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Rev. Child’s January Visits

Our minister, Rev. Barbara Child, will be in Valdosta for four services in January.

Sunday, January 2      “Coffin and Cradle”

In celebration of the new year, please come with something in mind that you would like to bury from last year and something you would like to bring to birth in the coming year.  We will have both a “coffin” and a “cradle” (if you use your imagination) at the service in case you would like to bring along some symbolic object to put into either of them.   

Please remember that this is the Sunday to bring back your Guest at Your Table boxes.  Has your box been getting full on your dining table?  Even 50 cents per meal would make a significant contribution to the programs around the world of the UU Service Committee.  If you prefer to give one check instead of many quarters, please write your check to UUSC.  Remember too that if you give at least $25, that will give you a membership in the UUSC and will help boost this congregation’s chances of having another UUSC banner year.  And if you give at least $60, your gift will be doubled, thanks to the generosity of the Shelter Rock congregation on Long Island , New York . Thank you for sharing your home this past holiday season with guests from all over the world.  

Sunday, January 9     “The Force of Character”

One element of Martin Luther King’s dream was that people would be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin.  These days judgments seem to be flying all over the place about who does or does not have “moral values.”  Let us celebrate Martin Luther King’s legacy by having a new look at character and values.

Sunday, January 23      “We Need One Another”

This morning we are going to have a real Unitarian Universalist family celebration.  We will honor those who have become members of this congregation in the past few months, and while we are at it, we will have a renewal of membership for everyone else present who has ever signed our membership book.  After all, it is no small thing to become a member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation – for you, and for the rest of the congregation as well.  So today we have much to celebrate!

Sunday, January 30    “In So Many Words”

Don’t I say “God” often enough to suit you – or do I say it way too often?  Is what we do here on Sunday morning “worship” or a “Sunday service” or something else altogether?  If we differ in our beliefs, our language, and our preferred Sunday morning practices, what is it that holds us together as Unitarian Universalists? 

Other Sunday Services

Sunday January 16 Fred Howard will give the talk, "A Pilgrim Looks at 50".   Fred says his 50th birthday is in January and he has been processing this rite of passage as well as reflecting on half a century on this planet of ours.  He says my talk is "A Pilgrim Looks at 50", sort of my own parallel to Jimmy Buffet's "A Pirate Looks at 40."   Dr. Fred Howard is a member of our congregation currently studying in the theology program at Emory University in Atlanta .

Meet & Greet Coffee after the Service: Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in friendly and interesting conversation and particularly to greet visitors and newcomers.  Volunteers are needed to host particular Sundays. 

Childcare is available during the Sunday service. Emily Segrest and an adult volunteer are providing this service to the church.

Sunday Service Planning  There are many things that need to be planned far in advance of each Sunday in order to have  meaningful services... speakers, music, lay leaders, greeters, meet & greet hosts, childcare helpers and special touches like flowers or decorations. The order of service must be prepared and the sanctuary must be made ready for the service.  All of these tasks require organization, so the newly formed Service Strategy Group has placed a notebook on the counter in the vestibule where members and friends may indicate their willingness to help in creating the services we all enjoy. There is a page for each Sunday.   Please sign up under the various categories where help is needed. Don't worry if you lack experience or don't know what is required of a certain job.   Several workshops are planned that will equip you with the expertise you need. Some tasks like childcare assistant, greeter, meet & greet host and flower donation just require a willing spirit!  Please take time each week to check the sign up sheets and volunteer to help make our services meaningful for all. With a congregation as small as ours is, we need everyone to help!

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Religious Education

Adult and Young Children Religious Education meet on Sunday at 9:30 AM in the R.E. wing.  Contact: Anne Zipperer.

R.E. for Young Children: The lessons taught each Sunday during R.E. are from Chalice Children, a UU curriculum. The lessons include material about our planet, imagination, and the interdependent web in which we live. Along with the lessons children will make crafts, read stories, sing songs, and play games.  Our teachers/childcare giver is Emily Segrest. Volunteers are needed for childcare during the service to satisfy UU recommendations that two adults be present when caring for children.

R. E. for Adults: Please watch the Sunday Bulletins for announcements about specific topics and speakers.  The group is involved in lively and interesting discussions concerning current global, political, and religious situations and policies. 

Our minister, Rev. Barbara Child, will be leading Adult R.E. on the second Sundays of her weeks in Valdosta .  She will  be working with ideas from Tom Owen-Towle's book, "Growing a Beloved Community: Twelve Hallmarks of a Healthy Congregation" ( Boston : Skinner House), 2004.  If people would like to buy it, they can order it from the UUA Bookstore at 800-215-9076 or online at http://www.uua.org/bookstore .  Rev. Child says though that she doesn't want people to think they need to buy and read the book in order to come to the sessions.  

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CHILD’S  PLAY

Rev. Barbara Child  

                Growing the Beloved Community is the name of a new book by Tom Owen-Towle.  It’s also what we’re talking about in my “second Sunday” Adult Religious Education gatherings these days.  And it’s what we’re about all the time here, as far as I’m concerned. 

            That’s why I am delighted by the momentum that has been picking up ever since the Sunday afternoon session we had last fall on “The Art of Sunday Services.” 

Did you notice, by the way, the statements in different voices (different typefaces) about worship that have been scattered through the newsletter?  Those were some of the responses to my question:  What does “worship” mean to you, or put another way, what is the Sunday service for?  People wrote their answers down, and the answers were so rich and meaningful that we gave them to Betty Derrick to share in the newsletter. 

            I was deeply moved by everyone’s reflection of the importance of Sunday services in the life of the church.  Sunday services are the “gathering of the tribe.”  They serve us in so many different ways, and they challenge us too because people come with so many different needs and different preferences about the style of worship.  We talked too about how that word “worship” puts some people off, so I mentioned the roots of the word and how it doesn’t necessarily mean bowing down to any deity.  Rather it is “the work of the people,” and it is for paying attention to things of ultimate worth to us. 

            So all of this got us going.  And the next thing I knew, we had a group interested to continue meeting with me on matters of ultimate worth having to do with Sunday services.  We know how important the services are to us – and we also know that they are our best opportunity to welcome newcomers, and so they need to be visitor-friendly in every way possible.  The group met in late November, and gave itself a name – “Service Strategy Group.” This is not a closed group, by the way. The more the merrier.  When the spirit moves you, ask Rosie Asbury or Betty Derrick or Anna Hall or Diane Holliman or Hue Jacobs or Stephanie Kiyak or Lars Leader or Dee Tait or Betsy Thompson or me  when the next meeting will be and what we’re taking up next.

            You may see some of the fruit of our first meeting in some innovations in the Sunday bulletins these days.  And we brought some organization to scheduling for the various things that somebody or other needs to do if a Sunday service is going to serve us in the ways that it needs to. 

            Then we came to the most meaty questions – about planning ahead for the substance of services, choosing topics and speakers and readings and music.  And out of this conversation grew a plan for another Wednesday evening gathering.  You might call this one “Barbara Talks Turkey about What Happens Here on Sunday Mornings.”  I think of it as a coaching session.  We will begin with 5:30 potluck.  And then we will turn to the various ways you might participate in Sunday services – choosing or delivering a reading, for instance, or serving as lay leader, or even composing your own message to deliver on a Sunday morning.  After all, Sunday mornings are all about speaking from the heart to people that you love about things that matter very much.  And we’re all in this together.  I hope you will come.  Mark your calendar for 5:30 on January 26.  

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INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP

If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our minister Rev. Barbara Child.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

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 about our members  

Congratulations to:

v     Jason Halter who was awarded the Vigil honor for Order of the Arrow on December 3 at the OA Fall Fellowship. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's National Honor Society. Its motto is "Brotherhood of Cheerful Service." The Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position of office to one or more of the following: their lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scouting, or their Scout Camp. A lodge may nominate a maximum of two percent of their registered Arrowmen once a year.  

v     Michelle Massengill who graduated from Valdosta State University December 11.  Best wishes and let us know how you are as you leave our community to move into the next phase of your life.

Keep in your thoughts:

….our members and friends experiencing health issues or the loss of loved ones.

Got Wheels?  We need some volunteers willing to provide transportation when someone needs it?  If you are willing to help out from time to time contact Dee Tait

 

Rosie Asbury has agreed to do all the buying of supplies for the church.  You will find one Shopping List board in the kitchen on the wall to the right of the coffee pots and another board just inside the door of the Administrative Office.  Please list any items that need to be bought for the first time or replenished using only the markers clipped to the boards to ensure easy erasing.

 

 

 

 

Get in the habit!  Check the bulletin board in the R. E. building regularly.  Postings there announce activities at the church with sign-up sheets and advertise Florida District activities.  You’ll find interesting information about Unitarian Universalism and about our members too.

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UU 102 COMING IN FEBRUARY

Barbara's sequel to "Getting To Know UU" will be February 16, starting with potluck at 5:30 PM.  Mark your calendar now, and look for details in the February newsletter.  

 

President’s Portion

Dee Tait

Beginnings and endings:  they can be happy, sad or anywhere in between.  We can learn a lot from them, or nothing.   We can look backwards or forward, or both.  Beginnings and endings can be many things, but one thing is consistent: they offer at least a reminder of the opportunity to size things up, to take stock of where we have been.   

Such was the case when calendar year 2004 ended.  As we step into 2005, we might be looking at things we want to remain the same in our personal lives and the things we want to do differently. 

            Also at this time, the halfway mark of the church year, it’s a perfect time for each of us to think about the ways we want to be involved in the life of the church during the second half of this church year and the next, beginning in July.  If you know that you would be good at working on a committee or serving on the board, dont keep it a secret.   Make it known and help to make our church more effective in ministering to our own, in reaching out to the community and in joining with other UU churches in reaching out to the world. 

Thank you for all that you do, as our hopes remain strong for a safer and more peaceful world in 2005.     

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Volunteer Always Needed!  There are always jobs to be done and opportunities to volunteer one's time for the church.  Look for sign-up sheets on the bulletin board in the RE building for that purpose.  See below for several special needs.  Also note the request for volunteers for Sunday services earlier in the newsletter.

Greeters and Meet and Greet Volunteers needed:  Betsy Thompson, Chair of our Membership Committee, asks for helping hands and happy hearts for the following:

·        Greeter:  Greets visitors and members for the Sunday service, in the breezeway, weather permitting, beginning at 10:30 on Sunday morning. Gives a nametag, visitor information card and visitor "goody bag" to first time visitors.

·        Meet & Greet Host:  Starts the coffee before the service and provides a small snack for after service. Helps tidy the kitchen after the Meet & Greet.  

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Treasurer's Report

Randy Thompson

November 30, 2004 Fund Balance

General Fund*		$29,140.30
Restoration Fund		18,015.64
Total		$47,155.94
OUTSTANDINGDEBT
Mortgage		$27,555.41
			YTD
OPERATING RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS:		November	Five Months
Receipts:
Plate		104.08	543.20
Pledge		1,570.00	6,460.00
Rent		240.00	1,200.00
Interest Income		0.00	420.47
TOTAL RECEIPTS		1,914.08	8,623.67
Disbursements:
Minister Expense*		2,221.95	6,666.39
Mortgage		500.00	2,500.00
Speaker's Fees & Expenses		0.00	499.00
Repairs and Maintenance		28.01	483.01
Child care expense		80.00	430.00
Ministerial Music		0.00	50.00
Postage		0.00	74.34
Supplies		0.00	205.10
RE Programming		140.00	375.00
UUA dues		0.00	2,208.00
Utilities		263.96	890.67
Other		12.00	182.00
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS		3,245.92	14,563.51
NET RECEIPT (DISBURSEMENT)		($1,331.84)	($5,939.84)

^*Note:  The balance in the General Fund is reserved for paying a minister.  In December 2003, the church received $17,500, which is the balance of a $40,000 pledge made by Josette and Jim Ingram.  All ministerial donations and expenses have been accounted for in the General Fund.   It is anticipated that the church will incur monthly deficits during the employ of a part-time minister.   This expense has been prefunded and is in the general fund.

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday Evenings  A new Beginner’s Class will begin January 10, 5:45-6:45 PM.   The Continuing Class will meet 6:45-8:15 PM.  Contact Dennis Bogyo.   

New Hope Christian Fellowship - Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 5:00 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.       

 

Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday of each month.  If you can deliver meals on this day beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Virginia Branan.

 Social Action Committee

In December, the Social Action Committee partnered with Diane Holliman to throw a Christmas Party at the church and members brought gifts to be given to a needy family.  In other news, the Social Action Committee, with the concurrence of the Board, agreed to affiliate itself with the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.  The church’s Social Action Committee will be listed in the next GPJC brochure when it is printed in a month or two.

                In January, the Social Action Committee will coordinate our congregation's participation in the MLK Day March in Valdosta sponsored by the MLK Day Commemoration Association.  Details are not settled at this time, but the march is generally the Saturday morning before the MLK Holiday on Monday.  Please watch your email and orders of service for further details.  The committee would like  good number of marchers this year to show the community UU commitment to racial justice. 

            The next meeting of the Social Action Committee will be on Tuesday, January 11 at 5:00 PM in the Adult RE classroom. At this meeting activities will be planned for the next few months. Please come if you have any ideas.

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Church Nature Trail and Memorial Walk

Saturday, January 8, 9:00 AM-until finished:  Due to the storms this year several trees have come down and made the path impassable in areas. On Saturday, January 8, there will be a clean-up day for the nature trail and memorial walk 9 AM until.  Please bring rakes, axes, chain saw, etc. A rededication and opportunity to post the sign generously carved and given to us will be held in January as well.   Watch for further information about the date of the rededication.  You will recall that this trail, talked about for years, was Jason Halter’s Eagle Scout project.  Come help Jason with the clean-up.  Contact Julie Halter if you have questions.

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Global Diversity Coalition Planning Convention in Valdosta , GA January 13-16, 2005. 

The U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have set universal targets that are unreachable without concerted effort and cooperation on the parts of both western and non-western societies. The U.N. Millennium Development Goals are eight in number:1)        Poverty Reduction 2)        Primary Education for all 3)        Reduction in child mortality rates 4)        Improvement in maternal health  5)        Empowerment of women and girls 6)        Finding a cure for HIV/AIDS and other diseases 7)        Environmental Sustainability 8)        Developing a global department for development.  In identifying different types of partnerships possible between various institutions existing in the world today, the United Nations has not included the value of spiritual wisdom and religious leadership in assisting with the development goals.

            In the contemporary world, we find an increasing number of religious and spiritual leaders engaged in bringing about economic equity, social justice, and environmental sustainability in their communities. In the hands of a competent leadership committed to upholding the universal values of mutual respect and non-violence, repertories of spiritual knowledge have the potential to transform development efforts at the local and global levels.

            The Global Diversity Coalition will emphasize the pressing need for "spiritualizing" the so-called secular arenas of world politics and socio-economic development. By bringing together like-minded leaders from mainstream and indigenous religious and spiritual traditions, academics, activists, artists, business-people, and representatives of non-governmental bodies, we hope to initiate dialogues that can culminate in viable partnerships among different bodies based on the shared commitment to global equity, mutual respect, and peaceful co-existence. The five-day Global Diversity Coalition will take place in Valdosta , Georgia , ( USA ) in January 2006.

            To achieve this end, of convening the Global Diversity Coalition in the year 2006, we propose to have a Global Diversity Coalition Planning Convention in Valdosta , GA , from the 13th-16th of January 2005. The Planning Convention will draw together a select group of key leader s in the world from various fields that can congregate to pool together their expertise in exploring the connections between spiritual wisdom and social change. The Planning Convention will also discuss collaborative initiatives, and arenas of partnerships for coalition and grass-roots organizing, and innovative strategies for the for the equitable use of common resources, and for the development of sustainable solutions for global social problems.

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News From the Board:  The Board met on December 9 at 6:00 PM.  Items discussed included pest control for the church buildings, getting the church pamphlet to newcomers to Valdosta , the bylaws review process, transportation for church members, sign position and lighting, and childcare during church programs.  Rather than hiring a pest control service the Board authorized Randy Thomson to purchase appropriate spray.  Dee Tait volunteered to contact various organizations that send out packets to newcomers to see what it would take for our pamphlet to be included. Lars Leader reported that he, Jim Ingram, and Betty Derrick had been reviewing the bylaws.  He asked that Board members send him job descriptions for their leadership positions. He also asked that the Treasurer review the bylaw section on financial transactions to see if it corresponds to current practice.  Anna Hall mentioned that the church sign is still hard to see because it too far from the road.  Lars Leader  mentioned that the lights from the sign are shining in drivers' eyes and making it harder to see the sign.  Dee Tait agreed to check the bulbs to see if we could replace them with bulbs that were less bright.  The Board also discussed the need for volunteers to be the second person to do childcare on Sunday mornings to replace Sarah Tait.   The next Board meeting will take place on Thursday, January 6 at 6 PM in the Adult RE classroom. 

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS

Joan Lund

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now that the end-of-the year festivities are a thing of the past and we welcome 2005, may we do so with love, hope, and dedication to our liberal faith. Soon I will be traveling to Boston for the January Board of Trustees meeting where the weather will be cold but the work will be zealously done in the spirit of warmth.

Recently I received an unsolicited publication called the U.U. Small Group Ministry Quarterly. As you must know I get many U.U. newsletters, brochures, and other U.U. related information. This one sparked an interest and desire to learn more about how Small Group Ministry (SGM) “works”, the elements of its format, and how effective this Ministry can be in our congregations. I have, in my travels and work within the Florida District, heard people say they wish to find a way to connect more deeply and spiritually in their religious community. Participating in SGM, sometimes known by other names such as Covenant Group Ministry, offers congregational members the opportunity for deep spiritual exploration. SGM provides relational groups designed to build, in the midst of our diverse memberships, centers of trust and friendship that remain closely connected to the congregation.

Briefly, the elements of SGM include a group size of about eight to ten people who meet at least once a month in someone’s home or at the church. The format should combine worshipful and/or centering readings or rituals and personal check-ins at the start and end of the meeting. The facilitator is a person chosen and trained by the minister or in societies with no minister, by someone chosen by a small steering committee. At the meetings an empty chair must be kept to symbolize those not yet reached who need the group and to suggest the expectation that a new group will be “born from” this group when membership gets to ten or so. At the second meeting a behavioral covenant must be agreed upon, stating how members wish to be with each other.

From what I read and hear SGM continues to transform congregations and to deepen the spiritual and community life of the people who participate. Since data reveals we retain only 10% of the children raised as U.U.s perhaps keeping them might involve creating small groups in our congregations for people of all ages. Maybe instead of talking about and creating various “classes”, change might include creating “small groups” ministry. Just some thoughts. If you would like further information I suggest The Complete Guide to Small Group Ministry, by Robert L. Hill, an excellent guide for helping our congregations make a difference in the church, as well as individually, and in the world.

I wish you the very best in 2005 and am always interested in hearing from you. I can be reached at jlund@uua.org.

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UU Activities and Announcements

 Further information is posted on the bulletin board in the R.E. wing at the church.

 Jan.7-8 – Florida District Board meeting  

Jan. 14-16 -  YRUU All-Age CON, Gainesville , FL  

Jan. 29 – Workshop “Integrating World Religions into Liberal Spirituality,” UU Church of Jacksonville , FL

 

Feb. 18- 20 Conference featuring Margot Adler “Healing The Interdependent Web ~ Let it Begin with ME!”, UU Church of Fort Myers , FL   For more information and registration: visit 

http://www.oocities.org/uuconference/index  

April 8-9 – District Annual Assembly with Bill Sinkford

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With Gratitude and Thanks

A complete Report on Giving to the Unitarian Universalist Association for fiscal year 2003-2004 is online at http://www.uua.org/giving/annualreport2004.pdf.  The report is an expression of gratitude for the individual and congregational support that makes it possible for our Association of Congregations to provide programs and services to our congregations and to bring our message of tolerance and religious freedom to the wider society.  Thank you, all.  

Interested in Serving on a UUA Committee?

Do you have interests and talents that you’d like to use to benefit Unitarian Universalism and our wider UU family?  The UUA relies on energetic and committed volunteers to serve on the committees, boards and panels that work with staff to carry out the mission and ministry of our Association.  Information about available positions and an application form are at www.uua.org/TRUS/cocmbrochure.html.  The deadline is August 15, 2005, for 2-year committee terms that begin in January 2006.  This is a great way to meet other UUs, serve our movement and sharpen your leadership skills!  The UUA’s Nominating Committee coordinates elective positions, such as President and Moderator.  The required paperwork for running for these positions must be filed by February 1, 2005.  See www.uua.org/administration/nominating.html.     

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Newsletter Staff

Editor:  Betty Derrick

Website:  Carol Stiles

January 15: deadline for the February newsletter.

Happy New Year!

 

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New Literary Magazine Seeks Writers

The Continental Unitarian Universalist Young Adult Network (C*UUYAN) is going to publish a new online journal of ideas and articles and invites submissions from young adults 18-35.  Articles, essays, sermons, reflections, poetry, liturgies and stories of what UU life is like for you would be welcomed, along with ideas for the magazine’s title (C*UUYAN previously published a magazine called Ferment).  One of the things that brings young adults together is the unique perspective they bring to issues like theology, justice, liturgy and church.  If you have thoughts on these topics or any others of relevance to C*UUYANers and the UU community at large, send them to Liz Schwartz at yaLiz@yruu.net.   

Discussion List for the Science-Minded

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people trained in science, engineering and other technical disciplines have found a comfortable spiritual home in one of our UU congregations.  One of the reasons for this is that UUs do not hold dogmatic supernatural beliefs that must be reconciled with the revelations of science.  A new UUA-hosted email forum, Scitechnetwork-uu,  provides an opportunity for UUs with scientific and technical interests to discuss how their scientific perspective relates to their liberal religious or humanistic faith.  Sign up at www.uua.org/mailman/listinfo.  

 

The Press Room

A new feature on the UUA web site (www.uua.org/pressroom/) provides members of the media quick access to useful materials, including an index of recent articles, UUA press releases, and an electronic media kit.  Individual UUs will find it a useful way to follow our Association’s public witness activities.

The Press Room is a service of the UUA’s Office of Information & Public Witness, which plans and directs the UUA's public outreach programs to help increase awareness of Unitarian Universalism.  The office provides congregations and districts with a variety of resources for their own communication efforts, oversees public relations training programs, and coordinates national public radio campaigns.  It also responds to information inquiries from constituents, the general public, and the media.  The UUA's Customer Service Representative serves as the contact person for any complaints regarding the Association's service.  The office also works in collaboration with the Office of Electronic Communications to develop and maintain the UUA's presence on the World Wide Web.