Join us Sunday (May 17) for our annual Congregational Meeting and potluck.

Our President, Michael Becerra, will review our current projects and progress over the last year.  We have much to celebrate!

Michael also will review our finances and propose a budget for FY2027 (July 1-June 30).  We are in a good financial position and have the opportunity to address some Infrastructure needs and develop other programs.

In addition, we will elect our Board of Directors.  All are welcome but only members can vote.

Last, we will discuss and develop where we are going as a Congregation and Fellowship.

All are welcome.  For votes to be binding, we must have 45% of our members present in person or by proxy.  If you would like to become a member, you may do so at the beginning of the meeting.  If you are a member but will not be attending, please give your proxy to a member who will be there.

If you are able, please bring some food to share at the Potluck after the meeting.

Presented by Michael Becerra.

Curiosity can lean us to new places and it can change how we see the people and communities around us.

Our service Sunday, we’ll reflect on how travel, language and everyday encounters with differences can shape our understanding of the world. From experiences abroad to differences within our own country. We’ll consider how curiosity when paired with attention and humility can deepen empathy and connection.

Service by Perri Gardner

Curiosity is an innate instinct that drives us to explore our world and ourselves. We tend to think of curiosity as a childlike attribute, and it is, but it’s not solely for children. Research shows that adults who experience curiosity and seek new information to fulfill that instinct are rewarded with better brain function, deeper learning experiences, more fulfilling personal relationships, and better mental health than adults who do not.

Presented by Kasi Allen, Children’s Librarian, Twin Falls

Worship Associate Erica Hopkins

Sunday, Aurora Boldt will share her story of how she lost her Christian faith through an essay she wrote for her college communications class. This anti-testimony of sorts hopes to serve as a jumping-off point for discussion between members of our community and also to provide a safe space to share our mutual hurts, questions, and insights. 

Worship Associate is Erica Hopkins

Please join us in a discussion regarding the validity of trusting your intuition-“that small still voice”-in decision making. The discussion will be centered on how it has or has not played out in our lives.

Presented by Melody Lenkner

Our service Sunday will explore 25 possible changes to the basic structures of American government – some practical, some provocative, and some that challage our deepest assumptions about how our system works. We will reflect on the structural features of government that shape our political life and consider how things could be different. This is not a call to agreement but an invitation to imagination.

Presenter/ Worship Associate Perri Gardner

Near Death experiences

Sunday, MVUUF member, Michael Becerra, will discuss “the good, the bad, and the ugly of Retirement.”  Retirement is a time of life that most look forward to.  And, it can be wonderful for some.  Now three years into retirement, some unanticipated issues have emerged, despite preparation.  Join us as Michael discusses the journey.  This is not just for elders, there will hopefully be something for all ages.

Worship Associate Melody Lenkner

This week Associate Professor of Psychology David Chambers helps us explore how humans process an overwhelming amount of sensory information and how attention serves as the gateway to perception and memory. This talk will consider the neurological foundations of focus, the role of novelty and adaptation, and how these processes shape what we remember, especially our tendency to prioritize negative or threatening information. Ultimately, it connects these ideas to how we construct meaning and how an individual’s intention supports their search for truth.

Worship Associate is Perri Gardner

From the time that we are children, we are taught the importance of paying attention; whether it is crossing the street or learning in school. Being aware of what is going on is one aspect of paying attention. However, during times of duress, it is easy to tune ourselves out, to try ignore when your body is trying to tell you something, ignore what is going on around us, and close ourselves off from bad things happening around us. Unfortunately, tuning out is only a way of ignoring our challenges and doesn’t do anything to resolve our issues. Paying attention to what’s going on cannot only protect us but it can benefit others as well. Join us this Sunday for our monthly discussion and our topic will focus on the importance of paying attention.

Presented/ Worship Associate Don Morishita