by Bobbie Schilling    May 10, 2020

believed in what I was taught as a child and stopped attending church. However, once I became a parent, I felt I wanted our children to have some religious foundation and community. When Roy and I, along with our three-year-old son, Chris, moved to Newport News in 1981, it was only a matter of weeks before we joined the UUFP. We immediately felt at home, and the fellowship became an integral part of our lives – not just a Sunday morning ritual. 

Our second son Matthew was born that December, and his naming ceremony was the first to be held in the present sanctuary. When Chris was the only teen attending regularly, many adults stepped in to encourage, mentor and befriend him. He chose the fellowship as the location for his Eagle Scout ceremony. As the UUFP grew, Matthew was more fortunate to have a strong group of friends his own age  in the fellowship. I remember camping trips, kite flying on the Yorktown battlefield, potluck dinners, marches for social justice, distributing food at the foodbank, and Halloween costume parties. These many activities gave our sons fond childhood memories and instilled in them the importance of caring for others. 

Being a member of the UUFP has always given me opportunities to grow and try different skills. One of my first attempts at something new involved editing and printing our newsletter, The Flame, which I found to be a most rewarding job for a stay at home mom with a baby and a preschooler. The role of Religious Education Director encouraged me to get to know the families of our fellowship better. More recently, involvement with the Membership Committee, facilitating fellowship circles, contributing to the Caring Committee, and organizing volunteers for PORT, the Winter Homeless Shelter, all foster relationships and keep me active in my retirement years.  You could say we are a Fellowship for all seasons of life.

By the time our sons were grown and moved away, the UUFP was not just church – it had become family in the truest sense of the word offering us support, love, compassion, understanding, and connection to like-minded people. I have found lasting friendships with many  of you through shared books and travel, shared food and recipes at potlucks, and shared ideas in Adult Forum, committees, workshops, Second Sunday Lunch, Book Club, and fellowship circles. You have been with us during life’s milestones both joyous and sad. This is doubly important to Roy and me as neither of our families live nearby. 

I have told you about the UUFP in my past and present. Will it be a part of my future? There is no doubt in my mind that it will be. I am still learning, growing, and getting to know all of you. I still trust in the promises of life that our fellowship offers. If you are wondering whether the UUFP is the right place for you, I encourage you to get involved in as many activities as you feel comfortable. It is through involvement that you will get to know and appreciate the wonderful people here at UUFP - for it is the people, not the building, that makes us who we are. ​

by Sandy Burkes-Campbell

Before the pandemic so shifted the rhythms of our lives, we had worked toward and made important decisions to deepen our congregational life and mission. The congregational vote in March to “stay or go” created excitement and anticipation as our search for new sacred space was about to begin. We were looking forward to our first visit with congregational consultant Mark Ewert from Stewardship for Us at March’s end. Of course, that meeting and other events were postponed.  

During the past couple of months, the Planning Committee has continued to work to find a way forward. We have been making progress and discerning the next steps in our journey towards a new location for UUFP. Thus, the real estate task force continues to evaluate properties that members bring to its attention. And we seek your ideas and inspiration for what appeals to you in a new-to-us building and location. To help, Jerry Dingus has just established a lively Facebook group – “What does our new UUFP space look like?” We welcome members to join in the envisioning, sharing, and discussion. And Lin Chambers  has set up a Pinterest site for sharing images and inspirations. There will also be a physical bulletin board in the sanctuary as well where you can post paper images when we are able to come back together in person.

In thinking about moving forward, we remember what you resoundingly affirmed in our vision work last summer:

• Larger, flexible, inspirational spaces in a natural setting 
• An environmentally friendly, accessible building
• Expanded religious education
• A more diverse congregation with  increased social justice work. 

 
Now ready to reprise our forward momentum we have reached out again to Mark Ewert and he has agreed to a virtual Next Step “weekend” with us beginning June 7! However, instead of an in-person weekend of meetings and engagements, we will spread out our sharing and learning with Mark in a number of one-hour zooms across a two-week period, so nobody suffers undue "Zoom-fatigue."

Meeting with Mark represents our first step in drawing upon the expertise of a church consultant to support our congregational goals and aspirations.  It will let him get to know us as foundation for future collaboration. Importantly, it will provide our leadership insight into the options before us, i.e., capital drives, strategic planning and other areas determined after our initial work with Mark. Both of our sister congregations in Williamsburg and Norfolk began their expansion process in much the same way.

So, welcome virtually back to the next steps as we find a new home for UUFP. Let us look to our future together as we grow in wonder, connect in love, engage in service and inspire generosity.  

​Sincerely,
UUFP Planning Committee 
​
Sandy Burkes-Campbell
Lin Chambers
Parker Stokes
Rebecca Wheeler
Scott Kasmire 

“Soul Matters” theme: Liberation

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place on Sundays at 11am via Zoom.

April 5th: “Liberation”

In this sermon, Jan Briedé will draw on his personal experience from working at a Leprosy Center in Uganda, Africa in 1978 and 1979 to discuss liberation theology, social and economic justice and lay a connection to our UU faith.

Jan Briedé has been a member of the UUFP since 2000.  Originally from Holland, he became a US citizen in 1994 and has been married to Donna for forty-two years.  Jan has a PhD in Range Science from New Mexico State University and works for the Department of Environmental Quality.  As a state employee of a certain age, he is currently in mandatory self-isolation.  Early in his career, Jan worked in international development in Uganda, Nepal and Yemen.

April 12th: “Rolling Back the Stone”

This year’s Easter Sunday will feature empty churches as worshippers keep themselves at home to help “flatten the curve”.  How will the good news of Easter be celebrated when people can’t gather in person to sing and rejoice?  What might we find in the story of Easter to give us hope and courage in these difficult times?

April 19th: “Inside the Sacred Chrysalis of Transformation!”

April 26th: “Freedom: From, For or With?”

We hear “freedom” and “liberty” used a lot, from patriotic anthems to political speeches, as well as in our Seven Principles.  If freedom stands against what would otherwise restrain us, then society makes that different for different people.  If liberty refers to our ability to act, then, again, not everyone is given equal agency.  Perhaps what we need to consider is liberation?

This is a place that I can EXPLORE what it means to be human, to CELEBRATE that humanity and encourages us to learn and become who we REALLY ARE AND who we ASPIRE to be.  

Each time I participate in any class, service or circle, I grow INTO my humanity and I’m enabled to celebrate the humanity of others.
 
In the 1970s and 80s, there was a sitcom called Mork and Mindy on ABC. It weekly showed the adventures of an alien from the plant ORK on a mission to Earth to study human behavior. I always identified with and admired Mork because he was always curious and had great empathy for others. He KNEW who he was and found OUR actions curious and even appalling at times.
​
A favorite scene of mine was when he and Mindy were in a restaurant and saw someone smoking,  Mork asked Mindy why people smoked cigarettes. Mindy tried, as best she could to explain, and Mork asked her if it was bad for the human body. She said that it was and that the Surgeon General had even said that it could lead to death. Mork exclaimed that if that was true, smoking was like committing suicide, a little at a time. She said, “Well, I guess so”. He spotted a man at the next table lighting a cigarette and leapt into action, “talking him down” from not dying by his own hand.
 
The UUFP shows us how to be passionate about causes we believe in and try to “talk people down” from actions that are against humanity.
Mork was constantly “acting out” in public in an effort to help others be their best, for themselves and for those around them.
 
Parker Palmer said in his book, ON THE BRINK OF EVERYTHING, “We all live at the intersection of our small worlds and the big one around us”.
 
The UUFP assists me every day to live where I am, like Mork, and try to make it a bit better.
 
Now, the reason why I love this fellowship is the same reason why we are effective in “talking people down”, it is with CONNECTION! This past week has made me acutely aware of how much connection with other humans is important, especially those I love, here at UUFP, my neighbors, my relatives, my friends, and even strangers. I love speaking with and affirming others I come into contact with. It’s sort of a hobby. Everyone needs to be affirmed, recognizing their humanity and worth.
 
As we endure this time of, what I call “connection lite”, let’s be mindful, especially of those who rarely get affirmed, for WE are now the shut-ins, the isolated, the needy. As this necessary isolation goes on, it is becoming even MORE  important to affirm others, in every way we can; texts, letters, phone calls and cards. Let’s invent NEW ways to connect and do it more often. What we are sharing is our HUMANITY with love.
 
Thank you for the privilege of participating with you in sharing with the world our precious Unitarian Universalist GOOD NEWS.

Namaste.

Thanks also to Rev. Andrew for his inspirational messages leading up to this important decision. 
​
The congregation has voted and directed the board to look for a new location for UUFP where we will put our vision into action more effectively.
The Board, Planning committee and Real Estate Task Force will pursue this action and report developments to the membership. We will inform members of our progress both on UUFP.org  and using a bulletin boards.

The Next Step Weekend with Mark Ewert (consultant from Stewardship for Us) has been postponed and will be re-scheduled when it is safe for us to gather together. This will be just the first visit with Mark when he will gather information and get to know us as a congregation. He will meet with the leadership and members of the congregation. Following his visit Mark will share lessons learned, best practices from other congregations and examine our strengths, challenges, risks and opportunities. Other congregations have reported that after the Next Step Weekend they saw an immediate impact on giving, as well as long lasting strengthening of stewardship and generosity.
​
There is no doubt that we can, and will, bring the good news of Unitarian Universalism to more families on the Peninsula as we work together and bring our vision to life. Again thanks to all of you for your participation these past three months.

Looking forward to our future,
Sandy Burkes-Campbell  UUFP  Planning Chair
Jim Sanderson UUFP  President.
 
 
.

when I can, chairing some fund raisers, speaking in a Sunday service or adult forum, helping a yard cleanup or yard sale, and bringing bellydancers and homeschoolers through our doors.
 
My husband, Brian, and I have a daughter, Gabrielle, who is now 12 and in 7th grade, and a son, Jason, who is 6 and in 1st grade.  They both have a string of diagnoses which basically mean that they have strong personalities and special needs, which can be very challenging to manage sometimes.  Other places have turned us away, telling me they couldn't handle us.  This place, however, has opened its arms and asked, "What can we do to help?"... and then, actually done just that!
 
It is impossible to please everyone all of the time; we are all only human and often burdened with our own challenges. But the underlying feeling I have always gotten from the people here is that we are truly welcome.  That makes me WANT to help when I can, and when I help this community, I nourish my own spirit.
 
As a neurodiverse family we often feel awkward out in the world.  Here, however, we may be quirky, but we feel normal and accepted, too.  Being around like minded people is confidence building for my kids.  When our oldest received her first sensory spectrum diagnosis our pediatrician was concerned about how she would develop socially, lacking confidence and having issues that come along with feeling like an outsider and not belonging.  I love how happy our pediatrician is now, to see what a strong, confident young lady Gabbie is.  We believe that has a LOT to do with this community, one of our tribes.
 
When I say that you all are like minded, I certainly don't mean that we all think alike on every point.  That would be boring!  However, holding an open mind and an inherent respect for all people tends to be the natural state of being here.  I have faith that when we have different opinions, we will do the hard work necessary to listen to one another, find compassion and ultimately compromise.  This is what communities, what families, do.  This is what we all role model for our kids.  This is how we make kindness and respect NORMAL for future generations. 
 
We are absolutely grateful to have this second home.  It is NOT the building, it is the people who make us comfortable to be where we can not be perfect, where we can be outside the box, and where the shape of the box, with its extra corners and textures, is a pleasant place to be.  We know that you all help teach our children when to stand our ground and work for change, and when to roll with the punches.  Thank you for being here for our community, and for us.  Whatever happens as the future unfolds, we are glad to be doing it with you. 

This is the second of our series of member testimonials as a part of our 2020 UUFP Canvass. ​

When I returned to UUFP June 2018, after many years’ absence, I wondered whether people would hold it against me that I had evaporated and yet then returned. No. Judy Remsberg greeted me at the door, with a smile, welcome and fine conversation. Indeed, I hear that from numerous folks, that we, here at UUFP welcome.We see and are seen. In our good times and bad.

I look forward to Sunday mornings, with perhaps Robin and familiar tunes made different with his inimitable flare. I look for Sam’s blue eyed, inquiring smile. One morning this past year, as I was going through some deep life changes, Sam asked during the greeting part of the service - “How are you?” I mumbled something -- not my usual mode. He stopped short, moved into my line of vision, “No, REALLY, how are you,” he asked. And truly seen, I shared what was happening. That moment was deeply important to me...

Or again, upon first coming now nearly 2 years ago, Gary asked me some probing question during coffee hour, letting me know I was on thoughtful, authentic ground. Here, I thrive.

I look forward to Sandra’s cooking, to Henry’s hugs, to Judy’s gorgeous jackets. To Joanne’s stories, always relevant to all of us, to witnessing Joyce’s journey, to this, her new home. With each person I relish their spark.

And our minister? Wow, just wow. Yes, our Reverend Andrew, an understated British dude, brings a font of insight and vision! No, that’s not an overstatement. Personally, I’m jazzed that he holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics (from Princeton no less). This guy groks the cosmos and from that foundation, he brings a literary, cultural, spiritual depth. He is whimsical, diverse, personal and articulate. Love our minister.

In closing, this piece has been hard to write because UUFP means so very much to me. It is a place where I find my people, where I experience trust —where I can sing the songs and not be ambushed, where I can relax in the service and know that I won’t have some dogma pushed on us, where I feel like I can be the real atheist UUthat I am. UU is my place. You are my people. You guys are life savers for me and life celebrants with me. Thank you. Thank you, Namaste.

In those early days, we were led by strong women and men who kept the Fellowship going with hours of work, leadership, and of course, financial support.  (I’m going to drop a few names here – some you will recognize, and others you should hear named out loud in this sanctuary because we stand on the shoulders of people like David Cooper, who was there when the bills came in, and there was nothing in the bank; Lou Ayers and Berni Haggard, who took over the children’s Religious Education program when needed; Hale Thompson, a noted local AA lawyer who advised us and was a giant in the community in working to desegregate the Hampton libraries; the band of men, Harry Gates, Ray Baker and Robin’s father, Van van Tine,who entertained us regularly (ask us about that!); Margaret Caum (David Walsh’s mother and my mentor when I was a teenager), who saw a need to enlarge this building, pave the parking lot and add AC, and who spearheaded a drive to do it and got it done quickly, within a few months.

Dr. Will Frank, history professor at ODU, spoke here often on UU history and encouraged our political activism.  His obituary is amazing, and I encourage you to google it if you are interested.  Jerry Tenney stands on a corner every week in Hilton Village to protest.  And, of course, our dear Richard Hudgins, who was among those very first charter members who had the foresight to start this fellowship and has stayed with us for over 60 years.

There are some broad shoulders among those people.
 
I have seen a lot of changes in the last 40 years — the entry of EarthRising, and all the talent and energy that came with that.  Thank you, Robin and the rest of your merry band.

“Soul Matters” theme: Wisdom

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place at 9:30am and 11:15am on Sundays.

March 1st: “Love It or List It”

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula will be making a big decision this month, a decision that will determine our future for years and decades to come.  As we prepare for that, let’s keep in mind that the UUFP is not the physical structure in which we meet for services and programs; rather, the Fellowship consists of the people who form this religious community.

March 8th: “We’ll Build a Church!”

Let’s celebrate who we are as a congregation and the promise of who we are becoming.  We have an exciting vision before us of who we want to be, we have members and friends committed to sharing their time, talent and treasure, and we have the love and support of the wider Unitarian Universalist community.  Whichever way the vote goes, the UUFP is building a new way!

Special music will be provided by the UUFP ChorUUs!

March 15th: “A Time for Unconventional Wisdom”

We are living in times where trust in social institutions, government and religion has eroded.  Division and polarization have torn apart the fabric of our country. We need reconciliation, healing and love.  Conventional wisdom alone won’t cure our social ills; times like these call for “out of the box” thinking: these times call for Unconventional Wisdom.

By April Kelsey  

The following sermon was given by Ms. April Kelsey at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula in Newport News, Virginia, on February 16, 2020.  April opened her message with this clip [1:15-2:36] from "How to Live the Life You Never Imagined," by Richard Pimental.

​Back in October of 2007, I received a phone call from a private school in Millington, TN, asking if I would be interested in becoming their long-term substitute English teacher. They had just let their English teacher go and needed an immediate replacement. I had just graduated from college with a degree in English literature—and, like many people with English degrees, was sitting at home, unemployed, writing my first novel. Well, how could I say no to a paycheck? ​

But teaching there came as a bit of a shock. For instance, as a child, I had been taught to take pride in my surroundings. For example, you don’t let your guests come over to messy house. You don’t litter in green spaces…or any spaces. And if you see a mess that someone else has left behind, you do the noble thing and clean it up. I’m not sure if “taught” is the right word to express how I acquired this mindset; more like it was ground into me at a cellular level.

So imagine my surprise when, at the end of lunch, I asked one of my sixth graders to throw away a paper plate that he had been playing with, and he refused. “Why?” I asked. “The garbage can is right there, literally within arm’s reach. All you have to do is toss it in. It will take less than a second.” 

He replied, “It’s not my plate! Someone else brought it here.”

Of course, that ‘someone else’ had already left the table. And my student was fully prepared to let that plate clutter up the cafeteria rather than take any action to deal with it.

Now, this may seem like a minor anecdote, but I’ve actually heard similar statements from full-grown adults. Statements such as, “I’m not a woman, so why should I care about women’s rights?” Or “I’ve got a pretty good job. Why should I care about income inequality?” Or “I’ve never owned any slaves. Why should I care about racism?” 
​
Those particular messes—of sexism, racism, and inequality—are a lot bigger to clean up than a paper plate. The people who made them originally have long been dead. And the garbage can is hardly within reach. So what makes it our responsibility to do the work and clean them up?

​I would say, like old Sergeant Parker from the video, that it is our ability to respond. I believe when we phrase responsibility in this way—as something we can do rather than an obligation—it allows us to embrace the work with passion and even joy.

But, as always, we have to be careful. Because we live in a world of Facebook and Instagram, a lot of our social justice work can become performative rather than transformative. Here we are, with our coordinating t-shirts and clever protest signs posing for a photo. Here we are on Facebook with our “I voted” stickers. Here we are with a video of us feeding the hungry. Aren’t we just good, woke people making the world a better place?

I don’t know. Who did we march for? Do we know their names? Their faces? Their concerns? Did we make space for them to speak on their own behalf? Did we listen to what they had to say—even when it made us uncomfortable? Did we treat them as fellow members of the community, or simply as the beneficiaries of our good graces?

Before anyone gets too offended, I’ve been asking myself these same questions. What I’ve realized is that in order for social justice work to be transformative, I have to be transformed in the process, too. I have to let my life be touched—and my mind be changed—by the people I wish to serve. Performance is a one-way street. When someone performs, one person does the action while others stand aside and watch. The spectators applaud. We take a nice picture to capture the moment and feel good about ourselves. If we’re not careful, we can, in time, fall into a superficial moralism where we think we’re too good for criticism and don’t have to look at ourselves too closely in the mirror anymore.

Transformation is not like that. In the transformative, everyone is working together. Everyone is giving and receiving. Everyone is changed. In the transformative, social justice work is no longer about me and my reputation. It’s not about whether people think I’m feminist, woke, anti-racist or anti-poverty. In fact, people who passionately embrace transformative work are likely to be called all sorts of names. They’ll step on toes. They’ll make mistakes. They’ll make a whole lot of people on both sides of the aisle highly uncomfortable. Dr. King noted as much in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

However, I think joy comes from engaging in this transformative work. Joy comes from the peace found in one’s inner security—the sense that I’m doing the right and honest thing—in spite of what my natural allies might think. I don’t have to fear loss or slander when I give freely out of my resources. I don’t have to give into anger when criticized, because the work ultimately isn’t about me.

Someone recently asked me, “Does it matter? If people are being helped, does it matter whether it’s performative or transformative?”

My answer was, I think it matters—because the performative exists to serve one’s ego, and egos like to be fed regularly. When you’re busy feeding your ego, you’re very likely to perpetuate the systems of oppression that create the need for social justice in the first place.

​In short, transformative social justice requires that we decenter ourselves. Or as the Bible puts it, “having no greater love than the one who lays down their life for their friends.”

My early years as an evangelical taught me how to do the first part really well. Everything that we did in worship and relationship was about how to love God in the best way possible. I came to Unitarian Universalism to get the second part of the teaching: to learn how to love others well. I don’t see Unitarian Universalism as a departure from my tradition, but rather as a natural continuation of it."

So like Dr. King, I’m perplexed when white evangelicals claim that social justice is not “a gospel issue.” The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” Many of my fellow Christians think the good news is that we’re being rescued from a hellacious afterlife cooked up by an angry God. But I’m not so sure. In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 4, Jesus visits his hometown and reads these words from the Book of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What does this mean? Well, the year of the Lord’s favor refers to the Year of Jubilee, the seventh year in the Jewish calendar when all debts to the wealthy were erased. People who had been sold into slavery to provide income to their families were set free. To the poor, the recovery of their freedom and dignity was indeed great news. It meant a second chance at life. It meant that their suffering had an end. It disrupted systems of exploitation that would otherwise become permanent.

This is the news that Jesus said he had come to proclaim.

Jesus also said, in Matthew 18:18, that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In other words, our physical world mirrors our spiritual world. They are not separate spheres, but two parts that comprise a whole reality. What happens outwardly reflects what exists inwardly.

​Therefore, in my mind, it is impossible to reveal to others a saving grace that is content to leave people in literal chains. How can I demonstrate the spirit of a Christ who came to set prisoners free if I never lift my hand to free my neighbor?

Therefore, I’d argue that social justice IS, absolutely, a gospel issue. The Book of James Chapter 2 vs 15 says, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

The problem I see in America is that we have a lot of churches with a lot of dead faith. (No wonder it stinks around here.) We have a lot of people, on both sides of the political aisle, who will wave away issues like abuse, torture, racial discrimination and income inequality simply because addressing them is inconvenient to our current habits. The garbage can isn’t within easy reach. We might have to give up a little bit of space. We might have to listen instead of speak. We might have to examine our own prejudices. And that seems hard…and unfair. After all, we didn’t ask to be born into this culture at this time. We didn’t start by making the mess.
​
But…here we are. And here is the good news: we are not powerless. We have the ability to respond. We can create momentum. We can lay claim to a faith that flames up to banish the darkness and bring the light of hope. We can free our neighbors from oppression. We can achieve the beloved community that we desire—one that’s diverse and vibrant and always expanding. We just have to embrace the joy of our ability and start where we are.     

theme: Integrity

This year, we are taking our monthly themes from “Soul Matters”, a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who follow the same themes for the purpose of sharing worship, music, religious education and small group resources.

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place at 9:30am and 11:15am on Sundays.

January 5th: “True to Ourselves”

Integrity comes from the Latin “integer” meaning “whole”.  It implies an inner wholeness and consistency of character, but integrity isn’t something we get by adding more; it’s already there, and we discover it by clearing away the extraneous.  At this time of New Year’s Resolutions, let’s talk about what this means for us as individuals and for us as a congregation.

January 12th: “Side with Love”

For the last ten years, the interfaith public advocacy campaign known as “Side with Love” has been promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person by confronting issues of exclusion, oppression and violence based on identity.  As we prepare to celebrate Thirty Days of Love, let’s consider some of the ways that we can side with love here in Virginia.

January 19th: “Choosing Justice”

Do you consider yourself an “activist”?  Every UU congregation has people who describe themselves using that term.  But all of us, including those of us who don’t identify as activists, make tough choices when it comes to living by our principles.  Our speakers will describe how they make tough choices when it comes to the social justice issues they support.

The Social Justice Committee serves to facilitate the important social actions that take place within the congregation, as well as to raise awareness of issues in the interest of securing human rights, an equitable distribution of resources, a healthy planet, democracy, and a space for the human spirit to thrive.  We are committed to active involvement with social issues following the UUA’s Seven Principles.

January 26th: “Embracing Unknowing”

There is a natural human impulse to understand the world around us, but just because we want to know everything doesn’t mean that we can.  What if there are some things we cannot understand, whether now or ever?  How do we learn to accept mystery, to truly be okay with the idea — beloved of so many Unitarian Universalists — that to question is the answer?

This sermon topic was won by Rebecca Wheeler in last Spring’s “Inspire the Sermon!” on-line auction.

​This is the first of many meetings both large and small that will take place to inform members about our recent and past strategic planning work. Since many of you joined UUFP in the past several years a little history lesson is in order to bring you up to date on our previous planning efforts.
​
We moved into our current location on Youngs Mill Lane (that was designed to accommodate 75-100 people) in 1980 with approximately 50 members. Newer members may not know that previous planning committees since 1995, have indicated the need for more space. The last time this building was expanded was nearly 30 years ago. In 1990 the Fellowship was expanded to enlarge the sanctuary and the Caum room was added for additional meeting space.

Five years later (1995) a Facility task force ranked its highest priorities as follows:

• Build a new building with sufficient land to expand the with parking
• Or, relocate to a larger, existing building
• Double our RE space and enlarge the sanctuary

 
In 2001 the Policy Board took steps to seek out a new church building or arrange for the purchase of an existing building.  There was a lack of RE space and no offices for staff. Fast forward to 2007 the board hired Frankie Price Stern a UUA capital campaign consultant.  We reviewed our history to that point and growth projections were made. The congregation was poised for growth but once again hampered by a lack of space.  We learned that a congregation of our size will typically not grow beyond our current size of 150-160--unless we increased our square footage.  We also learned that any plan to proceed must recognize three main areas which needed to balance as we grow in membership:

• Sanctuary size
• Religious Education facilities
• Social space.

We began to hold two services on Sunday to accommodate our growth and to create a welcoming, comfortable environment for visitors.

In 2013 the planning committee was revived with Mason Moseley as the chair.  A five year plan in 2015 once again indicated the need to renovate our current property or find an existing property on the peninsula.  When I became board president in 2015 I realized that we needed to update our former mission and vision to address the needs of the current congregation.  In February of 2017 leadership met with Kathy McGowan from the UUA southern region to discuss a process to:

1. Define our “Core values”  (what we feel in our hearts,)
2. Write a new mission statement (a call to action, a way to focus what we are about and who we want to be)
3. Create our vision, the reason for the fellowship to exist in the future and live out our mission.

So, in 2017 our congregation met to define our essential core values Wonder, Love, Service and Generosity.  We agreed in June 2018 that our mission was to “Grow in Wonder, Connect in Love, Engage in service and Inspire Generosity.”  Since that time we have been living out our mission and have begun to prepare for the next steps by working on a new five year plan or process for our future.

On July 13 of this year, about a third of our congregation met for a workshop to create a new vision of what UUFP would look like in five years.  Many ideas and wishes were expressed about what the congregation will do in the future and Andrew summarized all of our ideas (in order of the most universally supported) as follows:

1. We will have larger, flexible, inspirational spaces. (250+ capacity, more space for music, and more classrooms
2. We will have green space
3. We will have universal site design which is environmentally friendly and accessible.
4. We will have a more diverse congregation
5. We will practice social justice.
6. We will be more visible.
7. We will have plans and funds for development, more support staff and spiritual development groups.

 
Everyone present on July 13th was asked to write down what they liked best about UUFP.  By a large majority, “community” was the answer.  Reverend Andrew has suggested that perhaps “our purpose is Community, practicing it as deeply and thoroughly as we can within or beyond our walls."  Also, this year, the Planning Committee has been gathering five year goals from our committees and collated that data to see how it aligns with our vision.

Yes we have been busy!!  And I am grateful for all who have contributed their time to these efforts over the years. This work will bring us to understand our shared vision for the Fellowship’s future and we will begin to define a process to get there.

So after nearly 30 year, it is time for us to make a decision.  As many of you know, the policy board will be asking the congregation to make a decision in March.  Can our vision can be realized in our current location or in a new location?

Change is inevitable, invigorating and challenging.  I get excited when I envision us all worshiping together in one service and creating spaces for middle school and high school age kids to call their own.  I have no doubt that if we are guided by our vision of who we want to be in this community both inside and outside of our walls we will make the best decision for those of us already here and for those families who have yet to discover what we have to share.

In closing I would like to share the words of our former interim minister Rev. Don Vaughn Forrester from 2008:  “I would hope that whatever this congregation eventually does will strengthen the use of reason, ethical responsibility and religious development within itself and promote such virtues in the larger community. Whatever you pursue, I hope UUFP will grow to be even more an oasis of reason and acceptance….than it already is."

theme: Awe

This year, we are taking our monthly themes from “Soul Matters”, a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who follow the same themes for the purpose of sharing worship, music, religious education and small group resources.

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place at 9:30am and 11:15am on Sundays.

December 1st: “What Are We Waiting For?”

Advent is a time of waiting in preparation for Christmas.  We may mark that time by lighting the candles on an Advent wreath and by opening the doors on an Advent calendar.  Is that all there is when it comes to waiting, though?  What might we do to prepare ourselves for what is to come?

December 8th: “‘Tis the Season”

The best of Christmas invites us to celebrate the best of our humanity.  From faith, hope and love to peace, joy and generosity, the values lifted up by the holidays call us to live into our better selves, and not just for a few weeks but for the whole year.  Let’s reflect on how we can do that together.

December 15th: “Night Magic”

When do you feel the presence of the Divine or your communion with your own soul?  Many things can cause us to sense our spiritual self more acutely then we normally do.  Jim Sanderson will explore through readings and a homily how the Night can awaken him to the wonder of all.

UUFP President Jim Sanderson is a long-time Unitarian Universalist.  He has served as chair of the Sunday Services Committee, as Vice President, and as a Fellowship Circle facilitator.  Before joining the Fellowship, Jim was the minister of the Jenkins UU Fellowship in Petersburg and served as chair of the Religious Education Committee at First UU in Richmond.

Special Service!
7pm on Tuesday December 17th: “Blue Holidays”

Sometimes the holidays are hard, but we often put pressure on ourselves to “be jolly”, at least around others.  It might be helpful to acknowledge our complex feelings about the holidays.  Come light a candle, share a memory, support a friend.  Bring a meaningful ornament, the photo of a loved one, a token of hope for the future, or simply the gift of your presence.

Childcare will be available, and tea and cookies will be offered after the service.

December 22nd: “Measure in Love”

How do you love?  Does love hold you, fill you, fling you into the world?  Whom do you love?  Are there family members or friends, close to you or far away, living or departed, their faces in your heart?  Does your love reach out, to heal, to comfort, to feed the hungry and warm the cold?

Special music will be provided by the fabulous ChorUUs!

Christmas Eve Services!
5pm on Tuesday December 24th: “The Story of Christmas”
7pm on Tuesday December 24th: “Wise Women Know Better”

We hold two services on Christmas Eve!  The earlier is a family service using puppets to tell the story of the birth of Jesus, reflecting on the joy and hope this story can bring to our lives; the later tells a modern story of the magi and how they might have needed some help to make their journey.  Each service features traditional Christmas carols and concludes with the beloved ceremony of passing the flame.

At both services, special music for Christmas will be provided by the UUFP Winds!

December 29th: “Of Time and Family”

As we look ahead to new year, let’s pause to reflect on the joys and sorrows of the year that is now coming to a close.  We’ll remember those in our community who died, whose absences we feel in our hearts, and we’ll celebrate the new lives amongst us with the ceremony of child dedication.

​We have an exciting opportunity to hear from our sister congregations in Williamsburg and Virginia Beach about how they addressed their space needs by either expanding their existing facilities or moving to a larger location.
 
Members of the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists and the Coastal Virginia Unitarian Universalists have kindly agreed to tell us about their experiences.  On Saturday, November 16, 2019, presentations will begin in the UUFP Sancturary at 10:30 a.m., and the discussion will continue over a light lunch.
 
Let us know that you plan to attend, as well as letting us know of any dietary preferences or restrictions, by contacting Marcy Stutzman (secretary@uufp.org) or any member of the Policy Board or the Planning Committee, or click on the following link:  Sign up Now.

theme: Attention

This year, we are taking our monthly themes from “Soul Matters”, a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who follow the same themes for the purpose of sharing worship, music, religious education and small group resources.

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place at 9:30am and 11:15am on Sundays.

November 3rd: “Beyond the Pond”

Small Fry and the other fish only knew what life was like in their pond, all of them swimming together around and around.  Frog would tell her about a whole world beyond the pond, but Small Fry had a hard time believing any of Frog’s stories until the day that Eagle took her to see that world with her own eyes.  How would Small Fry explain it to the other fish, though?

November 10th: “Saints by Calling”

Our faith is built on the importance of relationships — with one another, with our world, with the stranger, with ourselves, and with all that we consider holy — and our centuries-old tradition is centered on the relationships both between members and between congregations.  What can we learn from our sister congregations in Williamsburg and Virginia Beach as we move forward?

November 17th: “Does the Earth Have a Soul? The Ecological Crisis Is a Spiritual Crisis”

Technology and modern life have interrupted our emotional, spiritual and mythic relationship with Nature.  We will explore the damage such a breach has caused to the human soul.  I believe we must seek a spiritual response to the ecological crisis if “we are to help bring the world as a living whole back into balance.” (Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth)

Dr. Susan Moseley is contract Minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Rappahannock in White Stone.  She received her Doctorate of Educational Ministries from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2012 and her certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Haden Institute in 2017.

With our Share-the-Basket partner Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, we are participating in Climate in the Pulpit 2019.

November 24th: “Joyful Thanksgiving”

Gratitude is good for you!  As we look forward to this year’s national holiday of giving thanks, let’s consider how a practice of gratitude can make a difference.  For what are you grateful in your own life?  What would it mean to give thanks not only for the joys but also for the challenges?  How can we embody gratitude, not only individually but also collectively as a congregation?

Special music will be provided by the fabulous ChorUUs!

Written inside the wonderful graphic footprints on the back wall of the sanctuary you can read the commitments many of us made several months ago as our first step toward this process.  You can also see that these small step commitments have begun marching us forward to the place where some of the five year goals for our building and Fellowship are displayed.  The Planning Committee has also solicited five year goals from each of our committees and the Board.  We are in the process of organizing these ideas into an actionable list that you will see more of in the future. ​

“Working Towards Environmental Justice in the Commonwealth: What Can Your Congregation Do?"  This panel discussion was facilitated by our own Green Faith Fellow, “Doc ” Robin van Tine.  He introduced Gustavo Angeles of the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org/virginia) and Kendyl Crawford of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light (https://vaipl.org).  They both are a valuable resource for local inequality issues.  They depend upon a local issue to come to their attention, and they will come to do training and support to empower those affected by the injustice.  Participants were requested to inform them of where such local needs exist. ​

​That led to the Closing Ceremony.  The seven Cluster minister processed to the front to a standing ovation.  They then closed out the meeting and extinguished the Chalice repeating the "LET’S GO" theme. Attendees then joined in song.  Congregations then gathered separately for pictures.  I am a big believer in Saturday gatherings of UUs like this Cluster.  The spring of 1987, as new UUs, we attended a Thomas Jefferson District meeting in Charlotte, NC.  We wanted to learn more about what Unitarian Universalism was all about; how far and wide had those ideas spread.  That led to many adventures and friendships and much inspiration.  I always want to support the gathering of UUs. The Tidewater Cluster will meet at Coastal Virginia UU, Virginia Beach, next October 2020.  This event is going strong.  So, LET’S GO!

I think the garden itself inspired generosity each time it produced more than we could use ourselves.  Produce was given to neighbors walking by and to many different people outside of our fellowship who attended meetings here.  Veggies were given to the Boys and Girls Club as well.  It also inspired our members to be generous with supplies and time.  We had many donations of both.

theme: Belonging

This year, we are taking our monthly themes from “Soul Matters”, a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who follow the same themes for the purpose of sharing worship, music, religious education and small group resources.

Unless otherwise noted, services include sermons preached by the Rev. Andrew Clive Millard and take place at 9:30am and 11:15am on Sundays.

October 6th: “Water of Life”

Our bodies are mostly water.  Each one of us once floated, unborn, in the sea of our mother’s womb, our lungs filled with fluid.  Before and after we were born, water has moved in and out of each our cells, at every moment of every day of our lives.  Water is essential to our living, and to our spirituality: the water we drink unites us with the Earth as intimately as the air we breathe.  

We’ll celebrate the Water Communion!  Please bring a small amount of water from your home — from your kitchen sink is perfect.  During the service, we’ll pour the water into a common bowl, representing what each of us brings to the shared life of our congregation.

October 13th: “Intentionally Inclusive”

Every second Sunday, the lay leader mentions that we are a Welcoming Congregation, “intentionally inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.”  When it comes to who belongs to our Fellowship, what does it mean to be “intentionally inclusive”?  Do we only need to leave the door open?  Or is there more to it than that?

October 20th: “Unity”

Following a brief description of biographical information and marginalized identity, Unity will share a four-part autobiographical story about the daily lived experience of a non-binary person as well as the spirituality involved with such an identity.

Unity Walker is a PhD student at the College of William and Mary studying Counselor Education and Supervision.  Unity uses they/them pronouns.  Their research focuses on spirituality and marginalized identity.  They have recently moved to Newport News from Auburn AL where they worked as a counselor at a local psychiatric facility and were the LGBT advocacy coordinator at Auburn University.

October 27th: “Would We Be One?”

Much of what goes on in society seems to be the result of a tension between the individual and the group, between independence and conformity, between separateness and belonging.  Within Unitarian Universalim, community is offered as the antidote to the myth of rugged individualism, and yet, when it comes to being one, there are subtle traps for the unwary.

Special music will be provided by the fabulous ChorUUs!