We will celebrate Association Sunday by considering the Unitarian Universalist Association and why it matters to our congregation to be a member of it. There is an ongoing study of our statements of purpose, the seven principles, and the six sources. The study is examining whether they describe our association well, challenge us to action, and guide the decisions we make; and asking whether they should be changed or not. Come learn about them. You’ll have an opportunity to send comments on the study in writing.

December 9 – “Writing To Change the World”
The Rev. Judy Welles; Elizabeth Motich, Worship Associate; music by the UUCV choir and Julie Moffitt.

Judy returns to the pulpit from her sabbatical with some thoughts about how and why we can write to change the world. Probably all of us can call to mind something we have read that changed our world, but what have we written that changed someone else’s? Today’s service will celebrate the completion of last year’s Coming of Age project with the students who were unable to participate in September, AND we will announce the Unsung UU for 2007.

December 12 – “Our Lives Traveling”

Jill Kachmar and John Kallmann, Worship Associates. Music by Carole Knisely and The Recorder Trio.

In the midst of the holiday season hustle and bustle, as many of us prepare to travel or to receive friends and family from out of town, we'll take time to reflect on the potential travel has to enrich our lives. When you travel, do you choose to be a tourist or a traveler? Come join us as we share excerpts from published works on travel as well as personal stories as of our own varied experiences--from day trips to long term stays in far off locales.

December 23 – “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?”

Pageant Coordinators: Mary Lynn Lynch, Janet Folsom, Judy Welles; music by the UUCV choir, Pat Spader, and everyone in attendance!

This lovely, inclusive, multi-generational pageant, written by UU songwriter Joyce Poley, tells the nativity story in a way that all can hear.

December 24 7:30 pm “Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols”

The Revs. Duane Fickeisen and Judy Welles. Music by Sally Beaver.

Our annual family Christmas Eve service includes recitation of the Nativity Story from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, modern stories on the theme, and traditional carols. We end in candlelight. Bring your family and visitors, and stay for cider and cookies afterward.

December 30 “The World Without Us”

The Revs. Duane Fickeisen and Judy Welles. Music by Julie Moffitt.

We’ll consider how the world might respond if suddenly human beings were removed from the scene. What would the world be like without any of us? We’ll draw on a recent book by the same title as we near the end of the year. Hopefully we’ll provoke some deep thinking about the role human beings play and inspire commitments for the New Year.

What’s This?

Our monthly minister’s column, this month by Rev. Duane Fickeisen

James Baldwin wrote, in Nothing Personal:

“For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.”

We are the only witnesses they have. Our faith, our love for one another, is the beacon of hope in our never-fixed, always-shifting world. It is the beacon that lights the way, even when the rest of the light grows dim.

The Nativity story is about hope and wonder and awe, about a leading star and faith in its guidance. It’s a story of the miracle of birth, of new life, of the immanent presence of the holy within humanity — the spark of the divine that is within every being. And that’s the stuff we ought to cling to and hold on to, because our sense of wonder and awe — of mystery — is the foundation of hope.

In the face of times that are as challenging these, God knows we need hope and faith. Not because hope and faith will rescue us, but because they help us to find the courage and the staying power to do what needs to be done. To reach out to one another, to build and sustain robust networks of support, to create communities devoted to realizing the vision of a better future.

We are, after all, agents of creation, with free will and the power to effect transformation in, among, and beyond ourselves if we choose to make it happen.

It does not take great wisdom to understand God’s will for us or to see what’s wrong around us. Our faith teaches us to follow the prophet Micah’s exhortation to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.” Unitarian theologian Charles Hartshorne argued that God wants us to create more enjoyment — to bring more love to the world. That’s our purpose and reason for being. Each of us can see problems around us — suffering, injustice, and evil. And surely we can see opportunities to use our resources and talents to make a difference. We pretty much know what needs to be done — or can readily discover it when we simply pay attention.

These darkest and coldest nights invite us to slow down, to pause and reflect, to pay attention in a different way to the wonders around us, to be witnesses to mystery and to experience awe. To be sure there are competing forces that call us to frenzies of shopping, decorating, cooking, and other preparations for the holidays. But you can be countercultural and resist the frenzy, at least for an hour, perhaps for an hour each day during Advent to fully experience this time of waiting with expectancy.

As the year’s end approaches, take some time to consider the importance of keeping faith, of holding each other, of keeping the flame alive. Consider the value of community and our need to create and sustain relationships with one another. We are called to be agents of love, to create more love, to transform our own lives so that we might change the world — and to work toward changing the world so that we might be transformed by the work. To do justice. To love kindness. To walk humbly.

So take some time during Kwanza — the week after Christmas — to reflect on your personal mission. What really matters to you? Why are you here? What is your calling? How can you better serve the future? Are the values you espouse evident in your actions? What would help you stay healthy and engaged so that you might be an effective witness? When the New Year is about to dawn, make meaningful resolutions, and commit to action that has the potential to make a difference in the coming months. With faith we will surely keep the light of hope burning bright — a beacon to all.

See you on Sunday!

Duane

UUCV Budget Shortfall

Town Meeting

Finance and Fundraising Report

Our Congregation’s current financial picture is worrisome. All the committees have been successfully keeping within their budgets and our expenses are in control. Our income, however, is under 50% of what it was at this time last year when we had a special call to bolster our income. The Board of Trustees has scheduled a Town Meeting following the December 9 service to discuss the current financial conditions.

The contributions in the Sunday basket that are not specific pledge payments are only one third of what was projected, and grocery card purchases are just 60 % of the amount budgeted. The greater concern is that our pledge contributions are behind schedule by over 60%, resulting in a current shortfall of nearly $20,000. Our Annual Auction, even though it was one of the best, and certainly one of the most enjoyable, brought in about $4,500 less than expected. We have had to use last year’s surplus ($12,000) to finance ourselves so far this year. Your Board of Trustees had hoped that surplus would be the beginning of establishing a responsible reserve fund.

In July, the beginning of our fiscal year, we were excited about the fact that this year, with the money in the building fund, we would be able to achieve a long desired goal to build a vertical lift and make our building accessible. We succeeded in obtaining a grant that would let us have a Music Director. We looked forward to keeping up with our Five Year Plan and gathering costs to discuss various opportunities to improve the sanctuary-- including air conditioning – another accessibility issue. These initiatives have to be reconsidered pending our success of bringing our income current.

These are troubling financial times. Some of us may be more dramatically affected by the downturn in this economy than others, but one thing is certain: We are all bailing water from the same boat. In these tougher more uncertain times we perhaps need our congregation more than ever. So again, let’s each consider what we may do to help. Perhaps we can be more diligent about staying current with our pledges. Perhaps some of us can pay earlier than we planned or some of us could contribute more. If you find that you need to adjust your pledge downward or are able to adjust it upward, please let your Treasurer, Larry Berger-Knorr, know that so we can plan responsibly. With your help this boat will be on an even keel again, and then, no more bailing. Thanks for listening. Thanks for helping.

Thanks for Another Successful Auction!

Our Meetinghouse was transformed into An International Celebration on November 10^th, with a Mexican cantina, a Marketplace, fabulous food, and fun door prizes. Auction 2007 was another huge success, with the funds going to UUCV’s basic operating costs. The official tally for the event was $13,500, with post-auction sales continuing to add to this total.

It takes many creative, able volunteers to put on an event of this magnitude – too many in fact to mention all by name. The Auction Planning Committee this year consisted of Keith Bittinger, Kim Clark, Susan Helm, John Kallmann, Dave and Missy Molino, Geneva Politzer, Kim van Alkemade, Carol McAnulty, and Bev Motich. Many additional volunteers, led by Ed Glasgow and Rick Heckman, showed up to set up the auction on Friday night, and restore our social hall to its proper order after the auction ended. Amy Farrell is now providing post-auction support by continuing to advertise the Sign Ups that are still available.

In addition, we couldn’t hold an Auction without the many donations contributed by our members, so we thank all of you for your contributions, and also, for coming out to support the Auction and share in this wonderful event.

If you didn’t help this year, well, you missed out on half the fun! We hope you’ll join us next year. Planning begins in August; so keep your eyes peeled for announcements of our organizing meetings. Meanwhile, if you have any feedback on the auction or something you’d like to see in future events, please feel free to email your ideas to this year’s chair Bev Motich, bmotich@yahoo.com.

Important Town Meeting December 9 2007

From Kit Franklin, President, UUCV Board of Trustees

The Finance and Fundraising Committee has included an article in this Newsletter, and if you haven’t read it yet, I hope you will. We face a significant shortfall in income from what we had anticipated when the congregation passed the budget for this fiscal year. Every major source of income is well under our expectations for this time in the year, and we must either find ways to increase our income or decrease our expenses in the coming weeks. Perhaps our situation is a reflection of the national/world financial problems, but in any case, we must make some decisions in order to deal with it.

That will be the topic of discussion at a Town Meeting your Board of Trustees has called for December 9, after the Sunday morning Worship Service. We need as many of you as possible to attend. Please bring your questions, suggestions and ideas along with a cup of coffee/tea, and join us in the Sanctuary. We will try to have child-care available during the meeting. Our Beloved Community needs each and every one of you!

From the DRE

By Kevin C. Snow

For anyone who faithfully reads my column each month, whoever you may be, I want to apologize for not having a column in last month’s newsletter. Due to some bizarre quirk of the electronic universe my column never reached its destination, even after several tries! Ever feel like the world is aligning against you? Well, that’s the way I felt last month. It was a pretty darn good column too. But, since the world was against me, the computer that I had it saved on to resend it went and died in the past month and with it my column. I told you the world was working against me. It’s not paranoia if it’s real, right?

Well, those little problems happen in life and we must roll on. So, here I sit for another time in the hopes that this message will reach you all safely and soundly. If I were a Buddhist I could spin this into a great parable about the impermanence of life. While that is a good thing to be reminded of from time to time, it didn’t help my life much in the end. However, the Dell Company is very happy about the impermanence of life, at least as far as my last computer was concerned, since they provided me with my nice, new home system. Let’s hope this one proves slightly more permanent than the last computer. I consider my parable on life learned and I will do more back ups, I promise!

So, onto some religious education related things. RE has been going along well but as usual we have hit a bump or two in the road. After some juggling of schedules some issues have been worked out, but we could use some teaching help in the near future in our middle school class. The class is working through the curriculum Our Neighboring Faiths in order to learn about comparative religion. The lessons include either a visit to a local church or meeting house or a guest visitor from the religions we discuss. So far the class has explored Judaism and visited Congregation Beth Tikvah and studied Catholicism and will be visiting St. Patrick’s Church. Next up is an exploration of Islam. Do you have an interest in comparative religion? Would you be willing to help teach some lessons or tackle an entire chunk or be a guest speaker for a particular faith group? If so, we need you. We hope you have a better grasp on your schedule for next year now, so please contact me or Ann Berger-Knorr with your interest. If I come to some of you and personally invite you to share or teach, please consider it carefully. As usual, the RE program at UUCV can not maintain its quality without your volunteer support.

On another happy note, the OWL (Our Whole Lives) human sexuality class for 7-9^th graders has had a great kick off and looks like it will be a wonderful group this year. I am personally very excited to assist in the program and I look forward to educating our young folks with my colleagues. Thank you to all the parents whom enrolled their children in this important program. Please consider enrolling your kids in the future.

And on a final note, I must mention that it is Guest at Your Table time. Please stop into the Social Hall and pick up a GAYT box, take it home, fill it with money, and return to me at Christmas time. As usual, all money goes directly to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to support important social action causes such as equality for workers and clean water rights around the world. There is a display with the boxes that can give you tons of more information on the UUSC and its causes, so please grab some information and give generously. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday month! See you on Sunday!

(Editor’s note: the lack of DRE column last month was due to Editor error. I inadvertently blocked Kevin’s e-mail address. Whoops! --LR)

Rolling into a Fourth Year of Support for Girls’ Education in Mozambique

“...there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls.”

Kofi A. Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations, 2004

For the past 3 years UUCV has been partnering with the United Church of Canada and the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM) to provide “bursaries” to support schooling for girls between the ages of 12 and 18 years who have completed the top grade in their villages. These students come from rural villages in northern Mozambique. Our bursary program supported 24 girls in 2005 and has expanded each year to support students who want to continue into higher grades and new girls who enter the program. So we supported 48 girls in 2006 and over 60 girls in 2007.

This year Karen Butt the on-site administrator for our UUCV Bursary Project has identified 98 girls who have either just finished the top grade in their villages or who want to continue in school. They have all been loyal members of the AIDS prevention clubs she has organized! Last year we asked you to help provide $300 each for 56 girls. But thanks to some creative organization on Karen’s part and to an offer from the students at Londonderry School in Harrisburg to help us by raising $3000, we can send 98 girls to school by raising only $17,000. How is this possible?

All of the girls we have supported so far have enrolled in school at regional centers and lived in dormitories (called lars). Thus, each girl needed funds for room and board as well as for school fees, supplies and uniforms. But now a couple of the villages in the region where the girls live have added higher grades to their schools. So some of the new and returning students can live at home and attend school in nearby villages where 6^th ,7^th or 8^th grade classes are now available.

Karen has designed a new style of bursary for 47 of the girls who can either walk or bike to school (on bicycles that we purchase for them). The average cost of this new bursary option will be only $100 per student. We’ll still need to raise $300 each for the girls attending the Teachers College and high school.

To learn more about the project the Social Action Council invites you and your family to a Mozambican luncheon at UUCV shortly after the service on Sunday, December 2^nd. The lunch will be followed by a premiere showing of a 12-minute Documentary about our 2007 bursary girls produced especially for us by our on-site Project Coordinators, Karen and Bill Butt. Priscilla Laws and Virginia Jackson will lead a discussion after the showing, share their experiences visiting the girls in mid-September, and explain this year’s fundraising goals in more detail. If you plan to join us please let Priscilla Laws know by November 30^th how many of family members are coming (call 243-9525 or send an email to lawsp@dickinson.edu).

We hope you will be able to support one or more girls at between $100 and $300 each, but SAC members will appreciate any amount you can afford to give. We will be collecting funds from Sunday Dec 2 through Sunday Jan 6^th. The procedures are simple: Just write a check and put “Moz Bursary” in the subject line or put cash in an envelope, seal it and write your name and the words Moz Bursary” on it. These contributions can be put in the collection box, given to Terri or me, or mailed to “Moz Bursary, c/o UUCV, 2 Forge Road, Boiling Springs PA 17007.

Questions? Contact campaign coordinators Priscilla Laws (243-9525 or lawsp@dickinson.edu) or Terri Smiley (486-4503 or tallterri09@yahoo.com)

The Seven (hopefully) Church Picnic

by Alan Franklin

The GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender) Justice Initiative invited our counterparts in 6 other UU churches in our general area to join us Sunday, November 18, 2007 in a day-long get together to learn about and discuss various current events affecting GLBT justice in Pennsylvania and explore ways we might further this justice. Three of the churches accepted our invitation and came to spend the day with us. That consisted of attending service here, having lunch in the dining room, a delightful interlude of singing by the Adams TreeO, and finally a business meeting. Friends from Harrisburg, State College, and York attended. The invitees from Gettysburg, Lancaster and Reading couldn’t make it. Also on hand was Stephen Glassman, Chairperson of the PA Human Relations Commission.

We learned from Steve that the PA Hate Crimes legislation, passed in 2002, has been declared unconstitutional by the Commonwealth court of PA, and help was urgently needed to re-enact these provisions. We also learned that there is real hope of getting legislation (HB1400) through the PA House amending the PA Human Relations Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the protected categories, thus providing protection for all in the GLBT community. Getting the companion bill (S761) through the PA Senate is considerably less sure. Finally, Steve brought us up to date on the fate of ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, in the Federal House. The bill was passed, but with 2 crippling changes decided upon by the House leadership in a search for votes that Steve said was not needed. One was stripping gender identity and expression from the bill’s coverage, thus eliminating transgender folks from the protection. The other was the inclusion of a blanket religious exemption from the provisions of the bill, so broad that it could be used by almost anyone to avoid the strictures of the bill, thus emasculating it.

Look for the GLBT Justice Initiative to be calling on your help in the near future in persuading our Representatives to support justice for all people!

The whole affair went very well indeed, and grateful thanks are due the marvelous crew who turned out to make it happen. With the risk of leaving somebody out, many thanks, and kudos, to Dan & Joan Bechtel, Kathy Bell, Jeb Boyd, Kit Franklin, John & Gisela Kallmann, Drew & Mary Lynn Lynch, Julie & Emily Miles, Jackie Page, Doug & Janet Spencer, and Jon Tarrant, and, in the Adams Family TreeO, David & Virginia Jackson and Ken Laws.

Serious Stuff Bookgroup

The Serious Stuff Bookgroup is loads of fun! Anyone interested in reading the books throughout 2008 (see list) and joining us for discussion centered mostly around those books, is welcomed to do so.

You need not have attended any Bookgroup meetings in the past; you need not agree to attend any in the future. Come once to try it out--we are just regular UUCV-folk. We are not experts, we are not (surprise!) overly SERIOUS, we require nothing except respect for the other members of the group. You don't even have to read the book to attend the meeting! Some of you have been tempted but fear...what? That those who attend are scintillating intellectuals? Are dull intellectuals? I assure you on both fronts: no more so than YOU. You'll laugh more than you'll frown. It's an easy-going group. Seriously. Questions? Contact Leslie Carr at lgcarr22@yahoo.com

The Serious Stuff Bookgroup 2008 Booklist

JANUARY 27, 2008

Letter to a Christian Nation

By Sam Harris

“Thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ’s love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.”

So begins Letter to a Christian Nation…

FEBRUARY 24, 2008

Complications

By Atul Gawande

Gently dismantling the myth of medical infallibility, Dr. Atul Gawande's Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science is essential reading for anyone involved in medicine--on either end of the stethoscope. Gawande's tales are humane and passionate reminders that doctors are people, too. His prose is thoughtful and engaging, shifting from sometimes painful stories of suffering patients (including his own child) to intriguing suggestions for improving medicine. Gawande's background in philosophy and ethics is evident throughout these pieces, which range from edgy accounts of medical traumas to sobering analyses of doctors' anxieties and burnout. With humor, sensitivity and critical intelligence, he explores the pros and cons of new technologies, including a controversial model for routine surgeries that delivers superior success rates while dramatically cutting costs.

MARCH 30, 2008 (note: meeting is on 5^th Sunday of the month due to Easter)

Blaming the Victims

Edited by Edward Said and Christopher Hitchens

The aim of these essays and book reviews is to highlight what Said, a professor at Columbia, calls in his introduction the "grotesque, almost parodistic garishness" of pro-Israeli, anti-Palestinian scholarship in the West, particularly in the U.S., where, he says, "it is as if even the narrative of Palestinian history is not tolerable." Hitchens, a columnist for the Nation, attempts to debunk the longstanding Israeli argument that Palestinians left their homes in 1948 because Arab governments made broadcasts urging them to do so, not because Israelis forced them out. This is a challenging book.

APRIL 27, 2008

The Ghost Map

By Steven Johnson

On August 28, 1854, working-class Londoner Sarah Lewis tossed a bucket of soiled water into the cesspool of her squalid apartment building and triggered the deadliest outbreak of cholera in the city's history. In this tightly written page-turner, Johnson crafts a story of suffering, perseverance and redemption that echoes to the present day. Describing a city and culture experiencing explosive growth, with its attendant promise and difficulty, Johnson builds the story around physician John Snow. In the face of a horrifying epidemic, Snow (pioneering developer of surgical anesthesia) posited the then radical theory that cholera was spread through contaminated water rather than through miasma, or smells in the air. Against considerable resistance from the medical and bureaucratic establishment, Snow persisted and, with hard work and groundbreaking research, helped to bring about a fundamental change in our understanding of disease and its spread.

MAY 25, 2008

Living with the Devil

By Stephen Batchelor

The author of Buddhism Without Beliefs and a former monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions, Batchelor works to reconcile the fears, desires, and compulsions of the ego (the devil or Mara) with the certainty of death. He demonstrates how the anguish associated with the transient nature of life has preoccupied humans for centuries. Surveying responses to this intractable problem, Batchelor concludes that mankind has always relied on the temptations of the devil to still anxiety and create an aura of permanence. Compulsive activities, lustful behavior and behaving violently and destructively to others are all evils that stem from Mara. Overcoming these feelings and pursuing the way of love and compassion, for Batchelor, rests on one's ability to make peace with the devil and nourish one's "Buddha nature."

JUNE 22, 2008

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

By Jean-Dominique Bauby

We've all got our idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing--a special chair we have to sit in, a certain kind of yellow paper we absolutely must use. To create this tremendously affecting memoir, Jean-Dominique Bauby used the only tool available to him--his left eye--with which he blinked out its short chapters, letter by letter. Two years ago, Bauby, then the 43-year-old editor-in-chief of Elle France, suffered a rare stroke to the brain stem; only his left eye and brain escaped damage. Rather than accept his "locked in" situation as a kind of death, Bauby ignited a fire of the imagination under himself and lived his last days spiritually unfettered. (adapted from Amazon.com)

JULY 27, 2008

Jesus and the Lost Goddess: the Secret Teachings of the Original Christians

By Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy

Why Were the Teachings of the Original Christians Brutally Suppressed by the Roman Church?

• Because they portray Jesus and Mary Magdalene as mythic figures based on the Pagan Godman and Goddess
• Because they show that the gospel story is a spiritual allegory encapsulating a profound philosophy that leads to mythical enlightenment
• Because they have the power to turn the world inside out and transform life into an exploration of consciousness

Drawing on modern scholarship, the authors of the international bestseller The Jesus Mysteries decode the secret teachings of the original Christians and theorize about who they really were and what they actually taught. This daring and controversial book recovers the ancient wisdom of the original Christians and demonstrates its relevance to us today.

AUGUST 24, 2008

Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation

By Ian Stevenson

See amazon.com’s “Search Inside” feature on this book’s page. Read “Back Cover” and “Introduction” in order to get the gist of this important book’s content. (A blurb will appear by newsletter time in July.)

SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

Autobiography of a Face

by Lucy Grealy

At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. In this strikingly candid memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength without sentimentality and with considerable wit. Vividly portraying the pain of peer rejection and the guilty pleasure of wanting to be special, Grealy captures with unique insight what it is like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect. (Amazon)

OCTOBER 26, 2008

Plain Truth

By Jodi Picoult

This book begins as a quietly electrifying story of an unmarried Amish teenager who gives birth to a baby she is accused of then smothering. Picoult's latest novel settles into a trial epic centered intriguingly on an Amish dairy farm near Lancaster, Pa. Katie Fisher, 18, denies not only having committed the murder but even having borne the baby, whose body is found in the Fishers' calving pen, and she sticks to her story, even when she is quizzed by Ellie Hathaway, the high-powered Philadelphia attorney who undertakes Katie's defense. The story's quietude is appropriate, given its magnificently painted backdrop and distinctive characters. (adapted from Publisher’s Weekly)

NOVEMBER 23, 2008

This is our meeting to choose books for 2009.

DECEMBER 2008

There is no bookgroup meeting this month.

Circle Suppers

In response to your requests, the Membership Committee is starting up a new “Circle Supper” program. These will be bimonthly potluck dinners in people’s homes for members and friends of UUCV, hopefully with a mix of long-time and newer people who will enjoy getting to know each other over a meal. The dates we are considering are: Nov. 17, Jan. 12, March 21, and May 10.

Look for a sign-up sheet in the Social Hall if you would like to participate in this community-building and fun activity. There will be a place to indicate if you can host a supper in your home (6-8 guests is ideal); of course this will only work if we have enough hosts! Guests will be assigned to the hosts before the assigned date, and the host will call the guests to give directions and arrange for their food assignment (hosts will probably provide the main course). These suppers can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like them to be. It will be a wonderful occasion for sharing our fellowship.

If you have questions, please, contact Gisela Roethke at roethke@dickinson.edu or call in the evening at 245-2360.

Winter Weather Cancellations

We try to open the Meetinghouse every Sunday morning, regardless of weather. Of course there may be mornings when that’s just not feasible. We hope they are rare.

If a storm does impact the roads on Sunday, we’ll try to make a decision about canceling services by 9:00 am and post a notice on the calendar at the UUCV website (http://www.uucv.net/calendar.html) as well as on the church voice mail (249-8944). If you’re in doubt, check there. Board members and committee chairs are encouraged to post meeting and event cancellations on the calendar as well.

Road conditions can vary quite a bit in the region we serve. If it seems hazardous for you to travel, stay home. If you have a responsibility that morning, try to let us know that you won’t be there by calling the Meetinghouse and the appropriate staff person or volunteer who was expecting your participation.

A Practice of Joys and Sorrows

Soon after we started the ritual of dropping stones into water to mark joys, sorrows, and intentions, the worship leaders noticed that a new stone appeared each week that looked a little different from the others. We were moved when we heard the story about the odd stones from Chuck Folsom.

Chuck told us that he looks for a stone during the week, picks it up, and holds it, and if he feels a connection with it, then he carries it with him until Sunday. Then, he says, “Throughout the week, when I need to, I shed bad feelings by reaching into my pocket and holding on to the stone. It also can bring on a smile when I touch it and remember my joy. Each Sunday I give up the stone and with it the joys and sorrows that I had that week.”

It’s a creative extension of joys and sorrows, and we invite you to consider what rituals you might adopt to help stay connected with the community of UUCV throughout the week.

Open House

The ministers’ annual holiday open house will be on Sunday afternoon, December 16th. All members and friends of UUCV are invited to drop in for a holiday buffet and fellowship. We’ll be ‘at home’ from 1:00 to 5:00 pm ready to welcome you at 145 East Pomfret Street in Carlisle. We have two large dogs.

Project SHARE In The News

With deep gratitude this is to report a record contribution to Project SHARE in November. Generous UUVC-ers donated 131 pounds of food plus 4 turkeys (weight unknown), a total of 122 items. While we did not reach our goal of 10 Thanksgiving Dinner bags, enough extra items were donated that it was a “trade off.” Thirty-three Giant receipts were given in October totaling $33.00 for the food bank. Their goal of 5,000 was reached. This money will be used to purchase Christmas hams for December distribution.

In October the food bank served 894 households, a total of 2130 individuals. Of this total, 48% of the families earn less than $12,000. The retail value per box was $150.71. Cost to the bank was $20.35, so you see your contributions mean a lot.

December ingathering will be Sunday the 16^th. Greatest needs are spaghetti sauce, beef stew, canned chicken and of course our signature item, pork and beans. All donations greatly appreciated.

Change For The World

December's Change for the World recipient will be dedicated to the UUA Growth Project, a national marketing campaign designed to:

*Inspire members to take greater pride in their identity as Unitarian Universalists

*Encourage Unitarian Universalists to invite friends and family to visit congregations

*Raise name recognition of Unitarian Universalism

*Give Unitarian Universalism a voice in the national discourse about faith

Full page ads and "advertorials" have appeared and will appear in the October through December issues of Time Magazine. Matching funds will double your contribution to this project.

October's change amounted to $200 that will be sent to the Unitarian Church of Blanchard Valley in Findlay, Ohio to help with repairing damages from flooding this summer. All those dimes and nickels really do add up!

Adult RE with the Queen of Soul (Collage)

The Sunday morning adult education program finishes up the fall semester with a three-session class on Soul Collage cards. Learn how to make your own and use them for self-discovery and spiritual development from the queen of Soul (Collage) Dot Everhart. Classes run from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 2, 9 and 16 in the downstairs dining room. Bring used magazines to the first class if you an. Check out the January newsletter for our spring semester offerings.

Mitten Tree

As December rolls around, its time for the holidays, decorating, cookies, and of course the traditional UUCV Mitten Tree! Starting on the 9th of December, you can begin bringing in your new mittens, hats, and gloves to adorn our sanctuary's tree. These items will be donated to charity at the end of the month. More information to follow, stay tunes to PreViews and the Order of Service.

Congregational Happenings

December 7 The Pot Luck Supper will be held on Friday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Music for the evening will be orchestral arrangements and seasonal. Bring a dish to share, dine by candlelight and join in the festivities.

December 9 Newcomer’s Orientation

December 9 Town Hall Meeting to discuss UUCV financial condition, immediately following the service.

December 15 The Writer's Group will meet on Saturday, December 15 from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. at the home of Mary McCarthy, 129 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle. Call or email Mary if you plan to attend in case of changes to the schedule - 258-5668 - mmcarth@comcast.net. Come join us for a fun and creative afternoon. You can share your writings or read something written by a favorite author. As always, new members most welcome!

All in the UUCV Family

Chuck Folsom who works at the Mechanicsburg Navy base has been promoted to Division Director of Policy and Administration for Navy Food Service. His family is extremely proud of him!

We would love to share your news with the UUCV family, but we won’t know what it is unless you tell us! Please send news for this column to Judy Welles, jcwellesATearthlinkDOTnet.

Joseph Priestley District

Want to know what’s happening in our UU district? Just click on http://www.jpduua.org/ and check our the Packet 2007 for monthly information, or browse the site for happenings at our neighboring congregations.

UUCV Contacts and Resources

This information is meant to facilitate participation and communication among friends and members of UUCV; please do not share information without the person’s consent. Our ministers, staff and trustees have made their emails available to facilitate communication.

Ministers Rev. Duane Fickeisen & Rev. Judy Welles

Email: ministers@uucv.net or duane@uucv.net or judy@uucv.net. Home study telephone: 241-0410

Office Assistant Elena Yarlett

Hours: Thursdays from 8:30am to 4:00pm. Phone: 249-8944 Address: PO Box 207 Boiling Springs, PA 17007 Email: uucv@pa.net

Dir. of Religious Ed. Kevin Snow

Phone: 249-8104 Email: dre@uucv.net

UUCV Board of Trustees

Kit Franklin (president), akfrank@kuhncom.net

Ed Glasgow (vice-president), edwinglasgow@aol.com

Larry Berger-Knorr (treasurer), bergerknorr@gmail.com

Priscilla Laws, lawsp@dickinson.edu

Carol McAnulty, (clerk) paulandcarol913@embarqmail.com

Jon Tarrant, jwtarrant@comcast.net

John Kallmann johnkallmann@earthlink.net

Bev Motich bmotich@yahoo.com

Committee Chairs and Other Leaders

Building and Grounds: Letty Kress, kresswolf@paonline.com

Music Committee: Ken Laws, laws@dickinson.edu

Finance & Fundraising Committee: vacant

Membership Committee: Rachel Teates, willowtrek23@yahoo.com

Committee on Ministry: Liz Hoffman, hoffpsych@mindspring.com & Joan Bechtel, bechteljo@aol.com

Religious Education Committee: Ann Berger-Knorr, annabellej@comcast.net

Social Action Council: Priscilla Laws, lawsp@dickinson.edu

Caring Circle: Bee Miller beemiller@sprylearning.com

Coffee Coordinator Joyce Lukima joycelukima@hotmail.com & Gail Witwer

Sunday Music Coordinator Nancy Bittinger, nbittinger@comcast.net

Newsletter Editor: Laura Rumley lmrumley@yahoo.com

Flowers Coordinator: Mary Lynn Lynch, marylynn_lynch@yahoo.com

Potluck Coordinator: Bill Vernon, wwvernon@earthlink.net

Small Group Ministry: Ann Gero, annegero@mac.com &

Margery Andrews, md.andrews@comcast.net; Duane Fickeisen,

duane@uucv.net