As the month of Love, February is the perfect month for KUUF to have its annual Stewardship Campaign. This year our theme is GIVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE. We all know that our Fellowship gives us so much to enrich our lives; inspirational worship services that nurture our souls and help us grow in our own spiritual depth, support and friendships through our many discussion groups like Chalice Circles and the monthly Grief Group, opportunities to engage in social justice, and religious education for our children that will guide them throughout their lives. We receive so much from KUUF! There are a myriad of ways that KUUF meets our individual needs.
Read moreA message to the congregation that everyone needs to volunteer - it's good for them and its good for KUUF!
A message to the congregation that everyone needs to volunteer - it's good for them and its good for KUUF!
Read moreA message from our new Minister
August 8, 2023
Dear Members and Friends of KUUF,
As I write this first note to you, I am feeling gratitude and a sense of joy and anticipation. Beginning a ministry alongside you as your quarter-time minister, I wonder where we will be called and invited to go together, and who we will become. I am looking forward to our shared ministry.
Read moreMasks optional starting April 30!
Masks optional starting April 30!
The results from the KUUF survey regarding the wearing of masks during worship service are in: the great majority of members of the congregation support lifting the mask mandate. The Moving Forward Task Force noted that the number of Covid cases is moderate, as is the stress on our hospital system. For these reasons, the Moving Forward Task Force made a recommendation to the Board that that the mandate be lifted. At its April 25 meeting, the Board approved making the wearing of masks optional at our upcoming Sunday service on April 30. Although masks will no longer be required, anyone who wishes to remain masked may do so. The Board also supports the Task Force recommendation that people get the new Omicron booster shot, which will soon be available for folks over age 65 and for those with compromised immune systems.
Read moreKUUF Update
As you know, this Sunday will be Reverend Crystal's last day in the KUUF pulpit. For the remainder of April, she will be taking her paid study leave and only available for pastoral care emergencies. Even in the short eight months she has been with us as a contract minister, she has made an impact, especially with her loving pastoral care and joyous intergenerational services. At the end of the service this Sunday, we will have a brief leave-taking ceremony, to thank her for her service here and wish her well in her future ministry.
Read moreRecommendations regarding health precautions
The Moving Forward Task Force has been meeting over the course of the pandemic to advise the Board of Trustees on what it considers the most prudent steps to take to maintain the good health and safety of our beloved community,
We have recommended a conservative course of masking and vaccinations for those attending services in person. We recognize that the requirement of masking while indoors has become annoying to some people, in part because KUUF is one of the few places that still requires masks.
Message from the Board: Covid Protocol Update
Message from the Board: Covid Protocol Update
Based on the recommendation of KUUF’s Moving Forward Task Force, the KUUF Board of Directors has approved two changes in KUUF’s Covid protocols that we hope everyone will appreciate and enjoy:
KUUF COVID Protocol Announcement
The Board and the Moving Forward Task Force encourage everyone who is eligible to get the
newly released booster vaccination as soon as they can. This will further protect our members
and our faith community. We all should do whatever we can to protect our own health and the
health of everyone in our community, including getting vaccinated and boosted!
Read moreCurrent Service Updates
Come to KUUF this Sunday! Here’s what will be happening (and stay tuned for future updates)!
• We are still wearing masks for the time being and requesting that those attending attest that they have been vaccinated.
• Singing during the service is encouraged!
• Meetings in the buildings may resume.
• We are offering coffee after the service.
• Live-streaming of the service will, of course, continue, as will Coffee Hour on Zoom.
Update from Moving Forward Task Force
As you probably know, last week KUUF moved to “Masks Optional but Recommended” status. The Moving Forward Task Force met 5/12/22 to make a recommendation regarding our plan to resume the choir’s singing with masks optional. Because the COVID numbers are rising, and are now 217 per 100K population, we recommend against singing unmasked, and also withdraw the “Masks Optional” recommendation.
We will continue to monitor the data weekly in hopes of bringing the choir back into our live services.
KUUF resumes in person
Join Us Online or In Person this Sunday at 10:30am
On Sunday, March 13, KUUF resumed in-person services, two years from the day that we closed our doors due to the COVID pandemic. Sunday’s service was a joyful reunion with old friends, and a welcome introduction to new ones, here for the first time.
Come to KUUF this Sunday! Here’s what will be happening (and stay tuned for future updates)!
• We are still wearing masks for the time being and requesting that those attending attest that they have been vaccinated.
• Singing during the service is encouraged!
• Meetings in the buildings may resume.
• We will offer coffee after the service as soon as we are able.
• Live-streaming of the service will, of course, continue, as will Coffee Hour on Zoom.
Please submit a joy or sorrow before service to be included during service.
Read moreFrom the Board of Trustees
Dear Members of KUUF,
You are receiving this Survey Monkey so that you may suggest names of KUUF members to serve on the KUUF Selection Committee that will select our next transitional minister.
Background
As you know, our fellowship is embarking on a search for another bridge or transitional minister, who will step in after Rev. Carol’s contract with us ends, and assist us in our search for our next settled minister. These transitions between settled ministers, which is what Rev. Jessica was, are meant to be a year or two long, in part, to give the succeeding minister and congregation a fair opportunity to know and appreciate each other beyond the shadow of the previous minister.
On Tuesday, February 22, your Board of Trustees and members of the Committee on Shared Ministry met with Rev. Sarah Schurr, who is our Congregational Life Staff contact person in the UUA Pacific Western Region, to discuss how we might proceed. Rev. Sarah heard the difficult memories that many in our congregation have of a past transition, and she reassured us that the UUA is taking steps to improve its assistance to congregations. Following this extensive conversation with Rev. Sarah, your Board agreed that KUUF will post our search for a transitional contract minister in the UUA system when we are ready to do so. If you have any questions or concerns about how we came to that decision, please reach out to a Board member.
Prior to registering our posting with the UUA, our fellowship will engage in conversations regarding what worked well in Rev. Jessica’s ministry, and what we are hoping for in the next ministry. We made a small beginning to these conversations during coffee hour on February 20, but we are very aware that coffee hour attendees are a small portion of the whole congregation. The Board is looking to the Committee on Shared Ministry for advice and direction on how we may expand these conversations to other venues and even modes of expression to reach everyone.
Once we have discerned, from all these conversations, what KUUF will be looking for in a transitional minister, we will be ready to post our position in the UUA system. And once we do that, we will need a Selection Committee that will review the responses to our posting and select our next transitional minister.
The KUUF Selection Committee
This committee will be made up of five members of the congregation who know the congregation well and can be depended upon to act in the best interests of the congregation as a whole, and not to favor one group or activity over another. They will be charged with reviewing the submissions, checking references, perhaps traveling locally to see an applicant in action, and interviewing. All of which will involve a significant commitment of time and energy. They must accept the duty of strict confidentiality in their work.
This is where we all come in: we all have an opportunity to suggest a name or two of people who we believe can carry out the duties described above. The Board is NOT asking for volunteers for the committee, but rather for the names of people who we trust to act in the best interests of the congregation and who can observe the necessary confidentiality.
Deadline
Please fill out the survey with your suggestions and submit by Friday, March 11.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LYD2928
Thank you for your assistance!
In Fellowship,
KUUF Board of Trustees
Read moreNote from the Board
Notes from the Board, February 2022
As we move into our third year of living with COVID, and as we move forward from our precious time with Reverend Jessica, your Board has been very busy. We want to share with you the work we have been doing.
Many of you know that Reverend Carol McKinley, who has served us for years as a visiting minister, has agreed to take a quarter-time position with us for six months, February through July 2022. She will be speaking in the pulpit once a month, and taking on Pastoral Care duties together with our Pastoral Care team. Watch for her communications in upcoming issues of the Candle.
We are grateful that in this transitional time we have a minister whom we love and trust.
Looking beyond these next six months, the Board (advised by our Committee for Shared Ministry) is weighing our options:
· Do we want to begin a search process through the UUA? This would take 1-2 years and result in our calling a new settled minister
· Do we want to engage an interim minister for 1-2 years to help us discern what we need before looking for a new settled minister?
· Do we engage a part-time contract minister (1/2 or ¾ time) who could, if we are all excited with her/him/them, eventually be called into settled ministry or be replaced with another contract minister? This is the route we traveled with Reverend Jessica.
Each of these choices is complicated, and like any decision has positive and negative consequences. We will soon be launching listening sessions guided by open-ended questions to assess how our beloved community is feeling and how we best move forward. The questions might look like these:
· What has worked well for you in Reverend Jessica’s ministry?
· How has our congregation changed through that ministry?
· As we move toward re-opening, what do you think will strengthen our ties to each other?
Again, watch in the Candle for information on these listening sessions, and please attend and add your voice.
We are thankful for the response to our recent Volunteer Survey, and for all of you who added your names to help us do the work of this Fellowship. We have an incredible staff and a core of very dedicated volunteers to lead and serve on committees, and now we have some new names to add to that core. If you were not able to respond to the survey but want to add your talents, please contact Tanesha Smith at admin@kuuf.org.
One thing that Reverend Jessica left us with, which we all need to remember, is that this beloved community is very strong. We will go forward, and we will do it together. We were so fortunate for the loving guidance she shared with us, and we will move forward in strength and love.
Read moreProperty Update
Vandalism at KUUF
We were very sad last Sunday to find that during the night, someone had pulled down the archway to our Memorial Garden.
Update from your KUUF Board of Trustees
Notes from the Board, February 2022
As we move into our third year of living with COVID, and as we move forward from our precious time with Reverend Jessica, you Board has been very busy. We want to share with you the work we have been doing.
Read moreUpdate from your KUUF Board of Trustees
Dear Members and Friends of KUUF,
It is with deep, deep sadness that the Board of Trustees and Committee on Shared Ministry forward this message from Rev. Jessica. We are devastated that KUUF must lose Rev. Jessica’s warm and powerful voice and reassuring presence. We agree, however, with her assessment of our congregation: we are a strong and resilient and caring congregation, and we will meet this moment well. Our future will be molded from a strong and resilient past, and we will find a way to remain a vibrant and caring community.
Our fondest blessings and love go out to Rev. Jessica and her family, and we pray for your good health and well-being.
Sincerely,
Ellie Klauminzer
KUUF Board of Trustees
Dear KUUF Board of Trustees, Committee on Shared Ministry, and the KUUF Congregation,
You are aware of the significant personal challenges I have faced over these past six months. In the last three months I have done my best to simultaneously regain my own health, care for my struggling family, and continue to serve as your minister. I believed I could make it work and be all things to all people. But I have come to realize that this is impossible. Most recently, my mother’s health has taken a sharp decline. Through the month of December and over the holidays, it has become apparent that something significant is going on. After many long conversations with William, Liam and my mom, we all feel it is time to make a very difficult decision. In order to be my mother’s caregiver and help her through this phase of life, I will be resigning as the minister of Kitsap UU Fellowship, effective January 29, 2022.
I can imagine this may come as a shock. Over the last three years we have done wonderful work together and I wanted this to continue for many years to come. Two years ago when the pandemic hit, I transitioned to full time, knowing it was a stretch for my family, but believing that it was worth the sacrifice. I still believe it was worth the sacrifice. And I am so proud of how we have come through this time together. But it is time for me to move on and focus my energy on taking care of myself and my loved ones.
I am so grateful to you for all of your support and love over these last three years. And particularly over these last six months, which has been the most challenging season of my life. Your care for me and your love for one another has made me so proud to serve you. I regret deeply that I can’t stay, because we have made so many plans for our ministry together. But I know that my family needs me now and that this is the right choice to make. I will forever be grateful for your care of all of us. And I know that you have everything you need to successfully weather this time of transition.
The future of KUUF is strong because of the commitment you have all made to this community and to one another. The next minister who serves you will find a caring, supportive, wise group of leaders and a fun, imaginative, creative staff team. You are poised to meet this moment well, having already mastered the technological demands, as well as the flexibility this time requires. The next minister who serves you will have the energy to lead you through the upcoming phase of this pandemic. And I know you will meet this moment as you have all the others, with courage and compassion and creativity.
I have spoken with our UUA regional contact, Sarah Schurr, and she will be assisting us as we make this transition in our relationship. The next four weeks I will lead two worship services, one final Vespers, and attend some committee meetings, as I wrap up loose ends and say my goodbyes. Thank you again for serving alongside me these past three years, for welcoming me into your hearts and your homes, for trusting me through the uncertain times of this pandemic, and for caring for me as I met with great tragedy and loss. Simply put, I think you are wonderful. And I will carry you in my heart forever.
Rev. Jessica Star Rockers
KUUF Update regarding COVID
Moving Forward Task and the Worship Committee are canceling the in person part of the service starting Sunday 01/09/2022. We will still be streaming live on Youtube. During this unknown time we are considering all the information provided by the State and Federal agencies and have decided it is not a safe time to be together. Please join us online and watch for email updates for the next in person service.
In peace
KUUF Administration
KUUF Update from the Board
Dear Members and Friends of KUUF,
As you probably know by now, Rev. Jessica will preach before our congregation seated in the sanctuary on December 5, 2021! She is also scheduled to preach before the congregation on December 19 and on Christmas Eve. On December 12 and 26, we will live-stream only, in order to give the Media Team time to make adjustments. Rev. Jessica and the congregation will be back at KUUF in January, though.
When we attend services at KUUF, we will have to observe COVID decorum, of course. Masks will be required of everyone, as well as vaccinations for everyone who is able to have them, and we will need to limit the number attending to 60 people. This number includes children who stay with their parents in the sanctuary. Children may also be cared for in our child care room. On the registration form you will be asked whether child care is needed.
Because of the limitation to the number of seats in the sanctuary, each of us will need to reserve a seat to attend.
Our on-line reservation system will work like this:
Before each in-person service, Admin will email, to all members and friends, an invitation to register that has a link to begin the registration process
We will then receive a second email with a link to complete our registration.
Completing the registration involves
Filling out our contact information
Entering registrants
If more than one person will attend, click on "Add A Person" and then fill out the name and email address of each person, including all children
If only one person will attend, click on “Choose One” and indicate one individual seat is needed and fill out the name and email address
Click on "Continue to Register"
You will then receive a third email confirming your payment of $0.00 for the KUUF Sunday Service - that means you have registered.
Once you have done it, it’s easy! If you have difficulty managing the system, Admin is ready and willing to help you; just email admin@kuuf.org and they (probably Tanesha) will register you.
What a blessing to be able to see and hear Rev. Jessica in our own sanctuary! Our heartfelt thanks go to our Administrative team, the Worship Committee and the Media team for creating our capacity to provide services on-line and in the sanctuary; and to the Welcoming and Membership Committee for readying the building for our return after such a long absence; and to the Building and Grounds Committee for providing us with newly painted church buildings, inside and out!
At long last, we can look forward to seeing and re-connecting to everyone in person! How we miss that personal contact!
Blessings to all,
Ellie Klauminzer
2021 KUUF Fall Auction Surpasses Goal
The KUUF Board of Trustees and the Auction Team want to thank everyone who helped make our 2021 auction a huge success! Through the generosity and creativity of auction donors and the continued bidding of our participants, we met and surpassed our goal of $15,000.00.
We tried a couple of new things we hope added to the enjoyment: competitive bidding on meals and items with multiple offerings plus extended bidding on hot items. These changes seemed to add excitement and fun right down to the wire. We welcome all feedback, comments, and suggestions for next time.
Congratulations to all participants on the successful auction you helped make possible and heartfelt thanks to all involved!
Agenda KUUF Board Meeting
Agenda KUUF Board
October 26, 2021, 6:00 pm via Zoom
Check-in at 5:45 pm
1. Chalice lighting
2. Reading from Board Covenant
3. Approval of agenda
4. Approval of Consent Agenda
5. Treasurer’s Report (5 minutes)
1. Accept with regret Edward Lawes’ resignation, express appreciation for his service
· Recruiting new Board member, Board Liaison duties
2. Re-opening issues
· Latest Kitsap County COVID data and report from Jennifer Heisleman
· W & M Committee Tentative Plan for Re-opening
o Vaccination expectation
· Consider purchase of temporary canopy for courtyard
3. Final approval of Addendum to Ministerial Agreement
4. Approval of AV Committee Charter
5. Approval of KUUF Bylaws amendment draft from Bill Budd, re: Article VI Finances
6. Volunteer to be Board Liaison to Stewardship Committee
7. Continuing discussion of financial issues facing KUUF
· Report on DRE talks with Cedars – Lisa
· (Future reports: Building and Grounds; Matan building management: what are the purposes for ownership and guidelines for improvement?)
8. Report on progress in installing AV equipment for live-streaming services - Tanesha
9. For the Good of the Order
Thank You card recipients
Adjournment