Connections Newsletter All the news you need to know to connect, grow, and serve. MARCH 2019 - STEWARDSHIP MONTH

Sunday, March 3, 2019 | 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. "Until All Are Free" Sermon by Rev. Vail Weller, UUA Congregational Giving Director It has been said that the goal of religious community is nothing short of the transformation of society and ultimately, the liberation of all beings. So . . . how free are we, actually? What values do we find ourselves tethered to? Diane Ullius is our Worship Associate. Our children's choirs--Chalice and TrUUbadours--and adult choir, Sanctuary Singers, will provide music under the direction of Mimi Bornstein. This Sunday, we welcome Rev. Vail Weller to our pulpit. Rev. Weller is here to help us celebrate the launch of our annual giving campaign. She serves as the Congregational Giving Director for the Unitarian Universalist Association. A life-long UU, she has served as a parish minister for congregations in California, Michigan, and West Virginia. She lives in San Mateo, California, with her husband, two children and big dog. Livestream

Upcoming Services **Daylight Saving Time Begins Next Sunday** Please set your clock one hour forward when going to bed on Saturday night. March 10 - “How Can My Spirit Grow” - Appreciative Inquiry Team. This special interactive service will ask us all to engage with the question, “How can my spirit grow, here, in this congregation?” As Unitarian Universalists we understand that we are the ones who create our own spiritual paths. How this congregation helps support you in that development is what we would like you to think about and help us all learn. As part of this process we will have a graphic illustrator who will pictorially represent our thoughts! You won’t want to miss this chance to reflect and build together.  March 17 - “Inner Gifts and Outward Love” - Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley. March 24 - "For All That is Our Life" - Walter Clark.

Friday Morning Devotions We invite you to smooth the path into the weekend with a half-hour of meditation followed by shared reflections each Friday morning beginning at 7 a.m. Please contact in advance either David McTaggart ( dmctagg@gmail.com ) or Gregg Forte ( gforte@mac.com ). A ride is available afterward to Ballston Metro. Date: Each Friday, 7:00 a.m. Location: Room 20 (Youth Room)

Monday Night Meditation Livestreaming Buddhist guided meditation with Jonathan Foust on Monday nights is now being livestreamed for those not able to attend in person. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on most Mondays, you can join Jonathan online at www.uucava.org/livestream . Jonathan is a guiding teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. His classes begin with guided meditation and concludes with a dharma talk. Classes are offered freely and there is no set fee--freewill donations accepted. For more information on Jonathan and his classes, click here .

Church Matters

Board Update By Al Himes, Board Chair At our February meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution for a congregational vote to adopt the 8th Principle. The congregational vote will be on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 12:30 pm. Absentee votes will also be accepted prior to the start of the meeting. A great number of us have already signed the Pledge Against Racism, attended Allyship classes and numerous other activities to show our support to end racism. It is now time to take the next step to affirm our steadfast commitment by formally adopting the 8th Principle for our congregation. The voices of color within our own denomination have asked us to adopt the 8th Principle. To end racism, we white UU’s need to first listen and heed the requests of people of color. We cannot decide that we know how to end racism and instead we have to be accountable to people of color. This is reason enough for me to enthusiastically support our adoption of the 8th Principle at UUCA and I sincerely hope that our congregation will show our overwhelming support on March 31 and thereafter for many years to come as we live our support for the 8th Principle through our actions, advocacy, culture and governance. Adopting the 8th Principle is just the starting point here at UUCA. The Board is already beginning the discussion of looking into our own institutions and the ways we unconsciously incorporate white supremacy culture into our governance, functioning and culture. Because racism and white supremacy is so ingrained in white culture we can’t just “discontinue" racism. Instead we must actively work to reverse racism. We still have a great deal of work ahead of us; however the adoption of the 8th Principle is the best way to reaffirm and strengthen our commitment to our eventual goal to reversing racism. I am so proud to be part of a congregation which continues to take on the difficult work to support so many issues of justice. I look forward to seeing everyone at our vote in March as well as continuing to work with you to put our faith into action. -- uuca-board@googlegroups.com

Special Congregational Meeting Sunday, March 31, 2019 – 12:30 p.m. UUCA Sanctuary A special congregational meeting will be held to vote on the adoption of the 8th Principle. Absentee voting is also available. Members of 90 days or longer are eligible to vote. Meeting Agenda 8th Principle Resolution Absentee Ballot Instructions Absentee Ballot

Appreciative Inquiry Starts Soon As you may have read in last week’s Connections, part of UUCA’s transition to a new Senior Minister is that Rev. Terasa and her Transition Team, along with the Ministerial Search Committee, are collaborating in presenting an Appreciative Inquiry process in the coming weeks—a proven technique to envision our future by building on our strengths. The process will begin with Sunday services on March 10, followed by two Appreciative Inquiry sessions, on March 24 and April 6, in which we invite your participation. These Appreciative Inquiry sessions will include two questions for consideration by all: How do we want to be with each other in our UUCA community? And, How do we want to interact with and serve the larger community of which we are a part?  Why should you come? Read more >> Please plan to attend the March 10 service and to sign up for one of the other sessions. Each will cover both questions. Sign up here.

SAVE THE DATE FOR SPRING! March 24, 2019 Please plan to join your church family for a very special evening of food, fun, fellowship, and, oh, did I mention door prizes! Our Spring Fling will begin with a sumptuous supper at 5 p.m. Bring a non-alcoholic beverage and/or dessert to share. For dessert we will have our own adaptation of the Great British Baking Show with entries invited for your enjoyment and for prizes--so if you missed your shot at a Chili trophy, you get another chance for bragging rights on something homemade and sweet. Prizes are planned to be awarded for best-tasting and best-looking desserts so start your planning now!  Read more>>

Thank You Amazon Shoppers! Thanks to everyone who participated in the AmazonSmile program, UUCA received a $105.53 donation from the Amazon Foundation. It's easy to participate. If you are an Amazon shopper, please bookmark this link ( http://smile.amazon.com/ch/54-0519587 ) and every time you shop, Amazon will give UUCA a .5 % donation of the price of your eligible purchase.

Ministry Matters

In the Meantime By Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley , Interim Senior Minister "How Can My Spirit Grow" As you will see in the upcoming service announcements, we will be having a special kind of interactive worship service on March 10 using the process known as “Appreciative Inquiry” which many of you may have experienced before. There will also be two workshops of more extended length on March 24 and April 6 that you can choose between. The workshops will be different from the service, so please plan to attend both the worship and one of the workshops.  Appreciative Inquiry (or AI) asks us to set aside our critiquing and hyper-critical minds and instead engage in open dreaming about the future. Our hope is that by asking open-ended questions and having you reflect and engage with one another we can learn more about your hopes and dreams for UUCA, as well as helping you surface your own longings and to learn more about your fellow congregants.

During the worship service we will focus on a question about spiritual growth, since worship is one of the primary ways in which we do this. The specific question is: “How can my spirit grow here, in this community?” We will be asking you to think about this, jot down some notes and connect with others around you to discuss. We will be capturing these conversation through the innovative technique of graphic recording, in which our consultant, Adi Brown, will be able to literally draw a picture of our conversation. For similar kinds of drawings you can check out her website here: 10xcollective.com.  Read more >>

Coffee Challenge By Walter Clark , Ministerial Associate My summer nights during college break were spent at Eat-n-Park. For those of you not from North West Pennsylvania, Eat-n-Park is an all-night diner similar to Denny’s. One of my good friends was a shift cook at the restaurant. A couple of friends and I would wait for him to get off his shift and we would talk politics and drink coffee until about 1 or 2 in the morning. It was almost always the same four people and usually three of us had money. Never the same three mind you, it would vary between all of us. We had the understanding if you were short, someone would spot you. If someone else was short, you would spot them. We never kept track and we never gave anyone grief. I cherish the memory of those late evenings. The discussions would often go deep and we learned a lot about ourselves and what really matters in the world. You could call it my first covenant group.  That is why we all chipped in when the check came. All four of us were needed to make our group what it was and we would rather spend a few extra bucks to cover a friend than miss out on the relationship we were building. We knew that our time together was worth the price of coffee. Pledging isn’t about keeping the lights on and the employees paid. Pledging is about investing in the community we are creating. It’s about making sure everyone gets a cup of coffee (or tea) and feels that their presence at the table is needed to make our community complete. My challenge to you is to buy a cup of coffee for the members we have yet to invite to the table. If your finances allow, increase your pledge by 18%, the size of a good tip so that those who are having trouble getting coffee money together have a place at the table. Isn’t their presence worth it?

Lifespan Religious Education

BRING YOUR SPARE CHANGE TO CHURCH ON March 3 Third Annual - "Be the Change!" RE Fundraiser What about all that spare change you have in your wallet or pocket or on your dresser or in a jar? Bring it to church on Sunday, March 3, as part of our "Be the Change!" RE fundraiser. Our RE classes will collect spare change after each service on March 3, as part of our Annual Giving campaign. This is the third time RE has participated in our larger campaign, so please be supportive of their efforts as much as you can. By having the younger members of our church family take part in fundraising we hope to teach them how important financial commitment is to fulfilling our mission of connect, grow and serve. Let's help them make it a big success!

Welcome Dee and Cheryl on Sunday Dee Setalla , Hopi artist who created our worship chalice, and Cheryl Marzec , president of Sumi Nungwa , the nonprofit that provides support and aide to the elders of the Navajo and Hopi nations, will visit UUCA this Sunday to conduct a cultural sensitivity workshop for the youth and chaperones going on the spring service trip to the Hopi nation in Arizona. Cheryl and Dee will also join us in worship and will have a table in Fellowship Hall after the service. Please stop by their table and learn of the plans for our youth and the upcoming service trip to Hopi. More RE news

Adult Education

Below is a list of some of our upcoming Adult Education classes. Click here for more information and registration. Live the Pledge to End Racism, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 4, 10 The Soul of Aging, 10-Sessions beginning March 10 Sacred Masculine. March 12, 26 and April 9, 7-9 p.m. Adaptive Leadership Workshop, March 17, 2-5 p.m. Reversing Global Warming, March 27, 7 p.m.

Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop Participants explore the history of racism, the concept of implicit bias, the effects of micro-aggressions, the results of structural and institutional racism, and the contemporary Movement for Black Lives. Methods include readings, personal reflection, small group discussion, role plays, and videos. Facilitated by Jessi Huffman and Ann Ulmschneider. Questions? Contact Ann Ulmschneider, aulmsch@msn.com . Dates: Six Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 & April 4, 10, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Location: Parlor (13/15)

The Soul of Aging 10-Sessions begin March 10 What does it mean to be growing older? What image comes to your mind when you think of aging?  Most of us tend to think of aging as dealing with health issues and letting go of life. In fact, growing older can and ought to be quite the opposite experience. As we grow older, we begin to look at life differently. We come to learn from our shared experience, to mature in spiritual presence. Indeed, as we age, we are called “to sage,” to grow in maturity and wisdom, to become wise elders radiating spiritual vitality, love and peace. One is never too young to begin Saging! The Soul of Aging is an experiential retreat program for those who long to understand, accept, surrender and be transformed by the aging process. This program offers space and time to expand our capacity to love, serve, forgive ourselves and others, find peace, and ultimately to embrace our own deaths. Contact David McTaggart , dmctagg@gmail.com , for more information. Details & registration here >>

Reversing Global Warming: The Drawdown Project The Drawdown Project gives us hope! Project Drawdown is a coalition of more than 200 researchers and other experts from 22 countries led by author, environmentalist, and entrepreneur Paul Hawken. Over the course of five years of rigorous scientific research, they identified and modeled the 100 most substantive, already existing solutions for addressing global warming and revealed astounding news: that it is possible not just to slow global warming, but to actually reverse it by 2050. The workshop material is provided by the Pachamama Alliance and includes video clips of Paul Hawken.  Flyer here. Date: Wednesday, March 27, 7-9 p.m. Location: Activity Room

Sacred Masculine How could a Super Bowl advertisement for a razor anger so many men? How is masculinity toxic? Is it bad to be a man in the #MeToo era? The role of men is changing and it can be overwhelming trying to keep up. In this three session class, Walter Clark will lead discussions about masculine archetypes throughout history that exemplify a non-toxic masculine presence, systems of male dominance and ways to embrace masculinity without diminishing the feminine aspect within all of us. Enrollment is limited and in order to facilitate open conversation, this workshop is open to men only. Led by Ministerial Assistant Walter Clark. Dates: Tuesdays, March, 12, 26 and April 9, 7-9 p.m. Location: Chapel

Adaptive Leadership Workshop With Rev. Terasa. Adaptive Leadership is a method of understanding leadership developed by Ron Heifetz and colleagues of his at the Harvard Kennedy School. It posits that leadership is not a noun, as in ‘this person is always the leader’, but that leadership is a verb, it is what we exercise together. In this understanding, anyone can be a leader. They also distinguish between technical leadership and adaptive leadership. Technical leadership takes place when you have a defined problem and tools to solve it. Adaptive leadership works in the realm of the “unsolvable.” Adaptive problems are those we can’t fully even define, much less solve easily, but unfortunately that’s the nature of most of the challenges that we face in these times. Fortunately adaptive leadership gives us some tools that will not cleanly solve the problem, but that will help us make progress and learn together along the way. Date: Sunday, March 17, 2-5 p.m.  Location: Activity Room

Wheel of Life

Our condolences to John Evans on the recent death of his mother.

Music Ministry

UUCAers are invited to join the fun! CABOMA Workshop When somebody says the song is a 1-4-5, what does that mean? How do I know the chords if we capo up? CABOMA (Capital Area Old-Time Music Association) invites UUCAers to join them for a workshop on basic music theory. Resident banjoist Evan Sands will break it all down for you, giving you some info to make music more fun and understandable. CABOMA meets at UUCA on the second and fourth Sundays of the month for a music jam session (2 to 6 p.m.). Drop-in musicians and observers are always welcome! Date: Sunday, March 10, 3 p.m. Location: Parlor (Rm. 13/15)

Congregational Life

First Sunday Humanist Hour This Sunday we will honor Women's History Month with several readings of the works of noted women authors, artists and activists, both past and present, and discuss current issues relating to those readings, including the failed attempt for the Virginia General Assembly to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Questions? Contact Bill Fogarty, wafogarty@aol.com. Date: Sunday, March 3, 9:15 a.m. Location: Sanctuary African American Book Sharing Circle: What Truth Sounds Like Attorney General Bobby Kennedy expected gratitude in 1963 when he met with black artists and activists; instead, he got an earful. Because most people don’t know about this volatile meeting, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson wrote What Truth Sounds Like: RFK, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation about Race in America.  We will explore this book and how martyrs, artists, politicians, intellectuals, activists have and can speak truth to power about the tragedies and difficulties black Americans face historically and now.  Read more >> Date: Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. Location: Welcome Room

Day Alliance Meeting Watergate in Retrospect w/ Visit from MSC The program will begin at 10:30 a.m. when the Ministerial Search Committee speaks about the search process. The MSC also wants to hear from you. Your input is important! Guest Speaker at 11 a.m. Watergate in Retrospect and its Relevance in the Trump Era Talk by Max Holland Max Holland, author of Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat, will talk about Watergate and its significance and relevance in this time of the presidency of Donald J. Trump. Max has spent his journalistic career separating truth from fiction. His other books include:  The Kennedy Assassination Tapes: The White House Conversations of Lyndon B. Johnson Regarding the Assassination, the Warren Commission, and the Aftermath, When the Machine Stopped: A Cautionary Tale from Industrial America, and The CEO Goes to Washington: Negotiating the Halls of Power. Max Holland was the lead consultant for a National Geographic Television documentary about the Kennedy assassination entitled:  JFK: The Lost Bullet. There will be a book signing. Date: Tuesday, March 12, 10:30 a.m. MSC speaker; 11 a.m. Guest Speaker; 12 p.m. Luncheon. Location: Fellowship Hall

hUUmanist Meeting What Strategy Should Prevail in the 2020 Elections?   As Democratic leaders and strategists gear up for 2020 elections, that party stands at a crossroads. We will view an Intelligence Squared debate in which two opposing sides argue which is the best path forward. Two progressive populist leaders argue that Democrats must get back in touch with the party’s working-class roots by championing a specific set of policies, including Medicare-for-all, free public college tuition, “The Green New Deal” and other expensive programs. But other party leaders view this as a dangerously risky path. They argue that a handful of high-profile progressives have been over-hyped by the media and, rather than make promises that may be impossible to execute in this political climate, they argue that Democrats should nominate centrist, economically viable policies that will win elections and solidify the base. What do you think? Watch the debate and discuss. All are welcome, including Republicans and Independents.  For more information contact Jere Cummins, jeroldcummins@gmail.com.   Date: Tuesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m. Location: Board Room

Safety in Houses of Worship Special Training Arlington County Police Corporal Elizabeth Lennon and her team will present Safety in Houses of Worship at UUCA on Sunday, March 17. All are invited to attend. Those who serve in leadership and/or volunteer roles at UUCA on Sunday mornings are especially encouraged to participate in a session. Questions can be directed to Annie@uucava.org. Date: Sunday, March 17, 12:30-2 p.m. Location: Sanctuary

Connecting Conversations By Christine Hauser, Greeter Coordinator When meeting someone for the first time at UUCA, how do you keep the conversation going after you’ve exchanged names? What is the purpose of keeping the conversation going? Most likely the answer to that would be, to make a connection. Here are some helpful questions: How did you find us? This is an open-ended question with several possible answers: online, attended an event and decided to try Sunday worship, drove by the church, have a child in the preschool. What do you say next? (1) How has the experience been so far? (2) Do you come from a faith tradition? This question is a perfect segue to one of my favorites: Where did you grow up? Most listeners will smile at this because it allows them to open up about their life “back home,” even if “back home” is Arlington. Showing a friendly interest in someone can lead to a connection, but interest should not include asking questions that could make someone uncomfortable, like “What do you do?” “Where do you live?” A satisfying conversation will have both parties departing with a warm feeling and anticipating further connections.

Faith in Action

8th Principle and UU’s Racial History **Come for info session after services on Sunday, March 3, in Volunteer Room** Our UUCA congregation will vote on March 31 whether to adopt the 8th Principle. If endorsed, UUCA will be held to “accountably dismantle racism in our selves and our institutions.” This is the last in a series on UU’s racial history, which looks at how racism continue to affect people of color who claim space in the Unitarian Universalist faith. UU’s Racial History – Part 4, 2015 to today  The Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism was created at a convening of the Movement for Black Lives in July 2015, when Black UUs came together out of a need for more spiritual connection. BLUU kicked off in September 2015 with the Seven Principles of the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism , and since then has provided ministry for, and by, Black Unitarian Universalists while working to expand the role and visibility of Black UUs within our faith.  Read more >>

Live the Pledge to End Racism Workshop Begins March 6 Deepen your understanding of racism In history, in our institutions, in ourselves Learn strategies to speak up Commit to a plan of action in your life Register here. Dates: Six Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27 & April 4, 10, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Location: Parlor (13/15)

Immigration 101 UUSJ and UUCA's ALLIANZA-PAG along with Convergence Theatre will host Immigration 101: An overview of U.S. Immigration Law. Just Neighbors, will be giving an easy to understand overview of the ins and outs of a very complex immigration system. Flyer her e. This presentation is not about where you stand politically. It is the facts about who can have what kind of legal status and what that legal status means. Register here. Date: Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m. Location: Fellowship Hall

Register for the March 23 Racial Justice Allyship Workshop Service Never Sleeps (SNS), a local non-profit organization that empowers communities through service and allyship, is offering their Allyship training for the community. Hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (UUCA), this workshop will teach you about the causes of racial injustice, how to be an effective ally for marginalized communities, and how to actively influence and educate others. This is not just “another racial justice workshop.” Most people walk out of this workshop saying it was the most impactful racial justice workshop they’ve ever taken in terms of how it helps them reflect on their own implicit bias while also providing actionable steps for how to act with friends, family, or strangers when they witness racism. Sign up here. Questions? Alex Ziehm, Alexandraziehm92@gmail.com.  Date: Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Location: Parlor (13/15)

Volunteer at Affordable Housing Listening Session on March 28 Are you passionate about affordable housing in Arlington? The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) is part of a community-wide group called the Community Progress Network (CPN). CPN is hosting a roundtable listening session for lower-income Arlington residents the evening of Thursday, March 28. The event requires the assistance of many volunteers to help with logistics and the all-important child care that allows parents to participate in the listening sessions. The full event description and details of the volunteer needs can be found here. To volunteer, contact Julie Booth, APAH Volunteer Program Manager, jbooth@apah.org or 571-800-6462. UUCA contact: Alex Ziehm, alexandraziehm92@gmail.com.   Date: Thursday March 28 - see flyer for times Location: Wakefield High School, 1325 S Dinwiddie St, Arlington

First weekend sold out! Don't be left out! Buy tickets today! The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family--a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before--keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's boyfriend and his parents.   Performances: Fridays: Feb. 22, March 1, March 8 @ 7:30 p.m. Saturdays: Feb. 23, March 2, March 9 @ 7:30 p.m. Matinees: Sunday, Feb. 24, March 3 & Saturday, March 9 @ 3:00 p.m.   Click on ticket button below. Addams Tickets

NEW newsletter deadline: Connections deadline for submissions is EACH Monday at noon with publication on Wednesday. See below on how to submit an announcement.

How to submit an announcement to UUCA's Connections newsletter:   Deadline is noon each Monday. Please put "Connections" or "newsletter" in the subject box. Send announcement (150 words or fewer) in body of email or Word doc attachment. Images and attachments accepted, though no guarantee of publishing Send announcements to pubasst@uucava.org. Questions about Connections? Contact MaryAnn@uucava.org.

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Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA 4444 Arlington Blvd Arlington, Virginia Call: (703) 892-2565 Email: uuca@uucava.org ‌ ‌