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Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
March 27, 2019
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Hi friends! I am Jay Steele and I’m excited to be writing a Week on the Peak article for the first time. I have been a member of MPUUC for ten years now (yes, the time flies by when you are having fun) and this year I’m a “Trustee At Large” of MPUUC’s board of trustees. Aside from my board responsibilities, my primary contribution to MPUUC is organizing music for services. I think that having live music performed and hymns sung together by the congregation creates a deep spiritual atmosphere for our services. I believe that hearing a musician (or even better, musicians) perform live allows the listener to establish a connection with the musician that gets a little lost with listening to recordings. I hope this feeling resonates with you also.
Currently, we have no professional musicians on staff for MPUUC (yes, we all miss Eric, our former pianist), so I share the responsibility of performing music at MPUUC with Peak Performers (our beloved choir), Peak Rocks (our cool rock band), and fellow pianists Mark Kahn and Jo Ann Schriner. I really enjoy making the contribution of music to MPUUC, and I am so grateful for the patience and support you showed me when I started playing piano at MPUUC. I was fairly proficient at playing piano in high school, but became quite rusty with a break of 20 or so years from piano playing.
I write to you today in an attempt to “drum up” more volunteers to play music or do other performance activities at MPUUC services. During the regular congregation year (September through June), Peak Performers play the first Sunday, Peak Rocks plays the third Sunday, and I and my fellow pianists handle the remaining Sundays. There is plenty of room for others (including children) to participate, particularly in the summer time. I’d like to encourage others of all skill levels to try it out not simply because it gives us current musicians a break, but also because making music is such a wonderful part of the human experience. I’d also like to encourage members to invite musically inclined friends to play at MPUUC. We give a great opportunity to play music with a friendly audience at MPUUC that is rare these days in our society. So far since I have been a member at MPUUC, we have had Alison Kline’s talented group, the Gaelic Muses, play for several MPUUC services. We have also had two of our children, Jessica Steele and Elizabeth Kline, perform for recent MPUUC services. I also encourage other types of non-musical performance activities in our MPUUC services such as dancing, subject to the approval of the worship team (just no fire stick juggling, please). I welcome your creativity in this area.
As you probably have noticed, our MPUUC services have a format of two hymns from our UU hymn books plus a Prelude, an Interlude, and a short Postlude. In addition, we play some side music such as “Go Now In Peace” to welcome the children to their RE classes, something soft and slow during Joys and Concerns, and something energizing during the Collection. For volunteers who want to participate in more limited ways, there are opportunities to just play one solo song, sing a song (with accompaniment if desired), or just play the hymns. Feel free to contact me at
jaysteele@earthlink.net if you are interested. In the meantime, I encourage you to continue supporting live music at MPUUC.
Blessings to all.
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What abundance is to the youth group.
Leading the service will be the Youth Group and assisting will be Rev. Jo Green. Jay Steele will provide our music.
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“What Will Our Legacy Be? Celebrating silver and going for gold.”
Canvass Dessert Parties are happening this week and next week. If you haven’t signed up for one already do so right away! The form to do so is here: https://goo.gl/forms/26PIHC65RiJIPIIR2. These parties will give us a chance to gather in small groups to discuss pledges and our collective vision for MPUUC. Pledge cards will be handed out at the dessert parties, please plan to turn pledge cards in at the dessert party or in the offering plate at church the Sunday after your dessert party. Remember that any pledge increase will go twice as far this year thanks to matching donations.
Thank you for giving to Mission Peak!
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What are the plans for Mission Peak UU’s remaining transition time?
Early during Rev. Jo’s time with us, our transition team and board met together (with the invaluable assistance of Terri King) and created an Excel document we’ve been calling a roadmap. We divided up our two transition years with Rev. Jo into quarters, and planned out various activities and when they should take place. This is helping both groups meet agreed-upon deadlines and gives us a bird’s-eye view of the many things that need to be accomplished. We have made and will continue to make some changes to it as we progress, but it gives us a useful framework.
If you are interested in viewing the roadmap and asking questions, DeAnna Alm will have a few copies available after the service on Sunday, March 31st and will be happy to discuss and answer questions. If you would like to have a copy emailed to you ahead of time, please email
deannaalm7@gmail.com and she will send you one.
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| Celebrating Mission Peak’s 25th Anniversary – Save These Dates!! |
2019 marks 25 years of MPUUC’s existence as a congregation and we think that’s a milestone worth celebrating. We will have many different celebrations throughout the year. Please reserve the following dates on your calendar now. You won’t want to miss them!
May 5 – Charter Sunday
– Come celebrate the Charter that started it all with a special service and a Potluck BBQ afterwards.
June 28-30 – MPUUC’s annual Campout!
This year we’ll be back at Puma Point at Anthony Chabot Regional Park so that we are close enough for those of you who are not so excited about camping to join us during the day on Saturday, June 29. We will have many fun activities planned and will end the day with a potluck BBQ and campfire.
September 8 – 25th Anniversary Picnic Celebration
– After the annual Water Ceremony at Cole Hall we will gather at one of the reserved picnic areas at Lake Elizabeth for a Picnic/BBQ celebration. We will have games for the kids, a jam session & sing-a-long, and other fun activities. Come join us and enjoy hanging out with friends & family and celebrating MPUUC.
[More details regarding these events will follow closer to the dates. If you have questions or suggestions for additional events or you want to help with an event, please contact Jen King].
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Spaces still available for Adult Ed classes and activities
Please email
ilzeduarte@earthlink.net
by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29, if you want to sign up for a spring Adult Ed class or activity. There are still spaces available for:
Jesus-the Puzzle (with new material this year), led by Len Tiemann, 5 spots
Mondays, April 8, 15, and 22, 7-9 p.m.
Room 7/8 in the Ockerman Building
Communicating with “Difficult” People-Some Strategies, led by Mark Rahman, 4 spots
Wednesday, April 10, 7-9 p.m.
Room 3/4 in the Ockerman Building
Meditation and Dharma, led by Eric Dittmar, 17 spots
2nd and 4th Thrusdays, 7-9 p.m. April 11-June 27
Eric Dittmar’s home
The Preacher in You (now revised to be taught in four sessions), led by Rev. Jo Green, 4 spots
Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. March 30, April 6, April 13, April 20
Room 3/4 in the Ockerman Building
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What Can We Do About Mass Incarceration?
Panel and Dialog: Sunday March 31st
Jose Bernal:
Senior Organizer Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. S
erves on the S.F. Reentry Council; advocates for restorative justice policies; spearheaded campaigns to de-privatize reentry services and end gang injunctions. Graduate of Stanford University’s Project ReMade program, a course aimed at empowering the formerly incarcerated.
Jonathon Simon:
directs the Center for the Study of Law and Society at UC and teaches about punishment, prisons, and mass incarceration. His books include, Governing through Crime: How the War on Crime Transformed American Society and Created a Culture of Fear
(2009) and Mass Incarceration on Trial: A Remarkable Court Decision and the Future of Prisons in America
(2014). Simon believes that invoking human dignity can fuel efforts to change the direction of the carceral state. Listen to his interview on Dignity and The Carceral State:
https://kpfa.org/episode/against-the-grain-april-4-2018/
10:30 – Worship Service
12:15 Starr King Room: Panel discussion-light lunch provided
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All Church Work Day
FUMC is planning an All Church Work-day on
Saturday, April 13 from 9 AM to 2 PM. If you are available, please join members from FUMC. FUMC is planning a light lunch about 12
noon in rooms 7 and 8.
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Job Opportunity
The City of Fremont Human Services Department currently has the following career opportunity available:
Public Service Assistant II
The complete job announcement can be found by clicking on the following link:
The job posting can be seen by clicking
here.
Please note that we only accept online applications. Applicants who do not have internet access may use the kiosk in the Human Resources lobby.
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Turning Love Into Justice:
The Tri-City Interfaith Council (tcicouncil.weebly.com) is a grass-roots organization bringing together people of diverse religious beliefs from Fremont, Newark, and Union City (California). Rev. Jo Green, Rev. Barbara Meyers and Paul K. Davis are members. Join in!
Call your Elected Officials!
Calls can make a difference! Contact your representatives to alert them to your views!
Congressperson Eric Swalwell 510-247-1388 or go to
house.gov
Senator Kamala Harris
(202) 224 – 3553
Senator Diane Feinstein (202) 224-3841
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Mission Peak UU | 2950 Washington Blvd Fremont CA | 510.252.1477 | missionpeakuu.org
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