A building and safety update from UCUCC
Siblings in Christ, On Friday evening, the National Offices of the United Church of Christ released a statement saying they had received reports of potential threats targeting liberal churches going into inauguration week. This warning was inspired by an...
May’s Vote sponsored by UCUCC
A play about two women who led the suffrage campaign that won the vote for women in Washington State in 1910. Jan. 26 at 2:30 pm, & Jan. 29 at 6:30 pm on Zoom Order tickets here UCUCC is sponsoring these performances of May’s Vote through Key City Theatre. Please...
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
As our community gathers to celebrate the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we offer these links to help you get involved. We know this list does not name every event but we want to give a good start for folks who are looking for a place to jump in. We...
Pacific NW Conference UCC Men’s Retreat
To Pacific NW Conference UCC Men and friends, You are invited now to register for the Pacific Northwest Conference - United Church of Christ Men’s Retreat - January 29-30, 2021. The retreat will be held online, starting Friday evening, January 29, 2021, from 7:30 to 9...
The well, the water tower, and the pantry
The well, the water tower, and the pantry I was recently asked to explain what our endowment was and how it worked. In trying to come up with a non-technical explanation, I compared it to digging a well to provide you with water. Most of the water stays in the well...
Church Council Meeting Summary – Nov & Dec 2020
November council meeting summary November 18, 2020 YTD financial report was reviewed and discussed. Revenue for 2020 may be better than we thought, and total expenses are very close to what we were expecting. The Payroll Protection Plan funds are still on the books as...
Protecting against COVID-19 as we consider when and how to gather in person again
UCUCC COVID-19 Action Team and the Facilities & Equipment Committee The main infection risk for Covid-19 is proximity and duration: the closer we are to someone else and the longer we are near them, the more likely we are to encounter enough virus particles to...
A letter from Pastor Todd…
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” When I lead retreats and ceremonies, I often begin with an invocation inspired by First Nation sensibilities that calls in all the compass directions as expressions of...
2020: All This Joy, All This Sorrow recordings now available
Did you miss one of the heartfelt conversations in the Lecture Series 2020: All This Joy, All This Sorrow series this fall? Or perhaps you’d like to hear them again or share with a friend? The four sessions with guest speakers were recorded and are now available to...
Gathering Ground events – December 2020
Saturday Dance Party with Rene Saturday, November 28, 6:30pm - 8:30pm. RSVP here Join Rene De Los Santos -- our favorite fitness nut -- for an evening of dance. Rene introduces moves, turns on the tunes, and helps us all to shake it out. Modifications will be shown...
Meet Rev. Steve Jerbi, then attend Congregational meeting to vote!
You are invited to get better acquainted with our candidate for ministry, Rev. Steve Jerbi. The Search Committee is hosting four open Zoom meetings for members of our congregation to “meet” him and engage in discussion. The links for all of these are sent out in the...
Rebuilding Infrastructure—Some Green; Some Not So Green
Climate change is one of the incoming Biden-Harris administration’s core priorities. Its plan for rebuilding infrastructure would eliminate carbon emissions from the national power grid by 2035, greatly expand the availability and use of electric vehicles plus...
For All of Us Who Want to Deepen Spiritually
The season of Advent is characterized as a time of waiting. We await the arrival of the light with the change of seasons. We await the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus and the light that he brought into the world. But it is also a time of being both quiet...
Death Announcement
Donald Mallett (Don) Born: May 30, 1943 Died: November 17, 2020 Don Mallett died peacefully at home on November 17th. He joined the church in 1972 and has been an involved, caring, and dynamic presence ever since. His wit and can-do attitude, which was undergirded by...
Church Council Meeting Summary – October 2020
October 15, 2020 UCUCC has been selected to be funded by the Lily Foundation for Amy’s sabbatical. Her plan involves travel for 3+ months in Africa and the earliest she might go is about a year from now. The grant does allow for her to postpone travel for Covid...
Love & Justice Ministry—Land acknowledgement statement
We gather as guests of the Duwamish people on their traditional, unceded land that touches the shared waters of other Coast Salish tribes. We understand that their identity and richness of culture are deeply connected with the mountains, valleys, waterways and...
Advent Workshop Crafts – at home instructions
Here are instructions for this year's Advent Workshop - the at home version. We have Hand and Pawprint wreathes, Epsom Salt Luminary votives, and Beaded Wire ornaments for you to choose from - or do them all! Plan to pick them up at the Advent Car Parade on Sunday,...
Pastor Search Committee announces preferred candidate
The University UCC Pastor Search Committee is pleased to unanimously recommend Reverend Steve J. Jerbi as our candidate to fill the position left vacant by Rev. Peter Ilgenfritz in December 2018. This position is now titled Minister of Worship and Christian...
Using Zoom for the first time
Operating during the Corona virus pandemic means that we can no longer meet face to face. Many of our meetings–even among two or three people–are conducted on Zoom. If you have not yet used Zoom, the following eight-minute video will take you through the process....
Increased web presence for Racial Justice and Sacred Earth
In an effort to bring greater visibility and understanding to University UCC's efforts around both anti-racism work and climate justice, the UCC web team has added two new pages to the church website. Both are located within the "What we do" menu near the top of the...
Middle School Game Night
The Van Dyck family hosts weekly game nights on Wednesdays from 8:00 - 9:00 pm for youth in grades 6, 7 & 8. All you need to do is pull up a seat and have access to two devices. One to Zoom call on (I like to use our computer) so you can see the game board and a...
30 Days of Gratitude – week 1
UCUCC is participating in 30 Days of Gratitude! Each day during the month of November, folks are invited to post a photo, drawing, poem, song, or other expression inspired by a daily prompt. Please enjoy some of the responses shared by members of our congregation this...
Apple Day Recipes
Sacred Earth Matters – Hydrogen Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Last month’s Church & Home piece focused on a Washington public utility district producing green or renewable hydrogen by 2021—and the use of hydrogen fuel cells in forklifts, delivery vans, semitrucks, and mass transit busses. This month, we take a look at...
For All of Us — Since We Cannot Physically Attend Church
Autumn evokes so much in us—memories of returning to school; playing in autumn leaves; making new friends; going trick-or-treating. In Mexico, the first of November honors the Day of the Dead and in October, we name and honor all of the members of our church we've...
So You Want to Talk About Race?
At least 55 people do at UCUCC because they signed up for our six-week online book discussion groups of Ijeoma Oluo’s book, So You Want to Talk About Race? And a couple other small groups are doing their own discussion circles. Our skillful discussion and learning is...
UCUCC Custodians—Justice at work
While the building is closed, our custodians work hard every day (and sometimes night!) to make sure our building is clean and in good repair for the groups that continue to use the space for our Justice work. (CLCC, Trettin, UDYC and Teen Feed) Next time you see...
Called to Faithful Action: through the lens of art
As we have moved into our fall worship season, "Called to Faithful Action," our online services have been enhanced by images depicting scenes of social justice. This preaching series encourages us to examine all the ways we are called to faithful action—in politics,...
Memories—All Saints Service
Here is the list of beloved community members we have lost this last year. They were raised up and celebrated at our annual all-Saints Sunday worship service on October 25, 2020. We will continue to pray for them and their loved ones, and all those who have gone...
A Death in our community
Helen MacGilvra Born: December 26, 1930 Died: October 22, 2020 Helen died peacefully at home in the loving care of her family. Helen and Don joined UCUCC in 1980. Helen was an amazing, strong woman who served our community and the world in so many ways. She was...
Parenting Sanctuary
Every Wednesday - 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm Parenting Sanctuary - this is a moment for parents/guardians to witness, support, share and care for one another. There’s a space for YOU each Wednesday night, 8-9:30ish. If you are bringing up any age child, birth to young...
Getting involved with your UCUCC community
As you work your way through reading about news in our church community, do you wonder how to get involved with one of the groups you read about? Maybe you have time to join a Ministry Committee—or maybe your time is limited, but you’d like to help out when you can?...
For All of Us — Since We Cannot Physically Attend Church
In order to survive spiritually during this time of so much uncertainty and chaos, I've been cutting back on engaging with the news. I am aware, however, of the large number of people who are depressed and feeling fear, confusion, and spiritual pain, including myself....
The Lecture Series returns with a four-week online speaker series
2020: All This Joy, All This Sorrow Fridays, October 16, 23, 30, November 6 | 7 pm, via Zoom Register here | All are welcome! Series cost starts at $0 2020 has been a year like none other in our memories. The profound and widespread grief of this year has been...
UCUCC COVID-19 Action Team Update
In June, the Church Council charged a small group to research and make recommendations around UCUCC and COVID-19, especially around the question of how, when, and under what circumstances we can regather in our building. Here’s an update from that action team: The...
All Church Book Study: So You Want to Talk about Race?
The healing work regarding race is long overdue. Everyone can make a difference in fulfilling our church’s commitment to be a Racial Justice Church. We at UCUCC have a way to go and it requires learning. Some of that learning will happen in reading and conversation...
UCUCC Love and Justice Budget
As we all consider our pledges to UCUCC for the coming year, the Love & Justice Committee would like to share with you how we have used our portion of the church budget and Love & Justice Endowment monies in 2020 for both compassionate care and systemic...
Community Investment Committee – Urban League donation
At the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Stewardship & Finance Committee was concerned about our church’s finances in the coming months. Our Director of Finance and Operations, Kyna Shilling, applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) grant from the SBA...
New Life in the Community!
Noa Lin Baptista Peterson Born: August 30, 2020 Welcome to the world Noa! Congratulations to member Kristina Peterson and her wife Irina Baptista. They welcomed their daughter into the world on August 30 at 7:55am in Portugal where they all live. Baby Noa Lin Baptista...
A note from your Pastors
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians...