Mardi Gras Auction Party

Come celebrate Mardi Gras in October at our 2023 Annual Auction Kickoff. The party is being held on Saturday, October 7th from 4 pm – 7:30 pm. We want everyone to feel welcome, so we are selling tickets on a sliding scale from $1 to whatever you feel comfortable donating. Our suggested price is $13 per adult for advanced purchase to cover the dinner costs. Tickets will be available for advance purchase during Sunday’s coffee hour. You can also contact Ruth Owens to buy your tickets online. Be sure to let us know how many tickets you would like and the amount you feel comfortable donating. (View all available items at https://auctria.events/uucv)

This year we are encouraging you to invite family and friends to join us at the party. We are hoping folks will wear their finest Mardi Gras outfits. We will provide masks and beads! 

Some of the amazing events that we have planned include:

  • Live jazz music by the award-winning Ventura High School Jazz Quintet.
  • A catered Cajun dinner of fried chicken, Po’ Boy chicken sandwiches, red beans & rice (vegan), black-eyed peas (vegan), jalapeno hush puppies and corn bread muffins from The Cajun Country Café in Oxnard with hot sauce available on the side. We will also include a green salad (vegan) and homemade cupcakes for dessert.
  • An indoor and outdoor dining table will be reserved for those more comfortable wearing a mask.
  • Wine and sodas available.
  • Please be green and remember to bring your dinnerware.

Bring the whole family! Lily Rapaport has planned a number of fun events for the kids including a bouncy house, snow cones, and pizza.

Since the auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year, we will also be offering:

  • The famous New Orleans Hurricane drink (with or without rum) for a suggested donation of $5.
  • There will be a Raffle with at least 10 raffle prizes available including $50 cash – you pick what items you want to try to win! Tickets will be available for $1 each or $5 for 6 tickets.
  • We will be doing a fun Flip-A-Coin fundraiser. Tickets are $5 or 3 tries for $10. For each ticket bought, you guess if the coin will be heads (hand on your head) or tails (hand on your bum). If correct, you stay in. If wrong, you lose a ticket. The last person standing will win $50 cash. 
  • Another way to participate is through an amazingly generous offer by Dennis Charles, to match all cash donations up to a total of $1000! 
  • Some of the 185+ auction items will be available for viewing during the party.
  • And of course, we will also be doing a live auction of 6-8 items throughout the evening!

Come and kick off our annual auction with a great party! The online auction will begin on October 7th and continue until 8 pm on Sunday, October 22nd. You can view all available items at https://auctria.events/uucv Once in the site, select “Auction” then “Online Auction Items.” Contact Jen Luce if you would like help accessing the site or setting up your account.
 

Looking forward to seeing everyone on October 7th!

Between Sundays 8-24-23

Good People, I invite you to an Introduction to Wellspring after church on Sunday, August 27 in the Sanctuary around 11:30am.

Wellspring is a specifically UU spiritual practice small group, that helps people to explore what it means to be a UU and how to practice and live by our values. They call it Spiritual Deepening for the UU Soul.

On Sunday, you will get a taste of how the program sessions unfold, and all the components of the meetings. Participants explore spiritual practice(s) over the course of the program, and are asked to work with a spiritual coach (for which many options are offered). There is also some reading about UU history, heritage, and theology.

This program provides a possible answer to folks who – at some point in their lives as UUs – have asked their minister or each other, “What now? How do I deepen my faith? Is there a particular UU spiritual practice? How do I learn more about our Living Tradition?”

I facilitated this program in its early stages about 15 years ago. Our Music Director Carolyn Bjerke has been so inspired by it that she has actually served as president of the national board of Wellspring.

We have both found it as powerful as it is simple.

UUCV has run two groups online. This year I hope to have an in-person group, possibly hybrid. We’ll see what works for those interested.

Come, find out more on Sunday!

Looking Forward,
Rev. Dana

Between Sundays 8/16/23

A MESSAGE FROM LILY RAPPAPORT, ACTING DIRECTOR OF FAMILY MINISTRY  

For many of us the new school year starts soon! The new year represents growth and change; moving to a new classroom, school, or town; more responsibility and maturity. Some of us are excited about new beginnings and some may feel anxious or worried about making the transition. Either way, it is a good opportunity for our congregation to mark a safe and successful year ahead and to embrace our call to learning. 

This Sunday, August 20th, we will celebrate and commemorate a new year of learning. The backpack blessing will offer encouragement and support for all who are embarking on a year of spiritual growth. It is a valuable ritual within a faith family and one that many Unitarian Universalist congregations hold at the beginning of the school year. It is a wonderful way to bless part of our everyday lives, to connect Sunday and the rest of the week, and to lift up learning and growth and to encourage and support learners, no matter the age.

Whether you’re a student in school or a student of life, learning is a part of life no matter your age. All are invited to bring the bag they will carry on their journeys ahead to be blessed and filled with love by our UUCV community. This includes any and all the tools we use, throughout life, to help us learn. So bring your backpack, bookbag, briefcase, purse, laptop bag, lunch bag or anything that represents your return to school, whatever form school might take.

Let’s begin the journey into a new school year surrounded by the loving care and support of our wonderful UUCV community.  See you on Sunday!

Lily Rappaport
Acting Director of Family Ministry

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