News

On This Day 75 Years Ago…

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Hiring: Communications Specialist

We are currently hiring for a Communications Specialist!

To apply for this position, please email a cover letter and resume to personnel@uufws.org.

Do You Know about the Southeast UU Summer Institute (Suusi)?

A Sabbatical for the Director of Faith Formation

July 1st, 2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of the Director of Faith Formation’s (DFF) service to the congregation. The Board has approved a sabbatical period of July 3, 2026 – October 3, 2026 to mark this occasion. Taking an opportunity to rest, reflect, and imagine during a sabbatical will help our DFF, Pam Lepley, prepare for her remaining years of service in this role with our Fellowship.

As Pam prepares for the sabbatical time, she shares these thoughts:

“Over the past couple of months I have spent time thinking about, and doing some looking into, different spiritual practices which interest me and which I might explore more in-depth during Sabbatical. I’m particularly drawn to Stillness as a spiritual practice – and it isn’t something that I have been able to allow time for – or that I have prioritized – in my life. My mind has been overcome with busyness. I look forward to the opportunity to reset and nourish my mind and spirit while seeking out opportunities to challenge my body with movement, and to experience the joy and wonder of our natural world.”

Click here for interesting reading with additional resources about Stillness as a Spiritual Practice.

Pre-Sabbatical Events with Pam – Mark Your Calendar!

June 7th – Lunch and Learn: Sabbatical, from 12:00-1:30 pm

The Director of Faith Formation will present a brief overview of sabbatical plans. Share a gluten free, vegan meal and ask all your questions about the sabbatical summer.
Please sign up for lunch and childcare by June 3.

June 28th – Sundae Sabbatical Send Off, from 12:00-2:00 pm

Casual, family-friendly opportunity to gather and share goodbyes as we part ways for the summer. Please RSVP by June 25th.

Gather for a celebrational send-off as the Director of Faith Formation heads out for a three month sabbatical. Enjoy a casual lunch and ice cream sundae social, with games on the patio and big backyard as weather allows.

You may be wondering…

“What happens during the Sabbatical time?”

Five Intentions for the Sabbatical

    1. Rest in the quiet, in a hammock, near the water…..a time to recalibrate mentally and physically, to be rested and ready for whatever is to come next.
    2. Travel, particularly to National and State Parks to explore the natural beauty, reviving my sense of awe and wonder.
    3. Explore personal spiritual practices as well as worship opportunities at other congregations (UU and otherwise).
    4. Reflect, through wondering and writing, taking time to think about and integrate new awareness and learning.
    5. Imagine, how might our faith formation/religious education program evolve to center families and support their (family and individual) spiritual and faith development? How might the role of this professional religious educator shift to widen the circle, prepare for deeper collaboration, and support the shift from ‘I’ to ‘We’?

“Who is holding the work of RE/Faith Formation?”

Sabbatical Support Team: We have a great Team providing support during this planning time and they will hold the primary work for children and youth faith formation this summer. Team Members include: Andrea and Mason Vaughan, Liz Martinez, Heather Zielinski, and Anne Garvey. You can reach them at sabbaticalteam@uufws.org

Sabbatical Coverage Faith Formation Assistant: Willa Carpenter, a teacher in our Elementary Class will be providing 5 hour/week coverage during the sabbatical. Their primary responsibilities will include: support for the Sabbatical Support Team, Support for teacher and nursery staff and volunteers, contact for questions about faith formation program – and liaising between the program and Rev. Kayla, Minister. They will also be taking on a summer project of cleaning out and organizing our RE Hallways space. You can reach them at willa@uufws.org from July 3 – October 3rd 2026.

Minister Rev. Kayla Parker and Staff: Rev. Kayla will work with the Staff Team to ensure that any Faith Formation/Religious Education work or issues which need attention are addressed. Justice Ministry efforts will be held by Rev. Kayla, Minister and Adult Faith Formation by Caron Armstrong, Director of Congregational Life.

Teams and Councils for which the DFF is the Staff Lead: Pam is working with the Teams and Councils in these areas of governance to prepare for the sabbatical period. The Team and Council Lay Leads are equipped to continue their programs and projects while Pam is away and they can always reach out to other Staff and the Minister if needed.

“Really….no contact with Pam for three months?”

Rev. Kayla will be able to contact Pam in the event of a true emergency.
Otherwise, members and friends are asked to wait until Pam returns to reach out.

If you’re really curious during the sabbatical summer about “where in the world is our DFF?” you are invited to check out the Sabbatical Photo Journal while she’s away.

“How can I help?”

Oh my goodness, we’re so glad you asked! Keep alert for other specific asks and ways to sign up coming out soon. Know that we will gratefully accept all kinds of help, including:

“What happens when Pam returns in October?”

The Sabbatical Support Team and Pam are in conversation about that now!

Three things we already know:

    1. Pam will share about her time away at a Sabbatical Lunch and Learn:
      My Next 30 Years on Sunday October 4th, from 12:30-2:00pm. Sign up by September 30!
      Gather to celebrate the return of our Director of Faith Formation as she shares some of her sabbatical experiences and how they might help shape the next thirty years of her life and ministry.
    2. October 5-21 will be a time for Pam to reconnect with the Staff Team and lay leaders in her area of governance, as well as catch up on Fellowship happenings while away. The sabbatical will have been a time of growth and change for all of us. Sharing and learning from one another will help us move forward together with shared understanding and purpose.
    3. After this whirlwind reintegration, Pam will take a vacation with her favorite only cousin to the happiest place on earth during the last week of October. After the intentional time in October for listening and sharing post-sabbatical, she’ll be back and focused more actively on programming in November.

Can You Attend the 6/14 FC IAF Founding Assembly?

Message for UU Families

As you hug your children each morning and send them out to meet the day – at school, at daycare, at camp – know that we too are holding them, holding your family, with love in our hearts and prayers for safe reunions.

We know that anxiety, stress, and trauma compounds. It can become overwhelming. Regardless of where you live or where your children attend school, Monday’s violent loss of young lives has surely raised feelings of sadness, grief, anger, fear.

This is a reminder to take care of yourself. If you are feeling particularly tender, make sure you are resting and eating regularly. Meditate, pray, read spiritual or inspiring literature. Journal, draw, or create in some other way. Talk to a trusted friend or schedule a session if you have an established counselor.

Please reach out to me if you would like counselling referrals or resources on talking with children about death or violence.

With love and hope,

Pam
Director of Faith Formation

Happy Anniversary!

This year UU Animal Ministry is celebrating its 40th anniversary! Founded in 1986 in New York City by four friends who cared deeply about animals, chapters of UUAM have now spread in Fellowships all across the country. Let’s celebrate the animals in all areas of our life and the interconnectedness of all living beings!

Foyer Seating Shifts Back to Fellowship Hall

If you’ve ever attended one of the Fellowship’s many food events, it’s likely you dined with friends in the Foyer.

This notice is to inform you that, in order to increase safety and provide maximum accessibility for everyone, All Fellowship dining events are moving out of the Foyer back to the Fellowship Hall.

What does this mean for you?

1. Most of our events are organized by members and friends which means we rely on those who attend to help with either setup, cleanup, or breakdown. Signing up in advance whenever possible and showing up prepared to pitch in if you’re willing and able makes these events more fun for everyone!

2. We ask that you remain aware of the potential need to exit the building quickly and safely. That means keeping all doorways clear and making sure there is an exit plan worked out in advance

Know that staff, leaders and teams are working on the safest ways to use our spaces. We are currently pulling together a group to develop some suggested seating plans.

If you’d like to participate in making plans to increase safety and maximize accessibility, please reach out to Skip at safecongregations@uufws.org and let him know you’d like to be a part of that team.

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Try Something New in the New Year

Thank you to the Sunday volunteers who joined one of the groups that makes our services run more smoothly!

It’s a new year, and we need a few more volunteers. With more people, no one has to serve too often, and it’s a wonderful way to make new connections. We’ll train you!

Check out the list below and contact our group leaders to try something new in the new year!

  • Greeters: Welcome members and visitors to the morning services as they enter the Fellowship. Email Susan at greeters@uufws.org.
  • Kitchen Crew: Make coffee and help with setup/cleanup during coffee hour. Email Pat at kitchencrew@uufws.org.
  • Nursery Assistants: Provide a safe, nurturing environment for infants and toddlers. Email pam@uufws.org.
  • Offering Counters: During 2nd service. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up.
  • Service Slide Creators: Some experience with Google Slides, Power Point or Canva is required. Email Jack at slides@uufws.org.
  • Tech Team: Multiple roles for audio and video broadcast skills. Email Jack at techteam@uufws.org.
  • Ushers: Hand out bulletins, find seats, pass offering baskets, and more! Email Nancy and Candy at ushers@uufws.org.
  • Watchful Shepherds: Monitor building access and watch for anything that could disrupt services. Email Skip at watchfulshepherds@uufws.org.
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Can You Lend a Hand with the UUFWS Recycling Program?

For over three years, Mary Rouse and Bob Habermann have been monitoring the recycling at our facility for compliance with local requirements so that items can be recycled. (Most weeks there are items in the bins that are not recyclable locally or are food-contaminated!) They would love to train others so that the recycling can be placed outside more frequently. Training would take about 15 minutes. Please contact Mary for more information.

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Sunday Reflections

Over the last two months, we’ve been in the depths of some of the breadth of our theological diversity: Samhain, All Souls, Advent (coming soon, Hanukkah).

And we’ve had services of vastly different energy: we debuted our Fellowship Band with upbeat joy, and we had a spoken and sung prayer with contemplation.

More than one of you in the receiving line has said (on different Sundays) something like: “thank you for your message. The feel of the service was not for me, and I know it was for others here. Thank you for doing this.”

What a beautiful sentiment to receive. Sometimes in Unitarian Universalism we can become the muddled melding pot (where no one really shines, the least common denominator). At UUFWS, we’ve made the bold proclamation that we’d rather be a bright mosaic, where we all shine at different times, in different ways.

We believe we learn even from the experiences that aren’t “our thing”. And we wonder, perhaps, if we learn and grow most from these? We wonder, what might be there for us to learn in services that feel less in our own language (verbal, emotional or spiritual)?

And, we’re excited to explore this all together.

And – if you wanted to explore All Creation Waits, the advent calendar in a book we looked at this past Sunday, here are links for the children’s edition as well as the original edition and a gift edition.

What To Do about Rumored ICE Sightings

Let’s not create unfounded fear by spreading “rumors” about ICE sightings that may be unfounded! If you or someone you know thinks they see ICE, please have them call the Siembra ICE watch hotline at (336) 543-0353. They will then confirm, and if it’s a valid sighting send this information out through their networks.

From UUA: Heads of Major American Religious Traditions Issue Landmark Statement Supporting Trans, Intersex and Nonbinary People

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Kitchen Crew Running on Fumes – Let Us Know if You Can Help!

The kitchen crew is seriously understaffed. We need at least two people to make coffee on Sundays mornings and serve refreshments for our 10:00 am Coffee Hour. On the job training will be provided. If you can commit to an occasional Sunday and are willing to learn we’d love to have you on our team.

Please contact Patricia Bartholomew at kitchencrew@uufws.org or text her. Better yet, pop in the kitchen between 9:15-11:00 am, look around and ask lots of questions.

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Sunday Reflections: November

Reflections From 11/2/2025 ~ All Souls Sunday

This past Sunday, we honored all who died, with particular attention to those who died within the past year and had been a part of our Fellowship Community. We read their names, and sang songs of honoring our ancestors.

We also heard the story Popi’s All Souls Song*, the choir sing the gorgeous song In Remembrance by Eleanor Daley, and gleaned some wisdom from Robin Wall Kimerer’s essay Becoming Earth: Experimental Theology (it’s well worth the read!).

*a reminder that just like at a library, you can “check out” this and other stories we read together at the end of the RE hallway, across from the single stall bathroom!

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Sunday Reflections: October

Reflections From 10/12/2025 ~ Our Muddy, Middle World

Want to hear our story from this Sunday, The First Fire, a Cherokee creation story told by the storyteller herself? You’re in luck – here’s Gayle Ross at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, Arkansas.

This Week’s Wonderings:

  • Where’s the fun (for me; for us) in living in a muddy world? Where’s the struggle (for me; for us) in living in a muddy world?
  • What do I/we need to do to find more joy in the fun, and more ease in the struggle?

…and where does spiritual practice/ritual/routine fit into these answers for you? How might these help you meet the moments?

Reflections From 10/5/2025 ~ The Hardest Word

This past Sunday we began our month exploring to Stories of Messy Humans by looking at the wisdom from the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur. We heard a story of the Ziz through the children’s book The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story. We then reflected on what we can learn from the Jewish atonement process of t’shuvah, which is often translated as repentance, and more literally means returning. We discussed the five stages of t’shuvah, from middle ages Jewish Rabbi, philosopher and Torah scholar Maimonides, as explored by Rabbi Danya Ruttenburg in her book On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World.

For a summary of these five stages of t’shuvah, you can read Rabbi Ruttenburg’s blog The Heroic Work of Repentance for the Union of Reform Judaism.

Wondering words for our week:

  • To whom do I need to say “I’m sorry”?
  • What relationships in my life need repair and reconciliation?