March 13-19, 2024

Last Chance!

Auction Final Sale

The auction is back open in Final Sale mode through TOMORROW, Thursday, March 14 at noon. There are many items and events still available, most at discounted prices!

Whether you find something to purchase or not, please consider a direct donation to help us finish strong.

Social Justice Challenge

Our Justice Council has planned 6 weeks of exciting actions to serve our community. Help us reach our goal of over 1,000 hours of action by participating multiple times. Get details about each of the actions and log your hours on the Social Justice Challenge webpage!

Thursday, March 14

• Yoga As You Are: A Spiritual Practice // 2 - 3 pm // 2nd & 4th Thursdays // chapel // This class is open to people of all abilities and levels of experience. There will be opportunities for people who aren’t able to get on and off the floor. Bring a yoga mat or a beach towel, plus any yoga props you already own. Contact: Martha Eastman

• Affinity Group: Drumming Circle // 6:30 pm // 3rd Thursdays // south commons // Join fellow JUCers for an evening of ecstatic drumming, and possibly dancing. No drumming experience required, no age or physical limits, beyond the ability to stay up til 8 pm. Bring a hand drum if you have one, but we also have extra drums and other instruments to share. Dancers are always welcome! Contact: Bill Barr

Saturday, March 16

• Diversity 101 Workshop // 9:30 - 11 am // Join Katie Bradford for an engaging presentation covering the fundamentals of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). From acknowledging social identifiers to recognizing stereotypes, Katie will share her experiences as DEIB professional, arts educator and parent. Exploring the nuances of DEIB in a safe space provides participants the tools to learn and grow. DEIB can be messy. Don’t be afraid to “fail forward.” This is a Social Justice Challenge event. Sign Up Link

• Sharing the Table Lunch // 11:30 - 12:45 pm // Golden First United Methodist Church (1500 Ford Street, Golden ) // Join JUC CAN and help prepare a lunch and share that meal with people who are unhoused at the Golden First United Methodist Church. Golden Methodist has been providing meals for a number of years and is also a Safe Parking site. There will be a conversation starter so you all can share. A great opportunity to learn more through experience. Sign Up Link

• Arvada Rising Field Trip // 1 - 3 pm // Come and spend a couple of hours helping to sort and organize at the Arvada Rising day site. All are welcome - there are jobs for people of all ages and abilities! Families especially encourage to come. This is a Social Justice Challenge event. Sign Up Link

• CUUPS: Ostara Celebration // 2 pm // We welcome all at our multi-generational celebration of the Anglo Saxon Goddess of Spring with egg dying and tossing! Sign Up Link

• Affinity Group: Union of Unitarian Universalist Gamers // 5 - 9 pm // Saturdays, bi-weekly // This group uses the medium of tabletop roleplaying games (Dungeons and Dragons) to foster a space where people can build community, exercise creativity, and celebrate their unique voice. No prior roleplaying game experience is necessary and feel free to drop in and out as you see fit. Contact: Zack Schreiner

Sunday, March 17

• Abundant Harvest Table // 10 am and 12 pm // south commons // Nourish your body after worship each Sunday with healthy, delicious food lovingly prepared by fellow JUCers. Donations collected benefit Arvada Rising's Homeless Ministry. Volunteers are always needed to prepare food and staff the table. Sign Up Link



• Welcome Team Meet & Greet // 10:10 am // Mills commons // Are you a welcome team volunteer and love meeting new people? Have you ever wanted to be a volunteer on the Welcome Team but not sure how? Please join us for a chance to meetup, swap information, and be a team together! Sign Up Link

• Mindfulness Meditation Spiritual Practice Group // 5 - 6:15 pm // Online // The Mindfulness Meditation group is meeting every Sunday to meditate together and discuss a mindfulness-related theme. Meeting Link Contact: Tina Voelker

Sunday, March 17 - Sunday, March 24

• Family Promise Host Week // Four families experiencing homelessness will be living at JUC. Please join our loving community in welcoming them to our church by volunteering to drive the families, serve dinner, or host. Family Promise is an all church commitment as it takes 90 volunteers. We have detailed instructions for everyone who signs up and support from the JUC core volunteers and the FP staff. This is a Social Justice Challenge Event. Sign Up Link

Wednesday, March 20

• By Your Side Singers // 6:30 - 7:15 pm // 3rd Wednesdays // Music is healing. Sing songs of comfort and hope in a small group setting. This group is an extension of our Caring ministry and often performs for JUCers in need of healing through music.

Sunday, March 24

• New Here // 12:30 pm // Are you curious about Unitarian Universalism? Are you interested in becoming a member of JUC? In our New Here class, we will talk about our history, our covenants, our principles, and what it means to be a member. We will also cover what you need to know about our church programs—from worship to social justice, faith exploration, and caring for our people. In order to become a member, we ask that you attend at least one New Here class. Sign Up Link

• 8th Principle Teach-In // 12:30 - 2 pm // R6/7 // Join JUC's racial justice team in a discussion of the 8th principle: What is it? Why has our board urged us to adopt it? What does it mean for the future of JUC and of our Unitarian Universalist faith? Sign Up Link

Monday, March 25

• Moms Group // 6:30 - 8:30 pm // chapel // Join other JUC moms for an opportunity to deepen and connect. There will be a mix of faith-exploration activities and socialization time. To be added to the Moms Group email list, please email Laura Lizut. Sign Up Link

Thursday, March 28

• Family Ministry Team Meeting // 6:30 - 8:30 pm // online // All are welcome to attend! We will look at the data from the FMT retreat and use it to begin to plan for summer and beyond. We will also work on the Dad’s retreat, summer camping trips and Self-Care Saturday for Moms. Meeting Link

• Green Task Force: Monthly Speaker Series - Community Solar and Tribal Energy Sovereignty // 7 - 9 pm // How can we learn from the history of energy development and commit to community oriented energy development? Tribal nations deserve an equitable transition to renewable energy, and they can even lead the way. Salina Derichsweiler left the oil and gas industry and now works with Pueblos and Navajo Nation to develop community solar gardens in New Mexico.

Saturday, March 30

• Memorial Service: Melissa and Riordan Powell // 2 pm // Celebrate Melissa's and Riordan's life with family and friends. Watch Link

Sunday, March 31

• Easter at JUC // Our K-5th graders will mark Easter this year through participation in the Pagan Ostara ritual, led by Piper Perry with an Easter Egg Hunt on the patio following both services. Teen and Youth volunteers will be greatly appreciated to hide Easter Eggs. Contact Laura Lizut if you would like to volunteer.

Monday, April 1

• 8th Principle Teach-In // 6:30 - 8 pm // online // Join JUC's racial justice team in a discussion of the 8th principle: What is it? Why has our board urged us to adopt it? What does it mean for the future of JUC and of our Unitarian Universalist faith? Sign Up Link Meeting Link

Saturday, April 6

• Green Task Force: Chicken, Bees & Soil - Gardening In An Urban Lot // 11:30 am - 1 pm // chapel // JUC’s Peggy Gates decided early on to build up a healthy soil ecosystem in her urban lot. She shares why she started having chickens and then bees, and the many patient steps she took to attract pollinators. She also used Permaculture concepts like raised beds, drip systems and how to save water, and has many ‘lessons learned’ and tips for fellow gardeners.

Tuesday, April 9

• Sacred Earth // Tuesdays through May 14 // 6:30 pm // online // Combining the wisdom of indigenous understandings of reciprocity with the sacred earth, and with spiritual practices that connect our spirit to nature. The experiences, reflections and discussions strive to engage participants deeply in the web of life and our Unitarian Universalist faith. The work will be personal. As you and participants move through the reflections and practices, you may all find spiritual healing by creating a more intimate relationship with the natural world. We will use rely on two books: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (please purchase or borrow prior to the first class) and The Sustainable Soul: Reflections and Practices by Rebecca James Hecking. (Note that excerpts for this book are provided and you do not need to purchase the book.) Sign Up Link Meeting Link

Tuesday, April 16

• Spiritual Practice Series: Movement // 6:30 - 8:30 pm // chapel // Our spiritual practice series provides an opportunity for JUCers to explore a spiritual practice that might be new to them or to which they want to commit at a deeper level. April’s class will focus on various forms of movement including Yoga, led by Martha Eastman, Qi Gong, led by Paige LeBlanc and Dance, led by Valerie Langston Brettillo. Sign Up Link

Endowment and Memorial Gift Trust (EMGT) Call for Grant Applications

Every year the EMGT Directors approve selected grant requests from congregants and staff that support JUC’s mission statement and goals. All applications must be submitted with the support of a JUC standing committee and must be received by Monday, April 15.

Funding for EMGT projects was originated with donations from JUC members. Annually the EMGT Directors establish available dollar amounts for funding based on the interest earned on the principal of the fund. To learn more, read the EMGT Special Project Guidelines. For questions, email our EMGT Directors, Sherry Agard, Kathy Bassett, Lynn Gedvilas, Katie Wheeler, and Allison Windes.

General Assembly Delegates Needed

JUC is a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association and eligible to assign up to 14 delegates to the annual General Assembly, Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 23, 2024. This year's assembly is virtual. Delegates will have a choice of attending in person or to serve remotely. Any JUC member in good standing is eligible to serve as a delegate. Nomination Form Link

2024 Pacific Northwest Region Assembly

Connect with other UUs in the Pacific Western Region. Our 4th Regional Assembly will be held in Denver on April 19 and 20, at First Universalist Church of Denver. You can attend either in person or online. The keynote address will feature a conversation between our UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and the new President of the United Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson. Information and Registration Link

The planning committee is looking for volunteers from all area congregations. If you are interested, contact Toni Nading (303-918-4865).

-- ONLINE MEETINGS USE PASSWORD JUC UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED --

Sunday, March 17

• Baroque Chamber Orchestra presents… Bach + Soler // 3pm // JUC sanctuary // Enjoy the melodic ingenuity, grace and beauty of Baroque music. Solo selections from J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, plus a rarely performed quintet for harpsichord and strings by Spanish composer Antonio Soler. Featuring Stephen Gamboa-Diaz, harpsichordist and artist-in-residence. Ticket Link 

Sunday, March 24

• What the Heck is Intersex? A Mother and Son's Journey from Genetics 101 to Understanding // 4 pm // Presented by Alta and Ringo Hope. Ringo was born intersex. Alta adopted him as a toddler. Longtime Jeffco residents, they will share their personal experiences of Ringo's growing to adulthood. Intersex, an umbrella term for gender variations, are people who have differences in their chromosomes, genitals, or internal organs, such as testes or ovaries. People with intersex traits have always existed but there is more information now about their diversity and needs. Intersex people may be seen as different and sometimes face discrimination, including as infants in health care. The event will be held at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden and hosted by Jefferson Humanists, a chapter of the American Humanist Association. Social time with light appetizers and wine (for a small donation) at 4 pm.

PALS Chess Summer Camp

PALS Chess Academy will be running a chess summer camp for children 5-17 years old at JUC July 22-26. Information and Registration Link. Register by March 31 to receive a $100 discount on the full day camp.