To help with Sunday morning hospitality, click here.

In my sermon last week I referenced the book “God Revised:  How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age” by Rev. Galen Guengerich, a UU minister and colleague of mine.  One of the ideas I talked about was the importance of gratitude as a building block for interdependent, healthy communities and congregations.  Guengerich says that the key to renewing our sense of faith in the future is to understand that we are truly interconnected and interdependent.  Each of us is the sum of all of the events and relationships of our past, and each of us contributes to the context of everyone we interact with and even people we don’t realize we are interacting with.   What we eat, what we buy, how we speak, what we create, what we throw away...all of these choices come to us from a context; someone made the things we buy, someone receives the money we spend, someone hears the words we use, someone sees the flag we raise. This context is always shifting, and our choices are continually changing the landscape not just for us, but for all of us.  Guengerich’s revision of God is like my own--that God is not a supernatural being but rather the co-creation of each of us living into our fullest capacity for the good of each and the good of all; God is an energy that we are creating and tapping into as we make each new leap of faith.  We can call that whatever we want–Spirit of Life, or Love, or building the Beloved Community, or whatever you like.  Gratitude is a central piece of this shared work because it helps us see that we need each other.

So today I want to tell you how grateful I am to each of you.  This congregation is made up of many smaller teams that are working together: from pastoral care to immigrant support, to neighborhood connectors and youth faith formation; to the community garden and environmental action; to the choir and musicians, and volunteers who show up to set up or clean up or learn how run the A/V booth; to book groups, and East Valley UU activities and the Dalai Lama group; to social gatherings and fundraising and OMG!  You all are an amazing, dedicated group.  And some of you are also showing up to learn about your own capacity to respond to conflict differently and to build healthier systems of negotiating our complex congregational life.  This first year together has not been easy.  It has required all of us to work harder to listen, to consider different points of view, and to think about change in new ways.  Some of you have remarked that it has not been a “normal” year for a new minister.  I am not sure such a thing exists, and whatever norms were here before COVID, they’ve most certainly been forever changed.  I know some of you are struggling with change and some of you are celebrating change.  No matter what, I am grateful for the many contributions made each day–to our shared future and our present needs.  What are you grateful for?  I hope you find time to celebrate this week and this season the things that bring joy, comfort, connection, meaning and growth for you.  

The UUA invites all UUs to review the Final Proposed Revision to Article II and absorb what it means to you and your congregation or community. To help you engage deeply with the text, we offer multiple formats of the Final Proposed Revision: an online webpage, a PDF version linked from the webpage, and a PDF version with line numbers linked from the webpage, to support the work of proposing amendments.

Board Update

Hello VUU Members,

At the last Congregational Conversation, the Board said we would set meetings to let you share and share with you about our congregation’s understandings of and feelings about upcoming Article II proposals to be voted on at 2024 GA. The Board has planned those sessions. Check your email for the details. Please join us for a meeting.



Nancy Egly, BoT Vice President and the Board of Trustees

Caring Ministries Program

December 11 - 6:30p

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

Join us in the Board Room for a talk provided by a Hospice of the Valley speaker. The holidays can be very difficult. Hospice of the Valley shares strategies for grieving families who are trying to move through the

holiday season. 

“Coping with Grief During the Holidays” recognizes why grief is so important, helps us understand how grief affects us, discusses ways to survive the holidays, and learn ways to create new memories.

The program will be livestreamed; details to come.

Save the Date: December 14 Monthly Meeting 6:30pm

Our 2024 planning meeting to decide how our EastVUU group can grow and prosper. Suggestions welcome before our meetup. Email us and we will compile a listing to present and discuss. Suggestions also welcome night of meeting!

Join Zoom Meeting

Faith Formation Holiday Class Schedule:



• Nov. 26 - NO classes, all age game day (assistants join us) OWL classes do NOT meet
• Dec. 3 - MS & HS classes meet, Pre-K - 5th grade NO class  Pageant Rehearsal (assistants assist with pageant.) OWL classes meet
• Dec 10 - NO classes, everyone attends Pageant, 10:30 am OWL classes do NOT meet
• Dec. 17 - ALL classes meet, OWL classes do NOT meet
• Jan. 7 - Everything is back!! All classes and OWL meet.
• Jan. 14 - ALL classes meet, OWL classes do NOT meet

Lee Laskowski Surgery

Lee is home recovering from back surgery. The surgery went well. Cards would be appreciated! 5002 E Summer Moon Lane, Phoenix 85044.

Sue Keen, Lee's mom

Want to get in on the FUUNd?

Visit the auction table on Sunday mornings and donate your own special

event or service. Not sure what to donate? In addition to made to order baked goods, would you consider:

• Hosting a Dinner? Whether it’s a Chinese feast, a backyard BBQ, or a meal featuring Polish, Transylvanian, Italian, South American, Mexican or some other cuisine, VUU members and friends love to get together with friends over a delicious meal.
• Leading a Hike or an Outing? Take a group to the art museum, the botanical garden, or even the zoo! Lead a hike for beginners at South Mountain or offer a more challenging excursion on the Peralta Trail or Usery Mountain Park.
• Throwing a really FUUNd party? Past auctions have featured pool parties, tea parties, Tequila tasting, card games, Civil War discussions, jigsaw puzzles, game and movie nights. We’ve even sold an axe throwing party!
• Offering Lessons or Services? Can you do tax preparation, prepare a will or other legal document, offer counseling, a health and wellness assessment, photography, pet-sitting, house-sitting? Can you give swimming, yoga, dancing, music, jewelry making, or other lessons?
• Creating a Handmade Item especially for the buyer? Do you quilt, paint, draw, knit, sew, crochet, work with wood or leather? Custom items are always popular!
• Sharing your Vacation Getaway for a weekend or longer?

Watch this space for FUUNd updates and information

about how you can donate electronically.

The Page Turners' 2024 Book Selection Party - Dec. 14 7p

Please note this is the second Thursday in December. The meeting will be held at Pat & Amy Monahan's house near the 101 & Ray Rd.  We ask that everyone bring a snack to share.  Amy & Pat will provide beverages.

If you have suggestions for books for the group to read in 2024, please come with 3 book suggestions.  Be prepared to give a very brief introduction to each book.  We will vote on the 3 options and select 1 for next year. Please keep in mind the following:

• Books should be readily available at the public library.  So please don't suggest books that came out in the last year that will have long wait lists at the library.
• Books should be of moderate length.  They can be biography, fiction, or non-fiction.
• You can bring a spouse, partner, or guest with you to the party if you choose to do so.  

For the meeting/party address or questions, email Amy.

VUU Holiday Immigration Actions

Help the Immigration Action Team continue VUU's Holiday successes:

Success # 1. Our holiday winter clothing drive for asylum seekers continues...Last week we delivered more than 14 bags of clothing which will go to clothe the 150 to 300+ asylum seekers arriving M-F at each of the 3 Latino church shelters and the Welcome Center.

Success #2. Many congregants selected gifts to give our deserving families from our Holiday Gift Tree on display before and after services on Sundays. We'll make it easy for you to pick, purchase, wrap and deliver the gift you select. Lots of choices are still available and the tree will be there for your perusal for the next few weeks.

Success #3. We were helping Ian raise pledges for his Adams Elementary (Our PIE sponsored school) Turkey Trot happening this week. He was shooting for $210 to pay for his required fees to a Spring Science Camp...and we collected $230!...enough to cover his fees and contribute to another student who may need help. This money also will help the IAT meet our Special Funds matching grant requirements.

Thank you for your continued support!

Paz de Cristo - Volunteers needed this month!

Continuing the Tradition… Keeping the Commitment… Living our Principles

2nd Friday, December 8th, 4pm - 7pm

Location: 424 W Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ

Click here for the sign up link

Families welcome!

Volunteers are urgently needed this month as we are a bit short of the number of helpers needed. Please consider joining us so we can easily meet VUU’s commitment at Paz de Cristo in December.

Please join us as we keep VUU’s 34-year tradition with Paz de Cristo on the second Friday of each month to serve the evening meal to Paz guests. Volunteers gather at the Paz kitchen/dining room from 4 pm to 7 pm to prepare then serve the evening meal. Additional tasks include cleanup of dishes, sweeping and mopping of floors. If you are joining us for the first time, don’t worry, Paz staff and experienced VUU

volunteers make the work easy and the evening goes fast. Paz de Cristo keeps all Covid-19 protocols in place to make the experience safe for all guests and volunteers.

Seventeen volunteers are needed and can range in age from 12 on up. (As of this writing, we need nine more folks!) Volunteers must be able to stand and participate in all tasks during the entire evening.

Have questions? Contact Joanne at 602-620-3100. Please sign up for this rewarding experience at www.vuu.org/paz.