Saltwater Church Newsletter January 15, 2020

Worship

Church zoom room go to saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/zoom-room/
Each Sunday we offer online worship through zoom at 10:30 am. For any of our worship services or meetings, you can join by computer or by calling in on your telephone. You can find more information about how to connect through zoom towards the end of the newsletter.

January: What Does it mean to be a People of Imagination?
In the month of January we are exploring what it means to be a people of imagination. A people who dream, create, and build; who are fed by creative practice and working for justice. A people who believe that what exists right now is not all that can be. Soul matters describes being a people of imagination as the practice of waking up to possibility and healing the world by conjuring up its missing parts. Join us as we explore and create together.
January 17: “Public Imagination,” Rev. Kristen Kuriga
January 24: “Dark Feet and Dark Wings: Re-imagining our Relationship to Mystery and the Unknown,” Rev. Emily Hartlief, Guest Minister
January 31: “Imagination:  Its Many Roles,”Saltwater Writer’s Group, Lay Led. The Saltwater Writers group shares the lighter and darker sides of imagination in our writing and our lives.

From the Board & HCT

Staff Transition
Our Office Administrator, Tasha Worthington, resigned on Tuesday, January 12 due to personal challenges. She thanks our community for the warm welcome. Please join me in sending Tasha care.
Rev. Kristen will work with the Board on next steps to fill the office administrator position. Until a new hire is made, Melinda Einander will be providing communications support, Gaye Greeves will continue to cover financial administration, and Rev. Kristen will cover office needs and renter support. We will be sure to keep the congregation updated about next steps in the process.

Upcoming Events

Getting to Know Each Other Gathering
The Membership Development Team invites visitors, friends and members to the next “Getting To Know You” session scheduled for Sunday, January 17, 2021. The purpose of our time together is to meet others in our church community and for all of us to get to know each other better. We will share information about the many opportunities available for you to get involved in our fellowship and there will be time for you to ask questions about our church. This will take place in a breakout room immediately following the worship service on Zoom. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Safety Team Meeting
The Safety Team will be meeting January 21, at 7pm in the Zoom Room. This is a team across all organizations who call our Saltwater Church buildings home. We are planning for natural disaster, emergencies, and general safety. Join us, and help develop the plan!
Questions? Contact Karin at karinleisy@gmail.com

Supporting Our Saltwater Community

Handmade Cards Fundraiser
Send beautiful cards to foster connection, while supporting our beloved community! Your purchases from HandmadeWithDove.Etsy.com will continue to support Saltwater year round, with $5 from every item sold going to the church.

Ways to Live Our Values

The People’s Inauguration: 10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love
January 22-31, 2021
A free, 10-day virtual event featuring renowned social justice leaders, spiritual teachers, and artists, coming together to invite us on a journey of healing, joy, and justice. You can learn more and register here: https://product.soundstrue.com/peoples-inauguration/register/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=peoplesinaug

Gear Lending Library for Little Explorers Outdoor Preschool
Beginning January 2021, Little Explorers, a non-profit licensed outdoor preschool program, will open on the campus of Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church. Little Explorers aims to provide access to low-income families to outdoor education.  One obstacle to equity is the cost of gear. With our support, Little Explorers envisions offering a Gear Lending library so that families will be able to check out essential gear for their preschooler that will reduce the cost of participating in the program and increase access. The cost per child is around $300 and will keep them warm and dry in the elements of the Pacific Northwest.  The Racial Justice Organizing Team is spearheading this effort because we believe in founder and director Teshia Flowers’ vision of building a program that is both racially and economically diverse.
You can help clothe a child!  Donate to build the gear lending library!
https://saltwaterchurch.org/gear-lending-library-for-little-explorers-outdoor-preschool/

Share the Plate in January: Federal Way Community Caregiving Network
Half of all undesignated donations received in the month of January will be shared with the Federal Way Community Caregiving Network: http://www.fwccn.org/. 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.

Stance for Racial Justice
Rain or shine, show up for racial justice in January! Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.  1/10 in Des Moines from 2pm-3pm. Intersection of 272nd St. and Pacific Hwy S (near Jack- in- the Box and Arco gas).  1/24 in Puyallup from 2pm-3pm. Intersection of 136th and S. Meridian (near post office and Sonic restaurant).
Contact Colette DeMonte at colette.demonte@gmail.com for more info.

Racial Justice Core Team meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  https://zoom.us/j/7434659479 

SCAN! (Saltwater Climate Action Now!) meets the 1st Sunday of the month from 12:00 to 1:30pm, in the church Zoom Room.

Climate Message of the Week:  It’s not too late to take part in Veganuary, an event that started in the UK and has grown worldwide. Veganuary participants pledge to give up meat, dairy, and animal products for 30 days. There’s an official site at https://veganuary.com/en-us/try-vegan/ but there are many plant-based cookbooks and online resources to help you do it on your own. Not everyone will remain vegan permanently but according to a New York Times article “even if someone doesn’t commit to veganism, there are still benefits. Joseph Poore, an environmental researcher at the University of Oxford who has studied the environmental impact of food production, estimates that if Veganuary got 350,000 people to give up meat and dairy for a month, it would reduce carbon emissions by 45,000 tons.”

Sound Alliance (Church zoom room) meets monthly on the 2nd Saturday 10:00 – 11:30 am

Federal Way Day Center Donations Needed
The Federal Way Day Center for unsheltered adults is providing important support to our local community while practicing social distancing. Their remarkable record of providing safe care has resulted in ZERO Covid cases. Those who were most vulnerable were admitted to safe housing sites in Kent and SeaTac. Ten long-term Day Center guests will be approved for Permanent Supported Housing at the soon to open Thea Bowman Apartments in Kent.
Your help with the most needed items can go a long way to maintaining that safety record:  cup noodles, hand warmers, rain ponchos, and trash bags. You can park in front of the Day Center and call (253-893-7895) and someone will come out to pick up the donations.  33505 13 Pl S behind the Multi-Service Center.  Or you may contact Lucia lfaithfull@comcast.net or Diane ddobrowolski@earthlink.net to arrange for your donations to be picked up. 

Growth and Learning

Ongoing Opportunities for Racial Justice Education https://saltwaterchurch.org/stay-in-the-loop/ongoing-opportunities-for-racial-justice-education/

Ways to Connect

Pair Sharing (Rev. Kristen’s Zoom Room https://zoom.us/j/7434659479)
Alternating Sundays, 11:45-1:00 pm.  The next session will be January 17, 2021.
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 

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

Creative Hands (church zoom room)
Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30 pm
We will support one another in our creative ventures, as well as discuss ways that we can help our communities during this time.

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

Writers Group (church zoom room)
Wednesdays, 9:30 am- 12pm

Support Circle (church zoom room)
Thursdays, 12:30-1:30 pm

Over Eaters Anonymous (church zoom room)
Fridays, 5-6 pm

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. Are you in a higher risk group and do not want to venture out to the grocery store? We may be able to connect you with someone in your neighborhood to help you get the supplies you need. If you have lost income from being sick or unable to work, or do not have enough money to buy extra food and supplies, 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. Do you need to go to work but don’t have childcare? Are there other needs that your family has? Please be in touch with Melinda at  melinda@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
Lynn Crow:  lynncrow1@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 9:30 am https://tinyurl.com/NUUC-SUUC-RE

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

Jr./Sr. High Youth Group Game Night (Joint with Northlake UU)
3rd Friday of each month, 7-9 pm. 
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, 7:30-8:30 pm
Family ministries zoom room

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

The Saltwater Church Family Ministries Library Wants to Visit Your Home!
Have your children run out of books to read, with school and public libraries closed? The Saltwater Family Ministries library has books to share! Contact melinda@saltwaterchurch.org to borrow books.  

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

Saltwater Church Building
The church building is closed to all in-person programming, groups, and meetings.  Staff are working from home.  Staff members will be going by the property to collect the mail and to check on the campus.  Planting Flowers has resumed providing essential childcare support to families.

Please Note:  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 at https://saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/calendar-request/

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