• Pledge Drive – There’s still time to pledge!

    Pledge Drive - There's still time to pledge!
    On March 17th we concluded our 1-week pledge drive for the 2024-2025 pledge year. Thank you to all who pledged and all who celebrated at either one or both of our pledge week luncheons. While the official pledge drive is over, we’re still short of the amount needed to support our budget. The stewardship ...
  • Family Friendly Events in Mar 2024 – Parents’ Night Out is tonight!

    Family Friendly Events in Mar 2024 - Parents' Night Out is tonight!
    Game Night – 3/16 6-8 pm Bring your buddies and your board games for a fun night! Parents Night Out – 3/23 5-8 pm Take the night off and let UUCPA take care of the childcare. Easter Egg Hunt – after service on 3/31 invite your friends and come to UUCPA’s Easter Egg Hunt
  • UUCPA Workshop – What We Choose: UU Ethics, March 24 @ 11:30 am

    UUCPA Workshop - What We Choose: UU Ethics, March 24 @ 11:30 am
    UUCPA Workshop - What We Choose: UU Ethics, March 24 @ 11:30 am
  • It’s tea time!

    It's tea time!
    Newcomers, join Amy for tea after the service on March 24–a great way to get to know UUCPA and each other better.
  • Weaving the Web: Living Democracy

    Weaving the Web: Living Democracy
    Dear UUCPA folks, Sometimes when I’m typing or writing the date and I get to that “2024,” I wonder, “How will this year go down in history?” It seems inevitable that for good or ill, 2024 will be one of those years to remember, like 1941, 1865, and 1776. How can it not be, when November’s ...
  • Fair Trade Chocolate for Spring

    Fair Trade Chocolate for Spring
    If you’re planning to buy chocolate for Easter or Mother’s Day or other Springtime events, the Action Council urges you to consider fair trade chocolate.   Much of the world’s chocolate (and coffee and tea) is grown and harvested by children, some of them in forced labor.  This chart will let you know which chocolate ...
  • Nominations for the 2024-25 Board

    Nominations for the 2024-25 Board
    The 2024 Nominating Committee (Kim Carlson, Autri Dutta, Ed Haertel, Esa Jacobi, and Marilyn Stoddard) is delighted to put forward two outstanding candidates for election to the Board of Trustees: Autri Dutta and Judy Lookabill. The election will occur during the congregation’s Annual Meeting on April 21. As stated in the Bylaws, “Additional nominations may be made for ...
  • Suggest a Justice Partner by March 27

    Suggest a Justice Partner by March 27
    Would you like to suggest a non-profit organization for Justice Partner?  Each month the Church supports a social justice organization by donating one Sunday’s plate collection to the organization.  Suggestions for new partners and support for existing partners should be sent to the Action Council (email actioncouncil@uucpa.org or talk to an action council member) before Wed, March ...
  • CYRE Goals Discussion – March 30 @ 10 am

    CYRE Goals Discussion - March 30 @ 10 am
    You are invited to a discussion on our CYRE goals on Saturday March 30 2024, 10 AM – 12:00 PM in the Fireside Room @ UUCPA and via Zoom. Who should come? Everyone at UUCPA has some relationship with our children and youth programs – from being on the CYRE Committee or teaching Sunday School, to ...
  • UUCPA welcomes AUTHENTIC SELVES, a traveling photo-text exhibit, Mar 31, Apr 7 & 14

    UUCPA welcomes AUTHENTIC SELVES, a traveling photo-text exhibit, Mar 31, Apr 7 & 14
    The Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto proudly welcomes AUTHENTIC SELVES, a traveling photo-text exhibit from Family Diversity Projects. The exhibit will be open to the public from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. on three Sundays: March 31, April 7, and April 14, 2024. Groundbreaking in its depictions of joy and community, AUTHENTIC SELVES celebrates trans and nonbinary ...
  • Forum Topics for April, 2024

    Forum Topics for April, 2024
    The Forum meets from 8:30 to 10 am on Sunday mornings. Here are the Forum topics for April 2024: 4/7 Great Decisions – Science across borders –Steve Ludington 4/14 The experience of gardens – Kay Culpepper 4/21 Water in the Western states — Richard Heydt 4/28 Discussion of Matters of Current Local, National, & International Interest, & Selection of ...
  • Kids Townhall Project – seeking volunteers

    Kids Townhall Project - seeking volunteers
    Starting in April over several Sundays, kids will learn about the power and importance of democracy through enacting their own campaign to improve the church. If you would like to be involved either as a teacher or guest speaker, please reach out to Cat.
  • UUCPA hosts Heart and Home in March – Seeking Dinner Signups

    UUCPA hosts Heart and Home in March - Seeking Dinner Signups
    Heart and Home Women’s Shelter arrived at UUCPA on Sunday, March 3, and is here for 6 weeks. So we need some dinner sign-ups! You will be signing up to bring a dinner for 12-15 with an entree and sides. (Drinks, plates, salad dressing are provided. Dessert is optional.) Bring a ready-to-eat dinner to the ...
  • Save the date, April 28 ALJ Class: Getting to Know PRIDEnet

    Save the date, April 28 ALJ Class: Getting to Know PRIDEnet
    Save the date, April 28 ALJ Class: Getting to Know PRIDEnet
  • Spiritual Adventures In Parenting meets Sunday, Mar 17 @ 11:30

    Spiritual Adventures In Parenting meets Sunday, Mar 17 @ 11:30
    Spiritual Adventures In Parenting, UUCPA’s group for parents of children between the ages of birth and tween, meets again this Sunday, March 17, from 11:30a.m.–12:30p.m., following the church service. We’ll gather in the Fireside Room. Childcare will be provided. We’ll share joys and challenges from the past month. We’ll also share our questions, insights, and surprises from ...
  • A week of video visits

    A week of video visits
    Did you get to see all the little gifts that went out by email this week? If not, you can catch up now! https://youtu.be/m8ImX9taqDU?si=JJg4PNVBXzPm2fkX https://youtu.be/SjBbo0qPIQ8?si=RIO7PIrj8Ba8ZWrL https://youtu.be/ppFLZTOb9jU?si=-TQ7-HaJM2H8cxAQ https://youtu.be/jDc43ciicjw?si=8u7iKENmrKV6bEYR https://youtu.be/En6gG96QLH4?si=SVh8ZoOZ6mrL_KUn To stay in the loop, click here to sign up for: The Weekly Update, sent on Saturday morning Announce, which you receive in real time*–low volume, automatically includes the Weekly Update CREParents, which you receive in ...
  • Return of Elder Journey

    Return of Elder Journey
    The Elder Journey group at UUCPA thrived for many years, meeting twice a month and discussing everything under the sun, from How to Prevent Falls to My Favorite Thanksgiving. Membership waxed and waned, but the toughest challenge was COVID. Being unable to meet in person took the wind out of our sails. Inspired by many, many ...
  • UU PWR Regional Assembly – Apr 19&20, 2024

    UU PWR Regional Assembly - Apr 19&20, 2024
    Connect with other UUs in the Pacific Western Region.  Our 4th Regional Assembly will be held in Denver on April 19 and 20, at the beautiful First Universalist Church.  You can attend either in person or online. The keynote address will feature a conversation between our UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and the new President ...
  • Forum Topics for March 2024

    Forum Topics for March 2024
    The Forum meets from 8:30 to 10 am on Sunday mornings. Here are the Forum topics for March 2024: 3/3   Great Decisions – The U.S. and the Middle East – Jai Cho 3/10 Photography: a brief history and some current issues – Chris Cassel 3/17 How do we know what is true? – Susan Owicki 3/24 Bipolar Disorder:  ...
  • Two special lunches coming up–don’t miss out!

    Two special lunches coming up--don't miss out!
    It’s pledge week, a.k.a. Celebrate This Wonderful Community Week! This Sunday, March 10, we have an extra-special Second Sunday Lunch, with ice cream sundaes for dessert. At that lunch, our emcee Sven Thesen will draw the first of six prizes. The way to get your name onto a slip in the drawing is to turn in ...
  • SciFi/Fantasy Discussion Group Next Meeting — March 20 –the novel “Piranesi”,  by Susannah Clarke

    SciFi/Fantasy Discussion Group Next Meeting -- March 20 --the novel "Piranesi",  by Susannah Clarke
    Our next SciFi/Fantasy meeting is March 20, 7-8:30, on Zoom. We’ll discuss the novel Piranesi,  by Susannah Clarke. At the end of the meeting, we will choose a book for our May meeting. Contact: Jane Chronis (scifi+owner@uucpa.org)
  • March 10 is a big day–don’t be late!

    March 10 is a big day--don't be late!
    On Sunday, March 10, we kick off our one-week pledge campaign with a great service, enjoy an extra-special Second Sunday Lunch, have the first prize drawing for all who have made their pledges, and celebrate the life of John Pierce. You don’t want to be late for any of this, nor Forum, Religious Education, or ...
  • This Sunday – March 10!

    This Sunday - March 10!
    Click for a preview of the March 10 service See you there, Amy
  • John Pierce Celebration of Life, March 10

    John Pierce Celebration of Life, March 10
    We will remember and give thanks for the life of John Pierce on Sunday, March 10 at 2 pm, in the Main Hall. John, who served UUCPA in numerous capacities over his more than 20 years as a member of the congregation, died on November 1. All are warmly invited to share their memories of ...
  • Community Speaker Series Event, March 6 (UUCPA co-sponsored)

    Community Speaker Series Event, March 6 (UUCPA co-sponsored)
    The Action Council of the UUCPA has joined the Becoming Beloved Community Task Force at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church as a co-sponsor for their free speaker series, Community, Faith, and Racial Justice. They have invited us to attend the first talk by Dr. Lerone A. Martin, Professor and Director of the Martin Luther King, ...
  • UUCPA Campus work day, Saturday Morning, March 3, 9-12.

    UUCPA Campus work day, Saturday Morning, March 3, 9-12.
    Join the Buildings, Grounds, and Garden team to improve UUCPA on this Saturday Morning! Last month, we did a great job cutting back plants along the exit drive, fixing the slamming door in the main hall (!!), and clearing off the office roof. This month there are: o New LED tubes to install in the office. ...
  • Weaving the Web I: Why Join?

    Weaving the Web I: Why Join?
    What does it mean to be a member of UUCPA? What does it mean to belong? In one sense–perhaps the most important one–simply being involved in the congregation is belonging. Sure, when you’re new to a congregation, as with any community, it usually takes a while to feel like you belong. At first, the names are ...
  • Weaving the Web II: What’s Cooking

    Weaving the Web II: What's Cooking
    Dear UUCPA folks, Rev. Cat and I have been making plans that are still a little too nebulous to have a spot on this site’s calendar, but that we want you to know about.—————– On March 25, the Sunday service will be about Israel and Palestine, the heartbreaking war in Gaza, and how we can talk about ...
  • Announcing Two UUCPA Endorsements

    Announcing Two UUCPA Endorsements
    This message is to inform the congregation that the Board of Trustees has voted for UUCPA to co-sponsor the following two efforts: 1.     A speaker series to be offered by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto entitled Community, Faith, and Racial Justice.  The series begins on March 6.  You can find out more about this speaker series here.  There ...
  • Newcomers’ Tea: now in Room A or via Zoom

    Newcomers' Tea: now in Room A or via Zoom
    New to UUCPA? Come have tea with our Parish Minister! As I announced here last week, regular Newcomers’ Tea times are now resuming, with the next two on the calendar for Sunday, February 25, at 11:45 and Sunday, March 24, at 11:45. Because attendance appears high for February 25, we will meet in Room A, which is ...
  • Help equip UUCPA with lifesaving Narcan

    Help equip UUCPA with lifesaving Narcan
    Let’s train together: Date now April 2 Opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, methadone and oxycodone have killed thousands of Californians and sent tens of thousands more to the emergency room in each of the past several years. An easy-to-administer treatment called naloxone, also known as Narcan, can save the life of someone who is overdosing on ...
  • Spiritual Adventures In Parenting meets on Feb 18 at 11:30am

    Spiritual Adventures In Parenting meets on Feb 18 at 11:30am
    Spiritual Adventures In Parenting, UUCPA’s group for parents of children between the ages of birth and tween, meets again this Sunday, February 18, from 11:30a.m.–12:30p.m., following the church service. We’ll gather in the Fireside Room. Childcare will be provided. We’ll share joys and challenges from the past month. We’ll also share our questions, insights, and surprises from ...
  • Extended Comfort Survey for New Main Hall Chairs

    Extended Comfort Survey for New Main Hall Chairs
    The Chair Committee appreciates everyone who sat in the sample chairs and filled out one or more surveys. The answers have been enormously useful. THANK YOU!! As a result, we have eliminated Chair B from further consideration. Chairs A and C are still both serious candidates and we still need your help. We find upon analyzing ...
  • Monday Chalice Circle open

    Monday Chalice Circle open
    If you’re looking for people with whom you can have real conversations about things that matter, the Monday evening Chalice Circle has room for a few more people. They meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, 7:30-9 pm, via Zoom. You can learn more about Chalice Circles here. If you’re interested but the Monday ...
  • Calling new Worship Associates!

    Calling new Worship Associates!
    Have you ever attended a service and thought, “I’d like to be up there doing what today’s Worship Associate is doing”? Now’s your chance! Worship Associates typically serve for three years, and we are welcoming new members of the team this spring. Tell me a little about what draws you to this aspect of UUCPA ...
  • Volunteer opportunity: Meal coordination

    Volunteer opportunity: Meal coordination
    When someone at UUCPA is recuperating, grieving, or in some way kept from regular meal preparation, we provide a “Get Better Bistro”: meals brought to their door, on their requested schedule, by other members. It is a gift to all concerned: to people in the congregation who wish they could help, to the people receiving ...
  • Family Friendly Events in Feb 2024

    Family Friendly Events in Feb 2024
    Valentines’ Day Service Project – Feb 11 (during service and afterward) CYRE will be making gift bags for our friends at Stevenson House. Parents Night Out Feb. 24 5-8 pm Game Night will be back in March!
  • Tea is back!

    Tea is back!
    New to UUCPA? Come have tea with Amy! One of the delights of returning to UUCPA last month was how many exciting new names and faces there are! If you and I haven’t had much time to talk yet, there could be a lot of reasons: You started coming to UUCPA in 2024 You started coming to UUCPA ...
  • Register for the Red Cross/UUCPA Blood Drive

    Register for the Red Cross/UUCPA Blood Drive
    Register for the Red Cross/UUCPA Blood Drive
  • Dinner support schedule is available (Caring Network)

    Dinner support schedule is available (Caring Network)
    People have asked how they can support Glenda Jones following the death of her husband, Dick Clark, last Monday.  Dinners are helpful, especially since Dick was the main cook in their household.  The schedule is here: https://takethemameal.com/VVQY5576 Text or call me with any questions, or if you want to bring dinner on a different day.  My phone ...
  • Learning about our local Community Land Trust at Dismantling White Supremacy, Feb 13

    Learning about our local Community Land Trust at Dismantling White Supremacy, Feb 13
    On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, two leaders of the South Bay Community Land Trust (CLT) will make a presentation to UUCPA’s Dismantling White Supremacy group. South Bay CLT, like us, recognizes the historically racist exclusion of BIPOC and other marginalized communities from opportunities of housing and development, and actively works to dismantle these structures by ...
  • SciFi/Fantasy Discussion Group Next Meeting — February 21 — the 1999 movie “Bicentennial Man”

    SciFi/Fantasy Discussion Group Next Meeting -- February 21 -- the 1999 movie "Bicentennial Man"
    Hello SciFi/Fantasy Fans, Our next meeting is February 21, 7-8:30, on Zoom. We’ll discuss the 1999 movie “Bicentennial Man” Visit the UUCPA website to get the Zoom information. All are welcome. We assume that you’ve seen the movie. At the end of the meeting, we will choose a movie or video for our April meeting. Contact: Jane Chronis, scifi+owner@uucpa.org
  • Action Council Endorsement: Community, Faith, and Racial Justice

    Action Council Endorsement: Community, Faith, and Racial Justice
    This message is to inform the congregation that the Action Council has agreed to be a co-sponsor of a speaker series to be offered by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto entitled Community, Faith, and Racial Justice.  The series begins on March 6.  You can find out more about this speaker series here.  A formal announcement from ...
  • Make a Pilgrimage to the Border

    Make a Pilgrimage to the Border
    An immersive experience in immigration justice and (literally) building community Pastor AJ Blackwood, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of California (UUJMCA), sends us this invitation: Join us on April 4-7, 2024, for our annual Pilgrimage to the Border – House Build, “Building Homes, Creating Community.” During our visit we will be working together ...
  • LGBTQIA+ Brunch with Amy

    LGBTQIA+ Brunch with Amy
    LGBTQIA+ Brunch with Amy
  • Campus Workday, Feb 3

    Campus Workday, Feb 3
    Campus Workday, Feb 3
  • Short, sweet, and strong, like an espresso with two sugars

    Short, sweet, and strong, like an espresso with two sugars
    This year our Stewardship Drive will be one week long: the week of March 10, 2024. Please mark that week in your calendar now. As it is every year, the Stewardship Drive will be full of opportunities to celebrate having UUCPA in our lives and to connect with the people who make this community so special for ...
  • Comfort Survey for New Main Hall Chairs – now through Feb 11

    Comfort Survey for New Main Hall Chairs - now through Feb 11
    As part of the Campus Vision Project, the Chairs Committee is selecting new chairs for the Main Hall. We need stackable, storable chairs that are beautiful for worship and comfortable for a wide range of people’s shapes and abilities. We are asking for everyone’s help to assess comfort. We know that many people need arms on their ...
  • Ecojustice 2024 Summer Camp registration is open!

    Ecojustice 2024 Summer Camp registration is open!
    Ecojustice Camp will be held this June 10-14, 2024. We hope to see your camper there. We are also looking for junior counselors. Please check out the website for more information.
  • Weaving the Web: Ever More Welcoming

    Weaving the Web: Ever More Welcoming
    “How shall we live? Be welcoming to all.” Mechthild of Magdeburg I learned today that the original meaning of the word “welcome” is “desirable guest.” What an interesting reversal!: that the reason we offer welcome to someone is because they are a desirable person to have as our guest. It’s not a favor that we the hosts ...
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