Welcome to Unitarian Universalism
We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, and people of many beliefs. We are brave, curious and compassionate thinkers and doers. We create spirituality and community beyond boundaries, working for more justice and more love in our own lives and in the world. Unitarian Universalism draws from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. We covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. The values we share include all the following, which we hold as inseparable and deeply interconnected:- Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
- Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
- Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
- Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
- Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
- Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.
- Beliefs and Shared Values – more information on our shared values and answers to some common belief questions
- Who We Are – our history, symbols, backgrounds and stories
- Religious Practices – what Unitarian Universalists do on Sunday and every day, including holidays and rites of passage
- Get Involved – find out how to connect with Unitarian Universalism, no matter where you are
THIS WEEK’S CHURCH CALENDAR
Monday – March 9
11am – Noon Good Company – Feeling isolated? Join us every Monday to meet new people and chat.
Tuesday – March 10
11am – Noon Truly Mindful Tuesday Meditation. All are invited to try different forms of meditation together each week.
12:30 – 2:30pm Tina’s Office Hours – You may reach out to her to set up a meeting time so you don’t have to wait. She is available other days, of course.
5pm SIUUC Gardening Forum
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94884266239
Phone: 1 253 215 8782 ID: 94884266239
If you would like to be included in the Garden Forum weekly email synopsis and email discussions, please contact Edna at skyislandchurch@gmail.com. Please note that we will be meeting at 5pm until Summer 2026, when we will likely return to the 6pm meeting time.
6:30 – 8pm Dharma Buddhists Meditation
Wednesday – March 11
5pm 12-Step Group
6 – 7:30pm Wondering Wednesdays
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/99892265318
Phone: 1 669 900 9128 ID: 99892265318
Come join us for Wondering Wednesday at 6pm on Zoom, where we are always wondering how everyone is doing, and catch up on the latest in the SIUUC Community. Feel free to pop in for some friendly conversation and maybe a chuckle or two.
Thursday – March 12
11am – Noon: The Widowing Tribe – The Tribe is available to anyone who has lost a partner, and is at any stage of grief. It is not tied to any religious belief; it is based in support with people who know what it’s like to be inside this grief.
Friday, March 13
11am Church Ladies Lunch at the Country House Restaurant
For all Zoom meetings, if you need to call in by phone you can call 1-253-215-8782.
The meeting ID is the last 11 digits of the corresponding link.
RECURRING MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
First Tuesday – 1pm Sunday Services Committee Meeting
First Friday:
9am First Friday Hike
6pm PFLAG Monthly Meeting | Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Second Sunday – 10:30am Second Sunday 2nd Collection
Second Friday – 11am Church Ladies Lunch at the Country House Restaurant
Third Thursday – 11:30am Men’s Luncheon. Contact Pat Aronna if you plan to attend.
Third Friday:
11am – 3pm EAF | Emergency Assistance Fund
1pm – ??pm Board Games
12pm Third Sunday – Board of Directors meet at the church following Sunday Service
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, you can call 1-253-215-8782. The meeting ID is the last 11 digits of the corresponding link.
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Together we rise,
Mary Katherine Morn
President
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
New Things To Do at Sky Island
Sunday, March 8, 2026
At 10:30am In-Person and on Zoom:
Phone: 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 989 1828 0553
THIS SUNDAY, March 8, Rev. Tina will consider “International Women’s Day: How Women of the World Raise Peace Together.”
On this International Women’s Day, with our country launched more deeply into war, we will explore how women from all over the globe have worked towards building peace. Julia Zoliver, a scholar of feminism in Latin America, says, “If you look into some studies that have been done, we know that when women are actively involved in peace negotiations and the writing of peace agreements, that peace over the next 10 to 15 years is more durable, and the quality of that peace will be better for everyone in society, not just women.” Can we learn insights from the particular contexts of women’s peace-making in Northern Ireland, Liberia, Sudan, Colombia, Uganda, India, to name just a few, that can help all of us reconcile?
Second Sunday 2nd Offering – Our second offering will be for the Sky Island Emergency Assistance Fund which is available to help community members and friends and members of Sky Island who are in crisis. We help pay part of a utility bill or supply gift cards for tents, work boots, clothes, household supplies, or food from Big 5 or Target.
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The week began with the tremendous energy you all brought to last Sunday’s gathering. During worship we were inspired by Susan Q. Miller and Maya Angelou’s fierce claiming of women’s history and voice, and we welcomed several new members. Afterwards, we met our new care teams and I discovered four people seated in the sanctuary planning our March 22 service. They will bring their passion for earth-centered religions to a ritual celebrating the spring solstice, Ostara.
Monday I found vibrancy in preparing for the monthly Sunday Services Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, hunting down possible topics and songs for the March theme of “feminism” and the April one of “earth.” Even though Monday is my day off, I was glad to take a little time to be ready for Tuesday.
Tuesday brought multiple productive meetings. For the second week in a row, we explored an entirely new form of meditation during Truly Mindful Tuesday. The Sunday Services Committee helped me flesh out ideas for April; we will cover Easter, World Autism Awareness Day, Earth Day, and Gathering Well for Annual Meeting.
Next, the Outreach Committee discussed events where we could have a table as a church and dreamed of gatherings we could host that might serve the larger community. We discussed the table rack we recently finished, ways to improve our social media presence, and the logistics of producing a second sign for the building.
I finished Tuesday with a phone call with a member of UU the Vote who wanted to know what training we might want to provide social justice to our area. I thought big: “What would we need to know to create the infrastructure to respond quickly as groups did in Minneapolis?” Perhaps you’d like to start with something smaller, how to be a medic at No Kings rallies, for example. Please give me your ideas and let me know if you’d like to attend when UU the Vote provides this learning in Phoenix at the end of May.
Unfortunately, the wee hours of Wednesday brought me a norovirus, which I got not because I was tired but because my son had picked it up at work. This week has taught me that rest is healing, and good for my creativity, but that I need to take a pause when my body needs it, not just when I have penciled it into my calendar. I am grateful that I could sleep most of Wednesday and then work from home the rest of the week. I was happy to witness that, just like the rest of us, while I contribute to the flourishing of this church, I am not necessary for it to thrive! I know that Progressive Pastors and the First Friday Hike carried on well without me.
I will have office hours this Tuesday, March 10, 12:30 – 2:30. You may reach out to me to set up a meeting time so you don’t have to wait. I am available other days, of course.
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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
It costs about $1400 per individual member to run our church. Another way of calculating it is to understand that it costs about $1800 per WEEK to run our church. I know that before getting involved in the details, I might have thought $1800 per month. But no, it’s per week.
FEBRUARY 15 BEGINS THE PLEDGE CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2026 YEAR
Most people don’t need to make itemized deductions any more for their tax returns. But in case you need an acknowledgment letter for your donations to the church in 2025, please let Treasurer Tricia know that you want one. Acknowledgment letters won’t happen otherwise. Happy New Year!
DID YOU KNOW?
There is a group called UU Ministry for Earth. For the next several months, they have an intern who is available to provide interfaith spiritual care and chaplaincy for a group or 1-on-1. Intern Chelsea McCoy can provide assistance if you have climate anxiety or are worried about the state of the world. You can read more about Chelsea and her background in this blog post. If you’d like to schedule a session with her, she is available to meet via Zoom, Google Meet, or Signal.
Within the UUA, there’s a program called Chalice Lighters. Chalice Lighters began in 1984 as a way for individual Unitarian Universalists to support projects and programs within and among UU congregations by donating $10 or more three times a year.
Sky Island UU Church has benefited in the past from Chalice Lighters grants. There’s quite a history behind the Chalice Lighters program and you can read more about it here.
Want to connect with other UUs engaged in justice? Check out the Side With Love’s Action Center.
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Mindfulness Meditation
Come for mindfulness meditation each Tuesday from 11am – noon at the church. We take turns leading it, but don’t feel that you have to. Come and try it out, no experience necessary. Thank you Django Sanders who always attends to hold space for others who come as well.
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Wondering Wednesdays
Come join us for Wondering Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. (local time) on Zoom, where we are always wondering how everyone is doing, and catch up on the latest in the SIUUC Community. Feel free to pop in on the rest of us for some friendly conversation and maybe a chuckle or two.
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Susie Fawcett remains living at the Haven and has just been put on hospice.
If you have a joy you’d like to share or a sorrow you’d like people to hear, please send an email to skyislandchurch@gmail.com
