December Christmas and Seasonal Services and Activities

Saturday, December 7, 1:00-4:00 pm in the sanctuary.

Hanging of the lights and decorating!  Bring or donate extra decorations. We’ll need someone who is comfortable on a ladder and help getting decorations down from the storage room. If you have a large pre-lit tree you’d like to donate, let us know! The one we have has been around a long time… SIGN UP HERE. All ages welcome! Treats and music while we decorate! 

Sunday, December 15. “Practicing Presence.” Rev. Sarah and Amanda Schneider share experiences and practices that can be grounding for us in times of stress, overwhelm, busyness–whether it’s a busy holiday season or the many curve balls that life throws at us.

Sunday, December 22. “Winter Solstice.” This service will celebrate the pagan observance of winter solstice. Based more in ritual and rhythm, this service is perfect for those who appreciate seasonal metaphors and spiritual practices that are more embodied.  

Tuesday, December 24, 3:00 pm. “All Ages No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant.” In the past, VUU has held a Christmas pageant led by the kids that involved several Sundays of rehearsing. This year we change it up a bit! We’ll have a no-rehearsal pageant that invites audience members to choose a part in the pageant when they arrive! It's narrated, so no lines to memorize! No rehearsal necessary. We’ll sing the songs and tell the stories of the birth of Jesus together, with costumes and imagination.  

Tuesday, December 24, 7:00 pm. “Christmas Candlelight.” A traditional lessons and carols service that emphasizes the possibilities of peace and love that come with stories of the birth of Jesus. How can we live in to these possibilities in the coming year? 

To help with Sunday morning hospitality, click here.

Abbreviated information about upcoming events that are

further than two weeks out.

• FUUNd Donations Accepted - Now through Jan 5 Donate here
• New Participant Classes - Dec 7, Mar 22, Jun 7 RSVP here
• AZCEND Food Bank with Rev. Sarah - Dec 13 Sign Up
• VIP House Meeting - Dec 22
• Senior High Winter Camp at de Benneville - Dec 28-Jan 1 Register here
• Ethics for Unitarian Universalists - begins Jan 8 Sign Up
• New Participant Meal - Feb 1, Apr 5 RSVP here
• VIP Leaders Retreat - Feb 1
• FUUNd Auction - Feb 2-16
• VUU Camping Retreat - Apr 11-13 at Friendly Pines Camp in Prescott

I was listening to a podcast this morning in which Meghna Chakrabarti of "On Point" talks about, and has her guests share about, changes in American engagement with organized religion. I am interested in this because we have a lot of folks who come to Unitarian Universalism looking for a community and a replacement for their former spiritual community. Often folks find us because we are different–we are pluralistic and use a lot of secular resources to connect with each other; we have ministers who are female, and queer, and whose theology is very different from ministers you might have met somewhere else. I sometimes say we are like secular Judaism in a Protestant package that is Christian-adjacent and humanist and justice-oriented…with some paganism sprinkled in, too. It’s more complicated than that, and less. In any case, we are glad so many new folks are coming to check us out and to see what this different way of being a spiritual community might be like. I hope you’ll come to a class for new participants (there’s one this week!) or another event or activity to learn more. I am always happy to set up a time to meet and talk and answer questions! minister@vuu.org

-Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan



Holiday Pageant

Mark your holiday calendar for Christmas Eve, December 24 at 3:00 pm for our spontaneous holiday pageant. Kids and adults, young and old, speakers and non-speakers will all have an opportunity to participate in our annual re-telling of the story of Jesus of Nazareth’s birth in Bethlehem, this year in a fun and spontaneous way with no rehearsal needed.

Costumes galore! Things that twinkle! Lots and lots of carols! See you there.

What is FUUNd?

The annual auction is a longstanding tradition at VUU. From its humble beginnings as the Heart and Hand Auction to our current Let’s Have FUUNd Together online extravaganza, the auction has been VUU’s premier FUUN and FUUNd raiser for over 40 years! When the auction opens on February 2nd, you’ll be able to browse an online catalog and bid on activities, meals, parties, handmade treasures, tasty treats, services and much more. You can even pay by credit card. Last year we raised over $23,000! Check back here each week to see how you can join in the FUUNd!

NOW is the time to get your donations in for the 2025 Let’s Have FUUNd Together Auction. Donations can be made via the auction website www.auctria.events/VUUFUUND2025 or by picking up instructions and the QR code at the FUUNd table on Sunday mornings. Not sure what to donate? Click here for an inspiring list of last year’s auction items. Need more information? Stop by the FUUNd table this Sunday or email funndtogether@vuu.org.

VUU Congregational Survey

Ten more days remain for us to complete the survey prior to enduring the rest of the holiday rush. Please participate!

Thanks, Your VUU Assessment Committee, Katie Hurstwicker and Nancy Egly Co-chairs

Environmental Action Team

Join us on December 16 (the third Monday of the month) at 6:30pm online.

From the Exec Director of UU Ministry for Earth, Rebecca Solnit:

"They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything

and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact

that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love. … in this moment of furious mourning… Gather up your resources, the metaphysical ones that are heart and soul and care, as well as the practical ones." (Emphasis added.)

Contact Linda Stenholm via email or at 480-849-2643 (text) with any questions.

EastVUU Holiday Party

Thursday, December 12, 6:00 pm

All are welcome to join potluck and holiday fun at Barbara Peter’s home in Leisure World, 2114 Capri Dr., Mesa, AZ 85206. Bring your favorite potluck dish to share. Also bring a cheap “white elephant” gift—something used or useless, just for fun! Bring a sweater if you’d like to enjoy the fire pit and s'mores. All are welcome!

Our Director of Music Ministry is on medical leave.

Dear Ones,

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the death of beloved member Jodi Cicirello. Jodi joined VUU in 2017. She was an avid motorcyclist, and when I first met her had been on adventures in her RV. She loved being of service to the community and loved VUU for giving her opportunities to do so with other like-minded people. She died last Friday on her motorcycle out near Globe on Highway 60. No doubt she died doing something she loved fiercely. When we know more about plans for a Celebration of Life or other arrangements, I’ll be sure to let you know.

-Rev. Sarah

Safety Grant Submitted!

Here is a photo of the Safety Committee working out the last details on our grant submission. Thanks for your hard work!

Pictured: Charlie Thomas, Mark Beehler, Debbe Simpkins, Kimberly Light, and Todd Sirrine. 

Not pictured: Rev. Sarah and David Sheh.

Brown Bag Lunch with Rev. Sarah

The next Brown Bag lunch with Rev. Sarah will be on Tuesday, December 10 from 11:30 am-1:00 pm in the Board Room. 

Bring your lunch and come join us for conversation and community. Bring yourself and whatever else you want to share–a dessert, a story, a snack, a question–you choose! 

Celebrating House Meetings

VUU’s VIP Core team is celebrating the success of our partnership with Caring Neighbors. Since July, on the Fourth Sunday of each month, we’ve collaborated to host small group conversations—also known as “house meetings”—to discuss the challenges facing VUU members and friends and their families. Fifty people have come together to share concerns around loneliness, building safety, mental health, housing, election anxiety, communicating across generational and political divides, and others.

Our goal is to help foster relationships among people in the congregation who may not have known each other before meeting face-to-face for a small conversation—and finding that we’re not alone in our concerns. All are welcome to join the conversation. The next one will be on Sunday, December 22 in the sanctuary flex room after the service.

Our People Gonna Rise: An Emma's Revolution Concert to Benefit UURISE

Date: Sunday, December 8. Reception at 2:00 pm. Concert at 3:00 pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, 4027 E Lincoln Dr

And via Livestream. Buy tickets here.

As Unitarian Universalists across the nation reaffirm our unwavering commitment to human rights in the face of fascism, we invite you to support a beloved UU organization: UURISE (Unitarian Universalist Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education). UURISE needs our help to build capacity for their programs so that they can meet the urgent need of our time. 

We know that even as we face the uncertainty and threat of harm that is coming, our resilience is grounded in community and joy. Buy your tickets now and let's come together in song with Emma's Revolution to affirm that Our People Gonna Rise!

Singles Holiday Party

WHEN: Saturday, December 14, 6:30 pm

WHERE: At the home of Claudette (1213 N Palm St., Gilbert, 973-768-6047.) 

This is a Potluck so bring a dish to share as well as a holiday gift for the gift exchange. Item should be $15 or less in value. Goodwill White Elephants are a welcome part of this tradition.

Much of the seating will be outdoors, so dress accordingly. It would be helpful to know beforehand what people plan to bring so I can make suggestions to late responders that will round out the meal. As usual, I will be making enchiladas.

RSVP to Claudette at 973-768-6047 (texts preferred) or reply to this email to declare your dish and intentions. 

Note: Since the holidays are generally very busy, the holiday party will be our only event this month (replacing both the monthly luncheon and dinner out.)

One Small Step for Affordable Housing

On November 21, the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend the zoning change VIP’s been organizing for since

December 2022!

Next step is the Board of Supervisors vote on Wednesday, December 11 at 9:30 am. Please join us in person or online to support affordable housing in Chandler! More information next week.

-Submitted by Barb Quijada

Partners in Education (PIE)

You can make a big difference for the kids at Adams Elementary School in Mesa by making a financial contribution to Mesa Public Schools, while receiving a tax credit for a Public School, equal to your gift (up to $200 for single filers/$400 jointly). Pick up a contribution form that designates Adams School from the PIE table at VUU on Sunday or follow these instructions to donate online: Sign in to the Mesa Public School's Online Payment System here. Search for “8002” or “GENERAL-ECA”. Look for Adams Elementary and add amount to cart, then check out. When you file your tax return, deduct an equal amount from taxes due (up to Arizona tax liability). Thanks so much on behalf of the kids and teachers!

Thank you from I-HELP Team

Thanks to the entire crew serving dinner to I-HELP guests on November 25. Our team even included a group of three generations.