FIRST UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP
OF NANAIMO

UNITARIAN FELLOWSHIP THIS SUMMER

Sunday Services 

June 19 was the last regular Sunday Service before our hard working and generous community volunteers and staff take a summer break. There will be no Sunday Services in July and in August, we will offer a ‘Summer Lite’ Sunday series. The building will be open every Sunday in August from 11:00am till 1:00pm for conversation and social connections.

Some things are still in the works, but we've included some details in this newsletter for your anticipation. So far, we know that there will be tea and coffee, and someone to lead the discussion or presentation. There might be a video to discuss, or a poem, or simply a tantalizing question. Look for details in the weekly update in August, and on the website.  This is an in-person event only, because the AV Team is taking a well-deserved break.

The first full hybrid service after the summer is September 11th.
The Sunday Service Committee wishes everyone a very fine summer.

Previous services are recorded and posted on our website at ufon.ca
 

The Office & Weekly Update
 

The Fellowship Office will be closed during July.
Telephone messages will be collected once a week.

The Weekly Update last email distribution is Thursday, June 30,
and the next will be Thursday, July 28.

Have a great summer!

With a mixture of relief, satisfaction and sadness, we leave behind this past year, its accomplishments and its challenges. The second COVID year ended with our Sunday morning multi-spacial community almost equally divided between people in the hall and people joining in from home. For those in the hall, it was a delicious treat to be in the same physical space, to sing together and socialize around the snack laden table. 

Looking into the next church year, there is a feeling that we can hope again. Hope to be able to make plans that will stick. Hope for seeing those we love and have missed so deeply these last years. Hope that our community, having withstood with creativity and resilience the pressures of Covid, can rebuild. We have fulfilled the goal of the 2021-22 year to reopen with sensitivity and thoughtfulness, and we now look to a future of renewal and growth. 

Yet, I take a lesson from my garden. I was so excited when winter was over and the ground was warm enough to plant seeds. I was eager for their green growth to emerge. Which it did, but there were problems I didn’t anticipate. The long cool spring turned into a cool wet summer and brought an abundance of slugs, who enjoyed the sweet new leaves with a boundless appetite. Now I am managing slugs so the new plants can thrive. 

The lesson I take for this next Fellowship year is this:  Let us make our plans and anticipate growth, but also be prepared for what we cannot predict.  We can lean into our hope and prepare for the unexpected.  

I hope for each of you, days of summer pleasure. May this be a time of rest and renewal.
I look forward to rebuilding the Fellowship community with you in September. 

                                 
The Need
Our Fellowship building at 595 Townsite Road is in need of a new roof. The building was constructed in 1949 and has serviced us well, providing sanctuary space, kitchen, meeting rooms and office space. In addition, it provides space for a much needed shelter for up to 30 unhoused guests each night. Nothing is more important for a building in a rain forest than a watertight roof to provide a safe, dry environment for all who reside there. We have been having problems with leaks over the last two years, and the time has come for a replacement. The building replacement cost is over $2M, so we need to protect that for years to come.

The Ask
The budget for the roof is $150,000. While we have some funds available, we are hoping to raise at least $50,000, with a stretch goal of $100,000. If we meet the stretch goal, we will be able to proceed without any borrowing.

The Dedication
The roof capital campaign is dedicated to the memory of Sam Cosco, long time member of the Fellowship who died suddenly last year. He was among the earliest supporters of purchasing the building, believing that a "home of our own" would lead to growth and recognition in the community. He was a key member of the Joint Building Committee, overseeing and directing many maintenance and improvement projects and, of course, roof issues. His passion for doing the right thing was always appreciated, and we are continuing that spirit by replacing the roof rather than just continually patching it.
  All donors who provide name and address information will receive a charitable tax receipt for their donation.