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

Theme for May: Creativity

Throughout the month of May we are exploring the spiritual theme of creativity. Peggy Taylor writes: “Creativity is our ability to dream things up and make them happen.” What do you want or need to create? What do we collectively imagine for our community and our neighborhoods? How can we co-create our dreams into reality? Join us to explore and learn together!

Services

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

May 7: “The Art of Language to Liberate and Empower,” Rev. Jennifer Alviar, Guest Minister

Language holds both power and possibility for liberation, healing and wholeness. Yet such liberation depends on who wields the power and how this power is used. Come join us as we seek to redefine and expand our understanding of language in leading to greater equity and inclusion within the disability justice movement.

Bio: Rev. Jennifer DeBusk Alviar is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister whose unique call is to expand the welcome table of hospitality, inclusion and liberation. To this end, she cultivates positive relationships with community organizations and diverse faith traditions actively engaged in the healing work of bridge-building and social change. Rev. Alviar received her Master of Divinity degree at Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley, California. She currently lives with her family on the traditional land of the Duwamish people known as Seattle, Washington.

May 14: “Celebrating 100 Years of Flower Ceremony,” Rev. Kristen Kuriga

Join us in the annual ritual of Flower Ceremony which celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity, and community. Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Čapek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Mája Čapek, Norbert’s widow. This year marks the 100-year anniversary.

If you are joining us in-person, please bring a flower or flowering branch with you for our flower ceremony. If you are joining us by zoom, please also bring a flower with you that can be shared in the service in gallery view on your camera. For more on the ritual of flower communion: https://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/flower-ceremony

May 21: “The Path of Creativity,” Rev. Kristen Kuriga

May 28: More information coming soon!

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.

Worship Associate Training: Calling all Past, Present, and Future Worship Associates!
Saturday May 13, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
In Person – Sanctuary

Our newly formed Worship Team (Meri Murphy, Janeira St. Claire, Joanne Stonebraker, Janeane Weprin, and Rev. Kristen Kuriga,) will be offering a training session for those interested in serving the church as a Worship Associate. We would like existing and former Worship Associates to attend, as well as anyone interested in potentially serving as a Worship Associate.  Or, if you are just curious, please come!  All are welcome!

Annual Flower Ceremony
Sunday May 14, Worship Service
In Person – Sanctuary

If you are joining our Sunday service in-person, please bring a flower or flowering branch with you for our flower ceremony. If you are joining us by zoom, please also bring a flower with you that can be shared during the service in gallery view on your camera.

Celebration of Life for Frank Billington
Saturday June 3, 10:00am Multi-platform

Saltwater Church Sanctuary: 25701 14^th Pl S, Des Moines, WA 98198
Church Zoom Room: https://saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/zoom-room/
Join us to celebrate the life of Frank Billington. All are welcome to come together as we share memories and offer care to Frank’s family, friends, and community. A reception for those who are in-person will follow the service in the welcome room.

Congregational Meeting
Sunday, June 11, at 11:45am, multiplatform
In Person – Sanctuary & Church Zoom Room

Join the Board after service on June 11 for our end of year Congregational Meeting. Vote on nominees for for the Board and the Nominating Committee. Learn what our Operating teams have been up to, what the Board has accomplished over the past year, and hear a review of the budget and our finances.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Nominees:
Nominating Committee: Christine Frueh and Saphronia Young
Board: Galen Guffy and Pat Montgomery

From Our Leadership

UUA Sponsored Article II Amendment Discussion Workshops

At General Assembly 2023, Unitarian Universalists will take an initial vote on proposed changes to Article II of the UUA Bylaws, which includes the current UUA purposes, principles, sources, and clauses on inclusion and freedom of belief.

The following Zoom workshops to discuss amendments to the Article II Study Commission proposal (PDF) are open to all Unitarian Universalists and are organized by the UUA. Whether or not you submitted a suggestion or idea, we encourage you to join us for one or more of these workshops.

Slate of Candidates for the Board and Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce our 2023-2024 slate of candidates for the Saltwater Church Board and the Nominating Committee. The Board and the Nominating Committee each have two open positions which will be voted on at our June 11th Congregational meeting. Galen Guffy and Pat Montgomery have agreed to run for the Board and Christine Frueh and Saphronia Young will seek your vote for the Nominating Committee. Nominations for the Board of Directors may also be made from the floor at the annual Congregational meeting.

Each of these Saltwater members bring a unique set of skills for your consideration and you can get to know them by reading their bios here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_25iAnAflb5j6ZAEpnZPyGemJTSmgq80/view?usp=share_link

Please take this month to ‘get to know’ the candidates and plan to cast your vote at the June 11th meeting. Our thanks to these four members for agreeing to participate in these important leadership roles for our Church.

-Your Nominating Team: Kathy Linnell, Laurie Bardill, Carol Mitchell and Mayda Taney

Join Our Staff
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 Leanne (anna57.5@gmail.com), our volunteer coordinator, if you’re interested & need to get training/ orientation. For job details click here.

Facilities Team
SPECIAL JUNE DATE, 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 FRIDAY June 2. _{^{***Image credit:  Karolina Grabowska}} 

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 May 11.

Ways To Live Our Values

Share the Plate for May
Meals on Wheels

Half of all undesignated donations received in the month of May will be shared with Meals on Wheels https://soundgenerations.org/senior-centers/

Established in 1967, Sound Generations, previously known as Senior Services, supports almost 54,000 people annually in King County. They provide food security, transportation, health & wellness, and assistance services to underserved and marginalized populations. This month we are supporting Sound Generations Meals on Wheels which accepts King County, WA residents aged 60 or more, who have difficulty shopping or cooking. Clients can order up to 14 meals each week and choose from 30 menu items that meet their individual nutritional needs. Staff and volunteers pack and deliver the meals, ensuring their food needs are met.

Meals are delivered once per week by a friendly driver. The drivers provide contact with Seniors who are often isolated. The meals arrive frozen and packaged in trays to be heated in a microwave or conventional oven. Low sodium, low fat, low cholesterol, vegetarian and vegan are options as well as Kosher and Halal certified.

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

“What do you love too much to lose? What are you willing to give up?”

Too often responding to the climate crisis seems to be all about giving up things—flying, fossil fuels, less meat, plastic, fast fashion, convenience. What doesn’t get mentioned enough is how our climate decisions can protect what we love—clean air, clean water, our pets, our gardens and trees, the futures of our children and grandchildren. By placing your climate actions in the context of the things you cherish they can become less about restriction and more about joy.

(Quote paraphrased from the Climate Ribbon Project)

Are there topics or questions you’d like to see covered in future Climate Messages? Email suggestions to Sheri Jacobson at sheridjacobson@yahoo.com. ^{***image credit: Freepik}

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 May 6.

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

Paint n’ Sip
On Hiatus
4^th Mondays, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
All ages welcome! Bring any size canvas. No experience required. All paints and supplies provided. Childcare is being provided. RSVP to Jessica Alexander at jazz.itup@live.com.

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. Our next meeting will be Sunday May 7. If you have any questions, please feel free to 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 May 16. If you would like to join us or have any questions, please contact Joanne Loeliger (206) 870-1939.

Support Circle
Church Zoom Room : https://saltwaterchurch.org/calendar/zoom-room/
3^rd Thursdays, 12:30-1:30 pm, led by Rev. Kristen 
Support circle is open to all members and friends and is a space for deep check-in and reflection on a question related to our monthly theme. In support circle we come to be nourished by authentic relationship, to mutually support one another through the joys and sorrows of our lives, and to create space for spiritual insight. Our next meeting will be May 18. All are welcome.

Quarterly Meetings

After Service Potluck
In Person : Welcome Room
Sunday May 21 following service
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)

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.

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

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

Register for Camp Blue Boat
July 16 through July 21
Lazy F Camp & Retreat Center, Ellensburg, WA

It’s time to register for this year’s Camp Blue Boat. This is a Unitarian Universalist summer camp immersion experience for youth from rising 6th-grade to 12th-grade graduates, with age-specific housing and programming. Campers, counselors and staff will spend time exploring being in relationship with one’s self, others, and the wider world. At camp, youth learn about community, spirituality, justice, equality, and also have a ton of fun! For additional information and the link to register go to: https://www.uua.org/pacific-western/youth-ministries/events/pnwd-camp

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 Office Administrator via email at administrator@saltwaterchurch.org. 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).