News
You can get daily or weekly digests of news posts, delivered by email.
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!
---
🇺🇸
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! ✨
---
🎉 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!
---
💜 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.
---
🌈 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)
---
☀️
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!
---
🧩 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.
---
🌿 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.
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed for the rest of May and all of June.
Please sign up to host coffee hour by signing on the calendar beside the coffee urn in the fellowship hall. If you need instructions, please email coffeehour@hvuuc.org.
The church needs three or four more people willing to help.
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 10, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Potluck
Hobbits and Hope, Denethor and Doomscrolling: The Message of Lord of the Rings for Our Time
The stories of JRR Tolkein have become a sacred text in their own right to many. In this service Rev. Tiffany explores his writings in search of wisdom and hope for times such as these.
The Caring Team is looking for new members! The Caring Team is a committee of HVUUC that tracks our Community Candles cards, sends notes of encouragement, and sees to other needs within our community.
If this is work you would be interested in, please email membership@hvuuc.org!
The Women’s Retreat is scheduled for Sept. 18-20 at Camp Bays Mountain. All who identify as women are welcome. We need volunteers NOW to help organize this event so we can have a wonderful, meaningful time together.
Please respond ASAP if you would like to help plan this exciting event. Many hands make light work. More to come after we get a group to organize. Thanks!
Email womensgroup@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 HVUUC Gardening Group is dreaming into how our outdoor spaces can grow and flourish—and we’d love your input!
What would you like to see planted? How might we use our grounds for connection, reflection, play, and learning? And if you’re feeling called, would you like to be part of bringing these ideas to life?
Take a few minutes to share your thoughts here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchsq6LG6IF2M3RsrXgHcTwa-VSk7Z7DQccrtLHjKo-khWd2w/viewform?usp=publish-editor
Have questions or want to connect directly? We’d love to hear from you: Garden@hvuuc.org
Together, we’re cultivating not just gardens—but connection, beauty, and shared purpose.
Join us for church on May 3, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
Bridging The Class Divide
With our passion for diversity and economic justice, it makes sense that Unitarian Universalist communities would be the ideal place for building a bridge between people coming from different socio-economic classes. Rev Tiffany asks where are we succeeding and where is there still room to grow?
✨ The Happenings:
💜 Youth Lock-In is officially locked in!
May 16–17 — more details coming soon via email, E-News, and Facebook!
🕸 Stay Connected
Join our HVUUC Families Facebook Group to keep up with all things RE:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CbL7p4Lp9/
🌞 Summer All-Ages RE is FULL — and it’s going to be incredible!
Our community is showing up in the most beautiful ways to share knowledge, creativity, and passion across generations:
Click through to read more.
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 26, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
12:30pm Annual Meeting
Flower Communion: Companion Planting our Church
Just as the Native Americans have a long history of planting corn, beans and squash together in a way that benefits all three, our Unitarian Universalist community has planted many different kinds of people together to create a diverse and beautiful garden of humanity. Flower Communion is our annual celebration of that coming together. Please bring a flower and an open heart to this celebration. Members are invited to stay for our Annual Meeting afterwards.
This Sunday is Flower Communion! Please bring a picked wildflower, a cut flower purchased from the store, or a flower from your garden to share during Flower Communion this Sunday.
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 19, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Coffee Hour
4:00pm Youth Group
Regaining Our Senses
Our senses are the means by which we experience our world and our life. While our five senses haven’t changed over thousands of generations, our experience in using them in the modern world is unlike any time before us. We are in a time and sensory bubble called modernity. This week Charlie Mattioli explores what we have won and what we have lost and why it matters in our lives and spiritual journey.
Do you enjoy listening to NPR and WETS? We can help support them and, in return, get information about HVUUC aired on the radio to let the community know who we are.
Just write your check to HVUUC with WETS noted on the memo line or enclose cash in an envelope marked WETS. Drop these in the offering basket or the donation dropbox on the back wall. Then we will bundle these donations and listen for our church name on the radio!
✨ Religious Education Update April 19th ✨
A heartfelt thank you to all of you who dedicate your time, energy, wisdom, and so much more to our Religious Education Program. I appreciate each and every one of you more than words can express!
💛 May you receive the joy you give us all, tenfold.
---
✨ This Weekend in RE:
Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 26th at 12:30 in the church sanctuary. Childcare will be provided. Anyone who has been an official member of HVUUC for at least 60 days as of April 26th is eligible to vote at the meeting. Items on the agenda will include:
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.
✨ Religious Education Update — April 12, 2026 ✨
🐰A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped prep, set up, and celebrate at our Annual Egg Hunt! It was such a joyful and connected gathering — we’re so grateful for each of you who made it special 🥚🧺
Click through to read the full update.
Join us for church on April 12, 2026.
9:30am Religious Education
11:00am Service
12:00pm Potluck
1:00pm Meeting about Music
“Holy Humor”
Holy Humor: The Sacred Art of Not Taking Ourselves Too Seriously. Brought to us by Rev. Eric Coleman, his message will reflect on using humor as spiritual resistance and community building.
We have received word that there was a Covid exposure at church last Sunday. While they will be communicating with individuals who had close contact, we wanted to make the congregation aware of the possible need to make additional health precautions.
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.
HVUUC is sending four individuals to UUA's virtual General Assembly this year, June 14-21! If you are interested in leadership development and building connections with other HVUUC folks as well as the wider UU community then please submit your application here: https://tinyurl.com/HVUUC-GA2026
Learn more about UUA's General Assembly here: https://www.uua.org/ga
Email vp@hvuuc.org with questions
Looking for more?
Use the search bar below or see the full News list.