Exploring UU and Our Congregation
Curious to know more about Unitarian Universalism and what our congregation at First Unitarian is up to in Victoria?
NEXT MEETING: Sunday November 13th, 2022 from 12:30 – 2:30pm (max)
(In-person or Zoom will be announced as we approach the date of the meeting.)
For newcomers, searchers and anyone wanting to learn more, the purpose of these online gatherings are two-fold: to share information about events and activities within our community so that you can discern and decide how to get involved, and to introduce you to some of the history, stories, and theology of Unitarian Universalism so that you have a sense of what is unique about our spiritual community and ways we may be similar to other congregations and communities.
This is also a time to connect with others who are new to exploring this community as well as connecting with Rev. Shana and some members of the congregation. We will outline the pathway to becoming a member or friend of the congregation.
Please contact Reverend Shana Lynngood at rev.shana@victoriaunitarian.ca or 250-891-6331 with your questions and wonderings.
RSVP before November 10th, 2022 to rev.shana@victoriaunitarian.ca and/or membership@victoriaunitarian.ca – we will send location and meeting details in reply. Snacks will be served.
You are not the only one. And you are not alone.
Circles of Connection are one-time small group gatherings, facilitated by Rev. Melora, in which participants share experiences, struggles, comfort, and hope as they connect with one another around a common issue. You are warmly invited to participate in whichever gatherings call to you.
Circles of Connection: Living Alone
Wednesday, October 5,
Sanctuary,
1 – 3pm is in person only
7 – 8:30pm is zoom only
If you live alone, whether by circumstance or choice, you are invited to share with others young and old, the joys as well as any difficulties you may experience in independent living. This may also serve as a way to network with others – joint outings or support systems may emerge.
Please sign up on this online sign-up sheet if you are able, or contact Rev. Melora rev.melora@gmail.com 250-891-6330; please put the word ‘circles’ in the subject heading.
Circles of Connection: Loss & Grief
Tuesday, October 25,
Farmhouse common room,
1 – 3pm is in person only
7 – 8:30pm is zoom only
Whether you have experienced the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or some other hard-to-pinpoint sense of loss, you are not alone. This has been a season of loss and grief for many of us. Whether your grief is fresh or long-held, you are welcome to this circle in which we honor the losses and hold the grief together.
Please sign up on this online sign-up sheet if you are able, or contact Rev. Melora rev.melora@gmail.com 250-891-6330; please put the word ‘circles’ in the subject heading.
Circles of Connection: Loss of Children (of any age) and/or Pregnancies
November 15,
Farmhouse common room,
1 – 3pm is in person only
7 – 8:30pm is zoom only
A child should not die before the parent. The loss of a child is a unique kind of pain. Whether you lost a child in utero or whether your child died in adulthood; whether the loss happened decades ago, or recently; you are welcome to join in this circle in which we honour the loss of your child, alongside others who know this unique kind of pain. This circle will include a ritual that honours both the loss as well as the spark of light that dwelled within your child. This circle welcomes as well those who have experienced the sense of loss that can come with infertility, the loss of the child who is yearned for but never comes to be.
Sign up by contacting Rev. Melora rev.melora@gmail.com 250-891-6330;
Please put the word ‘circles’ in the subject heading.
Circles of Connection: Experiences with MAiD
Tuesday, November 22,
Farmhouse common room,
1 – 3pm is in person only
7 – 8:30pm is zoom only
Losing a loved one through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) can bring up a whole array of feelings. Whether your experience was peaceful and all you hoped it would be, or whether it brought up some difficult questions or feelings within yourself or your network of family and friends, we gather in a supportive circle to hold the complexity of it all. We also welcome anyone into this circle who has a loved one who is planning to use MAiD in the near or distant future. Additional resources & support can be found at https://www.bridgec14.org/
Please sign up on this online sign-up sheet if you are able, or contact Rev. Melora rev.melora@gmail.com 250-891-6330; please put the word ‘circles’ in the subject heading.
Circles of Connection: Addiction & Recovery
Tuesday, November 29,
Farmhouse common room,
1 – 3pm is in person only
7 – 8:30pm is zoom only
Whether you are currently struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol, or whether you’ve been in recovery for decades, you are welcome to this judgement-free circle in which you can connect with others in our congregation who ‘have been there’ too. We’ll share what has been hard and also what has helped.
Sign up by contacting Rev. Melora rev.melora@gmail.com 250-891-6330;
please put the word ‘circles’ in the subject heading.
If you are interested in a particular topic, but cannot make the date it is offered, let me know. If we get a critical mass, I may be able to run a second session at a different time.
And don’t forget the many ongoing groups in our church community:
- Spirituality Group,
- Depression & Anxiety Support Group,
- Parent’s Group,
- Tibetan Meditation,
- Zoom Sing,
- Monday Walkers,
- Pub Night,
- (new!) Meaningful Connection Groups,
- and more.
For more information: https://victoriaunitarian.ca/program/small-group-ministry/