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Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
January 29, 2020
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My name is Katherine Rubie. I have been a member of a UU congregation since about 2004/2005. I began my journey with The UU in West Lafayette, Indiana. My experience there was so wonderful that I decided to join Mission Peak UU Congregation when I arrived in California in 2008. I have volunteered for a variety of things including the children’s RE program as a teacher, and I also worked with Drew Wilson on our Retreat committee for a time, and more notably as leading the Sandwich Squad for approximately one year, as well as other projects.
Currently I am working with the RISE Coalition, to help disenfranchised people in our communities to receive equity in fair treatment and housing. I first became aware of RISE in spring 2019, when I was facing eviction and homelessness. I became actively involved in RISE in June, after I did become homeless. My work with them has included meeting with, writing letters to, and speaking in front of, local and state officials asking for them to support AB1482 and/or the HNC for Fremont. We successfully got AB1482 passed into law, and the Fremont City Council unanimously voted on the HNC!
R.I.S.E stands for “Residents Insisting On Social Equity” and is a coalition of different community organizations fighting for social equity in South Alameda County (with a focus on renter’s rights).
Though I am now housed, after 6 months of homelessness, my passion and mission in life is to continue this valuable work with RISE. I am now representing RISE through our beloved MPUUC. I would love for anyone who is interested to contact me and let me know what your interest is, whether it be getting actively involved and supporting these efforts, or by just getting information.
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Groundhog Day
(and what that has to do with Worship)
Mark Twain said, “Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.” It’s Groundhog Day and this day is famous for doing something over and over again in life until you finally reach your goal. Have you experienced this in your lives and have you learned from it? Do we learn from our mistakes? Let us explore this Sunday how we can use our experiences to help heal the world.
Rev. Jo Green will lead the service and assisting will be Worship Associate Allysson McDonald. Peak Performers will provide our music.
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December and January have been particularly busy months for the ministerial search team. In mid-December, we filed our congregational record (a lengthy description of our congregation) for publication on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Ministry Search website. Our record was then available for review by all UU ministers in search, and in early January, a number of ministers expressed interest in our congregation. We proceeded to review their ministerial records (a lengthy description of their ministerial experience) and view their sermons online.
After reviewing all this information, the search team decided to interview five of the applicants. In the past few weeks, we have conducted the interviews with the applicants online and talked to their references on the telephone. Following thorough discussions of the applicants’ qualifications, our impressions of them from the interviews, and the information we gathered from the reference checks, we have chosen three applicants to advance to the next phase in the search process. We will be interviewing them further in the next couple of months to get to know them better.
Of these three precandidates, the search team will choose one to present to the board as our candidate for settled minister. If we obtain the board’s approval, we will invite the candidate to meet the congregation and lead a service at Mission Peak. We expect that this will happen in May.
Please contact any of us if you have questions about the search process.
Your Search Team,
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DeAnna
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Annette
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Ilze
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Tiffany
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Stephen
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Don
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Alm
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Breingan
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Duarte
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Longfield
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Longfield
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Ramie
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!!HELP!! We NEED Your Help on Sundays !!HELP!!
Unfortunately the transformation of Cole Hall from a bare room into our place of worship each week is neither effortless or magical. However, the age old addage of “Many hands make light work” really is true. However, the number of hands volunteering to help with set-up and take-down and all of the other Sunday Operational Support tasks has dwindled as of late. The following positions are currently open:
- Aesthetics (3rd Sunday of each month)
- Set-up (All Sundays, but especially the 2nd & 3rd Sundays when there is no one signed up)
- Goodies (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Sunday of each month)
- Take-down (1st Sunday of each month)
- PPT Clicker (All Sundays)
- AV Technician (All Sundays)
A sign-up poster will be available after the service on Sunday, January 26 and Sunday, February 2. If you have any questions about any of the Sunday Operational Support tasks or would like to volunteer, please contact Jen King.
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Board Briefs
Justice Council meeting: Feb 9 after service in office
Operations/Personnel Council meeting: Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Steve’s house
Our next board meeting is March 12th at 7:00PM at Allysson’s house.
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Open Forum on Governance Structure 2/2/20
At our Supercouncil meeting in October, one of the issues we discussed was the congregation’s governance structure, and how well it was serving us. However, because of constraints of time at the Supercouncil meeting, not everyone was able to say all that they wanted, so we will be having another meeting for just these topics. Whether you were at the Supercoucil meeting or not, if you have thoughts to share about the functioning of MPUUC, we invite you to come to a discussion meeting that Paul Davis will chair on Feb 2 after Sunday services. Please talk to Paul, Eric Ryan, Steve Wallcave or Melissa Holmes if you have any questions.
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Mission Peak Talent Showcase – We Need YOU!
The Mission Peak Talent Showcase will be Saturday, February 8 at 3:00 p.m.in Cole Hall. A number of intrepid souls have signed up to sing, dance, and orate their way into your hearts. We still need two things:
1) We need more performers/presenters. If you sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, read poetry (written by you or someone else), do magic , etc. we want you to share your talent/passion with us. Also, if you paint, take photos, knit, draw, sculpt, do metalwork or ceramics, make jewelry, etc. we’d love to put your talents on display.
2) No showcase of talent is complete, or even possible, without an audience. So even if you don’t have a talent that you wish to share publicly, please make plans to attend the Talent Showcase and show your encouragement and appreciation of those who are performing/presenting. This will be a fundraiser. Tickets will be $5 per person at the door (no one will be turned away).
To sign up, or if you have any questions, please contact Jen King at
jenandmelissa@att.net or 510-299-2825. Thanks!
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Coffee Hour with Rev. Jo
This month Rev Jo will meet for coffee and breakfast (if you so choose) to chat about our theme this month of Leadership, how it shows up in your personal lives, how does it show up at Mission Peak.
Let’s meet at Hopping Beans Cafe, 4000 Bay St, Fremont, CA 94538, a hop, skip and jump from our church!! Let’s meet at 9 a.m. on February 19th, which is a Wednesday morning.
I’d love to hear your views about your goals in life, how you lead, or any other topic that is important to you. Let’s chat over coffee!
Rev. Jo
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Small Group Ministry
SGM consists of lay-led small groups that deepen and expand the ministry of a congregation
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Groups of 6-10 people meet twice per month from February to November to reflect on and discuss meaningful topics. Each session is structured and facilitated by a leader, and all members have the opportunity to share their individual perspectives. SGMs are an excellent opportunity to get to know ourselves and one another much more deeply.
If you have questions or want to sign up for a group, see the SGM table after the service this Sunday January 26. If you’re interested but unable to attend this Sunday, please contact Linda Messia at 510 792-1539 or at lmessia@yahoo.com.
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Request for Class Proposals – Adult Education – Spring 2020
Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
– Dalai Lama
No one learns as much about a subject as one who is forced to teach it.
– Peter F. Drucker
The Adult Education Committee is seeking proposals for classes for the Spring quarter – April through June of 2020. This is an opportunity for you to share what you know with others.
Past topics have included Buddhist meditation, Jesus, healthy eating, compassionate communication, drumming, building your own theology, joy of movement, art and spirituality, grief support, 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 at lmessia@yahoo.com with your course information.
Please send in your proposal no later than Monday February 10.
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Mission Peak Wish List
Color Printer for the office
Printer Desk
Please contact Rev. Jo or Sandra if you can help with these items for the office.
Thank you.
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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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World Interfaith Harmony Day – Saturday, February 1, 2020 1-4 p.m. (please note corrected date)
Niles Discovery Church
Please click
here for flyer.
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Second Saturday Documentaries at Niles Discovery Church
Bedlam
The February Second Saturday Documentary is the film Bedlam, an examination of a
national health crisis-our failure to deliver needed mental health care. Impossible to mask when untreated, severe mental illness symptoms shove people who live with them into the path of police officers, ER doctors and nurses, lawyers, and prison guards. See the film on Saturday, February 8, 1:30 p.m., at Niles Discovery Church. Admission is free; a discussion led by the Rev. Barbara Meyers will follow the screening. Click here for flyer.
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“Navigating Life’s Passages” Women’s Retreat on March 5 – 8, 2020
Our ever-changing lives may be currently blessed by calm waters or fraught with stormy seas. As we navigate empty nests, new relationships, retirement, death, changing careers, moving, etc. let us face these challenges with the support of our loving community of women.
All self-identified women are welcome to join a weekend of relaxation, deep sharing, singing, creative expression, thoughtful discussion, laughter, and tears. We’ll feast together at meals, participate in the Phases of Women’s Lives Ritual, worship together, and most especially make deep and lasting connections with other women sailing these 21st Century seas.
The varied workshops will include a discussion of the book Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, which follows four generations of a Korean family spanning the 1920s to the 1980s in Korea and Japan. Hiking trails, a spa experience, boutique, book swap, and silent auction offer treasures waiting to be discovered. Come for the weekend – lodging included – or come for just the day on Saturday.
To learn more and register for our retreat, visit our website at www.womenandreligionpcd.org.
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Opposing Expansion of the Muslim Ban
Please see attached link by clicking
here for people from any faith tradition to write a letter to the White House opposing expansion of the Muslim ban.
Please consider doing so.
Rev. Jo
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Community Organizer
A church in Hayward wants to hire a bilingual (Spanish/English) community organizer. Description attached. If you know of anyone who would be a good match for the position, please share it with them.
Rev. Jo
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Mission Peak UU | 2950 Washington Blvd Fremont CA | 510.252.1477 | missionpeakuu.org
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