Unitarian Universalists of the Salish Sea

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Weekly Update
December 27, 2024

Coming right up next Sunday

the January Sunday Gathering: "Exploring spirituality through literature -
what is your holy book?

Sunday, January 5 at 11:00am

Molly Nye House, 940 Lynn Valley  Road, North Vancouver

This is a gathering for connection  and conversation. January's theme:  Exploring spirituality through literature-what is your holy book?  You are invited to bring a book that has shaped your spiritual journey or simply spoken to you in a profound way. 

Soup lunch to follow discussion. Please RSVP to Barbara.Moore@vch.ca so we know how much soup to have on hand! 

While the purpose of this gathering is to provide in-person connection, we understand that some homebound folks may also want to participate. If you are unable to attend in-person, please contact Barb (see above) to receive a zoom link.

Also coming up in the new year - we need your review!!

We will be looking for your input on the following:

• final logo
• UUS Convenant
• Vision and Mission statements

Please watching your email and also the Member section on the website for the surveys.

And first up is input on our UUSS Covenant. An email went out on December 24th with feedback due by January 10. Let us know if you didn't receive the email for any reason: info@uusalishsea.ca 

A reminder that our Covenant is the thread that joins us together, in a web of interconnection. The practice of promising to walk together is how we build beloved community. To create consensus around a shared vision and direction requires people to be in relationship with each other. Covenants are tools for setting guidelines and building trust so that those relationships can flourish. 

Our Covenant is one of a series of documents that we will create as a community to define who we are, what we will do, where we hope to go and how we will get there. The other documents to be created are:

Our Vision: Will articulate the world we want in the future.

Our Mission: Will articulate how we will contribute now to building the future we seek.

Our Covenant of Right Relations: Will spell out what we will do when we fall out of Covenant with each other.

Our Bylaws: Will articulate various details of our governance system and the processes we will use to guide us in our work.

Christmas Donations 
Bring Easter Eggs! 
Donate by December 31st!

To get a 2024 tax receipt, make sure you submit your donations by Dec 31st. Please use our new email address for eTransfers, visit https://uusalishsea.ca/Donate  for up-to-date instructions.

from Ryan Guenther, Treasurer

Some final end of the year greetings - find many more by belonging to  one of our social accounts below.

Calls to Action

Support The Emissions Cap: Send a Letter Before January 8.

The federal consultation on the emissions cap gives us one more chance to tell our government to make the emissions cap stronger and to implement it now. Don't let our voices be drowned out by fossil fuel lobbyists - send a letter before the consultation period closes on January 8!

Send a letter

You are invited to join an Antiracism Learning Circle this winter/spring. It’s on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere!  First Unitarian in Portland is the organizer. The first Circles start the week of January 16th. 

Full descriptions, schedules & registration information are HERE.

In the last four months, 10  people have been killed at the hands of the police in Canada – and the media has barely reported on it. Police brutality in Canada is a glaring epidemic for First Nations people that is unacceptable to turn away from. Together, this is our opportunity to raise our voices and demand change. Will you add your name to support the Assembly of First Nation’s call for an inquiry into racism and policing in Canada?

Canadian Wellspring 
2025 Cohort

Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants is a transformational program that will explore the enduring love that is at the core of Unitarian Universalism. You will explore the related values and covenants through the lens of abiding love, building community, acting in faith, rooting in growth, and transforming in love.

As a part of the Canadian religious professionals cohort, we will also be exploring the interplay between Love at the Center and our CUC theological statements: 8 Principles, 6 Sources, and 5 Aspirations. By having this conversation in a heart and spiritually centred structure, we hope to come away with clarity and inspiration on how to lead these conversations amongst Canadian Unitarians and UUs.

The 11-session “Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants” originally grew out of the work of the Article II Study Commission. It has grown to encompass resources and reflections that will allow each of us to nurture our values and share our experiences and stories to explore and strengthen our faith.  

The facilitators for your program are Revs. Arran Morton and Samaya Oakley. We will be meeting on every second Monday (skipping May long weekend) January 13th through Jun 9th at 1:30pm for 2 hours on Zoom.

Check the calendar on our website for more events!