Dear Reader,
This is the Friday, February 6, 2026 full edition of the Tapestry newsletter of upcoming events and announcements. All events are open to anyone who wishes to join, except where otherwise noted.
Quick Links to Contents:
Upcoming Sunday Service at 11:00 AM:
What's Love Got to Do with It?
by James Moore
In 2024, Unitarian Universalists gathered at the annual General Assembly decided to transition from our previous principles to values instead, with love as the central value for all we represent. We will explore together why this change occurred and what it means to have love as our central value in today's troubling times.
If you're unable to join us in person, Zoom is still an option by clicking HERE.
Announcements:
ISO: Snack Providers
Hello! Do you eat the snacks during Fellowship time? Do you know the church does *not* provide these each week? Someone You Know volunteers to bring these delicious treats each week! But, we would like some help in providing them. Do you want to help? It doesn’t have to be every week, or even every month! You could gift us with items every so often, maybe once a quarter? This looks like:
- A bag of nuts
- Crackers
- Popcorn
- Dried fruits
- Dried mushrooms (CostCo has a brand, DJ&A Shiitake Mushroom Crisps, that are vegan and gluten-free)
- Individual-sized cereal
Would you rather bring something fresh ? Be sure to sign up as a Snack Provider, and choose when you want to bring your food! This looks like:
- Fruit trays
- Veggie trays
- Cheese platters
- Bagels
- Bread from the Bakery department
Do you have other suggestions on what people could bring? Send your ideas to hospitality@uutapestry.org!
If you would like some assistance with any of these items (because let’s be honest, groceries are expensive) there is a fund available. Just bring your receipts into church and turn it in to either the Treasurer or Hospitality.
Live Justice-Centered Folk Music Concert in Houston
Join others on Saturday Feb. 7th in welcoming award-winning singer/songwriter Tom Neilson to Houston to share his witty and right-on social commentary in support of building a movement toward a world that works for all of us! Tom will be joined by singing partner Lynn Waldron to lift our spirits on a number of intersectional justice issues. Limited seating of 110 is available at the venue - RSVP early!
When: Saturday Feb. 7, 2025
Doors 6:30 pm; Concert 7:00 pm
Where: Live Oak Friends Meeting
1318 W 26th Street, Houston, TX 77008
RSVP and Tickets: $20 per person online
See https://bit.ly/TomHTX26
About the venue:
Live Oak Friends Meeting is an open, welcoming community of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. The meeting house is also a beautiful James Turrell Skyspace. The building is ADA compliant. Free parking is available at the venue.
Share-the-Plate
February's share-the-plate is going to Artemis Institute. How do we nurture the survival of wild places? How can the function of degraded environments be restored through re-wilding? How can we take preventative action to insure America’s most iconic wildlife-rich bioregion, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, does not unravel, leaving our legacy to be one of de-wilding? Artemis Institute and Yellowstonian exist to elevate ecological literacy so that residents of Greater Yellowstone, and millions of nature-loving people who visit the Northern Rockies (or dream of coming here) are consciously aware of both its magic and fragility.
UBarU News: Spring Events
by Tracy Cook on 1/22/2026
I realize this weekend is going to be freezing, literally! But here are the upcoming events for the spring! Think warm thoughts...
UBarU Men-Aligned Retreat February 27-March 1, 2026
You are invited to join other Men-aligned folks from UU churches across Texas who will gather for a weekend retreat at UBarU Camp & Retreat Center near Kerrville. Come and enjoy fellowship in the Texas Hill Country. Rest, relax, enjoy delicious meals and use the time as a break from your normal routines and schedules.
Pricing info: Cost for the full weekend includes food, lodging and programming. Sign up soon to take advantage of the early-bird prices. Options include the full weekend, one night of lodging or a day trip Saturday. Prices will increase after February 7. Registration closes on February 21.
For more information, please contact Mark Kilpatrick at texanmkk17@aol.com.
UBarU Spring Break Bed & Breakfast, March 6-22, 2026
Spend time with your family in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! During the 2 weeks most school systems offer spring breaks in Texas UBarU is offering lodging and breakfast. Spend time at UBarU and/or explore the Hill Country in the Spring. There are many things to see and do with less than an hour’s drive. Restaurants, Art, Music, Caves, Hiking, Shopping, Nature - enjoy what Kerrville and Fredericksburg and all the other towns in the area have to offer. And UBarU has its own set of things to do - nature trails, bird watching, labyrinth walks, Gaga ball, foosball, ping pong, croquet, relaxing on the Meeting House porch, campfires, etc.
Book your lodging (private room in DMBC, or a cottage, or camping) here or save the booking fee by booking through Kathy (director@ubaru.org). Each bunkhouse suite has central heat and air and one common bathroom. Additional bathrooms, sinks, and shower stalls are available one door down. Most cabins have a full kitchen and all have at least a microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator, and toaster. More detail on our facilities can be found here. If you would like to add breakfast to your room it is $10 per person age 10+ and will be served in the Meeting House 8am-10am with coffee starting at 7am.
Please feel free to contact Kathy Johnson-Throop director@ubaru.org or 830-460-6002, with any other questions or concerns you may have about your stay. We are looking forward to hosting your spring break stay!
UBarU Women-Aligned Retreat, April 10-12, 2026
Every fall and spring UU women-aligned folks gather for a weekend of relaxing, having fun and Sharing Our Stories. Please join us for this Friday evening through Sunday morning retreat at UBarU. ALL ARE WELCOME!
This is a weekend to recharge your body, mind and spirit in the companionship of other Unitarian Universalist women to dance, meditate, write, draw, read, talk, hike our gorgeous 142 acre campus, walk the UBarU labyrinth, lounge on the Meeting House porch or do just what your spirit needs. This is a weekend free from compulsory workshops and classes, although opportunities for worship, spiritual practices, and other group experiences will be offered. Meals, lodging and programming included for Friday night through Sunday morning. Add an extra day to relax and explore UBarU and the area if you like (extra day meals not included).
There is a sample schedule on the UBARU website at https://www.ubaru.org/womens-retreat-spring.
Bioblitz Weekend at UBarU, April 24-26, 2026
“A bioblitz is a communal citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. Bioblitzes are great ways to engage the public to connect to their environment while generating useful data for science and conservation. They are also an excuse for naturalists, scientists, and curious members of the public to meet in person in the great outdoors and are alot of fun!” source- https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/bioblitz+guide. See https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/flora-and-fauna-at-ubaru-camp-retreat-center for iNaturalist observations at UBarU.
Over the weekend we will have time for learning, sharing and fellowship, and gathering info about plants and other wildlife at UBarU.
Saturday Program: Butterflies
Join us on Saturday, April 24, 9am - 10am for a talk on a nature topic followed by a guided walk observing species identified in the talk. In the afternoon we will explore UBarU using the knowledge we gained in the talk and documenting species in iNaturalist.
All ages welcome!
Tentative Schedule:
9am Talk
10am Walk
12pm Lunch (food provided - donations welcome - or bring your own)
1pm Bioblitz continues
Come for the programming on Saturday or stay for the weekend and participate in the full bioblitz. Stay in the Dwight and Marie Brown Center or camp in your own tent. Food will be available for Saturday lunch or bring your own. For those staying the weekend arrive any time 4pm or later on Friday. There will be a potluck on Friday evening and other meals may be coordinated among attendees staying the weekend. Coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and water available for all.
Bring your enthusiasm and cellular device and iNaturalist app.
UBarU Summer Family Camp, May 22-25, 2026
Spend time with your family in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! This Memorial Day weekend Family camp will offer opportunities to learn, grow, and share as a family, as well as opportunities for parents to enjoy some free time and activities designed just for them. Other activities will include cookouts, worship, camp meetings, campfires, archery, swimming, games, nature education, and a star party (pending conditions). Programming is being planned for kids (5 years old +) and adults.
Arrive after 4:00 for dinner on Friday evening. Weekend includes lodging accommodations in the Dwight & Marie Brown or cottages and all your (on-campus) meals from Friday dinner to Monday breakfast. A field trip to Kerrville on Sunday morning for church and/or lunch is often part of the weekend as well. Well-behaved, vaccinated canines are welcome this weekend. Dogs must relate well to other dogs and humans, be supervised by their owners at all times and leave no "gifts" for anyone to step in. If you or a family member have been exposed or are ill, please stay home.
Accommodations: Lodging will be in the Dwight & Marie Brown Center and in cottages. Tent or RV camping (bring your own tent or RV) is also an option. Each bunkhouse suite has central heat and air and one common bathroom. Additional bathrooms, sinks, and shower stalls are available one door down. More detail on our facilities can be found here.
A Registration "button" is at bottom of this page. Please register each person in your family/group. Cost will have 2 time frames - early bird and regular with a discount for early bird registration. Please be aware that weather can be an issue with camping including heat and/or thunderstorms. If you would like to stay in a cottage, they are available for this event on a first come, first “serve” basis.
Please feel free to contact Kathy Johnson-Throop director@ubaru.org or 830-460-6002, with any other questions or concerns you may have about the retreat. We are looking forward to spending a relaxing and spiritually rich weekend with you!
There is a sample schedule and a list of items to bring along on the website https://www.ubaru.org/ubaru-summer-family-camp.
Read More and Comment on the UBarU News Blog
Cooking Covenant Group: February: A Celebration of All Things Chocolate! Potluck-Style Event
by Tracy Cook on 1/19/2026
Howdy, Friends and Neighbors!
For February, we will have a Celebration of All Things Chocolate! I will be making my Chicken Mole again. The from-scratch, homemade mole sauce is vegan, so I will also bring Mole Sweet Potatoes, yum! Plus all of the toppings. And probably some sweet options because I *love* chocolate!
Rumor has it that Someone is making homemade Chocolate Pudding, which is of course delicious. What will you be bringing?! Or are you more of a taster? Come on down, then! There’s going to be plenty!
This is a pot-luck style event, so come with your goodies ready to eat. And remember your to-go containers! This event will be held on Saturday, February 7 at Dawn and Elisa’s home from 3:00-4:30 PM.
Read More and Comment on the Cooking Covenant Group Blog
UBarU News: Winter is Here! Kind of...
by Tracy Cook on 12/16/2025
January 16-19, 2026
This is a weekend with no "expert" telling you how or what to write, just time at UBarU to write undisturbed and opportunities to share your work with other writers, receiving feedback or participating in workshops if desired. You may also enjoy and be inspired by hearing the work of others.
Come with your drafts, finished products and empty pages. All genres welcome, from fiction to memoir, from poetry to sermon.
Lodging, meals and programming is included. Lodging options include a private room or bunk in the Brown center, or you can bring a tent or small RV for camping. Please indicate dietary preference on the registration. You can bring snacks and drinks as well. We have a refrigerator and microwave for your use, as needed.
Additional information about the schedule and what to bring will be emailed prior to the event.
February 14-15, 2026
UBarU is hosting a fundraiser on Valentine’s Day. Join the fun which will include an elegant dinner with candlelight, music, chocolate, and wine on Saturday night, followed by a Star Party, 1 night lodging, and breakfast on Sunday morning. Enjoy yourself and know that your are helping UBarU to raise money for updates needed to meet new camp safety requirements, as well as general improvements to our campus. Cost will be $300 per person to stay in a private suite in the Brown Center or cottages (double occupancy- there are queen beds in the DMBC private rooms, and a mixture of queen, king, and full in the cottage rooms).
If you would like to arrive early on Friday, Feb 13, please add that option to your registration ($50 per person). We will provide dinner on Friday and a Continental breakfast on Saturday, in addition to the Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast already part of the event. Please plan to bring something for lunch on Saturday. There is a refrigerator and microwave available for your use.
Join us FEB 20-23, 2026
Bring your art projects to work on, share, and collaborate with friends at UBarU!
Breaking with tradition a bit since President’s Day weekend is also Valentine’s weekend - we have moved the event a week later. Still 2 or 3 nights to give plenty of time for project work! Meals (Friday dinner - departure day breakfast) and lodging included in the cost.
Check—In Friday after 3pm or Saturday morning. Opening circle will be after dinner on Friday.
Check—Out Sunday morning after breakfast or Monday by 10:30 am.
Fun with friends (old and new) enjoying creative processes together. The retreat will include a brief workshop on a creative art for those interested. The retreat may also include an optional field trip on Saturday to shops or art displays in the area. There will be lots of time for project work, visiting, and exploring.
Formerly known as “Fiber Arts” but we have expanded the range of projects. Come join the Fun!
Read More and Comment on the UBarU News Blog
Tapestry Board Meetings
Your Tapestry Board of Trustees is meeting monthly.
When: 2nd Saturday of each month beginning at 3:00 pm.
Where: Location will vary. Email board@uutapestry.org for more meeting specifics.
View the upcoming agenda by clicking HERE.
Tapestry Disc Golf!
Disc Golf Signal app group SIGN-UP
Interested in getting together for disc golf? If you'd like to play disc golf some early Saturday morning then join the Disc Golf Signal app group for notifications on the day(s) before the game. Then if you are available show up with some water and a hat. There will be discs available so there is no need to buy or bring discs. The game takes less than 2 hours and is free.
You can email dg@uutapestry.org with your Signal app phone number or userName to get an invite to join the Signal app Disc Golf group. If you have the Signal app installed you can send a message to: oldwippersnapper.01 to join the group. Then you'll get a Signal app Disc Golf group event notification whenever anyone posts an upcoming disc golf game event with the date, time, and location for the game. If you see the event notification just show up on Saturday to get some exercise, to spend some time in nature, and to enjoy playing disc golf with friends.
Disc Golf is good fun, companionship, and a great way to get out in nature. All skill levels are welcome, and loaner discs are available. There are a variety of attractive and challenging courses in the NW Houston area (no fees required), and we sometimes organize road trips to sample other venues. See our Disc Golf group slideshow at: https://uutapestry.org/DiscGolf. We also meet on Zoom Fridays at 4 pm CT to talk and plan future events.
The Group is open to current and former members and friends of Tapestry UU Church of Houston who are interested in playing disc golf. Games and other outings are organized on the Tapestry Disc Golfers Facebook private group page and via the Signal app. To learn more, request to join the Tapestry Disc Golfers Facebook group, or email dg@uutapestry.org. See you on the course!
We're Looking for More Liturgists!
Covenant Groups
The following groups are currently accepting new members:
- Cooking Covenant Group
- Gardening Covenant Group
The Women Aligned Spiritually Group is currently closed, but it may reopen to new members next summer.
For more information, please see https://uutapestry.org/CovenantGroups or to suggest a new group, email pastpresident@uutapestry.org.
Tapestry Caring Team
Upcoming Events From Our Calendar:
February 6 (Friday), 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Disc Golf V-Beer Meeting
Weekly Friday 3 PM to 4:30 PM disc golf v-beer Zoom meeting
February 7 (Saturday), 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Board Meeting
Board meetings are the 2nd Saturday of each month, except when scheduling changes are needed. Any member of Tapestry UU Church is welcome to attend.
February 7 (Saturday), 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: WFPB Covenant Group Meeting
The Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) Covenant Group meets via Zoom every Saturday at 2:30 pm. Our mission is learning more about WFPB eating, cooking, recipe-sharing, and supporting each other in our healthy lifestyle journeys. We are currently viewing each of the 40 video presentations each week from the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise which several of our members recently enjoyed, along with discussion, and monthly sharing potluck WFPB snacks. Please contact wfpb@uutapestry.org if interested in joining us.
February 7 (Saturday), 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Cooking and Eating Covenant Group
February 9 (Monday), 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM: WITS Meeting
The Website and Information Technology Systems team meets on the 2nd Monday of each month on Zoom.
February 10 (Tuesday), 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM: Worship Team Meeting
This meeting is to discuss ongoing Worship Team tasks
Thank you for your interest and readership...
Newsletter editor, Tapestry Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston
newsletter@uutapestry.org