The Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester welcomes you to our next Sunday Service! February 15th at 10 AM we will be continuing this month’s theme of Resilience in its many forms. After the service we will have coffee and snacks in our Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Announcements
Winter Weather Information
As the winter weather season is upon us, there may be times we will move Worship to zoom only. In the event of a storm, we will send announcements by email, and broadcast over WMUR Weather cancellation notices, as well as on our Facebook page.
Please keep these resources in mind. Also, feel free to join our zoom service any time the weather may be iffy, we have a vibrant group online!
This Week In RE
Hope you enjoyed last week’s Chocolate Covered Strawberries in honor of Valentine’s Day. This Sunday we will be learning about the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, which starts Feb 17th this year. We’ll be checking on the moon and the idea of resilience when it comes to fasting. Family, Community and remembering those less fortunate are a big part of this month long observance. In coffee hour we’ll be handing out invites to a special community activity next week you won’t want to miss.
Next week: Mark your calendars! Feb 22nd there will be a Community Ice Cream Social at 11:30 in Fellowship Hall run by our young people, with a little help from their teachers. They have democratically decided to give back tot he congregation with this social event sponsored by their Lemonade Money. Please come and enjoy!
S.A.F.E. Food Handling For Food Workers And Volunteers
February 26th the University Of New Hampshire Extension’s food safety team will be providing a free, interactive, online Safety Awareness in the Food Environment (SAFE) workshop. Topics will include personal hygiene, safe food preparation techniques, safe food temperatures, and cleaning and sanitizing. Whether or not you volunteer for hospitality here at UUCM, this info will keep everyone at church or home safe from food related illnesses. Please contact Barbara D. for more information
General Assembly Update
This year General Assembly 2026 (aka GA 2026) is completely virtual and will be held June 14-21, 2026. GA is the annual meeting of the UUA where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy/faith-practice decisions for the entire (this includes UU Manch) Association through a democratic process. While anyone can attend, we must certify our voting delegate(s).
In 2024 Alice Veenstra and Rev. Kali Fyre were our voting delegates. This past year, 2025, Rev. Kali and I (Carol Veenstra) have been your voting delegates. Although (in my opinion) 2025 was not as tumultuous as 2024, (brought us Article II and Shared Values/Covenants) nevertheless 2025 has brought us timely guidance for the daily challenging events facing our democracy. For example, on September 12, 2025, we approved an “Action of Immediate Witness”, actions that included but not limited to non-violent civil society action. *This “call” is most recently seen in Minneapolis, MN where UU ministers and members joined thousands of people for public and prayerful witness against the actions and presence of ICE. This “Action of Immediate Witness” caries one clear message; that UUs side with Love, not hate. UU Values/Covenants of pluralism, interdependence, generosity, and justice are not just words spoken on a Sunday morning – UUs live out these Values/Covenants every day of the week. In times such as these, UUs have shown once again that they know how to be the hope that we’ve been waiting for. *Source: UUA: In Difficult Times; 1/16/2026.
Now is the time for the members of our Beloved Community to consider service by becoming a *voting delegate to GA 2026. Alice and I are proposing the creation of a congregation based “Task Force” of 3-5 members. We will meet regularly until GA 2026 to: 1. Understand the process of GA; 2. Understand what (recent) previous GA’s have done (highlights); 3. Present information on the issues present at 2026; and 4. Get a reading on the congregations opinions on actions/votes you might be asked to take. Alice and I will mentor you through all of this. It really isn’t a lot of ‘work’; it is a lot of learning. The ‘work’ takes place during the week of June 14-21. We know from experience that it’s best to start early.
If you are interested and would like more information please contact Carol V.
2026-2027 Pledge Canvass – Building a New Way, Centered in Love
The start of our pledge drive for next fiscal year is coming soon. The canvass will begin on Sunday, March 8th, with a special Stewardship Service led by Reverend Kali. Following the service, we’ll enjoy food and conversation with a potluck brunch during our regular fellowship time. Pledge packets will be handed out during the brunch.
Please save the date and we hope you’ll be able to attend!
Meanwhile, during the next few weeks,
Please email June (treasurer@uumanchester.org) if you can help with the brunch set up or clean up. We’ll need a few extra hospitality volunteers that day.
Plan what delicious food you would like to contribute to the brunch. No need to bring a huge amount – we usually have too much. And if you can’t contribute food, don’t let that stop you from coming and enjoying the brunch!
Consider what this church means to you, whether that is the personal connections made, our shared values, or any other benefits you find in being part of our church community. Then, remember how good it feels to be generous while you plan to make a first time pledge or increase your pledge from last year. Your financial support makes a difference and is much appreciated!!
Topics: Worship