We offer worship in two ways: in-person multi-platform service held in our sanctuary and online in our Church Zoom Room at 10:30 am. Doors and Zoom open at 10:15. To join the Church Zoom Room go to: saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/zoom-room/. You can find more information about how to connect through zoom towards the end of our Saltwater Church Newsletter. Our newsletter also provides ways to connect and live our values through in-person programming and via our Church Zoom Room.

Worship

Services

Live multi-platform worship in the sanctuary and online through zoom!

June 18: “Stories of our Journey Together,” Rev. Kristen Kuriga & Suzanne Laurel

This will be Rev. Kristen’s final service as our Minister. Join us for an opportunity to reflect on our journey together and participate in a ritual to release our covenant. There will be an opportunity for community sharing, so please consider bringing a memorable moment or story about our shared ministry over the last five years.

June 25: “Ever Willing: Becoming the People Our World Needs,” Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti

This Sunday we will view a livestream of the UUA General Assembly Sunday morning worship service. This will be a longer service, approximately 1 ½ hours. You can join us for a watch party in the sanctuary or in the Church Zoom Room. A description of the service is below:

The pandemic has wrought change and created uncertainty for institutions, like our Unitarian Universalist congregations, and our wider world. Who and what are we becoming, individually and collectively? Our GA Sunday service explores these themes as we gather in community to celebrate the best of who we UUs are.

Notable & Upcoming Events

To view our complete calendar of events, click here.
If you wish to schedule an event, click here to fill out a request form.

Litha, a.k.a. Summer Solstice Ritual
Saturday June 17, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
In Person – Sanctuary

Come Celebrate Litha, a.k.a. Summer Solstice, with Saltwater CUUPs (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans)!

The Sun Never Says – By Hafiz
Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth:
“You owe me.”
Look what happens with a Love like that…
It lights up the whole sky.

We will have a short celebration ritual – bring flowers and a sacred object for the Altar – followed by a Divination Night in the Welcoming Room.  If you want to read for others, bring your tarot, oracle, or other divination tools or just bring yourself and get a reading.  There will be light refreshments. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you there! _{^{***image credit: Bubba}}

Reception for Rev. Kristen Kuriga
Sunday, June 18, following service
In Person – Welcoming Room

Join us to celebrate Rev. Kristin and her 5 years of service here at Saltwater UU Church. We will host a church-wide potluck in the Welcoming Room following service. Yummy! Please bring a generous dish to share. Kindly mark ingredients if not clearly visible (like nuts, dairy products, soy, etc.) We are in need of volunteers to help us set up before church and clean up after the potluck concludes. Questions? contact Judy Featherstone, Judyfeatherstone@yahoo.com.

From Our Leadership

Your Delegates for UU General Assembly June 21, 2023

The Board would like to announce the delegates to represent our community at General Assembly in June. According to the GA Agenda this year’s delegates will be voting on an assertive Climate Justice business resolution, revisions to Article II, our new UUA president, as well as many other leadership positions. Your delegate is the voice that will speak, and vote, on behalf of the congregation. This year’s delegates are:

• Dick Burkhart, dick2burk@gmail.com
• Kathy Jorgensen, kathyjorgensen57@gmail.com
• Mayda Taney, merrydancer@comcast.net

Transitional Ministry Update

The Congregational Meeting on June 11 included an update on where we are in our transition. In every newsletter, we’ll give a weekly update on our progress. 

Our goal is to contract with a minister who will lead services, provide pastoral care and manage administration. We’re listing the start date as August 1, 2023. Ministers usually have an August 1 start date, to give them adequate time to learn about the congregation, make connections and establish their systems and processes for the busy church year.

With that short of a timeline, the Board has taken quick action to get started. We have established a Search Team: Galen Guffy, Carol Mitchell, Daniel Key and me, Diane Schairer.

The Team had our first meeting this week, and we are almost done with the paperwork needed to officially kick off the Search. We hope to finish that paperwork this week.

Meanwhile, an important part of transition is to honor what is ending. Please join us at our Sunday service on June 18 to celebrate Kristen Kuriga’s ministry with us, wish her well, and bid a loving goodbye.

Job Openings

Ways to Volunteer

Your Community Needs YOU!
Volunteer Now

We invite you to take part in creating the kind of community that you want to be part of! We need volunteers of all skills and ages. Opportunities include:

Sunday Morning Opportunities: Contact Bubba (administrator@saltwaterchurch.org) if you’re interested & need to get training/ orientation. For job details click here.

Facilities Team
Monthly on the 1^st Thursday, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Church Zoom Room

Our Facilities Team helps organize the maintenance of our buildings and the upkeep of our grounds. We are looking for volunteers to help contact contractors, manage coordinating repairs, and assist with volunteer events. Our meetings are monthly and your time commitment is quite flexible. Discover how you can help support our community by attending our next meeting on July 6. _{^{***Image credit: Bubba}} 

Saltwater Church Safety Taskforce
Monthly on the 2^nd Thursday, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Church Zoom Room

Our Safety Taskforce encourages members of our community to join in discussions about our facilities and community. Common topics include building safety, necessary upgrades to our facilities, and emergency planning. We are beginning multiple new projects and welcome your knowledge and skills. Join our monthly meeting to learn how you can lend a hand. Our next meeting is Thursday July 13.

Ways To Live Our Values

Share the Plate for June
Project Feast

Half of all undesignated donations received in the month of June will be shared with Project Feast. Project Feast empowers refugee and immigrant cooks by preparing them for culinary careers and becoming food
entrepreneurs. Participants reside in South King County and many are low income women. https://projectfeast.org/donate/

Of note are three programs:

• The Culinary Skills Apprentice program combines classroom, kitchen, and ESL lessons to prepare English Language learners for a good job in a food business or to start their own food business.
• Family Meals to Go is a weekly meal which can be ordered on Tuesday for pickup on Thursdays between 12-2p at the Café in Kent. Each week’s meal is inspired by one of the apprentices. Ordering is open to anyone and vegan options are available. Catering is also available which Saltwater enjoyed at our recent Pledge Drive celebration dinner.
• The Community Meals program provides culturally appropriate emergency meals for immigrant and refugee families as well as seniors. The Kent School District participates in this supplemental food program.

You can make a donation to share the plate through the donate button on our website
 https://saltwaterchurch.org/stewardship/donate/  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.

Climate Message of the Week

The Environmental Protection Agency is asking for public comments on some important proposed rules for clean car standards, emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, and mercury/air toxics standards.

Elders Climate Action–a non-partisan climate group—has a page with a short explanation of the proposals and a button to send comments to the EPA at https://www.eldersclimateaction.org/epa-2/. There are deadlines for comments so send them in as soon as possible. Let the EPA know that you want standards that support a healthy climate!

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
– Native American proverb

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

If you are planning to host an event in the Church Zoom Room please contact our Office Administrator (administrator@saltwaterchurch.org) the day before your scheduled event. They will need to verify your device has been registered to use the Church Zoom Room.

Weekly Meetings

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

Meditation Group 
Now In Person
Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:15pm
Our meditation group meets in person in the Saltwater Church Sanctuary. 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. Would you like to join our group? Contact Jean Spohn jeanspohn@centurylink.net or (206) 200-7524.

Writers Group 
Church Zoom Room
Wednesdays, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Do you like to write? Would you like to share and receive feedback on your writing? We welcome all writers at all levels! For more information, contact Janeane Weprin 630-824-8343 or jghonore@yahoo.com.

Twice a Month Meetings

Game Night Sponsored by Saltwater UU Social Club (SUUSC)
In Person – Welcome Room
1st and 3rd Saturdays, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Join our Saltwater community for an evening of fun. Friends and visitors are welcome. We play all types of board games (ranging from lighter games like Clue to more complex games like Pandemic.) Our group also plays thematic games, card games, and party & social games. Almost anything is possible, bring your favorite game and let us know about it. This event will follow our current COVID-19 Guidelines. Our next meet up will be on June 17.

Weekend Writers Group
Church Zoom Room
Alternating Sundays, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
There’s no time like the present to start writing that novel you have been dreaming about for years!  Or maybe it’s time to share the poetry you have stashed away in your file drawer or to start immortalizing by writing down those unique memories that have been your precious life!  And it’s a lot more fun if you have an audience of other writers to share them with. We welcome new members, WE WELCOME YOU! Any questions?  Please phone me at 206-898-5452 or email me at mona_lee@centurylink.net.

Monthly Meetings

Pair Sharing by Zoom
Janeane’s Zoom Room https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82327295157?pwd=c3Q5QXdUekR6YXBCWmg4N21WYWs1dz09
One Sunday a month, 1:00pm – 2:15pm
Discover the healing power in telling truth and bearing witness. Pair Sharing is the spiritual practice of deep sharing and listening. If you would like to attend in July please contact Janeane Weprin at jghonore@yahoo.com.

Creative Hands
In Person – Welcome Room
3^rd Tuesday, 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Join us for an afternoon of visiting and working on our creative projects. Bring your knitting, crocheting, hand sewing, jewelry making, or whatever with you. We gather monthly to foster connection through sharing our creative processes. We also support the Saltwater community with small craft projects throughout the year. Our next meeting will be June 20. If you would like to join us or have any questions, please contact Joanne Loeliger (206) 870-1939.

Quarterly Meetings

After Service Potluck
In Person : Welcome Room
Coming in August
Church-Wide Potluck, Yummy! Please bring a generous dish to share. Kindly mark ingredients if not clearly visible (like nuts, soy, etc.) We will also need folks to step up and help us set up before church and take down after church. Questions? contact Debra Valpey, 206-953-5704 or deberavalpey@gmail.com.

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
Toska Rodriguez: toska_r@hotmail.com

Multigenerational Faith Formation

Multigenerational Faith Formation’s Zoom Room 
https://zoom.us/j/2349227683?pwd=aG4yL3RRb240UjJyWUR1Y2p2V0lQUT09

Middle and High School Youth Group (grades 6-12)

Members and friends of all ages will attend the churchwide Game Night sponsored by SUUSC. Join Bert and Fernando and discover new table top games. Participants will play old classics or introduce new board or card games to the community.

Tabletop Family Game Night!
Saturday July 1, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
In Person – Saltwater Welcome Room

Youth will meet for social events several times a month. The Youth Group works with adult advisors to plan programs which include personal sharing, discussion of religious and ethical issues, guest speakers from other religions and from the community, service projects, participation in district youth conferences, and worship. This year youth will explore the monthly church-wide themes. Contact Amanda Radak or see the church newsletter for more information.

Support for Children, Youth, & Families

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/

Parents Support Group 

Our support group will not be meeting this month.

Childcare for Church Events & Services 

Childcare may be requested for any church activity at least one week in advance. As our Director of Faith Formation position is in transition, at this time all requests for childcare should be directed to our Volunteer Childcare Coordinator, Lisa Key via email at lunderhi@gmail.com. We will do our best to make accommodations whenever possible.

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 Bubba:  administrator@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 our Office Administrator: administrator@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 has opened for in person gatherings. If you wish to plan an event please use our online request form: https://saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/calendar-request/.  All gatherings are asked to follow the current COVID-19 guidelines. If you have questions about the guidelines or need assistance our Office Assistant is on-site Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 1pm. If you need on-site assistance outside of their regularly scheduled hours, email administrator@saltwaterchurch.org to schedule an appointment.

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 have questions, 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).