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Community Office Hours With Rev. Sara
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1st & 3rd Wednesdays #BUUFbreak
Rev. Sara will hold open office hours out in the community at different coffee houses and other fun gathering spots around town. These meet-ups are meant to be informal and open to drop-ins, a time for beverages and banter with a spiritual bent. Treat yourself to coffee, tea and a snack and enjoy the company of your minister and other BUUFers. Anyone is welcome, this is a great opportunity to introduce a friend or local activist you know to our church. Locations & times vary, check the weekly announcements and Facebook for the latest updates. For those unable to participate, you can join the fun and conversation virtually by posting a comment or photo in the Facebook comment thread and using #BUUFbreak!
December 2, 2 - 4 p.m. at
the J.R. Simplot Café on campus at Boise State in the College of Business & Economics Building,
December 16, 2 - 4 p.m. at
The River City Coffee & Cafe, 5514 State St (
Link to Map)
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From Your Committee on Ministry (CoM)
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Your CoM
Wanda Jennings
With our new minister, Rev. Sara LaWall, comes a new Committee on Ministry (CoM). Members are Elton Hall, David Clopton, Patty Nakaoki, Sarah Olsen, and Wanda Jennings. We serve to uphold and assess all aspects of the congregation's ministry against our vision and mission. Our Mission is why our congregation exists. Our Ministry is everything it does to fulfill this mission. We keep the best interests of the congregation at the center of our work, paying attention to the ministry of the congregation in a broad sense-how well the congregation is ministering to its members, the surrounding community, and the world. We also act as a reflection group for Rev. Sara.
Because Sara is a new minister in Preliminary Fellowship there are requirements from the Unitarian Universal Association. She must submit renewals and evaluations for each of the next three years to advance into Final Fellowship. The CoM will assist her in this process.
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From Your Director of Religious Exploration
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A Noisy Church is a Healthy Church
Emmie Schlobohm, Director of Religious Exploration
As we embrace radical hospitality in our congregation and out into the greater community, our children and youth and their unique gifts and teachings rise up. The smiles and physical joy of our newly welcomed young ones and the presence and engagement of our thoughtful teens who were involved in our Apple Communion service just this last Sunday, for example. In this season of gathering and giving gifts, what are the intangible gifts our younger congregants have to offer all of us? What are the lessons they can teach us to carry forward towards our sacred goal of radical hospitality and deeper welcoming? How are we living the ideals of a truly multi-generational community where all ages and stages feel seen and heard, loved and supported, welcomed and truly embraced?
There is a curriculum for children in Kindergarten through 1st grade called Wonder Welcome developed and supported by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Tapestry of Faith program. In their introduction to the curriculum, the authors state, "How do we welcome? We welcome by sharing intangible gifts, those positive qualities which we all have inside us such as kindness, love, invitation, covenant and empathy. In this program, children learn to articulate and express a variety of intangible gifts, empowering them to share these gifts with others." Some of the youngest among us are exploring these very same concepts throughout this year. How are we cultivating these same gifts within ourselves and with our community?
I know that I'm asking tough questions with sometimes elusive answers. Some ideas or answers may bubble up for you and some of those might be choices we are making right now. However, some paths to the answers that will work for us, individually and as a community, will involve more time and cooperation and some hard work for all of us. To paraphrase one of my favorite poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, "Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. ... At present, you need to live the question."
I don't ask these deeper questions lightly and not without resources to work with as a community going forward together. The UUA has many online resources for multi-generational communities and they are referenced in this blog post in Call and Response: Journeys in UU Lifespan Faith Development
There is much to explore and cultivate. We are all living in these questions together, from our youngest infants in the nursery to our most honored elders. Our beloved community is a welcoming respectful place where the holy happens and the sacred lives within us. Let us always explore and develop our growth edges. I invite you to join with me on this journey of radical hospitality and deeper welcoming.
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News From Religious Exploration
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The Music of our Lives is happening in RE too!
This Sunday, November 29, all children and youth are welcome to join in making a joyful noise with some of their RE guides and special guests. While the adults are exploring music
 with Carrie in the sanctuary, we'll be singing songs, dancing, and playing instruments and music-themed games. If you would like to join in the fun, we always welcome family and friends! If you have a musical talent and/or a musical instrument you'd like to share with our young people, please bring them and yourself to the elementary classrooms in the north wing. If you have questions, please contact Emmie Schlobohm at
dre@boiseuu.org or 602-7285
Outrageous Hats! Macaroni & Cheese Bar! Ornaments Galore!
All of this and more await you on Sunday, December 6 after the 11:15 service. Your RE Team is hosting their annual holiday kickoff this year and it's Not. To. Be. Missed!
Bring a dish to share that goes well with marvelous macaroni and cheese - a sumptuous salad, bountiful beans, pleasantly prepared produce, fanciful fruit, you name it!
And if you have an outrageous hat, please wear it!
Be prepared to deck our halls with ornaments that we'll create, sing carols, and eat food with members of our joyful community. Let the merriment begin!
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Social Justice November Plate Partner
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Boise City Farmers' Market Mobile Market
Patty Nakaoki
The Mobile Market started in 2015 as a collaboration between the Boise Farmers' Market and the City of Boise, Parks and Recreation. The market brought local fresh fruits and vegetables to 6 different locations around the city in low income neighborhoods all summer long. The Mobile Market accepts SNAP benefits and in 2015, the City of Boise matched the first $10 of SNAP benefits with a credit at the Mobile Market. In 2016, the Mobile Market has applied for several grants, hoping to expand their services to other locations. Non-SNAP customers at the Mobile Market also help the market as their purchases help defray fixed costs (mostly staffing).
Don't miss the colorful and playful mobile fruit-and-vegetable "tarpestry" hanging in the South entryway. Melissa Chambers has graciously agreed to make and donate a unique banner for each month's Plate Partner. Watch that space every month for her inventive interpretations of all our non-profit partners.
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Film to be Shown December 3
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Gideon's Army
Criminal Justice reform is a hot topic in the news today. If you would like to know more about the issues, please plan to attend a showing of the documentary "Gideon's Army" on Saturday, December 3 at 7 p.m. at BUUF. This excellent film follows the lives of three public defenders, and focuses on how stretched the system is, and how that poses a threat to a fundamental right to justice. We will follow it up with a discussion with the ACLU on the status of their lawsuit over Idaho's Public Defender System, and other initiatives. In particular we will learn about current political shifts taking place around the death penalty. Here is a link to the film:
http://gideonsarmythefilm.com/ Refreshments will be provided.
The ACLU is our plate partner for December. In addition to the film screening, we will be conducting a series of book talks to discuss the critically acclaimed book,
Watch our bulletins in the future to find out more about this program.
"We will ultimately not be judged by our technology, we won't be judged by our design, we won't be judged by our intellect and reason. Ultimately, you judge the character of a society . . . by how they treat the poor, the condemned, the incarcerated."
- Bryan Stevenson, from Just Mercy.
The 12 Items of Christmas
BUUF will support the Corpus Christi Day Shelter this holiday season by collecting needed items during the month of December. The day shelter serves many of the same folks who use the Interfaith Sanctuary (one of our Social Justice partners) or who have decided to make "Cooper's Court" their temporary shelter space. The day shelter provides a warm place for our homeless brothers and sisters and families to spend the day, and provides activities for children, as well. Jeannette Ross has been volunteering there for years, bringing crafts, comfort and joy to many. Ask her to tell you some stories, and remember to bring the following items and place them in the boxes in the entryways:
1. Coffee (ground, cans)
2. Tea bags
3. Hot Chocolate packets
4. Peanut Butter
5. Jam
6. Women's gloves
7. Men's gloves
8. Men's white socks (all sizes)
9. Women's white socks (all sizes)
10. Women's underpants (sizes 6,7,8, 9)
11. Generic long underwear bottoms (medium to large)
12. Stocking caps (adult sizes)
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Spiritual Growth and Learning
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Join Our Contemplative Practice Group
 Contemplative practice (commonly called centering prayer) is a meditative practice which originated within the 4th Century monastic tradition of the Desert Fathers. While it has become widespread recently due to the efforts of the Cistercian monks, Fathers Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington, there is no reason it must be exclusively Christian. This group will draw from all of our UU sources for our practice.
Outwardly, centering prayer looks similar to mindful meditation, but varies in that it provides a word, phrase, or short reading for contemplation during a period of restful silence. The health benefits of centering prayer are similar to other forms of meditation. If you would like to learn more about centering prayer and/or participate in a weekly group, meet in the Balazs (senior high) room on Tuesday mornings, at 9 - 9:30 a.m. Led by Jay Wechselberger.
Mindful Meditation
If meditation is more your style, join the mindful meditation group that meets Mondays, 6:30 p.m. in the Fahs Room, north wing. Led by Mike Philley and Rick Groff.
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Join Us For Thanksgiving Dinner at BUUF?
Been thinking about turkey and the fixins' for awhile now? Please join us for a Fun
Community Thanksgiving Dinner with BUUF Friends,
Thursday, Nov 26, 2 p.m..  Questions: Ask Nancy Harms @ nancy@boiseuu.org or 375-5066. We have turkey, homeade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, squash, fruit salad, rolls, and pies so far. Bring whatever dish makes you happy. Dinner is at BUUF in the Sanctuary. The more the merrier!!
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Hosted by Rev. Sara LaWall and Michael Alvarado
Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 - 8ish p.m. in the Sanctuary
"Unfortunately, many of us are not only disconnected from our fellow travelers, we are far removed from life itself.... We have drawn lines in the sand between the sacred and the secular, the profound and the profane. We have opted for either the baptismal font or the watering hole, for approaching the altar rail or bellying up to the bar. We assume we have to distill out the goofy to reveal what is godly." -William B. Miller Priest, bar owner, and author of The Beer Drinker's Guide to God.
We hope to establish and deepen relationships within our Young Adult community 21-30's.
Bring a 12 oz. bottle or can of beer per person to share.
If you have taster glasses, please bring them!
Be prepared to share your favorite (or goofiest) holiday memory or family tradition-let's share the profound over a pint!
Free Childcare will be available, please call 658-1710 with your child/ren's ages.
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Bring Some Cheer to Our Seniors!
All members and friends are invited to go Christmas caroling with the BUUF choir on Wednesday, December 16th, 6:30 p.m.
We will meet in the main hall at 6:30 PM and will practice a few songs. From there, we will head out in car pools at
7:00 to sing and bring Christmas cheer to some of our seniors. We will return to BUUF at 8:30 for a Christmas
cookie and treats pot-luck. Come join the merriment! Questions? Email our music director, Carrie Bastian at cariesu@yahoo.com
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Plan Now For BUUF's Campout
Save the date - BUUF Camping 2016
We want you to get the jump on planning for next summer and BUUF camping. If you want to  join the fun save August 5-6, 2016 for BUUF camping at Ponderosa State Park in McCall. While you are at it, go ahead and let Julia Pope (julia.t.pope@gmail.com)
or Mary Stell (mstellmstell@gmail.com)
know that you want to reserve a spot. Contact one of us for more details.
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Classics Book Club
The Honorable BUUF Classics Club hereby solicits participation in its hearty literary
discussions. Said gatherings shall commence at 7:00 on the following dates:
Dec. 9: Lord of the Flies at Lorel Case's domicile
Feb 24: Tristram Shandy at the abode of Marcia Lyons
April 27: Nana at Lorel Case's cottage
Speaketh with Lorel Case (376-3188) for additional particulars.
The Other Book Club
Come join us for lively discussion on books and other topics. We meet on the second Sunday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
However please note dates in January/February:
December 13th we will be reading Mambo King Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos. We will meet at the home of Patti Raino, 4905 W. Outlook Ave, Boise, 83703 336-2280.
January 31, 2016 we will be reading the Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.
We will meet at the home of Carol Wilke, 5186 E. Trail Wind Dr. Boise, ID 83716 761-1769
No meeting Scheduled for February .
March 13th we will be reading Being Mortal, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Tentatively we will meet at BUUF in the Channing Room, south wing.
If you would like to receive our emails contact me at erins4960@msn.com
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Photo Directory Being Printed
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BUUF Members and Friends
The new directory is out.
Our new software has the ability for members to access an online directory as well as the ability to view your donation history. There are also android and apple app versions that the company is testing which should be available soon.
Please contact Mitchel Bethel (
mitchelhb@boiseuu.org
) if you would like access to the online directory.
The electronic options provide to the fellowship the advantage of reducing costs to the fellowship, reducing consumption of natural resources and providing quicker and more up to date information on current members. These options help the fellowship, the environment and the members of the congregation in the long term.
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Sunday December 6, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
Catching the Stones: Mercy, Brokenness, and Compassion
A Justice Sunday sermon connecting with our December plate partner, the ACLU of Idaho and their work on criminal justice reform and the death penalty. Dive into the issue early and BUUF's participation in the UUA Common Read of
Just Mercy
by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Bryan has dedicated his legal career to defending those who are trapped by an often capricious, political, and willfully unjust criminal justice system.
December 13, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.
The Open Heart: Music and Meditation
Rev. Sara LaWall
BUUF Choir, and BUUF Musicians
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District & Regional Connections
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Hold the Dates!
February 26 - 27, 2016
Hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver, WA
Big Faith ~ No Borders:
A Practical Theology of Beloved Community
Deeply rooted in our Unitarian Universalist faith tradition, the religious vision of Beloved community is bold, transformational, and desperately needed today. Internally strong and externally focused congregations have a unique contribution to make in healing the consequences of lovelessness and injustice -- in our own lives and the lives of others around us.
Join us to engage with transformational tools and practices for building beloved community in families, congregations, and local communities.
Registration and Program details available on the Pacific Western Region website in December
Facilitators:
Rev. Deborah Holder. Pacific Western Region and BetheLove.net
Gregory Rouillard and Jared Finkelstein, Living Seven Principles Project.com
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March 5, 2016
Hosted by University Unitarian Church, Seattle, WA
Pacific Northwest District (PNWD)
District Assembly & Annual General Meeting
9 a.m. - Noon
Where Do We Come From? Who Are We?
Rev. Jon Luopa, Theme Speaker
1:30 - 4 p.m.
Where Are We Going?
Pacific Northwest District Board, Facililtating Conversations
on Regionalization and Beyond
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