Month: November 2021 (Page 2 of 3)

Six Things You Don’t Want to Miss!

November 19, 2021 /

1. GrateFULLness Camp

In response to PSD schools being closed Thanksgiving week, we are offering a 1/2 day mini GrateFULLness Camp!
 
Come experience “great fullness” – being filled up with gratitude – through stories, art, outdoor activities, and fun with friends! For kids ages 5 – 12. Cost is $30. A great way to break up this unexpected time off school!
 

2. Gift a Family!

We are thrilled to be teaming up with La Familia for our 8th year in a row to fulfill local families’ Christmas lists!

Join the joy and generosity at foothillsuu.org/giftafamily!

3. Movie Night!

Celebrate GivingThanks with The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the documentary about the their unlikely friendship. These self-described mischievous brothers give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances.
 
Sunday, November 28, 6:30-8:30 pm online. Hosted by Foothills Climate Justice Ministry. Learn more and register HERE.

4. Sean preaching in person!

Mark your calendars! On Sunday, November 28th, Rev. Sean is preaching in person for the first time since we’ve returned to in-person services. Join him at 8:30 am or 10 am at the church. 

Registration for November 28th’s 8:30 am service will open Monday, November 22nd. Visit foothillsuu.org/signup on Monday to save your spot!

Registration for 10 am service is already open at foothillsuu.org/10.

5. For the Future!

In the last few year’s we have seen how where we invest now directly impacts our ability to fully respond to each moment that arises. Our community’s response to Trump’s election, directly impacted our ability to respond to the pandemic. This is one of the reasons we’ve chose to call our pledge drive, For the Future. Learn more about how 2017 prepared us for 2020, and how 2021 can prepare us for the future.

6. Budget Presentation

Interested in learning more about the church finances? Join Senior Minister Rev. Gretchen Haley and Director of Finance Katie Watkins for an in-depth look at the Foothills’ 2022 budget. There will also be time for a Q&A!
 
See Foothills' Unitarians full events calendar!

A story of caring & Joy the Dog 🐾

November 19, 2021 /
Make your 2022 pledge today!

From meals to caring kits to a listening ear, Foothills Caring Ministry has provided over 600 acts of care so far this year.

Foothills member Mary Pat Aukema shares her (and Joy the Dog’s) story of receiving care during a breakthrough case of COVID-19 👇

We ALL need a little help sometimes, and many of us needed more than a little this year. We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in caring needs in our community – and we are willing and ready to respond… but we need your support.

At Foothills, there is no us and them. We are all the church, and we promise to show up for each other. We never ask for payment in return for care – and we never will – which means all the support we provide one another comes from you, our beloved community.

If you haven’t yet made your 2022 pledge, please consider doing so today in honor of the many ways we care for each other in times of need. Because as members of the Foothills Community, we can each rest a little easier knowing that we never have to go it alone.

Make your 2022 pledge today!

In partnership,

The Foothills Unitarian Team

P.S. If you wanted to make it to our Stakeholders and Stewardship Partners meeting but couldn’t, you can watch the full meeting HERE!

Making Peace with What Haunts Us (Day 4)

November 18, 2021 /

Though many of you may have heard it on Sunday, I’d like to start today’s practice off by revisiting a portion Rev. Elaine’s chalice lighting from Sunday:

I invite you to Rev. Elaine’s words in your heart as you embark on the following practice.

Practice

In her sermon Sunday, Rev. Elaine teaches how naming our shame can be healing – even life-giving. 

To begin the practice of naming our shames, get a writing instrument and paper, and find a comfortable seat. 

Then move through the journaling prompts below:

1. What is your earliest memory of feeling shame?

2. What does shame feel like in your body? Where in your body does it live? How does it affect your breath, belly, hands, shoulders, jaw?

3. Have you ever avoided something because of feeling shame?

4. Is there anything that you regularly feel shame around? It may be related to relationships (like parenting), your body, work, money, or something else entirely. When did you first start to feel shame about this thing?

This exercise aims not to eradicate shame but rather to recognize and honor that there is healing power in the naming. There is power in exploring our experiences with shame, while holding the truth that nothing can ever deplete our inborn worth and beauty. 

A Beacon for Progressive Values

November 12, 2021 /
Make your 2022 pledge today!

Foothills Unitarian Church is a community made possible by the generosity of our members. We don’t provide a “fee-for-service.” We offer ministry to anyone who participates in our community and needs us. Each ministry has direct costs, from social justice to caring, small groups to Sunday Worship, climate justice to family programming, and so many more. 

If each person who makes up the church gives within their means, as a community, we cover the costs of our ministry. We can continue offering our ministries freely. We can maintain our role as a beacon for progressive values in Northern Colorado and beyond. 

We are thrilled you are part of our community and hope that this year, you’ll invest in sustaining our beloved church family and growing our impactful work.  We have some big goals to fulfill our BOLD VISION, and we hope you’ll join us by making a 2022 pledge (a promise to give an amount of money that works for you over the course of the year). Pledges are so important, because they help us plan our work and operate within our means.

As a committed member of our community, we hope you’ll take a few moments to do these three things: 

1) Consider… Your personal pledge carefully. 

  • What can you commit to give in 2022? (suggested above) 

  • Are you on the path to 5%? Check this resource out to learn more about why we suggest supporting our beloved community with 5% of your household income. Five percent may seem like a lot to start, so we encourage you to calculate 5% then use that as a starting place to discern what is the right amount for you to pledge.

  • What method are you using for payment? Checks, monthly ACH withdrawals, and stock donations require the least amount of fees incurred by the church. If you would like to use a credit card to pay monthly, consider covering the 2.9% processing fee. 

  • In 2022 we are creating a special fund to help us hire a full-time Music Director. We must fully fund our operating budget first, but if the music legacy of Foothills Unitarian Church is your passion, consider giving to this special fund and helping us make this hire a reality!

2) Commit... To hold space for the future of our community with your resources. Your gifts build a legacy of courageous love, justice, spiritual grounding, intellectual curiosity, and more for generations to come.

  • Please submit your pledge by our December 1st deadline, so we can plan for the coming year and enter 2022 in a strong financial position. 

3) Cultivate… An internal culture of giving among engaged congregants

  • Sign up to reach out to 5-10 friends in the church who might need to hear more before submitting a pledge. There is space on the digital pledge card to volunteer to help with this as one of our Stewardship Partners. 
Make your 2022 pledge today!

Thanks for your partnership in sustaining and growing our impactful and loving community. We are so grateful for your investment!

In partnership,

The Foothills Team

Making Peace with What Haunts Us: Day 2

November 11, 2021 /

During her sermon on Sunday, Rev. Gretchen talked about how ghost stories can be a way to say “this happened, and it won’t really ever be over – even if we don’t talk about it. And that can be ok. Because we learn to live with it. We find ways to come to terms with it – even make something beautiful out of it.”

Sometimes when the ghosts come from our childhood, they can feel amorphous – maybe we can’t name them exactly. After all, most of our personal ghosts – and even many of our collective ones – aren’t neatly packaged into stories to be shared. So today, I invite you into a practice from trauma-trained somatic coach Abby Vernon.

Practice:

  1. Find a picture of yourself as a child.

  2. Take time to be with the image of younger you and allow any feelings and/or sensations to arise and flow through.

  3. Ask what your little self was thinking and /or feeling and what they may have needed.

  4. Offer your little self support and any care that comes up now, in this moment – perhaps they need a hug (hug yourself), they want to play (do something that helps you feel playful), or they may need to express their emotions (hold space for that expression – cry, scream, laugh).

If something specific arises during this exercise – a particular ghost – I invite you to name it. “This happened here. It may never really go away fully. That’s okay. I am worthy of happiness and peace. I can be both the child in the picture and the caring adult that child can lean on while being a work in progress.”

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Dispatches from the journey of Foothills Unitarian

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑