Goodbye Party for Kelsie

Stay immediately after this week's service for a goodbye party for Kelsie to thank her for her time and service at VUU.

We’ll have a salad bar. If you want to contribute to refreshments sign up here. If you want to contribute to a gift, please contact Rev. Sarah.

To help with Sunday morning hospitality, click here.

This new section will contain abbreviated information about upcoming events that are further than two weeks out. Events that occur sooner may have a full article below.

Choir Rehearsal - on summer hiatus

Spirit of Life Reading Circle - on summer hiatus, to reconvene in September

Paz de Cristo - next meal prep Friday, August 9

All Community Water Ingathering - August 25

Returning to the office and the pulpit, accompanied by a number of meetings with members and teams at VUU, has felt energizing and engaging. I am planning many details of the program year with many VUU leaders. My husband is back in the classroom, my son starts school in August, and my mom is celebrating the many signatures she got for the ballot initiative with Health Care Rising. We attended a celebratory event this week for that work (see photos), and I was happy to see a couple of VUUers there along with organizer Matthew and many other Arizonans who did this work, too. We’ve had seismic political shifts recently (some of you had an explosion of messages about this during service Sunday!) and I am excited to see what our fall season and election season will bring to us. 

If you are hoping for some time to meet with me, please drop me an email. If you are looking for new ways to be engaged in congregational life, there are many teams looking for new participants to join them. More about that next week! We are also looking to fill two positions, one in the nursery and a position as the assistant to the Faith Formation Director position. Contact me as well for these.  

Books referenced in Sunday service for those of you interested in reading more:

Faithful Practices: Everyday Ways to Feed Your Spirit by Erik Walker Wikstrom

Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices by Brian D. McLaren

Books by Jane E. Vennard. I took several classes with her and read several books. The Praying Congregation was quoted in my sermon.  

Stay Cool!

Rev. Sarah

Meet the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is excited to start a new congregational year with a few familiar faces and some new ones. David Sheh, Mark Foote, and Dan Sapakie were elected to serve two-year terms at last month's congregational meeting. Additionally, the Board appointed Lisa Bonine to fill a one-year vacancy. They join Nancy Egly, Tom Briggs, and Katie Hurstwicker. Get to know them by visiting our Meet the Board of Trustees page on the VUU website.

Thanks,

Mark Foote, President

EastVUU Program Meeting

Save the Date: Thursday, August 8, 6:00 pm.

Online Program Meeting.

Stay tuned for the topic and details and internet address. All are welcome!!! 

What’s Up in Faith Formation?

Summer Sunday Fundays! 

Preschool to Fifth Grades 

August 4 and 11

We’ll take a couple of Sundays to have fun and build community before we head into the fall. Games, art and craft projects, slime and general controlled mayhem designed to make kids happy. Of course we’ll need some help. Click here to lend a hand.

Donut Sundays

Middle and High Schools

August 4 and 11

Maintaining a healthy diet is very important in the teen years. But, hey. Let’s get real. You gotta enjoy some controlled junque food days! Here are two Sundays when donuts rule! Break some (dough) together, plan and build community before we start our fall programming. Yep, we’ll need some dough-nations. Click here to help.

Parent Open House

All Classrooms

August 18

Parents! Plan to attend faith formation classes with your children on August 18 at the usual faith formation time. Learn about our fall classes and curriculum, meet your child’s teacher and Sara Sautter, our Interim Director of Faith Formation. Do a craft with your kiddo, get enrolled and sign up to help in your child’s class.

All Community Water Ingathering

August 25 

Our traditional Water Ingathering will be an all community Sunday with children attending with their parents. Look for new water based additions to the Fidget Library. Nursery and Preschool rooms only will be open. 

Tending the Flame

The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting

Teacher: Sara Sautter

Enroll here

Zoom link to be provided

Join us starting on September 18 on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm for a five-session Zoom-based parenting class. Learn to seize those teachable moments of everyday life for spiritual growth. We’ll explore Rituals, Traditions, and Spiritual Practices, as well as talking about the Tough Stuff and Big Questions.

Caring Neighbors

Current Neighborhood Coordinators will be staffing a table in the back of the sanctuary over the next few weeks. Stop by to meet us, before or after the service, and let us get to know you. We would like to hear your ideas for building community.

There are a few neighborhoods that are in need of a Coordinator. Please text or call Joyce Donahue at (480) 221-6837 if you are interested and would like more information.

-Submitted by Joyce Donahue 

Building Community "House Meeting" Small Group Conversation

Considering the Question: What is a challenge you or your family is facing now?

Sunday, July 28 at 11:45 am in the Flex Room of the VUU Sanctuary.

You Are Welcome Here. Sponsored by VIP and Caring Neighbors.

For more information, contact Barb Quijada.

-Submitted by Barb Quijada

Building an I-HELP team…We need your helping hands!

Laura Rohlfing will be stepping down as the I-HELP coordinator in December. She tells me this job really needs a team, and she’d like to be training her replacements soon! This is an opportunity to support the guests who come and stay overnight with us a few times a month (usually Mondays). It involves communication with our partner organization (Azcend), helping set up and re-setting our kitchen and Sanctuary, organizing and communicating with volunteers to help with this and to provide food. I will be helping set up this team. It’s a great way to get to know each other and provide meaningful service. 

Anyone who is interested in the position or who would like further information is

encouraged to contact Rev. Sarah or Laura Rohlfing.

Thank you!

Rev. Sarah

Partners in Education (PIE) Notice:

Service is Our Prayer |School Opens Aug. 1!

More Volunteers Needed for Rumbo al Exito

I just learned today that our English learners only receive 1/2 hour of special support each day with a teacher that is not allowed to speak Spanish with them and does not speak Spanish herself! Our program is essential! Only 45 percent of English learners graduate from high school! We need to give these kids a chance to succeed, and we need you!!! We are excited to return to our Rumbo al Éxito students. We need more volunteers to respond to Adams' request to assist many more English Learners. Please help us by volunteering and by spreading the word to your friends and family members who might be interested. It is a wonderful opportunity to give these kids a chance to succeed.

Please let us know if you, or anyone you know, would like to join in this important effort. Contact Randall Casillas, Perii Skolnick, or Beverly McCormick.

We are also looking for volunteers for the Art Masterpiece program and Arts and Craft projects. LOTS OF FUN! No art experience is necessary. Contact Perii Skolnick for more info.

Donations needed for Back to School, Teacher Appreciation breakfast, and classroom upgrades. Let's help the teachers create stimulating environments for their students. Teachers generally spend five hundred dollars out of pocket each year! Mail to Todd, 6400 W. Del Rio St, Chandler, AZ. 855226, or look for our table after services.

-Submitted by Perii Skolnick