Rev. Kelly Dignan
05/03, “Beginning Again”, Rev. Kelly Dignan, Diana Maiden
05/10, To be announced, Rev. Kiersten Homblette, Diana McLean
05/17, “On Ministry – Two Voices”, Rev. Howell Lind, Diana McLean
05/24, “Aloha and Mahalo”, Rev Howell Lind, Tom Denkenberger
05/31, Transitions – Full Church Worship Service, Janen Wright, Diana McLean
The Annual Congregation Meeting will be held Sunday, June 7 at Noon in the Earth Room.
Background:
In June 2014 the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations passed a resolution regarding divestment from the fossil fuel industry, specifically and exclusively the 200 Carbon Tracker Initiative companies. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder is fully in support of this resolution, knowing that the widely accepted scientific consensus is that the ecosystems and human societies of the Earth are powerfully threatened by climate changes driven by greenhouse gas pollution, which derives predominantly from the burning of fossil fuels. Despite the urgent and imperative need for radical reduction of fossil fuel use, American and multinational corporations owning coal, oil, and natural gas deposits plan to continue business as usual, which is leading to increased production, not reduction, of dangerous greenhouse gases.
Our church has historically acted upon our Seventh Principle “respect for the interdependent web of all existence” by recycling and composting, making our building more energy efficient, installing solar panels, sponsoring a local community garden, working towards Green Sanctuary certification, working to impact public policy that will reduce our nation’s use of fossil fuels, and seeking to reduce our carbon footprint, individually and collectively.
In this church year, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder has embraced our Climate Action Ministry as our all-church social change focus. The ministry has been working to educate the congregation and taking action to impact climate change. We wish to continue to align our practices and actions with our religious values, to honor the part of our UUCB mission that is committed to “actively promoting Unitarian Universalist values here and in the wider world” and to honor our simple church focus of deepening faith, living well, and enacting justice. We also wish to align our investment practices with our religious values.
The divestment movement is not a financial fight against fossil fuel companies; it is a campaign to win the hearts and minds of society to stand up for what is right. It is our hope that our divestment from fossil fuels along with other institutions will lead to the societal awareness and then societal will to act to ultimately gain the political will to make the significant changes required to address climate change.
The Unitarian Universalist Association became the first faith community to embrace divestment, closely followed by the World Council of Churches. We are joining with at least 24 other UU congregations to date who have committed to divestment. Many universities including our own University of Colorado at Boulder have been in the news lately for their student protests on this issue. The city of Boulder committed to divest in 2013 along with 9 other U.S. cities. Even the Rockefeller Foundation, founded on Standard Oil, has joined. You can check the list of institutions involved in this growing movement at www.gofossilfree.org/
UUCB discussions began last fall to explore the possibilities, with a variety of views and perspectives shared between the Endowment Committee, divestment team members of the Climate Action Ministry, our minister, and members of the Board. In April, the Board passed a resolution in support of divestment over the next four years:
Board of Trustees
President Elect – Jason EnglishI discovered UU in 2002 while living as a chemical engineer in Wisconsin. In 2005, I moved to Boulder to study weather and climate change (and to enjoy the progressive culture, sunshine, mountains, bike paths and restaurants). I became involved with UUCB in 2006 and became a member in 2011. Since then, I have been involved in many committees, including the membership committee, Kelly Dignan’s internship committee, the all-church retreat committee, the board of trustees, and the ministerial search committee. I also created the “Wine and Spirit” events for middle-aged church members. During my time at UUCB, I have witnessed some difficult, but needed, changes in the church. The church has become more open to change, and young people and families are showing up and staying. I look forward to more opportunities to help our church be everything we dream it can be!
Trustee – Diana MaidenI’ve been a member of UUCB for a number of years beginning in 1983, and then rejoined the church in 2007. Raised as a Unitarian-Universalist by my mother, I have come to realize how much the UU principles we were raised with shaped my beliefs and interactions with people and my understanding of the natural world and all life. I raised my two daughters as Unitarian Universalists and sincerely appreciate the honor of being nominated to serve on the UUCB Board.
In January, 2015, I retired from a twenty year career in health care policy, working for the federal government on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and earlier with the Colorado Medicaid Agency. Prior to working in health care policy I was a mediator for the Colorado Department of Labor. I completed a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1970 and taught English in Iowa, Vermont and New Jersey. I completed a master’s degree in social work at Columbia University in 1982.
George Brandon. George Brandon has been a member of UUCB and a UU since 2006. Since joining UUCB, he has served the congregation, at varying times, as a member of the old Stewardship Committee, the annual Canvass Committee, the Buildings and Grounds crew, the Building Rentals Committee, and, during this church year, Diana McLean’s Ministerial Intern Committee. He also served an almost five-year term on the Board of Trustees, including a year as president of the Congregation. He attended the Mountain Desert District’s Russell Lockwood Leadership School.
Will Kropp. Will Kropp signed the Membership Book at UUCB in 2009. Joined first UU congregation in 2006 at the Main Line Unitarian Church (MLUC) in Devon, PA. Still working on issues surrounding Catholic guilt. Currently, Colorado State sales manager for J. Wells Brewery, Boulder, CO. Previously, worked as Executive Director of Parenting Place in Boulder, CO, a non-profit family resource center. Married to Caitlin Moore. Have two young, crusty sons named Marlin and Darby, 12 and 10, respectively.Current or previous District and/or UUA-level experience: Russell Lockwood Leadership School (2013), MDD Treasurer (2013-present). UUCB experience: Membership Council (2009-2014); Chair, Canvass Committee (2011-2014); Treasurer, Finance Council (2010-2014); Music Director Search Committee (2013); Chair, Ordination Committee, Rev. Amy Rowland (2013); Strategic Planning Task Force (2014-2015); Immigration Ministry, Social Justice Council (2014-present); Moderator (2014-present.
Ed Self. 
The Religious Education Share Your Passion Summer Program is back! Please sign up for a single Sunday (June through August) when you can share with the kids something you feel passionate about. Stories, songs, arts and crafts, outdoor activities are all welcome. I will be with you to open, close and provide the snacks!
PRISM students thank UUCBers for the goody bags at the end of their academic year and for the meals we provided once a month when school was in session. They always tell us how much they appreciate our meals. We’ll be feeding the students once a month again in the fall. We have many faithful cooks (or those willing to purchase items) for the PRISMers, but it would be nice to ease some of the burden from the regulars. Plan to make or purchase one item to feed 6 to 8 at least once in the next school year. We feed about 15 people each month. No one is expected to supply a dish for the entire group—usually we have two main dishes, sometimes, two vegetable dishes, two salads, and dessert, sometimes bread and butter. We plan a tentative menu, but if you want to supply something not on the menu, we can generally make a substitution. And if you’d like to plan a dinner menu, let me know. If your family would like to organize a meal one month with some friends, or your UUCB committee would like to help with a meal, let me know. We need to find a way to involve some more people. A little over a year ago, the UUCB RE students provided an entire Chinese meal for PRISM. They decided what they wanted to prepare. It was a very ambitious menu, but they did it—cooking egg fried rice one Sunday (then we froze it) and broccoli chicken another Sunday (also froze it). We may have made a salad too. We bought some egg rolls and ice cream and fortune cookies. Let Dianne Ewing know if you’d like to help in the fall.
What a month April has been!
I was so happy to be in the service on April 5th to hear the Search Committee reveal the name of our Ministerial Candidate. I admit, I spent most of the year trying to keep myself from thinking about that day, because just thinking about it made me both nervous and excited- and thinking about it wouldn’t make the day arrive any sooner. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the announcement that morning. Was it just me, or did the Search Committee drag out the announcement for as long as they could? I think they anticipated the response…
And what a response it was! For those who were part of the congregation four years ago, Kelly Dignan is familiar– and, based on the standing ovation she received, not only remembered, but well-loved. I happened to be sitting next to some people who were not around four years ago, and they were surprised by our response. They asked me if a lot of people knew Kelly, so I was able to explain that Kelly had done her ministerial internship with us, so many people got to know her during that time. Lucky for them, they’ll be able to meet Kelly in the end of April, during Candidating Week.
As I write this, the start of Candidating Week is still a few days away. I hope everyone has an opportunity to join in the festivities to greet Kelly and get to know her, so you can be ready for the big ministerial vote on Sunday, May 3. I just realized that, even though I’ve been a UU for 14 years, this is the first time I’ll have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to call a minister. I have a feeling that’s the case for a lot of us– so I hope to see many of you at the meeting casting your votes along with me!
Of course, the Ministerial Candidate wasn’t the only announcement made at the service on April 5th, though I’m sure it’s the one that most people remember. We also kicked off this year’s pledge canvass that day. As you know, most of the funding that we need to provide Sunday services and other programs comes from pledges made by members and friends of the congregation. I know (based on the number of flames in the chalice) that a number of people have already returned their pledge cards– and to you I say thanks or making an early commitment!
For everyone who is still thinking about a pledge for next year, thank you for taking time to consider your plan. If you haven’t received a pledge card, aren’t not sure how much to pledge, or want to understand where your pledge dollars go, please contact a member of the Board of Trustees or of the Finance Council. The sooner we receive pledge cards, the sooner we can start to develop our budget for next year. With a new minister (hopefully) joining us next year and lots of aspirations for our music, Faith Development, buildings and gardens, and other programs, we have lots of inspiration to take our canvass to new heights!
Faith Formation Focus May 2015
Calling all Superheros and Superheroines!!
It would be interesting to know how many of us, as children, pinned the corner of a towel around our neck and tried to run fast enough to make our “capes” fly out behind us. Or did you achieve the same end, with less effort, by jumping off the steps or a banister? If you are female, do you remember twirling around in circles in order to become Wonder Woman? I do. (Wonder Woman was, incidentally, one of the very first feminist figures–created in the 1940’s, during WWll, to empower women. She was the only female superhero for a long time.)
Superheroes and heroines have abilities that young children can only dream of. They are brave, strong, fast and always able to save the day and help people out –just in the nick of time. Although young people do not start out in life with these kinds of qualities, they do possess strong imaginations, which enable them to pretend that these powers are theirs–and thereby feel good about themselves. Research shows that children can increase their self-esteem through imaginary play and that playing out brave and strong roles, through the use of imagination, helps children feel more in control in the challenges of real life.
The definition of a Superhero, according to author Don M. Winn, “is one who uses his or her extraordinary powers for the betterment of the world. A superhero spreads hope in the world, has a strong moral code he or she lives their life by, believes in good over evil and doesn’t care what other people think of them as much as they care about doing their job and helping people.” That definition coincides with a lot of UU principles that we try to instill in the hearts of our children. As Unitarian Universalists, actually as human beings living on this planet, who among us has not wanted to thwart the forces of evil and be strong in the face of adversity? If only we as adults could keep these ideals alive with the same passion and energy that our kids do when they are being Superheroes.
This year at UUCB Summer Camp during the first week of June ( 3rd 4th and 5th from 9 to 3), we are going to give our kids a chance to decide what kind of Superhero/heroine they are–based on their own Superpowers (gifts, talents and interests) and their own Supervison (ideas and dreams.) We will meet some incredible and amazing UU Superheroes (like King John Sigismund and Clara Barton. And we will talk about real superpowers, such as courageous love and gratitude for all our sidekicks.
I already have a number of teens and Middle School counselors that have stepped forward to lead Super Stations that feature stories, crafts, physical fitness challenges, and big group games (kickball, relays, water parties.) Now all we need are the actual superheroes themselves– children ages 4 to 12. Registration forms are at the office counter and the deadline to register is May 17.th The cost is $75 per participant, ($25 for Middle School counselors), daily Super Snacks and capes included. Please let your children join us if you can!!
Janen Wright —Director of Lifespan Faith Formation
We honor members, friends, visitors
Our thoughts and good wishes continue to be with: The family of John Williamson (I called him Jumpin’ John) who died, March 30th, from surgical complications. John, and his wonderful wife Valerie, who was our Director of Religious Education in the late 70’s, and their children were active members of UUCB. A memorial service is planned in late May. Also with George Wolf and Janet Kern, whose daughter suffered a ruptured appendix. Janet flew to Boston to be with her.
Congratulations, Good Luck, Blessings, and Thanks to: Easter Sunday, April 5th — we the Search Committee, announced our candidate — the Rev. Kelly Dignan! Later that afternoon, on a special hike Jason English (member of our SC) and Gen Morley became engaged! Amanda Riggers, our pianist, and Sam Williams became engaged last month, and this month they purchased their first home. Amanda said it is exciting to go from 600 sq. ft. to 1700!
Random Thoughts: Depending on when you read last month’s newsletter you might have noticed my Random Thoughts were missing. I feel they are important enough to run them again because I want everyone, who covered everything when I missed five Sunday mornings to know how grateful I am. Last time I forgot to thank Fred Cole who covered four of the Sunday’s without me by his side, at the Greeter’s Table. The fifth Sunday we were attending the Mountain Desert District meeting together; so thanks for the volunteers who filled in for us.
I have missed seeing you while we the Search Committee have been away, and I wish to give very special thanks to all who have volunteered to make Sunday mornings work. I especially do not feel that Thank You hardly covers what I feel for Diana & Michael King, as well as Janet Kern & George Wolf who not only set-up coffee, but ended up doing clean-up as well! The Young Adults always do both jobs. That is not the promise I try to make when recruiting. My feeling is if you “cook” you do not clean — That is the rule at our house! For all of you who appreciate what is provided for you every Sunday I would be grateful if ALL of you would be aware, and help clean up. More hands would make the job happen very fast.
During my recent travels I had the pleasure of seeing former members Karen & Alan Gershanov. What a delightful surprise — and the feeling was mutual. Karen shared with me that when their church was going through very hard times, she said,.. “I remembered what Barb Richards would say; “… that we had to stay at the table!” they did and the rewards have been worth their effort. They join my ranks as Institutional UU’s.
With Love & Care, Barb
Circle Supper on May 2 is full, but if you’d like to come, call Karen Morgan, our May host, to see if there have been any cancellations. If you’d like to host sometime, the first Saturdays in the months of June, October, November, and December are open. The summer months are already booked!
Celebrating the Life and Music of Pete Seeger
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder
Sunday May 3rd, 6-6:45pm- Community Pot-Luck Dinner, 7-10pm- Concert
Featuring Earth Guardians, Harry Tuft, Silent Bear, Elena Klaver, Dave Hard, Steve Nerney, Peter Levine, Fergus Stone, Connor Link, Dean Birkencamp and more TBA
Presented by Forked Tree Music, The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center
and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder
![teapot[1]](http://uuchurchofboulder.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/teapot1.gif)
Henry Kroll will host our gathering for tea and conversation on May 17 at the Silver Sage Common House, 3 to 5 p.m. Bring finger food to share. Henry will show a video of his wife Jean dancing along with others at Silver Sage. The Common House is located at 1650 Yellow Pine Avenue in North Boulder. There is street parking, but car pooling, biking, etc. is encouraged.
It’s not too late to sign up for the workshop/class that introduce the Welcoming Congregation and present some materials from the Bisexuality and Transgender curriculums designed by Interweave, the UU GLBT organization. The class will be held at UUCB on Tuesday, May 12. The program begins at 7 p.m., but most of the group will come at 6:30 bringing their own brown-bag dinner to visit with class members before the program begins. Eddy Carroll, a member of the First Unitarian Society of Denver, will facilitate the workshop/class. He led the “Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop” at UUCB this winter and is very experienced training leaders for and teaching the Welcoming Congregation classes as well as the new curriculum, “Living the Welcoming Congregation.” We will offer the new curriculum in the fall at UUCB. At the May class we will decide if we want more classes before we begin the fall classes.
The congregation filled in post-it notes with “I WILL…”. Here’s a sample:
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Add solar panels |
Plant 6 trees, use the bus more often, travel less by air, bike more often, write more OpEds |
Breathe deeply and imagine the new world coming… |
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Save water, drive economical car, not waste food, mend |
Rotate tires , service car, trees, water, people, join &renew charity, join CSA (local co-op) |
Publicize alternative and renewable energy conversion to 100% by 2050 by phone calls and letters to President. Senators, Congress, Governor, to adopt 100% renewable detailed at The Solutions Project. |
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Use more renewable batteries, eat less meat and processed foods |
Ride my bike more often…enjoy the bike paths of Boulder while reducing my carbon footprint |
Write to legislature urging them to support bills to regulate and curb pollution |
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Commit to buying local as often as possible, reduce consumerism, air dry clothes more regularly, drive less, teach my children to love the earth |
Eat less meat, grow gardens, teach others to grow and preserve food, help kids develop love for the earth and understanding of interconnectedness |
Help share the joy that is relationship and commitment to others, as an invaluable replacement to other forms of wasteful and consumer entertainment/past-time tendencies |
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Move to an RTD route, bicycle more, buy a hybrid car, install solar at home |
Be patient and diligent in encouraging my fellow condo residents to compost their food waste |
Contribute to UUSC work in Kenya – planting trees and education |
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Give away possessions and occupy less space |
Implement a supply chain policy at work that considers GHG emissions when purchasing! |
Donate, speak, write and post for a carbon tax |
Dr. Chuck Kutscher of the National Renewal Energy Laboratory in Golden explains “The Greenhouse Effect” in his one hour presentation on the causes of Global Climate Change and constructive possible responses to what many around the World see as the most critical global challenge of the 21st Century.
Program was March 29, 2015 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder and sponsored by the congregation’s Climate Action Ministry and the Forum Planning Committee of the UUCB Social Justice Council.
Seated in the audience: UUCB’s Susan Secord, leader of Colorado Chapter of The Citizen’s Climate Lobby in yellow top front row and Arkansas “Strider” Benston, veteran civil rights and labor organizer of the Boulder Valley UU Fellowship.
Photo by Henry Kroll
As part of our Welcoming Congregation Committee, UUCB has two representatives on the IAC, which works to support the Boulder County AIDS Project in a number of ways. Judy Hunter and Dianne Ewing are our current reps. They and others are currently planning a candlelight memorial program to remember those lost to AIDS and to encourage the oncoming work to assist those living with HIV/AIDS in our community, and to support HIV/AIDS research. A candlelight memorial is held in hundreds, if not, thousands, of communities around the world in May each year.
This year the memorial will be held on Sunday, May 17. In Boulder, the entire community is invited to participate. The memorial program begins with a reception at the BCAP house at 6:45 p.m., followed by the introduction the walk and program at 7:30, then we walk to the courthouse for more brief words and music, and then we continue silently to the creekside memorial stone, which is on the south side of Boulder Creek, near the intersection of Arapahoe and Broadway. We arrive there about 8 p.m. and complete the program by 8:30. The BCAAP house is located at 2118 14th Street, between Lucille’s Restaurant and the west side (back) of the First United Methodist Church. You may join the walk at any point. There is free parking in Boulder’s parking garages on Sundays.
In the photo of current members of the IAC, you will see Jack Hodges pasted on the photo. He was from First United Methodist Church (taught math at CU for many decades) and was one the founding members of IAC. He passed away some months ago, but had remained an active member of IAC for probably close to 30 years.
The word has gone out from the pulpit, by paper, by email, and over the Internet and social media…surely you’ve heard by now that the Reverend Kelly Dignan will be UUCB’s Ministerial Candidate!
The Ministerial Search Committee spent nine months preparing and discerning to make this decision. And now it is up to the congregation to decide to extend a call to ministry and make Rev. Dignan our Settled Minister. Please participate in the many events during Candidate Week (Apr 25 – May 3), and don’t forget to show up and vote at the Special Congregational Meeting on May 3.
Candidate Week is the heart of the congregation’s discernment. There will be many opportunities for you to meet Rev. Dignan and her husband Pete, and for her to meet you and learn about the many important affinity groups, committees and ministries that make up the life of our congregation. We have a very full schedule for the week, which kicks off with an All-Church All-Ages Meet Your Ministerial Candidate Potluck at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
Please plan to attend one or more of the following social events, which are open to all in the UUCB community:
Saturday, April 25
Sunday, April 26
Monday, April 27
Tuesday, April 28
Wednesday, April 29
Thursday, April 30
Friday, May 1
Saturday, May 2
Sunday, May 3
Note: Many committees and ministry teams have also scheduled meetings with Rev. Dignan. Check the full Candidate Week Schedule or ask your committee chair for details.
Candidate Week will culminate with a Special Congregational Meeting at noon on Sunday, May 3, immediately after Rev. Dignan’s second morning in our pulpit. The sole item of business will be the congregation’s opportunity to call Rev. Dignan as UUCB’s settled minister. The bar for this vote is high: Ministers are advised to accept a call only if the vote is at least 95 percent in favor. Your Ministerial Search Committee is confident that this bar will be reached or exceeded, but it is even more important for you to feel that way. Please participate in this important process by getting to know Rev. Dignan during Candidate Week and voting at the May 3 meeting. Our bylaws do not allow for proxy or absentee votes, so please plan to attend in person.
For more information about Candidate Week, Rev. Dignan, or the Search process, please visit our Ministerial Search Committee website: http://uuchurchofboulder.org/msearch.
We look forward to joining with you and Rev. Kelly Dignan during a thoughtful and joyous Candidate Week, as this church moves forward in loving and covenantal partnership toward a settled ministry.
Yours in faith, The UUCB 2014-2015 Ministerial Search Committee
Jim Rowe (chair), Sharon Belew, Ted Burnham, Jason English, Jenny Fitt-Peaster, Diana Maiden, Barb Richards; April 5, 2015
