Saturday, January 24th
The Big Event (the UU Youth/YRUU fundraiser scheduled for Sandburg Hall starting at 5:30 PM)
has been POSTPONED.
New date to be chosen soon; details to follow.
Questions? Reach out to Jen Johnson. 

Sunday, January 25th 

BOTH IN-PERSON SERVICES ARE CANCELED.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL TO THE CHURCH.
There will be one service *online only* at 11:15 AM on Zoom, not our typical YouTube Livestream link. More details to follow. *Please note, power and/or internet outages may force full cancelation of the Zoom service. Questions? Reach out to Lauren in the office.

Associated Sunday church/worship/after church events are canceled on 1/25: Faith Formation, Coffee Hour, *Long-Range Planning Town Hall, Soul Collage. Questions about these events? Click the event name, and you can email the respective organizer.

This weekend’s forecast is projecting a serious winter storm with heavy snow and ice headed to our area as well as many other parts of the country. To keep our members, friends, visitors, and staff safe, we have preemptively made some changes to the schedule for congregational events and worship this weekend. 

Saturday, January 24th
The Big Event (the UU Youth/YRUU fundraiser scheduled for Sandburg Hall starting at 5:30 PM)
has been POSTPONED.
New date to be chosen soon; details to follow.
Questions? Reach out to Jen Johnson. 

Sunday, January 25th 

BOTH IN-PERSON SERVICES ARE CANCELED.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL TO THE CHURCH.
There will be one service *online only* at 11:15 AM on Zoom, not our typical YouTube Livestream link. More details to follow. *Please note, power and/or internet outages may force full cancelation of the Zoom service. Questions? Reach out to Lauren in the office.

Associated Sunday church/worship/after church events are canceled on 1/25: Faith Formation, Coffee Hour, *Long-Range Planning Town Hall, Soul Collage. Questions about these events? Click the event name, and you can email the respective organizer.

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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: 

• UU History 101
• Common Read Series: Social Change Now by Deepa Iyer
• Adult OWL – Our Whole Lives

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. 

With love,

Rev Claudia Jiménez
Minister of Faith Formation

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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: 

1. When have you seen hope grow out of something hard or unexpected?
2. If you could give someone who feels hopeless one gift, what would it be?
3. 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!

Thanks, and happy holidays! – Kim

The post Family Ministry Holiday Update appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville.

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

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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.

– Rev. Audette

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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

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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.

– Jim Gamble, Board Member & LRP Team Member

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“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.

In faith & solidarity,
Rev. Claudia Jiménez

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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.

–Kate Jerome

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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!

Thanks so much,

Kim Collins, Religious Educator

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