This Week on the Peak



This Week on the Peak
Mission Peak UU – Fremont, CA
The Home of Liberal Religion in the Tri-Cities and Beyond!
May 2, 2018
This Sunday’s Service:

Building Hope When Its Hard to Find

From positive thinking to a healthy church, both the individual and the community influence each other to hold an optimistic outlook on each’s future.

 

Rev/ Andrew Mertz will lead the service and assisting will be Worship Associate  Megan McMillen.  Our DRE JeKaren Olaoya will lead the Time for All Ages and Jay Steele will provide our music.

 

NEW: Friendly Visitor Teams
While your interim minister has responded to most pastoral care needs that came to her attention this year, the pastoral associates had one member since the beginning of our interim’s time with us (a second member stepped out of PAs to chair another committee). Rev. Benson will suggest the new minister assess needs and help develop a program that best suits MPUUC.
This year a new pastoral care-related element has begun, under the umbrella of the Pastoral Associates charter, created out of need. Called “Friendly Visitor Teams,” the coordinator of FVTs is the wonderful Jo Ann Schriner.  We started with one team, visiting a congregant who can no longer attend our services or other activities at MPUUC.
How does a FVT work? Ideally, 5 or more people who may or may not be friends with or even acquainted with a member of the congregation, each commit to visit once a month and keep the rest of the team and the coordinator, Jo Ann, apprised of how the visit went, how the individual is doing, any issues that have emerged, passing the baton to the next visitor. In this way, we stay connected–congregation and the individual–in a meaningful, kind and compassionate way. Team members build listening skills and connection as they respond with presence.
Stay tuned for more–next time from Jo Ann directly–about this warm and caring ministry, Friendly Visitor Teams. Please feel free to reach out to Jo Ann, who also welcomes information that would suggest a team is needed for another congregant.
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Practical Support Coordinator opportunity: Become the coordinator for practical support (making a meal, giving a ride to events at MPUUC or a doctor’s appointment, grocery shopping, etc). This does not come up often, but when it does, a coordinator who will maintain current volunteer lists and then reach out to volunteers to respond, makes the program work.
Please contact Rev. Benson via email (
minister@mpuuc.org)  before the end of May if you can be the “volunteer fire department,” not busy with the assignment most of the time but on occasion, will help MPUUC care for those in need.
Thank you!
Opportunities to Serve & Deepen Our Connections (part two)
When we volunteer in our beloved congregation, it gives us an opportunity to engage together, to live our values, and to deepen our connections with each other and the broader community. The Leadership Development Committee (LDC) invites you to reflect on how you would like to get involved this coming year. What interests you? What excites you? Are you just getting started and would like to “dip your toes in?” Here are some opportunities.
Please note that all opportunities come with training/mentoring.
Opportunities that are available that do not require committee meeting, though you may want to!
  • Sunday Service Team: setting up, making coffee, greeting at the door, take-down, etc.
  • Children’s and Youth’s Religious Exploration: teaching or assistant teaching
  • Membership: greeting visitors at the Welcome Table
  • Sandwich Squad
  • Adult Ed: teaching or co-teaching a class

Black and White Service Dessert and Service Auction.

LDC Chair:       Jen King (
jenking@alumae.mtholyoke.edu)
LCD Members: Ilze Duarte (
ilzeduarte@earthlink.net)
                          Kathy Wallcave (kwallcave@gmail.com)
A Message from Your DRE
This Week Teaching:                                               Next Week Teaching:
K-4:Lisa Newstrom, Melissa Holmes                     K-4: Megan McMillen, Open

5-8:  Kellie Spielmann                                              5-8:  Open

Youth Group:  Summer Lander, Alexa Sarten      Youth Group: Summer Lander, Alexa Sarten

DRE: JeKaren Olaoya                                              DRE:  (substitute) Steve Wallcave

 

The youth retreat scheduled for May 5th at the Marin UU church has been cancelled due to a lack of participation. Youth group leader Summer Lander is requesting all youth assemble for a special class for the next two Sundays to plan for the youth service. Any questions or concerns can be directed to me or Summer. Thank you!

Summer Camps

There will be two amazing camps for children this summer! Attend both or choose one! Both will offer experiences they will never forget!
 
UU Mosaic Peace Camp
First Unitarian Church of San Jose
June 18-22
Chalice Camp
First Unitarian Church of Oakland
August 6-10, 2018
 
Registration:
www.chalicecamp.org
uuoakland.org
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Get Involved: Opportunities for Service
 

 

 

 

Once a Month, Be Part of Something Special: the
Sunday
Service team!

 

Our services are held in a space that is transformed each
Sunday.  There are a number of opportunities for you to get involved with making our space welcoming and worshipful.

With your involvement, chairs will be set up or put away; hymnals will be set on chairs or put back in the cabinet; people arriving will be greeted and handed an order of service; there will be coffee afterwards.  So, what do you say? This is our shared religious home and we aim to do Sundays well!

Sign up for a monthly assignment or find a friend to share with and each of you serve every other month! Sign up
here

 

 

*
Ask what committees can use new members or specific tasks done: contact Gayle Tupper, Membership or Jen King, Leadership Development

It’s your community. Be a part of it with a little time and talent, too!

Be Part of the Black & White Gala Team!

November may seem very far in the future, but believe it or not, in order to have the most successful Black & White Gala possible we start planning…Now!  So, first off, go to your calendar right now and reserve Saturday evening, November 3rd for the Mission Peak Black & White Gala Fundraising Event. Secondly, have you ever been interested in knowing what goes into putting on an event like the Black & White Gala? Have you ever wanted to help put on such an event? Do you have ideas about how we can improve the event to make it even more fun and, most importantly, profitable?  If so, Jen King would like to hear from you! Please contact Jen ASAP if you are interested in joining the planning team for the Black & White Gala or if you have ideas for how we can make changes to the event to keep it fresh, fun, and fiscally flourishing.

 

Turning Love Into Justice:

 


OUR Tri-City Interfaith Council
 
MPUUC is now a member organization. Only individual members can vote and anyone from the congregation may join for a $25 dues, and attend whether a member or not. Rev. Benson is a member. Join in!

 

 

              

 

 

 

 

Stay Strong, California! Join UUs and others from throughout the state on May 14 in Sacramento: Immigrant Lobby Day. Come to the Capitol & speak to your legislators to advance and strengthen this work.  Policy agenda, developed by
California Immigrant Policy Center, includes: Access to Health Care & Public Benefits; Fighting Mass Detentions & Deportations; Immigrant Integration & Inclusion

 

 

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
Ro Khanna  (202) 225-2631
Senator Kamala Harris
(202) 224 – 3553
Senator Diane Feinstein (202) 224-3841

 

 

 

Save the date:
 
 

 

 

 


 
New Members!  New Friends!  Save the Date:  June 3

Be on the lookout for more details about lunch for our new members and new friends on
June 3 after
Sunday services at Eric Dittmar and Gayle Tupper’s home.  Get to know other newcomers to Mission Peak, and have time to chat with Reverend Benson and some of our congregation’s leaders.  If you feel new, then you are new, and are welcome to join us.  More information will be available at the Welcome Table on Sundays and in upcoming editions of Week on the Peak.

 

MPUUC 2018 Summer Camp Out – June 15-17

Spring has sprung and Summer is right around the corner.  This year’s Congregational Camp Out will be
June 15-17 at Del Valle Regional Park.  We have room for up to 20 people.  Tents only.  Please contact Jen King for more information and to reserve your spot. Check in is anytime after
2:00 on Friday, and check-out is by
noon on Sunday (and yes, Sunday is Father’s Day). Cost is sliding scale not to exceed $25 per family.

Del Valle Regional Park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, is located in a valley framed by oak-covered hills. The centerpiece of the park is a five-mile long lake, with all kinds of water-oriented recreation, surrounded by 4,316 acres of beautiful land for hiking, horseback riding, and nature study. Del Valle is also the eastern gateway to the Ohlone Wilderness Trail, 28 miles of scenic back country trail. The Livermore valley and its MANY wineries are also nearby.

 

 

 

STAY CONNECTED:
Mission Peak UU | 2950 Washington Blvd Fremont CA | 510.252.1477 | missionpeakuu.org