Sunday August 17, 2025
“Back to School: Living our Values, Blessing Educators and Learners”
This Sunday Rev. Sarah is joined by leaders from East Valley Save our Schools AZ to deepen our solidarity in support of public schools and their needs. We will also bless our learners of all ages and their teachers/supporters.
After service (12:15-1:00), we will host a 45 minute workshop from Save our Schools to learn more about how we can make a difference for Arizona schools and the families they serve. This is also the last day that Assistant Director of Faith Formation Adah Beehler will be with us before she begins her graduate studies at Iliff School of Theology (Rev. Sarah's alma mater!)
| |  | IN THE EDUCATION BUILDINGS |
Faith Formation
Generosity is the UU value that JET PIG helps us explore this Sunday. Generosity is when you share things or help others without expecting anything back. It's like being a friend who gives without needing a gift in return, or like sharing your toys with someone who doesn't have any.
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DALAI LAMA AND FRIENDS
8:30 am Meditation
9:00 am Discussion
In person, in the board room, and
Via Zoom here
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Mark Your Calendars...
Saturday, August 23, 4:30–7:00 pm
All Community Picnic with Water Fun in the courtyard of VUU.
We need some volunteers to help plan this event! Also, the slide stays with us through Sunday at 1!
Sunday, August 24
Water Communion In-gathering–All Community Worship: This is a celebration of our community!
We’d love some parents, children and youth to help plan this worship service and the interactive elements. Last year we had a “river” down the center aisle with drawings from our children and youth, among other interactive elements like making a rain shower with sound.
| | Love is our doctrine · Service is our prayer · Justice is our calling | | | | | |
Calendar
Thursday, August 14
Friday, August 15
Saturday, August 16
Sunday, August 17
Monday, August 18
Tuesday, August 19
Wednesday, August 20
Thursday, August 21
Friday, August 22
Saturday, August 23
- All Community Picnic 4:30p
Sunday, August 24
Click here for the most current calendar, to view locations, contact information details for above events
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LAST SUNDAY'S PARTICIPATION
Worship Attendance:
129 in person, 31 online
Weekly Pledge/Plate Collection:
$5,196 actual, $9,181 budget
August Pledge/Plate Collection to date:
$34,402 actual, $36,724 budget
July Pledge/Plate Collection:
$39,268 actual, $36,224 budget
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Jesus on the loose
Jesus was found and rehidden by Ryley! If you find him, send a photo to Rev. Sarah and place where he's hidden (but can be found).
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Abbreviated information about upcoming events
more than two weeks out or without an article below
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Game Lounge - Aug 20, Sep 3
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Resistance Fair - Sep 6
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Singles Lunch - Sep 5 (on hiatus in August)
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Parents & Pastries - Sep 7, Oct 5
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EastVUU - Sep 11, 25 (no online meeting in August)
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Congregational Conversation - Oct 5
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For the last two weeks I have served as a legal observer in our immigration courts with Borderlands Resource Initiative, joined by other clergy and volunteers. I have sat through four hours of court proceedings to observe how this process works and to provide witness to the ways in which our system is functioning. As you may know, a few weeks ago ICE disrupted this system and was pulling people out of the court building and the parking lot, preventing them from access to due process and traumatizing communities seeking asylum. Bringing legal observers and advocates into this system has de-escalated these tactics and even helped shine a light on how immigrants are experiencing these systems. Folks have also been trained to accompany and be witnesses in other settings.
If you are interested in this, please let me know and I will share your contact information so you can be invited to training. Especially if you know Spanish and a third language–being able to explain basic information about people’s rights and the procedures in the courtroom is helping a lot of people navigate the complexities. We also have opportunities to help get resources like groceries to families who have a loved one in detention and may be afraid to leave home. For the safety of the folks we help, we won’t be sharing details about this online.
We are also partnering with Corazon to strategize and deepen our support of immigrant families in our community. We have a meeting next week:
Lunch and Strategy Session: Belonging Organizing, & Unwavering Solidarity
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Wednesday, August 20
- 11:30a – 1:00p
- Hosted in East Valley Tempe/ Chandler area (will share address after registration)
Please RSVP here if you want to attend with me and Beatriz Arias Cisneros.
In addition, I am part of a local network of city, school district and non-profit resources here in Chandler that are helping support families impacted by these traumatizing tactics. We will meet about once a month. If you’d like to learn more let me know and I’ll share the meeting information.
We are also hosting a resistance fair on Sept 6. VUU members and friends have been working hard to create an event that will help you connect, learn and be engaged as we resist authoritarianism together. Check out the information about this event (here, in FB and on Instagram) and plan to attend–and maybe even volunteer to help us run the event! Bring some friends!
In gratitude, Rev. Sarah
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It's a Breeze...
Breeze is VUU's membership database. It's where we keep all of your contact information, pledges and donations, and track who does what and when.
We're making it a focus this year to get all members logged in to Breeze so you can find each other, like you would use a directory. If you are a Friend or a Visitor, we keep your information there also, but you are unable to login to search information - it's one of the perks of membership, and a way that we help safeguard our member data.
We'll be sending login information to you if you're a member and you haven't accessed Breeze lately. And we'll hold a few trainings via Zoom to make sure you know how to move around in there, update your own information, and find other people.
Join us on Saturday August 23 or Tuesday, September 2 to learn "how to Breeze"!
Sat. Aug. 23 10:00 am Link to Training
Tues. Sept. 2 5:00 pm Link to Training
Contact DeeAnne, Rev. Sarah, or Doug N. with questions.
-Submitted by DeeAnne McClenahan
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Join us for Safety Training
Committee heads, please join us for a safety training this Saturday, August 16 from 2:30–4:30 pm at VUU (location TBA).
This training is for leaders and staff at VUU and is designed to help us prepare for a number of emergency situations, including targeted harassment, active shooter, and other situations. This is the first of two training sessions, and will help us identify roles in an emergency situation and prepare to lead others when needed.
If you lead a committee or other group that meets on our campus or serve on the board, we'd like you or a designee to be there. We will be led by a contracted agency. Please RSVP.
Help Wanted - Safety Projects
As we begin work on multiple projects to make our campus more safe, we need someone to help manage the work being done by different contractors. If you have a flexible daytime schedule and some experience working with contractors for physical plant improvements, we need YOU! Contact Debbe Simpkins or Rev Sarah.
—Rev. Sarah
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Update from Special Funds
To help set expectations for grants available in this new fiscal year the Special Funds committee would like to inform potential applicants that we will not be accepting any applications until October due to the following:
- Potential temporary operating fund cash flow shortfalls over the summer months
- Commitment to funding Interim Music Director position
- Commitment to funding of basic Stewardship Consultant fees
In October we will send an update to let you know if any funds are available for grants.
—Submitted by Carl Anderson, Special Funds Chair
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Fragrance Free
Members and friends, this is a reminder that we have a fragrance free policy at VUU and appreciate anything you can do to reduce fragrance. If you are buying items for VUU (like hand soap or dish detergent) and getting reimbursed, please remember to make fragrance free choices for the congregation. We are renewing our efforts to make the sanctuary fragrance free, to be as welcoming as possible to all! Thanks in advance for your help!
-Rev. Sarah
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EastVUU Dinner
Date: Thursday, August 14, 6:00 pm
Join us for Hong Kong-style favorites at Mekong Palace Dim Sum, 66 S. Dobson Rd., Suite 120, Mesa. All are welcome!
Please Note: The EastVUU Online session that would normally occur on August 28 has been canceled. Enjoy summer break! See you back on Thursday, September 25.
—Submitted by Janice Miller
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Check out FUUNd's Last Chance Auction Today!
The Let’s Have FUUNd Together Auction is VUU’s largest annual FUUNd raiser. After the auction closes in February, this column keeps you informed about FUUNd events as they are held and advertises FUUNd events you can still get in on via the Last Chance Auction.
One of the events available in Last Chance is the course: Mindfulness Foundations for Living and Being (Wednesdays, September 17 & 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22 - 6:00 - 8:00 PM). In this time of change and concern, how can we learn to meet intensity and uncertainty with some degree of ease and steadiness? Mindfulness is the awareness that comes from paying attention to present moment experience (sensations, feelings, thoughts) with kind, warm, receptivity in order to reduce habits of reactivity and enhance our capacity for wise, caring response.
This 6 week Introduction to Mindfulness course, offered online over Zoom, blends Buddhist teachings on the four foundations of mindfulness with research supported practices for cultivating mindful awareness and a greater sense of ease and well-being. Each class will build on the previous one so it is important to be able to make a commitment to attend regularly.
We will practice a variety of mindfulness meditations and explore practical ways to integrate mindfulness into daily activities at work, home and in relationships. All are welcome, whether you are a beginner or just want to refresh or deepen your practice. The course will be taught by Ann Sebren, Ed.D., Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional. Ann has been teaching mindfulness for 15 years and has decades of university experience teaching courses related to health, wellness, and stress management.
All Last Chance Auction items are being offered at a “buy-it-now” price. Payment must be made at the time of purchase. You can view the items, make your purchase(s), and pay via credit card at www.Auctria.Events/VUUFUUND2025. Email fuundtogether@vuu.org for questions or other assistance.
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VUUniversity: for a modest fee of $20, you can attend one of the expert-led workshops listed below AND support VUU’s vital mission and programs. Space is limited so get your seat now! Classes that will be offered in August and September:
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Abbott and Costello Re-visited (Saturday, August 23)
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How to Sing in a Choir Even if You Don't Read Music (Saturday, September 13)
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SoulCollage® - A Personal Practice for Spiritual Growth (Saturday, September 27)
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Faith Formation Enrollment for 2025–2026
It's time to enroll your children in Faith Formation classes at Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation for the new school year. Please click here and complete the information in the enrollment form.
In 2025–2026 we will explore our Unitarian Universalist values through the lens of the following themes:
- September: Building Belonging
- October: Cultivating Compassion
- November: Nurturing Gratitude
- December: Choosing Hope
- January: Practicing Resistance
- February: Embodying Resilience
- March: Paying Attention
- April: Embracing Possibility
- May: Awakening Curiosity
- June: Flourishing Together
Once your enrollment form has been received you will then be sent sign up forms for volunteering in Faith Formation. As you know, VUU has reduced staffing for faith formation from 55 hours to 25 hours, a reduction of 60 percent. That means we need many people to keep our programs robust while we push through this funding challenge.
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Sign Up to support Faith Formation
We need your help volunteering to support faith formation. This isn’t just a classroom need! Without a director, there are many tasks that need to be done outside of the classroom. Take a look and sign up here.
—Rev. Sarah
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Help Needed for Crossing Paths
Crossing Paths is a Middle School Curriculum that engages youth in multi-faith learning and includes visits to congregations and communities different from ours.
We need support from a couple of extra adults for this curriculum two times a month, particularly in helping plan and organize trips to other faith communities and leading modules in areas where you may have more experience or training (i.e. you grew up with or studied other faith traditions). Please contact Rev. Sarah ASAP if you are interested in this. We begin with Yom Kippur (Judaism) which begins Wednesday, October 1 at sundown and ends nightfall on Thursday, October 2.
—Rev. Sarah
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Looking for Facilitators for Mosaic
This year we will join many other UU congregations in exploring a new curriculum that is part of the MOSAIC platform. This is a platform with many in-roads to the work of anti-racism / anti-oppression (AR/AO). The curriculum was designed after the OWL model to reach different ages and stages. The first Sunday of every month will be a lesson for the youth in our Faith Formation classes from MOSAIC, and we plan to find ways to engage adults through small and worship programming.
Are you interested in facilitating for a small group of adults or helping in other ways? Contact Rev. Sarah. We’ll need some help with the Faith Formation classes, too, especially MS and HS where the conversations will be more complex and nuanced. This is a video introducing the structure of the curriculum.
—Rev. Sarah
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Registration for Fall Our Whole Lives (OWL) Classes Is Here – Don’t Miss This Opportunity!
Considering OWL for 8/9 Graders? Register today! This is the last week before Parent Orientation. Visit vuu.org/OWL today to sign up!
Empower your teen with skills for life. Our Whole Lives (OWL) is more than just a sexuality education program—it’s a chance for youth to grow into thoughtful, informed, and confident individuals. Grounded in respect, responsibility, and relationship-building, OWL provides accurate, inclusive information in a supportive and values-based environment.
This fall, VUU is offering two dynamic OWL programs for youth:
Spectacled Owls (8th–9th Grade) – Yearlong Program
Sundays, 12:45–2:15pm | August 31, 2025–May 10, 2026
- 26 sessions filled with conversation, connection, and growth
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Parent Orientation: Sunday, August 24, 12:45–2:45pm
- Cost: $55 ($40 for pledging VUU Members & Friends)
Burrowing Owls (10th–11th Grade) – Fall Program
Sundays, 12:45–2:15pm | September 7, 2025–January 25, 2026
- 13 sessions focused on identity, values, consent, and communication
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Parent Orientation: Sunday, September 7, 12:45–2:45pm
- Cost: $55 ($40 for pledging VUU Members & Friends)
OWL helps teens build confidence, ask big questions, and explore their values in a setting that encourages curiosity and self-respect. Families often tell us OWL opens up powerful conversations at home and strengthens community connections.
Learn more and register here. Questions? Reach out to Molly McNamara.
—Submitted by Molly McNamara
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Level Up - Ages 17-24
Young adults are invited to attend the Level Up Young Adults Leadership Conference, a powerful one-day experience designed to equip the next generation with tools to lead with confidence and purpose. Registration here.
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Virtual Programming
Greetings from Meadville Lombard Theological School. MLTS is a theological school grounded in the Unitarian Universalist tradition, preparing leaders ready to inspire and guide the work towards building a better world. Here at Meadville Lombard, we have wonderful resources to share – and we want to share them with you!
Our virtual programming is free and registration is open to all ~ our lectures, vespers, and presentations are wonderful hours of learning and community. We would be very glad to have new friends join us from VUUC. What’s coming next?
We welcome you and can’t wait to see new friends!
Our virtual public programming invitations are issued by email from our MLTS News ~ we invite VUU friends to sign up to receive. We welcome VUU into community with MTLS. Here is the link to sign up to MLTS News.
We’d also like to share our LIGHT programming – our continuing education courses – with you. There are many learning opportunities to explore and we hope this resource will be found meaningful.
| | | | Fellowship and Social Activities | |
Labor Day UU Campout
- Labor Day UU Campout at SAWUURA
- 100 acres of mountain forest near Young, AZ
- August 30 - September 1
- Family-friendly outdoor weekend for UUs and friends
- Campsites, group kitchen, water, latrines, and playground
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Registration and information at sawuura.org
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Join us for Resistance in Action: A Social Justice Resource Fair!
Looking to get involved, take action, or deepen your commitment to justice? Team Resistance Arizona invites you to a free community event focused on tools, connection, and collective liberation. Whether you're brand new to activism or already deeply engaged, there's something here for you!
📅 Saturday, September 6
🕐 1:00–4:00 pm
📍 Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Chandler, AZ
💸 Free and open to all!
✨ Featuring:
- Local organizations & volunteer opportunities
- Workshops & education
- Empathy circles
- Food trucks and onsite childcare
- Action items, resources, and community connection
Bring your passion, curiosity, or questions—and leave with ways to plug in, take action, and connect with others building a better world.
Volunteers Needed! We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help both before and after the event. If you’re willing and able to lend a hand in any capacity, please complete our Volunteer Interest Form.
📩 Questions? Email us at TeamResistanceAZ@gmail.com
—Submitted by Amanda Schneider
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Page Turners Book Club
The Page Turners Book Club is open to all members, visitors, and friends of VUU who enjoy reading and discussing a variety of books. The next meeting is Thursday, August 21 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at the home of Johnnie Godfrey in Tempe (near Baseline Rd. and the 101). The book is Prequel – An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow.
Rachel Maddow traces the fight to preserve American democracy back to World War II, when a handful of committed public servants and brave private citizens thwarted far-right plotters trying to steer our nation toward an alliance with the Nazis.
For the meeting address or questions, please contact Johnnie at 480-231-8381 or email Amy Monahan.
—Submitted by Amy Monahan
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Opportunities to Support Pride 2025
Chandler Pride in the Park is on Saturday, November 15, and I am looking for a team to set up and host a table this year. Let me know if you are able to help.
In addition, Phoenix Pride is on Saturday, October 18 to Sunday, October 19. (The parade will be on October 19.) We’ve been invited to march with the City of Chandler. Please reach out to me or Deidre Mears if you are interested in joining the parade. UUCP usually marches in the Phoenix parade as well.
—Rev. Sarah
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If someone from the VUU VIP Core Team contacts you and asks to meet, this is a part of our ongoing mission to build relationships in the VUU congregation. We call these meetings one-on-ones, and use them as a way of getting to know you on a more personal level than a too-brief, Sunday morning after-the-service chat. Please reach out to us at vip@vuu.org if you’d like to meet up or just have a question.
Friday, August 15, 9:00a in the VUU Office. VUU VIP Core Team Meeting. If you are interested in becoming more involved in Interfaith Organizing, you are welcome to join the team!
Sunday, August 24, 12:15p in the VUU Sanctuary Flex Room. Building
Relationships House Meeting. A time for talking with other members of VUU about the challenges facing all of us. No need to RSVP—all are welcome!
VIP Leaders Meeting (All Are Welcome)
Tuesday, August 26, 6:30p
Location: Shepherd of the Hills UCC, Phoenix
Join VIP leaders and clergy for this important VIP meeting. The theme will be "finding hope in difficult times." We will be focusing on building the relational power we need for action in 2026, and will be welcoming new organizer Cameron Conner! Please RSVP here so we know who will be attending. Reach out to a member of the VUU VIP core team with questions.
Join us as we welcome our new VIP organizer and begin planning strategies for 2026. ALL ARE WELCOME!
For more information, contact Barb Quijada or Nancy Wittenberg.
—Submitted by Barb Quijada
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I-HELP invites YOU...
... to sign up to support our unhoused overnight guests with a Nacho Bar Dinner August 25. Bring a food item, or come help setup, serve, and clean up - it's easy, fun, and a great way for families to serve together. Our guests appreciate your efforts SO MUCH! Sign up here.
--Submitted by Adrienne O'Donnell
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Paz de Cristo
Donation of the Month:
Hamburger Helper and Macaroni and Cheese
Paz Donation List
Please leave donations in the "Paz de Cristo" box in the sanctuary foyer.
Contact: Paul Reed
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Immigrant Support
Donations gratefully accepted:
- Small handheld fruit cups
- Small handheld juice
- Veggie cups or squeezies
- Used clothing (all sizes, all seasons)
Please drop donations in the "Refugee Aid" box in the sanctuary foyer.
Contact: Randall Casillas
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Partners in Education
Adams Elementary appreciates your TAX CREDIT donations. Get dollar-for-dollar credit to offset AZ tax liability for 2025.
Contact: Adrienne O'Donnell
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation | vuu.org | | | | |
