April 26, 2017

Teach-In on White Supremacy April 30

On Sunday, April 30, during our morning services, we will join with over 600 Unitarian Universalist congregations around the country for an important action. The Teach-In on White Supremacy is a response to a call from people of color and indigenous people within our faith tradition. The organizers have asked UUs to take one Sunday morning to address the issue of racial injustice and exclusion within our own faith tradition. Your EUUC Ministers and Board unanimously agreed to support this action. Please join us for this important work. Note: That Sunday is also our annual Flower Communion. Please bring flowers to share in our communion. We will honor the beauty of our community in this beloved ritual.

SAVE the DATE!    New Ministry Workshop for working with our new Minister for Faith and Justice, Rev. Cecilia Kingman
Saturday, May 20  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Chapman Hall 

Social Justice Reading Circle: "The Third Reconstruction" by Rev. William Barber

Friday, April 28 in Rachel Maxwell's Home in Edmonds 

There's still time to register for the potluck dinner and book discussion on Rev. William Barber's "The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear." The book has been described as "a blueprint for movement building and an inspiring call to action from the twenty-first century's most effective grassroots organizer." For more information visit the Social Justice Desk on Sunday or email sjrc.rsvp@euuc.org.

Starting the EUUC vegetable garden

Saturday, April 29

This coming Saturday, April 29, is the EUUC vegetable garden cleanup.  All gardeners are welcome!  Come in your gardening clothes and bring your tools.  We will weed and get the garden ready for roto-tilling, then we will have lunch together.  Lunch is provided.

Annual Flower Communion Sunday

Sunday, April 30 at both services in Chapman Hall

On April 30, we will use the Flower Communion, a symbolic ritual for binding people more closely together, to open a new chapter in our communal understanding of what it means to live in a culture that worships and serves whiteness and white culture above all.

Social Justice Reading Circle:  Trevor Noah "Born a Crime", Part 2

Sunday, April 30 at 12:30 p.m. in room 5 

The discussion group that met last Sunday enjoyed the conversation so much that they are meeting again on Sunday, April 30, 12:30 p.m., in room 5. If you’ve read the book, are a Trevor Noah fan, or are just interested in a conversation about race relations, you are invited to attend.  Bring a lunch or snacks to share.

Annual Used Book Sale

Bring your books to the church - the sale runs through April 30

Drop off your contributions in the Narthex. We accept great works of literature, best sellers, children's books, mysteries, romances, travel, CDs, DVDs, and audio books.  Please, do not bring college textbooks or computer tech manuals. Also, do not bring diet books, outdated medical self-help, or gardening books. We will have signs on the wall for the donation drop-off spot. Shop anytime that you are at the church.

Increasing our involvement in Women's Rights

Monday May 1, from  7 to 9 p.m. in The Friarplace

The Advocates for Women have become increasingly concerned about women’s rights in our own country. You are invited to join us for a discussion about expanding our work in this area at our regular meeting on May 1. We also will be having a retreat on Saturday June 3 to discuss how to accomplish our expanded goals. We welcome all. Please contact us for more information. 

Sunday Offering Committee welcomes nominations

Monday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 6

The Sunday Offering Committee welcomes nominations submitted by EUUC members who have a favorite tax exempt charity they support or have personal knowledge of. They can be local, national or international, and priority is usually given to groups who are not receiving large grant or foundation donations, and for whom our contribution can make a difference. Nomination forms can be found online or in the Sunday Offering mailbox. Completed forms may be put in the mailbox prior to the Sunday Offering Committee's next meeting on May 1st.   

Annual EUUC Rummage Sale

Rummage Sale week begins on Sunday, April 30; sale dates Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Rummage sale week begins on Sunday, April 30 immediately following second service.  Donations will be accepted from noon on Sunday, April 30 until Noon, Wednesday, May 3.  The members and friends sale is Thursday, May 4 from 4 - 7 p.m.  Members pay price +25% on Thursday evening. The sale is Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Volunteers are still needed.  Please look under News and Events, click on Rummage Sale and you can sign up online.  We especially need help with cleanup on Saturday afternoon.

Marches for Science, Climate, and Workers' & Immigrants' Rights!

April is a busy month for marches! The march on April 29 is supported by our Congregational Stand on Global Warming. Email SJactions.rsvp@euuc.org, tell us the march you're interested in, and we will suggest carpool/bus locations, and provide meet-up info so that you can find each other and march together. You can also sign up at the Social Justice bulletin boards in the Narthex. Don't forget to wear your yellow Standing on the Side of Love shirts!

• April 29: Peoples' Climate March - Seattle, 10 a.m., Occidental Park to Westlake Park
• May 1: May Day March & General Strike - Workers' and Immigrants' Rights, 11 a.m. rally at Judkins Park, 1 p.m. march to downtown

Tools for #Resistance

Sunday, May 7 at 12:15 p.m. in Chapman Hall - soup, followed by presentation 

Our current political situation calls to us to become engaged in social change, but how? Share a light lunch of soup and connecting, then hear Lynn Fitz-Hugh's suggestions about how to create social change when legislative change does not seem possible. Drawing upon the history of social change movements and story-telling tradition, Lynn will tie successful movements of nonviolent resistance to our present situation, and share concrete strategies and resources for "new" and "experienced" activists. Lynn is a lifelong Quaker and activist. RSVP is not required, but helpful to our planning. Sign up at the Social Justice desk, or write to socialjustice.rsvp at euuc.org. Sponsored by the Peace & Justice committee.

Last Call for Standing on the Side of Love Shirts - Sunday, April 30!

We've distributed a couple hundred Standing on the Side of Love Shirts, but we know some of you have been deliberating, or maybe you've realized you want another style or color. Well, it is time to decide! This Sunday is the final deadline until next fall. You can choose yellow with EUUC spelled out on the back, or black without. Prices range from $10 to $20, for youth to adult. Fill out the order sheet at the Social Justice desk, or write to socialjustice.rsvp@euuc.org.

Sunday coffee/tea servers 

Wanted: a few good people to prepare and serve coffee and tea on Sunday mornings. Pre-requisites: none. Training: On the job. Pay scale: Never ending appreciation and free coffee, tea. Days: Sundays. Hours: 2 hour shifts. Contact Christine MacDonald if you are interested in helping with this task.  

Food Bank Contributions

EUUC continues to collect food for the Food Bank. We no longer have the Campbell Soup container but we do have a drawer in the Narthex. We are a very generous community and some of our neighbors need our help. Grains and canned foods are very much appreciated.

Social Justice Reading Circle for June:  Bryan Stevenson's "Just Mercy" 

This #1 New York Times Bestseller is Stevenson’s story of working as a young lawyer with the poor and wrongly condemned. Reviewer David Cole writes: “Every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so . . . a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” Discussion: Sunday, June 11, at 12:30 pm, led by Vicki Roberts-Gassler. To register email sjrc@euuc.org or signup at the SJ bulletin board. A limited number of copies are available on loan at the Social Justice Desk.

Sunday Offering Committee welcomes nominations

The Sunday Offering Committee welcomes nominations submitted by EUUC members who have a favorite tax exempt charity they support or have personal knowledge of. They can be local, national or international, and priority is usually given to groups who are not receiving large grant or foundation donations, and for whom our contribution can make a difference. Nomination forms can be found online or in the Sunday Offering mailbox. Completed forms may be put in the mailbox prior to the Sunday Offering Committee's next meeting, which will be Monday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 6.

Annual General Assembly Coming Soon

The Annual General Assembly for the UUA takes place June 21–25, 2017 in New Orleans. The theme this year is Resist and Rejoice! This is also a JUSTICE GA year and there is a 2 day workshop preceding GA entitled “Undoing Racism” on Tuesday, June 20 and Wednesday, June 21. This is one of the best workshops available on this critical topic and is a good reason to attend GA this year. This year's GA will include the annual Ware Lecture from award-winning author and lawyer, Bryan Stephenson. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama and the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Just Mercy.

Financial aid is available from the EUUC GO GA fund. See a member of your Board of Trustees for more information. Also see a Board member if you are interested in being an EUUC delegate to GA. Visit the UUA website for specific GA information.

Weekly Family Email

Our Minister for Faith and Justice, the Rev. Cecilia Kingman, sends out a weekly email update about the week's programs and other special announcements. If you have children under 18 and would like to receive this weekly message, send a note to Cecilia and include your children's names and ages, and your name and contact info.

Registration Open for Children and Youth

Registration is now open for Programs for Children and Youth. Please visit our website to register your child or youth, or stop by the office for paper registration. All children ages one to 18 should be registered.