December 2021

This Is My Last Rev. Katie's Animas View Dear Ones,  “This is my last…” of so many things. My last newsletter article to you, my last month in the pulpit, my last Christmas Eve worship service—the list is long.  I have learned so much from you: Your eagerness and willingness to be engaged in the community, to make the world better, to make UU Fellowship of Durango the hub for social justice in Durango and La Plata county; your dedication to growing the congregation by having a healthy and robust governance structure (a congregation can’t grow when its structure is too small); your caring and compassion for each other’s health and spiritual well-being (you are kind to each other); your dedication to making worship a vital opportunity for growth, beauty and acknowledgment of the struggle in the world. And your love of music is right up my alley!  You are a gift to the world. I hope you remember that. As Marianne Williamson once said, “Your playing small does not serve the world.” My hope for this congregation is that it continues to grow as a beacon that shines brightly in the Four Corners.  As for me, I’m not exactly sure what will happen next. As I told you in September, I need some time to rest. The pandemic has moved ministry from an ordinarily ongoing never-ending role into all those things plus a constantly shifting, changing, foreseeing kind of life. I’ll need some time to take stock. And you will, too.  Our relationship will change. My long time colleagues, the Revs. Bill and Barbara Hamilton-Holway, who retired a while ago, modeled a beautiful thing they called “the ministry of absence.” I’ll be doing the same. In keeping with the UU Ministry Guidelines to which I covenant, I’ll be away from the congregation for at least two years. This allows time for each of us to do our work, and for me it will be a ministry of absence. When I see you in the grocery store, or up at the Concert Hall, I will offer a warm hello, and will ask how you are doing, but I won’t be asking about UUFD. I will keep you all in my heart, for you are a good gift.  Remember, together, we are… ALWAYS in the love, Rev. Katie

December Services (in person and online) Theme: Opening to Joy Worship services are held at 10 am both in person at the sanctuary and via Zoom. Please choose the option that makes you most comfortable. To join a Zoom worship, look for the link on the UUFD website. December 5      A Devout Religious Liberal –Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris As this ministry comes to an end, a point-in-time credo from the minister might help you find your own. There may be a little bit of singing from the pulpit.   December 8,  5:30-6pm    Mid-Week Winter Meditative Worship   -Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris & Marilyn Garst Join us for a 30-minute evening respite from the world. Peaceful music, readings and an adult story of the season will help center you as we move into the season of bustling activity. Join in person or online.  December 12   Christmas in the Barn  –Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris & Rev. Leah Ongiri  An all-ages community worship. Join in the seasonal tradition of the UUFD holiday no-rehearsal pageant. We’ll include all the animals (even the chickens), and find “two people who had lost their way.”  Stay after the service for tree decorating, music and a celebration of ministry.  December 19   Beloved Darkness –Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris As we reach the solstice, the darkest time of year (just before the light) always gets a bad rap. Let’s imagine where the darkness may serve us.  December 24 Opening to Joy! –Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris Two services at 4pm and 5:30pm. Please register here to attend in person.   We’ll hear carols from choir members, a message of hope, and sing a candle-lit “Silent Night” together out-of-doors as we find the joy in the season. This will be Rev. Kandarian-Morris’ last day with us.   December 26, 10:30 am Worship with Friends  -Rev. John Cullinan, Unitarian Church of Los Alamos   Online ONLY at 10:30am! We’ll offer staff and lay worship leaders the gift of a day off as we join our kindred online at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos. Look for the link to come.

Message from John Redemske, UUFD Board President

Hello fellow UUFD members and friends,   I encourage each of you to read the article Planning for our minister transition that you'll find below. We want the entire congregation to be fully aware of the process that we are going through in identifying a Transitional minister. When the Transitional Ministry Search Task Force arrives at the point of identifying a Targeted Minister and, in the future, an Interim Minister, the Board will prepare a written contract that stipulates the minister’s duties, priority goals, compensation and benefits, and conditions of employment before hiring the individual. The characteristics of these transitional ministers and the contract stipulations will be communicated to the congregation in a timely manner.   In consultation with the COVID Advisory Group, a new COVID policy was recently approved by the Board. The objective of this policy is to allow us to meet together in person in a safe and responsible manner. The guidance in the policy is based upon a scientific model developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The model has been used by the COVID Advisory Group to develop charts for each UUFD building that describe how many people can attend in-person and for how long at the COVID infection prevalence currently in LaPlata County. This prevalence is the number of the infected people per 100,000 population and is calculated from San Juan Basin Public Health data once a week by the COVID Advisory Group. The charts are designed to be easily read.   A key part of the model that the policy is based upon is to define the conditions that result in a low risk of Covid infection. The planned low risk level is for only one person, including children, to have the Covid virus transmitted to them during at least 100 in-person services (almost 2 years of services!). Now that we are requiring all in-person attendees 12 and older to be fully vaccinated, even if a person were to be infected, the illness is likely to be mild.  We encourage children 5 to 12 to also get vaccinated.  The CDC has dramatically shown that fully vaccinated people have a far less chance of being hospitalized or dying from Covid. The model uses a factor that 80% of the attendees are vaccinated, allowing for some unvaccinated children.  The model incorporates many factors that influence the transmission of the COVID virus, including what kind of masks are worn and what kind of vocal level is happening (eg, just talking or singing) and how much ventilation is in the room.  It is based on conditions that include: N95 masks worn by all people 2 years old and older. Proper masking is a key factor in allowing us to meet in person. The model allows for a small number of people leading a Sunday service to be on the chancel without masks. No added ventilation in the buildings. There is a “natural’ ventilation rate that has been measured of about 1/3 of the volume of the building of warm air “leaking” out of the building and being replaced by outside air. The model uses this “natural ventilation” factor. It is not necessary to open the windows and have fans in the windows in the wintertime.   This new COVID policy will allow us to make decisions on meeting in-person that are based on science for our particular buildings. Using this risk-limiting policy, we should all feel a safe in meeting in-person this coming winter.  On Sunday, December 12, after the Sunday service, there will be a celebration of Rev Katie’s 8 years of ministry with UUFD, as well as the decorating of the Christmas tree. Come and show appreciation for Rev Katie’s ministry and reflect on how far we have come in 8 years!       The increasing level of COVID cases in LaPlata County has required limiting the number of people that can be in the Sanctuary. Please register online to attend on Christmas Eve.  With gratitude to all of my fellow UU members and friends,  John Redemske

FAMILY MINISTRY AND FAITH FORMATION NEWS

What magic was it? A message from Leah Ongiri, family ministry coordinator

Every year, my grandparents would go overboard. Despite my parents’ preference for the contrary, each night of Chanukah an entire box would arrive in the mail. Full of presents, I’d get one half and my sister would get the other.  Chanukah is such a long holiday—eight full nights. Since it stretches out over more than a week, the business of everyday life goes on around it, especially in a society where it's not the emphasized observance. Friends often came to play after school, stayed for dinner or showed up in the evening to study (or gossip about clothes and crushes). This didn’t cease during Chanukah just because of the holiday’s evening candle lighting ritual. At my home, friends were always warmly welcomed. Enter the miracle of Chanukah, at least from my child’s eye view. No matter who showed up during Chanukah, no matter how last minute their arrival, there was always a present for them! What magic was it, I used to wonder, that conjured gift-wrapped decks of cards and sheets of stickers from thin air? Unsure but savvy enough to suspect parental involvement, I inquired. My mom said that it was the Chanukah Fairy who provided so abundantly. Truth be told, this satisfied my inquisitive if naïve mind for at least a few years. The Chanukah Fairy must be related somehow to the Tooth Fairy, who left coins and notes in horrible handwriting, mysteriously like Dad’s illegible scribbles.  Now, older and wiser, I know the secret of that kind of magic. Some might not see it as magic at all, but I know better. When generosity and planning meet, magic really is present. Now, I have my own version. Whenever I pick up colored pencils or gummy candy without quite knowing for whom they’re intended, I become the Chanukah Fairy. But with really good handwriting! May this holiday season be a good one for you and yours, whether your observances are spiritual, religious, secular, outlandish, understated, or something else entirely. May you have your fill of friends, family, gifts, magic, adventure, and tradition. Thank you for welcoming me into the Fellowship community last month as your part time family minister coordinator for this program year. It’s a pleasure to be with you as I settle in and learn about how I can support and encourage your good work with children and families. If you’d like to connect, I can be reached at familyministry@durangouu.org.  Bright blessings, Leah

Faith Formation Guest Star Program

Looking for a fun, one-time task to get to know our children and youth? Guest Stars are grownups or whole families who join Faith Formation in Columbine House after the story during one Sunday service and provide a show-and-tell to share. This can include reading a story, doing a quick project or game, sharing a talent...the possibilities are endless!  Our regular Sunday volunteer, Cesar, or another faith formation host will be present to ensure everything goes smoothly and the children/youth are experts at their weekly routine. That’s it! Interested in being a guest star? Contact Becca Trefry, beccainco@yahoo.com.

Family Breakfast

Family Holiday Breakfast will be Sunday, December 5 from 9:00 - 9:50! All are welcome for hot chocolate, doughnuts, and connection. Children/youth will receive a special holiday market bag containing a make-your-own holiday ornament and a thrift store gift card to help with shopping for family members. Contact Becca at beccainco@yahoo.com with any questions.

‌

Planning for our minister transition Joint letter from the Transitional Minister Search Task Force and the Board

There has been some understandable confusion about the path we need to take to ultimately fill the vacancy created with Rev. Katie’s imminent retirement. We hope this article will clear up at least some of the confusion.  The UUA has a well-defined and well-tested process of transitioning from one settled minister to another. If you are interested in all the details of the Transitional Ministry programs, click here. The following is a brief overview pertinent to our current situation. The ministerial transition process is based on a fiscal year calendar and includes a number of considerations that have been shown to make it more likely to lead to a successful settled minister tenure, such as we have had with Rev. Katie. Normally, when a minister plans to leave at the end of a fiscal year, the congregation would apply for an Interim Minister to assist with the transition and be our minister until a new Settled Minister is selected. The application and selection process typically takes place in April and May with the new Interim Minister starting in August. Interim Ministers are “pre-fired.” They are expected to only be with a church for one to two years. Their role is very specific: Help us to claim and honor our past & heal our griefs and conflicts.  Illuminate our unique identity, strengths, needs, and our challenges.  Clarify the multiple dimensions of our leadership, both ordained and lay, & navigate the shifts in leadership that accompany times of transition.  Renew connections with available resources, within & beyond the UUA.  Renew our vision, strengthen our stewardship, prepare for new professional leadership, & engage our future with anticipation and zest. However, since Rev. Katie will leave us in the middle of the fiscal year, there is an additional, short term need for what is called a Targeted Minister to fill in for the rest of the fiscal year while we go through the process to get an Interim Minister. Targeted Ministers are typically retired or semi-retired ministers. Their role is primarily to serve for fewer than 8 months to help maintain the programs, development, growth, continuity, and health of the congregation they serve. They may serve full or part-time, on-site or remotely, or some combination.  The Targeted Minister program is relatively new in UUA, and, of course, the pandemic has impacted it. There are currently just a few ministers in the pool of potential applicants for our position, while there are many more congregations like us who have this need. As a result, when Rev. Katie announced her retirement, the Board felt an urgency to accelerate the application process so we would have the best chance to attract a Targeted Minister from the limited pool. In late October, the Board appointed a Transitional Minister Search Task Force (TMSTF) to steer us through the two stages of transitional ministry. Tom Miller serves as the TMSTF Chair with Jill Bystydzienski as the Board representative and Carroll Groeger, Steve Foster, and Teresa Jordan as additional members. The TMSTF has formally applied to UUA and is now actively searching for a Targeted Minister to address three key priorities:  Collaboratively lead our Worship Team to deliver regular multiplatform Sunday worship services, oversee the planning of Sunday services, including securing guest preachers, and provide a sermon 3-4 Sundays each month if full-time, or 2-3 if part-time. Provide pastoral care with active collaboration and support of the excellent UUFD Care Team. Provide operational oversight of the Fellowship, serve as chief of staff for paid staff and ministry teams, and sit as a non-voting member on our Board of Trustees which practices policy governance. In addition, the Board has also charged the TMSTF with orchestrating the process to complete our application for an Interim Minister. The expectation is that this work will begin in December so that our application credentials will be ready to be submitted to UUA as early in the process as possible which starts February 1. It is important to note that the processes for selecting a Targeted Minister and Interim Minister are distinctly different from and much more abbreviated, with regard to congregational participation, than is the process to choose a Settled /Called Minister. As those of you who were members when we selected Rev. Katie will remember, there was a multi-faceted discernment process, involving extensive individual and small group dialog to identify the key characteristics we were looking for in a Settled Minister. The Board expects we will develop a similar in-depth, collaborative process once an Interim Minister is in place in the Fall.  We are walking new ground as a fellowship as we enter this transition period. We will do our best to update you with timely information and opportunities for your involvement as they emerge. Please address any questions or comments to Tom Miller, Chair of the TMSTF. We are optimistic that we will emerge from these next couple years stronger and more focused than ever to deliver on our mission: Love courageously, inspire spiritual growth, and work for justice.

Pacific Western Regional (PWR) Assembly coming in February Join the San Diego event in person or online

The PWR Regional Assembly is a gathering of UUs from across the west that holds space for large and small group worship, activities, discussion, and learning. You can join in to celebrate our history and people and connect with each other, our faith, and our future. The Regional Assembly is that inspirational, radically inclusive, beyond-the-congregation UU community we’ve missed. February 4-6, we can engage fully, wherever we are. Whether onsite at the Hyatt along the bay in San Diego, or online in the comfort of our own homes, we will have opportunities for connection in small groups, inspirational worship, transformative learning, and just plain community fun.  Join in the community and learn more here.

Holidays with Heart Social Responsibility and Justice (SRJ) Special Feature

This year we are again one of the sponsors of 4 The Children in their Holidays with Heart campaign. 4 The Children is a local nonprofit working with families in crisis, supporting children in Southwest Colorado who have experienced abuse, neglect, or family trauma. A recent Durango Herald news article about them describes how they are also in the process of becoming a Child Advocacy Center (CAC). Our area is one of only three in Colorado that does not have such a center, which provides a safe space for sexually abused children to find healing, justice, and hope. A CAC streamlines services provided by law enforcement, child protection, prosecutions, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy professionals all in one location so children are not re-traumatized by having to repeat their stories to multiple people. We are making a donation from our social justice budget to help in their work to end the cycle of abuse in our community. We also will have an opportunity to make Christmas a little brighter for some of the children they serve. 4 The Children again plans to purchase clothing and toys for children whose families or guardians may not have the means to put something under the tree this year. Watch for information coming soon on where to donate cash to help with purchases, or to order gifts from a wish list for foster children and youth. Executive Director Ashley Hein said that the participation and generosity of UUFD last year helped make their first ever campaign a big success.   Thank you for the continued ways in which you bring joy and support to others.

The UUSC "Guest At Your Table" 2021 Campaign Donations accepted throughout December

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is the worldwide action arm of Unitarian/Universalists. Currently active in Central America, the Caribbean, the US-Mexico border, and the Far East, the UUSC works with grassroots native organizations to promote human rights and create social justice. Our UUFD congregation will be collecting funds in December to support UUSC’s work, with a bonus that donations we make this month will be matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY. You can donate by writing a check made out to UUFD with GAYT on the memo line, or by bringing your “Guest At Your Table” campaign boxes to church and placing them under the Christmas tree by Dec. 24. Click here for more information about how UUSC works in your name to bring social justice and human rights around the world.

Southwest Piano Trio to perform Dec. 3 Recital features violin, cello and piano

The second recital will feature the Southwest Piano Trio on Friday, Dec. 3, at 7:00 p.m. The artists are Lauren Avery, violin, Anastasia Nellos, cello, and me, Marilyn Garst, at the piano. The recital will include two masterpieces from the standard repertoire by Beethoven and Brahms. Because all of us in the trio have felt somewhat overwhelmed for various reasons, we have had to drop the 20th-century work by Svoboda from the program. However, it will still be a substantial performance. What follows is some background information about the string players. Lauren Avery is the concertmaster of the San Juan Symphony. Before moving to Durango, she freelanced in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing regularly with several symphonies and other ensembles, as well as with the Louisville Orchestra and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Lauren has performed with the Cincinnati Opera and was guest concertmaster of El Paso Opera for three seasons. In recent summers, she has performed with Music in the Mountains and various festivals in the USA and Italy. She has degrees from Vassar College and Rice University. Anastasia Nellos currently maintains a studio of about 30 cello students in Albuquerque. She is the Personnel Manager of the San Juan Symphony and has been a member of the symphony for 15 years. Anastasia also manages and performs in the Giovanni String Quartet and the Petroglyph String Quartet, is assistant principal cellist in the Roswell Symphony, and is principal cellist in the Southwest Symphony in Hobbes. On occasion, you may catch her moonlighting on string bass and making oboe and bassoon reeds. You may purchase admission online or at the door by cash or check. Proof of full vaccination is required for everyone over the age of 12, or a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of showtime. Face masks must be worn in the Sanctuary, hand sanitizer will be available, and distanced seating is encouraged. Marilyn Garst Artistic Director of the Recital Series

Contact Us Newsletter Editor: Shanan Orndorff Please submit items for this newsletter by the 25th of each month to shananyo@gmail.com Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 419 San Juan Drive, Durango, CO 81301 www.durangouu.org ‌ ‌ SUNDAY SERVICE 10 AM (services offered both in person and online - find link to Zoom at www.durangouu.org) __ Our mission: Love courageously. Inspire spiritual growth. Work for justice.

Ministry & Staff  Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris, Minister  minister@durangouu.org Jeanne MacKenzie, Office Administrator  information@durangouu.org  James Mirabal, Tech Director tech@durangouu.org Shannon Beaver, Connections Coordinator connections@durangouu.org Tricia Bayless, Financial Clerk financeclerk@durangouu.org Family Ministry Coordinator Rev. Leah Ongiri familyministry@durangouu.org Technical Director James Mirabal tech@durangouu.org Marilyn Garst, Classical Pianist & Artistic Director for Recital Series mmgarst1940@gmail.com Lawrence Nass, Contemporary Pianist piano@durangouu.org Elizabeth Crawford, Music Coordinator/ Choir Director choir@durangouu.org José Duran, Choir Accompanist joserobduran@gmail.com Caesar Sanchez, Sexton (c/o information@durangouu.org) Board of Trustees John Redemske, President president@durangouu.org Vice President (vacant) Rachel Lasiewicz, Treasurer treasurer@durangouu.org Carolyn Miller, Secretary secretary@durangouu.org Jill Bystydzeinski and Steve Govreau, Members-at-Large mal1@durangouu.org ma2@durangouu.org Rev. Katie Kandarian-Morris, ex-officio minister@durangouu.org Board meetings are held the third or fourth Tuesday of each month 4:00 - 5:30 PM (check website calendar)

Visit Our Website

‌ ‌ ‌