COVID Protocols

As we are following public health guidelines, there are no formal COVID protocols in place at this time.

Doors and windows will be open in the Great Hall on Sunday for as long as the weather permits, providing additional ventilation.

You are welcome to wear a mask but this is no longer a requirement.

If you are feeling unwell please stay home and enjoy our YouTube livestream. We want to protect the most vulnerable among us. The board will provide direction if circumstances change.

Connecting with the Minister

I am always available with a listening ear for your spiritual questions and life concerns. The best ways to reach me are by email at minister@uucm.ca or by text/phone at 226-791-4068. You can also friend me on Facebook and connect on Messenger. I may take a day to respond, if you don't hear from me in three days, feel free to contact me again. The occasional email gets lost down the list.
 
I take personal time Friday evening through to Saturday lunchtime, and again from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning. Email is not checked during these times but I will respond to phone/texts.

Rev. Fiona

8th Principle Work

As part of living by our eighth principle we are reintroducing "inclusion nudges".  These nudges will increase your understanding of systemic barriers to inclusion and help you act to dismantle those barriers in yourself and society.
 
There are two key steps to becoming more inclusive:

Step 1: Awareness
Experts tell us that our unconscious mind makes a majority of our decisions. It creates blind spots — unconscious biases that can narrow our vision and potentially influence our behaviours. We need to become aware of any blindspots we may have. 
 
Step 2: Action
We need to consciously use strategies to minimise any blindspots and actively include and support diversity.
 
The Implicit Association Tests developed by Harvard University will help you gain a deeper understanding of your attitudes and preferences across a range of different groups of people and associated attributes. These scientifically proven tests are completely anonymous, and your personal results will be shared only with you.
This week take 10 minutes to take one of the available Implicit Association Tests to learn more about any blindspots you may have:  https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/canada/  
 
Thank you to Harmeet Dhillon for compiling these tips.

Safe Step

In the spirit of healing and growing, we would like to highlight the Safe Steps policy created by the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga. If you feel like you need to speak to anyone about situations that have happened, the Safe Steps policy can point you in the right direction.

2023 Canvass Update

Tick-tock, the days are getting shorter. So too is the time left to complete the annual canvass. We are bracing for a difficult year in 2023 as rampant inflation continues to squeeze UCM’s budget from all directions. We recently heard that UCM will not be eligible for a Trillium grant this year to help repair the admin roof. This $100,000 cost has been deferred to 2023. However we remain confident that even these challenges can be met with the ongoing and much appreciated support of our members.

In early November, our dedicated Board members offered testimonies on the role UCM plays in their lives, kicking off our annual Canvass campaign "Healing & Growing with Generosity" and its $165,000 goal. Many of you have already responded!

Given the difficult financial economy today, the 2023 Canvass campaign is off to a strong start. As of November 23, the amount pledged is $124,700 (over 75% of our revenue goal) after just over three weeks. We have received pledges from 49 members and families and we thank each of them so much for their generosity. We hope to receive approximately another 20 pledges and we politely request those members to please make your pledge as soon as possible. Every amount helps, large or small. This is essential for the Finance Committee to finalize the 2023 budget.
 
We encourage everyone to read the Suggested Fair Share Contribution Guide when you are considering your pledge this year. Please pledge electronically at https://uucm.ca/pledge-operating-2023/ or mail/drop your pledge form off at the church. Payments are encouraged by pre-authorized debit or other bank transfers on line.
 
For those of you who donate monthly through pre-authorized payments, we request that you complete the 2023 pledge form, as we are not able to continue your payments into next year without your authorization.
 
If you have questions about Canvass please email donations@uucm.ca. We thank everyone for your financial contributions, your time spent volunteering and the talents you share with us.
Geoff Cliffe-Phillips
Canvass Committee

Further Update from the Finance Committee

In the Oct 27^th Shining Chalice, we mentioned that we had applied for a Trillium Grant to help us finance the replacement of the roof over Founders Hall. Unfortunately, we did not receive the grant that we applied for. The Board and Finance committee will discuss next steps and report back to the congregation on options for financing this much needed repair which will be carried out in 2023. The total cost is expected to be between $80,000 and $100,000. 

Community Comfort Corner

OWL Facilitator Training

Are you comfortable talking about sexuality? Do you want to be involved in the congregation in a different way? Has it been more than 5 years since your last OWL facilitator training?  
 
If so, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is hosting some online training sessions to become or refresh your skills as an Our Whole Lives (OWL) facilitator.
 
Upcoming:

• Grades K-1/4-6 OWL
  • Mondays – January 9, 23 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EST)
  • Tuesdays – January 17 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EST)
  • Thursdays – January 12, 19, 26 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EST)
  • Saturdays – January 28 (from 10:00 – 3:00 pm EST)
  • Registration opens: November 7^th at noon and closes November 21^st  
• Grades 7-9/10-12 OWL
  • Mondays – February 6, 13 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EDT)
  • Tuesday – February 21 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EDT)
  • Thursdays – February 9, 16, 23 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EDT)
  • Saturdays – February 25 (from 10:00 – 3:00 pm EDT)
  • Registration opens: November 28^th at noon and closes December 12^th   
• All Adult OWL
  • Mondays – March 6, 13, 20 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EDT)
  • Thursdays – March 9, 16, 23 (from 6:00 – 8:30 pm EDT)
  • Saturdays – March 25 (from 10:00 – 3:00 pm EDT)
  • Registration opens: January 17^th at noon and closes January 20^th

 
Registration cost is $250. Please keep the receipt for reimbursement.
 
The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) is hosting some in-person training sessions as well.
 
Upcoming:

• Grades K-1/4-6 OWL, Grades 7-9/10-12 OWL, & All Adult OWL
  • May 21-May 24 (all day in Ottawa after 2023 Symposium)

For more details about OWL or to indicate your interest, please contact Family Life Coordinator, Caitlyn Seale, at FLC@uucm.ca.
 
To learn more about what OWL is, https://www.uua.org/re/owl

Voices UUnited

Our UCM Choir, Voices UUnited, is resuming rehearsals If you love to sing, please join us! No previous experience or music reading abilities necessary!

2022-23  Education Focus:  Healing and Growing Monthly Wellness Series  

We will be exploring different forms of wellness as we encourage one another in a year of healing and growing. Each month we will have an all ages family service focused on wellness, followed by activities for children, junior youth and youth, while adults meet in small groups to discuss the wellness theme. Resources on the monthly topic will be posted monthly to the website.

September 2022:        Good Learning - Intellectual Wellness is a hot topic, as we learn how to distinguish fact from fake news and read media with a critical lens.

October 2022:             We are Better Together - Social Wellness means having a robust and supportive social group that offers a sense of secure belonging.  This month we celebrate the value of community.

November 2022:        You are the Earth - Environmental Wellness – taking care of earth - helps us and the planet live with health and harmony.

December 2022:         Loving Hearts - Developing Emotional Wellness means we are able to be vulnerable and open with loved ones, and can name and manage our feelings and handle conflict constructively.

January 2023:             Abundant Life -  Financial Wellness is a necessary evil in this time as we are so dependent on money to live. This month we explore how the way we think about money impacts on our sense of abundance.

February 2023:           Weaving the Web - A system that is functioning in a way that allows people to thrive and focus on their tasks exhibits Organizational Wellness.

March 2023:               You are Whole and Holy - Developing Spiritual Wellness means we feel part of something bigger than ourselves, whether that is God, the universe or the mystery.  We know our core values and beliefs.

April 2023:                  Good Bodies - Physical Wellness focuses on embodiment – on the joys of being in our bodies, moving in the world.

May 2023:                   Happy Minds - In our final theme, we look at Mental Wellness and caring for ourselves even when our brains are struggling with distorted thoughts caused by depression, anxiety or other illness.

Upcoming CUC Events

Rising Together: UU Youth and Emerging Adults of Colour
First Saturday of each month
December 3, 2022
January 7, 2023
4:00 pm  ET (90 minutes)
For Youth (14-19) and emerging adults (18-24) of colour

Registration is ongoing. If you have registered for one iteration of this program, you do not need to register again. However, your RSVP for each event to risingtogether@cuc.ca would be appreciated!

Join us for Rising Together–a welcoming space especially for Black, Indigenous and other people of colour (BIPOC) Unitarian Universalist youth and emerging young adults (ages 14-24). Led by Camellia Jahanshahi, a youth advisor of colour at the Unitarian Church of Montreal, this group gathers monthly for themed worship, discussions, and workshop-style activities. Join us for a chance to meet other BIPOC Unitarian Universalists across Canada and nurture our community with the aim of affirming each other and ensuring we have a confident voice in the broader UU community. 

More information and registration is available here.

Celebration of Shared Ministry
December 4, 2022, 7:00 pm ET 
Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowship is delighted to invite you to their Celebration of Shared Ministry with their new minister, Arran Morton. Join in person or on Zoom. If you are unable to attend and wish to send a message of well wishes, please contact minister@cvuf.ca 
For more details email minister@cvuf.ca

Gathered Here
Thursday, December 8, 2022, 2:00 pm ET (90 minutes) 
https://bit.ly/GHThurs22-3

Monday, January 16, 2023, 8:00 p.m. ET 
https://bit.ly/GHMon22-3
Join other 18- to 35-year-old Unitarian Universalists on Zoom for sharing of joys and sorrows, deeper check-ins, prayerful reflections, and an opportunity to process the events of our lives with a spiritually grounded community. Each month we are joined by a member of the Young Adult Pastoral Care Team. 
More information is available here (registration isn’t required). 

Connect and Deepen
2nd and 4th Sundays each month, 4:00 pm  ET (90 minutes)

• December 11: Promises: within community and personally
• January 8, 2023:  How do we give Life to our Promises

Connect and Deepen is a regular, small group ministry. We gather, virtually, for meaningful discussion, connection and reflection. If you are not connected to a local congregation, or just want the opportunity to explore spiritual topics within a guided small group we encourage you to join us.
More information and registration is available here.

Social Justice

Read about Amnesty International Letter and Other Petitions

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

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.

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

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.

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