A Progressive Christian Community



An Open & Affirming Congregation

A Just Peace Congregation

An Accessibility 2 All Congregation

January 2026

Our Sunday service is live and on our Zoom channel. The recording of the service will be available online later that day on Facebook, YouTube and on our Website.

If you are planning on attending a United Church of the Valley Sunday Service or other event and require a ASL interpreter, please email admin@ucvchurch.org so that we can meet your specific needs.

Special Membership Service January 18th

If you're interested in becoming a member of the United Church of the Valley, please click the button below to email Deb Hudson

Worship

Advent 2025 was full of resistance at UCV. We sang “Resistance Song”, the song UCV Commissioned from the brilliant Amanda Udis-Kessler with increasing confidence and fervor each week. The song is certainly not just appropriate for Advent so for sure we’ll be keeping it in our repertoire. Our choir and instrumentalists gifted us with some beautiful and provocative music on “Cantata Sunday,” and our speakers throughout Advent gave us

amazing and passionate messages. And, despite forecasts of atmospheric rivers of rain to dampen our plans for our Christmas Eve service, the rain miraculously quit a couple hours before the service, the candles were glowing as we sang carols and heard again one of the foundational stories of our faith.

This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday, so our liturgical calendar moves into the season of Epiphany which extends to the beginning of Lent which, this year, is Feb. 18. The liturgical color of Epiphany is generally green, so we’ll be heading into a period of Common Time. As we continue to tell the story of Wise People following a star to find the new Messiah and a paranoid king so worried about his preserving his power that he decreed that all babies under the age of two in the area be killed, it’s about time for us to sing one of our congregations’ favorite songs, “Home By Another Way”!

As we turn the page on another year, I’m sure many (most) of us are glad we survived 2025! But where do we go from here. What can we take from the old year (maybe Resistance Song for one) and what can we hold onto as we go into the new year. I think of Marie Kondo, the professional organizer whose principles guiding what to keep and what to discard are to ask the question “does it spark joy”. (maybe also, does it spark “hope”, “peace” and “love”). Rev. Diane Butler Bass suggests naming the year to come as “Annus Mirabillis”. She poses the question of what would happen if we name years at the beginning rather than “simply judging them at the end. Would years gravitate towards events and purposes that suit their names?” That probably plan might not have much effect on world events, but it certainly might change the lens through which we experience them. Bass’ choice of “Mirabillis” (wonderful year, year of miracles) is an interesting one. She challenges us to think about what would happen “if we lived into wonder, miracles and beauty.” On a similar vein, another message I read today suggested that instead of making resolutions, the writer was choosing a few words to guide her (kind of like the Epiphany words that Rev. Sharon Graff used to hand out). I know my words will be “wonder” and “listen”.

Looking ahead to the rest of January, we will remember Martin Luther King Jr. birthday on Jan. 18. We’ll remember not only the resistance but the dream of beloved community that Dr. King envisioned. On the 18 th , we’ll also be welcoming new members. If you’d like more information about becoming a new member, please talk to (or email) Deb Hudson, Rick Hayden or any of our worship leaders. After church on the 18 th , we will hold our annual congregational meeting. We hope everyone will plan to stay for this important time when our community gets together to elect council members and discuss any ideas and concerns.

On Jan. 25, we finally get to meet Jamie’s friend, Michael, IHC when he brings the morning’s message. Michael was scheduled to speak in November but he had to cancel at the last minute when his partner was hospitalized, so I am really looking forward to getting to know Michael better.

Finally, but actually, most importantly, we are well aware of the technical problems we’ve encountered this fall since Lucas left his post as “chief tech expert” and went off to college. Especially in December, we’ve struggled. There were serious problems with audio for those on Zoom. This is one resolution that UCV has made. Figuring out and fixing the tech

problems is our highest priority. Stay tuned!

2026 Annual Congregational Meeting

January 18th Annual Meeting to elect the UCV 2026 Council and to vote on the 2026 Budget. Everyone is invited to stay. It will be right after the service. It's important that members attend because we are required to have a quorum and your input is important to us. Remember, UCV is a congregational church and it's important that you participate and know who will be working for you (UCV Council) in 2026.

Proposed 2026 Church Council

Moderator - Rick Hayden

Vice Moderator - Keira Eddy

Treasurer - Darcie Dunlop

Secretary - Deb Hudson

Worship - Lynne Bradley

Christian Education - Jen Zechlin

Congregational Life - Anna Villa

At Large - Lorian Dunlop

If you are interested for running for one of the above listed positions, please click the button below to email Deb Hudson.

On behalf of the DeLuz Farmworkers & myself I’d like to express shear gratitude for my UCV’s continued support of love & generous contributions. We are a small congregation with great big loving Christian hearts! From the bottom of my heart, Thank you all! 

Becky Sulzmann

*Scroll down to see a list of items needed

UCV Official Designations

The United Church of the Valley, your church, is officially designated a/an:



Open & Affirming Congregation

Just Peace Congregation

Accessibility 2 All Congregation

News from Nicaragua and Just Hope



Since 2008, UCV has partnered with the poor rural community of Chacraseca, Nicaragua. We’ve had many teams from UCV spend a week or more at a time building houses , digging latrines (ugh!) and helping develop and support a music program in several of the schools and the community at large. We’ve forged lasting friendships with the people in Nicaragua and hosted a few of them in Murrieta. We’ve worked thru a Tulsa-based non-profit called Just Hope. In fact, UCV was Just Hope’s very first group when Just Hope officially established in 2008. Our group built two simple houses that year, both in very remote, hard to get to areas of Chacraseca. The houses, like most at that time in the community, had dirt floors. Another team that was there at the same we was composed of community health students. They asked about our project and, when they learned that the houses had dirt floors, they commented that the single biggest benchmark for improved health outcomes was to have houses with paved floors. So, at a meeting of our team and the local governing committee, we shared that information and asked how much more would it cost to have a paved floor. When we learned that the additional cost would only be another $200/house, our team dug into our pockets and came up with the additional funds to pave “our” two houses. From that point forward, every house that was built by visiting teams had paved floors! The model of Just Hope really resonated with all of us at UCV was that of building a partnership between our church and the people in Chacraseca. We weren’t there to bring charity or handouts, we were there to work side by side with the local people and forge long term relationships. Most of us who went to Chacraseca I think would agree that we learned more and received more than we gave. In 2018, we had a team ready to go to Chacraseca when severe political unrest made it unsafe to travel there. In 2019, I was part of a group of adult leaders who went down to assess the situation and the possibility of resuming trips. We felt that things “felt” safe and, carefully, plans began to be made for 2020 which, of course, was when covid hit. By the time that covid eased enough for groups to again consider safe travel, the Nicaragua government was becoming increasingly oppressive to the Nicaraguans and likewise putting more controls on foreign visitors. As a result of all of this uncertainty, tourism in Nicaragua which had been an essential part of the economy virtually shut down. In addition to an office in Tulsa, Just Hope had an office in Leon (near Chacraseca) employing local translators, office workers and

liasons with the US Office. Increasingly, the government was becoming suspicious of NGO’s. As a result, it was dangerous for the local staff to be seen as affiliated with the US, finally resulting in the “temporary” shutting down of the office in Nicaragua. Unfortunately the situation has gotten worse rather than better. Last winter, the chair of the Just Hope Board of

Directors, was denied entry into the country, presumably because she reposted on Facebook a flyer promoting a concert in the US of a Nicaraguan refugee now living in CA. All of these events have led to the painful decision to close down the US office of Just Hope as of July,

2026. This has been a very difficult and painful decision for the board (I’ve been on the board for the past 2 years) and, especially for Just Hope’s founder and director, Rev. Leslie Penrose. Attached is the letter that has just been released explaining the situation in more detail.

Pastoral Care Ministry

Even though we don’t have a paid pastor at UCV, we have a number of lay pastors who want to be there for you as you travel down life’s sometimes difficult road. Please contact Rev. Dr. Fred Schaeffer at (760) 315-5590 to receive a confidential referral. 

The Ruth Sharp Meditation Garden sits in front of the United Church of the Valley building, a totem of peace and hope for all people. A place to come and sit to reflect on life.

To see what is happening at Emily's Space during the month of January view the calendar below of click on the button.

Phone:951-249-3255 Website: www.emilysspace.org 

Instagram: @emilys_space_ Email: EmilysSpace.Murrieta@gmail.com

Emily's Space January Event

Temecula Valley Pride/United Church of the Valley

41685 Date Street, Unit 100

Murrieta, CA. 92562

justind@temeculavalleypride.org

Mark Your Calendars

• Student elections for Emily's Space - January TBD
• Emily's Space Prom - May 2nd
• Temecula Valley Pride - October 17th

A Temecula Valley Pride sponsored event, this is open to everyone, come out and have some fun. Please RSVP to Justin at justind@temeculavalleypride.org

Reverend Dr. Fred Schaeffer

Pastoral Care



 I have recently accepted a request to coordinate pastoral care needs for our wonderful and caring congregation. Prior to my work and calling as a chaplain with hospices 16 years ago, I served several churches in Kansas and California as a pastor for 20 years. My work as a chaplain helped me see the need for there to be a ministry of pastoral care within the church. People get sick. Situations happen that affect our lives. And sometimes, members of our church family need someone to turn to or talk to and pray with. That’s where pastoral care comes in. Along with coordinating pastoral care with several people who have offered to provide support, I am available to make hospital calls during the week or on the weekends. If there is someone who feels a need for a home visit, that can happen as well. As a chaplain I have come to appreciate the importance of offering spiritual counsel and support within the congregation. And here at United Church of the Valley we are seeking to provide that kind of support.

Blessings and peace, 

Pastor Fred Schaeffer

Mobile Health Clinic

January 2026 (date TBD)

Temecula Valley Pride has recently partnered with Riverside University Health Systems (Department of Public Health for Riverside County) to host a mobile testing clinic. This mobile unit provides HIV-STD testing, education, and community offerings, targeted toward (but exclusive to) the LGBT community in Southwest Riverside County. 

Over the years Southwest Riverside County has been underserved when it comes to health resources for the LGBT community, with much of the funding going toward Riverside or Palm Springs. Because of this many of our community members are forced to travel to San Diego or Palm Springs to get basic health needs addressed. 

The van/mobile unit will be parked in the parking lot adjacent to UCV entrance. Go to www.temeculavalleypride.org for further details.

JOYS

• Rev Fred is our new person to coordinate pastoral care needs for our congregation. Let him know if someone needs a hospital visit, a home care visit, spiritual counseling and/or support or in need of a good listener. Call him at 760-315-5590.
• What a great advent season we had at UCV. We had the book group each week led by Gen. this is on zoom so you can join us at 8am each Sunday. We had new music and our annual cantata. Thanks to our musicians, choir and bell choir, our speakers, and all of you who participated in our many activities of our church including setting up and decorating the Christmas tree. The Christmas Eve Candle light service was very beautiful service.
• Thank' you to all who wrapped and stuffed the tissue rolls with candy for the children whose parents received food at the Murrieta food bank just before Christmas. Thanks to Irene and Rosio, Sandy, Kathryn and Donna and Donna's friend Gayle for assisting with this project. We also had help from the United Methodist people at the youth craft fair. Thanks to all who gave us the tissue rolls. We gave out about 500 candy rolls.
• For the prayers and squares group who gave comfort quilt toe Kristi and Becca after they were blessed by our congregation.

Concerns

• Kristi--for her daughter Becca who is being treated for an infection. She is going home on Dec. 30th. The will need help with meals, etc. Watch for more info.
• Kristi's husband is recuperating from surgery.
• Laurie--Son Jason remains in hospital with an infection and pain.
• Becky S.--husband is recuperating from surgery

Southern Association

There will be an Ecclesiastical Council meeting for Josh Komo on January 31st. Watch for more infor later in January.

Conference News

Read about the events via the newsletter of the Southern California Nevada Conference at SCNCUCC.org or face book @SCNCUCC. This is a busy and interesting conference

DOC Regional News 

We are also a part of the Pacific Southwest Region of the Disciples of Christ. To see events of the PSWRE-News monthly newsletter go to DOCPSWR.org. They are also a busy and interesting conference.

Feb. Camp is Feb.14-16. Theme is Evergreen--Faith that does not fade. Register on line at pilgrimpinescamp.org . See other events at this site.  

Loch Leven Camp

Winter Camp at Loch Leven Camp and Retreat Center is Feb. 13-16, 2026. Theme is Do Something. Register now at docpswr.org/camp  

Summer Camp dates are on the camp web page at docpswr.org. See other youth events on the web page. Also adults are needed for counseling at the camps.

 Also look for many other happenings in the DOC churches of our region at docpswr.org.

Farm Workers of Deluz

Becky Sulzmann, is one of the coordinators for this effort and will be our 'point person' for this campaign. Her contact information is:



Becky Sulzmann

847-507-9305

becsulzmann@gmail.com

45002 Corte Zorita 

Temecula, Ca. 92592

See below for a full listing of needs

• all Soups, no boxed soups please
• breakfast cereals or anything breakfast related
• shelf-stable milk
• canned chicken, tuna, beef
• instant coffee
• powdered creamer
• water
• masa
• canned fruit
• top ramen
• apple sauce
• pasta
• canned stews
• pasta sauce
• peanut butter
• popcorn kernels
• quinoa
• rice
• chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• green pickled whole jalapeno peppers
• tortilla chips
• trail mix
• instant oatmeal/hot cereals
• can openers (sturdy)
• canned vegetables
• salt/pepper/spices
• chicken, beef, and vegetable broths and stock, not boxed
• dried fruits
• healthy snacks for kids
• honey
• juices for kids
• nuts, salted and unsalted
• canola oil or lard
• band aids
• paper towels
• soap-bath, dish detergent
• towels/wash cloths
• shampoo
• rubbing alcohol
• peroxide
• pain ointment or cream
• anti itch cream
• sunscreen
• toilet paper
• toothbrushes and toothpaste
• sanitizing wipes
• work gloves
• calamine lotion
• feminine hygiene supplies - no pads please

2025 Church Council

Please email any joys & concerns you would like read aloud to at . You can also send confidential prayer requests. Just indicate as such and let Sandy know if you want it shared with any of the other spiritual counselors.

Even fellowship can be online, thanks to the innovative minds at Zoom! Join us for Sunday Service live and on zoom beginning at 10am. UCV has its own Zoom meeting room at https://zoom.us/j/9516981520

You can join from your Zoom app using meeting number 9516981520 

Or you can join by phone:

One tap mobile

+16699006833,9516981520# US (San Jose)

or dial 

+1-669-900-6833

and then enter 

9516981520# 

You can start your own online fellowship, too! Just email Sandy Selby at moderator@ucvchurch.org to get on the meeting schedule. 

Sunday Service - Live and on Zoom, 10AM

Book Club - We are meeting online every Sunday at 8am Zoom Meeting Room

AA Meeting - Every Monday 7pm

Women's Al-Anon Meeting - Every Wednesday 5:30pm

Men's AA Meeting - Every Wednesday 7pm

OA - 12 Step Program - Thursday 6:30pm - 7:30pm

A Big Book Study - Every Friday 7pm

C.O.D.A.Meeting - Every Sunday 5:30pm (Currently still on Zoom)

The Community House is located at

41685 Date Street, Murrieta 92562

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