Click here for our News Submission Form

We would love to help spread the word about your building renovations, exciting program offerings, installations of religious professionals, etc. share the news! We look forward to hearing from you!

We are delighted to share the many news stories you are sending in. A printable version with some of the current news is available here and will be included in each congregational packet. You may wish to copy and distribute it to your congregation members or post it on a bulletin board.

Welcome to the PNWD News Center
Online News Updated August 25, 2008

Click here for the most current printable news page

We hope you have been keeping up with the news from around the district via the PNWD website. You can also submit happenings from your congregation from the news link. We would love to help spread the word about your building renovations, exciting program offerings, installations of religious professionals, etc.

IN OUR CONGREGATIONS

Members and friends of The UU Church in Eugene (OR) are offering free lodging (while space is available) for out-of-town Unitarian Universalists attending “Nonviolence as a Way of Life” at the University of Oregon. This four-day conference features Marshall Rosenberg, PhD (founder of Nonviolent Communication) and more than 80 presenters on the application of nonviolent (compassionate) communication and nonviolence in personal life and society. See www.nonviolentliving.org for details and registration information for this September 11-14 event. Click here to request home hospitality. Housing contact: Dick Loescher richardloescher@msn.com or 541-485-1157.

Rogue Valley UU Fellowship (Ashland, OR) is hosting the Southern Oregon Congregational Cluster meeting scheduled for October 17-19. Congregations from Coos Bay, Florence, Grants Pass, Roseburg and Klamath Falls have been invited to participate. The agenda for the weekend consists of a Friday night social event open to everyone. Saturday will be a series of workshops including: Conflict Resolution, Leadership Development, Membership & Growth, Religious Education, Stewardship, Worship Development. Sunday morning’s plans include having visiting reps participate in the worship service. For details and registration, see http://rvuuf.org/southern-oregon-congregational-cluster-meeting .

When the Tahoma UU Congregation (Tacoma, WA) found extra children's religious education curricula on their shelves, they asked the district where they should send it. As a result, the following tiny and forming congregations now have some valuable resources and a new connection: McMinnville in Oregon, Twisp in Washington, and Coeur d'Alene in Idaho.

Cascade UU Fellowship(Wenatchee, WA) recently held an "Elevator Speech" contest to encourage their members to "Uvangelize" when the opportunity arises. An elevator speech answers in 30 seconds or less the question, “Unitarian Universalism? What’s that?” Results of the contest are being printed in the congregation's newsletter. Here's Rita Salama's winning entry: “Unitarian Universalism is a religion without a creed made up of people who have different beliefs, but who are unified by their values - each person is precious; every person has the right to seek their own spiritual path; we treat each other with fairness, compassion, and justice; we respect and care for this small planet in space that we all share; and we hold a vision of a world community wrapped in love and peace.”

Last year was another record-breaker for the district’s Chalice Lighter program, which has continued to grow in numbers and participation. The three calls were answered with a combined total of $51,000. 

• The purpose of the first call, in fall 2007, for Evergreen UU Fellowship (Marysville, WA),was to raise funds to replace 25-year old carpeting. This call raised $16,403 from 836 donations.
• The second call, during winter 2008, raised $16,797 for Woodinville UU Church (WA) to purchase a second portable classroom for its religious education program. Just over nine hundred donations came pouring in for this call! 
• Finally, the spring 2008 call came out to help Northlake UU Church (Kirkland, WA) with the furnishing of an historical building that was adaptively re-cycled to their campus. $18,144 from a whopping 968 donations were raised for this call. The first $15,000 will go to Northlake, with the remainder being invested in database improvements for the Chalice Lighter program, making it possible to improve services to the increasing number of contributors and the member congregations we serve.

Thank you to the nearly fifteen-hundred Chalice Lighter households from around the District who pledge to respond with a gift of $10 or more for each of the three annual calls.  You can become a Chalice Lighter at the District website (www.pnwd.org), make an online contribution, and watch as your gift joins many others to make a lasting difference to our UU congregations.

Thanks to the following thirty PNWD member congregations for participating in 2007 Association Sunday. Your gifts, combined with those of other UUs around the country, helped raise $1.4 million to promote growth and visibility of Unitarian Universalism nationally. Funds were designated to support the national marketing campaign (50%), diversity in ministry (25%) and district grants (25%). PNWD's grant was just over $12,000 and will be used to support congregational initiatives to mentor smaller and emerging congregations and to recognize outstanding ministry to children, youth and young adults.

(* Top 10 in per-member average; # Top 10 in overall giving in PNWD)

* All Souls UU Community, Lacey
# Atkinson Memorial Church, Oregon City
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
Boise UU Fellowship
Cascade UU Fellowship, Wenatchee
* # Cedars UU Church, Bainbridge Island
Community UU Church, Pasco
* # Edmonds UU Church
Evergreen UU Fellowship, Marysville
* # First Unitarian Church, Portland
Free Church Unitarian
* # Kitsap UU Fellowship, Bremerton
* Kittitas Valley UU Congregation, Ellensburg
* Kodiak UU Fellowship
* # Michael Servetus UU Fellowship, Vancouver WA
* # Northlake UU Church, Kirkland
Olympia UU Congregation
Olympic UU Fellowship, Port Angeles
# Quimper UU Fellowship, Port Townsend
Rogue Valley UU Fellowship, Ashland
South Coast UU Fellowship, North Bend, OR
# The UU Church in Eugene
University Unitarian Church, Seattle
UU Congregation of Whidbey Island
UU Fellowship of Central Oregon, Bend
UU Fellowship of Corvallis
* # UU Fellowship of Fairbanks
West Hills UU Fellowship, Portland
West Seattle UU Fellowship (Westside UU Congregation)
Wy’east UU Congregation, Portland

RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS

The Rev. Marian Stewart will be installed October 26 as settled minister of Northlake UU Church in Kirkland, WA.

East Shore Unitarian Church (Bellevue, WA) has named Rebekah Alpisa as Director of Church Operations. 

We welcome the following new Directors and Coordinators of Religious Education:

• Jody Ahlstedt of Umpqua UU Congregation in Roseburg, OR
• Bre Griffin of the UU Fellowship of Fairbanks, AK
• Anjela Johnson of the Juneau UU Fellowship, AK
• Sara Lewis of the Olympia UU Congregation, WA
• Kristen Pomerantz of the North Idaho UU Group in Coeur d’Alene, ID
• Layne Richard-Hammock of Edmonds UU Church, WA
• LeAnne Sasser-Collins of Magic Valley UU Fellowship in Twin Falls, ID
• Barbara Stoddard of the University Unitarian Church in Seattle, WA
• Christine Walsh of Wy’east UU Fellowship in Portland, OR

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS

A handbook for staffing music programs in UU congregations is available from the UU Musicians Network.  For a free download of "Music in Our Congregations", go to www.uua.org/uumn and click on Publications.

The outpouring of shared support and caring from congregations all around the UUA following the July 27 shootings at the Tennessee Valley UU Church (Knoxville, TN) has been heartwarming and important. PNWD presidents, ministers and others were particularly generous in sharing outstanding messages of comfort and challenge with one another as the news unfolded. A full report of the response from around the UUA and in the media is available at http://www.uua.org/news/knoxville/index.shtml. The UUA and its Thomas Jefferson District have established a relief fund to assist the shooting victims, their families, and the two congregations whose joint worship service and children’s pageant was violated by this traumatic event. To learn more and to contribute, see http://www.uua.org/giving/donatenow/117168.shtml.

The 2009 UUA General Assembly (June 24-28) in Salt Lake City will be a watershed event in the history of Unitarian Universalism. Voting delegates from the Association's more than one thousand congregations will elect a new president, moderator, and financial advisor; as well as members of decision-making boards, commissions, and committees.

As with the national political elections taking place this year, UUA elections will focus on a variety of issues as well as the candidates' experience and approaches to leadership. Please take a few minutes to get to know each of the candidates for president, moderator, and financial advisor by visiting the UUA's election website and joining the UUA Election-l email list. Managed by Election Campaign Practices Committee Chair John Gibbons and UUA Secretary Paul Rickter, the list is a neutral place for open discussion of the 2009 UUA elections for President, Moderator, Financial Advisor, and other positions that will be elected at 2009 General Assembly. To subscribe to election-l, see http://lists.uua.org/mailman/listinfo/election-l. For infor-mation on UUA elections : www.uua.org/aboutus/governance/elections/index.shtml .

You can also view the UUA Candidates' Forum as it occurred at GA 2008 - go to http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2008/commonthreads/115753.shtm for links to the video as well as a transcript of the forum.

The Rev. Elizabeth Greene will be completing her first term as Pacific Northwest District UUA Trustee in June, 2009. Trustees may serve two successive terms of four years; therefore, Elizabeth is eligible for re-election. Nominations for this position are being received through December 22, 2008. Petitions for nominations were distributed to congregations in the August congregational packet. Trustee materials are also posted here.

You’ve read in the “Congregations” section of this news about the disbursement of over $51,000 for the 2007/2008 Chalice Lighter calls! Congregational applications are considered by the Chalice Lighter Program Committee for three annual calls. Consideration deadlines are June 15, for the August call; October 15, for the December call; and January 15, for the March call. Click here for full details on the program and the application process. From this page you can also link to the PNWD on-line payment page to make your contribution electronically. If you’d like to receive email notification of the Chalice Lighter calls, you can also subscribe to the electronic notification list.

Welcome to Suzanne Woodcock, Boise UU Fellowship, who was appointed by the PNWD Board to replace the Rev. Dr. Richard Erhardt, who resigned last spring. The Board also accepted the resignation of Jerry Regan, First Unitarian Church of Portland (OR), whose job transfer prevents him from completing his term on the Board. A replacement has not been identified.

At its August meeting, the PNWD Board adopted the following "Ends" policy, which sets out expectations for the district:

 END 2d: Partners in Community Service and Public Witness

The congregations of the Pacific Northwest District work cooperatively to serve their communities by:

The previous "Ends" policies 2d and 2e were superseded by this action. Click here to view the full PNWD Governance Policies including several Ends statements. Minutes of the most recent and past meetings are also available from this page.

The Pacific Northwest District welcomes Jim Mason as chair of the UUA Annual Program Fund Committee.Jim stepped into the leadership role when chair Jerry Regan was transferred out of the district. Other members of the all-volunteer APF Committee include Brian Rogers and Jim King.

A summary of results from the PNWD Congregational Survey conducted last spring is now posted on the PNWD website. We appreciate the feedback of the 16 congregations who responded! We will use the results to inform our further efforts to learn about congregational activities and positions related to the "Ends" expected by the PNWD board.

Eliot Institute, the Pacific Northwest UU family camp organization, developed a unique method of doing "announcements" at its July camp session. Announcements are invited at only one time during the day, may not repeat announcements that are printed in the newsletter, are encouraged to be written for reading by the "MC"– and must be in verse. (If from the Board, the announcement must be in the form of haiku.) This has the effect of keeping the announcements brief, the overall time short, and the audience eager to listen!

. EVENTS & RESOURCES

Congregations and individual UUs are invited to submit proposals for workshops to present at the district Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in Salem, OR, on the weekend of February 20-22, 2009. Proposals will be accepted until September 5, by email to Phil Carver at philip.carver@comcast.net (preferred) or send a hard copy to: 365 20th St. NE, Salem, OR 97301. Not all workshops will be accepted; notifications will be sent by October 5. Please be aware that workshop presenters are considered volunteers (not compensated) and must register for AGM, covering their own costs for registration, travel, etc. For more information on the call for workshop proposals, see the PNWD website at www.pnwd.org and click on News & Events > Annual Meeting.

Be sure to mark your calendar for Saturday, November 8. That’s when we will convene the 2008Fall Leadership Council, at University Unitarian Church in Seattle. The learning topic is "Finding Balance at the Center of our Faith: I, We and Thou," enjoining us to call upon the wisdom and values of Unitarian Universalism to help us lead our congregations, clarify our values at work and in our civil commitments, and care well for our selves and our families. The Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley, author and district executive (UUA Massachusetts Bay,) will present and share exercises that will allow you to take your learnings back to your congregation and home.

This event is intended for your congregation’s board and key leaders (including professional staff.) Bring your entire learning team for only $200 regardless of how many you send – including lunch! Information is posted on our PNWD events calendar and the flyer is included in the August congregational packet. Each board president (or their designee) is asked to RSVP to the PNWD office by Friday, October 31 with the total number attending from their congregation. We predict this event will fill up fast, so reserve your congregation’s spot right away.

Congregations should start planning now for the 2009 PNWD Annual General Meeting in Salem, OR, February 20-22. The cost of travel is on the rise and many congregations would like to provide financial support to their AGM registrants. The district generally offers modest delegate travel equalization rebates to qualifying congregations, but no other financial aid for AGM. If your congregation has creative ways to help fund your members’ AGM attendance, please relay your ideas to the district office and we will share the results with our congregations.

PNWD has subscribed to a one-year unlimited "Survey Monkey" account, and congregations are invited to use this resource at no charge for your own electronic surveys. For information, contact the District Office.

In order to provide congregations with the best guidance possible, the UUA has released an updated edition of "The Real Rules: Congregations and IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections." The new version provides clear, up-to-date information on what congregations can and cannot do, drawing heavily on a binding decision issued by the IRS in June, 2007. Most of the text comes straight from IRS publications, with sources clearly footnoted. You can access "The Real Rules" at www.uua.org/socialjustice/resources/64711.shtml.

PNWD dates to note :

• September 5 Deadline for 2009 AGM Workshop Proposals
• October 10-12 Fall Youth Con
• October 12 UUA Association Sunday
• November 7 PNWD’s 46th birthday!
• November 8 Fall Leadership Council
• December 22 Deadline for receipt of nominations for UUA Trustee

Click here for details and additional events.

Did you know that the PNWD website has a listing of Jobs in the District? If your congregation has a job opening that you would like us to post, submit a brief description of the position to the district office. Include congregation name, position title, and contact person with phone number and email address. Be sure to include the URL if you have a lengthier job description posted on your church’s website.

Note : While email and the Internet have helped make communications more accessible and timely for many people, there are still those who are not "on line.” Please remember to include the "non-wired" in your congregation by providing access or print copies of electronic news and publications through your church office. If you are unable to provide such support locally, individuals may contact the district office toll-free at 800-313-PNWD (7693) to obtain a print copy of materials referenced in this bulletin.

For full details, registration information and a complete listing of district events check the online calendar. Remember to use the "Submit an Event" link to let us know about building dedications, milestone events with your religious professionals, training events open to the wider district, etc.

Did you know that the PNWD website has a listing of Jobs in the District? If your congregation has a job opening that you would like us to post, submit a brief description of the position to the district office. Include congregation name, position title, and contact person with phone number and email address. Be sure to include the URL if you have a lengthier job description posted on your church’s website.

Note : While email and the Internet have helped make communications more accessible and timely for many people, there are still those who are not "on line."  Please remember to include the "non-wired" in your congregation by providing access or print copies of electronic news and publications through your church office.  If you are unable to provide such support locally, individuals may contact the district office toll-free at 800-313-PNWD (7693) to obtain a print copy of materials referenced in this bulletin.