Weekly News

February 11, 2026

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Welcome to Unitarian Universalist Society East

Email our office to receive a visitor packet or to find out more. We schedule several newcomer events throughout the year after Sunday services.

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Sunday Service:

"Strategic Planning: A Discipline of Resilience"

Hear and be heard to form our UUSE vision, mission, and planning statements. Coordinator: Kate Kimmerle.

Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M.

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Gathering music starts at 8:50 and 10:50 A.M.

Join the virtual service at 11:00 A.M. via our Zoom link:

Contact the Office for Zoom Link.

Or join by phone. Call 1-860-646-5151 Meeting ID 357 815 420#.

In Case You Missed It

Click here for a YouTube video of the 2/8/26 service, "What Makes You Come Alive?"

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CYM News

Children & Youth Ministry caregivers, extended family, volunteers and all stakeholders (that means "anyone" interested in keeping up with the CYM news or who feels invested in its future): The email distribution program I (Emmy) have been using for my weekly Friday Update has locked us out of our account which expired without proper notice. I am unable to access the email distribution list I used on that platform. So, I am going to create a new account and distribution list! Please email if you would like to receive my weekly Friday Update which includes all the details of what each age group is doing the following Sunday, news on upcoming events, as well as reflections and spiritual care. Kindly send your request to dcym@uuse.org to be added to the new distribution list. Caregivers of children and youth registered for CYM do NOT need to email me. Thank you, Emmy.

Also:

We are looking for help in the Elementary (grades 2-5) class this winter! Please reach out to Emmy at dcym@uuse.org if you can help on any of these dates:

(Lesson from the "Signs of Our Faith" Curriculum").

February 15: Worshipping Together (need lead and assistant)

March 1: Finding Beauty in Uniqueness (need lead and assistant)

March 29: Fair Group Decisions (need assistant)

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Best Practices for Community Health

Colds, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and -- yes -- Covid continue to circulate in the wider community. According to the CT Department of Public Health, these illnesses are especially dangerous for those of us who are 60 and older. This is a friendly reminder that no matter your age, if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, you always have the option to join Sunday services and other meetings and activities by Zoom from the comfort of your home. If you do need to come to the meetinghouse, keep in mind that masks have the power to protect both you and those with whom you come in contact.

Let's all help keep each other as healthy as we can!

From the UUSE Emergency Preparedness Task Force

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Postcard Protest

Sustainable Living Committee

Take ACTION this Sunday by stopping at our table after services. Sign up to write 3 postcards, one each to your state legislators and the governor. Let them know your concerns about climate change and your hope that they will pass legislation to promote energy efficiency, clean energy and environmental protection in CT with programs that are available to everyone. Return your postcards next week to the white basket, and we will stamp and mail them. Postcards and stamps provided by the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network (IREJN)!

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Sing Out Love Listening Sessions

February 12th, 26th and March 5th

Are you interested in hearing (and maybe even singing) music from the UUA's new online hymnal, Sing Out Love? Join our Music Director, Mary Bopp, and Rev. Josh for an exploration of the music in this wonderful new resource. Thursdays, February 12th, February 26th and March 5th, 11:00 to 1:00 PM at the meeting house. All are welcome.

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Indivisible

Thursday, February 12 - 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.

If you missed Indivisible's recent meeting at UUSE and wished you could have made it, you have another opportunity! The local Indivisible chapter will be meeting again at UUSE on Thursday, February 12 and all are welcome to attend. The group will also be discussing the potential for meeting at UUSE on a regular basis. For more information about this grassroots nationwide movement, click here.

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Ladies at Lunch

Friday, February 13 at 110 Grill

Join us for lunch on Friday, February 13th at the 110 Grill, 1127 Tolland Turnpike in the Plaza at Burr Corners in Manchester. We meet at noon. Everyone is welcome. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Sharon Huber by Thursday afternoon, February 12: uuseoffice@uuse.org or 860-646-5151.

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Sign Up for a Pledging Potluck!

March 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15.

Again, this year, the Stewardship committee will provide an opportunity for members and friends to participate in a stewarding potluck during the first two weekends of the 2026 Annual Appeal. Following the meal and conversation, a steward will lead the group in a time for sharing the meaning of UUSE in our lives and discuss the goals of the Annual Appeal and the proposed budget. Participants who have not done so may privately complete their pledge forms.

Sign-up sheets will be in the lobby on Sunday February 22 and March 1. If you can't make it on a Sunday to sign up, please contact Stan McMillen and let him know which potluck you would like to attend: Email: uuseoffice@uuse.org or phone 860-646-5151. If you prefer an individual visit, a steward will meet with you. PLEASE respond to their phone calls or emails!! Click here for a list of where and when the potlucks will be held. Detailed info on pets, accessibility, food allergies will be available on the signup sheets, or you can contact the potluck host directly.

Attention CYM Families and Friends: Desiree Holian-Borgnis will have "office hours" from 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. in the children's chapel Sundays (TBD) during the Annual Appeal for families to come and ask questions, sign their pledge forms and hand them in.

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Music + Mantra: Kirtan at UUSE

with Libby Volckening - Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 P.M. at UUSE

Join us on Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 P.M. for Music + Mantra, part of a recurring series of live kirtan gatherings at UUSE. Led by Heart-Centered Kirtan with Libby Volckening, these events provide opportunities to connect through music, mantra and shared presence. Seating: Chairs provided. Some cushions. Best to bring a cushion if you prefer floor seating. For more info, visit: https://www.uuse.org/regular-events/kirtan. All are welcome. A $20 donation is requested, but no one will be turned away.

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Death Cafe

February 24, 2026 at 1:00 P.M.

UUSE's next Death Cafe will be held at the meeting house on Tuesday, February 24th at 1:00 P.M. Death Cafe is a global movement with a simple goal: to provide participants in any stage of life with an opportunity for an open-ended discussion about death and dying. There is no formal agenda, but there is tea, cake and a comfortable place to discuss this issue that will touch all of us at some point in our lives. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Rev. Josh Pawelek at minister@uuse.org.

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Community Screening of My Friend Kim

Tuesday, February 24 from 7:00 - 8:30 P.M. at UUSE

A special community screening of the short documentary My Friend Kim will take place on Tuesday, February 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at UUSE. My Friend Kim is a powerful 30-minute documentary that follows Kim Hoffman, a Connecticut woman living with terminal illness, as she advocates for compassion, autonomy, and the right to the option of Medical Aid in Dying. The film highlights Kim's strength, clarity, and determination, as well as the unwavering support of her wife, Joy Cipollo. The documentary is an official selection of the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival.

The film maker has created an Eventbrite page so people can sign up to attend. There's no fee, but it's helpful if people pre-register. Click here for the Eventbrite link.

For more information, please contact Rev. Josh Pawelek at minister@uuse.org.

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Gender-Free Contra Dance

Save the Date - March 21 at UUSE

Mark your calendars for March 21, 4:00 to 7:00 PM. (with a 3:45 PM beginner lesson). There are no "ladies" or "gents" in a gender-free contra dance, and you don't need to be an expert dancer. Contra is a community folk dance with partners in long lines with the caller teaching the dances as you go. For more information, click here.

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Pastoral Friends

The Pastoral Friends Committee has a rotating chair throughout the year. Should you need pastoral care during the month of February, contact Sid Soderholm.

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Ongoing Happenings at UUSE!

There’s Always Something Good Going On

• Stop & Shop Gift Card sales after services on 1st Sundays
• Fair Trade Coffee/Tea/Chocolate sales after services on 2nd Sundays
• Yoga, every Wednesday at 10 A.M. All welcome!
• Manchester Women's Singing Circle, every Thursday at 7 P.M.
• Book Lovers, 2nd Tuesdays at 3:30 P.M. in person and on Zoom. March 10th: The Emperor of Gladness. Discussion leader: Jeannine Gluck.
• Women's Circle, 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00 P.M. (Zoom only December through March) Email Nora Alpers-Leon atuuseoffice@uuse.org for the Zoom link.
• Romeos, a monthly lunch for retired men on second Tuesdays - contact the UUSE office to be put on the email list.
• Ladies at Lunch, a monthly women's lunch typically on second Thursdays - advertised in the weekly eblasts.
• Buddhist Group, 1st Tuesdays at 7 P.M.
• Meditation Group, 3rd Mondays, 3:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
• God Talk, 4th Tuesdays at 4:30 P.M.
• Humanist Group, 3rd Tuesdays at 4:30 P.M.
• Science and Religion Discussion Group, 4th Thursdays at 4:30 P.M. February's topic: Hertog's "Origin of Time" with Bill Bosworth.

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Our Mission

Unitarian Universalist Society East is a welcoming, open-minded spiritual community seeking truth and meaning in its many forms. We share responsibility for building a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world.

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UUSE Links and Information

• Monthly Newsletter • Website • Previous Sunday Services

 • Children & Youth Ministry • Facebook •

New England Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association

uuse.org • 860-646-5151

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