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March 9, 2015 • office@jeffersonunitarian.org • www.jeffersonunitarian.org • Volume 2015, Issue 5

The JUC CrierThe Newsletter of the Jefferson Unitarian Church14350 W. 32nd Avenue • Golden, Colorado 80401 • 303-279-5282

Sunday, March 15 • 9:15 & 11 a.m. • Infant/toddler care provided.

Children’s Musical: Roots and Wingspresented by JUC Children’s and Radiance Choirs,

Sarah Billerbeck, Director of Music for Children & Youth, and Katie Bradford, Stage Director

In order to be resilient, we need strong roots to ground us and strong wings to help us explore all that life has to offer. Through songs and skits, our children and youth will dramatize ideas about how we keep ourselves both grounded and free. Music: Cadence and Harmony Fisher, Joe Stone; Adam Revell. Special Plate Collection: Family Promise of Greater Denver.2 Explorations! 9:15 a.m. (M3/4) International Day of Nowruz and Peace presented by Nancy von Burske and Rudi Gelsey. More information on page 9.

Sunday, March 22 • 9:15 & 11 a.m. • Infant/toddler care provided.

A Climate for Changepresented by Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister

When even the Pentagon is warning about the dangers of climate change, we know something important has shifted in our country. This Sunday, we kick off 30 days of attention to climate change. Will you Commit2Respond? Music: JUC Choir; Adam Revell, piano.

☛ Looking ahead to… Sunday, March 29: The Gift of Anger presented by Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister. For some of us, anger is a negative thing, a bad emotion, something to avoid and resist. What might it have to teach us? How is it relevant to us even during Easter week? Music: JUC Ringers; Adam Revell, piano.

Evergreen Campus Sunday, March 15 • 4 p.m.

2981 Bergen Peak Dr.(at Congregation Beth Evergreen)

A Climate for Changepresented by Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister

When even the Pentagon is warning about the dangers of climate change, we know something important has shifted in our country. This Sunday, we kick off 30 days of attention to climate change. Will you Commit2Respond? Music: Dave Devitt, Keith Arnold. Worship Associate: Patti Stone.

Worship services held on first and third Sundays at 4 p.m. 2981 Bergen Peak Dr. (at Congregation Beth Evergreen)

If you wish to be informed about news regarding our Evergreen campus, please contact Sue Parilla, Director of Congregational Engagement (sueparilla@jeffersonunitarian.org).

1 Visitors' Circle • 2nd & 4th Sundays 5 minutes after each service (Meet @ the Welcome Table)

For newcomers: an informal discussion to answer your questions about Unitarian Universalism and JUC.

Next session: March 22.

1 Path to MembershipSaturday, April 25 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (chapel)

Designed to familiarize those considering joining JUC with some of our staff, our diverse programs and activities, UU history and the responsibilities and benefits of membership. Sessions include child care and a light lunch. You may RSVP at the Sign Up Site or call the JUC office (303-279-5282). Please call Annie Hedberg, Membership Coordinator (303-279-7451), for more information on the joining process.

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Easter WeekMaundy Thursday: April 2 • 6 p.m. (chapel)

Led by the UU Liberal Christians Group. All are welcome!In order to make room for all, we will offer the same

Easter service Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Easter: Let Love Out and In presented by Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister

Golden Campus: Saturday, April 4 • 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 5 • 9:15 & 11 a.m.

Evergreen Campus: Sunday, April 5 • 4 p.m.This month, as we examine what it would mean to live a

life open to revelation, we remind ourselves of our forebear, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, admonishment: Revelation is not sealed. God speaketh, not spake. How might we look anew at the story of Easter so that we find truth and gift within it? It may just be that it is an invitation to let love out and in.

Children first grade and older will remain with their families. Our service will alternate short readings and include lots of music, as well as a message about the meaning of Easter for everyone. Child care will be available for younger children during all services.

~ Rev. Keith Arnold, Minister of Music (303-279-5282 ext. 17; keitharnold@jeffersonunitarian.org)

Journey to India Four years ago, in the winter of 2011, my partner, David Burrows, and I traveled to a

girls’ school in rural India, which was founded by a human rights union that supports the development of marginalized communities in the region. The 160 students, ages 6 – 16, understood themselves to be rising up and overcoming oppressions. Many of them were the first girls in their families ever to go to a school, and in solidarity with people struggling everywhere, the girls sang We Shall Overcome every morning in Hindi and in English. David and I had been asked to teach more freedom songs, and so we leaned into UU hymnals and into historical traditions where community singing fostered strength and courage. From the African-American spiritual tradition, we taught Come and Go with Me to That Land and This Little Light of Mine, and from South Africa Freedom Is Coming and, the favorite of the girls, Siyahamba.

In January of this year, fourteen Unitarian Universalists, including seven from JUC, journeyed with the UU College of Social Justice in a program titled Justice for Workers in Marginalized Communities in India. The program, supported by the UU Holdeen India Program, was an opportunity like no other. Over 10 days, we sat on the floor with activists who had improved wages for women who did handcrafts out of their homes, we danced with tribal residents of rural villages and heard about struggles for land and water rights. We listened as disempowered people shared stories of being beaten by upper-caste landowners. And, joyfully, we visited the girls’ school—now with over 250 students—and together sang Siyahamba and other songs which had remained in the girls’ hearts.

Through preparation and study prior to the experience, the

seven JUCers and a few others in our study group had read about present difficulties in India including untouchability, the double-edged sword of religion in Indian society, the ever-present corruption in government agencies and the police, the difficulty of slum-life that leads some to suicide, and things to be aware of when traveling as people of privilege. And yet, nothing prepared us for the honesty of sitting face-to-face with a person whose life is so radically different, listening to the personal stories of what it takes to endure when life is a constant struggle.

Zindabad! was the empowering cry—accompanied by an upraised right hand—that we heard everywhere we went. Long live (the struggle)! That freedom cry is augmented by many songs—songs that are being created even today by people who are improving their own condition and that of their neighbors. By organizing, by working together, and at times by using their own bodies as human shields, people are taking control of their lives in solidarity with one another. Zindabad! can be shouted with a smile, a knowing recognition between those who are working to realize each person’s inherent dignity, an acknowledgement that we are all connected.

The College of Social Justice is clear that the purpose of this experience is not to build something in India, to teach, to fix or repair India’s broken systems. Instead—and I did not truly understand this until actually immersed in the journey—the purpose is to companion, to witness, to share in the struggle and in the successes, and finally to come back to one’s own community and work for justice here.

Those seven who traveled are envisioning an opportunity to share the stories and the struggles with the larger JUC community, so stay tuned to learn what that might be. Until that time, I will share these words from Unitarian Universalist Joyce Poley that were never so clear to me as when I was in India: When we tell our stories from deep inside, and we listen with a loving mind, and we see our faces in each other’s eyes, then our heart is in a holy place.For more information:

http://uucsj.org/journeys/holdeen-india/http://www.uua.org/international/holdeen

Book Group: The Selma AwakeningMondays, April 27, May 4 & May 11 • 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The Selma Awakening: How the Civil Rights Movement Tested and Changed Unitarian Universalism by Mark Morrison-Reed is an analysis of Unitarian Universalist civil rights activism in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. It reviews the history of racial justice in the denomination in the prior decades and explains how Selma became a turning point.

Facilitator: Rev. Wendy Williams (wendywilliams@jeffersonunitarian.org).

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Religious Education MinistryAshley Johnson, Director of Religious Education (ashleyjohnson@jeffersonunitarian.org; 303-279-5282, x18)

Register for Religious Education!Just shy of my son’s recent third birthday, I looked to see

how much time I had to research and visit preschools and was shocked to discover that applications were due the very next day for fall classes. He wasn’t even three, and it was eight months until classes started! Isn’t that SO early? The lottery wasn’t kind to us and the coveted spot was given to another child, but since there was such a demand shown, the school decided to start an afternoon program, so we are happy to be set for the fall.

What does this have to do with Jefferson Unitarian Church? Just as schools are required to look at classroom space, enrollment numbers, and budgets for teachers and other staff very far in advance, our religious education (RE) ministry can serve the children and youth of this congregation much better if we know who plans to attend which service. When fully staffed, the RE program utilizes 74 people, a tenth of JUC’s congregation, and it takes time to fill all positions with nurturing, inspirational leaders to help shape the spirituality of about 250 students. If we know in advance that most of the fourth graders will attend the 9:15 a.m. service, for example, we can ensure that we place our teachers and students in the most logical arrangement.

The number of our fully staffed crew may seem large, but it is based on sharing duties so that teachers have the supplies and support they need to teach the wonderful curricula. If you are interested in teaching or helping out, many positions are flexible and there is plenty of time to ask questions, familiarize yourself with the programs, and get the proper training well in advance of the fall start date.

Please do your part to help all the pieces fit by completing simple registration forms this spring!

The Religious Education Ministry team will be conducting registration for the 2015-16 year at our table in the commons starting March 8. Your early registration is essential, as we will begin staffing our classrooms starting in April. Please stop by and register!

Meet the Young Religious Unitarian Universalits (YRUU) Crew

Kelly Thomas, Lead YRUU Youth Advisor My name is Kelly Thomas and I am the lead volunteer youth

advisor for JUC’s YRUU program. I am a third-generation UU, have attended JUC for over a decade, and have been a youth advisor at JUC for about five years. My friends in high school included the kids who were bullied because they were gay, the “freaks and geeks,” the kids who didn’t fit in. In YRUU, I had a community where I felt accepted and loved in a way that was rarely found in the real world. It IS getting better, but I want that kind of community to be available for all youth, and being a UU youth advisor is one way I can help. In my professional life, I draft and negotiate contracts, which means I am a word nerd and can argue with people very nicely. I have way too many houseplants and spend the winter dreaming of my vegetable garden. I’m still a huge geek and have bonded with many of our youth over love of Dr. Who and Sherlock; and I was thrilled to see Neil DeGrasse Tyson, one of my heroes, speak here in

Denver recently. My husband David and I are raising two young boys who are the light of my life.

Pat Emery, Awesome AdultPat Emery was born on Dec. 8, 1948 and was raised as a

Catholic. As a child, she sensed the divine eminent in Nature, however, and in spite of wanting to be a nun, dedicated to a religious life, she left the Church and found what to her was a more meaningful expression of the ultimate in her studies in Astrophysics, earning her BS in 1979. She married Keith Emery in 1982, and they joined JUC in 1985 with their children Kevin and Pamela. Pat quickly became a highly active volunteer, helping to organize our Program Council, shape our membership program, develop our connections to the Mountain Desert District and the Unitarian Universalist Association, and start the Science and Spirit discussion group. She sings with the JUC Choir and with the a cappella women’s ensemble, Sophia’s Journey. Most recently, she has been co-chairing the Year Round Pledge campaign and enjoying being an Awesome Adult with our YRUU group.

Martha Eastman, Awesome AdultMy family and I first came to JUC in 2003, and right away

I was impressed with the rich curriculum offered to young people. My husband Mark Baker and I attended several youth conventions (CONs) while my son Erik was in YRUU, and I became aware of how unique and wonderful our youth are. I love to listen to what they have to say; it gives me hope for our future. These are the people who will continue the quest for peace, seek cures for the world’s illnesses and care for all of us aging Baby Boomers. When Ashley invited me to facilitate monthly YRUU workshops, I happily agreed. Sometimes I offer a structured workshop, but often I just bring a list of talking points related to the monthly worship theme. Our high schoolers jump easily into meaningful discussions that leave me exhilarated. Thank you for the opportunity to be in their presence.

✪ SOUPS ✪ (Support of UU Parents)

2nd & 4th Mondays • 9 to 11:30 a.m. (chapel)March 16: Get up and dance! Join this lively and supportive

group of parents from within and beyond our JUC community in a Nia Technique class for a one-hour sensory-based movement practice that draws from dance, healing, and martial arts. Nia empowers people of all shapes and sizes, and positively impacts the way you look, think, feel and live by connecting the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Choose your own level of intensity, and prepare for a blissful exploration of movement in your bare feet (or with workout shoes if you prefer) with SOUPS mama Valerie Langston Brettillo. We’ll share a lovely brunch after we dance. Child care begins at 8:45 a.m. for babies to kindergartners, or older kids willing to be mentors. Contact: Lori Gray (jucsoups@gmail.com; 303-945-5873).

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Exploring World Domination & World Unity Saturdays, March 21, 28, April 11, 18, 25, May 2, 16

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. This course will explore ways to help our world move into

lasting peace through action. Using Rev. Laelia Tawnamaia’s booklet, World Unity Study/Action Guide (2014), scholar-activist Tisa M. Anders will facilitate. Contact tianders2003@yahoo.com to register and for a copy of the study guide.

What Moves UsA UUA Tapestry of Faith curriculum by Rev. Dr. Thandeka

2nd & 4th Sundays • 9:15 a.m.• M3/4Facilitated by Pam Bond, Barb Scherer

Sunday, March 22: What is done here at home in my heart is my religion. -Margaret Fuller (1810-1850)

This workshop introduces us to Margaret Fuller’s Liberal Theology of the Human Heart. Fuller taught us how to think, feel and act with non-dogmatic, life-affirming spiritual integrity. She showed Americans how the human heart transforms liberal faith into action. We will use her personal insights to help us focus on how we sometimes lose heart and how our religious faith helps us to regain what we have lost: a deeply private, personal sense of integrity and wholeness.

Sunday, March 29: The emotional impulses that urge [human] kind to be religious are a part of human nature everywhere and apparently always. We truly need to be religious. -Sophia Lyon Fahs (1867-1978)

We’ll hold a third workshop this month, focusing on Sophia Lyon Fahs’s Theology of Religious Naturalism. Fahs developed a theological system that relates basic human emotions to religious emotions, and programs to transform these feelings into religious experiences of joy and wonder. She revolutionized liberal theological reflections on the links among human emotion, faith and science. You can prepare for this workshop by thinking about if you’ve felt impelled to be religious or reflecting on the circumstances that led you to become or participate as a UU.

Visit jeffersonunitarian.org/LEAP-Classes or uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/movesus/index.shtml for more info.

Find out more about JUC’s Lifespan Education and Adult Programs at http://jeffersonunitarian.org/Adult-Education

Sign up for classes oniline (jeffersonunitarian.org/LEAP-Registration), at the Sign Up Site or by calling

the church office (303-279-5282). Contact: Patti Coe-Withington (303-596-1130), LEAP facilitator.

Upcoming LEAP Classes

A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-First Century

Sundays, March 8 & 15, April 12, 19, 26 • 12:30 to 2 p.m. Have you been wanting to explore our theology? Have you

wanted to find yourself in our theology? Have you ever struggled to explain who we are to others? Explore what it means to live a faithful life in the world as a Unitarian Universalist. Sign up at the Sign Up Site; books are available in the JUC office.

Please contact Beckett Coppola, Intern Minister (beckettcoppola@jeffersonunitarian.org), with questions.

JUC Board of TrusteesNext meeting: Thursday, March 12, 7 p.m.

jeffersonunitarian.org/Board-of-Trustees

Lisa Bickford, Financial Officer 303-420-0429; bickfordL@pobox.com

Board Blog

Wow! I know that my appreciation of governance is considered odd by many, but even I didn’t know how much I could enjoy a weekend of lively discussion about future policies

for our church. While I was exhausted by the time I got home from the Board retreat, I thoroughly enjoyed our time together as we engaged with issues, both mundane and controversial. I cannot tell you how

much I appreciate the members of our Board of Trustees and their love for our Beloved Community. We all appreciated the care Gilla Lachnitt put into feeding us so well while we worked, as well as the facilitation and consulting support from Laura Park of Unity Consulting, who has helped many UU churches along this journey.

Those who have been following this space know that we are several months into the journey of transition to a new model of governance – the Carver model, or policy governance. The Board Blog in the last Crier summarized our progress to date. This weekend we began the process of writing new Board policies – not church-wide policies – but those that define how the Board will approach its work, how it will relate and delegate to the Senior Minister, and how it will ensure that the Senior Minister is following the guidance provided. We did not finish this ambitious task, but made a good start and built a process for moving forward.

In the Carver model, guidance is provided to the Senior Minister in Strategic Outcomes – the specific measurable differences our church will make in people’s lives. The Senior

Minister then interprets those outcomes and creates plans and programs to meet them. The Board also provides limitations, constraining the ways in which the Senior Minister may act. The Strategic Outcomes were drafted earlier this year and are provided in three groups:

Within, meaning within the individual lives of our moral owners;

Among, between people in our community; and Beyond, in the lives of those beyond our walls.In the last Board Blog, Brenda shared the Within Strategic

Outcome. Here is the draft Among:We connect in an open, hospitable, and faithful community.

As a community we seek to: Foster spiritual connection, providing respite from the

isolation and individualism of the larger society. Conduct our relationships in ways that are authentic,

respectful, loving, and kind -- allowing ourselves and others to be truly known.

Observe the divine spirit in ourselves and others, in nature and in the truth of science. Bring life to our values in shared ministry with compassion, gratitude, and joy.

The Board welcomes comments, feedback and questions at our new email address (Board_of_Trustees@JeffersonUnitarian.org).

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. . . Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Task Force . . .

Visit jeffersonunitarian.org/src for general information on SRC Task Forces and their goals.

. . . Green Task Force . . .

Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Letter BrigadeSunday, March 22, after each service in the south commons CCL is a non-partisan political action network that builds national consensus with state and national legislators for a carbon fee and dividend as a means of confronting climate change. Learn more; write a letter. Contact: Mary Richards (msrichards00@comcast.net).

Rio Negro Massacre in Guatemala I went to Guatemala in September with 12 other people to

deliver sewing machines that were donated to Mayan Women Art. We also visited the scholarship students that we support here at JUC.

While there, I talked to a man who survived the Rio Negro Valley Massacre in the early 1980s. He was seven years old at the time and in school. The civil patrol of the Guatemalan government went to the school and tricked the mothers of the students to come to the school to pick their children up. The mothers were lined up in front of the school and shot one by one. The man said his mother slowly backed up, went into a ditch and crawled to the back of the school to help some of the children escape. They ran for safety in the mountains and stayed there for two years until they knew it was safe to come out.

This man is 39 years old now, and remembers everything. They ran out of the school with just the clothes on their backs and no food. He was scared every night, and knew they were not going to survive, but they did, he said, because they prayed and had faith and hope that they would. He had tears as he was talking about it, which brought tears to my eyes. They lost their homes and their land when the government had it flooded to make way for the Chixoy River Dam. The government promised them modern housing, electricity, water and land in Pacux, the resettlement community outside of Rabinal. He now weaves and works in the corn fields to support his family.

~Bev Curtiss, UUSC Task Force

Film: Al Bartlett: Arithmetic, Population & EnergySunday, March 22 • 5 p.m. • chapel

Film featuring the late CU physics professor Albert A. Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett describes the impact of out of control population growth in a world faced with climate change and dwindling resources — a terrifying problem world leaders seem to be ignoring.

After the film, Clarence “Lindy” Baer, Jr. will lead a discussion. Lindy is a retired physiologist who worked in academia and the aerospace industry, and is a retired Marine Vietnam veteran.

Followed by a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. with time to socialize and exchange ideas. Co-sponsored by the Green Task Force and Jefferson Humanists. Contact: Barb Bailey (303-979-0508; barbaile@aol.com).

March 15 Special Plate Collection: Family Promise of Greater Denver

On Sunday, March 15, we will give our plate collection to Family Promise to support the casework and program services that help our guest families to break the cycle of homelessness.

Four times each year, our congregation provides warm and friendly shelter and meals to homeless families through Family Promise. Have you ever wondered what happens to our guests after our host week is over? Last year, Family Promise served 65 families. 86% of these families improved their financial condition by the end of the 90-day program. 72% moved into more stable housing and 71% of adults were employed or enrolled in a degree program. In the coming year, Family Promise will start a mentoring program to continue working with families after they leave the program to help them to gain self-sufficiency. All of this good work is done by a very tiny staff in partnership with faith communities like JUC.

Thank you from The Horse Protection League! February’s special plate collection raised $1,935 for this organization.

Solar to the Rescue?Thursday, March 12 • 7 p.m. • sanctuary

Presented by Keith Emery, NRELThe solar industry has seen

a massive boom, making photovoltaics attractive for homeowners and utilities alike. Learn what fueled this revolution, which new technology allows it to thrive, whether there are further leaps in solar cell efficiency just ahead and why we’re not seeing many thin-film cells. And the biggest question: Can solar electricity be rolled out fast

enough to roll back climate change?Keith Emery has received several prestigious awards for his

influential research in photovoltaics. He and his wife Pat are longtime JUC members.

Contact: Martin Voelker (303-215-1110). Visit tinyurl.com/jcres-rsvp for more info. Co-sponsored by JUC’s Green Task Force, Colorado Renewable Energy Society, and Golden Earth Days.

Rescheduled from snowy February:

Film: Thirsty For JusticeSunday, March 22 • 7 p.m.

The Green and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Task Forces present World Water Day film: Thirsty for Justice, a UUSC-produced documentary on the human right to water. How can so many people lack access to safe affordable water—in the richest nation on earth? Thirsty For Justice shares powerful stories about this assault on personal health and human dignity, and the inspiring story of the grassroots movement that made the Human Right to Water a law in California. Watch the trailer (http://ejcw.org/thirsty) and join us for the film, refreshments and discussion. Contact: Martin Voelker (303-215-1110; mv@martinvoelker.com).

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Did You Know?The JUC Choir currently has 75 members, and if you love

to sing, they’d love to make room for you! Hand in hand... Stone by stone.

Year Round Pledge Campaign What do we use your pledge for?

The Year Round Pledge (YRP) team asked for my thoughts on this question that seems to arise fairly frequently. Some members and friends are not really sure what we use pledge money for. My simple answer is (paraphrasing our Senior Minister), everything you see, hear and touch at JUC. Just like your home, we need to clean it, clear snow, move furniture, fix the plumbing, turn on heating and cooling, have our trash and

recycling picked up - I could go on. Everything we are as a church, including all of our social justice work, would not be possible without the basics of keeping our doors open and a minister in our pulpit. We stand ready for you and our many visitors to be here for worship and many other activities at our Golden and Evergreen campuses.

Come visit me sometime if you want more details. I assure you that we strive to be responsible with JUC’s income and

assets. I urge you to be responsible as well. Communicate with me if you need to change your pledge

Welcome Our Newest Members!2 Morgan Dysinger is a middle school English teacher who enjoys cooking, wine tasting, reading and spending time outdoors. 2 Mariska Hamstra is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys volunteer work. She is a master gardener who also enjoys reading, cooking and photography.2 Richard Hanna is from Idaho Springs and enjoys cooking, gardening, arts and crafts.2 Eric Wilson & Julie Zielinski come to us from the UU Church of Boulder. Eric is an engineer and Julie is an architect. They enjoy gardening, hiking, bike riding and cooking.

Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant Minister (303-279-5282 ext. 28; ericbanner@jeffersonunitarian.org)

On Fire

In Faith,Eric

We share in the joy of Ayrolyn & Kevin Keady, as they welcome Annalice Colter Keady, born February 18.

New Pastoral Prayer Info Email AvailableRecently, we changed the format of the printed Pastoral

Care information shared in the Crier to better protect individual privacy (names only were listed, without specifics of the joy or sorrow). Some of you have shared with me that you are disappointed by the change, and want a way to find out about these life events if you miss the Sunday when more specific information is shared during the worship service. After hearing your feedback that names without information is unhelpful, we’ve found another way to protect privacy while allowing those who miss the Sunday prayer to learn about significant events for those in our community. We know you want to share your prayers and thoughts with people who are celebrating or suffering – even when you can’t be at church to hear the prayer.

Going forward, information shared with the ministry team for inclusion in the pastoral prayer will continue to be spoken during worship. We will print information about births and deaths, including information about memorial services in the Crier.

Here’s what’s new: members can subscribe to a new Pastoral Prayer email list on which you will receive a written version of the Pastoral Prayer from the worship service. If you would like to receive this new communication, email me (ericbanner@jeffersonunitarian.org).

or if you have a question I might be able to help with. Take the time to read and respond to your pledge letter when it comes – we are counting on you! Pay attention to information as it comes out this spring regarding the church budget. With the proposed budget we are telling you what it takes to do the work of the church and asking you to provide for it. More information about this year’s budget is available online (http://tinyurl.com/kz5u2l6).

When I get bogged down in the minutiae of being JUC’s Administrator, I remind myself of the bigger picture. It is not about stains on the carpet in the chapel, and it is not about the daily juggling of the calendar to make sure there aren’t conflicts. Again, I could go on. It is about that person with pain that we might be able to ease just a little. It is about a place where opportunities exist for real connection with others. It is about putting more love in the world. We can’t do it without your pledge.

~Carol Wilsey, Adminstrator

College Care PackagesIt’s time again for the Young Adult

Ministry group to prepare care packages for our college-age UUs! On Sundays, March 8 – 29, visit our table in the commons. We’ll gladly accept goodies, gift cards, quarters, or encouraging notes. Please drop by to:• Give us names, addresses of college students with JUC connections;• Donate a healthy treat or fun item for the care packages (we usually assemble about 40;• Donate change or money for postage;

• Write a note to a college student; or• Volunteer to assemble the care packages (Sunday, March 29

at 5 p.m.).Contact: Lee Conley (lee_conley@ymail.com).

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Ongoing Affinity Groups

Groups on this page meet on a regular basis and welcome new members. Meeting locations are posted in the common areas of both church buildings.

✻ Ongoing Group: Issues in Aging • 4th Mondays • 7 p.m.Valerie Stone (vestone@gmail.com) We meet once a month to discuss a wide variety of issues related to aging. So far, we have covered getting an accurate diagnosis when dementia is suspected, resources for families dealing with dementia, caregiver issues, wisdom and exercise. Mon., Feb. 24: Dr. Michelle Winston presents The 6 Pillars of Brain Fitness and Brain Health, covering memory and attention exercises for healthy aging. Then she will lead us in some neurobics exercises!

Blue Mountain Meditation Group: 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. • Annie & John Hedberg (303-279-7451) For those practicing Eknath Easwaran’s Eight-Point Program for living a spiritual life in the everyday world. If you wish to join without the introductory course, read Passage Meditation by Easwaran and meditate 30 minutes daily for a month.Buddhist Sangha: 1st & 3rd Sundays, 5 p.m. • Doug Anderson (dca-crm@hotmail.com; 720-474-6723) The Buddha was a highly unorthodox person. His teachings are not sets of dogma but rather propositions for people to investigate and validate for themselves. No experience necessary. Child care upon request. Charla! 1st & 3rd Sundays, 5 p.m. • Carol Drew (303-422-5977)Discuss important topics in Spanish. Intermediate level recommended.Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPS) • Angela Priest (angelapriest30@gmail.com; 303-877-6055)Dream Study: 2nd and 4th Mondays, 9:15 a.m. • Marie Schottler (303-278-8035; mschottler@comcast.net) Based on the writings of Jeremy Taylor, in this gentle group process questions are asked of the dreamer leading to an aha! about his or her own dream. Please call before attending. Great Books Discussion Group: 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Dona Chilcoat (303-989-6945) Based on the idea that by reading from the great books of our civilization and discussing them with others, sharing insights and questions, you can reach a fuller understanding of these works than you could on your own. March 23: The Country Husband (Cheever)April 13: The Country Where Nobody Ever Grew Old & Died (Maxwell); Wants (Paley); A City of Churches (Barthelme)Issues in Aging: 4th Mondays, 5 to 7 p.m. • Jim Mayer (303-431-1740; jimmayer.colo@gmail.com) Information and education on issues related to healthy aging and dementia, to include lectures, panels, and discussion. JUC Humanists • Chuck Mowry (303-989-3117) Working to help members become informed about Humanism as one of the Unitarian Universalist sources from which we draw an understanding of who we are. JUC Knitters: 3rd Fridays, 7 p.m. in members' homes • Jean Decker (303-274-9872; jeandteach@Q.com) All knitters and crocheters are invited to join in making hats and blankets for Denver Health.Non-Violent Communication: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Dindy Fuller (720-402-4099)Anyone who has previously taken NVC training is eligible to participate. A great way to practice and improve your skills. Origins: 1st Wednesdays, 1 p.m. • Lisa Rountree (lisa.rtree@gmail.com; 720-273-7511) Explore religious origins and traditions through film and literature. Watch and discuss films like From Jesus to Christ, The Buddha and Sacred Journeys, and read and discuss works from historians such as Bart Ehrmann, Elaine Pagels, Reza Aslan and others. Open to all. Monthly selections are determined by participants.

Poetry Group: 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 7 p.m. • Julie Excell (julieexcell@gmail.com; 541-778-4724) Explore poetry as an art form and a spiritual practice through appreciation of the work of master poets, and through writing and sharing your own poetry. Quuilters' Group: 1st Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon • Jean Decker (303-274-9872; jeandteach@Q.com) Call for meeting details.Retirees' Brown Bag Lunch: 1st Fridays, 11:30 a.m. • Betty Halladay (303-274-9144) Next meeting: April 3.Roving Readers: 4th Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Mike Foster (303-456-2647) Open to anyone who reads the monthly selection. Books selected by group participants. March 22: 1421: the Year China Discovered America (Menzies)Science and Spirit: 4th Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Joe Kraus (swish@nuthingbut.net) Discuss recent discoveries and wonder together. More info at http://jucscienceandspirit.wordpress.comMarch 22: Presentation about the evolution of human genetics and other aspects of evolution in animals, followed by discussion of the scientific and spiritual aspects of life as we know it.Slow Soup Group: 1st Sundays, 12:30 p.m. • Gilla Lachnitt (303-216-9674; lachnittg@gmail.com), Carol Kolesnikoff (303-588-9198; eatingethically@gmail.com) We’ll prepare soups together to take home and to donate. Ingredients provided; cost is $10/person. Spiritual Healing Circle: 2nd Saturdays, 10 a.m. (6620 Quitman Ct., Arvada) Joyce Thiessen-Barrett (joycebarrett@comcast.net) Weaving together practices from shamanism, energy healing, and music healing to create sacred space, offer prayers, and send/receive healing energy. RSVP requested. Story Circle: 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. • Lev Ropes (303-278-0177; levropes@comcast.net) A gathering to foster the traditional art of storytelling for adults. Tell a polished story for fun, or a story that you’d like to polish up in front of a forgiving and friendly audience. Receive help from other tellers, or come to listen. All are welcome. Thin Air: Tuesdays, 1 p.m. • Carole Monfort (303-279-1343)An informal group of folks who wish to keep up their musical skills as well as have fun. Repertoire consists of traditional, folk, instrumental and vocal music. Please call for more details. Understanding the Heart of Buddhism: 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 p.m. • Doug Anderson (dca-crm@hotmail.com; 720-474-6723) Meditation and discussion presented online by Rodney Smith, author of Lessons from the Dying, Stepping Out of Self-Deception and Awakening; founder of the Seattle Insight Meditation Society. UU Liberal Christians: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7 p.m. • Sara Lohaus (pslohaus@comcast.net; 303-432-3149) Connect with Christianity from a fresh, open-minded perspective. UU Piecemakers: 3rd Fridays, 9:30 a.m. in members' homesEdna Mae Miller (303-989-4793) Work on personal projects as well as quilts donated to charities selected by the group.WomenSpirit: 2nd Fridays, 7 p.m. • Kalin Baker (Kalin@KalinArtAndSpirit.com; 720-253-6561) A lively community of women 18+ who playfully reflect and share interactive programs based on participants’ interests.

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Calendar Highlights(full calendar available online at jeffersonunitarian.org/calendar)

Tues., March 10 1:00pm Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 2:00pm Small Group - Rountree (M1/2) 6:00pm ToGather Meal (south commons, kit) 6:30pm ToGather Worship (chapel) 6:30pm Musical Rehearsal (sanc., Priestley rm.) 7:00pm UU Service Committee Task Force mtg. (M1/2) 7:00pm Activity Leader Orientation (M3/4) 7:00pm Small Groups (R6/7, R3/4, M5, Mitchell rm.)Wed., March 11 6:15pm JUC Ringers (Priestley rm.) 7:00pm Small Group - Swahnberg (Mitchell rm.) 7:30pm JUC Choir (sanc.)Thurs., March 12 9:00am Pastoral Care Group mtg. (M1/2) 6:30pm Board of Trustees mtg. (M3/4) 7:00pm Green Task Force: Solar Cell Design (sanc., comm., kit.) 7:00pm Understanding the Heart of Buddhism (chapel)Fri., March 13 7:00pm Bridge Group (MGR, M3/4) 7:00pm WomenSpirit (chapel)Sat., March 14 10:00am Musical Rehearsal (sanc., comm., Priestley rm.) 1:00pm Blue Mtn. Meditation Satsang (chapel) 2:00pm Game Night (Mills bldg.)

Sunday, March 15 9:15/11am Children’s Musical: Roots and Wings 9:15am Explorations! International Day of Peace (M3/4) 12:30pm Green Task Force Meeting (M3/4) 12:30pm A House for Hope (R6/7) 12:30pm Just Neighboring planning mtg. (R3/4) 4:00pm Evergreen Campus: A Climate for Change w/Eric Banner 5:00pm ¡Charla! (M3/4) 5:00pm Buddhist Sangha Service (chapel) 7:30pm UUSC TF: Guatemala Memorial Service (chapel)Mon., March 16 9:00am SOUPS (chapel, R1/2, R8) 3:00pm Newsletter Deadline 6:00pm Golden Bells rehearsal (Priestley rm.) 7:00pm Bell Ensemble rehearsal (Priestley rm.) 7:00pm Food & Nourishment Task Force mtg. (M1/2)Tues., March 17 1:00pm Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 6:30pm Story Circle (R6/7) 7:00pm Non-Violent Communication (Mitchell rm.) 7:00pm UU Liberal Christians (chapel)Wed., March 18 6:15pm JUC Ringers (Priestley rm.) 7:30pm JUC Choir (sanc.)Thurs., March 19 1:00pm Small Group - Chronic Illness (M1/2) 7:00pm JUC Poetry Group (M3/4) 7:30pm Blue Mountain Meditation Group (chapel)Fri., March 20 7:00pm Covenant of UU Pagans mtg. (chapel)Sat., March 21 1:30pm Exploring World Domination & World Unity (M3/4) 7:00pm West Side Live! Concert (sanc., comm, kit.)

Sunday, March 22 9:15/11am A Climate for Change w/Eric Banner 9:15am What Moves Us (M3/4) 12:30pm Small Groups (M3/4, Priestley rm.) 12:30pm Roving Readers (R3/4) 12:30pm Science and Spirit (R6/7) 1:00pm Covenant of UU Pagans: Children’s Ostara Circle (chapel) 7:00pm Green & UUSC TF film: Thirsty for Justice (chapel)Mon., March 23 9:15am Dream Study (M1/2) 5:00pm Issues in Aging (chapel) 6:00pm Golden Bells rehearsal (Priestley rm.) 6:30pm Great Books Discussion Group (M3/4) 6:30pm Small Group - Beal (M1/2) 7:00pm Bell Ensemble rehearsal (Priestley rm.)Tues., March 24 1:00pm Thin Air (Priestley rm.) 2:00pm Small Group - Rountree (M1/2)

• Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior MinisterMon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Rev. Keith Arnold, Minister of MusicTuesday–Friday • 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Rev. Eric Banner, Assistant MinisterTuesday–Friday • 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Ashley Johnson, Director of Religious Education

Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. • 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Staff will generally be available according to the schedule above, but it is always wise to call ahead!

Office Hours Monday – Friday • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday – Thursday • 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.Sunday • 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The JUC CrierThis newsletter of the Jefferson

Unitarian Church is delivered electronically to all members and pledging friends. First class mail delivery is available upon request to the church office (303-279-5282; office@jeffersonunitarian.org).

Upon request, visitors may be added to the email list or receive four (4) complimentary issues, after which they may continue receiving the newsletter by notifying the church office. E-mail ronabradley@jeffersonunitarian.org to submit an article.Editor: Rona BradleyNext deadline: 3 p.m., Mon., March 16Next publication date: Mon., March 23

Sunday Morning AnnouncementsIf you would like your JUC event to be

announced via our order of service and/or weekly email notice, please submit 75 words or less to Rona Bradley (ronabradley@jeffersonunitarian.org) by Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the week you’d like your announcement to appear.

Weekly Attendance

Mar. 1 9:15 146 RE: 26 (8 adults) 11 190 RE: 64 (28 adults) Evergreen 4p 29 RE: 3 (4 adults)

Mar. 8 9:15 146 RE: 43 (13 adults) 11 203 RE: 39 (9 adults)

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Sue'S NewSSue Parilla, Director of Congregational Engagement (303-279-5282 x24; sueparilla@jeffersonunitarian.org)

JUC has many volunteers who provide leadership and support behind the scenes. To the average churchgoer, the coordination of our programming is invisible. Within our current programming structure, all activities sponsored by the church are coordinated within one of two councils: Program Council and Social Responsibility Council. I am the staff facilitator for Program Council and we’ve been plenty busy discussing how JUC is evolving as we grow and live into a model of governance suited to the large church that we have become. Currently, Program Council includes program ministry teams led by staff members and supported, most of the time, by at least one lay leader and often a team of volunteers, including Belonging & Connection, Community of Unitarians Raising Kids (CURK), Evergreen Campus, Membership, Music, Pastoral Care, Worship, Religious Education for Children and Youth, Small Groups, and Young Adult Ministries. These teams are mission driven, meaning they focus most on activities that support JUC’s mission: Guided by Unitarian Universalist principles and powered by the energy and resources of its members, Jefferson Unitarian Church acts to nurture our spiritual community, grow Unitarian Universalism, and transform the world outside our church walls.

One of the topics at Program Council meetings has been

How often should we meet as a council? We had been meeting monthly for years. As staff and lay leaders became more integrated in their ministries, the need for monthly meetings seemed less important, yet many leaders find value in meeting quarterly, which we have been doing this church year. The council is charged with some specific tasks, but mostly holds the overall view of our church programming (except social justice). It helps for each of us to know what the other teams are doing. We also send a monthly report to the Board of Trustees to be accountable for our charge to serve JUC’s mission. At this point, the staff is not integrated into our quarterly council meetings.

If you’ve been keeping up with the Board’s communication about how they are leading us through changes in policy governance, you’ll know that the Board is responsible for the top-level tasks of articulating the mission of the church and selecting a big picture strategy for safely getting there. The staff is charged with the daily, practical work of the congregation, including decisions concerning what to do and how to do it. The Board has gotten us started in communicating with the congregation about changes that they are living into. You’ll begin to hear and see more from the ministries of the church this spring.

Activity Leader OrientationTuesday, March 10 • 7 to 8:30 p.m.

JUC activity leaders and team members who organize, coordinate and plan will learn how to get activities scheduled, publicized and to work within our large church system. All are welcome. Sign up at the Sign Up Site. Contact: Sue Parilla (sueparilla@jeffersonunitarian.org; 303-279-5282, x24).

Call for DelegatesGeneral Assembly, June 24-28 in Portland, OR

Member congregations send delegates to conduct business on their behalf. If you are interested in serving as a JUC delegate at General Assembly (GA), nominate yourself online (http://www.jotform.us/sueparilla/GA) by April 3 to be sure to have approval within the early registration window (March 1 - April 30). Late nominations will be accepted until all JUC delegate slots are filled.

Delegates can serve in Portland or off-site via live stream anywhere you can connect to the Internet. JUC is allowed 16 delegates based our registered membership of 757. Nominees will be notified of approval in April. Please review the information at uua.org/ga to determine if serving as a delegate is right for you. You can still attend GA if you are not a delegate. Contact: Sue Parilla, Director of Congregational Engagement (sueparilla@jeffersonunitarian.org; 303-279-5282, x24).

Explorations! Sunday, March 15 • 9:15 a.m. (M3/4) International Day of Nowruz and Peace presented by Nancy

von Burske and Rudi Gelsey. On March 21, the United Nations commemorates Nowruz, an age-old celebration of rebirth. It is a time to consecrate the values of peace and tolerance. The work of Perpetual Peace Initiative, which started exactly a year ago, will be explored in the context of this international day.Family Event

Game Night - In the Afternoon!Sat., March 14 • 2 to 5 p.m. • Mills bldg.

Intergenerational event hosted by JUC’s Community of Unitarians Raising Kids (CURK). This is a family-friendly afternoon of laid back fun. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bring your favorite card games and board games, as well as a snack to share. Contact: Melissa Kaltenbach (sauri_s@hotmail.com; 303-954-0780).

2-CONS: Conversation and Connoisseurs

Join the fun at our intimate adult pot-luck dinner (or luncheon) parties! You’ll meet other JUCers and share good food and great

conversation. Sign up for the next event at our table in the commons (or on the bulletin board in Evergreen) beginning Sunday, March 15. For more info, contact: Bette & Charlie Carcano (303-670-1527; carcano@evcohs.com), Carol & Bob Drew (303-422-5977; robertdrew1@msn.com).

2nd TuesdaysLight Dinner • 6 p.m. (commons)

Worship • 6:30 p.m. (chapel)If your small group meets

on Tuesday night, you’ll be able to attend dinner, the worship service and your group meeting. Worship will be led by one of our ministers; soup and bread will be available for a modest donation. Sign up at the Sign Up Site or online (tinyurl.com/ToGatherTuesday) to donate a crock pot of soup/stew or bread. Cooks can be reimbursed up to $25 for ingredients if requested. Next ToGather Tuesday: March 10.

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JUC (re)Introduces… Food & NourishmentAs part of the Social Responsibility Council, the Food &

Nourishment Task Force is developing a JUC based community that is inspired to nourish body, mind and spirit, through healthy and personal conversations about food—sharing our experiences, encouraging each other’s growth, empowering change, increasing comfort, and enjoying traditional fellowship over seasonal foods.

• Resources: You will have access to a robust and dynamic body of nutritional, economic and sustainable food information via our library, website, and buying club. We house an extensive library of books, journals, and DVDs on food preparation, gardening, nutrition, and ecology as it relates to practical food production. We welcome your input, experience, and suggestions. The buying club promotes affordable group and seasonal purchases.

• Education: We come together to share stories and support one another on our individual and collective journeys toward health and wellness.

• Advocacy: We actively support access to clean fresh water and foods, buying local, fair trade, and gardening.

• Food Exchange: We rigorously share our bounty!

March is National Nutrition Month The Food & Nourishment Task Force meets on 3rd Mondays

at 7 p.m. Next meeting: March 16 in M1/2 Contacts: Gilla Lachnitt (303-216-9674), Carol Kolesnikoff (720-440-1853).

CU Buffoons: Fun-Filled A CappellaSat., March 21 7 p.m.

Performing more than 60 shows per year, the song list of the Buffoons is very diverse, ranging from Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered to Dobie Gray’s Drift Away, to more contemporary songs such as Soul to Squeeze by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The CU Buffoons have been consistently successful in Colorado since the group’s creation over 45 years ago. They have produced over a dozen albums, sung the national anthem for all the major Colorado pro teams, and performed at diverse venues. Their song The Great Debate was named Best of College A Cappella in 2013.

$17 pre-sale / $20 day of showTickets available at the JUC office or online

(westsidelivepresents.org).

Reminder: Endowment & Memorial Gift Trust (EMGT) grant proposals

are due Friday, April 3, at 5 p.m. Proposals are to be submitted in electronic format on the application form (http://www.jeffersonunitarian.org/Endowment-Memorial-Gift-Trust), sent to EMGT@jeffersonunitarian.org.

Community EvEnt

League of Women VotersThursday, March 12 • 9:15 a.m.

Cason Howell House (1575 Kipling St., Lakewood)Air for Our Heirs – Jeffco Earns an ‘F’

Jefferson County was ranked by the American Lung Association’s 2014 report as the worst county in Colorado for ozone pollution and was given a grade of F. Join the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County to learn more, including monitoring, sources, contaminants of concern, health risks, ecosystem effects, current air pollution studies, new proposed standards and community efforts to reduce pollution. The public is welcome. Call Susan at 303-503-3992 for information. An evening meeting also is available. Visit www.lwvjeffco.org or call 303-238-0032.

Save the Date! Saturday, April 11JUC’s Handbell Ministry will be holding its first concert:

Celebrate With Ringing! Watch for details in future issues of The JUC Crier.

. . . Food & Nourishment Task Force . . .