Community Church Night: Tuesdays, starting at 5:00 p.m.
Join us for our All-Ages Community Night! Starting at 5:00 p.m., you’re invited to gather for a potluck dinner (we eat around 5:30, but come any time!). At 6:45 p.m., we’ll have an opportunity to pause for a moment to center, celebrate, and reflect with a short worship service. At 7:00 meetings and the social events will begin. Read more here. Here’s the schedule for October:
- First Tuesday, October 1: Meditation with Science of Spirituality
- Second Tuesday, October 8: Sing-Along with Eric Lane Barnes for favorites from Neil Diamond, John Denver, and Elton John
- Third Tuesday, October 15: Game Night with Nicole Duff
- Fourth Tuesday, October 22: Meaningful Movies Bellevue
- Fifth Tuesday, October 29: Book Bingo – Bring a book you are done with to trade for bingo cards. The first bingo gets first pick, but everyone leaves with a book!
Congregations for the Homeless: October 1-31 – Volunteer Today!
It is time to get ready! October is Congregation for the Homeless month at ESUC. Between 25-35 men will be staying in Spring hall from 7pm – 7am. Each evening, the men are served a hot meal. Each morning, the men have a quick, cold breakfast and make a grab and go lunch to take with them. This is a great opportunity to help the homeless! How can you help? Volunteer to make sandwiches (materials provided), provide a hot dinner, be a welcoming host in the evening, shop for supplies (donation or reimbursement available), donate funds to sustain our efforts, join the team! Volunteer here!
Race & Identity: Tuesday, October 1, 7:00 p.m.
Aisha Hauser will lead participants in discussions about how race and identity shapes our experiences and our understanding of social justice issues. Versions of this workshop have been presented all over the country and will now be offered here at East Shore! This class will be a repeat of the first class offered last spring.
What Darwin Didn’t Know: The Modern Science of Evolution: Tuesday, October 1, 7:00 p.m.
Visit the lectures on the evolution of the Theory of Evolution from the Great Courses series published in 2019. Dr. Scott Solomon from Rice University earned his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and states “There was a great deal that Darwin did not know, and it took more than a century before evolution was united with genetics, leading to the modern science of evolution.” Of course, dramatic changes in the theory have occurred in the last six decades also. Here you can find out which of your assumptions about evolution are correct, incorrect, or in need of an update. Meetings will be held in the Religious Education Bldg. on Tuesday evenings, 7:00 p.m to 8:45 p.m. The class format consists of watching a 30 min. lecture, then discussing it, followed by viewing and discussing the second lecture. The facilitators are Alan Carter and Gary Gustafson both members of ESUC. The first meeting will be October 1, 2019.
A Conversation with Julie Lythcott-Haims: Wednesday, October 2, 7:00 p.m.
New York Times bestselling author, Julie Lythcott-Haims gained national attention with her first book, “How to Raise an Adult.” You have an exciting opportunity to participate in an evening with Julie, and Aisha Hauser, East Shore’s Director of Lifelong Learning. The two women will discuss talking to children about race. Lythcott-Haims will read from her memoir “Real American,” where she chronicles growing up a bi-racial child in the United States. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and interact in a dialogue with the speakers. This is open and free to the public. Copies of her book will be for sale and a book signing will follow the discussion.
Humanist Discussion Group: Wednesday, October 2, 7:30 p.m.
Our topic will be “The Meaning of Life for Humanists.” In particular, where do you find the most meaning in your own life? And how should we go about looking for meaning? Here are some online readings to prepare for our meeting discussion:
- http://huumanists.org/blog/201503/humanist-take-meaning-and-purpose
- https://vichumanist.org.au/humanism-intro/what-gives-life-meaning/
- https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/definition-of-humanism/
Cooking with Amanda: Reducing Pain with Food: Wednesday, October 9, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Older Adults (Ages 50+): Begins Friday, October 4, 10:00 a.m.
This is a curriculum that takes values-based, social justice approach to the sexuality of adults in mid-life and beyond. OWL for Older Adults helps older adults enjoy the life-affirming benefits of sexual expression (solo or partnered). This programs empowers and inspires participants to move beyond intellect to address the attitudes, values, and feelings they have about their own and others’ sexuality. Class will meet twice a week on Fridays and Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. through November 15. Facilitated by Milly Mullarky, Jerry Bushnell, and Barbara Stevenson. Register here.
Sound Alliance Training: October 4 & 5
Would you like to improve your ability to accomplish positive improvements effectively? Whether you think of yourself as a leader or not, everyone can contribute to change by learning some strategies for working with other people. East Shore has teamed up with Sound Alliance to offer this leadership training program for anyone wanting to contribute to the common good. And best yet, this training fits hand in glove with our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Values! You will learn why organizing works, how to use proven tools such as relational meetings, listening sessions, research, power analysis, negotiations, and action planning, ways to engage people to strengthen our organization, and how to move from problems to concrete winnable issues. Friday, October 4, 7 pm – 9 pm and Saturday, October 5, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. Cost: $50 (Earth and Social Justice Council scholarships available) Lunch provided Click here to register. Contact East Shore Council members, Ann Fletcher or Louise Wilkinson who are have taken the training for more information or for scholarships.
RE Welcome Back Breakfast! Sunday, October 6, 9:00 a.m.
RE Family and Volunteer Welcome Back Breakfast. You’re invited to our homecoming breakfast! We will enjoy breakfast together and talk about the religious education program for the year. Changed from previous date of September 22, join us in Spring Hall at 9am on October 6th. Let us know you’re coming via email.
East Shore & You: A Membership Series: Sundays, October 6 & 13, 12:30
Rev. Dr. Stephen Furrer and Membership Development Manger Nicole Duff will be teaching a two-part series, East Shore and You. This class is a way for visitors to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and East Shore Unitarian Church, that can help you decide if we are the right congregation for you! It’s a great place to ask questions of staff, members from the Membership Team, and the Board. This class is a required part of becoming a member here at East Shore. Please RSVP to Nicole Duff if you are interested. Childcare available upon request.
Cooking with Amanda: Reducing Pain with Food: Wednesday, October 9, 7:00 p.m.
Several chronic painful conditions can be helped with a plant-based diet. We’ll discuss how certain foods can help reduce inflammation and reduce pain. Then we’ll make some tasty recipes with anti-inflammatory foods such as chia seeds, mushrooms, turmeric and walnuts. Led by Amanda Strombom, President of Vegetarians of Washington. A nominal charge of $5 per class helps us cover the cost of the ingredients and materials. Register here.
Meaningful Movies Bellevue – “Don’t Panic – The Truth About Population”: Tuesday, October 22, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Featuring Professor Hans Rosling. Panicking is rarely a good idea! This one-hour documentary shows why the world might not be as bad as we might believe! It uses cutting-edge 3D infographics to paint a vivid picture of a world that has changed in ways we barely understand and often for the better. We do face huge challenges in terms of food, resources and climate change but at the heart of Hans Rosling’s statistical tour-de-force is the message that the world of tomorrow is a much better place than we might imagine.
Fourth Wednesday Book Club: Wednesday, October 23, 7:30-9:00 pm
Please join us to discuss Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders on Wednesday, October 23, at 7:30 pm in the Library. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, dies. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul.
East Shore Live: Saturday, October 26, 7:30 pm
Join Eric Lane Barnes, John Chmaj, Cascade Jazz, members of the East Shore choir and a cast of professional Seattle performers for this year’s Halloween celebration concert and costume event! This family-friendly show features spooky songs, crazy film snippets with live band, creative costume contest, terrifying trivia, prizes and more! Plus a taco truck! Grab your ‘favorite ghoul’ and join us! Tickets $18 members/ $23 nonmembers/ $5 children at eastshorelive.com, or at the door.
What Is Affordable Housing: Wednesday, October 30, 6:30 p.m. What makes housing affordable? Who is impacted by the cost of housing? What can we do to help? This program series will incorporate film, conversation, and presentations from people in our region to explore the complexities of our housing crisis. In addition to planned sessions, topics will incorporate the interests of participants. Hosted by Carrie Bowman. This is a 6-part series. Sessions will run for 2 hours in the evening. See more details and register here.