Message on Behalf of the Covid Task Force

UCM’s COVID Task Force has been providing advice and guidance to our congregational leaders during the pandemic.  Further to our message last week, we have reviewed legislation and directives from the province and relevant health units.  At this point the Task Force has recommended that:

1. Rentals are restricted to the Great Hall with 50% capacity. There is a mandatory vaccine passport required for attendees.  Exceptions may be accommodated on a case by case basis and with results of a rapid test.  Children under the age of 12 may attend without vaccination.
2. A COVID Safety Plan be implemented for in person services.  This Plan was prepared in September for our return to in person services and was updated on Nov 16, 2011.  Updates include i) provision for children under 12 to attend service as long as they are masked and physically distanced.  ii) Choir may practise in the Great Hall following the service and coffee as long as they are masked and physically separated. 

We understand that other institutions may be making different decisions based on their organization’s needs. We ask that everyone follows our commitment to the Covenant of Right Relations when questioning a decision. In addition, we each have individual sets of health statuses, family constellations, and personal comfort zones that inform our own participation in UCM activities, both in person and virtually, that are worthy of respect and tolerance.

Services will continue to be available as a Zoom experience or livestreamed on YouTube. Registration is required for in-person services as we need to limit numbers, you are asked to mask and be vaccinated. Children and youth will meet outside for the time being.

We look forward to connecting - in person and on-line!

Fall Multi-Platform Services
 
December 5, 2021   Grow Your Spirit
December 12, 2021   Seek Meaning
December 19, 2021    Simple Gifts
December 24, 2021    Being the Light
December 26, 2021   At rest

Canvass Update

Festive Cheer Boxes- Last Chance to Order!

Statement from the Board

The UCM Board is thrilled that UU’s across Canada have voted to adopt the revised 8th Principle. The Principle reads “We, the member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council, covenant to affirm and promote:  individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions.”

As the first congregation in Canada to adopt the 8th Principle in May 2021, UCM has already begun steps to bring this new principle into our DNA. Our Social Justice Action Committee has organized a speaker series “Accountable Anti-Racism”, and the newly established 8th Principle Task Group is developing programs and strategies to further our efforts. We know that these are just the beginning steps on a long journey to dismantle systems and unconscious biases that exist. With the festive season approaching, here are two ideas for how to support Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) businesses. The City of Guelph has launched the Viola Desmond BIPOC Business Directory which quickly expanded geographically. It can be found at https://gbhsdirectory.ca/.  ANDPVA’s Indigenous Art Market located in Leslieville Toronto near Queen and Pape includes 15 Indigenous vendors. See UCM’s website for more BIPOC resources - just go to our 8th Principle page.

We thank our delegates and all those who worked tirelessly to ensure that Canadian Unitarian Universalists continue the journey towards radical inclusion – creating hospitable, diverse, multi-generational communities.

Mitten Tree

As is our tradition, we will be decorating our UCM Christmas tree with donations of new warm hats mittens and gloves. As the need is great we will also be adding Tim Horton's gift cards. The worthy recipients this year are the children and youth who attend the Pathway Community Breakfast Program.

Kathleen Sorensen 
Director of Lifespan Learning

Crowd Source Decorations

The Great Hall needs holiday greenery! If you have an extra poinsettia or pot of lilies or mini evergreens, and would like to temporarily share them with UCM, please let Rev. Fiona know. This feels like a year that needs some extra festive flair in the Great Hall. We would borrow your plants until the Christmas Eve service, at which time we ask that you re-claim them for your own holiday time.

Please label your plant pot with your name.

Donations to UCM

If you would like to make a financial contribution electronically to UCM, please do so at: https://uucm.ca/donation/
or via bank transfer to payment@uucm.ca

Please indicate whether these funds are for the current year or next year’s Operating Budget or for some other purpose. Thank you for your generosity.

Weekend Visits
As we get busier at the building if you are planning at doing some work at UCM over any upcoming weekend please inform Tisa in advance. We do have some rentals booked and need to ensure adequate safety measures. Thank you.

UCM Board Minutes 
Please take a moment to review the approved UCM Board Minutes from October 19, 2021.

Has Your Contact Info Changed?
Have you moved recently? Changed your email address or phone number? Please remember to let Tisa in the UCM office know so that we can keep such information current: admin@uucm.ca

Call for 2022 Programming at Unicamp!

Would you like to facilitate a program or event at Unicamp next summer? We're looking for leaders in spirituality, creativity, recreation, self-care, education, activism, nature-connection and more! BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ facilitators are particularly welcome!

Programs can be free (Unicamp will provide the facilitator's room and board) or paid (facilitator receives all participant fees and pays for their own accommodation). Events should be free and all-ages. We have a variety of indoor and outdoor venues.

For more info, to discuss an idea, or to submit your proposal, contact Brendon at programchair@unicampofontario.ca.
 

Yvette Salinas
Executive Director, Unicamp of Ontario
She/Her/Hers

Rev. Fiona

The best ways to be in touch with me are email, phone or text. You can also reach me through facebook messenger. I am "in the office" Tuesday through Sunday. If a matter is urgent or time sensitive please phone or text, it can take me a few days to respond to emails. If I have not responded to an email in a week, feel free to email again or call, due to volume I sometimes lose track of individual emails. 

Fiona

DLL Kathleen Sorensen

Whereas I love hearing from people, the volume of emails and voice messages is sometimes overwhelming. Therefore I check my messages 3 times a day and respond as soon as I can. If you need to reach me in a more urgent manner or want to alert me to a particularly important message, please text me at  647-513-6031. 
 
Thank you.

Social Justice

Speaker Series: Confronting Racism

Tickets $10.00 at Eventbrite plus small fee.

Wed. Feb. 9, 2022 7:30 pm
Martin Ejidjra
Tackling Institutionalized Racism within school boards and other organizations

Click here for more info

Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 7:30 pm
Dany Assaf
Author of Say Please and Thank You & Stand in Line – My Experiences as a Muslim Canadian

Click here for more info

Anti Racism

For a list of anti racism articles, videos and books, go to the Nurturing Inclusivity section of the UCM website:  https://uucm.ca/nurturing-inclusivity/

Read about Amnesty International Letter and Other Petitions

Check out  https://uucm.ca/social-justice/ to learn more about how you can help.

How Do Unitarians View Christianity?

Douglas Hill, a member of our Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga, has some of the answers on his web site: www.TopicsInChristianity.com . This site provides a scholarly, respectful and critical review of selected topics in Christianity.

Topics include: Great Quotations, The Historical Jesus, Questions for Atheists and Christians, and Science and Religion Organizations. 

Upcoming CUC Events

CUC’s 60th Anniversary Weekend
Friday, November 26 – Sunday, November 28, 2021 
The CUC was launched on May 14, 1961, when about 50 Unitarian Universalists from Halifax to Vancouver voted the Canadian Unitarian Council into being. Our journey to 2021 has been eventful, filled with significant milestones in human rights and social justice areas. During this weekend, we celebrate and honour the work of those who have laid the foundations for our Canadian UU faith community, and press on to the work that remains to be done to bring us to a world in which our interdependence calls us to love and justice. This weekend includes:

• Friday, November 26:
  • Elder's Circle: 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Stephen Paquette holds a webinar on decolonization and we invite you to join him in this conversation.
  • Regional Gatherings: 7:00pm regional time zones. these are opportunities for UUs to connect within their own regions, share and reflect on questions and topics in common. Each gathering is hosted by a CUC staff member. Links for Friday events are found here.
• Saturday, November 27: 
  • CUC Special Meeting – 12:00 – 2:30 pm ET. This meeting takes place to discuss and vote on the proposed 8th Principle for “Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” Information for the Special Meeting is found in this Google folder.
  • CUC 60th Anniversary Recognition: 4:00 - 6:00 pm ET. Join us for a retrospective on the past 60 years, with first-hand and personal accounts by UUs who were significant contributors to the CUC's journey, followed by a conversation and our hopes and committed actions for our future. 
• Sunday, November 28: National Sunday Service – 1 pm ET. Led by youth and young adults, this service’s theme is “Change is Nature.” Come for a delightful and spiritual experience!

More information is available at https://cuc.ca/events/cucs-60th-anniversary/1637953200/1638111600/

Shelter in This Place

"2020 was a year unlike any other. A year of masks and marches. A tale of two pandemics, COVID-19 and the deep rooted pandemic of white supremacy and structured racism." This year's inSpirit meditation book is an anthology of poems and reflections from Unitarian Universalists and includes a piece by Rev. Fiona, an adapted excerpt from her reflection Dandelion Kindness.  

Shelter in This Place can be ordered through inSpirit, the UU Bookstore.

Youtube livestreaming of the Sunday Service 

If you have trouble logging onto Zoom, you can watch the service on our youtube channel. To view a livestream you must subscribe to our UCM channel. The livestream begins around 10:25am and ends with the benediction. It is available for a short time on Sunday and then is removed. Clips from Rev. Fiona's reflections and prerecorded videos will be uploaded later in the week.

Don't forget to watch past services on the channel (every view helps our profile!) and send links to friends who might need this life sustaining community.

Nurturing Inclusivity: 

“Nurturing Inclusivity”, deepening our understanding of systemic racism and the inherent bias that has been internalized in Canadian society. 
 
We are seeking to deepen our understanding of the impact of racism on racialized people, so that we may develop as Unitarian Universalists.  As a community, we are working to enlarge our circle in ways that are welcoming of people of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds.  This work can be uncomfortable, but it is also rewarding; an opportunity to grow in spirit and develop meaningful connections with others. Please check our Nurturing Inclusivity webpage and our Event webpage.

The Reverend Mark Mosher DeWolfe Sermons

We have created a collection of webpages on our UCM website featuring The Reverend Mark Moshe DeWolfe sermons. This is such a wonderful opportunity to showcase his sermons as many Unitarians all through Canada and the States admire him. You will be able to listen, read and see some annotated or handwritten sermons in PDFs. We have approximately 50 sermons to upload so come back and check frequently. Enjoy!
Please visit www.uucm.ca/mark-dewolfe-sermons/
Brigitte Twomey

Covenant of Right Relations

We, the members of the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga, affirm a Covenant of Right Relations. As Unitarian Universalists, we come freely into community, guided by our seven principles and nourished by the six sources.

In good faith, we covenant to:

• Assume good intentions, recognize impact
• Listen deeply and seek understanding.
• Appreciate each person’s contributions.
• Communicate directly with people when differences exist.
• Speak to and about people with empathy and respect.
• Seek peaceful and constructive resolutions to conflict.
• Ask for help when we need help in dealing with situations.
• Forgive each other and ourselves when mistakes are made.

Affirmed at the Annual Meeting, June 2016.

A Message from the Personnel Committee 

Our Safe Steps policy helps the congregation be attuned to right relations between members. The policy, which is currently being updated, ensures that we take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of adults and children alike.
 
During this pandemic time we are reminded that many people are facing stressful home situations. We hear reports in the media about increases in intimate partner assault and child abuse. Financial stressors and tight living situations mean that tempers can flare more easily. If you are in a situation where you feel you might need some help, here are some local agencies that can help:
 
The Children’s Aid Society for the Region of Peel, now assisting families with children up to the age of 18: (905) 363-6131
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: (416) 863-0511
24/7 Crisis Support Peel Line: (905) 278-9036
 

UU at Home

One way to stay connected with Unitarian Universalism is to create a UU space in your home that you can turn to for exploration or contemplation. This might be a shelf or corner table or a box.  It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, just a chalice and tea light, or decorated with other images and objects that have meaning for you. You might have a book of poems or essays near by or use a favourite website or twitter handle.  Use the UUA Worship Web app or sign up for the weekly Braver/Wiser message.  Families can use these UU World activity pages. Take time every day or once a week to light the chalice, to sit and breathe and be, and care for your spirit. Or find a special "sit spot" outside and visit it often to build your connections to all that is.  Unitarian Universalism is about belonging to the earth and celebrating the mystery - we celebrate together on a Sunday morning but you can also experience this in your daily living through practicing intention and attention.

I look forward to hearing about your "at-home" explorations!

Rev. Fiona

Audio Reflections are now on the Website and YouTube

We have created another way you can stay connected with UCM while we are in virtual mode for the next little while: Rev Fiona's reflections for the past three months have all been posted to the UCM website as audio files!  
 
Our new digital sound system which we purchased last Fall creates excellent quality audio recordings of our Sunday services. UCM members Rya Khan and Marc Xuereb are creating edited recordings of Rev Fiona's reflections each Sunday.

Brigitte Twomey has redesigned a portion of our website that enables you to listen to a reflection while reading the full text. Go to the Reflections Archive on our website (https://uucm.ca/reflections-archive/) to see the latest recordings along with the text of the reflections. The reflections have also been added to our UCM YouTube channel. 
 
On a related note, we can also create edited recordings of portions of the services on demand for members. Just ask Rya or Marc if want a recording of the choir's performance, for example or a special section of the service that spoke to you.

Marc Xuereb

Sexual harassment excludes women from public life
Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission

Le harcèlement sexuel : un acte qui relègue les femmes à la marge de la vie publique

Par : Renu Mandhane, commissaire en chef, Commission ontarienne des droits de la personne