Latest News
Board Buzz: GA Takeaways
Dear Beloveds of East Shore, I wanted to share some takeaways that I and other Board members and staff had from this year’s UUA General Assembly in Portland, Oregon. For those who don’t know, the General Assembly is an annual conference where UU’s gather in-person and...
Women’s Perspective Update August 2022
Your Women’s Perspective Ministry Team has planned a year full of activities to connect East Shore women to one other and to our larger sisterhood. Those who identify as women as well as those who support women’s issues are welcome! Our Theme for 2022-23: Reproductive...
Seeking Facilities Volunteers
In the months following our return to on-campus activities, we have discovered there are holes left where wonderful volunteers used to be. In addition, our caretaker staff has been reduced from two to one which impacts coverage and labor available, especially on the...
Congregations for the Homeless
Congregations for the Homeless (CFH) is a non-profit dedicated to helping Eastside men who are experiencing homelessness as they move towards independent living. Each month a CFH shelter rotates from one Eastside congregation to another. East Shore hosts the...
August 2022 Share the Plate
The Share the Plate collection on August 14 will be for NWAAF, the Northwest Abortion Access Fund. This is an abortion fund usually serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Since the recent Supreme Court decision, their work has become even more crucial, and...
Remove federal dams on lower Snake River!!
According to Washington Environmental Council: “The Snake River has been named America’s #1 Most Endangered River of 2021. Once the largest salmon producer in the Columbia River Basin, today Snake River salmon runs are at the brink of extinction. The loss of salmon is...
Supreme Court’s impact on Indian Country
The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade has so many of us questioning the wisdom of our current Supreme Court. Their overturning of settled law in this, and other instances, threatens the hard-won freedoms for all Americans. It has also had unsettling impacts on some of...
Preparing for Rev. María Cristina!
It was only two months ago when we voted unanimously to call Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa to be our next settled minister. At the time we did not know any specifics as to when she was going to be moving and beginning her position at East Shore. We would...
Community Mural Project
The Community Mural Project got off to a big start in June. This project is the brainchild of amanda alice uluhan, Director of Religious Exploration, to brighten the learning environments in the Education Building. In collaboration with LeAnne Struble and Doug...
Being More Welcoming
As a Membership Professional I am often asked “how can we be more welcoming?” It’s a complex question that will always have an answer because I truly believe we can never be TOO welcoming! Since I arrived, I have helped implement many small, but impactful changes. In...
Summer Activities for Children, Youth & Families
Children and and youth Sign up for a watering shift during at least one week this summer to help our baby native plant garden establish their roots. Sign up here. Check out this video tutorial for more information. Can you help assemble and install some playground...
The Solace of Serenity
Welcome to the latest exhibit at East Shore’s Gallery which features 26 works of art both pastels and oil paintings: from very large showpiece paintings to plein air paintings done on site in the beautiful outdoors, and several reproductions. All are framed. Barbara...
General Assembly 2022 Update
From June 22-26, UUs from across the country arrived in Portland or logged in online for General Assembly. This inspirational weekend was full of workshops, worship services, and business that has impacts on the larger UU world. I encourage you to go to...
Will the Principles and Sources of Unitarian Universalism be Changed?
I attended the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) General Assembly at Portland, Oregon this year in person. An initiative to do a comprehensive review of the UUA's Bylaws led to drafts of new language being presented at GA for everyone to give feedback on the...
East Shore Auction 2022
We are excited to begin planning East Shore’s annual auction again. The East Shore Auction, usually held in November each year, is a big fund-raising opportunity for the church, and a wonderful way to build community, since the auction is all about offering social...
Indigenous Connections Update: Honoring Se Sealth
Over the May 28th weekend, an honoring ceremony for Lummi Elder & Carver, Se Sealth (Jewell Praying Wolf James), was held at the longhouse (Wexliem Community Center) on Lummi grounds near Bellingham. As an attorney and activist, Mr. James has been a leader...
Red Road Mural Coloring Book
I wanted to share with the congregation the publication of the Red Road Mural coloring book. I feel tremendously grateful and blessed to have been invited to participate in the creation of such a beautiful expression of communal solidarity and interconnectedness. Now...
Share the Plate: July 2022
During the service on July 10, Rev. Jennifer Alviar will talk about “Bridging the Divide through Food & Fellowship.” In order to expand on the theme of bringing people together over food, Share the Plate will introduce Project Feast as an organization to support...
“I come to East Shore to be with warm and open hearted people, who care about the world and work to reach out and heal as many people both near and far as possible.” -Amanda Strombom