“Love is the spirit of this church,
and service its gift.
This is our great covenant:
to dwell together in peace,
to seek the truth in love,
and to help one another.”

 

Living our Mission Statement:

Compassionate Community, Spirited Searching, Courageous Actions.

 

Siding With Love: Living our Values at Northwoods

Compassionate Community

  • Share the Plate: Each month NUUC holds a special collection for selected charities. Cyndie Mahaney is the contact.
  • Blood Drives: NUUC regularly hosts the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to collect volunteer donations. Cyndie Mahaney has organized these efforts.
  • Kiva Microlending: Our community can extend to the whole world. Through micro-loans, Kiva helps people invest in making their lives and communities better. Mira Dessy is the contact. Click here to learn more.
  • Collections for Roatan: Used shoes are again being requested for children and adults in Roatan, Honduras. Donated shoes, sports clothing and equipment, pet supplies, clothing, kitchen supplies and office equipment are collected for the Roatan Support Effort. 
  • Dream Scholarships: NUUC gives money to students to help close the gap between what their scholarships and earnings can support and what they need to get an education. Teresa Allen is the contact.
  • Millbend Coffeehouse: For over 30 years Millbend has supported live music and social justice through its ticket sales and collections. Teresa Allen is the contact.
  • Food on the First: Each month NUUC has a special collection to support local food banks. We have donated thousands of pounds of food to help people get through difficult times. 

Spirited Searching

  • Antiracism Book Group: Members come together to study racism in America and better understand how to resist entrenched white supremacy in our society. David Shontz is the contact.
  • Other Book Groups: The Men’s Book Group, Women’s Book Group and Courageously Coed book group often read books with social justice lessons and implications.
  • SEE Justice Second Hour: We host presentations on social justice topics after service on the 4th Sunday of the month.
  • Northwoods Resource Page: Searching on your own? The Northwoods Resource Page has links to the latest topics in NUUC social justice. Margaret Davis maintains the page.

Courageous Action

  • Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM): NUUC is a member congregation. Member congregations work together to affect Texas legislation through letter-writing campaigns, phone banks, and in-person lobbying and protests at the capital. Contacts are Robyn Stout and Jerry Hensel.
  • Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Interest Group: SURJ promotes racial justice awareness and education on the connections between all forms of oppression. SURJ sponsors the bi-weekly protests at North Shore Park and the Antiracism Book Group. Contact is David Shontz.
  • Sanctuary: NUUC stands ready to help immigrants fleeing danger in their home countries and a broken and sometimes hostile U.S. immigration system. The Sanctuary Ministry has created a space where we can host migrants in need. Greg McDonell is the contact.
  • LGBTQ+ Issues: The LGBTQ+ Justice group, including our Welcoming Congregation Committee, is going to resume activities as the Church reopens. We will be exploring how we can meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ Community and also will be participating in PRIDE and other events that support this diverse group.
  • Reproductive Justice: NUUC is active in influencing legislation involving reproductive justice, working directly and through the TXUUJM. Robyn Stout is the contact.
  • Environmental Justice: SEE Justice sponsors Adult Forums and Second Hour presentations on environmental justice topics.
  • Voter Registration: Some NUUC members have been trained in voter registration and participate in voter education efforts. Protecting democracy through participation is an important effort in Unitarian Universalism right now (see UU the Vote). Teresa Allen is a good contact.