Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF)

Curious about the early history of Ashland? How did Grizzly Peak get its name? Why does Lithia Park exist? Join us for a walking tour of Ashland Cemetery where actors will portray the pioneers who developed this community in the 1800s. Dressed in period costumes, these early settlers will share their lives and the events that shaped Ashland. Pioneer Slideshows: old photos; our actors

Actors will present their stories on two weekends, July 4, 5, 11, and 12. Tours depart every 15 minutes beginning at 4pm and the last tour departs at 6pm. Tours are approximately one hour long. Ashland Cemetery is located on E. Main and Morton Street next to Safeway. The site is wheelchair accessible, but pets are not allowed.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at Paddington Station, 125 E. Main Street or at the cemetery entrance.

• Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) - $25
• Adults - $10
• Children (under 12) - $5 (May not be appropriate for small children)

Sponsored by the Rogue Valley Unitarian-Universalist-Fellowship. 50% of the proceeds will benefit Art in the Schools throughout Rogue Valley. For additional information call (541) 621-2995. Article: Ashland Daily Tidings, Jun. 26, 2009

A workshop focused on gaining observation and evaluation skills that help groups/committees consider the effectiveness of their group process. Facilitators are Erika Bekermeier and Beth Coye.

The Reverend Michael Dowd is the author of Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World (Viking/Plume), which has been endorsed by 5 Nobel Prize-winning scientists.

Description: From crumbling economies to collapsing ecosystems, humanity is experiencing an unprecedented global integrity crisis. In a richly illustrated presentation, Michael Dowd proposes that the lack of an evolutionary worldview made the current crisis inevitable and that a deep-time view of human nature, values, and social systems provides a clear and inspiring way forward.

The talk was recently presented at the United Nations and is based on his landmark book, Thank God for Evolution, which has been endorsed by 5 Nobel laureates and other leading scientists, and by religious leaders across the spectrum.

The Reverend Michael Dowd is one of the most inspiring speakers in America today. Together with his wife Connie Barlow, a noted science writer, they have launched an itinerant ministry as "Evolutionary Evangelists" speaking to more than a thousand groups including over 350 UU churches and fellowships in the last seven years.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, Michael as a young man of twenty became a "born again" fundamentalist Christian strongly opposed to evolution and spent the next five years in Pentecostal ministry. He went on to graduate with highest honors from both Evangel University, receiving a B.A. in biblical studies and philosophy, and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. Later he became an ordained minister in he United Church of Christ pastoring for nine years in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Michigan. In the course of his religious journey Michael came under a wide range of religious influences (including a friendship with a "Buddhist-Christian" and former Trappist monk) which opened him up first intellectually and then spiritually to an acceptance and eventually an enthusiastic embracement of "The Great Story" of evolution.

Thus at home in both liberal and conservative circles, Michael is uniquely gifted at building bridges between religious and non-religious people. He shares the 14-billion-year Epic of Evolution in ways that inspire and uplift the heart and mind. His presentation is proudly sponsored by RVUUF’s Humanism Study Group and Ashland Omega House as a way fostering both humanistic values and an appreciation of scientific discovery.

The presentation is free and open to all members of our community. For more information see: ThankGodForEvolution.com