Unitarian Universalists of
the
Online
Newsletter for June
2007
July Newsletter
Deadline is Monday, June 24. Submit
items to newsletter@uucv.net
NOTICE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
UUCV to Buy Air Quality Monitor
Pridefest 2007 Getting Closer!
June 3 “A Celebration With
Our Children”
Rev. Judy Welles; Kevin Snow, Director of Religious Education; music provided by Julie Moffitt.
We celebrate the conclusion of this year’s highly successful Children’s Religious Education program with stories, skits, songs and wild enthusiasm!
June 10 “What Makes a Good Minister?”
Rev. Judy Welles; Kathy Ellis, Student Minister; music provided by Sally Beaver.
As Kathy comes to the end of her Student Ministry with us, we reflect on what makes for a good minister, with particular reference to theological education. Whose responsibility is it to assure excellence in our ministries?
June 17 “Dad Was a Carpenter”
Rev. Judy Welles; Ellen Buller, Worship Associate; music provided by Carole Knisely, Julie Moffitt, and our choir.
On this Fathers Day, we remember the lessons we learned from our fathers, and how they shaped our lives.
June 24 “John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, Precursors of the Protestant Reformation”
John Kallman
and Carla Claycomb, Worship Associates.
About a century before Martin Luther, the rumblings against the established Roman Catholic Church and its heavy hand resonated at the peril of reformers, some who paid the ultimate price for their criticism of the established church. When Hus was being burned at the stake because he would not recant, he is said by some to have said as his last words to the effect that, “…within one hundred years from now a new leader will rise up against this tyranny!”
July 1 “Spirit of Compassion”
Kathy Ellis, Student Minister, and John Kallmann, Worship Associate.
Compassion lies at the core of all our religious traditions, and it is a primary goal of spiritual practice. How can we increase compassion in our lives and in the world?
Our monthly minister’s column, this month
from Rev. Judy Welles
I attended an inspiring workshop at the Joseph Priestley District annual meeting in April, one that revved up my level of excitement about the potential and the possibilities for Unitarian Universalist congregations in the near future. The workshop was titled “Vital Congregations,” and it used the power of imagination as an impetus to develop the health and growth of our congregations.
Vital congregations are growing congregations, where the emphasis is on the vitality—the growth comes along as a welcome side-effect. Some indicators of vitality in churches are: are strong corporate worship; caring for people; specific, mission-focused objectives; significant relational groups; high visibility in the community; adequate space and facilities; strong leadership resources; and strong financial resources. Does that sound like any congregation you know? Are you part of a vital congregation already?
After some introductory material was presented, those in the workshop divided into four groups to flex the muscles of our imaginations, completing the sentence “We are now so vital that…” The idea was to put ourselves into the future of our own congregations (or the Joseph Priestley District, or the UUA) and “see” what it is like to be part of a vital and growing organization. The four focus areas of the groups were external, internal, legacy, and technology. We were free to wander among the four groups, participating in the vitality of any conversation that attracted us.
As something of a technological Luddite, I was drawn to the technology group first, because I’m fascinated by but ignorant about the possibilities of using technology to develop congregational vitality. Some of the ideas shared there were that “we are now so vital that … videos of sermons and plays about UU historical characters are played on public TV channels throughout the country; all churches pod cast all of their sermons from their web sites; clever UUTube videos (on sites such as YouTube) spark people’s curiosity and attract them to our congregations.” One person in that group pointed to the regional web site of the Baltimore/Washington Growth Group as a high-quality resource to inform people about the 27 UU churches in that metro area and all that they offer. (Take a look at http://www.baltwashuus.org/index.htm to see what I’m talking about.)
I’m
happy to tell you that our Communications Council bought a domain name (www.centralpauu.org)
so that we can create a similar site for the seven congregations in
Back to the workshop: When the conversation got a little too technical for me, I wandered over to the Legacy group, where they were saying “We are now so vital that … planned giving is easily facilitated and an expectation in UU culture; we support scholarships in all areas of study for many kinds of UU students; Bill Gates declares himself a UU and creates a 7th Principle Foundation for UU growth.”
What excites me now, reflecting back on that experience of several weeks ago, is that our congregation, UUCV, has so many earmarks of a vital congregation already, and has plans to become even more so. You may have realized this already if you were at the Annual Meeting last Sunday (see related article in this newsletter issue).
We are paying close attention to our Five Year Plan, and have achieved most of the goals established for Year One. We have eight thriving Small Group Ministries, with space to accommodate more people in existing or new groups. People report a high level of satisfaction with our worship services, and particularly with the Worship Associates program. We will complete this fiscal year with a slight surplus, and there is a high rate of fulfillment of people’s pledges. We are participating actively and very visibly in several community programs such as the Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania and the Carlisle Inclusive Communities Initiative. We are actively encouraging leaders and potential leaders to attend the Summer Leadership Institute to be held at Juniata College in early August; if you are interested, go to http://www.jpduua.org/ and scroll down for the link—and if you’re still interested, please talk to Duane or me about how we can make it possible for you to attend.
What a pleasure it is to be involved with such a healthy and vital congregation. Let’s keep going! Love, Judy
On Sunday, May 20, we welcomed five new members into UUCV. Please look for them and get acquainted!
Gail Black retired last year from the
Capital Area Intermediate Unit after 33 years, where she was teaching emotionally
and behaviorally disordered children and consulting/training those who work
with them. Her two sons and lovely new
daughter-in-law live in
Elizabeth Motich is the first of our home-grown children to grow up in UUCV and join at age 18. She has been an active participant at UUCV since she was nine. She lives with her mother, Bev; father, Mark; and too many pets in Dillsburg. She is an accomplished fiction writer, and plans to major in history at an undetermined college soon. She is looking forward to many years of service in the U.U. church.
Jackie Page has lived in the
Mechanicsburg area for most of her life.
In 2000, after several years of being a stay-at-home Mom, Jackie started
a new career as a realtor and is presently working toward her residential
appraising certification. She lives with
her husband of 17+ years, David, their children
Laura Rumley
is originally from
Terri Smiley and her husband Doc
relocated to
The annual meeting was held on May 20. The principle business items were elections of trustees and a nominating committee and adoption of the budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
Vice-President Ed Glasgow conducted the meeting and gave a report on status of actions to fulfill the congregation’s Five-Year Plan as we approach the end of Year 1 of the plan. Our membership stands at just under 160, about a dozen fewer than the plan anticipated. Nevertheless, significant progress was reported on most items in the plan, including receipt of a Chalice Lighter Grant to help with compensation for a part-time Music Director, startup of the Sunday morning Adult RE program, establishing a Communications Council, and forming several support groups. Progress toward providing wheelchair access to the lower level of the building suffered a setback when new code requirements resulting in much higher than anticipated estimated costs. A plan is being developed to build a new shaft outside the current wall of the building, which will be presented to the planning and building authorities for approval before cost estimates are sought.
Duane Fickeisen gave a brief report on behalf of the ministers and referred to the printed Annual Report which had been distributed. Additional copies are available in the Social Hall if you didn’t get one at the meeting.
The Nominating Committee presented a slate of three candidates for election to three open positions on the board of trustees, each for a three-year term of office to begin July 1. There were no other nominations, and the congregation elected John Kallmann, Priscilla Laws, and Bev Motich. Tom DeWall and Leslie Carr will complete their terms on the board at the end of June. Tom has served since 2001 and Leslie since 2004, both were officers of the board, and their leadership on the board will be missed. Priscilla was elected to a second full term. The continuing trustees are Kit Franklin, Ed Glasgow, Larry Berger-Knorr, Carol McAnulty, Sue Roberts, and Jon Tarrant.
The Nomination Committee proposed a slate of five candidates to serve as next year’s Nominating Committee. There were no other nominations. Those elected are Ed Glasgow, Virginia Jackson, Jill Kachmar, and Paul McAnulty, with Alan Franklin elected chair.
Kit
and Alan Franklin and Priscilla Laws were elected delegates to the UUA General
Assembly this June in
The budget for next fiscal year was adopted as recommended by the board of trustees. A detailed budget proposal, as adopted, is available in the Social Hall. The budget will bring all of our staff in line with the UUA’s Fair Compensation Guidelines. It includes funds for a part-time Music Director, which will mostly be offset by the Chalice Lighter grant. The budget anticipates that there will be only a 4% shortfall in payments on pledges, a number that is substantially lower than the 6% or more that we have experienced in past years, but in line with the current year projections of less than 3˝% shortfall. It also anticipates continued growth in the sales of grocery store gift cards.
By UUCV’s
Religious Education Director, Kevin Snow
Summer Camp is the place to be this summer at UUCV! With two camp themed events to offer you fun and joy, you can't go wrong by picking us, oh boy! We have Sunday Summer Camp to tickle your fancy and Family Peacemaker's Camp to keep you from getting too antsy! And we have some great people to lead these events . . . so don't forget to bring your tents . . . Summer Camp at UUCV is definitely the place to be!
Ok, enough with the rhyming . . . its harder than it looks! Do you catch my drift? Summer Camp is going on all around you this summer and you simply have to come on board whether you are a kid or an adult. Fun in a UU kind of way is the main focus of everything in RE this summer. Our Sunday RE downstairs will be centered around fun, UU oriented activities with a camp flavor. We have an edible plant tour to start you off, a cooking class to dazzle your taste buds, craft making, a camp sing along a look at science in nature and some just plain fun stuff to satisfy all tastes. Consider this Summer's RE like trying all the camp electives bit by bit. We still have need for five more fun loving adults to teach a camp-themed lesson and I will be hunting many of you down to fill those slots. Please check your schedules in July and August and see if you have room to teach a lesson and contact me if you can.
And don't forget Family Peacemaker's Camp on July 12 to 15. This year we are placing an emphasis on the family aspect of camp and inviting the entire family to join us for fun in the sun. We are not requiring entire families to attend, so if you want to send just your child that is ok. Camp registration forms are now available on the RE Table in the Social Hall. Please grab one and return it to me when completed. Jim Freeman, our illustrious camp director, is bound to have several fun and exciting things up his sleeve and I have already begun to hear the rumblings of plans sure to please both young and adult. Pack up the tent and other gear and join us at Family Peacemaker's Camp 2007!!! With so many great camp options this year you can't go wrong. See you Sunday!
In less than a month we have raised over $16,000 to purchase a portable, real-time monitor for fine particulates in air. Among the 25 donors to the fund are several physicians and medical practices and citizens who are concerned about air quality.
A corporate matching grant of $7,500 was received from Keen Transport, Inc. In his presentation of the oversized check to Duane Fickeisen, Jesse Keen spoke on behalf of the company. In response to a TV reporter’s question about whether it might seem odd for a trucking firm to support the project and why they had responded to the church’s request, Jesse said, “They didn’t approach us. We got wind of it and offered to contribute. Our employees and their families live in the community and are impacted by air quality. We recognize that we’re part of the issue and we want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
The
monitor will supplement the stationery monitor recently installed by the state
DEP in
UUCV was approached by the Clean Air Board and asked to consider the purchase. Our Social Action Council has started a new environmental initiative under Jon Tarrant’s leadership which was supportive of the idea. The Board and the Finance and Fundraising Committee approved the project. The Clean Air Board conducted the fund raising, and the monitor will be placed in their custody to maintain and operate.
Fine
soot in the air is a significant health hazard and
The memorial service for Don Durr will be held in our sanctuary on Saturday, June 16 at 3:00 pm. Don was a founding member of UUCV.
The Pot Luck Supper will be held on Friday, June 1, at 6:30 P.M. Bring a dish to share and enjoy the festivities with your UUCV friends. Music for the evening will be a Big Band Jamboree.
Women's Spirituality Group is forming. The participants in Cakes for the Queen of Heaven plan to form a women's spirituality group. Our study of women's religious history and of our own spiritual history has led us to want to learn more. Topics will vary for the monthly meetings. At the first meeting, Kathy Bell will present the cd "Mary and Me" about a woman's search for the truth about Mary Magdalene. All women are welcome. Meet in the UUCV library at 7:30 on Wednesday June 6th.
The Writer's Group will meet on
Saturday, June 23 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
at the home of Charlotte Klein,
The Serious Stuff Bookclub
will meet on June 24th, Sunday evening,
at 6:30 PM in the meetinghouse library.
Our book for this month is The Godless Constitution by Isaac Kramnick and Laurence Moore. Their work is said to be a compelling
rebuttal to those who claim that
The
annual UUA General Assembly will be held in
Your delegates will be Kit and Alan Franklin and Priscilla Laws. Judy Welles and Duane Fickeisen will also be there as ministerial delegates.
The UUA has extensive web coverage of GA events. You can read summaries, listen to presentations, and in some cases watch streaming video of GA happenings. Go to www.uua.org/ga and follow the links there for more information and during the meeting to participate from home.
Thanks to those who contributed 14 lbs of food to Project SHARE last month. In the month of April, the food bank fed 800 households, a total of 1,896 individuals, including 274 over the age of 60, and 606 (32%) children. 52% of the families earn less than 12 thousand dollars. The retail value per box was $197.49, while our cost per box is only $13.92, a wonderful value. Total pounds distributed was 144,646. The greatest needs are for spam, spaghetti sauce, stage 1 and 3 baby food, canned fruit and cereal. UUCV's designated item is pork'n'beans. All contributions greatly appreciated. Remember the food bank when you do your grocery shopping and slip and item or two in your cart for them. Next ingathering is June 17th.
Change
for the world for June will go to Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail
Commission (CVATC). CVATC builds, maintains, and manages the
They're
currently working on a new, safer road crossing at PA 944 near
Pridefest 2007, an annual GBLT festival, will be held on
Saturday, July 28th, in
There are many ways you can show your support by volunteering or supporting various activities. Join the opening parade with a combined effort of local UUs. Silent witnesses are needed to buffer the festival attendees from the “street preachers.” A training workshop will be provided for all of the silent witnesses. Volunteers are needed for the UUCV booth, as well. We are also looking for creative people who would like to make banners and signs to show their support. Light blue UUCV T-shirts with a rainbow on the front will be available to purchase to wear at the festival. Wear your UUCV T-shirt with Pride!
You can also volunteer to work at the festival directly. Volunteers are needed for ticket sales, ticket checkers, wristband appliers at the gate, checking in volunteers, working the Pride Information Booth, and working in the Children’s Activity Area. As you can see, there is much to be done.
Worried about parking for Pridefest 2007? We will coordinate carpooling to ease parking woes in the City for the volunteers. We, the members of the Pridefest task force of the GLBT Justice Initiative, namely Alan Franklin, Sue Roberts, Becky Smith and Jackie Page, are here to answer any questions or provide any information to you. Stop by the Welcoming Congregation table in the social hall to volunteer or contact me at pagejackie@comcast.net. The Pridefest task force is here to assist you.
Show your colors! Your rainbow colors! Sign up now and show your support for Pridefest 2007!
June
is the month for congratulations. Best
wishes to Terri Smiley’s son, who was
married in mid-May in
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.
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. Home study telephone: 241-0410
Office Assistant Elena Yarlett
Hours:
Thursdays from
Dir.
of Religious Ed. Kevin Snow
Phone: 249-8104 Email: dre@uucv.net
UUCV
Board of Trustees
Kit Franklin (president), akfrank@epix.net
Ed Glasgow (vice-president), edwinglasgow@aol.com
Leslie Carr (clerk), lgcarr22@yahoo.com
Larry Berger-Knorr (treasurer), bergerknorr@gmail.com
Priscilla Laws, lawsp@dickinson.edu
Tom DeWall, thdewall@papsy.org
Carol McAnulty, paulandcarol913@earthlink.net
Jon Tarrant, jwtarrant@comcast.net
Sue Roberts, b.s.roberts.ivjl@statefarm.com
Committee
Chairs and Other Leaders
Building and Grounds: Letty Kress kresswolf@paonline.com
Music Committee: Ken Laws, laws@dickinson.edu
Finance & Fundraising Committee: Bob & Wendy Hankes,
galt1627@cs.com
Membership Committee: Doug Spencer, jbsandms@epix.net
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
Coffee Coordinator Jeb Boyd, jeb101904@earthlink.net
Sunday Music Coordinator Nancy Bittinger,
nbittinger@comcast.net
Newsletter Editor: Kim van Alkemade, newsletter@.net
Flowers Coordinator: Mary Lynn Lynch, marylynn_lynch@yahoo.com
Potluck Coordinator: Tom Vernon, tlvernon@blazenet.net
Small Group Ministry: Ed Glasgow, edwinglasgow@aol.com