Our Program Council

by Geoff Sanders on 11/7/2024

I am very pleased with the current status of our church. Alisha joined us in April 2023, and her energy, dedication and positivity is making significant improvements to our programs and our standing in the larger community. But she cannot do it alone.

A church is a voluntary collection of likeminded individuals who band together for the collective good. Tapestry has a long and successful history of attracting, promoting and supporting people who share common values and who are dedicated to helping make our little church thrive. These people are the ones who ensure that our church works, that our programs deliver desired benefits, and that Tapestry continues to be an inviting, supportive and nurturing home for all concerned.

Hats off to all our leaders! They are not paid in coin, but they are indispensable. They are the volunteers who take upon themselves the responsibility for seeing that necessary tasks get done, that we collectively embody the Congregational Covenant that we read every Sunday, and that we all share in the benefits of community.

The heart and soul of our community is our Program Council, which is comprised of the leaders of every Tapestry team, be it one person or many. The PC meets monthly via Zoom to share information, challenges and the successes of everyone’s work. This is where new ideas 💡 are born, problems are solved, and, hopefully, where leaders become recharged and excited about the fulfillment of their goals.

If you are a past, current or prospective leader of any church group, you are encouraged to attend PC meetings. It is the perfect place to learn about the workings of our church and the many wonderful people who make things happen. And we really need your insights and life experiences as we brainstorm ideas impacting the operation of our church.

Life Energy

by Dana Ashrawi on 5/7/2024

What topics have we been taught are off limits or uncomfortable? Money is one of them for many of us. One UU workshop on money asked participants to think about money, and then think of what color the idea of money is for them. One person thought it was orange, and it was for negative associations. What color is money for you, and why? It might be good to journal about that.

I want to share about a great book on the topic of money that was published decades ago and still holds great value: Your Money or Your Life. The authors offered a fascinating concept: the money we spend represents a certain amount of our life energy! For example, if a person is earning $20/hour, and a pair of shoes costs $40, the shoes represent two hours of life energy expended by working. The authors also provided a tool for calculating how much of your life energy is spent on various things. You can find the calculator at https://yourmoneyoryourlife.com/life-energy-calculator/. You might try it and figure out if you seem to be spending more life energy than you want on some items. Of course, there are some items where the costs are beyond our control, and part of the justice-seeking that UUs are engaged in, like the unreal cost of having decent healthcare or dentistry. However, where there is a choice, you could think about ways to reduce those expenditures.

Keeping Alisha

by James Moore on 4/6/2024

I had already been to the congregation many years earlier while I was in Huntsville when it was in a different location with a different name, but even back then, I had felt very welcome and at home with the community there. As a new member, my biggest concern for the future is whether Tapestry will be able to keep our wonderful minister, Rev. Alisha, due to budget concerns. With pledges for next fiscal year below the necessary level to continue employing Rev. Alisha, I fear that our congregation may lose her without additional financial support. Because of that concern, I have decided to increase my pledge this year by over 30%.

While I realize that small increase may not make a big difference, if we all give a little more, then in the end we can continue to have Rev. Alisha at our pulpit twice a month, and hopefully we can expand her work with the church if all of our members can give enough support. Not everyone can give equally, but everyone can do their part to make sure we can continue to offer a spiritual safe space that recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Warmest regards,
James Moore
Worship Committee Member

Stewardship UU

by Jasmine Pantuso on 3/16/2024

Have you ever felt at home? I mean, relaxed and free to be yourself? This could be in a job, church, town, neighborhood, etc.

Tapestry is the place I feel “AT HOME!” I really can’t believe it. I have been on a quest my whole life to find groups of folks that were warm and welcoming.

I’m living in the Houston area at this time because of a few relatives that I can’t bear to part with. Now, after being a part of Tapestry, I have another reason to BE here.

I knew that I had found “my people” when I joined up with the camping group for the weekend. I was amazed to discover that a cooking group was serving us and there were vegetarian and vegan options!

When I attend a service I come away feeling good about life, our country, and the future of our children. I realize that supporting Tapestry with my time, talents or treasure will bring us closer to love and light in our lives.

Howdy, Friends and Neighbors!

by Tracy Cook on 2/26/2024

My name is Tracy Cook, and I have been a member at Tapestry Unitarian Universalist Church for 17-ish years.

I started my journey looking for a community for myself several years ago. I wasn’t out of the broom closet yet, but I wanted somewhere I could go to grow spiritually. I know, that sounds weird right?! Why would I go to a Christian organization to grow my pagan self?! Well, my work friends all attended church together. And I thought I could use my internal translator for the messages. 

Nope. It was super frustrating and stressful. At one point, all of this hit me hard. I came home nearly in tears and told George I NEEDED something different, and he sighed and said he thought he knew just the place we all could go as a family. 

He was raised UU, for like 5 generations back. He took us all to NWCUUC (former name) and we met the then-President and her kids after a scheduled Play Group. My kids loved it, I liked what she had to say, and we showed up the next Sunday.

George jokes that he saved me, but he really did.

The kids liked that they weren’t harassed on the bus any longer, no more scary stories about going to hell since they could answer that they attended church. They enjoyed learning from the other adults in the community, especially Andy!

I embraced my pagan side and found kindred spirits to honor the natural rhythms of our world. 

So what do I see for our future? What is next?! I see so much opportunity for us to be a beacon to those who feel lost and overwhelmed. I love the home I found here, and I want others to feel they are welcome here, too. Rev Alisha has laid out an excellent plan and timetable for involvement, both here at Tapestry and in the larger community. She put a lot of thought and work into aligning everything we shared, and came up with a wonderful document.

I’m going to increase my Pledge in order to help us make these dreams a reality! Who’s with me?!