What a year this has been! All of us have experienced joys and celebrations this year as well as losses and sorrows. It has often been in community that we have been held as we rejoiced or lamented. A special shout out to our Pastoral Care Team who hosted a worship service earlier this month for those for whom the holidays are difficult. What a beautiful expression of care for our UU Avl community.
This year many of us have shared a common concern for the authoritarian direction in which our country is headed. Now more than ever, we need each other. We need spiritual practices that ground us and opportunities to resist immoral leadership that is not grounded in values that center love and thriving for all. I am grateful to be serving UU Avl in this tumultuous time that calls for people of faith to live into their values. We have a thriving Lifespan Faith Formation Program that supports spiritual deepening as well as putting our faith in action. I have deep gratitude for all the facilitators that give of their time and talent to support children, youth and adults on their spiritual journeys. We could not serve our growing community without you! The Adult Faith Formation Team and I have three new programs in mind for 2026:
If any of these are of interest or if you have questions, please let me know. You will be hearing about these programs in the new year.
Our justice ministries are also engaging many of you. Thank you for another year (this is our 4th year!) of supporting the BeLoved Pantry. Thank you for your generosity in supporting our Community Plate partners. Each of our numerous ministries is lay-led and maintained by your participation. If you are wanting to be involved and don’t know where to start, consider reaching out to one of our team leaders or me in the new year.
As we prepare to welcome the new year and the lengthening of the days, may we all take time to slow down and find ways to show our appreciation for the people and the planet that sustain us. Whatever your practices and traditions for the winter holidays, may they be joyful and delicious. May there be time to rest, to nurture your body and spirit so that you may be re-energized and fortified for what the new year may bring.
The Family Drop-In Soul Matters group is happening this Sunday!
Join me in The Commons after worship on Sunday as we explore the theme of Hope using the discussion questions in this month’s Soulful Home packet. Plan to bring a lunch or snack for your fam, kids are welcome to hang out in the Commons while we meet! Here are a few sample questions:
When have you seen hope grow out of something hard or unexpected?
If you could give someone who feels hopeless one gift, what would it be?
What’s one tradition or ritual that helps your family stay hopeful?
Whether you can join us on Sunday or not, please check out this month’s Soulful Home packet, linked below. The packet contains movie recommendations, game suggestions, and parent resources, all great tools to navigate the holiday season – especially over the school break! Find the packet here!
Holiday Worship Schedule
Sunday, December 21 – All Ages Pageant Service at 11:15 am
Families should sit together in the Sanctuary. Child care begins at 10:45 this week.
CUUPS Winter Solstice/Yule Celebration
Join Blue Ridge Spirit CUUPS for a high-spirited celebration of winter solstice, or Yule, on Sunday, December 21, at 5pm in the sanctuary. On the shortest day and longest night of the year, we welcome the return of the light in community with singing, dancing, and a Mummer’s Play from Old England. Children are especially welcome for this evening of merriment. Please bring a dish to share for the potluck afterward.
Questions? Contact susanjfosterphd@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 24 – Family Christmas Eve Service at 4 pm in the Sanctuary
All ages are welcome at our afternoon service. Dress cozy (pajamas welcome!) and come hear the story of 3 births with Rev. Claudia and Kim. Wiggles welcome! Afterward, join us in Sandburg Hall for a cookie reception sponsored by the UU Hikers. Cookie donations welcome! Just drop them off before worship.
There will also be a choir concert at 7 pm, followed by a Candlelight service with singing and story at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, December 28 – Poetry Service at 10 am (one service only!)
Child care available starting at 9:30 am. Special program for children and youth. We could use a couple of volunteers to lead an easy art project and game play – let me know if you can help out!
Chalice Lighters Needed – We need someone for 12/28!
We love it when children and youth are part of worship! Sign up now for Winter (late Dec.-Feb.) Services! Sign up by Noon on Thursday for the coming Sunday. *Please note: Chalice lighters need to arrive 15 minutes before worship begins and check in with the worship leader!
Putting Our UU Values Into Action this Holiday Season
As the holiday season unfolds, I’m delighted to share that our congregation has once again gathered around the warmth and symbolism of our annual UU Holiday Giving Tree. This year’s theme—sustaining a community committed to making the world more just, compassionate, and equitable—feels especially meaningful to me. In a world that urgently needs our values in action, the Giving Tree invites each of us to help sustain our spiritual home that grounds and inspires our commitment to living with love at the center.
The Giving Tree is a Board-led fundraiser, and all contributions go directly to our operating fund—the foundation that supports our worship, pastoral care, religious education, social justice work, and the many behind-the-scenes essentials that keep our community thriving. With giving levels ranging from $5 to $10,000, I love that everyone can participate in a way that feels right and meaningful – every gift, no matter the size, strengthens our shared mission. Posters and flyers near the tree provide examples of what many different levels of support could cover, just a few examples include:
$15 could cover a copy of The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide for new members
$50 could cover childcare one Sunday
$100 could cover 5 books for adult book study
$250 could cover a guest artist musician on a Sunday
$1,000 could cover two months of power
$5,000 could cover our subscription to REALM for a year.
I am thrilled to share that the first weekend of the Giving Tree saw tremendous generosity—over 45 donations already! To everyone who has given so far, THANK YOU! Your early support is inspiring and reflects how deeply our congregation cares about sustaining the work we do together.
As a small gesture of gratitude, I invite every donor to take a hand-painted ornament from the tree. These works of art, created with care, represent the beauty we create collectively and the impact of many hands shaping a more hopeful future. For those considering year-end charitable giving for tax purposes, this is also a meaningful opportunity to support the congregation while meeting personal financial goals.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to participate, I warmly invite you to join me. You can follow this link or scan the QR code on the flyer, poster, or back of an ornament with your phone’s camera to make a donation. Together, we can sustain a community that keeps compassion alive, justice moving forward, and our shared light shining brightly into the year ahead.
warmest thanks,
Monica Youngman and the UU Asheville Board of Trustees
We live in disorienting times. For many of us, our own day to day reality feels somewhat normal, and yet, we’re aware – acutely or dimly – that our neighbors and loved ones, our country itself, is in turmoil, at risk. It is hard to find our footing, as we try to navigate being informed and engaged, and living our lives. At greatest risk, in times like these, is our compassionate heart. It is difficult to remain present and open to the world and to those we love and to our community when we’re struggling. Compassion fatigue is real, and apathy rises. When we feel overwhelmed, one of the most common responses is avoidance.
We humans are made for love and joy. This is just as true, perhaps even more true, when days are difficult than it is when times are easier. This is the time of year when the cultural noise puts pressure on for folx to “be merry and gay,” and of course, for many, these are not merry and gay days. In addition to the grave harms being done in our names, we experience the natural sufferings of life – some of us have lost loved ones, or are struggling to make ends meet, or are wrestling with addiction or watching loved ones struggle. These are days that cry out for nuance and grace, which can be hard to come by when the world is screaming “be happy,” and the news is shocking, day after day.
I know you have heard us say, “choose two or three things you care deeply about, and focus on those.” This is true – it’s a critical practice, though of course, it’s not really that simple. But perhaps alongside that, it helps to remember that we need some balance and flow in our days and in each week, to keep our hearts supple and open to the world with compassion. Every day, we need a little silence for reflection: perhaps a cup of tea or coffee, some journaling or reading of poetry, or taking time to look at the beauty of the world. Every day, we need a little laughter, some human interaction that reminds us we are connected in a web of love and care. Every day, we might try to do just one thing that helps or heals, that makes a difference, lets our values, needs or demands for justice be known. It can be a call to a legislator, a postcard or email sent, showing up at a town hall meeting or rally, depending on the day. It might be a call to a sick friend, or a card to someone who is struggling. It helps me to remember to do as I would hope others would or will do for me when I am in trouble. Lend a helping hand, and then rest. Drink water, sleep, tend to your body as a good gift. You don’t have to watch the news every day to be informed; find a schedule of discovery that works for you, find voices you trust and make it a spiritual practice to focus on your concerns, and then, with a loving word for the rest, set it down.
We are all in this together; wherever we are going, we are going there together. None of us is free until all of us are free. This is why Rev. Claudia and I are working together to lift up our work toward collective liberation as we do the work of the congregation. It’s why we are working to make our congregational home prepared if ICE or others come for those we love; it’s why week after week, we share ways we think you can take action and keep your heart open to the world without being overwhelmed.
If you are happy and looking forward to the holiday season, or whether it is a hard one and you tuck yourself away from forced joy, it is ok to be you with all your complex, nuanced, buoyant or difficult feelings. Our community is made to allow you to bring your whole, full, and true self to our table. You are loved, just as you are, and you are welcome here. We’re all in this together.
Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday, given its history and the lore around it. There’s the most likely apocryphal story of the first Thanksgiving. There’s the history of pumpkin pie, which rose to prevalence as a symbol of abolitionism, given that pumpkins could be raised by a family with a little bit of land and didn’t require slave labor. Abolitionists were also behind the movement to establish the holiday as well.
But in my wife’s family, the holiday has an importance all its own. My mother-in-law took it upon herself to make sure that each of her children learned how to make a different part of the Thanksgiving meal, so that in being together they brought the meal with them. And with each new member who joins, we add another dish so that the list of must-have side dishes reflects the growing family.
All of that said, as we celebrate this day in the U.S., I am grateful for this community. It is a community where we all bring our own part to the metaphorical feast. I am grateful for the new members that I’ve worked with these last two years and the long-standing members who have created such a wonderful community to join. I am grateful for the volunteers, the musicians and artists, and all of the lovely folks who come to our doors looking for a community of kindred spirits.
So thank you all for all that you bring to the table (metaphorical or not) and for how that creates a community worth cherishing.
In gratitude,
Trevor
While the UU Congregation of Asheville is celebrating our 75th year, I’m reminded that such a venerable age—while deserving of rich celebration—comes with a set of challenges. Our campus buildings, for example, have reached a point where they require updates and repairs to meet not only our current needs but also to support our future growth. For the past two-plus years, the Long-Range Planning team has been hard at work to address this situation.
Formed in October 2023 and charged by the Board of Trustees to identify and prioritize capital and infrastructure needs for our properties, the Long-Range Planning team concluded this important first phase of work in October this year. What follows is a summary of their key findings and a brief preview of next steps.
First, it is important to recognize that the buildings at 1 Edwin Place (Sanctuary, Sandburg Hall, offices, classrooms, etc.) are more than 50 years old and have undergone no major infrastructure updates in that time. Our properties at 21 and 23 Edwin are much older and also require attention, not just due to their age but also because of their limited flexibility to meet our office and classroom needs.
The Long-Range Planning team conducted surveys of congregants and staff to assess our facility needs. Additionally, the team held “Cottage Meetings” with congregants for further discussion and brainstorming. From these surveys and meetings the team identified several clear priorities: to expand and improve flexibility of meeting spaces, improve safety and accessibility, enable more storage, and implicitly, to preserve our facilities with proper maintenance and repair. To meet these needs, the team focused on six primary areas: the Sanctuary, Sandburg Hall, the Memorial Garden, the children’s Playground, and the buildings at 21 and 23 Edwin Place.
Priorities for the Sanctuary include adding seating in front of the existing pews, raising the chancel to improve sight lines, and installing safety handrails along the upper pews. To improve functionality and flexibility in Sandburg Hall, the team explored the possibility of adding room separators and noise abatement, updating the kitchen facilities, and potentially enclosing the deck to expand usable meeting space—for our own use and to increase rental (and revenue) opportunities. Outside, the team identified a priority need to expand and improve the Memorial Garden and update the playground equipment (to improve safety and rental opportunities).The team also identified the need for a safety handrail leading from the upper to the lower parking areas.
Our properties at 21 and 23 Edwin present greater challenges. Both buildings are in need of repairs and remediation. For example, 23 Edwin is subject to perpetual flooding in the basement every time there is a heavy rain, and the roof requires immediate attention to forestall leaking. The discovery of lead paint in 21 Edwin forced its closure.
The team brought in experts to assess the scope and costs of remediation for both buildings, and as a result, presented to the Board several options for addressing the situations at 21 and 23 Edwin. The favored option for 23 Edwin is to pursue a FEMA buyout of the property, which would result in demolition of the building and creation of a green space in its place. If successful, the FEMA buyout would return more than $600,000 to UU Asheville and enable full renovation or replacement of 21 Edwin. However, if our FEMA application is accepted, work on the buildings will be several years out. (Note that the roof repair of 23 Edwin is being addressed immediately through an insurance claim.)
So, what happens next? In November, a Phase 2 Campus Development team was formed to take action on the projects that are most attainable and affordable in the near term, and further formalize plans for the longer-range work at 21 and 23 Edwin. For example, the new team is currently gathering quotes for Sanctuary adding seating and handrails, as well as the needed work on the Memorial Garden and Playground. The
team is also putting together plans (creating rough sketches, determining permit requirements, and estimating costs, etc.) for the work in Sandburg Hall, including the potential for enclosing the outside deck.
In addition, the Phase 2 team is looking into ways to recover use of 21 Edwin while waiting for the FEMA results on 23 Edwin. Two possibilities on the table are remediation and renovation of the existing building at 21 Edwin or demolition of the existing structure and construction of a new building. Either of these options comes at considerable cost, but doing nothing has its own costs and potential liabilities.
The projects in the Sanctuary and on the grounds at 1 Edwin Place may be achievable using funds in our current budget. The larger projects in Sandburg Hall, and especially those related to 21 Edwin, will require (if pursued) a capital campaign. Needless to say, much more information is needed before making any firm decisions, but that information gathering is under way now.
Much more information on the historical work of the Phase 1 team and the current work of Phase 2 will be available on the church website as soon as possible. And as work on these projects continues to develop, the Board and our Phase 2 team will continue to provide updates to the congregation through the e-news, live presentations, the website, and all other channels available to us.
The work before us is challenging but essential to assure our congregation of having safe, functional, and welcoming facilities as we look forward to the next 75 years.
Last night, a small group joined in Sandburg Hall for our monthly potluck before Vespers. It was a joyful gathering with delicious food and hearty conversation. One of the joys of ministry is creating space for community building and spiritual deepening during a shared meal followed by a time of reflection and ritual. This month, when we are invited to acknowledge and mourn the falsities that ground the Thanksgiving holiday story, we are also invited to reflect on what we are grateful for. One of my many gratitudes is for the opportunity to minister to our UU Avl community. As you consider what you are grateful for, I invite you to reflect on this quote from Dietrich Bonhoffer shared during last night’s Vespers gathering.
“In normal life one is often not at all aware that we always receive infinitely more than we give, and that gratitude is what enriches life. One easily overestimates the importance of one’s own acts and deeds, compared with what we become only through other people.”
Let us reflect on the people and communities who have shaped our becoming.
May we be grateful.
Steve and I will be attending our UU Avl Thanksgiving meal. I look forward to being with those who are able to attend.
As the light softens and the days grow shorter, the garden enters a quieter, more contemplative season. Fall invites both gardeners and landscapes to slow down, to shift from growth to renewal. Yet, even in this season of decline, the principles of sustainability are alive and essential. The choices we make in autumn—how we clean up, plant, and prepare—shape the health of the garden and the planet in the months to come.
Sustainability begins with seeing the garden as an ecosystem, not a display. Rather than clearing away every leaf and cutting back every plant, fall offers the chance to work with nature’s rhythms. We leave the leaves as mulch to enrich the soil and shelter insects and pollinators throughout the winter. The standing stems and seedheads you see provide beauty and habitat, feeding birds and protecting beneficial insects. What might look “messy” is actually the quiet work of life continuing beneath the surface.
Ultimately, fall sustainability is about shifting perspective—from maintenance to stewardship. The garden doesn’t end with the first frost; it simply changes form. Each seed that falls, each leaf that decomposes, each creature that finds shelter in a hollow stem contributes to the continuity of life. By tending thoughtfully in autumn, we nurture not just next year’s blooms but the long-term balance of our shared environment.
Fall Faith Formation Update: We have some great stuff happening for families at UU Asheville!
A couple of notes for this Sunday, 10/19:
7th-8th OWL begins at 10:30 am in room 3.
6th-8th Soul Matters will begin meeting in room 7 (next to the playground door on Edwin Place side).
Soup Sunday! Come support our UU High Schoolers fundraising efforts and enjoy some delicious homemade soup!
Parent/Family Soul Matters Group kicks off – see below for more info!
Next Sunday, 10/26, is an all-ages worship service! Families should sit together in the Sanctuary. Child care will be provided starting at 10:45 am.
A reminder: Kids in grades 5 and under need to be picked up from their classrooms or the playground by 12:30 PM. Many of our groups move out to the playground before pick-up time, so be sure to check there! Please help us honor the time of our staff and volunteers by picking up your kids promptly. Please note that outside of Faith Formation time on Sunday mornings, your kiddos are your responsibility while on campus. Kids in grades 5 and under should be with their parents whenever on campus. Older kids may move between buildings and spaces on their own, but you should know where they are and have a plan to reconnect.
Upcoming Family Ministry Opportunities:
Parent Soul Matters Group begins Sunday, 10/19
Join us on the third Sunday of each month for a family friendly Soul Matters conversation group. We’ll meet downstairs in The Commons at 1 pm. Folks are welcome to bring lunch (or buy some soup upstairs!) and eat together starting at 12:30. Children and youth are welcome to hang out in The Commons and play games or do their own thing while we meet. This group will be facilitated by Rev. Audette, Rev. Claudia, and Kim Collins, Religious Educator No RSVP needed, you can just show up!
Raising Financially Savvy Kids Workshop – Sunday, November 23
1-3 pm in The Commons
For all parents and caregivers! Child Care available if we get enough folks signed up! This is also a soup Sunday – get some soup and then join us! Please RSVP here!
Having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your humanness. –Kristin Neff
This month, our Soul Matters theme is cultivating compassion. We are invited to explore what it means to have compassion for ourselves and others, and how that compassion moves us to action. As a people oriented toward justice, we are moved by the suffering of others and the injustice and oppression we witness in the world. As we launch our new congregational year for Justice Ministry and Faith Formation, there are many opportunities to explore how we hold the tension between working for justice and needing to rest and recharge before re-engaging again.
One of the ways that we can care for ourselves is by engaging in spiritual practices. This year, we are piloting a new Soul Matters program called “Practice Matters.” The goal of the program is to explore the monthly theme through a spiritual practice. In October, our practice will be Lovingkindness Meditation. This link has an outline for this year’s spiritual practices. Each will be accompanied by a packet with background information and options for practice. We will meet monthly (onsite or online, depending on the practice) on the 3rd Thursday of the month and explore the packet, practice together, and reflect on our experiences. Please reach out if you are interested in joining in or would like to learn about a particular practice. In faith & solidarity, Rev. Claudia Minister of Faith Formation
“Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” Poet Emma Lazarus
Rev. Claudia and I spend a lot of time thinking, individually and together, about the life of this congregation and the best ways we can serve. We meet each week, with Donald as senior staff and one on one together, to dream and scheme – co-conspire! – about how we can share our gifts to magnify your gifts, and serve our beloved Asheville community, North Carolina, our Unitarian Universalist faith.
Both Rev. Claudia and I believe deeply in collective liberation. We use this term, and some folx aren’t quite sure what it means. Terms like “anti-racism” or other more discrete notions are more familiar, but collective liberation means only: “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” Your salvation is bound up in my own. Wherever we are going, we are going there together.
That means we are working to wrestle free of the binds of “oppression olympics”- my suffering is greater than yours! We are aiming for a deep understanding that all risks matter, all harms are harmful, and while we may not all be at the same risk or vulnerability at the same time, our faithful work is to face this imperfect world together, and work to build a better one: one where all of us can live safe, healthy, and free. We do work to resist harms where they are. We stand together.
And an essential part of this work is to find ways to talk, with compassion and a spirit of openness, about those harms we face, the struggles that are devastating us or our beloveds, and each one of us to find ways to build power, create community, and find alternate paths toward that better world of which we dream. One way your ministers are doing this this year is by our Collective Liberation minutes – small, bite-size education and conversation opportunities built into regular meetings and gatherings. We hope that every person who enters our doors will, in some way, personally commit to the work of collective liberation. It is a part of our mission here at UU Asheville.
And so, we carry on, together. Join us, in the pews on Sunday, at a social or justice gathering, to learn and to lead. We need each other.
On behalf of your board of trustees, welcome to the new church year! This year’s board officers and members are:
Mara Sprain, president (serving through June 2026); Will Jernigan, vice president (2028); Monica Youngman, clerk (2026); Jim Gamble (2026); Susan Andrew (2027); Ben Fleming (2027); Melissa Himelein (2027); Ken Brame (2028); and Marty Friedman (2028).
There is brief biographical information in Sandburg Hall and online about each of us. And our nametags are green for quick identification on Sunday mornings—please say hello and reach out with any questions. There is also a board email address, board@uuasheville.org, monitored by the president, Mara Sprain, which can be used to contact the board.
Our broad priorities for 2025-26 are Board Effectiveness, Financial Sustainability, and Mission & Ministry.
We’ve already held our annual planning retreat, and we will be finalizing the details on our list of priorities in a special meeting later this month. (Last year’s retreat was cancelled in the aftermath of Helene.) New board members have been introduced to our policy governance system, and all members have a better understanding of what we’re doing and why. We plan to increase our communications with you, the members, throughout the year.
A primary focus for Financial Sustainability is to maintain the momentum from our hugely successful Annual Budget Drive last spring (including the donor matching fund) and special fundraising events coordinated by the FUNraising team. Thank you to all who signed pledges to support our community. As we’re a quarter of the way through the church year, if you’re donating in installments, please be sure your pledge contributions are up to date. (Log in to Realm to see your pledge donation status. Contact Lauren in the church office to make corrections and/or adjustments.)
With regard to our Mission and Ministry work, we’ll be looking at ways to more fully incorporate the UUA Article II values (JETPIG: justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity) with Love at the center in our congregational life. We are also actively participating in the churchwide Collective Liberation program coordinated by Revs. Audette and Claudia, with the goal to, in the words of Rev. Audette, “help us make our 8th Principle vote not merely a passive stance, but a lived experience of our faith here at UU Avl.”
We’re excited and look forward to working on your behalf!
During the first weeks of my freshman year of college, there was the student organization fair. Do any of you remember those? Every student group had a table out to try to recruit new members. My college had the usual array of a cappella troupes, political organizations, intramural sports, and the like. However, the religious student groups were not at that fair. They were across campus at their own event in the chapel. Maybe it was deemed too “religious” for the more secular school to have spirituality alongside improv comedy. Maybe there just wasn’t enough room in the student center. Either way, it always felt like a form of othering to me (who unsurprisingly worked for the Chaplain’s Office and attended more than one of those religious groups). One of my hopes for this community at UU Asheville is that folks find the kind of belonging that allows them to be their full selves, without needing to split half of their identity across campus.
We are coming up on our own “Fair” at the end of the month, after services on the 28th of the month, an opportunity fair where the groups that have formed within our large congregation shall engage in a similar ritual. There will be tables in Sandburg Hall, and we’ll all mingle around them, finding belonging in our joined work here together. Or at least that’s what I assume will happen because I haven’t seen one take place yet. We were scheduled to have our Opportunity Fair around the same time last year, scheduled for Sunday, September 29th. As we come up on the anniversary of Helene, my hope is that we can lean into community again, like we did last year. I hope we find ourselves “Building Belonging” as Rev. Claudia talked about last week, and that we do so in a way that helps us all feel more whole, more liberated, more held in our vulnerable moments.
Building a beloved community alongside you, Rev. Trevor Johnson Connections Coordinator
Beloveds, my Ministerial Internship is wrapping up. My farewell service is Sunday, August 31 st . In that service I will reflect on my time as your intern: what it has meant to me, the healing power of community, how I’ve learned, some challenges I’ve faced, and so on. My experience has been extraordinary! You have indeed been a remarkable “teaching congregation” for me. For now, I’d like to address
some important guidelines—especially about communication with you—that we need to observe once my internship is over.
Because I have been practicing as a minister during my internship, I must observe the customary protocols and guidelines that take place when a minister leaves a congregation. Since I have been an intern—and not, let’s say, a settled or interim minister—the guidelines will be a little different. Typically when a minister says farewell to a congregation, the minister and congregation observe a two-year period of no communication and/or contact. In my case, that period will be one year.
The purpose of this year-long period of no communication and/or contact is to give everyone the space to fully take on board that an important change has happened: “the minister” has moved on. In this case, my internship is over and I will turn to pursuing the next steps of my vocation as a UU minister. The UU Asheville community will also move on and turn to pursuing the next steps of its vocation, without me. And in this case, the congregation will go back to a period of time with two outstanding settled ministers.
Some of you will experience this change more than others. I know that I will grieve my separation from you; and you may grieve as well. Leaving you is going to be hard. I’ve grown to love this community and being a small part of its sacred Whole. For me, leaving UU Asheville is going to feel like a kind of death—the cessation of something vital. That, really, is a key dimension of the protocols around no communication and/or contact. We all need the space to contend with my absence from UU Asheville in a healthy way. As much as I’d love to continue my internship with you—I really really would!—my growth requires that I move on to new challenges, experiences, and contexts. Likewise, UU Asheville will shift into a new normal, without interns, facing new challenges, experience, and contexts—and it will thrive.
During our period of no communication and/or contact, please do not email or call me. I will not be able to schedule and keep appointments or social events with you. I cannot provide pastoral care, or advise any of the many committees I have participated in during my internship. On the other hand, if I bump into you at the grocery store, on a trail somewhere, or at a rally downtown, we don’t need to pretend as if we don’t know one another. Let’s even have a hug! But if and when we bump into one another, we must strictly observe a moratorium on talking about the congregation. If and when we bump into one another, I’m surely going to ask you, “Hey! How are you doing?!” I’m permitted to ask the question and you’re permitted to answer. You can even ask me how I’m doing—though, of course, you’re probably going to get a Matt-length looooooong answer (so if your ice cream is melting, or you have to be somewhere soon, you might just want to say “Hello” and politely run away). We can also keep track of one another on Facebook. The purpose of the guidelines is not to deny that Love is at the Center of our community and our congregational relationship, but rather for us to make space for a new relationship to potentially develop later, with Love at the Center, but without our connection being UU Asheville.
Finally, my Ministerial Internship at UU Asheville isn’t over until the end of August, so let’s make the most of our remaining time together! If you have questions about these post-internship guidelines and protocols, please ask me. While there are great reasons for our no communication and/or contact phase, it may feel quite unnatural—even unnecessary. That’s OK. Let’s talk about it. We have time. I care about you, and you care about me, and that is a blessing that won’t end with my internship. May it be so!
It’s that time of year again! Next Sunday, June 1st, will be Music Sunday, a full service dedicated to the work and talent of our music program! (Single Service at 10am) Following the service will be the 2024-25 Annual Meeting.
Annual Meetings are a time to review and approve the budget and leadership for the coming year. All UU AVL members are encouraged to attend and vote, or fill out a proxy ballot!
Please note, while we appreciate and encourage the participation of community members and friends of the congregation in many instances, per our by-laws, only members are allowed to vote on annual meeting items.
As the newest member of the UU Asheville Board, recently being appointed to fill an unexpired term, I bring a unique perspective to the Board. This is the seventh UU Congregation that I have joined, and I have been either a board or finance committee member in each one. As my career took me around the country, I always found that the local UU Congregation would be a welcoming community with people that shared my values. UU Asheville has been no exception. When Judy and I moved here in 2008, we immediately joined UU Asheville, and it has been our church community ever since.
Shortly after arriving, I joined the Finance Committee and helped lead two pledge drives after the great recession. I have always monitored the budget and finances of this organization. I have been particularly concerned as we have had to use contingency funds to balance the budget for the past 5 years. These funds are now below the level we need to maintain. A combination of circumstances contributed to these deficits including the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent retirement of our long-time minister, followed by two years with an interim minister. A year ago, we approved the budget for this year, reluctantly accepting an announced “final” deficit of over $120,000.
What a difference a year has made. Thanks to your generosity, we have a real chance of having a balanced budget for our next year beginning in July. We are still short, but several generous members have stepped up to pledge $25,000 to match any increase in one-time donations or new pledges between now and May 28th so we can approve a balanced budget at the June annual meeting. If you haven’t had the chance to take advantage of this match opportunity to help balance the budget, you can go to https://bit.ly/uuavlmatchto link to the Matching Gift Form.
I am so proud of the generosity of this amazing Congregation. Thank you!
🎤Asheville’s Got Talent Needs YOU! 🎉 We’re pulling out all the stops to make this event unforgettable — but we can’t do it alone! Here’s how you can be part of the magic:
Print and hang up a flier at your local cafe, coffee shop, or school PDF
Our small but mighty team of three is working hard to bring UU members and the wider community together through events like this. With your help, we’re aiming to raise $3,000 in ticket sales — and build something special while we’re at it.
Let’s make this a night to remember — we’re counting on you!
Questions or comments regarding any event can be emailed to uufunavl@gmail.com or call/text 239-699-4545.
Ticket Options & Suggested Donations SANCTUARY – BEST SEATS!
$10 / age 13+
$7 / age 5-12 yrs
$free / age 0-4 yrs
DISCOUNTED SEATS – LIVE STREAMED: SANBURG HALL!
$5 / age 5+
$free / age 0-4 yrs
WATCH FROM HOME (SHARE WITH DISTANT FRIENDS & RELATIVES)
$20 per email link (one link per household – not shareable)
This is first and foremost a community event. While we appreciate your support (It helps us organize more community events and resources in the future!), donations are never required to attend. Come join the fun!
As the leaves unfurl in their vibrant spring hues, so too has your incredible generosity blossomed during our annual budget drive. My heart swells with gratitude as I share that we have reached an inspiring 90% of our budget goal! This remarkable achievement is a testament to the courage and love that defines our congregation. So many of you have stretched your giving, demonstrating a deep commitment to the values and mission we share. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your profound and heartfelt support.
We are in the home stretch now, and the energy is palpable! Every dollar pledged is a building block for the vital ministries, programs, and community outreach that make UU Asheville such a beacon of hope and connection. If you are among those who have already made your pledge, thank you again for your partnership. Your commitment is deeply appreciated and truly makes a difference in the lives of so many.
For those households who have not yet had the opportunity to pledge, there is still time to join this collective act of generosity. Every contribution, no matter the size, strengthens our foundation and ensures that we can continue to be a vibrant and impactful presence in our community.
Looking ahead, this coming Sunday after the service, we will hold our crucial Budget Town Hall. This is a vital opportunity for everybodyin our congregation to participate in the democratic process that shapes our future. At the Town Hall, the church leadership will present the draft budget for the coming year. As we didn’t quite reach our ambitious goal to balance the budget, this meeting will be particularly important as we discuss potential adjustments and priorities for the year ahead.
Your voice matters. Your questions are valuable. Your insights are essential as we navigate the path forward together. This is your chance to understand the financial framework that underpins our shared mission and to contribute to the decisions that will guide our steps in the coming year. Engaging in the Budget Town Hall is a powerful way to live our Unitarian Universalist principles of democracy and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
We believe in the power of “Everybody In.” This isn’t just a slogan; it’s a deeply held conviction that our collective strength lies in the participation and engagement of each and every member. Just as every pledge contributes to our financial stability, every voice contributes to the richness and wisdom of our decision-making.
Let’s carry this spirit of courageous generosity through to the finish line of our budget drive and bring that same energy and commitment to the Budget Town Hall this Sunday. Together, we can ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for UU Asheville, a future where everyone feels a sense of belonging and where our collective impact continues to ripple outwards with love and justice.
I look forward seeing you at the Budget Town Hall and forging our path together.
Please join Rev. Audette for a potluck and then a Vespers service this May 7th, which will include the dedication of Rev. Mark Ward’s memorial plaque in our memory garden.
Potluck 6pm
Service 7pm
This will be the last Vespers before summer break. Vespers will return in August.
We are looking for stewards, not just donors. If you are invested in the future and growth of UU Asheville, please check out our Annual Giving Drive page here.
Sunday, March 1st, Kick-Off Sunday, featured a service full of community members and staff outlining our needs and hopes for the future. Check that out here!
Bring your friends and family for a delightful morning! Enjoy a hot pancake and bacon breakfast, complete with coffee, milk, juice, and fresh fruit. After breakfast in Sandburg Hall, head to the sanctuary for a special photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny. This event is open to the public and perfect for individuals, families, and groups of all ages! RSVP at the QR code above.
Show us your stuff! Anyone and everyone are welcome to audition for or attend or “Get Your Act Together” Talent Showcase. Auditions are May 3rd, please register ahead of time and provide a 2 minute audition sample. The showcase will be held May 31st, beginning at 6pm.
After Hurricane Helene, we had some staff reshuffling. Our wonderful Administrative Specialist, Aja Gaul (they/them), relocated back home to Tennessee, and began working remotely 30 hours, rather than FT with us. That left a gap of in-office work at UU Avl, which our Director of Administration, David McKaig (he/him) picked up, and then worked with our interim office assistant, “Graham” Graham, on a temporary basis.
We are pleased to announce that we have re-hired Lauren Kriel (she/her) , our former interim Admin Specialist, as a half-time in-office Administrative Assistant, splitting the administrative duties with Aja. Lauren will be the face of our team in-office, Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 2:30 pm. Church offices are closed on Fridays.
All staff bios and contact information is available here.
Join in fellowship and dinner at 6pm, followed by a short service at 7pm. While Vespers are generally held the first Wednesday of every month, we have scheduled January’s Vespers for January 8th, to accommodate the New Year’s Holiday. Please RSVP here.
Join us for a wide array of Holiday events at UU Asheville. Events include:
When the Holidays Hurt:
The holidays can be difficult. In this season of sparkling lights, festive songs, and our communal efforts to maintain a sense of joy, it can be hard to find a quiet place that acknowledges both our collective grief and our personal struggles. Please join UU Asheville’s Ministerial Interns and the Pastoral Care Team on December 15, 2024, at 1:30 PM.
Holiday Reader’s Theatre December 15th, 6pm
Join us for an evening of Reader’s Theatre style production of ” The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas” & “A Child’s Christmas in Buffalo”; put on by members of the UU Avl community!
Candlelight Service and Concert: Please join us on Christmas Eve for a Mini-Concert presented by the UU Asheville Choir and Dr. Les Downs at 7:00pm, prior to the Candlelight Service. The concert will include both sacred and secular carols, some familiar and some new.
For updates on these events and more follow our UU AVL e-newsletter!
In a time of trauma and shock – and Asheville has been through almost unimaginable trauma and shock over the last month and a half – it’s important to focus on first principles: food. Water. Shelter. Securing the safety and wellbeing of those you love. Breathing in. Breathing out. Deep practices of self-care and mutual aid.
In times of turbulent and uncertain, unwanted change, the first principles are the same, with one more element – finding and keeping our eyes on our own North Star, that inner compass which points true to our deepest values and most enduring commitments to Love.
We have always lived in dangerous days; sometimes we are very aware of it, and sometimes, less so. The calls to liberation always are sounding, and our most vulnerable have always needed us to be brave. That hasn’t changed. There may come times in the days ahead when living into your most deeply held values and answering the call of Love will be harder than ever before. We need to be prepared for that. That is why we need each other: to create sanctuary, and practice Love that transforms, even when to do so is to risk everything.
We are still here. We still love what we love, and we will persist, and Love more. And please remember that rest is resistance, joy is essential, and being able to laugh and love even in difficult times is how we make a life. Don’t be afraid of the beauty that still is everywhere in this world.
For now, let the day be enough unto itself, and please – join us here at UU Asheville. To see the faces of those who understand, who are working to build that same better world you dream of, is salvific. We need each other more than ever.
Here for you – Revs. Audette & Claudia Matt Farris & TKay Browning, interns David McKaig, Jen Johnson, Trevor Johson, & Kim Collins – UU Avl Staff
What a year this has been! All of us have experienced joys and celebrations this year as well as losses and sorrows. It has often been in community that we have been held as we rejoiced or lamented. A special shout out to our Pastoral Care Team who hosted a worship service earlier this month for those for whom the holidays are difficult. What a beautiful expression of care for our UU Avl community.
The Giving Tree is a Board-led fundraiser, and all contributions go directly to our operating fund—the foundation that supports our worship, pastoral care, religious education, social justice work, and the many behind-the-scenes essentials that keep our community thriving. With giving levels ranging from $5 to $10,000, I love that everyone can participate in a way that feels right and meaningful – every gift, no matter the size, strengthens our shared mission. Posters and flyers near the tree provide examples of what many different levels of support could cover, just a few examples include:
As a small gesture of gratitude, I invite every donor to take a hand-painted ornament from the tree. These works of art, created with care, represent the beauty we create collectively and the impact of many hands shaping a more hopeful future. For those considering year-end charitable giving for tax purposes, this is also a meaningful opportunity to support the congregation while meeting personal financial goals.
We live in disorienting times. For many of us, our own day to day reality feels somewhat normal, and yet, we’re aware – acutely or dimly – that our neighbors and loved ones, our country itself, is in turmoil, at risk. It is hard to find our footing, as we try to navigate being informed and engaged, and living our lives. At greatest risk, in times like these, is our compassionate heart. It is difficult to remain present and open to the world and to those we love and to our community when we’re struggling. Compassion fatigue is real, and apathy rises. When we feel overwhelmed, one of the most common responses is avoidance. 
Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday, given its history and the lore around it. There’s the most likely apocryphal story of the first Thanksgiving. There’s the history of pumpkin pie, which rose to prevalence as a symbol of abolitionism, given that pumpkins could be raised by a family with a little bit of land and didn’t require slave labor. Abolitionists were also behind the movement to establish the holiday as well.
While the UU Congregation of Asheville is celebrating our 75th year, I’m reminded that such a venerable age—while deserving of rich celebration—comes with a set of challenges. Our campus buildings, for example, have reached a point where they require updates and repairs to meet not only our current needs but also to support our future growth. For the past two-plus years, the Long-Range Planning team has been hard at work to address this situation.
Last night, a small group joined in Sandburg Hall for our monthly potluck before Vespers. It was a joyful gathering with delicious food and hearty conversation. One of the joys of ministry is creating space for community building and spiritual deepening during a shared meal followed by a time of reflection and ritual. This month, when we are invited to acknowledge and mourn the falsities that ground the Thanksgiving holiday story, we are also invited to reflect on what we are grateful for. One of my many gratitudes is for the opportunity to minister to our UU Avl community. As you consider what you are grateful for, I invite you to reflect on this quote from Dietrich Bonhoffer shared during last night’s Vespers gathering.
As the light softens and the days grow shorter, the garden enters a quieter, more contemplative season. Fall invites both gardeners and landscapes to slow down, to shift from growth to renewal. Yet, even in this season of decline, the principles of sustainability are alive and essential. The choices we make in autumn—how we clean up, plant, and prepare—shape the health of the garden and the planet in the months to come.
Having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your humanness. –
There is brief biographical information in Sandburg Hall and online about each of us. And our nametags are green for quick identification on Sunday mornings—please say hello and reach out with any questions. There is also a board email address, 
the student organization fair. Do any of you remember those? Every student group had a table out to try to recruit new members. My college had the usual array of a cappella troupes, political organizations, intramural sports, and the like. However, the religious student groups were not at that fair. They were across campus at their own event in the chapel. Maybe it was deemed too “religious” for the more secular school to have spirituality alongside improv comedy. Maybe there just wasn’t enough room in the student center. Either way, it always felt like a form of othering to me (who unsurprisingly worked for the Chaplain’s Office and attended more than one of those religious groups). One of my hopes for this community at UU Asheville is that folks find the kind of belonging that allows them to be their full selves, without needing to split half of their identity across campus. 
