"The River"
This Sunday
Oct 14
Speaker: Dustin Johnson, Director of the Anacortes Family Center
Title: Homelessness: It's not just somebody else's problem.
Description: The Anacortes facility has developed a unique approach to homelessness in our area. Dustin will explain how their model may hold the answer.

Celebrant: Anneliese Sherman
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New class begining Oct 14 following the service
How is it that we can create communities where a diversity of philosophies and theologies are valued?

What are these values Unitarian Universalists strive to live by and how do they interact with your evolving search ?

The UU's Seven Principles and Purposes came out of conversations in 1961 and were edited in 1984 (they continue to be revised at intervals to ensure their vitality.)

Nancy B. Miller is offering an interactive class on the 7 principles based on Rev. Bruce Davis , "A String of Pearls", An introduction to the UU Principles and Purposes This class will be on each second Sunday for one hour after coffee hour, for 7 Sundays omitting December, 2018. The first class will be Sunday October 14 th.
Please come and share your current thoughts on how you feel connected or not to each of the 7 Principles as they are each individually discussed.
Looking forward to your sharing and connecting.
May you be blessed with wisdom,
Nancy B. Miller
The talent within our SUUF group.
Thank you Elymra Zehner for having a amazing grandson, Terray Sylvester, who spoke last Sunday about his experiences as a photo journalist.
October 21 is our next Family Promise assignment to serve dinner to our guests. We won't know the exact numbers we anticipate before next week, but it will likely be about 14 which is the maximum number we can feed. Nicki Hamilton is generously offered to cook a chicken casserole. In addition we will have salad, bread and desert3 If any of you are interested in assisting with food or service, let us know. Pat and Dave Young will do the night coverage. Thanks much to all of you.
October services
  Oct 21
Speaker: Laura Lavigne
Title: Following Our Inner Wisdom - Even When Our Head is Not So Sure
Description: Author and Happiness Coach Laura Lavigne will join us to share the magic of following her heart and inner guidance when embarking with her backpack on a 6-month journey across the world with no plans, ending in a Greek refugee center - all the while staying connected (sometimes desperately) to her own source.

Celebrant: Allen Lowe

Oct 28
Dia de los Muertos is a  multi-day Mexican holiday focusing on gatherings to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and to help support their spiritual journey.   Please join us today to celebrate our loved ones who are gone.

Bring a memento - a picture, belonging, food - that reminds you of, or was special to, your loved one, and share with your SUUF "family" today.

Celebrant: Matt Bianconi
November services
Nov. 4
Speaker: Noemi Ban
Title: No More Hate
Noemi is a Holocaust survivor. The hatred and discrimination that consumed the Third Reich was felt throughout Europe on a devastating scale. Please come and listen to her story of survival in the midst of hate. It's also a personal plea that the lessons of history be remembered forever. Instead of our usual service, this 11/4 hour special presentation will be devoted solely to our remarkable speaker.

Nov. 11
Speakers: Kathy Roche-Zujko & John Chmaj
Title: “ One World” Climate Action/Nature Worship Service
This devotional service incorporates beautiful natural image montages, original modern music, vocals and Mother Earth narration to renew and advance our appreciation of our world. Through the service, Mother Nature explores some of the beauty and mystery of the world we share, then focuses our attention on the climate ramifications of our careless and selfish behavior. Humanity then responds with actions we have already taken, and what each of us can do individually and in community to help heal and renew our relationship to Nature.

First performed in April 2017 at East Shore Unitarian Church in Bellevue, today it features members and friends of SUUF, under the leadship of Kathy Roche-Zujko and John Chmaj, who created this moving service.          

Nov. 18
Speaker: Jon Prescott
Title: Silence
What is the essence of silence? Is it “doing without” noise and interruptions or is it “opening up” to something wonderful? Come and interact with silence. It's a whole new world. Vocalists from Skagit Valley's own Cantabile Chamber Choir will be guest musicians today.

Nov. 25
Speaker: Victoria Poling
Title: UU101 – part 2
Victoria returns with more history and theology to help us understand and more fully appreciate our own religious heritage. If you missed Part 1 in September, don't worry!This series - while thematically connected – is composed of separate sermons. A post-Thanksgiving Day potluck is in the works too, so stay tuned for more details on this delicious addition following the service.
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The 2018-2019 UUA Common Read discussion guide is now available ! A Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. It can build community in our congregations and our movement by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep, meaningful conversations. For more information about how you and your UU community can participate, and for PowerPoint slides of the discussion questions, check out: www.uua.org/books/read .

The year's Common Read is Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and the Environment , edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom. This highly anticipated anthology presents a powerful and penetrating look at environmental justice from some of the key thinkers and activists in Unitarian Universalism today. F ourteen activist ministers and lay leaders apply a keen intersectional analysis to the environmental crisis, revealing ways that capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and other systems of oppression intersect with and contribute to ecological devastation. These prophetic voices, from a wide range of perspectives, reveal new approaches and opportunities for more holistic, accountable, and connected justice efforts. 
  CONGREGATION-ONLY SERVICES
2018-19 church year

The dates below have been reserved for lay-led services during this year.
Similar to our summer schedule, our members are doing the planning.
However, music & celebrant will be provided.

Several people or teams have already signed up to participate in this community effort. Others are “thinking about it”... why don't you grab one?

We've changed the format and removed the designated themes.
Feel free to choose your topic for the remaining open dates. 

Help, advice, suggestions and even plans from previous services are available just for the asking... see Sally for more information.

Here are the dates.... both open and filled. And thanks to all for your involvement and support.
 
December 30 Jim Heard & Peggy Bissell  New Year's Service
 
February 10  __________________________


March 17 Ken Stern  The Pain of Universalism


May 12 Susan Thayer & kids  Flower Communion


May 26 Sally, Donna & Doris   American Patriotic Songs and Poems
 
June 16 ______________________________


June 30 ______________________________
 
Thank you Dimensional Communications!  1220 Anderson Rd. Mount Vernon! They generously donated labor and suplies for our "cry room".
Fall Membership Drive If you have been attending SUUF services and would like to be a member, now is a good time to join our SUUF family. The process is simple, sign the membership book in the office and make a pledge of monetary support for SUUF. As a member you can participate in the church business by voting at congregational meetings and even running for a board position. It takes a family to run a church and our members are the ones who make that happen. Join us this month by contacting Rosemary ( [email protected] ) or Tom ( [email protected] ) or see us at church.

Tom Gillespie, Stewardship Chairman
SUUF goes to the show! The Theater Arts Guild is presenting Sideshow at the Historic Lincoln Theatre this October. Based on the true story of Siamese twins Violet and Daisy Hilton who became stars during the Depression, Sideshow is a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bondage brings them fame but denies them love. Told almost entirely in song, the show follows their progression from England to America, around the vaudeville circuit and to Hollywood on the eve of their appearance in the 1932 movie “Freaks”.

This is a show our congregation should enjoy and support; a show about inclusiveness, understanding, and acceptance, and so we are planning to see it as a group Friday, October 19, 2018 at 7:30 pm. Weather permitting, we will meet at the Fellowship and walk down to the theatre. Buy your tickets now if you would like to be part of this SUUF live-theater event.
Spirit of Hope Annual Fundraiser Event
Please join Community Action as we welcom Jonathan Martin, editor of the Seattle Times' Project Homeless as our keynote speaker October 11, 2018 , 5 pm, Swinomish Casino & Lodge. Register www.communityactionskagit.org Tickets $25. See more information on signup sheet and flyer in dining room.
Lost something. Check the lost and found basket in the dining room. We have keys, hats, glasses and more.
New Books and Videos in the dining room. Make a donation to SUUF and enjoy a good book or movie as the days get shorter and the nights longer.
Concert at SUUF, December 7, 7 pm . This is second year for this concert presented by our renters. It was wonderful last year! Bryan Bowers  is a major artist on the traditional music circuit. He has redefined the autoharp and is also well known as a singer-songwriter with a dynamic outgoing personality and an uncanny ability to enchant a crowd in practically any situation.
“Master of the Autoharp, Singer/Songwriter/Storyteller”
Winter’s Return  is a seasonal show celebrating Winter and its diverse festivities. Two world touring duos join forces to form a powerhouse quartet, Pint and Dale, Mike and Tania Opland, Mike Freeman, with hammered dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, whistle, violin, recorder, guitar, drums, mandolin, and songs that'll bring a bright spot to the darkest winter's day. $20 donation, no one turned away for lack of funds.
The Covenant Circle discusses periodical and book and news. Lately the topics have centered on major socioeconomic issues of the times. The discussion is lively and the spirit is convivial.

They meet every Thursday afternoon at 1:30 at Haggen on Division Street, except the second Thursday of the month, when they convene over lunch somewhere at 1:00. Call Joy Lindberg (360-424-8090) for further information.
For the Children: Children's Religious Education will follow the service on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays of each month.

Also the smaller babies room now was a speaker system installed. If you should need to leave the service, you can still hear everything in there..
New email address:

( Skagituu@frontier still works, but is acting a little crazy again.)
This space awaits a photo or poem or news or reminiscence from you, when you're ready. Email your contributions to the office.
Office Administrator, Newsletter : Claire Phillips / [email protected] Hours: Tu. & Th. 12-4 pm Worship Team Leader : Sally Riggers [email protected] Board contact: Rosemary Stevens [email protected]
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