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REMINDER
for
Utica
Chalice
Lighters who have not
responded to the December
2010
#45 call: Important items can get set aside during
the rush of the holiday season but it is not too late to honor your
pledge
at this time. The entire amount received will be awarded to the new
congregation
being established in the Clifton Park area north of Albany. It is being
started with the help and support of the four Unitarian Universalist
congregations
in the Capital Region. CRUUNY has been meeting and planning for several
years and laid the foundation for sharing Unitarian Universalism in the
area with a major media campaign last fall. Checks payable to:
St.
Lawrence District
PO
Box
1045
Buffalo,
NY
14240-1045
Further
information
contact
Nancy Bender
as listed in the Directory
SMALL GROUP MINISTRY:
The Tuesday evening Chalice Circle would like to invite new participants to enhance the experience. The group members are committed and agree to try to come to each session. Our group meets on the first and third Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. We follow a pattern with an opening, each person checks-in; a topic with personal discussion questions, likes and dislikes and a closing. The covenant part of the group is listening without interrupting or giving advice and observing confidentiality.
Topics for the next four sessions are from the
Unitarian Universalist Small Group Ministry Website
(March 1st) FINDING BALANCE, LIVING WITH POLARITIES—FREEDOM AND ACCOUNTABLITY
(March 15th) ENDING AND LEAVE TAKING
(April 5th) EXTENDED FAMILY
(April 19th) OUR RELATIONSHIP TO DEATH AND DYING
-Respectfully; Malcolm Buffington
Help
Wanted: Greeters
If
you enjoy smiling, shaking hands, and putting people at ease, we've got
the perfect job for you! Remember the first time you walked through
those
church doors? You may have been
curious,
apprehensive,
excited,
or
doubtful,
or maybe a little bit of all of that.
If there was a person waiting right there to greet you and make you
feel
that opening that door was the right step to take, that made all the
difference.
Here's
the
job
description:
•
part-time, as little as one Sunday a year, or as often as you want,
•
arrive at church 15-20 minutes before the service begins, stand in the
hall near the door, and greet both those you know and don't know,
•
ask any unfamiliar faces if they're visiting for the first time. If
they
are, tell them you're happy they've come and walk with them into the
sanctuary.
•
offer them a visitor form to fill out if they would like to receive
postal
or e-mailings about the activities of the church. Show them the
envelope
where they can deposit the filled-in form.
•
Point out the temporary name tags available on the lectern.
•
Give them the red "We Are" tri-fold from the literature rack, a copy of
the "Sharing in Community" booklet, and a current newsletter if any are
available.
You can be the difference between a one-time-but-never-again visitor and a new church friend. Dave Drucker is creating a calendar of Sundays for the 2010-11 church year which he will post. Just write in your name next to one or more Sundays of your choosing. Or call, write, or email me, Dave, or Mary McGuirl.
Membership
Committee: I
have two openings on the Membership Committee! I encourage any of you
warm
and friendly folks to join me in this very rewarding work, greeting and
welcoming new and return visitors, connecting them to the rest of the
congregation,
and helping to find outlets for their talents and passions within UU.
See
me before or after worship, call me as listed in the Directory, or
email
mfandot@netzero.com.
-
Dorothy Fannin,
Membership
Chairperson
Membership
Directory: Directories
are
now
available
at
Church.
If you cannot find one, let us know.
- Dorothy Fannin Membership Committee
The Board of Trustees held a retreat Saturday, November. 6 to discuss the mission of our church within the congregation and the larger community.
Among the topics discussed was the way in which the Board interacts with each other while conducting church business. While there have been no issues of concern raised, it was agreed that creating a covenant was something consistent with the principles of this community. During the Wednesday, Nov. 11 Board meeting, the following covenant was adopted. This represents a commitment by each member of the Board to all other Board members. On December 8, and thereafter, the Board will open each meeting by reading the following covenant.
The
Board
of
Trustees
of
the Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica hereby
makes a covenant to:
•
Work together with respect, appreciation of diversity and empathy
•
Presume good intentions as we listen to each other and embrace
divergent
views
•
Recognize our personal limits and take responsibility for our
commitments
•
Reflect on and review our words, actions and accomplishments to promote
better outcomes
•
Be mindful that we are working for the good of a spiritual community
GA
Resources
Now
In
UUA
Social Media Collection
Video
and
slides
from
the
"Introduction to Social Media and Public Relations"
General Assembly workshop are available at http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2010/ga2010/167304.shtml;
in
addition,
slides
from
a
portion of the “Advanced Social Media” workshop
may be viewed at http://www.slideshare.net/UUANewMedia/ga-2010-advanced-social-media.
New
Regional
Consultant
for
Leadership
Development (CERG)
Rev.
Renee Rutchotze is the new Regional Consultant for Leadership
Development.
She will start in the position on September 1 and will focus on working
with congregations with developing leaders and improving the skills of
their current leaders.
Enjoy
fellowship and service...Join a committee
The
church is seeking members who are willing to share some of their time
and
experience by serving on a committee.
What does that mean to me?
Usually, it means one meeting per month at the church and a few e-mail messages or phone calls in between.
What does that mean to the community?
Your involvement strengthens the community by adding your support and views. It also build fellowship among members who might not otherwise get to know each other.
What is available?
• Lifespan Faith Development Committee: Seeking members and a chairperson for the a new committee that will develop programs for adults and older teens that will pick up where our current religious education program stops. The group meets monthly.
• Religious Education Committee: Seeking additional members and a chairperson to help coordinate and oversee our wonderful religious education programs. The group meets monthly and also has some involvement on Sundays.
• Social Action Committee: Seeking members who are willing to help lead the church's outreach into the community. The Board has identified several ideas for a larger outreach program. This is your chance to be a part of it.
• Membership Committee: Seeking volunteers to greet new members at the door before services and to help those new visitors feel welcome. Does not require attendance at the monthly meeting, though it is certainly welcome.
What if I want to start small?
All help is welcome and needed. If you can only meet occasionally, that is still a contribution we can all enjoy. If you'd like to simply visit a committee meeting, that is a good start.
How do I get more information or sign up?
• Contact Bill Cannon at cannonpic@yahoo.com for more information.
Greeter Sign-Up!
Remember the first time you walked through those church doors? You may have been curious, apprehensive, excited, or doubtful, or maybe a little bit of all of that. If there was a person waiting right there to greet you and make you feel that opening that door was the right step to take, which made all the difference. We can all take a turn at being that person.
Just
as
we
all
serve
as hospitality hosts and ushers, we can also be greeters.
All it involves is arriving at church 15-20 minutes before the service
begins, standing in the hall near the door, and greeting both those you
know and don't know. Ask any unfamiliar faces if they're visiting for
the
first time. If they are, tell them you're happy they've come, walk with
them into the sanctuary, and give them a visitor card to fill out. Put
any filled out cards in the Membership Committee folder in the
mailboxes.
That's it. And it can make all the difference in the character of this
church.
If
we're serious about growth and about eventually attracting and
affording
a full-time minister to our church, we all have to take responsibility
for Membership.
I'll
leave
a
calendar
of
Sundays for the 2010-11 church year near the nametags
with space to write in your name next to one or more Sundays of your
choosing.
-
Dorothy
Fannin, Membership Committee
STAY IN THE LOOP! Periodically, thanks to Bill Gazitano, there are e-mail updates sent out to folks from church that are reminders of upcoming events or news of importance that comes up between issues of the newsletter. On the average there might be one of these messages a week. If you are NOT getting these, and would like to, please send Bill an e-mail requesting to be added. (And if you are getting them, but DON'T want them, let Bill know that!) His e-mail is pencandle@roadrunner.com.
HAVE YOU PLEDGED OR DONATED YET? As the stewardship drive moves toward its conclusion, we are hopeful of reaching our "cost-of-living-increase" goal. This will only be possible with the support of our members and friends who have not yet participated. Please help us during this important time. Your gift insures that the UU Church will be healthy, strong, and there for us whenever any of us need it to be. Won't you please help your UU community by being a steward this year? Together we can accomplish wonderful things. - Stewardship Committee
Your contribution is greatly appreciated. .Click on link for details.
New St. Lawrence District Officers
Ernie
Hall
,
Niskayuna
-
President - hallel@nycap.rr.com
Karen
Palmer,
Oneonta
-
Vice
President kpalmer@dmcom.net
Nancy
Reed,
Canandaigua
-
Secretary
renown@ix.netcom.com
Trustees:
the
Rev.
Frances
Manly,
Buffalo; Robb Smith, Wynantskill; Bill Parke,
Buffalo;
David
Friedman,
Rochester.
Youth
Trustee
-
Taylor
Longo,
Liverpool taylongo@aol.com
Join
a
committee! Please remember there are many ways you can
contribute to our church and one of them is
to
volunteer for one of our many church committees. Although some
positions
are filled by
appointment,
all
committees
benefit
from
new members. Please give your name, committee
interest,
and
phone
number
to
any member of the Board so the appropriate committee
chair can contact you. We need your support!
1.
Finance
Committee
2.
House Committee
3.
Worship Committee
4.
Social Action Committee & Green Sanctuary Committee
5.
Membership Committee
6.
Religious Education Committee
7.
Public Relations Committee
8.
External Affairs
Church Use Procedure
To reserve church space for any function, the first step is to secure an application from our secretary, Linda Williams. Please complete the form and return it to her. The responsible person submitting the form will then be contacted and advised if the date and time are available. Occasionally, unusual requests are referred to the board of trustees for a decision.
As the church year comes to a close next June, the children will make a decision together about what to do with the money they have collected. It will be given to a worthy cause that the children care about. Habits of generosity can't be encouraged too early.
The
UUSC
has
a
new
address:
689
Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge,
MA
02139-3302
Their
phone
number
and
e-mail
remains the same.
CHALICE
LIGHTERS PROMOTE GROWTH OF CONGREGATIONS IN THE ST. LAWRENCE DISTRICT
Are
you a Chalice
Lighter? Thirty-four
people in our congregation can
answer
yes to this question. They have helped bring ministerial
leadership
to many congregations in our district. Chalice Lighters have
helped
congregations move into buildings of their own. They have helped
congregations get up and running and they have helped existing
congregations
realize their dreams. If these sound like worthy goals to
you
than you are a Chalice Lighter at heart! Chalice Lighter Sunday
is
day set aside in the St. Lawrence District to recognize our present
Chalice
Lighters, and provide an opportunity for those who believe in the
Chalice
Lighter goals to join the group. Go to this link for more
information:
http://www.sld.uua.org/conggrowth/chalicelighters.html
A
reminder for all St. Lawrence District Chalice Lighters that a call
has gone out for support of the Capital Region’s media project to build
public awareness of Unitarian Universalism. Their six goals to
promote
growth are worthy of our support. Let’s remember when they do
better
we all do better. - Nancy
Bender
Key Security: If you have been entrusted with a church key, please do not give or loan it to anyone else without clearing it with our secretary, Linda Williams. Thank you for your cooperation.
Phyllis
Gee’s Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
1
cup peanut butter
1
egg
1
cup sugar
Mix
well, make 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet,press down
lightly.
Bake about 10 minutes at 350° They should all fit on one
cookie
sheet.
Food Bank The Community Food Bank needs our help! If you have a garden, plant a row for the Community Food Bank. Director Kim Strong said if 200 people would donate the harvest from five plants each, this would enable them to feed the ever increasing number of hungry people. "We need all the help we can get to survive this year," she said. "People are saying they have enough to pay their bills but there is nothing left for food." If you can lend a hand or have questions, call Kim and Denise at 733-0346
The Family Nurturing Center of Central NY, Inc. sent a note of thanks for the paper products given to the Evelyn’s House. They are very pleased our congregation is a part of the community’s efforts in assisting them in meeting the needs of young women and their babies who are in need of services.
COMPEER Volunteers & Donations needed Can you spend an hour or so a week having lunch or visiting with an adult or child with mental health or emotional challenges? Your help is greatly appreciated. Bill Gazitano, one of our members, is a on their Board of Directors. Go to http://www.compeermv.org for more information or call COMPEER at 315-735-1066.
Our
long-time
member,
Ethel
Schaffer,
has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
Her
family - husband, Bob, daughter, Ruth, and son, Howie, are asking
members
of our congregation, where Ethel has been a member for 36 years, to
support
them with donations or walk with them in the 2008 Alzheimer's Memory
Walk
Sept. 13 at the Masonic Care Community on Bleecker Street, Utica.
Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the 2-mile walk begins at 9:30
a.m.
Donations in honor of Ethel may be sent to Ruth Schaffer Wheeler,
Memory
Walk, 215 Candee Ave, Syracuse, N.Y, 13224.
Donation
Form
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