UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 1 of 5

June 2020 Theme Bridging - Gay Pride with the Seven Principles

Jerry Offerman lsquo16

Unitarian Universalist Village Church

403 Barcelona Road Hot Springs Village AR 71909

501-922-1255 President Janet Holt (mjholthotmailcom)

Minister Rev Mark Walz (ministeruuvcorg ) Editor Cindy Perez (pcindyp55gmailcom)

We Believe In Life Our shared values include at its core

an obligation to consider everyonersquos physi-cal and spiritual well-being We believe in

life Here in Hot Springs Village almost eve-ryone is over sixty and because of our lon-gevity likely to have a compromised im-

mune system and to be more at risk to the ravages of the corona virus

As a result we are determined to seek the advice of doctors scientists virol-

ogists and epidemiologists who have the expertise to advise us when it is safe to re-convene our Ministries in person

Although our building may be closed our church is not Our religion teaches that

the Holy does not exist only in our Sanctu-ary We believe that we find the Sacred and

Divine wherever we are We gather in Church not because we seek God there we gather to be with each other

We miss being together yet we are becoming more proficient in sharing our

journey through electronic platforms The recent annual meeting and the voting that

followed are wonderful examples We hope you are accessing our Sunday offerings

Meanwhile we are doing ministry

serving each other and serving our extend-ed community and until this virus passes

we are staying safe and wearing our masks

Mahalo

Spiritually Fearless Rev Mark Walz

Being Together Separately At the May board meeting we made

the decision to follow recommendations from public health officials and the

Unitarian Universalist Association and keep our church closed to services and in-person gatherings at least through the

summer Since the pandemic has showed no signs of abating and almost all of us fall

into the high-risk category this was the only prudent choice and the one most

closely aligned with our cherished UU values We published this decision in an e-blast and began to get responses almost

immediately Although most of you were in agreement many expressed distress at the

prospect of our long-term separation We are physically isolated but we are

still together I challenge all of us members and friends to reframe our view of this situation from obstacle to an

opportunity to do things differently This is already happening We just concluded our

first ever Annual Meeting on Zoom and voted electronically The Green Team is still

offering Fair Trade and green products but now with delivery The menrsquos golfing group is having regular ldquoBlack Top Breakfastrdquo

meetings in the church parking lot enjoying camaraderie while maintaining

social distancing Committees are meeting

From the President Janet Holt

ldquocontinued on Page 2rdquo

Look for the ldquoflamerdquo symbol throughout the newsletters These denote hyperlinks that have been added which will

send you to the web page for additional information

UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 2 of 5

Service Auction Chair The Service Auction will be Friday April 24

UUVC needs a Chair for the service auction com-mittee This is primarily a job of planning oversight and assigning tasks to be done by our many volun-teers Much of the work has already been complet-ed with information from past auctions There are past chairs that are willing to assist you with advice and information if needed If you are good at organ-ization we really could use your help Please con-tact Kim Harrison

using Zoom Ideas for new interest groups and educational classes that can be held on

Zoom are popping up like toadstools after a rain so keep close watch on e-blasts for

something of interest to you We can expand our circles and deepen relationships without ever leaving home

Almost 20 people including me tuned into John Swinburnrsquos recent discussion group

and I learned things about participants I hadnrsquot known before And if you think you

canrsquot participate because you lack technical skills we have classes to bring you up to speed Just ask Meg about that (Irsquoll let

her tell you her story) We are intelligent creative and

motivated Letrsquos put our (virtual) heads together and find ways to not only endure

this trying time but to thrive despite it Irsquoll be seeing you online

Some things are still normal hellip Itrsquos that time of year when we are looking to-

wards the end of one fiscal year and the be-ginning of another one And hopefully you

donrsquot get tired of hearing it but thank you to all who have been paying off their pledg-es and making contributions to our Share

the Plate organizations UUVC=generosity

To read the entire Treasury report click Here

ldquoPresidentrsquos column continued from Page 1rdquo Treasurerrsquos Report Kim Townsan

MUSIC NOTES

John Leisenring

Clyde and I are constantly looking for mu-

sic to add to the Sunday services posted on the UUVC web site as we longingly await

being together again We will record solo piano pieces and piano with trombone pieces and occasionally record hymns and

anthems and pieces for vocalists with pi-ano sung by members of the UUVC choir

Hoping to find songs yoursquoll really enjoy

Until we meet again

ldquoOne good thing about music - when it hits you you feel no painrdquo

Share the Plate for April

$3450

All About Kids

Congratulations to UUVC

UUVC has received certification from the Unitarian Universalist Association and is

now designated as

a Welcoming

Congregation

Mark your calen-

dars on June 27

at 900 AM

for a parking lot

celebration More information to

come Watch your

e-blasts

ldquoWhen all Americans are treated as

equal no matter who they are or whom they love we are all more freerdquo

President Barack Obama

UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 2 of 5

Service Auction Chair The Service Auction will be Friday April 24

UUVC needs a Chair for the service auction com-mittee This is primarily a job of planning oversight and assigning tasks to be done by our many volun-teers Much of the work has already been complet-ed with information from past auctions There are past chairs that are willing to assist you with advice and information if needed If you are good at organ-ization we really could use your help Please con-tact Kim Harrison

using Zoom Ideas for new interest groups and educational classes that can be held on

Zoom are popping up like toadstools after a rain so keep close watch on e-blasts for

something of interest to you We can expand our circles and deepen relationships without ever leaving home

Almost 20 people including me tuned into John Swinburnrsquos recent discussion group

and I learned things about participants I hadnrsquot known before And if you think you

canrsquot participate because you lack technical skills we have classes to bring you up to speed Just ask Meg about that (Irsquoll let

her tell you her story) We are intelligent creative and

motivated Letrsquos put our (virtual) heads together and find ways to not only endure

this trying time but to thrive despite it Irsquoll be seeing you online

Some things are still normal hellip Itrsquos that time of year when we are looking to-

wards the end of one fiscal year and the be-ginning of another one And hopefully you

donrsquot get tired of hearing it but thank you to all who have been paying off their pledg-es and making contributions to our Share

the Plate organizations UUVC=generosity

To read the entire Treasury report click Here

ldquoPresidentrsquos column continued from Page 1rdquo Treasurerrsquos Report Kim Townsan

MUSIC NOTES

John Leisenring

Clyde and I are constantly looking for mu-

sic to add to the Sunday services posted on the UUVC web site as we longingly await

being together again We will record solo piano pieces and piano with trombone pieces and occasionally record hymns and

anthems and pieces for vocalists with pi-ano sung by members of the UUVC choir

Hoping to find songs yoursquoll really enjoy

Until we meet again

ldquoOne good thing about music - when it hits you you feel no painrdquo

Share the Plate for April

$3450

All About Kids

Congratulations to UUVC

UUVC has received certification from the Unitarian Universalist Association and is

now designated as

a Welcoming

Congregation

Mark your calen-

dars on June 27

at 900 AM

for a parking lot

celebration More information to

come Watch your

e-blasts

ldquoWhen all Americans are treated as

equal no matter who they are or whom they love we are all more freerdquo

President Barack Obama

UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 3 of 5

Membership Snippets Veronica Zuege

Under other circumstances the membership team would be planning and

preparing for Membership Sunday a day to celebrate new members and recognize

members who have reached milestones who have contributed so much to our lov-ing community at UUVC Although we will

not be able to mingle and enjoy each others presence in person this year we can still

rejoice and appreciate all they mean to us New Members Jeanie and Tom Calhoun Lee Duckfield Ann and Don Haase Steve Owen Russ Wright 10+ Years Dennis Abraham JoAnn Bowen Nell Brewer Bette and Merrill Clark Elizabeth Foster Anne Hagen Jack and Lee Iafrate Junell OrsquoHara Mary Ann and Steve Rittenmeyer Martha Thomson Brenda and Tom Tirrell Jay Williams 15+Years Bobbie Bateman Cloe Bayer Patricia Hearn Dane and Jerriann Nielsen Phil Simpson 20+Years Kay Croshaw Marjorie and Bob McCleskey 25+Years Dottie Foehringer Mayo Stiles Meg Koziar Honorary Member Rev Bud Hearn Lifetime Member Wanda Bodemann

A round of applause please

Stay safe Be happy Be as kind as you can possibly be

Our yard has the problems that

many members of the Village have in their

yards-extreme rocky soil which can hardly

be dug Our solution is to grow our vegeta-

bles etc in raised beds grow pots and even

black bags This year I put in a floating hy-

droponic garden and a strawberry pyramid

I am a master gardener and have had

the master gardeners over to observe and

discuss our gardens I would welcome any

members of the UUVC who would like to

see our garden and learn how and what we

do including sources for our raised beds

seeds and plants

To read on ideas for your gardens

click Here

Green Team Joel Unowsky

Keep Hot Spring Village Beautiful

UUVC will be participating in the next

Village clean up on Friday June 26th start-

ing at 800 AM at the church parking lot We will be maintaining social distancing measures Gloves grabbers vests and

bags will be provided Please wear long pants and heavy shoes Spend about 90

minutes outdoors and keep our Village looking good If interested please send

Kim Townsan an email at

townsakayahoocom

Remember When We Got Together Like This

Photo taken by Loren Loberg

ldquoOpenness may not completely disarm prejudice but its a good place to startrdquo

Jason Collins

ldquoThe beauty of standing up for your rights is others see you standing and

stand up as wellrdquo

Cassandra Duffy

UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 4 of 5

NEW Social Distancing Activities

On ZOOM

FierySpicy Foods Interest Group If you have an interest in sharing experiences of unique spices and where to find them con-tact John Swinburn by email or phone He will send you a link for our next ZOOM meeting at 400 on June 3rd To read more of what this group discussed on itrsquos first meeting click Here

Read Along With the Minister

1 A New Earth by Eckart Tolle

2 Skeptics and True Believers by

Chet Raymo

3 Conflagration by John Buehrens

4 Time Magazines Women of the

Year1920 to 2019

Long Range Plan Updated

During the one year the 2019-2024 UUVC Long Range Plan has been in place the

congregation has made extraordinary strides in setting specific objectives and im-plementing tactics to achieve them While

four years remain before the next plan is scheduled to be developed and adopted

progress to date suggests the possibility that an earlier timeline may be required

However the COVID-19 pandemic may de-rail some aspects of the plan However the accomplishments to date warrant

attention and celebration

To view the progress and a copy of the long range plan click HERE

Events Committee Dee Offerman and Stephanie Hubbard

I hope that everyone is staying safe and well and also finding creative fun and therapeutic ways to stay entertained I

know that the congregation of UUVC is just the group to do that We are fortunate to

have so many talented individuals who have chosen UUVC as home

Our world has changed rather sud-denly and dramatically Sometimes it leaves me longing for the times when we could

gather in groups and give each other hugs We must now find new ways to stay con-

nected not only with others but with na-ture and find deeper connections within

Please reach out if you would like to hike walk have coffee or tea while social distancing or simply talk on the phone

To read more about Events Commit-

tee activities click Here

Adult Education Warren Searls

Each of us here at UUVC comes with a different worldview Our worldview the way we see and interact with the world

around us and each other Our worldview is what makes us who we are It is by sharing

how we view the world that we let others know who we are Itrsquos how we were raised

as children Our parents teachers and oth-ers shared their worldview often in re-sponse to our inquisitiveness and endless

questions Their worldview became part of our worldview as we became who we are to-

day Our individual worldview is forever changing My worldview is different from

what it was earlier this day So here at UUVC letrsquos all share learn and grow together Please facil-

itate a discussion teach a class share your worldview yoursquoll be surprised what yoursquoll

learn Send me an e-mail wsearlssbcglobalnet and tell me what you

want to learn Just remember the best way to learn is to teach

To read the entire article click Here

UUVC Newsletter June 2020 Theme Bridging Gay Pride Page 5 of 5

Social Justice Sue Loberg

This is the month that the committee would be gathering all kinds of information

and deciding who the Share the Plate recip-ients would be for the next year Due to our

current situation we decided that June would stay with the Boys and Girls Clubs as they will need help once the children re-

turn to school We also decided that July and August would be for food banks We

will meet next month to decide on the rest of the year The congregation has been

most generous since wersquove been apart and we hope you will continue your support thru the summer If you have any sugges-

tions of a charity that you would like us to consider please let me know ASAP

The committee hopes that you are safe and wearing your masks and enjoying

this beautiful weather For more information on what Social

Justice is doing click Here

Birthdays

The Dispute Mediation Committee stands ready to assist members and friends in re-

solving conflicts which affect their life in the church For more information click

HERE Contact Steve Rittenmeyer at 915-0575 or email SD-

Rittenmeyerwiuedu

62 Frank Hubbard

63 Anne Sara

67 Mark Hamilton

68 Colleen

Boardman

68 Warren Searls

69 Ralph Butler

611 Mary Ann

Rittenmeyer

612 Barbara Nick

613 Becky Fay

614 Gary Vogt

615 Junell OHara

618 Dianne Morton

619 Sam Stout

620 Jeanie Calhoun

622 JoAnn Bowen

626 Wade Selph

627 Kim Townsan

628 Janine

Bethscheider

ldquoWe should indeed keep calm in the face of difference and live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity

of humanityrdquo

George Takei

A BIG THANK YOU

to Deanna Toliver for sewing face

masks and giving them away to help

stop the transfer of Covid-19 and

to Kim Townsan for personally deliv-

ering the masks upon request to

Members and Friends of UUVC

Bridge the Gap Of The 6050 Operating

Fund

We currently have a gap of $60000 to

meet our $139227 operating fund target

and 50 more pledges needed to reach the

86 we had last year

To pledge contact Kim Townsan at

treasureruuvcorg with your operating

pledge amount

Anniversaries

64 Jan and Todd Kincheloe

66 Anne and Joe Sara

611 Judy and Ron Saldino

617 Jerriann and Dane Nielsen

618 Lou and Norm Elliott

620 Linda and Glen Rider

624 Pati and Alan Trippel

625 Salli and Bud Forbes

625 Melanie and Jeffrey Cross

630 Anne Bowes and Elmer Burrell

Dispute Mediation Steve Rittenmeyer