Speaker: Catherine Stevens

Our Promise to Learn in Community – Sharing Beliefs and Wondering

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Catherine Stevens and Gaye Symington will be co-leading a This I Believe/ This I Wonder service on October 12th, beginning at 9:30am. Both Catherine and Gaye are members of MMUUF and approach theTIB/TIW service to as a way to explore an aspect of their spiritual journeys and invite reflections from the fellowship. They both live in Jericho.

Catherine plans to focus on Love as the center of the shared values of Unitarian Universalists as well as wondering about the many uses of the word, and sometimes the difficulty of loving. Gaye plans to reflect on the UU emphasis on seeking truth. Having been raised attending a church with a shared creed where congregants expressed their beliefs in unison, she now is more comfortable in a faith tradition that values the journey of learning and reflecting together, honoring different beliefs within a shared framework of values. 

What exactly happened to the UUA Principles and what do the new Values mean for our Fellowship?

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A year ago, the UUA approved changes to Article II of the UUA bylaws including the creation of new Values in place of the Principles. Confused? Come to the service to learn more about the changes and join us in a discussion about our individual thoughts about the Values and how our Fellowship might incorporate them.

Catherine Stevens lives in Jericho with her husband and their two dogs. She recently retired as a resource development director for non-profits and is looking for an opportunity to continue helping on a project basis. She and her husband like to travel, to learn about other cultures and history. Closer to home, she travels to Mills Riverside Park almost daily to enjoy nature with her dogs. Catherine is a member of the MMUUF and has served on the Sunday Service Committee for 15ish years.

Kristen Hayden-West is a member of the Mt. Mansfield Unitarian Fellowship where she serves on the Membership and Sunday Service committees. Beyond her work as a Curriculum Designer for the State of Vermont, and her side hustle flipping thrifted items on eBay, she enjoys being active outside and getting together with friends and her two adult children.

How do you find truth in the news?

With the increase in social media, media bias, and even Artificial Intelligence, what can we do to make sure that what we read/watch/hear is true? The thought of examining each news story before believing it is daunting. But if we want to know if something is true, is that what we need to do?

Catherine Stevens lives in Jericho with her husband and their two dogs. Her professional life began in marketing, and about 20 years ago she began using the same skills as a Development Director, responsible for fundraising, grants and communications for non-profit organizations. She enjoys travel, not only seeing new places but also learning about other cultures and history. And, while she is still very interested in news, it has proven to be a challenge to know what is true.

Reflections on Gratitude

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Can the practice of gratitude have a positive effect on your daily life? In this service, Ann and Catherine will share their thoughts and reflections and ask others in attendance to share their own experiences.

Ann Bonanno and Catherine Stevens are both members of MMUUF as well as members of the Sunday Service Committee.