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Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
February 4, 2020
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My name is Allie King. I’ve been attending MPUUC since my partner, Eric Ryan, and I moved here from upstate NY in 2016, and I became a member in 2018. I like being a part of a community of people in different stages of life, with different interests and backgrounds, who share common values.
Last spring, I attended my first Justice Council meeting, and when asked to reflect upon an issue I cared strongly about, our government’s unjust treatment of asylum seekers, and in particular separation of children from their parents, really stuck out for me. Since then, I have been working to get MPUUC involved in supporting people who seek asylum in the United States, and MPUUC has embraced this work.
We are working with an organaziation called Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI), which trains members of congregations to “accompany” individuals and families who are seeking asylum in the United States. Through IM4HI, an accompaniment team of 5+ people, supported by a congregation, commit to work with an asylum seeker or family for 6 months to help get them on their feet. Tasks may include getting parents reunited with children, getting legal help for asylum cases, enrolling kids in school, learning public transit, getting medical care, finding local food pantries, and finding work, with the goal that the ayslum seeker or family reaches some degree of independence at the end of 6 months, and the team moves on to support another asylum seeker or family.
So far, 8 members of our congregation have been trained by IM4HI to be part of an accompaniment team, and this spring there will be opportunities for more people to do so. At this point we are waiting to be matched with an asylum seeker or family in Fremont or a nearby city. Our first task, when we find a potential match, will most likely be to find housing. It takes some time for an asylum seeker to reach the point where they can afford Bay Area rent, so for at least the first 3 months, they will be in need of free housing.
If you know anyone in the Fremont/Union City/Newark/Hayward area who has a spare room (or even a sofa) and is passionate about helping folks who have come to our country to seek asylum, please let me know. And check out this week’s Justice Corner for a more concrete request for housing for an asylum seeker named Mina.
If you are interested in being part of an accompaniment team, contact me and I will let you know when IM4HI holds its next training.
Allie King
(561) 901-5446
allie.king@gmail.com
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(S)Heroes and Leaders – Are they the same?
How do you view leadership in your lives? Do you view yourself as having the characteristics of a leader? And does this make you a hero? Let us explore this Sunday what makes a leader and what makes a hero or shero as we also honor the Love Hero Award we will be presenting.
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Rev. Jo Green will lead the service and assisting will be Worship Associate Rev. Barbara Meyers. Jessica Steele, Jo Ann Schriner, Paul K Davis will provide our music.
This Sunday will be the last day to turn in your Guest at Your Table boxes.
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MPUUC to give Courageous Love Award to City Council on February 9
Each year the Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation gives an award honoring courageous love to a person or organization in our Tri-Cities community. This year we will recognize the whole Fremont City Council, for the unanimous decision they took regarding the opening of a Homeless Navigation Center. We want to recognize them for lifting up the homeless in our community who so often suffer from discrimination and marginalization.
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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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Need: Temporary Housing for Asylum Seeker in Fremont, CA
MPUUC’s Asylum Seeker Accompaniment Team is looking for temporary (3-6 months) housing in Fremont/Newark/Union City starting March 1 for an Egyptian man in his late 20s with a BA in marketing, looking for a place to stay for free as he pursues his asylum case and gets back on his feet after 18 months in detention, with plan to pay rent once he is working. Speaks English fluently. Please contact Allie King at allie.king@gmail.com or 561-901-5446 if you have any leads. Ideal housing would be a room in a home with bathroom and kitchen access. Roommates are a plus — he is lonely after his long stay in detention.
2020 Census Jobs
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count.
This is a chance help to make sure everyone is counted!
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Mercy Discussion
On December 25, Warner Brothers released Just Mercy, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Fox. It tells the true story of Walter McMillian who, with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson, appeals his murder conviction. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson (2014, Spiegel & Grau), our common read a few years ago, is the book that inspired the movie! Let’s read the book, and get together to discuss it on February 16. Please
register by February 9!
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson inspired the movie!
When
: Sunday, February 16, 11:30 AM (Please RSVP by
February 9, 2020)
Where
: Mission Peak UU, 2950 Washington Blvd., Fremont
Leader
:
Allysson McDonald
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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 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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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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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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“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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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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