NSUC Goes to the Theatre!

You’re invited to the Saturday, 15 February matinee (2 pm) of “GRANDMA. GANSTA. GUERILLA.” – a new play at Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver.

From the Presentation House website:

This ain’t a sob story about war crimes, dementia, nor getting old. It’s a sprint down the memory lane of a butt-kickin’, bar-spittin’, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family. When our favourite Filipino grandma Lola Basyang goes missing, it’s up to her grandchildren Nika and Jun-jun to bring her back to safety. Using their lola’s unfinished memoir, they find clues to her whereabouts, her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoils of their motherland. Reminiscent of their immigration stories, they reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society.

Tickets are sliding scale, $20- $50 (depending on what you’d like to pay).  The amount you pay doesn’t affect the location of your seat in the theatre.  You can select any seat you like, but for the purposes of sitting with your NSUC friends, we suggest you choose a seat in row  D (seats 8-14) or row E (seats 8-14).

If you’d like to attend, please purchase your own ticket(s) directly from Presentation House Theatre.  You can buy tickets online at Box Office - Presentation House Theatre, or by telephone, 604-990-3474.  Presentation House accepts Visa and MasterCard. There is no booking fee for phone or online purchases.

We’ll meet to discuss the play after the service on Sunday, 16 February.

Please email Pamela Berg (pamelaberg99@gmail.com) to let her know you’ll be attending, or if you have any questions.

A FUNfest concert: Ask the Wind (Jan. 10th)

You’re invited to this FUNfest concert with North Shore Unitarians on Friday, January 10th.

Doors open at 6:45pm, concert starts at 7:30pm.

Cost: $20/person for NSUC members, or $25/person for people not affiliated with North Shore Unitarians. (Hosted by Rebecca Lindley & Jel Coward).

"Ask The Wind", a dynamic folk trio consisting of Maya (fiddle), Daniel (guitar and vocals), and Atlin (piano and vocals), is rooted in folk, country, Celtic, and jazz, drawing inspiration from lived experiences and grand stories.

Maya’s passion for the fiddle began at three, influenced by local youth fiddlers’ celtic tunes and reignited in Vancouver’s vibrant musical community.

Daniel, from Alberta's prairies, started guitar at seven, performed at the Calgary Folk Festival at thirteen, and played with Tommy Emmanuel in Nashville at twenty-eight.

Atlin, blending classical training with influences from Radiohead to Ella Fitzgerald, adds a unique vocal and instrumental texture.

Together, they create music that evokes nostalgia, excitement, heartbreak, and joy, offering rich narratives and emotional depth in every performance. Join Ask The Wind on a journey through their enchanting melodies and captivating stories.

Ukulele Classes: Thursdays from 6:30-7pm January 16th - February 20th

Alison Nixon, our Music Director, is starting another Ukulele Class on January 16th and continuing through February 20th. Classes will be held weekly on Thursdays from 6:30-7pm in the Sanctuary. 

This class is wonderfully joyful, and works well for students who are at the beginning to intermediate level.

Register HERE.

Contact Alison Nixon or the Church Office with questions.

January Outreach Report: Congregational Support Fund

During January 2025, we raised a total of $1,728.38 for the Congregational Support Fund, which is used to help congregants with a variety of life needs including groceries and utilities.

Applications for support should be made to Leslie Whyte (whyteleslie326@gmail.com).

Use of this fund is kept in strict confidence, so applicants are not discussed with the Board or other members.

If you or anyone you know might benefit from this assistance, please contact Leslie Whyte (whyteleslie326@gmail.com).

November Outreach Report

During the month of November, 100% of our Sunday morning collection (unless otherwise noted) was donated to Food Stash Foundation, whose main purpose is to rescue food that would otherwise be wasted and get it to families and organizations who can really use it. Learn more about their work at their website: www.foodstash.ca.

We raised a total of $2,053.07 for Food Stash during November of 2024. Thank you to all who gave generously. 

Beginning Singing Classes

Noon - 12:30pm on six Sundays: January 26th through March 2nd

Do you have a hard time singing the hymns?  Do you feel that you shouldn't sing?  Have you been told  NOT to sing . . . ever?  Have you stopped singing?  If you answered YES to any of those questions, then — this is the class for you!

Our Music Director, Alison Nixon, is offering a 6-week class for absolutely beginning singers. Emotional safety and building your confidence is paramount.

Sessions will be held from noon to 12:30pm on Sundays after church beginning January 26th and continuing weekly through March 2nd.  Contact Alison Nixon or the Church Office to sign up.

 

Deepening Connections: A guided Exploratory Ramble for the Unitarian-Curious

two sessions:

Winter session 2025:

7-8:30pm
January 15th & 29th & February 12th & 26th

The Winter Session of Deepening Connections is now closed to new participants, but if you’re interested in receiving an invite to the Fall Session, please let us know HERE and we’ll send you the dates & details as that time gets closer.

Fall Session 2025:

Dates and Times to be determined

Newcomers, recent-ish members and those warily orbiting our North Shore Unitarian community… this one’s for you.

This Fall, the Sunday Services Team will offer a series of meet-and-greets that are also a crash course in UU principles. Loosely based on the UU orientation program ‘Starting Point’, these four evenings will primarily be a forum for folks to get to know each other better, and air out whatever questions you may have about this unique faith of ours.

The course will likely include four evening sessions offered on a weeknight, every other week. . All are welcome, though the course is designed mostly for newcomers. There will be snacks but not a full meal.  Questions?  Please reach out to Hosts Bruce Grierson & Rebecca Lindley or to the Main Office.

Let us know HERE if you’d like to be notified when the Fall session dates & times have been confirmed.

Coming Soon: Foyer Beautification

Foyer Beautification Coming Soon: Your Ideas are Welcome!
The outside of the building is being beautified, now let’s work on the foyer!

We want a meaningful, colorful foyer that shows all who come through the doors that we are a welcoming community: vibrant, active , thoughtful and joyful. Your input and ideas are important, needed and welcomed.  Please contact Leslie (whyteleslie326@gmail.com).

December's Outreach Recipient: Lookout Housing & Health Society

Each month, we collect donations for a different non-profit organization whose mission is in line with our values. 100% of our Sunday morning offering plate, unless otherwise noted, is given to that charitable organization. We call this “Outreach”.

During December, our Outreach Recipient was Lookout Housing and Health Society. We raised a total of $1,793 for Lookout.

Lookout provides non-judgmental, non-sectarian services to low or no-income adults who cope with a wide variety of challenges. Lookout prides itself on a positive flow of tenants through the housing continuum that includes a 45-bed emergency shelter, and 25 supportive transitional housing units on the North Shore.