Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

In this presentation of music and spoken word, Dale will share songs that bring him meaning and inspiration. There’ll be familiar favourites interspersed with some beautiful lesser-known pieces, and the congregation will be encouraged to join in.

Dale Rasmussen is a respected pianist, singer, guitarist and mandolin player. He’s founded and directed a number of pop and jazz choirs in Vancouver, Kamloops and Victoria, and he’s a popular seminar leader at music workshops throughout BC. Over the years Dale has performed with jazz, pop, roots and children’s music groups, and he currently has an ongoing piano gig at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. He and his partner Mark arrived in Victoria in late 2013 and are part of First Unitarian’s Gordon Head Neighbourhood Group.

During this music filled presentation, explore the ideals of the ever-lasting effect music can have on a person’s life through first-hand experiences.

Jazmin Saunders-Scales is a seventeen year old soprano. She has been singing since she was very young and has already gained experience in the performing arts and on stage. When she was younger, Jazmin attended the Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Aside from singing, Jazmin now provides childcare at First Unitarian Church of Victoria.

A local Unitarian Univeralist historian will share the history of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) from its beginnings to the most recent national conference this spring.

Christine Johnston has been a UU for the past 55 years, participating in CUC activities since 1965 including serving on the CUC Board, and receiving the Knight Award in 2014.

We’ve all heard people say things like “Life isn’t fair,” or “That’s life!” Many Buddhists claim that “Life is suffering.” While these statements may be accurate to some degree, they certainly don’t paint life in a very flattering light. What if, instead of viewing life as a chore to be endured, we regarded it as art? What if, instead of regarding ourselves as victims of life, we regarded ourselves as artists tasked with creating a masterpiece? How might our lives change if we adopted this outlook? How might the world change?

Ollie Belisle is a husband, father of three, and spiritual explorer. In 2015, he joined the First Unitarian Church of Victoria where he volunteers in a number of capacities. In his spare time, he makes YouTube videos and writes about a variety of topics revolving around psychology, self-help, and philosophy.

Koreans want a Peace treaty to end 65 years of war between the US and North Korea. They are working together to lay the groundwork for peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and they need our support to do it.

Dr. Ashford is a retired Family Physician and Palliative Care Specialist. She is Past Co-President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Her award winning book, Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror, and War, has been translated into Japanese and Korean. She has led two medical delegations to North Korea and recently returned from a week in Korea with Women Cross the Demilitarized Zone.

When you think of sacred music, country is not what springs to mind for most folks. For Arran, however, country music has served as a significant companion and guide. Accompany him as he shares how this unexpected and joyful soundtrack has deepened his meandering spiritual journey.

Arran moved to Victoria two years ago from Toronto (though he is Scottish) with his partner, Gen, to be​ near​ the ocean and the trees. Arran is the Director of Spiritual Exploration and Learning at First Unitarian Church of Victoria and is doing a Masters of Divinity, focusing on earth-based spiritualities, at Cherry Hill Seminary.

There is a Zulu sentence-word which roughly translated means “over there where I cry Mother I am lost”. How can we find our way home? How do we make our society and our community ours and how can we find our way back when we are lost. I will read some of my recent poems that I hope will be published in the future.

Janet is a member of the Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo, and lives on Gabriola Island with her husband of forty nine years. Her poems have appeared in chapbooks published by the CUC, other anthologies in Canada, the UK, in literary journals and online magazines. She has two books of poetry “Infinite Power” (2016) and “Impermanence” (2012) both published by Ekstasis. She has been a Unitarian since 1985.

Sometimes we don’t have a vision for the direction that our life will take when we don’t even know who we are yet. Curiosity, self-acceptance and courage can propel our self-discovery. Faye will share her exploration and discovery of part of her identity and reflect on how we all have the opportunity to ‘come out’ as our authentic selves.

Faye lives in Nanaimo with her wife and their 2 teenage boys. She works as a counsellor. When not working or trying to figure out teenagers, she’s into juicing, growing food in her front yard garden, reading and listening to podcasts. Faye has been a member of the First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo (FUFON) for about 4 years. She is currently chair of the Lay Chaplaincy Committee and recently became co-chair of a new Refugee Sponsorship Committee at FUFON.

Through short readings from her memoir, author Janet Dunnett will explore her experiences caregiving. She will show how love at sunset was life changing for her, and hopes her experience will provoke you to reflect on yours.

Janet Dunnett was born and raised in Calgary and pursued a career in international development, living with her family in Ottawa and around the world. Her early retirement was steeped in caregiving, and when it was over, she wrote a memoir about the experience. Now she lives in Qualicum Beach with her husband of 43 years, and spends part of the year in Mexico.

This presentation will address three questions: (a) what is the CUC, and what is its recent history? (2) why is the CUC of such continuing importance for us? And at this point, (3) how could we begin to think about the CUC’s possible refocus? In beginning to answer such questions, we will consider not only ways that Capital may obtain support from the CUC, but also how Capital can help in the CUC’s building of a larger, stronger Unitarian community in Canada.

May Partridge is one of the original members of Capital who has long had an interest in how organizations can be helped to grow strong communities.

Marion Pape will talk about her 2016 pilgrimage to Japan with two Zen Buddhist priests from Vancouver’s Mountain Rain Zen Sangha to explore the origins of North American Soto Zen in Japan. In this process, Marion recognized that the focus of travel can be different on a pilgrimage. Instead of looking outside, we are noticing what is happening inside ourselves. Why was she really going on this trip and what did she discover? She will talk about how her Pilgrimage became two journeys, the place she visited and the other one inside her heart and mind.

Marion Pape is President of First Unitarian Church of Victoria having joined in 2012 when she moved to Victoria from Salt Spring Island. She was a member of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax, First Unitarian Church of Ottawa and was an original member of the Salt Spring Unitarian Fellowship. She became a Buddhist on Salt Spring Island in 2014, taking her vows on the Buddhist precepts as a way of life.

Unitarian minister Robert Fulghum was asked this question while leading a children’s game. What is our answer? Our congregation’s opening statement says that we welcome people of different backgrounds and beliefs. We can do this because we are a church with no creed. This makes us unique, and also creates some challenges. We come together around our Principles, but how do we create a space where each person has a sense of belonging? Let’s look at the ways we can make everyone – even mermaids – feel like one of the ‘family’.