄
We also had the joy of meeting some of the PRISM youth and hope to continue building connections with them during future youth gatherings. This is such an amazing group of young humans, and I’m already looking forward to our next lock-in adventure!
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Memorial Day Weekend Reminder
There will be no RE classes this Sunday due to Memorial Day weekend.
However, we will have Wonder Worship during service! ✨
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🎉 All-Ages End of Sessions Celebration
Join us on May 31st for our All-Ages End of Sessions Celebration as we wrap up another wonderful RE year together!
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💜 The REC Invites YOU!
The Religious Education Collaborative (REC) warmly invites all attendees and parents/guardians to participate in conversations surrounding RE programming and vision.
The decisions we make within RE impact each of you, and we genuinely want your voice included in the process.
🗓️
REC Meetings are held via Zoom on the first Sunday of each month at 5pm.
We also stay connected through an ongoing group text for continued collaboration and communication.
📧 Reach out to
to be added to the group and help shape the future of RE at HVUUC!
Church membership is not required to participate.
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🌈 Stay Connected
Join our HVUUC Families Facebook Group to stay up to date on all things RE:
[HVUUC Families Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CbL7p4Lp9/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
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A Summer of Shared Ministry
This summer, instead of a traditional day camp, we’ll be offering a whole-church summer experience inspired by We Are the Builders — creating opportunities for all ages to come together in community while sharing our innate gifts, talents, creativity, and passions with one another. ✨
Keep an eye out for more information through E-News, Facebook, and the RE Bridge Board in the Fellowship Hall!
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🧩 Fidget Station Reminder
We are grateful to offer a fidget station for youth and community members who benefit from sensory support and hands-on engagement.
Please encourage your children to help clean up the area after use and return borrowed fidgets so this resource can remain available for everyone.
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🌿 Quiet Room Reminder
Our Quiet Room is available for anyone needing a calmer, lower-stimulation space during services or RE time.
Please help us keep this area peaceful, welcoming, and accessible for all who may need it. 💜
Want to share your Hurricane Helene experience? We want to learn from you!
We are a team of university researchers studying how disaster relief was provided after Hurricane Helene and the impacts of aid delivery on communities. If you lived through the storm, we want to hear about your experiences accessing aid. Your participation could help other communities affected by disasters in the future.
What is involved?
Take part in a 1-1.5 hour interview related to your experience during Hurricane Helene.
Are you eligible?
You lived in the greater Tri-Cities area during Hurricane Helene.
You are 18 or older.
Have questions about the study? Contact the lead researcher,
Dr. Samantha Penta, at spenta@albany.edu.
You can find more info here or scan the QR code below.
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 May 17, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Revolutionary Love
What does it look like to love your neighbor as yourself? To see no strangers in others? To exercise humility and practice grace? This week, Alesha Chaffin talks about not just putting love at the center, but making love a radically transformative experience.
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