12/31/2024 by Shannon Day

Westside’s Right Relations Teams & Covenanting Process

Westside has been dedicated to updating what we’ve described as our Right Relations work since January, 2023. Following the Vote to affirm the 8th Principle in June of 2022, groups were formed to bring that vote into action. One of the groups was assigned to “right relations” work. A decision was made to contract with Pam Orbach of The Center for Restorative Solutions to learn about Nonviolent Communication (NVC), circle work, and restorative justice practices. Our learning in these areas, combined with our shared values as Unitarian Universalists, has helped us to build pathways for connecting with deep listening and

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10/22/2024 by Shannon Day

October Board Update

The chill arrived this week in Seattle. Wind and rain have started to urge the color-changed leaves to drop before they are ready. As you are aware, outside forces often are needed to spur change before it is wanted… I am sure that you have all felt such things from time to time. But, as of tonight’s full moon, the leaves have hung on well. Changes of every type, however, are coming – as per the usual. October’s Board Meeting welcomed one of our newest WSUU team members, Reverand Katie Lawson. It was a delight to spend time with her.

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09/25/2024 by Shannon Day

Board Update September 27, 2024

Autumn greetings to you from your Board of Trustees. The start of the 2024-25 church year has been full of meaningful activities, all in support of our Beloved Community. The Ingathering was perfect with spirited energy, music, and activities to support connections. We joyously welcomed Katie Lawson as the Director of Religious Exploration. Committees are beginning to meet, covenant groups are gathering. In short, our WSUU congregation is on the move, growing and connecting.  In support of our congregation’s mission, the Board of Trustees has held its annual retreat. The task for the day was to affirm our goals, clarify

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08/21/2024 by Shannon Day

A Call to Action! Should WSUU Join the “No on I-2117” Coalition – Vote by Sept 2

The Environmental Justice Group has proposed and the Board of Director has approved of the church joining the No on Initiative 2117 Coalition, a diverse group of over 400 organization from across the state. This initiative would eliminate the state’s Climate Commitment Act, an act which has raised over $2 billion in just 1.5 years from WA’s major polluters to fund progressive community (mostly energy) projects. The coalition: (https://no2117.com/our-coalition/). The Climate Commitment Act’s Projects:  (Climate Commitment Act: Polluters pay, communities benefit | Climate (wa.gov). Per the church bylaws, this needs to be decided upon by the church membership. Indicate your

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07/17/2024 by Shannon Day

Westside UU Parent Group

Parenting Group meets on the third Sundays of the month from 10:30am–11:45 am, and is open to parents/caregivers of children, youth, young adults, and adults of all ages. Sunday August 18th WSUU Parenting Group meeting: folks can meet us at 10:30 am directly at the playground area at Lake Burien Memorial Park or or we’ll meet you outside church between 10 and 10:15 am and give rides to folks that need them, please let us know you’re coming so we can be sure to look for you and your family. Lake Burien Memorial Park located at 1620 SW 149th Street, Burien

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06/25/2024 by Shannon Day

A Statement on Palestine

From WSUU Minister, Board of Trustees and Racial Justice Change Team Dear members of the Westside UU Community, As world leaders negotiate for a ceasefire deal between Hamas and the Israeli government, we wanted to send this note of care to you all. Over the past 8 months, we citizens of the world have witnessed unprecedented levels of violence and destruction: the brutal attack that killed over 1,000 people in Israel on October 7, and the more than 36,000 people killed in Palestine since. The numbers are staggering. These statistics, along with personal stories and images from this war, haunt

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02/07/2024 by Shannon Day

Welcome to Core Team Corner!

Dear Westsiders,  Do you keep hearing about the Core team and wonder what it is? And why it is? Please read on for a quick view of the origins and future of Westside’s Core team. Please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive review, and we encourage anyone with questions to reach out and have a conversation with us! You can reach us at coreteam@wsuu.org. Our work with Pam Orbach of the Center for Restorative Solutions began last winter. Members interested in right relations self selected into a group at our Beloved Community Café in the fall of

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01/03/2024 by Shannon Day

Help Identify 2024 General Assembly Delegates for WSUU

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. It will be held Thursday June 20 through Sunday, June 23 and it will be online only.  Anyone may attend! Delegates vote on our behalf, but everyone is encouraged to attend GA! Information about financial aid can be found here. Our GA Delegate Policy charges the Nominating Committee with presenting the congregation with a slate of delegates to vote on.  This policy has the aim of being inclusive! This is because Westside is

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11/15/2023 by Shannon Day

Board Reflection for November 2023

THE JOY OF CONNECTING IN COMMUNITY Board Reflection from Lisa Maynard This fall I attended Pam Orbach’s nonviolent communication course with some WSUU members and others not connected with the congregation. At the final meeting we went around the zoom room naming needs that had been met by our participation in the class. Many people mentioned that their need for ‘community’ had been met, and I was struck that people from WSUU named other needs instead, such as ‘learning’ or ‘growth.’ It made me think that involvement in the congregation meets a need for community that is hard to meet

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09/25/2023 by Shannon Day

On Beginning a New Friendship

Meet Percy! Baptiste and I recently adopted this one and a half year-old bundle of affection, energy, and frankly, chaos. Neither of us has ever had a cat before; we’ve only lived with roommates’ cats. So, this has been quite a new adventure for us, as he gets to know us and we get to know him. You may notice he has an AirTag on his collar. That’s there because two days into living with us, he broke out… by literally breaking the side panel on our window AC unit. After a couple of nights outdoors, we got him back,

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