Unitarian Universalists of
the
Online
Newsletter for November 2005
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here to open the November Calendar in PDF
December Newsletter
Deadline is Monday, November 21
Submit items to
kivana@comcast.net
Get Ready for Auction 2005 on November 12th!
Members Approve a Five-Year Plan for UUCV
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Justice
Initiative
November 6th Is the Deadline for UUCV Outreach
Grant Applications
Congregational Happenings for November
UUCV Shares Food, Helps Girls, ‘Mittens’ Trees and
Changes the World!
Our Monthly Minister’s Column, this month by Rev. Duane Fickeisen
On a recent morning the sun rose
beneath dark clouds and lit up the town water tower, church steeples, and trees
as if they were all afire. For a few moments they became like incandescent
glowing embers to announce that fall is really here. It was a spectacular and
awe-inspiring show. It shouted ‘Look! Notice! Enjoy!’ Those embers quickly
burned out as the sun rose behind the charcoal gray clouds. The vision and the
inspiration are still with me though.
It was a reminder that often the
most joyful moments are but fleeting reminders of the deeper potential for
happiness and fulfillment that is with us always. November is perhaps the
perfect time for taking stock of the things that bring us joy, as we make ready
for Thanksgiving.
So here’s my suggested practice
for the month. Make a few moments each day to take stock and focus on finding
at least one good thing in your day. Someone or something that has reminded you
of joy, that has given you hope, or that has inspired
you.
Keep a journal of them. Maybe
you’ll need just one page with a line for each day of the month, on which you
can write a few words to name one joy. You could jot it in your planner, on
your calendar, or on a page on the fridge. Or maybe you’ll make a longer list
each day. Or want a page or more to write a detailed description. It’s a good
way to hone your powers of observation and your poetic writing. Or perhaps
you’ll write a whole essay of reflections on what the joy stirs in your soul
and spirit. Or create a poem or express it through the visual arts or in a new
song that has never been sung before. The embellishments are great, but the
basic practice only requires you to jot down a single phrase each day.
I suggest you do this at the same
time each day so that it starts to become a habit. A time that works for me is
when Judy and I sit down to dinner. We almost always make time for dinner
together, even on the most hurried days when we have evening meetings. And
before we eat, we join hands in a silent grace — a time to pause and be
thankful.
Or you may want to take stock
while you are getting ready for bed or standing in the shower. Or while you commute to work or on the way to running errands.
If you already have a regular spiritual practice, this might be easily added
onto it and combined with it.
Then as the weeks go by, review
your list and notice what draws your attention. What are the sources of joy in
your life, and how might you make more opportunities for them in your daily
living? How might you welcome more joy?
Later in the month, on
Thanksgiving, you’ll be ready to offer a prayer of gratitude for the joys
you’ve noticed. If you are the one called on to offer grace at your
Thanksgiving table, here’s a suggestion.
Ask your companions to take each
other’s hands around the table. You may want to leave an opening in the circle
for those not present in order to include them in spirit and memory. Invoke the
spirit of the divine; offer thanks for the many blessings in your life,
including loved ones, the food, the lives that have
brought it to you. If you need some words, feel free to adapt these:
“Spirit of life and love, you who give us
life, you who some of us dare to name God, help us to know your presence as we
sit down to this feast and recall the many blessings in our lives.
“We are thankful for the people
who have gathered around this table and for all those whose lives have touched
ours with compassion and care. We are thankful for our lives, for our bodies,
and for the communities that we are a part of.
“We are thankful for the food we
are about to eat and for the many people who have brought it to our table —
those who have labored to plant, tend, harvest, pack, ship, sell, prepare, and
serve our meal and those who will clean up after us.
“We pray for blessings upon those
gathered here. May we be well. May we do good. May we be a blessing to our world.
“We pray for blessings upon all
people. May our leaders have wisdom and the will to end violence.
May those who have suffered great loss from warfare, from hurricanes, and from
earthquakes be helped to grieve their losses, to recreate lives of meaning and
to discover happiness again.
“Are there other blessings anyone
wishes to ask for? … [Wait for a while in the delicious silence, even if no one
speaks up.] …
“We offer gratitude and we pray
for these blessings in all the names of the holy. Amen.”
See you on Sunday!
November 6 “Real Patriots: Bringing UU Values into the Service of Our
Common Defense”
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen and Diane Reed,
Worship Associate; Don Durr, Cindy Good, Bruce Henrickson, and Melissa Stolley,
Panelists; Carole Knisely and Keith Bittinger, Musicians.
We will honor those who currently serve in the military, veterans, and those who
work for defense contractors as we mark Veterans Day and ask what makes a real
patriot? A panel that includes a person on active in the military, a military
retiree, the parent of a son on active duty, and a military contractor will
address about how UU values shape their service and what they want from fellow
congregants. Expect some patriotic music and a celebration of our great nation.
November 13 “Brighten My Pathway With Radiance”
Rev. Judy Welles; Carla Claycomb, Worship Associate, Sally Beaver, musician with the Recorder Trio and the choir.
This Fall I celebrate the tenth anniversary of my ordination, which seems like a suitable occasion to reflect on the lessons learned, the fantasies laid to rest, and the surprises I’ve experienced. I look forward to reminiscing and reflecting with you.
November 20 “Gratitude as a Spiritual
Practice”
The Rev. Duane Fickeisen
and Brian Stolley, Worship Associate; Julie Moffitt
and the UUCV Choir, Musicians.
On this Sunday before Thanksgiving, we will seek ways to incorporate expression
of gratitude into our lives, making the act of thanksgiving a daily practice.
We will reflect on the sources of fulfillment in our lives and ways to welcome
more of them into our experience. We shall give thanks for all that is
beautiful and good in our lives.
November 27 "Practicing Forgiveness:
What's an Angry UU to Do?"
Presented by Ellen Lyon and Bev Motich, worship associates; Sally Beaver, musician.
Like the hymn says, "we're
an angry people" and there's lots to be angry about in this world. But
aren't we also called to forgive and just how are we supposed to do that?
The “Feelin’
GrUUvy” Auction 2005, UUCV’s
annual fundraising auction, is just a couple of weeks away. Please
note our earlier starting time of
· Decide what you want to bid on. Everyone should have received their auction catalog by now. If you haven’t, call Missy or Dave Molino at 423-6694. It’s filled with great events and items as well as information on how the auction works. This year we have scores of silent auction items, sign-up events, Wishing Well entries, and live auction items. There’s something for everyone’s interests and budget, and studying the catalog will make you a wily bidder!
· Pre-register by Sunday, November 6th. Not only can you streamline the check-in process, but you’ll be eligible to enjoy a treat from the Auction Committee during social hour on Sunday, November 6th. Advance registration can be done on Sunday at the auction table or contact Keith Bittinger at 258-4812 or keith_bittinger@hotmail.com. It’ll cost you the same $5.00 that you’d pay at the door on auction night, but this way you can avoid the traffic jam at the door and jump right into the festivities.
·
Drop your
donations off. Donations can be
brought to the Meeting House during the First Friday Potluck on Nov. 4th and
after Sunday services on Nov. 6th. If you cannot make either of these dates,
please contact Dot Everhart at 432-7795 or pinecrekde@yahoo.com.
· Volunteer. Don’t be the only UUCVer who doesn’t pitch in! We still need some helpers to put in 30 minutes or so in child care and there are many other ways to help. Food donations are also welcome. Submit your pink volunteer form, sign up at the auction table in the social hall, or contact Nancy Bittinger at 258-4812.
· Sign the kids up so that we’ll know how many to plan for in child care. The sign-up sheet is on the auction table in the social hall, or contact Carla Claycomb at 737-8882 or cclaycomb@psea.org with the names and ages of any children under 12 who you plan to bring (no admission charge).
·
Get your
costume ready! This year’s auction has a hippie theme. For many UUCVers
this might be considered a “come as you are” affair. Rest assured that you’ll fit in no matter
what you wear. The most important thing is to be there, because at UUCV, everyone comes to the auction! Saturday, Nov. 12th at
From Director of Religious Education Kevin C. Snow
In case you hadn't noticed, Religious Education at UUCV is off and running! We have had great participation from kids and helpers alike, but as is usually the case we can always use more of both! Growth is important to RE and we would love to see more kids join our classes and more volunteers sign up to help. The list of RE activities keeps expanding every year I am in this job. There is a place for everyone in RE.
Some of the highlights of RE this season are our new Children's Service group format. Rather than immediately breaking up into classes all of the kids and their teachers/helpers meet as one large group to light our own chalice, recite our principle of the day, read a story, sing a song, etc. This gives our children the chance to be more united and permits them a taste of an "adult" service. Also this year we are re-starting our Coming of Age program for 6, 7, and 8th grade students. This is a two year program that culminates in our young people graduating into our Youth Group and more participation in the church as future members. That being said we are thrilled to be kicking off the new Youth Group with a series of breakfast meetings and social activities throughout October and November.
Some regular faces to RE have been welcomed into new positions this year also. Ann Berger-Knorr has risen through the ranks of RE and is now the RE Committee Chair Person. I am thrilled to be working closely with her in my work. John Bloom is our new Youth Director with special help from Jim Kohler and me. Most importantly, Emily Miles is the new Nursery Caregiver. Emily generously fills a position we have struggled with recently. She is a very, very appreciated addition. Because of her dual role as a member of the Youth Group and the Nursery Caregiver, at least one Sunday a month she will be joining her fellow Youth in services and activities. If you are interested in filling in for her these days, please let me know. And don't forget OWL. Kathy Ellis and Jim Freeman are providing an excellent sexuality program for many of our young teens. Hopefully, this program will be a success and be added to the list of RE yearly programs.
As you can see, I could go on and on about the goings on of RE. I will stop here, but please seek me out to discover all the exciting experiences happening downstairs on Sundays. So many great things are happening that is understandably difficult to keep it all straight. See you on Sunday!!!
From Priscilla W. Laws, President of the Board of Trustees
The mission of UUCV is to be an enduring liberal religious community that transforms lives and cares for the world. Our vision is to do this by enhancing our capacity to worship together, practice hospitality, encourage self-development and nurture wisdom, promote justice and foster stewardship. In order to further our visions and better realize our mission, members of the congregation voted to mount a 5-year campaign to enrich the congregation through new activities, improve our facilities and increase our membership. Most of the plan’s activities will begin in July 2006 and carry through to June 2011.
Some Highlights of the Plan
This strategic plan looks
out five years. It is driven by goals for each of UUCV’s
visions, as well as plans for new staffing and the reorganization of
administrative structures needed to support new vision-related activities. A
few of the new initiatives include: improving handicap access and the
appearance of the sanctuary, enhancing the music program, mounting an advertising
campaign to help us grow from 160 to 250 members in the next 5-years,
establishing an adult Sunday School, and promoting social justice outside of
UUCV. The plan is designed to be
dynamic, with a process in place for committees and other leaders to fill in
details, write JPD grant proposals, examine their annual progress, and
recommend modifications to the plan.
Supporting Our New Initiatives
In order to support these
new initiatives we plan to increase the time that the Director of Religious
Education and other staff spend on their jobs. In addition we plan to phase in
two new part time positions including a music director and a volunteer
coordinator. The additional income
needed to realize the growth in our activities and number of members is expected
to come from several sources: fundraising increases, capital campaign
donations, Chalice Lighter grants for new personnel, and the annual pledges and
contributions. Rough financial projections
indicate that meeting the challenges set forth in this long-range plan can
allow us to earn more income than we need for the operating fund. This is
remarkable. If we work hard, we can look forward to a time in a few years when
we can raise the salaries of our Ministers to UUA’s
recommended level, increase our spending for social justice and other outreach
projects, improve our fine music program, and maintain our building
properly. We need everyone’s time,
energy and generosity in the months ahead!
How you can Help
Now!
The Long Range Plan depends heavily on steady growth in our congregation. The Membership Committee is working on ways to insure that our visitors and new folks feel welcome. But, new people need to feel welcomed by the whole community. Even before next July, we can all become more welcoming. Look for new people before and after the service. Look for someone you don’t know and invite him or her into your conversation with your old friends. Find others with similar interests and introduce them to each other. We have an incredibly diverse and interesting group of people who come through our doors, and they have come to us looking for something missing in their lives. It takes courage to come to this community for the first time. Let’s all be a part of the Membership Committee by getting to know folks you do not yet know.
Getting a Copy of the Plan
If you missed the meeting and would like your own copy of the plan, you can pick one up at the Board Table in the Social Hall.
The Social Action Council (SAC) has established the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Justice Initiative as a continuation of the Welcoming Congregation Committee, whose work culminated in 2003 with our vote to become an official Welcoming Congregation within the UUA. Alan Franklin will be coordinating the Initiative. We have become a Welcoming Congregation indeed, and we can all be proud of the resulting close knit yet diverse congregation into which we have developed. (would we could be as successful with racial diversity!). It is time now to move on, and get to work on behalf of real justice for the glbt folk in the community around us.
The program overall would consist of a multi-pronged effort to: remove legal barriers to full lives for GLBT people, primarily here in Pennsylvania but also with interest in the wider national scene; closer to home, to remove social barriers as well in our local Cumberland Valley, and to keep our congregation abreast of the progress and needs in this field. There would be 3, and perhaps 4, streams of activity, hopefully going on simultaneously:
1. Removing legal
barriers in PA.
We would acquaint ourselves thoroughly with the GLBT situation in PA,
including such things as the legal rights, or lack of them, of partners, and
similar issues around civil union and marriage; anti discrimination and hate
speech legislation; loss of jobs upon exposure, etc. We would reach out
to other organizations (umbrella and individual GLBT groups, churches, YWCA,
etc.) with the aim of finding collaborators,
taking part in protests, demonstrations, celebrations, and feasts, etc.
We would lobby PA legislators and work for passage of favorable
legislation. We would advocate for passage of such legislation at
election times.
2. Removing social
barriers locally
This would begin as a process of educating the local community on the
extent of injustice against GLBT people they, by mute acceptance,
condone. We would use public lectures and debates; articles such as
newspaper letters and, hopefully, editorials; in-house programs to which we
would invite others from outside; speakers we would provide to community forums
where appropriate; and one-on-one discussions with community leaders. We
would provide volunteers for public activities of other like-minded groups,
such as our present participation in Pridefest. The
ultimate, very long range aim of this component would be to persuade one local
community (Carlisle would be the logical place to start, with its already
strong interest in diversity in the YWCA, local public schools, and
Dickinson College) to declare itself a Welcoming Community, and to
move out from there.
3. Keeping UUCV
abreast of the GLBT situation locally and nationally
We would act as eyes and ears for UUCV, reporting on happenings
elsewhere concerning the situation GLBT people find themselves in, and on
efforts to improve or worsen the situation. We would use more or less
regular reports and also occasional articles in SAM and the UUCV newsletter to
keep people informed. And we would welcome the participation of others in
the effort.
4. Interweave chapter
In addition, we would consider establishing a chapter of the UUA
organization, Interweave, at UUCV. This can operate as a GLBT support
group, and also help connect us to other UU congregations, and help with our
other efforts outlined above.
This all will start with an effort to bring the problems faced by GLBT
people to our own congregation, emphasizing how taking part in this effort fits
in with living our principles, not just for GLBT people but for all of
us. The injustices heaped upon GLBT people in
The first public lecture we are
sponsoring will be a talk by Marc Adams, young gay man who underwent serious
efforts, as a child in a fundamentalist family and college to "cure"
him of his homosexuality. He survived the process and finally realized
that gay is who he is, came out, and is now lecturing about the experience.
The lecture will take place at
We are joined as sponsor of the
lecture by 2 cosponsors, the Gay-Straight Alliance at the
This is a very ambitious program, and will require committed people willing to
devote time to it. We are hoping members of the congregation will step
forward to participate in this badly needed endeavor. If interested,
speak to Alan Franklin (717-776-8419, akfrank@epix.net,
or at a service).
From Paula Terry, weary, but delighted project coordinator.
MANY THANKS – UUCV LAWN MOWERS
As another summer season concludes we all should offer a word of thanks to the crew who kept our lawn looking neat and trim. 2005 mowing crew included: Keith Bittinger, Dan Fancher, Cary Garland, Cindy Good, Sunny Hettenschuller, Jim Kohler, Max Lara, Dave Mooney and Ryan & Julia Simons.
WARM UP YOUR LEAF RAKES
It will soon be time to rake bags and bags of leaves from the meetinghouse lawn. Those lovely shade trees provide lots of opportunity for exercise! Watch in Pre-views for a raking party date in mid November.
HEATING SYSTEM UPGRADE
As was discussed at the Congregational Meeting in June, we are moving ahead with an upgrade to the control system of our boiler. In the next few weeks you will see new electronic thermostats throughout the building. This upgrade will provide the following benefits:
1) The entire system will be programmed from a PC so that individual areas of the building will receive heat as needed according to a schedule. We no longer will have to depend upon someone to turn on, and more importantly turn off, the heat for the building.
2) For unscheduled events, each area of the building will have its own thermostat that can be used to call heat for a predetermined amount of time, with automatic setback. The new controls will actually work, unlike the current system in which the thermostat opens the radiator valves but does not control the pump that provides hot water to the radiator.
3) The boiler temperature will be adjusted according to outside temperature.
4) The building will be quieter! We no longer will need the compressor and dryer that have provided considerable background noise to the building. No more hissing thermostats!
5) The offices will have individual controls, so these areas can be heated from the boiler rather than using electric baseboard heaters.
6) All the 40+ year old sticking and leaking radiator valves will be replaced.
The new system should provide greater energy efficiency and greater comfort level with less downtime (and lower annual maintenance costs) than we have experienced in the past.
DINING ROOM NEARS COMPLETION!!
Once upon a time (early August) 3 brave B&G members (Ed, Beth & myself) began this journey by repairing the damaged plaster walls. Then a cry for help went out to congregation… “Come Paint”. You arrived, sometimes 1-2 at a time and sometimes 6-8 workers an evening. Some folks could only spare 1 evening and others had such fun they just kept coming back. (You “repeaters” were the heart of this project!) Paint, paint everywhere… water sealers, primers, walls, window frames, baseboards and then accent colors. But that was not enough – we wanted windows restored to working condition, new speakers, a bulletin board for the RE area, curtains, plants and even a clock.
As this 3 month project draws to a joyful conclusion I want to thank each and every person who provided a helping hand. I would now ask the entire congregation to be good stewards of this room. Treat it kindly: no tape or sticky stuff on the walls, be careful of dripping wax, clean up spills and marks… and when needed water a thirsty plant.
To celebrate the completion of the project, Coffee Hour will take place in our newly-painted dining room (downstairs) on November 6 so that we can admire this freshly beautified space and thank those who made it so. Special cakes and refreshments will be provided by one of our Small Group Ministries. The Religious Education Committee will be hosting an informal Open House in the children’s classrooms during coffee hour as well, so that everyone (not just parents!) can learn about what the children are learning. At that time we surely want to recognize the small army of volunteers which made it possible.
GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE COMMIT OUR TIME AND ENERGY! TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED TURN AN IDEA INTO REALITY – THANK YOU!
Every time UUCVers
gather to reflect upon and discuss our place in the world – whether we’re
creating our
Well, for once we’ve got some money to help make some projects possible. As a result of our success with our pledge campaign for the 2005-2006 fiscal year we budgeted $2,000 for congregational outreach. If you have an idea for such a project, you’ve got until November 6th to apply for a grant.
The goal of the UUCV Outreach
Grant program is to extend the congregation’s presence in the larger
community. The intention is to provide
monetary support for translating the mission and vision of the Unitarian Universalists of the
Any member or group of members in good standing of UUCV or recognized committee of the congregation may apply for a grant. Non-member friends of UUCV are welcome to participate in any funded project, but the application must be submitted under the name of a member or recognized committee. You can even act within or on behalf of an organization outside of UUCV as long as its activities are in line with Unitarian Universalist principles.
Additional details are available on the grant application, which is available on the information table in the social hall or electronically from Dan Fancher at daniel.fancher@earthlink.net. The applications will be reviewed by a board-appointed task force and approved by the board at its November meeting. Winners will be announced on Sunday, December 3rd. Whatcha waitin’ for?
November 4 First Friday Potluck! All are welcome at
November 19 The Writer's Group will meet on Saturday from 1:00 to
3:00 p.m. at the home of Mary McCarthy,
November 20 BUDGET 101 SEMINAR Want to know
more about the annual development of our UUCV budget, and how the funds are
allocated and disbursed? If you’re a committee head or group leader who needs
to know more about this topic, or if pondering such topics has kept you up at
night, a short workshop planned for Sunday, November 20 could be just what the
accountant ordered. It will be offered by the Finance & Fundraising
(F&F) Committee in the dining room beginning at
November 22 & 20 Roots
and Branches Class This two-session workshop is
designed for anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with UUCV and with
Unitarian Universalism. It is especially
recommended for those considering membership or who have recently joined. Classes will be Tuesday evenings, November 22
and 29 at
November 24 LET US GIVE THANKS! All are invited to
join our circle of love as we gather Thanksgiving
Day at
November 27 Serious Stuff members will discuss the John Updike
novel "S." at the November 27 meeting, set for
Volunteers are needed to make
coffee on Sundays in November and December. So far the schedule is wide open.
Sign-ups over holiday weekends are especially appreciated. Speaking of coffee, don't forget UUCV's new coffee store when making that holiday gift list.
Consider presenting a bag of fair trade coffee ($8), a box of organic tea
($4.50) or a can of cocoa ($5.00) to the host of a holiday party, to a favorite
friend, neighbor or co-worker or to anyone in your life who you'd like to
remember at Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas. We're your ecumenical coffee
store, serving all your secular and religious holiday needs. Also look for the
store to be open during the auction. P.S. If there's enough interest, the coffee
diva can easily be arm-twisted into ordering organic chocolate bars for the
holidays. However, the congregation might want to consider an independent audit
of any chocolate inventory just to make sure she doesn't succumb to temptation.
Project S.H.A.R.E. Update
In October, UUCV contributed 40 pounds of food to Project S.H.A.R.E. Thank you to everyone who helped! Through November 13, please direct your donations to completing the ten Thanksgiving bags that UUCV has pledged. (Make that nine—Margaret Jacobs completed one single-handedly!) We have enough jello, corn, and fruit cocktail, but we still need: canned juice, canned sweet potatoes, gravy, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, pie filling and dry crust mix. If you can donate a coupon for a turkey that would be great! Please list your donation at the Social Action Committee table so we can keep track. And thanks to everyone!
HELP GIRLS FROM
Last winter UUCV members and
other donors raised funds to enable 25 girls from
ARE YOU SINGING DECK THE HALLS ALREADY?
Your Social Action Committee is looking for a Mitten Tree Coordinator for the 2005 holiday season. The duties would include writing up the Mitten Tree announcements for previews & the order of service, coordinating the collection start date with the Christmas decorating committee, arranging for the Sunday announcement of the Mitten Tree, and collecting & delivering the mittens and hats to be delivered to a local organization. This is a great way to give back to your UUCV community! So, if you’re feeling Christmas-y & want to help out, please email Tania Werry at swantail@comcast.net. Thanks!
Change for the World Update
Thanks to everyone's nickels and
dimes in August, we collected $218 that was donated to Hospice of Central
Pennsylvania. They wrote back thanking UUCV for our generosity
and hoped that "in a small way, our agency
[hospice] is helping to 'change the world.'"
In September we collected a
whopping $343 in change to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Wow!! (That must be a record of some sort.) We will be using that
to help the families that are moving to this area after being left homeless by
the disaster.
The November CFW Recipient is UUCV's 2006 Mozambique Bursary Project. This project is
coordinated by the Social Action Committee. SAC hopes to raise enough money to
allow 25 or more girls from rural villages in northern
Circle of Life
Welcome
to Ian Landis Woodward, born
June Hoch has recently returned from
The Social Action Committee would like to thank Carol McAnulty for agreeing to take over as Change for the World coordinator. Thanks for doing a fabulous job!
The Music Committee seeks to hire
two experienced caretakers to monitor choristers
children during Thursday evening choir rehearsals, from