Transcendentalism Comes West Event

9:30am - 2:30pm
Sat. January 28th

Our Spiritual Development Team (part of the Congregational Life Team) invite you to join the First Unitarian Church of Portland for a virtual Seminary for a Day on Saturday, January 28. The theme is Transcendentalism.

The keynote speaker, Rev. John Buehrens, served as UUA President from 1993-2001. A prolific author, his most recent piece about our heritage is CONFLAGRATION: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice (Beacon, 2020).

Rev. Buehrens will offer a keynote on the first Unitarian Transcendentalist on the Pacific Coast, the Rev. Thomas Starr King. He exemplified key spiritual practices of the Transcendentalists that need renewal among us today: personal reflection (often in the form of keeping a journal), and deep interpersonal connections crossing conventional boundaries.

In addition, Rev. Buehrens will offer a workshop entitled, “God Optional: Theologies Among Us Today.” John Buehrens and Rebecca Ann Parker surveyed the hope-filled thought patterns in progressive religion today in their book, A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion in the 21st Century (Beacon, 2010). While their framework borrows from a heritage of Judeo-Christian systematic theology, it also makes room for humanist, indigenous, and non-Western a/theologies. All such thinking, however, needs to meet some overriding and important tests to be effective. Tests which will be revealed in the workshop. 

Details: Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 9:30am to 2:35pm (Pacific Standard Time).

Registration is open until 4pm on Sunday, January 22nd. You will receive a link to join via email on January 23rd.

NSUC Finances Q&A

Several congregants have expressed the view that our financial statements and budgeting process are rather opaque and confusing.  To help those who would like to understand our finances better, the members of the Finance (Brian Funt and Brian Welwood) and Residence Governance Committees (Elain Duval and Barrie Forbes) will lead a Spirit Zone on January 8th, NSUC Finances Q&A. Topics will include the budgeting process, personnel costs, operating costs, pledge income, rental income, and endowment funds. As well, we’ll discuss the financial arrangement surrounding the minister’s residence. Questions and discussion will be encouraged.

Since pledges are down from 210,000 last year to 140,000 this year, the Finance Committee projects a serious budget deficit for 2023.  Budget cuts will be needed.  Although this Spirit Zone will not be a budgeting session, it is hoped that it will help participants understand our finances well enough to feel comfortable making informed decisions at the upcoming January 29th Congregational Budget Meeting.

~ Brian Funt, Treasurer

OWL (Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education) for Young Adults (18-35 years)

The Unitarian Church of Vancouver (UCV) and the First Unitarian Church of Victoria (FUCV) are hosting OWL sessions for young adults one Saturday a month from February to May.

The first session is Saturday, February 11th from 1 - 5 pm at UCV. March and May’s sessions are in Victoria. The first session is mandatory, while the others are not. So, if you can’t make it to Victoria that’s not a problem.

Registration fee is on a sliding scale - $0 - $120. Registration closes February 5th.

Information about travel bursaries, logistics, etc. is on the FUCV Facebook page.

Watch our Home Page for updates regarding our 7pm Christmas Eve Service

Sat. December 24th

We’re still planning to meet in person for our Christmas Eve Service — but watch our Home page for details, as that’s where we’ll announce a cancellation (if weather conditions make driving unsafe). If the service is cancelled, you can join us on our YouTube channel for a video replay of a prior Christmas Eve Service.

Weather permitting, the whole family is invited to join us for this Christmas Eve service featuring traditional stories, carols, and candle lighting. Wassail will be served in the foyer following the service. (Thank you, Merrick Walsh and Summer Kang, for arranging this).

Donation Cut-Off Dates for 2022

Want your December donation to appear on your 2022 tax receipt? Then please make sure it gets to us in time to be deposited before the following cut-off dates:

cash & Cheques donations

Cheques received by end of day on
December 20th will make it into the bank in 2022, and will therefore appear on 2022 tax receipts.

Credit & Debit Card Donations

Credit and debit card donations (including Text Giving) can take up to 48 hours to process, and are deposited into our bank the following Thursday. So in order for your credit or debit card donation to show up on your 2022 tax receipt, please arrange for your payment to happen no later than December 23rd.

eTransfer donations

eTransfers are usually deposited within 24 hours, although banking times vary. So eTransfers received by December 30th will likely appear on 2022 tax receipts, but to play it safe we recommend sending your eTransfers a few days earlier to be sure. (NOTE: Janni will be out of the office the last week in December, so eTransfers will not be recorded in Breeze until she returns to the office on January 3rd).

Outreach January - May: Dani (Maiken) Cooper Outreach collection to support local mental health organizations

Each month, we collect donations for one or more charities whose missions are in line with our values. We call this Outreach.

In memory of Dani (Maiken) Cooper, our church’s Outreach collection during the months of January through May of 2023 will be divided equally between these three local charities that provide mental health support to families and youth:

You can contribute using any the payment methods shown below:

  • Credit Card. Use our online payment platform (Stripe) to set up a single or repeating payment or donation from your credit card. The default fund is a donation to the NSUC General Fund, but you can use the dropdown arrow to select the “Cooper Outreach”.

  • eTransfer. Send your eTransfer to info@northshoreunitarians.ca. Write “Cooper Outreach” in the notes section. (Detailed instructions here). If your bank randomizes your email address, we will be unable to issue a tax receipt for your donation, as an email address is required for issuing tax receipts. Please contact us with your name and email address (if we don’t already have it on file) so we can issue you a tax receipt for your donation.

  • Text. Text the dollar amount, a space, and the keyword cooper to 604-200-3443. When prompted, provide your name and credit card or bank info. Detailed instructions here. NOTE: We must have your name and email address on file in order to issue an end-of-year tax receipt for your donation. If our church doesn’t already have your name and email address on file, please contact us by email (info@northshoreunitarians.ca) after you make your donation so we can link you to your donation in our software.

  • Cheque. Make your cheque payable to North Shore Unitarians and write “Cooper Outreach” on the note line. We will send your end of year donation tax receipt to the address shown on your cheque, or to your email address (if it is on file).

  • Cash in the offering basket on Sunday mornings. Use an envelope with your name and email address on it, if you wish to receive a tax receipt for your donation.

Special THANKS to all who helped with our December 3rd Potluck!

A giant THANK YOU to all who contributed or participated in our wonderful Christmas Potluck Dinner on December 3rd.

Everyone involved contributed in some way, either by publicizing the event, by bringing food to the event, or cleaning up after the event.

In particular, thanks very much to Nancy McMaster who brought her electronic keyboard and Christmas carols, so we could have a sing-a-long; Paul Symons for cleaning up after the event; and Summer Kang, who went above and beyond (although she was ill so could not participate, she still came to the church ahead of time, and dropped food off for the event). Thanks also to Merrick Walsh for organizing this event!

Seasons Greetings to everyone at our North Shore Unitarian Church!