Blessing of the Animals

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

Join us in person or via Zoom for our annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony. You are invited to bring your pets so they can receive a blessing (please ensure they are on a leash or in a carrier). If your animal companions have crossed over the rainbow bridge, please bring their photo so we can honor their memory.

Indigenous People’s Day

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

Join us as we celebrate Indigenous People's Day and reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our connections with our indigenous neighbors. We recognize the impact of settler colonialism. We lift up indigenous ways of knowing to guide us in building the Beloved Community and practice being in right relationship with Mother Earth and all our relatives.

Hope Grows Here

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

We celebrate the many ways that our East Shore community nourishes our spiritual journeys and keeps us connected. Join us as we pledge our love and support to our Beloved Community and plant seeds for the future.

Songs of Our Parents

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

So many of us have specific experiences and memories of musical pieces our parents shared with us. Some of these are lullabies, some are songs sung together on road trips, some provide underscore to cherished family memories. In this service Eric Lane Barnes, Grace Colton and local vocalist Heather Gonio will share memories and songs of our parents and how shared music lives on long after our loved ones have gone.

Día de los Muertos

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

Join us to honor the memory of our dearly departed. We will begin to build our community altars in the sanctuary on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 from 12:00-4:00 pm. You can also bring your photographs, flowers, and mementos on Sunday morning. “At the rising sun and at its going down; We remember them. For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as we remember them.”

Spiritual Generosity

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

In such a small world it can mean so much to welcome the stranger. Now, and perhaps more than ever, our generous responses may be the key to building the community we yearn to grow.
Reverend Eric Kaminetzky grew up in Unitarian Universalism and serves our Congregation in Edmonds, WA. His first career was in the law as a licensed and practicing Attorney.

Rhythms of India

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

East Shore will be joined by Bhangra dance group Rhythms of India to help us celebrate Diwali in style! We will learn dance moves and put them together in a fun and exuberant service that is part storytelling, part dance workshop, part musical exploration.

Thanksgiving

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

The wheel of the year has turned again. Once more the Thanksgiving season has arrived. Let us sing our song of gratitude together. Let us gather in community to give thanks for all the blessings we have received. Please join us for a Thanksgiving potluck immediately following the service. All are welcome! 

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

Please join Rev. María Cristina and the Welcoming Congregations teams for a special vigil to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a time to remember and honor those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.

Native American Heritage Month

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

November is Native American Heritage Month. Join us as we welcome Guest Speaker, Paula Peters, member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts.
Paula Peters is a politically, socially, and culturally active member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and owner of SmokeSygnals Communications. As an independent scholar and writer of Native, and particularly Wampanoag history, she is a producer of the traveling exhibit "Our" Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History and is currently engaged in the Wampum Belt Project in search of the lost treasures of Metacom, including an effort to restore the art and tradition of wampum making among her people. She is the executive producer of the 2016 documentary film Mashpee Nine and author of the companion book. She lives with her extended family in Mashpee and travels internationally to speak and educate on the true Wampanoag story.

Las Posadas

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

In many Latin American countries we celebrate Las Posadas, a pre-Christmas tradition recreating the arduous journey of Mary and Joseph fleeing from violence and seeking refuge. In the United States, many churches incorporate this tradition as an expression of solidarity with all immigrants and refugees. We are reminded that we are a living sanctuary and a welcoming congregation.

Annual Holiday Music Sunday

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

This lively event will feature the East Shore Mighty Choir, numerous guest performers, and several talented performers who are East Shore members. We will sing a number of favorite carols, as well as some new additions as we usher in this season with bright holiday spirits.

Winter Pageant

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

We’re pleased to present to you all a fun-filled morning reflecting on the various wisdom traditions who celebrate year after year since time immemorial during the dark of the year. You will work alongside the amazing UU children of the East Shore RE program.

Blue Christmas

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

For many of us, the Holiday season is filled with wonder, a spirit of generosity, and joyful anticipation of gathering with friends and family. And for many of us the Holidays can also be filled with sadness, stress, anxiety, and/or “the blues,” especially if you are grieving the recent loss of a loved one, or suffering being estranged from family, dealing with difficult health issues, or feeling disconnected and lonely. Perhaps the very pressure of having to make holiday preparations is making you feel overwhelmed. For people who are grieving and who are suffering, this forced joyfulness during the Holidays can be painful. Many of us just need a break, a contemplative space where we can slow down, connect with community, accept where we are, and honor our emotional needs. Whatever the reason for feeling blue or overwhelmed, we invite you to join us in creating a peaceful oasis.

Winter Solstice

East Shore Unitarian Church 12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA, United States

Please join us for this wonderful gathering to celebrate the return of the sun on the longest night of the year. With worship, ritual, music, stories, and a circle dance, followed by a soup and bread potluck. Please join and bring soup, bread, cookies, or juice to share. An East Shore tradition that is not to be missed.