Calendar – Detail – Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Children and Youth Religious Education Committee meeting

01/08/2026, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Oversees and evaluates all children and youth programs; plans and carries out special events; organizes Baby Cafe; supports social justice projects that welcome children and youth; more generally, helps the wider congregation better meet the needs of families, children, and youth. Contact: cyrecommittee@uucpa.org. Chair: Edie Keating. Board Liaison: Rev. Cat Boyle

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

01/11/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

All Ages Game Night

01/17/2026, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Room 4/5 (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Bring your favorite board game and snacks and learn a new one with your family and friends. Everyone welcome!

Questions? Contact Rev. Cat.

Check out more family fun activities here.

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

01/18/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

Parents Night Out!

01/24/2026, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Room 4/5 (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Parents deserve a break! Let UUCPA take care of dinner and childcare while you go out on the town every fourth Saturday (holidays excluded), usually 5:00-8:00 pm. Age range to participate: 5 and up. Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount. (Can’t access the sign up? Email Rev. Cat and she’ll help you sign up and get on the mailing list.)

Do you have a high schooler who would like to be part of our childcare team for this event for community service hours and some change? Email Rev. Cat.

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

01/25/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

02/01/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

02/08/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

Children and Youth Religious Education Committee meeting

02/12/2026, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Oversees and evaluates all children and youth programs; plans and carries out special events; organizes Baby Cafe; supports social justice projects that welcome children and youth; more generally, helps the wider congregation better meet the needs of families, children, and youth. Contact: cyrecommittee@uucpa.org. Chair: Edie Keating. Board Liaison: Rev. Cat Boyle

Sunday School for children and youth preK through grade 8

02/15/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Because we believe in learning by doing, a very important part of our religious education is participation, with all ages, in the first part of regular worship services. Then during Sunday school, young people learn and play with people their age. Feel free to ask Sunday school teachers what they did this week. If you would like to review curriculum materials that are not online, please contact Rev. Cat Boyle.

Reminders are sent via the weekly Sunday School Reminder email. If you didn’t get it, please email cyrecommittee@uucpa.org to get on our list.Find out more at: https://www.uucpa.org/learning/children-and-youth/sunday-morning-program-for-families/

ALJ Class Series – A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism

02/22/2026, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm Fireside Room and Zoom (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

ALJ Class Series – A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism

03/22/2026, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Fireside Room and Zoom (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

By Your Side Singers

01/07/2026, 7:30 pm - 8:45 pm Hamaker Library (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

You are welcome to sing with the By Your Side Singers, the 1st Wed of the month June – Aug, the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays during the rest of the year.

Choir Practice

01/08/2026, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Main Hall (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Singers wanted! We can use singers on all parts. Don’t be shy – give us a try!

The UUCPA choir welcomes singers of all vocal backgrounds. We are looking for people:

Who love to sing with others and be inspired by the act of making live music
Who want to learn and perform a variety of musical styles, in many different languages
Who can join us in weekly rehearsals and Sunday morning worship

You don’t have to sight-read, but you should be able to understand a music score and to learn a part quickly after hearing it. Bruce makes pronunciation recordings to help us learn the text in languages other than English.

Date: Rehearsals – Thursday, 7-9 pm, and Sunday, 9:45 am; Performances – Sunday, 10:15 am, September to mid-Jun
Location: Main Hall
Facilitator: Bruce Olstad, Music Director (music-director@uucpa.org)

Contact: music@uucpa.org

Sacred Harp Shape Note Singing

01/11/2026, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Fireside Room (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Join the democratic and inclusive American song tradition of Sacred Harp music, one of the oldest ongoing music traditions in the United States. Rolling Stone magazine talks about “the soaring magnificence of Sacred Harp.” National Public Radio calls it “full-body singing,” and radio station KALW says it’s a “communal experience.” Come find out for yourself. Beginners are always welcome, and loaner books are available.

Dates: 2nd & 4th Sunday every month

Time: 2-4 pm

Location: The Fireside Room

Facilitator: Palo Alto Sacred Harp singers

Contact: sacredharp@uucpa.org

Registration: Not required

Sacred-Harp Singing

Choir Practice

01/15/2026, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Main Hall (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Singers wanted! We can use singers on all parts. Don’t be shy – give us a try!

The UUCPA choir welcomes singers of all vocal backgrounds. We are looking for people:

Who love to sing with others and be inspired by the act of making live music
Who want to learn and perform a variety of musical styles, in many different languages
Who can join us in weekly rehearsals and Sunday morning worship

You don’t have to sight-read, but you should be able to understand a music score and to learn a part quickly after hearing it. Bruce makes pronunciation recordings to help us learn the text in languages other than English.

Date: Rehearsals – Thursday, 7-9 pm, and Sunday, 9:45 am; Performances – Sunday, 10:15 am, September to mid-Jun
Location: Main Hall
Facilitator: Bruce Olstad, Music Director (music-director@uucpa.org)

Contact: music@uucpa.org

By Your Side Singers

01/21/2026, 7:30 pm - 8:45 pm Hamaker Library (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

You are welcome to sing with the By Your Side Singers, the 1st Wed of the month June – Aug, the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays during the rest of the year.

Nothing scheduled at this time.

First Monday Film Discussion Group

01/05/2026, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

We gather via video conference on the first Monday of the month for an hour-long discussion of a movie we have chosen and each watched ahead of time. Group members add to the list of movies, the only strictures being that they must be available at no cost, for example on library sites such as Kanopy or Hoopla. (You might want to register with these services for ease of future viewing.) Then, each month, the group votes on the next movie.

Email Bruce England with any questions and to receive the video conference link.

Brown Bag Books

01/06/2026, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Hamaker Library (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

The Brown Bag Books group meets year-round, except in July and August. Many attendees bring their lunches, and everyone brings a sense of humor. Monthly sessions are always lively and enjoyable.

Books chosen by the group for discussion are usually listed in the Order of Service and the Weekly Update, as well as on the UUCPA website.

Contact: Susan Owicki (brown-bag-books+owner@uucpa.org)
Facilitator: Various participants
Registration: Not required
Meetings are held online

Resonant Reading (Wednesday)-The Circle Game—Joni Mitchell

01/07/2026, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session: Wednesday, January 7th

The Circle Game
by Joni Mitchell

Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons.
Skated over ten clear frozen streams.
Words like “when you’re older” must appease him,
And promises of someday make his dreams

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now.
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town.
And they tell him take your time it won’t be long now,
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty.
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true.
There’ll be new dreams, maybe better dreams, and plenty,
Before the last revolving year is through.

And the seasons they go round and round,
And the painted ponies go up and down.
We’re captive on the carousel of time.
We can’t return, we can only look
Behind from where we came,
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/96865808923, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by phone: 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by one-tap on mobile phones: 6699006833,,96865808923# (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the Bay Area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Wednesdays. For the Zoom link for Saturday, go to Calendar and click on a Saturday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to:

connect to something of supreme importance to us
feel more connected to other beings or to the universe
feel more intensely alive
align our lives with our values,
perceive or feel more deeply
be more fully and authentically ourselves.

Saturday Meditation

01/10/2026, 9:00 am - 10:30 am (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

The Saturday morning meditation group welcomes all to join us on Zoom for meditation and conversation. Meditation time begins promptly at 9:10 and lasts for 40 minutes, including several short readings. Next, we share tea and conversation, talking about what is important to us in the moment – perhaps our response to the readings or something that is going on in our lives.

Dates: Every Saturday
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 am
Location: Online
Facilitator: Leadership is shared and rotates weekly
Contact: The Zoom link is available from Susan Owicki – email susanowicki@uucpa.org by 9:00 pm on Friday.

Come Meditate with Us!

Resonant Reading (Saturday)

01/10/2026, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session:

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/91019857324, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 910 1985 7324
Join this class by phone: 669 900 9128 US (San Jose), Meeting ID: 910 1985 7324
Join this class by on-tap on mobile phones: +16699009128,,91019857324# US (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the bay area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Saturdays. For the Wednesday Zoom link, go to the Calendar and click on a Wednesday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to:

connect to something of supreme importance to us
feel more connected to other beings or to the universe
feel more intensely alive
align our lives with our values,
perceive or feel more deeply
be more fully and authentically ourselves.

Resonant Reading (Wednesday)

01/14/2026, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session:

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/96865808923, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by phone: 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by one-tap on mobile phones: 6699006833,,96865808923# (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the Bay Area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Wednesdays. For the Zoom link for Saturday, go to Calendar and click on a Saturday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to:

connect to something of supreme importance to us
feel more connected to other beings or to the universe
feel more intensely alive
align our lives with our values,
perceive or feel more deeply
be more fully and authentically ourselves.

Saturday Meditation

01/17/2026, 9:00 am - 10:30 am (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

The Saturday morning meditation group welcomes all to join us on Zoom for meditation and conversation. Meditation time begins promptly at 9:10 and lasts for 40 minutes, including several short readings. Next, we share tea and conversation, talking about what is important to us in the moment – perhaps our response to the readings or something that is going on in our lives.

Dates: Every Saturday
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 am
Location: Online
Facilitator: Leadership is shared and rotates weekly
Contact: The Zoom link is available from Susan Owicki – email susanowicki@uucpa.org by 9:00 pm on Friday.

Come Meditate with Us!

Resonant Reading (Saturday)

01/17/2026, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session:

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/91019857324, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 910 1985 7324
Join this class by phone: 669 900 9128 US (San Jose), Meeting ID: 910 1985 7324
Join this class by on-tap on mobile phones: +16699009128,,91019857324# US (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the bay area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Saturdays. For the Wednesday Zoom link, go to the Calendar and click on a Wednesday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to:

connect to something of supreme importance to us
feel more connected to other beings or to the universe
feel more intensely alive
align our lives with our values,
perceive or feel more deeply
be more fully and authentically ourselves.

Spiritual Adventures in Parenting

01/18/2026, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Fireside Room (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

If you are a parent to a child between the ages of birth through high school, we invite you to join UUCPA’s monthly parent group, Spiritual Adventures In Parenting!

We meet on the third Sunday of each month, from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., following the church service. Childcare is provided, and families can choose to have lunch together afterward if they wish.

Together, we:

Explore the spiritual dimensions and meaning of our parenting and
Cultivate deep connections with one another.

The group is facilitated by fellow UUCPA parent Matt Rosin.

To find out more, email spiritualparenting@uucpa.org.

Parent Groups page:

Parent Groups

Resonant Reading (Wednesday)

01/21/2026, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session:

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/96865808923, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by phone: 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by one-tap on mobile phones: 6699006833,,96865808923# (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the Bay Area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Wednesdays. For the Zoom link for Saturday, go to Calendar and click on a Saturday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to:

connect to something of supreme importance to us
feel more connected to other beings or to the universe
feel more intensely alive
align our lives with our values,
perceive or feel more deeply
be more fully and authentically ourselves.

Nothing scheduled at this time.

Sunday Service – Intergenerational Fire Ritual & Installation of Rev. Cat Boyle

02/01/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA Main Hall & Online (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

Sunday Service – Easter

04/05/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am UUCPA Main Hall & Online (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

2026 Annual Meeting

04/26/2026, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm UUCPA (Add to calendar: Google, iCal, webcal)

The Annual Meeting is on April 26, 12-2pm, in the Main Hall and on Zoom. We will be voting on the budget, Justice Partners, and candidates for the Board, Nominating Committee, and General Assembly.

Zoom links will be sent to voting-eligible members a week from the meeting. For those unable to attend, you may submit an absentee ballot or name a proxy by the day of the meeting.

To be eligible to vote, members must have made a contribution of record during the past 12 calendar months or received an exemption from this requirement from the Senior Minister or President of the Board of Trustees. You can verify your eligibility by emailing or calling the office.

Email uucpa@uucpa.org if you think you should be able to vote but did not receive the link.