Welcome to the PNWD News Center
Online News Updated March 29, 2008
Click here for the most current printable news page
We hope you have been keeping up with the news from around the district via the PNWD website. You can also submit happenings from your congregation from the news link. We would love to help spread the word about your building renovations, exciting program offerings, installations of religious professionals, etc.
NEWS FLASH
We are delighted to announce the arrival of Kepler Alexander Rogers Koerger on March 24 at 8:59 p.m. Kepler, son of PNWD Program Specialist Tandi Rogers Koerger and Alex Koerger, weighed in at 8 pounds 7 ounces. Mom and baby are doing great! For pictures of Tandi’s latest UU growth project, see http://baby.koerger.com.
This spring, the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ID) sponsored a panel discussion on the Iraq War, open to the community and well attended. Later, a special congregational meeting using a supermajority process, met and approved a resolution on the Iraq War. For the full text of this resolution, go to http://boiseuu.org/special-iraq.html.
The Alaska House of Representatives includes four Unitarian Universalists, and Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AK) hosted them as guest speakers on March 16. They spoke about how their UU values shaped their entry into and conduct of their public service. In addition, JUUF member Dave Dierdorff delivered the daily invocations in the Alaska Senate during a week in early spring.
On December 15, the first annual Alternative Gift Fair sponsored by Community UU Church ( Pasco, WA) raised $10,106.94 for local, national, and international non-profit organizations. Audrey Ulrich, charity liaison for the fair said, “The Alternative Gift Fair is a wonderful example of how much can be accomplished when a group of dedicated, passionate people work together to make their world a better place!" Members of this small congregation turned out—almost to a person—to ensure the fair’s success. Diane Reed, marketing and publicity coordinator noted, "We were also fortunate to receive extensive coverage, including newspapers, web casts, radio, and television.” The fair gave shoppers the chance to visit a fun and festive holiday market and make donations in honor of family and friends in the true spirit of the season to a diverse collection of local, national, and international organizations with established track records of helping people, pets, and the environment. Plans are already underway for next year’s fair, which the congregation expects to become a Tri Cities holiday tradition.
Rainier Valley UU Congregation (Seattle, WA) and the Yesler Terrace Community Council hosted a series of Saturday afternoon workshops to help Yesler Terrace public housing residents engage in the redevelopment process happening around them. Topics included tenants’ rights, immigrants’ rights, urban planning, coalition building, and leadership development.
For the past five years, Magic Valley UU Fellowship (Twin Falls, ID) has held services in an old Kimberly, Idaho, mortuary; the sixth home since MVUUF was founded in 1992. The facility sold recently and the members had less than a month to find a new home. Many local congregations offered to share space, but having a space that was solely used by the Fellowship on Sundays was important. The new location, Step Ahead Learning Center in Twin Falls, may be the last temporary home for the 44 MVUUF members. The children’s learning center is full of the spirit of life. MVUUF is pleased to be located in Twin Falls, hopeful that inactive members will return, and that the facility will be easier for visitors to find. MVUUF has moved from a facility providing for the end of life to a facility providing for the start of life. The complete story can be found in the Magic Valley Times-News at: www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/02/16/features/religion/130995.txt.
Florence UU Fellowship (OR) celebrated their facility dedication in January. The space is their first which is not rented from another church or organization, allowing them full use of the space.
The new home of the Community UU Church ( Pasco, WA) will be dedicated April 7. The dedication will follow their worship service and a soup lunch, with dessert served after the ceremony.
The UU Church in Eugene (OR) has outgrown its church building and is in the process of finding a new one. Church member Judie Hansen is creating an illustrated journal, from start to finish, of what is expected to be a five-year process. Through her drawings and captions, Judie records the work of the Building Project Oversight Committee and other church activities. Photocopies of the journal are put in a special binder for church members to peruse on Sunday mornings. The images provide information about the search for a new building and keep members involved in the unfolding process. The hardbound original journal will become part of the church archives. Sample pages of the colored pencil or pen and ink images are available upon request.
Atkinson Memorial Church ( Oregon City, OR) is exploring a capital campaign, after their preliminary feasibility study conducted by a UUA stewardship consultant showed that congregants were energized by the potential to remodel and expand their historic building.
Members of the UU Church of the Palouse ( Moscow, ID) recently held a community-building workshop on Covenant of Right Relationship, facilitated by a PNWD Healthy Congregations Consultant. The four-hour experience, described by one participant as "exhilarating," followed a Sunday worship service devoted to the subject.
Kristen Dillon, president of the Mid-Columbia UU Fellowship ( Hood River, OR), will co-present a workshop with the Rev. Keith Kron at General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this summer. The two were chosen by the GA Planning Committee to present "Beacons of Hope: Small Congregations Becoming Welcoming Congregations," which has been an emphasis at MCUUF. Rev. Kron is the director of the UUA Office of BGLT Concerns, and lives in Blaine, WA.
Washington State congregations are actively studying issues related to "Death With Dignity," prompted in part by the current initiative proposed for the state's November ballot. Evergreen UU Fellowship ( Marysville, WA) recently invited other PNWD congregations to attend a Saturday workshop at their church, to explore the meaning of a good death, pre-planning your choices for end of life, advance directives, hospice and comfort care, death with dignity, and bereavement. Attendees of the District's Annual General Meeting also had the opportunity to participate in educational workshops on the topic.
Skagit UU Fellowship ( Mt. Vernon, WA) is holding discussions to discern their call to social action/justice ministries in the Skagit Valley. One of the options they are considering is involvement in the New Sanctuary Movement.
New programs have started up at two Oregon congregations: Green Sanctuary Program at Eastrose UU Fellowship (Gresham) and Young Adult Program at Rogue Valley UU Fellowship ( Ashland).
Several smaller PNWD congregations are currently exploring Mentoring Ministry, a relationship with a UU minister and often a partner congregation, to provide support when it is not yet feasible to consider a contracted Consulting Ministry of 1/4 time or more. Congregations and clergy interested in joining the experiment are invited to contact Janine Larsen, District Executive, at jlarsen@uua.org.
If you wish to share news from your congregation related to the recent storms and flooding, please let us know.
The Rev. Christine Riley will be installed as Settled Minister of the UU Community Church of Washington County ( Hillsboro, OR) on Sunday, April 6, 2008.
Barbara Stevens, Consulting Minister for the Vashon Island UU Fellowship, will be ordained to UU Ministry on May 18 by Michael Servetus UU Fellowship in Vancouver, WA.
The Rev. Art Curtis and the Rev. Beatrice Hitchcock are serving as a Consulting Ministry Team for Anchorage UU Fellowship for the remainder of this church year.
Three ministers recently resigned their settlements with PNWD congregations to pursue other opportunities: the Rev. Ken Jones - Tahoma UU Congregation ( Tacoma, WA), the Rev. Dr. Richard Erhardt (UU Church of Spokane, WA), and the Rev. Alex Holt (Woodinville UU Church, WA).
Layne Richard-Hammock joins the Edmonds UU Church as their Director of Religious Education. Layne is the former Lifespan RE Services Coordinator in the Heartland District and co-DRE at St. John’s UU Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bre Griffin has begun her service as the quarter-time Director of Religious Education at Fairbanks UU Fellowship.
Laurie Radin has joined the team at Shoreline UU Church as their Administrator.
Fairbanks UU Fellowship (AK) hired Jeff Merkel as their director for Membership Services. As part of his responsibilities, Jeff will coordinate the Congregational Caring Team which was recently trained by the Rev. Peg Morgan of West Seattle UU Fellowship (WA).
Delegates to the 2008 PNWD Annual General Meeting received preview copies of an upcoming congregational survey. The actual survey will be sent by late April, but boards and committees on ministry are urged to discuss the preview survey. We hope that the information gathered during this process will indicate that PNWD congregations are meeting the ends envisioned by the district board and that they are thriving in truly transformational ways. Congregations not represented by a delegation to AGM received the preview survey in the mail. The preview copy of the survey and the cover letter from Janine Larsen are available on the PNWD website. From www.pnwd.org, click on the Resources tab.
UU University, a pre-GA gathering of congregational leaders, is scheduled for June 24-25 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Reverend Dr. Nick Carter, president of Andover Newton Theological School, is the featured speaker, addressing the "borderlands of difference" that naturally occur in a context of diversity: diversity of thought, diversity of opinions, diversity of theologies, etc. Participants will explore how to lead congregations with so many opinions and perspectives, and how to develop effective partnerships in surrounding communities. You can link to full information via the PNWD calendar, or go directly to www.uua.org/events/uuuniversity.
The UUA General Assembly follows June 25-29 at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center. The PNWD calendar provides a link to full GA information, or go directly to www.uua.org/events/generalassembly.
If you have plans to be in Boston on business or pleasure, check with the UUA’s bed and breakfast style lodging before you go. Eliot and Pickett Houses are located at the top of historic Beacon Hill, just steps from the Boston Common. The two houses on Mt. Vernon Place include 20 guest rooms, open only to members of UU congregations. For more information, phone (617) 948-4679 or email e&p@uua.org.
Project Harvest Hope has announced plans for a "Theology of the Table Pilgrimage" to Budapest and Transylvania, September 23 - October 4, 2008. UU pilgrims will stay with village families and experience the relationship between farmers, producers and ourselves at the table. Application deadline is May 1. For more information, contact the Rev. Cecilia Kingman Miller, at CKingmanM@aol.com, (503) 231-6374. Rev. Kingman Miller, currently serving the Edmonds UU Church (WA) as Interim Minister, also serves as Vice President of Project Harvest Hope, and will be the trip leader for this pilgrimage.
The Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Portland-area UU minister and former director of campus ministry and field organizing for the UUA, is a contributor to the new Skinner House book – Wrestling with Adulthood: Unitarian Universalist Men Talk About Growing Up, edited by Ken Beldon. The Rev. Santos-Lyons is one of eleven men who share their personal stories about growing up, honestly exploring the challenges they faced and the choices they made. The book is available from the UUA Bookstore: www.uuabookstore.org/productdetails.cfm?SKU=4725.
We are saddened to report that the Rev. Dr. Forrest Church has announced that the initial success of his treatment for esophageal cancer has faltered. In a recent letter to his congregation, All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City, Rev. Church announced he "must face the certainty that my cancer is terminal and the great likelihood that my future will be measured in months not years."
Rev. Church is well known and beloved for his inspirational speaking and books on the practice and meaning of liberal religion and patriotic values. If you attended our 2003 Annual General Meeting in Moscow, Idaho, you probably still recall his passionate keynote address. In line with the theme, "Tributaries to Peace," Rev. Church addressed the standing-room-only crowd on the important bond between faith and freedom in the history of the U.S and how the war against terrorism threatens to upset that balance. Rev. Church also spoke of the joy of being back in Idaho, where he grew up as the son of the late U.S. Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho.
The All Souls Unitarian Church website (www.allsoulsnyc.org) posts updates and messages from Rev. Church and has a link for well-wishers to send greetings.
Don’t miss any issues of UU World magazine. Update your individual mailing address directly at www.uuworld.org/subscriptions. Scroll down to Current Subscribers for the address update form. At this same page is a link for church administrators to manage the subscriptions for their congregations.
Four-hundred-nineteen Unitarian Universalists gathered February 28-March 2 at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma for the Annual General Meeting of the Pacific Northwest District. Ways in which we are "Blessing the World" were explored during workshops and small group discussions. Fifty-two of our 60 PNWD congregations had attendees at AGM, but only 44 were represented by delegates to the business meeting.
This year’s business meeting was held immediately after Saturday’s breakfast, leaving the day open for three full sessions of workshops instead of the traditional two. Dr. Marcia Shaw was elected to her second term on the PNWD board; Amber Alexander and Tom Clouthier, both completing appointed terms on the board, were elected to their first terms. The board elected officers for 2008-2009: Dick Jacke, president; Dr. Marcia Shaw, vice president; JW Harrington, secretary; and Tom Clouthier, treasurer. The elected board covenanted with member congregations in a ceremony conducted at AGM Sunday Services.
PNWD Treasurer Tom Clouthier presented the district financial report and confirmed that PNWD dues would be increased by one dollar, to $21 per member, effective with the 2008/09 fiscal year as was announced at prior Annual General Meetings and subsequent notices to member congregations. The last dues increase was in 2001, and while excess reserves have allowed the district to grow services in recent years (covering resulting deficits in operating budgets), cost of living increases – particularly travel expenses – now dictate the need for dues increases.
However, delegates rose to speak to the value of district services and urged the board to raise the dues immediately to $22 instead of the one dollar increase. While the "fair share" dues amount will adjust to $21 for 2008/09, congregational dues notices will offer the option to contribute "Fair Share Plus" at the $22 level. District dues are expected to increase officially to $22 in 2009/10.
Additional follow-up from the Annual General Meeting will be posted on the district website, including notes from many of the workshops. The Sunday sermon given by the Rev. Peter Luton is currently posted as the PNWD front page at www.pnwd.org.
Join us May 3 at The UU Church in Eugene (OR) for the Spring Leadership Council as the Rev. Dan Hotchkiss presents the topic, “Ministry Together: Governance in UU Congregations." What does healthy governance look like for UU congregations? How can we make better decisions by understanding governance as a ministry and by keeping the congregation’s mission at its center? True partnership begins with clear role boundaries, effective delegation, and a constructive system of accountability. Prior to consulting for the Alban Institute, the Reverend Hotchkiss served congregations for twelve years and the Unitarian Universalist Association for seven. He has been a full-time Alban consultant since 2001.
Board presidents or their designees are asked to RSVP to the PNWD office by April 28 with the total number attending from their congregations. (We don’t need names, just numbers.) The Leadership Council flyer was included in the December and March congregational packets and can be found online via the district calendar, or directly at www.pnwd.org/pubs/Leadershipcoun_spr08.pdf.
PNWD dates to note: (Click here for details on our Calendar page)
- April 4-6 Youth Spring Con
- April 5 Addictions Recovery Day
- April 11-13 Young Adult Spring Con
- May 2-4 Elementary OWL
- May 3 PNWD Leadership Council
You will find full details, registration information and a complete listing of district events at on our Calendar. Remember to use the “Submit an Event” link to let us know about building dedications, milestone events with your religious professionals, training events open to the wider district, etc.
Did you know that the PNWD website has a listing of Jobs in the District? If your congregation has a job opening that you would like us to post, submit a brief description of the position to the district office. Include congregation name, position title, and contact person with phone number and email address. Be sure to include the URL if you have a lengthier job description posted on your church’s website.
Note : While email and the Internet have helped make communications more accessible and timely for many people, there are still those who are not "on line." Please remember to include the "non-wired" in your congregation by providing access or print copies of electronic news and publications through your church office. If you are unable to provide such support locally, individuals may contact the district office toll-free at 800-313-PNWD (7693) to obtain a print copy of materials referenced in this bulletin.