Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour in Hewett Centre, and our Library Team offers related reading lists based on the topic of the Sunday service. Here is their list for the Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 11 a.m. service on “How Did We Get Here – Stories From Our Congregation”, featuring Tim Smith and members of the congregation. All are welcome in Hewett Centre after the Sunday service to check out some books, and to have coffee and conversation.
VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:
1. A Brief History of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver 1909-1979 by Peggy Woods, 1979, 288 WOO
Signed by the author.
2. Life and Transcendence: Unitarian Sermons by Rev. Steven Epperson by Steven Epperson, 2019, 288 EPP
Written by a UCV minister.
3. Complete Sermons 1956 – 2018 by Phillip Hewett, 2019, 288 HEW
Sermons of a UCV minister on a DVD.
4. So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?, by Michael Clague, 2023, 921 CLA
Written by a VanU member, and is a gift of the author. Reviews from Amazon.ca: “I do not remember a book that moved me so much as this one.” – Ray Spaxman. Former Director of Planning, City of Vancouver.
“Should be in the library of every school of social work, social planning and planning.” – Gordon Gram. Development industry and environmental and land use public sector planner.
“I liked this book very much. In my career in publishing and philanthropy I’ve read about many inspiring people, and I’m really impressed with his story telling skills. Like a friend sharing some of his life story over a coffee or a beer.” – Karen Theroux. Former writer/editor for the Carnegie Corporation, New York.
5. Planning For Growth & Vitality For Smaller & Midsize Congregations: Congregational Team Planning Guide, 288 UUA/CUC
From Google AI Overview: “… is a practical framework developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). It is specifically tailored to help modest-sized faith communities build sustainable ministries, manage resources, and engage in intentional growth.
For smaller and midsize congregations, growth is rarely about flashy events; it requires focusing on foundational health, clear communication, and repeatable systems. The guide typically walks leadership teams through the following strategic areas: …”.
6. The Welcoming Congregation, edited by the Rev. Scott W. Alexander, 1990, 289.1 ALE
Unitarian Universalist Association. From page 1, on LibraryThing: “This manual, prepared by the UUA’s Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns, is designed to help interested congregations become more welcoming places for the gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in their midst and in the wider community”.
7. Dressed for Dancing: My Sojourn in the Findhorn Foundation by Leslie Anne Hill, 2012, 921 HIL
Written by a VanU member. From Amazon: “”I wasn’t going to commit suicide, but I could imagine waking up one day and deciding not to get out of bed. Ever.” Leslie Hill can’t recover from her husband’s death. Work and therapy don’t help. Trying to escape her grief through travel, she visits a cousin who is living in the Findhorn Foundation, a New Age community in northern Scotland. Although Leslie dislikes the culture of emotional openness and transparency, she is intrigued enough to do a workshop. When a three- month visit turns into a five-year stay, she begins a journey of self-discovery that will change everything.”.
8. Churchworks: A Well-Body Book for Congregations by Anne Odin Heller, 1999, 254.09 HEL
From LibraryThing: “…uses the human body as a metaphor for the congregation and provides essential advice for growing and sustaining a healthy church.”.
9. Salted with Fire: Unitarian Universalist Strategies for Sharing Faith and Growing Congregations by Scott W. Alexander, 1994, 289.13 ALE
Published by Skinner House Books.
10. Vancouver Special by Charles Demers, 2010, 917.13 DEM
Gift of Rev. Joe Cherry. From LibraryThing: “Vancouver’s past, present, and future, in words and photographs.”.
11. Heritage Hall: Biography of a Building by Marian Gilmour, 2002, 971.133 GIL
Gift of Mary McDonald. Published by Heritage Hall Preservation Society. Contains a brief biography of Wolfgang Gerson, UCV architect.
12. Vancouver Remembered by Michael Kluckner, 2006, 971.13 KLU
From LibraryThing: “An essential record of Vancouver`s recent history. … Kluckner continues his exploration of the city and its multi-layered past. Dozens of new, contemporary watercolors and a tremendous range of previously unpublished images concentrating on the city and its neighborhoods since the Second World War make Vancouver Remembered an essential record of the city`s recent history. Also included is an introductory essay on the city, a section on day trips, an extensive bibliography and bird`s-eye maps of areas that have drastically changed.”.
13. Vancouver’s Sunday Mornings by Alex Winstnaley, 821 WIN