Join us this Sunday, February 8th, at 10:30am in Panabaker for our weekly Worship at Calgary Unitarians. This weeks topic will be Universalism: What's in a Name?

We hope to see you there! 

Many people are feeling shaken by deaths of U.S. citizens, acts of harm, repression, and the silencing of voices calling attention to injustice, including the arrest of faith leaders for their public witness. Among these is the arrest of Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in the United States. As a Canadian Unitarian*Universalist faith community, we affirm the importance of freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, and the right to speak publicly about injustice without fear of criminalization. These commitments are foundational to democratic societies and to the inherent dignity and worth of every person...

We wanted to share an early heads-up that we’ll soon be moving away from Zoom and transitioning our online meetings to Google Meet. This change will help us streamline our systems and work more smoothly within our Google Workspace.

Please keep an eye on upcoming e-News editions for details about the transition, along with opportunities to learn how to use Google Meet and get comfortable with the new platform. Support and simple how-tos are on the way—we’ll make this shift together.

Thank you for your flexibility and care as we continue to evolve how we connect with one another.

• Story Reading Circle New Link effective Monday, February 9th: https://meet.google.com/ybj-gqew-xtw

• Vespers New Link effective Tuesday, February 10th: https://meet.google.com/sua-nzdf-onz

Looking for an easy way to support our church and your everyday shopping? Purchase Calgary Co-op Gift Cards through our fundraiser! With every card you buy, Calgary Co-op donates 5% or 6% back to our community—at no extra cost to you. You can buy groceries, prescriptions, gas, a special treat or alcohol. Your everyday purchases can make a meaningful difference. Join us in this simple yet impactful effort and help us reach our fundraising goals!

Order Deadline: Friday, Feb 20, 4 pm

Pickup on Sunday, March 1.

This event will be open to the public, and will allow attendees to bring their own clothing offerings to the event. We are hoping to have some full tables before the doors open on the day of the event, and welcome donations of clothing or time! Please contact Jen Allore for details.

As Calgary Unitarians, we seek to be a welcoming and accessible spiritual home for all. For some in our community, scented products—such as perfumes, colognes, and fragranced lotions—can cause serious health concerns, including migraines, respiratory distress, and allergic reactions.

We therefore ask everyone who joins us in our building and at our gatherings to help us remain a scent-free zone by avoiding scented products whenever possible. This small act of care makes a meaningful difference and helps ensure that our shared spaces are safe and inclusive for all.

Thank you for your thoughtfulness and for helping us live our values of compassion and mutual care.

Friday, February 6 | 6:30–8:30 pm
Calgary Central Library
Reception to follow

What does it mean to be Canadian? We often tell a story of Canada as a “mosaic”—a nation made stronger and more beautiful by the diversity of its people. Yet today, grassroots Christian activists in Alberta are advancing a competing narrative. They claim Canada was founded as a Christian nation—“God’s Dominion”—and are calling for laws and public policy to reflect a singular Christian worldview, one that celebrates colonization and rejects multiculturalism.

These ideas are not confined to rhetoric alone. Emboldened by this story of a Christian Canada, activists are engaging directly with provincial officials, and their materials have influenced recent policy decisions. Competing stories about Canada are shaping our leadership, our institutions, and even the health of our democracy.

If the stories we tell about Canada have the power to shape Canadian lives, what story do we want to tell? Is it possible to hold our painful histories, honour our multicultural present, and still cultivate a shared national identity? This lecture invites us into that vital conversation.

*This event is part of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, check out all of the week's events below*

We’re excited to announce that Calgary Unitarians is seeking a new Music Director! The job posting is currently on our website and we encourage you to think of anyone who might be a great fit for our musical congregation. 

Please submit the your application to our Minister, Rev. Samaya Oakley, minister@calgaryunitarians.ca

Calgary Unitarians are wanting to put the image of our wonderful photo collage on our website. Is there anyone who is in the collage that does not want this picture to be used? Please let us know by February 14, 2025.

The Climate & Environmental Justice Committee will be getting together on February 4th at 7:00 pm.  Anyone wanting to get involved in our community garden or our environmental work is welcome to attend.

The Women's Group will be doing two field trips this month

1) One on Friday February 6th to a Lecture by our own Lisa Gasson-Gardner God’s Dominion? Christian Nationalism and the Stories We Tell About Canada:. This is the University of Calgaru's Chair of Christian Thought Iwaasa Lecture on Urban Theology, and a part of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.  Lisa Gasson-Gardner (she/they) is assistant professor of religious studies at Mount Royal University. You can find more information here. 

(regular women's circle at the church Wednesday February 4th still on as well)

2) One to Woolf's Voices 41 on Wednesday February 18th 7pm (replacing the regular meeting at the church that night) For more information, click here and for tickets, Click Here. 

Join us on Tuesdays at 7 pm for a gentle online gathering of poetry, music, and quiet reflection. Together, we create a peaceful space to pause, breathe, and set our intentions with care; it's a nourishing way to start your week!

Longtime Calgary Unitarians member Loretta Biasutti and Carolyn Pogue, known to many of you, have written a second Readers Theatre play entitled The Cock and the Girl who Forgot: A Cautionary Tale, an allegory about power and the cost to attain it.  Performances will be in Panabaker Hall. 

• Wednesday March 4       7pm
• Friday March 6                7pm
• Sunday March 8              3pm

 Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted,  with 75% of donations received going to CU social justice projects.  You will be encouraged to participate through sing-alongs and conversation after the performance.

• ~50-150 words
• Please provide any images or links 
• Please give the contact info for people for seeking more information 
• Sent in by Tuesday at noon