​Unitarian Universalist​
Fellowship of the Peninsula

Grow in Wonder — Connect in Love — Engage in Service — Inspire Generosity

Sunday Morning Forum

Spirit.  Intellect.  Community.
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Contact:  adultre@uufp.org.
Sunday Morning Forum began many years ago in complement to minister led worship on Sunday mornings. With our Unitarian Universalist values as both foundation and springboard, the Forum has grown into a well moderated, high quality, adult discussion group that promotes learning on a wide variety of topics. It is a classroom of people who trust each other's good intentions and value each other's diverse opinions.

Together, UUFP's pastoral and laity-led educational opportunities nourish the mind and spirit and infuse us to be Light in the world!
Join us!
Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon 
UUFP Office Building  *  13136 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News
Parking is available in the Office and Sanctuary lots and on both sides of Youngs Mill Lane.
Visit Sunday Morning Forum Archive 2019 or 2017 - 2018 
​to view our library of stimulating discussions.
Upcoming and most recent Forums are highlighted below.

This Sunday:  August 25, 2019
​"Garden Theology: Digging up Patriarchy and Colonialism while Planting Seeds of Justice"

Presented by Anthony Fiscella
The ideological construction of property and power has very real life consequences in terms of how we eat, what we eat, and whom we allow at the table.  Based on active participation, this presentation does not merely address the topic of “community garden” but also uses this example to expound upon the larger implications of how patriarchal and colonialist ideologies shape and control our lives.   A Critical Community Gardening approach can unsettle the unseen and insidious patterns of domination and competition by replacing them with careful and consciously developed patterns of dedication and cooperation.
Anthony T. Fiscella, currently a member of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), has worked with social justice issues, underground music, and formal research.  He now finds himself in the process of transitioning back to Virginia from Sweden and back to activism from academia. This process has begun with the founding of EarthBond U, an organization dedicated to holistic sustainability and grassroots education.
Previously at the Sunday Morning Forum

“The Gift”
Presented by Holly Holman Patterson
August 18, 2019
“Most of my life, I was your typical housewife and school volunteer, relates Holly Holman.  When my kids no longer wanted me in their classroom or school, I found a calling working as an Educational Assistant in Special Education.  Retired now, I live half my year in Eugene, Oregon, and the other half in Tucson, Arizona. My passions are hiking, traveling, photography, and reading.”
“At 62 years of age, I set out to pursue a calling.  It started out with a simple question that I asked myself:  ‘If I had a family member that needed a kidney, would I be willing to donate a kidney to them?’  Like most of you, the answer was a very quick ‘YES.’ Then a second question readily followed that I couldn’t ignore:  ‘Then why shouldn't I be willing to give up a kidney for someone that is loved by others?” My answer became my journey of ‘The Gift.’ 

Holly Holman Patteson, childhood friend of ARE Co-chair Kathryn Ozyurt, will join us on the big screen by Skype from across the country.  Feeling her connection and responsibility to the interconnected web of life. she will talk about her thoughts and reasons for donating her kidney to an unknown recipient.​

​"And Then There Were None"

Presented by Joanne Dingus
August 21, 2019
 By the early 1900's there were three local Universalist Mission Schools--Norfolk, Suffolk and Ocean View, which were led by African American ministers. Two of them closed shortly thereafter but one, the Suffolk Mission, continued into the seventies, sometimes serving as many as 300 children each week. Joanne Dingus will share what happened and lead a discussion on how we might avoid similar mistakes in the future.

​"Buddhism in the 21st Century"

Presented by Randy Fiery
August 4, 2019
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Wat Pasantidhamma
Wat Pasantidhamma is a classical Thai Buddhist monastery located in Carrollton, Virginia. The Wat provides spiritual sustenance to the community in times that challenge our ability to spiritually thrive in a complex challenging world.  Buddhism; with its emphasis on oneness, mindfulness, meditation, and generosity; provides a tool set for modern living, providing spiritual and physical benefits.  This presentation will introduce and discuss this set of practices. 
​Randy Martin Fiery is a former social worker, marriage and family therapist, and school administrator who is now a mental health consultant and meditation trainer. He is a member of Wat Pasantidhamma and can be reached at rmfiery@outlook.com.
Want to learn more about the mind and spirit expanding Forum exchanges?
Visit:  SUNDAY MORNING FORUM ARCHIVE 2019 or 2017 - 2018
Do you have a topic you would like to share with the group?