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Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
October 9, 2019
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Ministerial Musings
It is Our Job
Greetings Beloved Community!
As of this writing, the power has not been shut off yet, so cross your fingers we all weather this windy time in our area. If you do have you power shut off, know that this is a community that might be able to help. We can use this time to lean on each other and help each other in times of need.
This week is an important week. Matthew Shepard died 21 years ago on October 6th. Yom Kippur is today, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Friday the 11th is National Coming Out Day and this Sunday we will be hosting J Mase III as he speaks about being Transqueer and reads excerpts of his book and his poetry. And to add to all of this next Monday is Indigenous People’s day for those of us who reject the previous honoree.
For LBGTQ+ folks, there’s a lot happening that personally affects them. I want to honor that. It is amazing in some ways how much our nation has grown. When I speak with younger generations, they don’t see what the big deal is regarding gender, accept all categories of gender and are not fazed by people’s identities. And then there are some of my relatives in the Midwest, older than me, who won’t even watch the Ellen DeGeneres Show because they don’t approve of her lifestyle. When I look at the difference in generations, it gives me hope. There is more acceptance, more compassion, more acknowledgement of people’s true identities. Yes there are those still who ridicule, torment and hate. There are those who refuse to change their beliefs no matter what the proof. It is our job however to always be tolerant without derision, strong in our belief of our Seven Principles, courageous to speak truth to power, and engaged in the task to create a world more fair, more loving, more unified. Even when it feels impossible. Even when it feels awkward, even when we feel we just can’t do it.
It is our job to strive to understand. It is our job, even when it feels too hard or too complicated or just too much. Even when we feel we just don’t have the energy to do the work. As Unitarian Universalists, we can stand together to do this work, just like our hymn #1021 Lean on Me. Together we can accomplish so much more.
I urge you to attend this Sunday evening when J Mase III comes to Cole Hall to speak to us about being Transgender, about being African American. We can learn how to have the courage, we can learn how to walk alongside the shoes of another. We can’t walk in them many times, but we can walk alongside. That is our job.
Blessings to you all,
Rev Jo
Please feel free to contact me
By phone: 510-972-3890
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Intersectionality in our system of White Supremacy
How do the intersections of race, sex, gender, ability, class and age intertwine in the systems our culture propagates? How does the intersectionality many of our fellow humans experience differ from ours? This Sunday we will explore how we can challenge these systems of oppression to allow the full expression of each individual.
Rev. Jo Green will lead the service and assisting will be Worship Associate Allysson McDonald. Jay Steele will provide our music
Rev Jo Green will be on vacation out of town from Oct 19-23. Please contact the below officers for any immediate needs.
For Pastoral Care contact Rev. Barbara Meyers, bfkmeyers@gmail.com
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Honoring Indigenous People’s Day
October Share the Plate – Sunday, October 13, 2019
Monday, October 14, is federally recognized as Columbus Day, but at least 6 states and well over 100 cities in the US now refer to the holiday as Indigenous People’s Day in recognition of the millions of people who inhabited the continent before the arrival of Columbus in 1492, and that Columbus’s journey encouraged centuries of exploitation of Native Americans. The
Ohlone
people have lived in what is now the
Bay Area
since 4000 BCE. Our offering this Sunday will be donated to the Sogorea Te Land Trust, an urban, indigenous, women-led organization founded in 2012 to collectively own and buy back traditional lands of the Karkin and Chochenyo divisions of the Ohlone people. The vision for the land trust is for a patchwork of small plots of land across the
East Bay
, the traditional territory of the
Chochenyo
and
Karkin
, that would be available for communal use. More information about the Sogorea Te Land Trust can be found
here
and
here
.
Please bring cash or make checks out to Mission Peak UU with “Segorea Te Land Trust” in the memo line. Cash for pledge fulfillment should be placed in envelopes available at the Welcome Table. Checks intended for pledge fulfillment should indicate “Pledge” in the memo line
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TRANS POET, AUTHOR, J MASE III TO SPEAK At Mission Peak UU
On Sunday, October 13th at 7 PM Mission Peak Unitarian Universalists will host J Mase III who will be visiting in the Bay Area from Seattle. Mase is a Black/trans/queer poet & educator based in Seattle by way of Philly. He will share some excerpts from his book
And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment and Inappropriate Jokes About Death
,
along with poems he has written. In the book
And Then I Got Fired
, Mase
takes on themes of the messiness of grief, Black trans spirituality, and what it means to be an independent artist. Written after the passing of both his grandmother and father within the span of three months, this book is honest, brave, and full of love.
There will be a Question and Answer period with the author following the talk. Light refreshments will be available, and child care can be provided with reservations. This event is free and donations will be accepted. Bring your friends!
Delegates at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in 2018 selected “Undoing Intersectional White Supremacy” to be the 2018-2021 Congregational Study/Action Issue (CSAI) of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Intersectionality can be defined as the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. The CSAI is an invitation for congregations to take a topic of concern and engage it, reflect on it, learn about it, respond to it, comment on it, and take action-each in their own way. Mission Peak UU has invited J Mase III to Fremont in answer to this call to understand the issue. The full text of the CSAI on Intersectionality can be found
here
on the UUA website. Rev. Green says “Hearing J Mase III speak will give us an opportunity to learn and reflect and
should foster our abilities to de-center whiteness and other “isms”. Mase’s topic, centering around grief, speaks to all of us, and addresses issues that are so critical in today’s world.”
J Mase III. As an educator, Mase has worked with community members in the US, UK, and Canada on the needs of LGBTQIA+ folks in spaces such as K-12 schools, universities, faith communities and restricted care facilities. He is founder of awQward, the first trans and queer people of color talent agency. His work has been featured on MSNBC, Essence Live, Everyday Feminism, Black Girl Dangerous, the New York Times, Buzzfeed, Blavity, the Root, the Huffington Post, TEDx and more. Currently, he is head writer for the theatrical production Black Bois and is co-editor of the #BlackTransPrayerBook.
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Do You Have a Piece of the Puzzle??
On Saturday morning, October 12, 2019 (9:00am to noon) all the leaders of Mission Peak UU Congregation will come together in one room! This gathering, called the SuperCouncil, replaces the Council meetings in October and brings together all members of the Justice Council, Ministry Council, Operations and Personnel Council, and the board. This annual event is an opportunity for all the leaders to sit down and share highlights of their activities, hear important updates from the board and other committees, and to provide feedback. This year’s SuperCouncil will include an opportunity to share your thoughts about our new governance system so you can help to make it better, and a presentation by the Leadership Development Committee. Who should attend? Do you head up a committee, interest group, task force, or program? Is your name on one of the
Council lists?
You or a representative should definitely come! If you are one of these leaders, you should get an email this week. If you can’t make it, please arrange for someone to represent your group so we can hear from all of the pieces that make Mission Peak UU function.
You have a piece of the puzzle!!
Are you curious or want to become more involved at Mission Peak? You are welcome also, just let Allysson know you are planning to be there.
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Special Congregational Meeting October 27th
Because of positive response to recent educational events concerning how to support asylum seekers, the Board of Mission Peak UU Congregation is calling a special congregational meeting after the service on October 27 (11:30AM) in Cole Hall to consider taking collective action. Specifically, the Board is bringing before the congregation a motion to “Adopt as a Congregational project the support of and intended hosting and/or accompaniment of one or more persons seeking asylum in the United States; budget $1,000 from the Growth Fund as an addition to the Congregational budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year; authorize receipt of additional donations from members, including at a designated share-the-plate Sunday, to the budget line; and authorize the Board to provide for the organization of this effort by assigning specific responsibilities to existing committees or by chartering a new committee. The Board and committee(s) involved in this effort will report to the Congregation from time to time.”
We would like very much for as many members of the Congregation as
possible to attend, express their views, and vote on this motion. The
Board will also be supplying additional information, as the day
approaches, to help inform you concerning the possibilities of this project.
— Paul K Davis, Allysson McDonald, Allie King (special project
development team)
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New to Unitarian Universalism Class – Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm
Are you new to Unitarian Universalism or to Mission Peak UU? Are you seeking and questioning and want to learn more of our past, present, and future? We will have a New to UU class on Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm. Reverend Jo Green, together with other congregation leaders, will lead this class. You will learn about the history of Unitarian Universalism, our Mission Peak Congregation, our congregational activities, and more. Everyone is welcome to attend. In particular, anyone who is considering becoming a member of Mission Peak typically takes the class.
A signup sheet will be available at the Welcome Table on Sunday mornings or you can email
membership@mpuuc.org
to let us know you will be attending. We will provide a light lunch. Childcare will be available if requested by October 23.
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Request for Class Proposals – Adult Education – Winter 2020
The Adult Education Committee is seeking proposals for classes for the Winter quarter – January through March of 2020. This is an opportunity for you to share what you know with others.
Past topics have included Buddhist meditation, healthy eating, art and spirituality, the Enneagram, Poems, and celebration of the sacred feminine. Classes can vary from one-time events to meeting every week.
How can you submit a proposal? Contact Linda Messia at 510 792-1539 or email her
lmessia@yahoo.com
with your course information.
Please submit your proposal no later than November 3.
Thank you!
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CAYRE is hoping to host our own version of trunk or treat. What is trunk or treating you ask? During trunk or treat events adults decorate the back of their cars for Halloween, load up on candy, and come sit in a parking lot for kids to “trick or treat” from car-to-car. It’s more fun than it sounds, trust me! This year we would like to offer up a similar event using the Ockerman building to create a safe trick-or-treat event for our Mission Peak families and folks in the Fremont area. We will be hosting our event on October 26th from 4pm-6pm with a 3pm set up time. If you are interested in sponsoring a themed table please fill out the following form here if you would like to help in another way please contact Shawn at dre@mpuuc.org and be ready for a Spooky Celebration!!!
We need your help to keep our classrooms going!!! While we honored almost 24 children and youth religious education teachers last Sunday we still need your help!! There are 52 Sundays in a year and we would like to make sure everyone has an opportunity to worship. If you are interested in helping support the growth and development of our children and youth please fill out this form
here
or contact Shawn at
dre@mpuuc.org
. If you would like more information on our program and the role our teachers play please visit our resource page
here
or contact Shawn at
dre@mpuuc.org
All the Best,
Shawn
Interim Director of Religious Education
510-397-8758
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Sexuality Education for 7th-9th Grade Youth
Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education Class for 7th-9th
Grade Youth is starting soon.
Mandatory parent’s orientations are on:
Oct. 20th, 2019 3PM-6PM in Fremont
or
Nov. 17th, 2019 3PM-6PM in San José
Parents must come to one of the 2 orientations for their youth to participate. Youth classes are on 11 Sunday afternoons and 1 Saturday afternoon/evening, each covering multiple workshops, starting in January 2018.
Questions – Contact Steve Wallcave
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Mission Peak Wish List
New Computer for the office
Color Printer for the office
Wardrobe Cabinet
Video Camera
Please contact Rev. Jo or Sandra if you can help with these items for the office.
Thank you.
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Black & White Gala – November 2, 2019 – Mark Your Calendar
Our annual Black & White Gala will be Saturday, November 2 from 6:00-10:00pm. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s a great opportunity for you to dress up (if you’d like) and support Mission Peak by participating in our service auction, buying unique and handmade items at our boutique, and testing your luck by participating in our basket raffle. All while enjoying yummy sweet and savory snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Please put the Black & White Gala on your calendar, invite friends, plan your outfit (our theme this year is Vintage Hollywood), and start thinking of items you can donate to the auction and make for the boutique. It will be a great event and a TON of fun, but we can’t do it without you!! Tickets are now on sale. Tickets are $25 each or you can reserve a table of eight for $200.
It’s also time to start figuring out what you can donate for the event. We need:
- Auction Items: Services only – no physical items. If you want to donate something, but don’t know what…ask Jen King and she’ll help you brainstorm ideas. The best idea is to offer to share what you enjoy doing!If you drive, offer transportation. If you garden, offer to beautify someones garden. If you like to bake, bake goodies for auction day or for a future date. If you like to cook, offer to cook a meal, deliver a meal, or share a meal. If you like picnics, offer to gather all the fixings for a dream picnic for 2. If you are good with hammer and nails, offer to help build or repair something. If you like to do a craft, offer to teach it to someone else or create a unique personalized item for someone.If you love kids, offer to babysit and give parents a much needed night out. If you have an eye for organizing, offer to help organize closets. If you own a truck, offer to haul stuff. If you love animals, offer to pet sit. If you have a talent, offer to share it. If you have a skill, offer to teach it.
- Items for the Boutique:- Homemade items – jewelry, knitted items, pottery, art, baked goods, bookmarks, stained glass, cross stitch, etc.
- Themed Baskets: You can shop and put together a themed basket or donate $$ for someone else to put together a basket. We also need volunteers to sell raffle tickets the night of the event.
- Sweet & Savory Snacks – We need both sweet and savory goodies donated for the buffet for the event. Items do not need to be homemade. Please sign-up to donate if you can.
- Beverages – We need donations of beer, wine, champagne, Martinellis, soda, etc. to serve at the event.
- Volunteers – We need lots and lots of volunteers for the day of the event.Sign-ups will be available every Sunday after services.
- Bidders & Buyers – Please plan to attend this fun event which provides not only finances for our congregation, but fellowship opportunities for the whole year. Please invite friends and family who you’d like to introduce to Mission Peak UU or who you believe would support our mission of inclusiveness and social justice. The more the merrier. Tickets are $25 each (although no one is turned away if the price of a ticket is a hardship). We will be selling tickets every Sunday after services.
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The Fellowship Committee Needs YOU!
Do you enjoy the social events we have at Mission Peak? Would you like to see more events? The Fellowship Committee needs more members. Many hands make light work, and we could use a few more hands. We meet around once a quarter and try to plan or support 2-3 events a quarter. Best of all we have a lot of fun together. If you’re interested in joining our ‘merry band’, please contact Jen King.
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WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!
We NEED your help! Cole Hall does not magically transform into a special place for our services each Sunday. It requires a small army of volunteers. We’ve had a few ‘retirements’ lately and we have some spots to fill. PLEASE let Jen King know if you can fill in for any of the following:
:
HELP!! We have NO ONE TO DO SETUP on the 2nd Sunday of each month and
NO ONE TO DO AESTHETICS for the 3rd Sunday of each month.
We also need people for the following:
Additional Set-up assistance for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sundays of each month
Additional Greeter for the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month
Powerpoint Clickers & AV Technicians for many Sundays (We will train you! We
promise!)
Additional Take-down assistance for the 2nd Sunday of each month.
You can sign up on an ongoing basis for the Sunday’s indicated above by contacting Jen King, or you can sign up on and ad hoc basis by following this link:
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UU Justice Ministry of California presents
An all-day event connecting Unitarian Universalists, faith leaders, and climate justice activists in California. Programming will include faith-grounding, presentations/workshops from local organizations, regional strategy building, and opportunities for congregations/communities to share their efforts, struggles, and successes in community.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Hosted by the Mt. Diablo UU Church (Walnut Creek, CA)
For more information and to register click here:
SUPPORT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO BOYCOTT
(UUA 2019 Action of Immediate Witness)
UUA defines Immediate Witness as “the public profession by word or deed of the convictions of an individual or group regarding a particular issue. Actions of Immediate Witness profess convictions grounded in Unitarian Universalism” and “requires immediate action to make an impact.”
For those who are willing and able:
Then UUA is distributing a
Petition in Support of Our First Amendment Right of Free Speech!
…We affirm our commitment to the constitutional right to free speech. We affirm that boycotts and divestment in support of human rights are free speech and are aligned with UU principles upholding democracy in human affairs and the right of conscience…
Copy of the full petition will be available after the worship service on Sunday for all those interested in signing.
You can also print and sign a copy to mail at
Upcoming Training for The Rapid Response Network to Help Protect Our Undocumented Neighbors From ICE
The next trainings in Santa Clara County are on these dates:
Friday, October 18, 6-8pm, Sunnyvale Community Services, 725 Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Sunday, October 27, 2-4pm, Stone Church, 1108 Clark Way, San Jose, CA 95125
Please sign up for these trainings by sending email to
carols@sacredheartcs.org
– please give your name and email address and specify which training/s you wish to attend.
Annual Dinner for East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) October 19
This month, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (
https://eastbaysanctuary.org/
) is having its annual dinner, with appetizers, buffet, silent auction, and live music by Calle Ocho! Tickets are $50, but nobody will be turned away for lack of ability to pay:
Saturday, October 19, 4:30 – 8 PM
St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Berkeley
Link to flyer here:
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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!
Join the Interfaith council as we stand together for the
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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Encourage Governor Newsom to SUPPORT Affordable Housing
The Legislature wrapped up their business for the year in the early morning hours on Saturday, and there are now more than a dozen Eden-supported affordable housing bills on Governor Newsom’s desk!
The governor has until October 13 to sign legislation, and Eden hopes he’ll support all of these much-needed bills-which will increase funding for affordable housing, accelerate local permitting for new affordable developments, offer new density “bonuses” to 100% affordable projects, and expand the inventory of surplus public land available for affordable development.
Please help California’s low-income families by sending a message of support to Governor Newsom.
COPY AND PASTE THIS SUGGESTED MESSAGE INTO THE GOVERNOR’S CONTACT FORM
HERE
I urge the governor to sign this year’s package of affordable housing legislation. With millions of Californians desperate for more affordable housing, these critical bills will increase funding for affordable development, accelerate local permitting for new affordable projects, allow denser affordable development near transit, and open more surplus public land to affordable housing.
Affordable housing is the foundation of a successful life: It allows families to care for each other, find jobs and go to work, and to live with dignity. I believe this year’s legislation will make important progress toward expanding access to affordable housing for the low-income Californians who need it most. I urge you to sign this critical legislation.
Thank you for being a housing advocate.
Sincerely,
Daniela Ogden
Vice President of Communications, Advocacy and Fund Development
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Pioneers Leadership Academy
Presents
Interview Skills Workshop for the Youth
The Springboard for Success
Is it better to learn the interview skills
before the interview, or after?
While many people go on interviews after interviews without realizing why they did not get a job, it is prudent to learn the interview skills before the interview. This will increase chance of success at getting the job while reducing the stress of job hunting, wasting energy, time and money. Pioneers Leadership Academy is the
springboard for success. We are pleased to offer this unique program so our youth can maximize their effectiveness and their chance of success while they save time, energy, and money.
The workshop is intended for the youth between 12 to 18 years old and will be offered in Fremont on every Friday starting October 11, 2019 to November 15, 2019 from 6 to 8 PM.
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Pacific Central District
Fall Youth Retreat – November 1-3, 2019
Registration Now Open!
Come join us for a fun & transformative weekend that will include games, workshops, a midnight worship & more!
- When: Fri, Nov 1st @ 7pm- Sun, Nov 3rd @ 9am
- Where: UU Church in Livermore 1893 N Vasco Rd, Livermore, CA 94551
- Cost: $40/person (includes programming, 4 meals & church lodging)
Registration Deadline, Sunday. October 27, 2019
Scholarships Available
Questions?
Email Retreat Coordinator:
Marena McGregor at
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Fremont First United Methodist Church and LGBTQ
Our neighbors down the hill will be holding an informational session regarding the latest thinking on interpretation of biblical scripture that is many times used as justification for discrimination against the LGBTQ community. This will be a walkthrough and open discussion, with an eye towards a more inclusive interpretation, led by Pastor Hee Soon on Sunday Oct 13th, Rooms 7&8, directly following church services. We expect the event to last about an 60-90 minutes, and food will be provided.
They have invited interested members of Mission Peak UU to attend.
Questions – Contact Steve Wallcave
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Mission Peak UU | 2950 Washington Blvd Fremont CA | 510.252.1477 | missionpeakuu.org
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