Lammas Ritual

Saturday July 31, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
In-person, Saltwater Church Labyrinth

Saltwater’s CUUPS will be holding a late summer ritual, Lammas. To learn more about Lammas click the image on the right. This year’s ritual will include a drumming circle and walk of the church labyrinth. If you are not vaccinated, please wear a mask. Safety protocols, as defined by our taskforce, will be honored during this gathering. For information about Saltwater’s CUUPS community, please contact Galen Guffy galen6886@gmail.com.

Labyrinth Walk with the Minister

Sunday, August 1, 2:00pm
In-person, Saltwater Church Labyrinth

Join Rev. Kristen to engage in the spiritual practice of walking the labyrinth at the church. Please bring a chair, water, sunscreen/sunhat, and a mask. ^{***image credit: Bubba}

Now Let Us Sing … Together!
Thursday August 5, 7:00pm – 8:00pm
In person – Saltwater Church

Join us for an hour of hymn singing! We will gather in the outdoor space between the Welcoming Room and the Lighthouse. Please bring your own water bottle and your out-of-practice singing voice.Everyone is welcome. If you are un-vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to wear a face covering and maintain social distance, for your own protection.Let’s gather together and join our voices in song! Now Let Us Sing…Together! If you have any questions, please email Tom: music@saltwaterchurch.org – or call: 206-304-3830 _{***Image Credit: Saphronia Young}

In-person Opportunities

Gather The Youth: Stance for Black Lives
Sunday August 8, 1:45pm – 3:00pm
In-Person, Des Moines

Meet in the Jack in the Box parking lot in Des Moines for a brief check in followed by demonstration and concluding with “coffee” & discussion. This event is scheduled specifically for our High School and Middle School Youth. Please RSVP to Amanda at acradak@gmail.com or 206-683-1330, so that appropriate adult ratios can be maintained.
_{***image credit: Colette DeMonte}

Gather The Youth: Blackberry Picking
Sunday August 22, 4:00pm – 5:30pm 
In-Person, Saltwater Church

Gather at Saltwater Church for some berry picking fun. This event is scheduled specifically for our High School and Middle School Youth. Please RSVP to Amanda at acradak@gmail.com or 206-683-1330, so that appropriate adult ratios can be maintained. _{***image credit: Thierry}

From the Board and HCT

Our New Board Officers

For the 2021-2022 church year our Board Officers are: Mayda Taney as President, Karin Leisy as Vice-President, Kathy Jorgenson as Secretary, and Gaye Greeves as Treasurer. This year’s Board also includes Lauren Crowder, Aida Sanchez-Vela, and Katie Baker. Thank you for your leadership!
_{***Image Credit: Alleksana}

Board Focus for this Church Year

The Board and Rev. Kristen met for a retreat over zoom on July 24 to worship together, build relationship, and get oriented to the work of the Board. We also decided on the focus of the Board’s work for this church year. From August-December, the Board will be reading and learning together through the UUA report Widening the Circle of Concern. You can learn more about the report here: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening. From January through June we will be facilitating a visioning process for the congregation informed by our learnings in the fall. The Board will also continue to support the committees of the Board, the Healthy Congregation Team and the Nominating Team, and the Taskforces convened by the Board, the Reopening Taskforce, the Pandemic Taskforce, and the Safety Taskforce. If you have any questions about the work of the Board feel free to reach out to any of our Board members. 

Saltwater Church Re-Opening Update

A Reopening Taskforce has been convened by the Board and met for the first time on July 21. Thank you to those who have agreed to serve on the taskforce: Rosie Olds, Robert Snipes, Diane Schairer, Anjali Lopez, Tom McDavid, Serena Spaulding, and Galen Guffy. The Taskforce will be supported by Lauren Crowder, Board liaison, Rev. Kristen Kuriga, and staff members Melinda Einander and Katherine Bubba Miller.

The purpose of the team is to develop a timeline and plan for reopening the church taking into consideration guidance from the Pandemic Taskforce and public health agencies while centering the mission of the church and our covenantal commitments. This team will also implement the logistics of the plan for successful reopening. The team is currently focused on working through the logistics of reopening Sunday morning worship and programming.

We are evaluating the timeline that is possible for starting multi-platform worship. This is contingent on a few factors, including: the trajectory of the Delta variant and case numbers in our local community and the timeline for installation of our audio-visual and sound equipment. The good news is that we have signed a contract with an excellent local company, NeuriLink, for our audio-visual needs. Due to manufacturer backorders of essential equipment, we are unsure of the timeline for installation. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

As the Reopening Taskforce, Pandemic Taskforce and Board continue to consider a possible timeline for restarting in-person indoor programming, we invite you check out the outdoor opportunities for connection that are being offered this summer. Additional details about indoor events will be announced in our weekly newsletter as they become available.

For all in-person activities we will be following guidance from the UUA on masking, which includes either all persons masking regardless of vaccination status or having a conversation about consent among the participants. We believe that this approach reflects our commitment to welcome and care for those are you more vulnerable, including children, those who are immune-compromised, and those who are unable to be vaccinated. Anyone who is unvaccinated needs to wear a mask at all times. For more details on the masking guidelines adopted by the Board: https://www.uua.org/leadership/library/masking-guidelines. We will also continue to stay aware of all guidelines from the CDC and Washington State Public Health as recommendations change. 

Growth and Learning

UU Common Read
Tuesday August 24, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
https://zoom.us/j/7434659479

Please join the RJOT Racial Justice Organizing Team as we participate in the UU Common Read Breathe by Imani Perry. If you have not registered for a discussion session please email Susan at susanaigner@comcast.net. Contact our Office Administrator to borrow a book, or with any additional questions. Click the image for additional the details about the event.

Saltwater Pen Pal Project

Do you suffer from Zoom fatigue? Consider joining the Saltwater Pen Pal Project to exchange snail mail (or email) correspondence! Each month you would be paired up with someone from the group to exchange your thoughts about the monthly Soul Matters theme. Contact Joanne at JoanneStonebraker@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

Ways to Live Our Values

Share the Plate for August: BLUU Housing Initiative

Half of all undesignated donations received in the month of August will be shared with Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism’s (BLUU) affordable housing initiative:  https://blacklivesuu.org/bluu-housing-initiative. You can make a donation to share the plate through the donate button on our website: https://saltwaterchurch.org/stewardshipstewardship-overview/stewardshipdonate/ or mail a check to the church office with “basket” in the memo line: Saltwater UU Church, 25701 14 Pl S., Des Moines, WA 98198.

Engage in Racial Justice

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection will be on exhibited at the Tacoma Art Museum from July 31-November 28, 2021. The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to present times. Considered one of the most comprehensive surveys of African American history and culture outside the Smithsonian Institution, please do not miss this remarkable opportunity. Please visit https://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/ for more information. (Click the image for a video about The Kinseys.) ***Image Credit: Tacoma Art Museum

Stance for Racial Justice

Monthly on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, 2pm-3pm
In person
Rain or shine, show up for racial justice every other Sunday. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing. We will gather on 8/8 in Des Moines from 2pm until 3pm at the intersection of 272nd St. and Pacific Hwy S (near Jack- in- the Box and Arco gas). On 8/27 in Puyallup from 2pm until 3pm at the intersection of 136th and S. Meridian (near post office and Sonic restaurant). Contact Colette DeMonte at colette.demonte@gmail.com for more information.

Saltwater Climate Action Now! (SCAN!)

Monthly on the 3rd Sunday, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Church Zoom Room
SCAN! One of our members recently had a Letter to the Editor published in the Seattle Times. Read what he had to say here: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/climate-crisis-wake-up/ Scan will meet up again in August to discuss our efforts to act for climate justice. Please attend and learn how you can be a part of that effort. Thanks!

Racial Justice Organizing Team (RJOT)

Monthly on the 3^rd Tuesday, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Rev. Kristen’s Zoom Room
In August, join in our monthly discussions to discover more ways to support our community in our anti-racism efforts. Share ideas, provide support, learn about additional opportunities, and work together to advance our commitment to racial justice.

Sound Alliance

Monthly on the 4^th Saturday, 10am – 11:30am
Church Zoom Room
The Sound Alliance team works on multiple issues. The issues we focus on change from year to year, depending upon the concerns voiced by members of the congregation. Currently we are working to address and prevent homelessness, protect immigrant rights, and ease social isolation during the pandemic through the Social Connection Project. All members and friends of Saltwater UU Church and Bet Chaverim are most welcome to join us and act for Justice!

Climate Message of the Week

If you were on a boat that was taking on water, would you bail out the boat (adapt) or fix the hole where the water was coming in (mitigate)? Climate change requires both types of actions: adaptation which is adjusting to the problem and mitigation which addresses the cause of the problem.

For instance, landfills are among the highest sources of human-related methane gas in America. Recycling is an adaptation action which reduces the amount of waste going in to landfills. Mitigation strategies for landfills range from consumers buying less to Waste to Energy (WTE) technologies.

Tackle climate change by taking both adaptation and mitigation actions. Click on the picture to read how the Toyko Olympic 2020/2021 Games aspired to tackle Climate Change, or click here to watch the Official Olympic Video. To learn about examples of solutions that go a step further to use adaptation and mitigation at the same time, follow this link: https://www.wri.org/insights/5-strategies-achieve-climate-mitigation-and-adaptation-simultaneously.

(Are there topics or questions you’d like to see covered in future Climate Messages? Email suggestions to Sheri Jacobson at sheridjacobson@yahoo.com).

Ways to Connect

Pair Sharing
(Rev. Kristen’s Zoom Roomhttps://zoom.us/j/7434659479)
Sundays, twice a month 11:45am – 1:00pm
The Pair Sharing meetings this month will be on August 8 and August 29.
There is healing power in telling truth and bearing witness. Pair Sharing is the spiritual practice of deep sharing and listening. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Janeane Weprin at jghonore@yahoo.com. 

Saltwater Genealogy Club
(Church Zoom Room)
2^nd Wednesdays, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Do you love to talk about your family history and research? Saltwater Church has a Genealogy Club! We are not experts; we just share stories and research ideas. Our next meeting will be August 11. If you would like to join us or have any questions, please contact susanaigner@comcast.net.

Creative Hands
(Church Zoom Room)
1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Please join us to learn or practice hand work (knitting and crocheting, sewing, drawing, jewelry making or?) along with fun conversation and a supportive atmosphere. Pour yourself a favorite beverage, grab a snack, and join in the fun. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, August 18. Questions? Contact Lynn Crow at (206) 429-2005.

Al-Anon Support Group
(private zoom, contact saphroniayoung2016@gmail.com for link)
Mondays, 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Meditation Group 
(Church Zoom Room)
Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:15pm
We follow a UU modified Zen practice that includes lighting a candle, chiming a singing bowl, sitting & walking in silence, listening to words of wisdom, sharing tea and conversation, now all virtual via Zoom. Questions? Contact Jean Spohn jeanspohn@centurylink.net or (206) 200-7524.

Writers Group 
(Church Zoom Room)
Wednesdays, 9:30 am – 12:00pm

Support Circle 
(Church Zoom Room)
Thursdays, 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Over Eaters Anonymous
(Church Zoom Room)
Fridays, 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Weekend Writers Group
(Church Zoom Room)
Sundays twice a month, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Support is available

Do you need support? Please let us know, we want to help. Are you feeling lonely or isolated? We can connect you with a lay minister or another member of the congregation. If you have been affected by the pandemic financially, the Minister’s Discretionary Fund is available for one-time emergency support for members and friends of the church. Contact Rev. Kristen: minister@saltwaterchurch.org. 

If you are in need of emotional or spiritual support, you can reach out directly to a Lay Minister:
Debra Valpey: debravalpey@gmail.com
Mike Yanega: bowfinboy@gmail.com
Toska Rodriguez: toska_r@hotmail.com

Support for Children, Youth, and Families

Family Ministries Zoom Room  
https://zoom.us/j/2349227683?pwd=aG4yL3RRb240UjJyWUR1Y2p2V0lQUT09

Religious Education Class for Kids and their Grown-Ups 
(Note the class address.)
Sunday mornings at 9:30am https://tinyurl.com/NUUC-SUUC-RE

Junior and Senior High Youth Group 
(Note the class address.)
Sundays at 12:00pm, https://tinyurl.com/NUUC-SUUC-RE

Jr./Sr. High Youth Group Game Night (Joint with Northlake UU)
3^rd Friday of each month, 7:00pm – 9:00pm 
We will be using an online game platform as one of the options for games (boardgamearena.com – free account is plenty), so if possible, please let Margaret know if you plan to attend so we can get set up ahead of time. We hope to see you there!

https://tinyurl.com/CRE-NUUC
Meeting ID: 309 145 529
 Password: NUUC

If you are interested in having your youth (and/or yourself) receive reminder texts directly for game night and Sunday youth group, you can sign up for them by clicking this link and entering the information: https://www.remind.com/join/nuuc-6-12 Contact Margaret Rogers for more information: dre@northlakeuu.org

Family Support Circles
First & Third Mondays, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Family ministries zoom room

Parents Facebook Group 
Connect with other Saltwater Church families with children and youth for support through the Parents Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SUUCFamilyMatters/

General Information

How to Access the Church Zoom Room To access Zoom, go to  saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/zoom-room/and click on “To join a meeting-click here.” Or from the main church webpage, select Zoom Room from the drop down menu under “news and events” on the top menu bar. If this is your first time using Zoom, follow the prompts to download the application to your computer.

If you would prefer to join by phone, dial 1-669-900-6833 and enter Meeting ID: 736 142 4210 when prompted. You may need a password. If you do not have the password, please contact Melinda:  melinda@saltwaterchurch.org

If you have a smartphone, you can download the Zoom app and join with Meeting ID: 736 142 4210 for video and audio connection. You will need a password. If you do not have the password, please contact Melinda: melinda@saltwaterchurch.org

A quick guide for our Zoom room can be found here. Feel free to download the file to keep a copy readily available at your fingertips.

Saltwater Church Building
The church building is closed to most in-person programming, groups, and meetings. Staff are primarily working from home. Staff members will be going by the property to collect the mail and to check on the campus regularly. Planting Flowers has resumed providing essential childcare support to families. Haitian Christians have resumed in-person gatherings with a limited capacity on Sunday evenings.

Donations to Saltwater Church
When making a donation on the church website (click here), please indicate where you want your donation to go. After entering the amount of your donation, if you select “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card” you will see a line which starts with a pencil and has “add special instructions to the seller.” Please click on those words to specify “pledge” or your desired purpose. It will help our treasurer get money into the right places if that line is filled in. If you would like a statement of your donations for calendar year 2020 for tax purposes to email or call our treasurer Gaye Greeves at gnatfw@aol.com or (253) 508-3961. 

Please Note: Announcements, updates, and additions to the newsletter must be received by noon Wednesday to be included in that week’s newsletter. Send your submissions to administrator@saltwaterchurch.org or use the website form (click here).