This will give us all an opportunity to apply our Mission statement- Challenge the mind; nourish the spirit; act in the world.
With the addition of two babies in the two families and the fact that the two working men (Sulaiman and brother Khalil) have reduced working hours at Nestles Ice Cream plant, our Refugee Support Committee has proposed the following for a Christmas giving project.
A list of needed items has been obtained from the families and will be placed on individual cards. People could pick a card, purchase the items and bring them to the UFL on Sundays during December. The items are basic items such as food items that the families eat daily; hygiene items; items for the two babies; gift cards for groceries – this will allow members/friends to contribute to the Christmas hamper which will be delivered to the families before December 25.
We hope that this project will give one a sense of helping out these two new-comer families and contribute to a feeling of generosity during the Christmas season.
-Eileen Howay, Candas Whtilock, Marlene Koehler
Thank you to everyone who attended the Saddle-Up Soiree! It was a rootin’ tootin’ good time full of delicious food and great Fellowship. A special thanks to Candas for organizing the event. She did an amazing job at keeping up the energy and momentum for the event as well as being the driving force for the organizing and logistics. Thanks also to the rest of the planning committee for the event: Bev B, Edna A, Linda L., Eileen H, Imran K, Karen K and Mark K
We certainly ate well at the soiree! The Cowpoke Stew and Vegan Country Chili really hit the spot on the cool evening! Thanks to Bev B, Edna A, Karen K, Linda R for their cooking efforts and to Eileen, Edna, Bev for their food prep work on the day! And of course we were well supplied with libations for the evening by Bill R. and Eric B. Linda R’s punch was a big hit in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
We had many folks come up to play games and win mystery bottles with contents ranging from Jam to shampoo to wd-40. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the bottles were claimed – even at 10 Uni-Bucks to play, all of the bottles had been chosen in the first half hour.
Edna’s son brought in a real saddle for our photo booth and we were able to snap some great pictures! Keep an eye out for a link to a photo album in the next email blast.
And of course the main event was the services auction itself! The table was abuzz as people jockeyed for the items they wanted. This wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of the entire congregation. From baked goods to pottery classes to tarot readings, we really pulled together to build something special. And of course, Mark pulled out all of the stops to make the auction really memorable!
And of course a ton of people were working behind the scenes cleaning up after the event like Marlene K. and Eileen H.
And our hard work paid off! Together we were able to raise over $11, 000 for the congregation! This money will go an enormous way towards supporting our work and mission.
This was my first encounter with a fall fundraiser at the UFL, and I was amazed and heartened by the wonderful comradery and community spirit I encountered. Here’s to a great fundraiser, I can’t wait to do it again next year!
Your board secretary,
-Jen S.
Worship Leader: Laura-Beth Falter
This service will feature three reflections by Casey Stainsby, CUC Youth and Young Adult Program Manager, a meditative piece by Anna Issacs, Director of Family Programs at the First Unitarian Church of Victoria, and Rev. Peter Boullata, from the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough.
Worship Leader: Mark Konrad
A brief description of human rights on this, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Service Leader: Lori Otte
Hymn Singing to follow the service
Service Leader: Lori Otte
Lori Otte will lead an evensong service
Join other UU 18 to 35 year-olds on Zoom for sharing of joys and sorrows, deeper check-ins, prayerful reflections, and an opportunity to process the events of our lives with a spiritually grounded community. Each month we are joined by a member of the Young Adult Pastoral Care Team.
These monthly gatherings have become highly valued touchstones in the lives of many young adults. While so much in our lives is unknown and unknowable, we can find comfort in familiar rituals and faces. By sharing our joys, our concerns, our sorrows and our gratitudes, we know ourselves to be held in a loving community. Exploring themes and spiritual practices helps us each remember our own creativity and resilience. We are all in this together, a part of a larger story.
These are drop-in gatherings, so you don’t need to sign up in advance and there is no fee. See event details for zoom link.
Join the kids to decorate the tree and prepare for Christmas.
Bring your family! Bring your friends!
Bring some finger food to Share!
This is an all ages event and everyone is welcome. Join us for:
A warm welcome is extended to men within our Congregation who would like to join other Unitarian Universalist men for food and conversation on Monday, December 11 at 1:00 pm., at the Family Circle Restaurant, at 147 Wellington St. London. Note change in date because of upcoming Holiday Season. Please email Tom Orchard, <tomjoyorchard@gmail.com>, if you plan to attend.
Joyce Orchard emails members of the group the week before the monthly lunch, to determine who will be attending. You may contact Tom Orchard or Bill Ratcliffe, wratcliffe@sympatico.ca, if you have any questions. Hope to see you at the next lunch.
The UFL book club has been around for 36 or 37 years, just slightly more than half of the ULF's existence. We meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 2 pm. Our December meeting is on Tuesday December 19th from 2 - 4 pm. We will meet via Zoom. Marlene will send out a Zoom link via email for the meeting. The book we are reading is ‘Looking for Jane’ by Heather Marshall. If you are interested in joining our book club please contact me, Alice Wehlau, the coordinator of the book club. I hope to hear from you. Alice's contact info is in the weekly email!
Join us on zoom as we prepare for the Winter Solstice with a ritual led by Elizabeth Van Rij.
This ritual will incorporate a variety of spiritual traditions that celebrate this time of increasing light.
No experience is necessary, just a desire to meditate and reflect. There will be an optional post-ritual social time. (Elizabeth was a co-leader of a woman’s earth-based spirituality group at Grand River Unitarian Congregation in Kitchener, leading many Wheel of the Year Celebrations.)
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82640427833?pwd=SGQwRTRuNGV2NHFCVHYxdVNKMzNiZz09"
Meeting ID: 826 4042 7833
Passcode: 898135
