Sunday, February 5 "Spiritual Practice 101" Rev. Bill Graves This is the first of a two-part sermon that will take a look at “spirituality”. What is it and what isn’t it? What are some simple practices that might help me find more of it in my life? It also might be called “soul work”, or finding a sense of “sacred purpose” in life. For some, it is the most important task they ever undertake. Finding and living faithfully in that purpose is to live intensely in the here and now. That is the spiritual quest. Coffee Hour between services 12:30 7th Principle group

Monday, February 6

Monday Night Meditation,
TUUC sanctuary, 7 - 8:45 p.m.

If you care to, join us on Monday evenings for meditation in the Vipassana tradition. All are welcome.

Monday, February 6th: “The Power of Compassion, Part 4” by The Dalai Lama, read by Derek Jacobi. We will also have a discussion about trying a new series based on the book Dancing with Life, by Phillip Moffitt. If you have a chance, please visit the website and consider finding a copy of the book to read.

Wednesday, February 7

Noon WEEKLY & SUNDAY SERVICE notes DUE - editor@tuuc-wa.org

Adult Spiritual Development
6:30-8 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Bill Moyers’ Faith and Reason
Facilitator: Lori Fernholz-Hartman
Lori Fernholz-Hartman will lead four sessions using the Bill Moyers Faith and Reason Series. No one walks the line between faith and reason as thoughtfully as Bill Moyers. Classes will include: an interview with Pema Chodron, the Canadian housewife turned Buddhist nun--in this thoughtful, moving interview she explains Buddhism in a way we can all relate to; an interview with Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid's Tale” & “The Edible Woman;” and Martin Amis, author of "London Fields," in which a cynical and disjointed society hurtles toward doomsday. Each session will include time for journaling and discussion after the interviews

Thursday, February 9

Yoga
6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
We meet for yoga every Thursday from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. in the church sanctuary. You do not need to have experience with yoga, only a willingness to learn. We stretch and twist for relaxation and good health. We recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothes, and bring a yoga mat. We also ask that you show up a couple minutes early so we can start on time. Please join us! Contact Loretta SkochenkoDhaese 863-0595 at loretta@worldstar.com

Choir Practice
7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 111

Intrepid Snowshoeing
We are planning outings for February 11 and 25 with departures from TUUC at 8:00 a.m. The likely destination for the 11th is the beautiful trail along the Carbon River, just inside Mt. Rainier National Park. The destination for the 25th TBA. Appropriate winter clothing and willingness to rent snowshoes if loaners
not available required. Join us and enjoy the beauty of winter! Questions and sign up with Fran at tatooshie@yahoo.com, or Felice, fdavis1944@gmail.com

Program Council
9:00 a.m.

Rebecca Parker Wine and Cheese Reception 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Sunday, February 26, 2012 Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation Rebecca Parker has been President of Starr King School for the Ministry since 1990 and Professor of Theology since 2001, the first woman to serve as the permanent head of an accredited theological school. An ordained United Methodist minister, Parker has dual fellowship with the United Methodist Church and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Dr. Parker will speak on educational opportunities for UU lay persons offered by Starr King and the concepts in her book "House of Hope". There will be time for questions and books will be available for sale. A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-First Century by Rebecca Parker, co-authored with John Buehrens. “Coauthors Buehrens (A Chosen Faith) and Parker (Saving Paradise), both progressive clergy, engage in conversation with each other and with theologians ancient and modern.” “This accessible, engaging book may inspire religious progressives to claim their proud history and vital role in contemporary theological conversation.” — excerpt from Publisher's Weekly review “They examine, from a liberal-progressive perspective, the religious frameworks that inspired generations of men and women to fight for women's rights, racial equality, economic justice, and peace. A thoughtful meditation on religion, duty, and the common good.” — June Sawyers, Booklist Online review

Hospitality Kitchen Date Change

Going forward, members and friends of TUUC will volunteer to serve breakfast and lunch at Hospitality Kitchen (1323 S Yakima, Tacoma) on the third Thursday of each month. We volunteer from approximately 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. This is a great way to get to know others in the congregation while serving the growing need for food in Pierce County and supporting our UU community minister, Rev. Jim Anderson, who is the Director of Hospitality Kitchen and the Tacoma Ave Shelter. Please contact Joan Benderson @ 253-566-4334 or by email at joan.benderson@nventure.com for more details or with questions.

TUUC Music Committee

The newly formed Music Committee of TUUC invites anyone who has an interest in the music for our services to attend monthly meetings for planning. If you don't care to be a member but have ideas to offer the committee about music, please contact Kathy Strickland, Chair.

Social Action Committee

The next Social Action committee meeting will be after the last service on February 12, and we welcome all newcomers. The next vigil at the Northwest Detention Center will be on February 19 at 1:00 p.m. This is quite a remarkable experience, and we welcome you to join us in compassion for the loved ones of detainees.

February's Change for Change will be for the budget booster for TUUC. We do this twice a year to help plug holes in our budget, a very necessary thing to do. The committee is welcome to new ideas and projects for Change for Change, by the way. Donations for Change for Change in January are for the important work done at the Northwest Immigration Rights Project.

For the Occupy Tacoma folks, who managed to stay in their tents during the storm (although we are not sure how), if you identify at all with the 99%, here are suggestions for their needs:

propane for their outdoor heater
small bottles of propane for personal heaters
hand and toe warmers
paper towells
toilet paper
any home-cooked hot meals

… and they are most grateful for any contributions.

On-Line/Hard Copy Photo Directory Update

Later this month the Membership Committee plans to pass out the 2011 new members supplement along with a color photo collage of the congregation. This will be given to all those who have purchased the 3-ring binder directory. New directories will be on sale for $10 no later than the first part of February. Another way to view the TUUC membership is by going online. If you've misplaced your pass codes or not received them, please contact Susan Kunkel.

CPR Certification

Anyone interested in obtaining/updating their CPR certification please contact Tim Battin at spatialresearch@yahoo.com via email and put your name in asap. We hope to arrange a class probably on a Saturday in February (4 hours). The training is free so long as we have a dozen people signed up, and we hope to do it at TUUC. We just purchased a defibrillator and will practice with this equipment. We are also updating the First Aid kits and you can contact Maryellen Martinez with any questions suggestions about the kits/locations/etc.

Save the Date!
TUUC Auction - Saturday, April 14

TUUC's annual auction will be held on April 14th this year. Please save the date and plan to attend. And please plan to donate items, too.

The auction is TUUC's major fundraising event of the year. We'd like to make it one of our major social events, too. To this end, we hope to have more fixed-price, lower-cost events for sale so that more people can afford to participate. Could you donate inexpensive group event items such as hikes or bike rides, a night of bridge or board games, a billiard or pool table party, or a slide show from your last exotic vacation? Of course you can! Contact Christine Stalnaker or Maryellen Martinez with any questions.

Annual UU Women's Retreat

Members & Friends of all ages welcome!

• Registration includes ALL MEALS & lodging ( that means no cooking, just come and RELAX)
• Connect with other UU Women, in a beautiful setting

If you haven't been before, it's a lot of fun and also a chance to connect with other UU women and just "renew your spirit" in a beautiful woodsy setting on the shores of Puget Sound (but with modern amenities). This weekend is yours to use as you wish: Engage with others, spend time in quiet contemplation – or do both!

• OUTDOOR activities: hiking, archery, boating, climbing wall
• WORKSHOPS: chocolate appreciation (the sequel), getting healthy & staying healthy, Pierce County Suffragettes, journaling your life, book sharing, nature walk, art, yoga & more
• EVENING WORSHIP: a time to gather with other women and re-center yourself
• FRIDAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Lisa Voso, trial attorney, trainer & speaker

Registration form For more information contact Debbie Cafazzo at: debbie.cafazzo@gmail.com  or Allison Cerny at: alcerny@gmail.com

TUUC Progressive Dinner Fundraisers

The next Progressive Dinner Fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, March 10. Each dinner will consist of four courses and will begin with appetizers at 5:30 pm. The dinners are prix fixe at $35 per person and limited to 16 persons for each date. To reserve your seat at the table, send a check made out to TUUC for $35 to Joan Benderson at 9201 65th St Ct W, University Place, 98467.

Valentines Dance is February 11

TUUC Valentine's Dance will be Saturday, February 11 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.! This is an all ages event! Come dance like no one is watching to hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and today! Bring a finger food to share if you can. $5 donation per person with a $10 limit per family. For those who come early to set up or stay after to clean up, the donation is waived.

February Third Friday Potluck

February 17th is the next date for our Third Friday Potluck. Andy Bartels will bring us a program of fun and music. Andy has performed from our pulpit on Sundays so i know he will delight us with his music and stories. Maybe we'll all be a part of the program. Come with your contribution for the noon meal at 12:00 Friday, February 17th.

Mystery Pals Begins February 19

Mystery Pals is an exciting way to connect with people at TUUC! Just sign up with Lori and she will assign you a code name (which will be a famous UU). For four Sundays, between February 19 and March 18, you leave a clue about who you are in the Mystery Pals Mailbox that will be in the church lobby. Your pal will leave a clue for you too! If you wish you can give your pal small gifts like candy, drawings, poems, trinkets, or flowers, but gifts are optional. On March 25 we will have a Reveal Celebration in the social hall at 10:35 a.m. If you want to be a mystery pal you must agree to be there for the Reveal Celebration to meet your pal, and give clues for all four Sundays. Adults and children are encouraged to participate in Mystery Pals. Adults will be paired with children as much as possible, to make this an inter-generational activity. Please e-mail Lori by February 5 at dre@tuuc-wa.org if you’d like to participate and she’ll send you instructions to get started!

20s - 30s Group

Thursday, February 16 from 6 - 8 p.m. Twenties and Thirties Group - Tacoma Artwalk  Our scheduled activity for the month is the Tacoma Artwalk (www.artwalktacoma.com). This is rescheduled from January when weather cancelled the Third Thursday events. This is an event put on monthly by downtown Tacoma commercial art galleries as well as the downtown museums. Entry to all locations is free. We'll meet at the Bridge of Glass at 6pm. From there we can decide what venues or museums the group wants to go to.  Please RSVP to Dave Cerny xcerny@gmail.com so the group knows if we should wait for anyone else!

Twenties and Thirties Group Meeting
Our first monthly meeting of the year will be at Forza coffeehouse at N. 21st and Pearl on Monday February 20th from 7 - 9 p.m.  We'll be planning our group's activities for the next few months, so everyone bring your calendars and your ideas for activities. If you can't make it right at the start, don't be afraid to come in after we've started. Contact Nicole Scheer nscheer92@gmail.com or Dave Cerny xcerny@gmail.com

February’s Circle Dinner

February's Circle Dinner will be held on Saturday, February 18th, from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. This is a time when members and friends share a potluck dinner together and strengthen our spiritual community. If you'd like to participate, either as a guest or as a host/hostess, please sign up with Christine Stalnaker between services this Sunday.

Step Up for TUUC

Coffee Hour Needs Volunteers
Please consider joining the Coffee Team! We need volunteers for this year. It would involve helping to make the brew and set up/clean up tables one Sunday per month. We are trying to expand into teams of at least two persons per Sunday and you can choose which one works best for you. Please send a response to Tim Battin, spatialresearch@yahoo.com or 253 - 988 4342. Thanks!

Help Needed: Building and Grounds!
As our church ages, the effort to keep it sound and presentable increases, as well as the need for volunteers. Any amount of time is appreciated. Current needs are: yard and parking lot weeding, electrical work, sump pump upgrades, painting the wheelchair ramp, etc. The current contracted maintenance hours don't cover all this work.

These projects must be done to not only make it enjoyable and safe to use the facility, but also to make sure that when it comes time to sell, it is marketable. Interested in pitching in? Contact Bob Lane at boblane@harbornet.com or Felice Davis at fdavis1944@gmail.com

Lost Something?
There are numerous items in the lost & found on the shelf above the coat rack off the foyer. At least 5 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses, shirts, hot cups, etc. One item of note is a beautiful Christopher & Banks seersucker shirt primarily of brown with gold, red, green and blue threads running through it. If you’re missing something, please take a look.

Around the PNWD

Alaska UUs
Whale Coast Alaska 2012
Alaska UUs Offer Unique Tour After PNWD Assembly in May

WhaleCoast Alaska -- a tour program that is sponsored by Alaska UU congregations -- would like to invite you to a unique 9-day tour of Alaska, beginning immediately after the historic 2012 PNWD Assembly in Anchorage. The tour will visit the highlights of Anchorage, travel to picturesque Seward, spend two nights in wild Denali National Park, and end in historic Fairbanks. The tour is organized by Fairbanks UU Dave Frey, who travels with the group. It was created especially for participants in this year’s District Assembly who want to experience Alaska in the company of fellow UUs. It lasts 9 days and 8 nights – from May 20-28 -- and features spectacular experiences in nature, scenic travel on the Alaska Railroad, and warm UU home hospitality. The cost is $2,339, including all lodging (double occupancy), travel, tour activities, and an average of two meals per day. The tour is a fundraising event for the Anchorage and Fairbanks congregations. There is a $50 early registration discount through January 31. (Contact us if you receive this notice later than January 31 and need an extension of this deadline.)

WhaleCoast Alaska has been organizing annual fundraising tours since the 1990’s. Many PNWD UUs have participated over the years, but this is the first time the program has ever organized a tour around a PNWD event. The Anchorage and Fairbanks UUs are eager to show you their beautiful state. Complete tour information and registration forms can be found atwww.WhaleCoastAK.org, by emailingdfrey@whalecoastak.org, or by calling 907-322-4966.

We at Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation are a liberal religious congregation of about 200 members, plus friends, who share our lives, our values and principles, our questions, and our faith and spirituality with one another. We have Sunday services, and we have other activities and programs all week. We are one of over a thousand independent congregations that voluntarily belong to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

TUUC's Online calendar
Please look here and send a message to your adminIstrative staff members with corrections and additions a soon as possible. Thank you! Mike Field