What

Sun	Nov. 4	10:45 AM	Service – Words from the Imam of the Islamic Cultural Center
Sun	Nov. 11	9:30 AM 10:45 AM 12:15 PM	Youth and Adult R.E. Service - Rev. Anne Marie Alderman, visiting UU Minister Board Meeting
Mon	Nov. 12	11:00 AM	Break Bread delivery
Sun	Nov. 18	10:45 PM 12:15 PM	Service –-“Memorial Service on the Effects of the War on Our Life,” Charles Judah. Thanksgiving Dinner at the church
Sun	Nov. 25	9:30 AM 10:45 PM	Youth and Adult R.E Service – Thanksgiving Service, Betty Derrick
Sat	Dec. 8	4:00 PM	Ordination of Jack Ford at UU-Valdosta Click here for announcement!

November ……. This month our services will consider issues related to the events of September 11 as we discuss Islam and Charles Judah shares something of his personal pilgrimage. Ann Marie Alderman, a Jacksonville UU Minister who has visited with us before, will lead our services one Sunday. At the end of the month, perhaps at a time some of us don’t feel especially thankful, Betty Derrick will bring her traditional Thanksgiving service with pumpkin bread and spiced “cider.” Bring your favorite Thanksgiving dish the Sunday before Thanksgiving and join our Sunday dinner together after the service. May we be reminded that we are a diverse community of sharing and love as we find our own personal “footing” in these difficult and complex times. This is a time in our lives when community can make so much of a difference. May our community remain strong and loving and accepting. We miss you when you are absent. Come as you are able.

Rev. Ann Marie Alderman Visits

Ann Marie Alderman, Religious Education Director of the Arlington Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Jacksonville, FL will lead our services on November 11. Ann Marie was ordained at her Jacksonville church on October 28. We welcome her return visit to our church and congratulate her on her recent full fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist minister.

Bring a holiday covered dish to share for a sit down Thanksgiving dinner celebration after the service on November 18. Please note this is a change from the usual 2^nd Sunday potluck.

Thanksgiving Service November 25

We will share a Thanksgiving “communion” of pumpkin bread and spiced cranapple punch as we consider those things for which we are thankful in this service which has become a now and again tradition for our congregation. Betty Derrick will lead this service which she developed a number of years ago.

Thank You! Thank You!

For providing music for services: Alex and Derrick

For delivering meals in October: Dee Tait, Charles Judah and for extra meal deliveries in August for others on vacation: Virginia Branan, Joan Cline, Rosie Asbury, Dee Tait and a special thank you for assisting a 92 year old recipient who collapsed the day they visited her to: Joan Cline and Virginia Branan

For taking care of our church and building and grounds : Julie Halter, Bobbie Dixon, Sharon McKenzie, Joan Cline, William Atkinson, Virginia Branan, Dee Tait

From the Florida District of UUA for hosting a training session at our church for 18 people from Florida and Georgia. They were involved in the UUA curriculum training for Our Whole Live“. "Feedback from both trainers about the entire weekend has been very positive, with special emphasis on the great food‘ ('No food complaints for the first time ever!' said one trainer). Gratitude and blessings to all of those who assisted in making the weekend successful." Thank you: Virginia Branan, Charles Green, Diane Holliman, Jerry Jones, René Kerr, and Sharon McKenzie.

November is often a time when we reflect on our lives and what we are thankful for. Below is a piece from Anthony Robbins that can be used as a daily tool for centering and gratitude.

From Anthony Robbins (1991) “Awaken the Giant Within,” New York: Simon & Schuster

4.How has today added to the quality of my life or how can I use today as an investment in the future?

5.How can I enjoy the process while I do what is necessary to make it the way I want it?

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.

Our thoughts are with those in our church community who are dealing with health problems.

Board Highlights

Board Meeting October 14, 2001: Diane Holliman called the meeting to order. Diane, Joan Cline, René Kerr, and Sharon McKenzie were present. Jack Ford's ordination was discussed. The proposal is for the ceremony to be held on December8th or9th at the Valdosta church, co-hosting with the Buckman Bridge congregation. Our expense would be $500-$1,000, mainly for travel for people on program. All official members of the church need to vote on this. William Atkinson will be encouraged to remain on the board. He had offered to resign due to inability to attend board meetings because of work conflicts. Sharon McKenzie reported she is still working on mailing label list and that two persons so far have responded to taking their names off the list. She will be investigating the bonding process. Insurance safety posters are to be laminated and put up as part of an RE project. Treasurer's report was given by René Kerr. The Board voted to participate in the Greater Valdosta Community Christmas Parade on December1 at 5 P.M. A $40 fee is due by November9. Participation will be with a truck if available or if not as a walking entry. Diane's Holiday Party - bring a child's gift and a favorite holiday treat. will be December 2 in the afternoon. There will be more information in the December newsletter. The music budget is $300 annually. Diane is still trying to arrange for a musician. It will probably cost $25 a service for two times per month. The Board authorized René to investigate further the church license plates she had samples of. These are plastic tags to go on the front of a vehicle. Joan Cline reported that people had been doing their “homework” for the initial Adult RE sessions. Bill Godwin was to lead discussion the next time on a comparison of Islam and Christianity. Potluck for November was changed to the3rd Sunday as a Thanksgiving celebration.

ª©¨§Bridge Group This group has postponed its starting date to January. Contact Charles Green if you are interested. .

Religious Education

Youth R.E.: Religious Education for youth got off to a good start this fall on September 9 with six participants: Derrick, Alex, Jason, Kevin, Sean, and visitor, Lauren. Plans were made to continue the astrobiology study of "Life Here and Elsewhere" and to begin the curriculum "Living our UU Principles."

The youth are also interested in planning a December program for the congregation. Various projects and activities were discussed and all agreed they liked a "hands-on approach to learning." At the end of the session, Jason assisted the group in exploring one of the nature trails on the backside of the church property. Virginia Branan will be lead teacher - please call her for further information. Youth will meet on second and fourth Sundays, 9:30-10:30 a.m., which is the same schedule as adult R.E.

Adult R.E.: Adults will be meeting on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. A discussion of world religions began in September. The group plans also to view and discuss the videotape“, "The Power of Myth," by Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell. Joan Cline is coordinating the Adult R.E.

Treasurer’s Report

The bench will cost $200.00. So far this fundraiser has brought in $15.12 - COME OUT AND "PUT YOUR TWO CENTS’ IN"!...CONTEST ENDS NOV.30TH!

Metropolitan Community Church - Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 5:00 PM. Service at 6:00 PM

Women’s Group Those who self-identify as female are invited to join this group for good food and great company, the 1^stand 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The group provides a safe space for women to be supportive of each other. During the next several meetings the group plans to discuss ethical expectations for group participants. Bring a snack or potluck dish and other ideas for discussion, or just yourself! Contact René Kerr.

Oct. 27-Nov. 25 Just Works Church rebuilding Workshop, Miami, FL (UUSC project, one week commitment)

Nov.16-18 November Pines Weekend, The Pines Conference Center, Brooksville, FL (environmental, outdoor, wildlife workshops, and rest and relax)

Reflections on anti-racism conference Brenda Gadson reflects upon her experiences attending the United Nations World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa together with a delegation from UUSC. Ms. Gadson is the director of the Roxbury Multi-Service Center in Boston, Mass., a colleague agency of UUSC. She observed that the conference touched on more topics than the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and reparations for slavery, unlike what was reported in the media back in the United States. For more about the conference, visit:

UUSC board responds to September 11 Members of the UUSC Board of Directors discussed the devastating attacks of September 11 and their aftermath at length during their October 2001 meeting. The board developed a declaration of principles that will guide UUSC as it recommends a number of actions by its membership and by policy-makers in the coming months in response to the September11th attacks. For more about the UUSC's Board of Directors' response to September 11, visit:

“I am reminded of the little book that Sam Keen wrote years ago entitled, Faces of the Enemy. In that book he said that in order to murder, we must construct the face of the enemy with such a threatening demeanor that we can kill that person with impunity. It is obvious to me that those who ran themselves into our buildings killing themselves and thousands of others found such a threatening demeanor in the faces they created of us.

“I, like so many of you, WANT to be able to identify such a clear enemy today as the terrorists had that fateful morning. I know, though that the enemy is a many faced hydra. The hydra bears the faces of frustration, hate and misguided leadership. That same face is one of ignorance and anger, fear and despair, injustice and marginalization. I believe strongly that if I shut myself down and give a single name to the enemy, it will be at my peril. My sense of peace may be restored if someone is killed and they have marked on their graves the names of ‘terrorist.’ The death of a few right now will not kill the beast of hate that lurks beneath the surface, though. The peace that might be restored will be a false peace for only the physical force of hydra will be gone and in its place another will be created that has the power to be much more dangerous.

“My intense desire to create this enemy is a direct reaction to my anxiety and wish to be restored to the easy nonchalance of my pre-September 11 life. This anxious time calls Unitarian Universalists to be in disturbed relationship to the complexity of our response. We proclaim that we affirm a free and responsible search for truth and meaning and couple that with the right of conscience. I believe we must hold those responsible for the mis-use of their anger and hate accountable for their egregious behaviors. Accountability is the price of the freedom we each have to use or mis-use our freedom for good or evil.

“I also believe that each of us bears a profound responsibility to search that which we do and that which is done in our name for the sources of anger in the hearts of some that grew into the tragedy that anger birthed on September 11. We are not to blame for the deaths in that event, make no mistake that I say that, for that responsibility is for those who mis-used their anger to destroy others. What I say is that in conjunction with bringing those actually responsible to justice for their acts, that we enter into a time of deep discernment between ourselves as UUs and as citizens of the world.

“One of the most powerful traditions that we have in our faith is to the right of conscience. During this time we will not agree on where that right leads us. I ask that this be a time of covenants of safety between us to express that which is troubling our hearts and minds. I ask us also to find a commitment to the maintenance of our relationships, especially when we disagree. We love our diversity. Let our actions show that face to each other and to the world. During this time our understandings of tolerance will be tested. Let this be a time for us to expand out understanding of the myriad ways we construct meaning. Let this be a time to reinforce our deepest held trust that we can be ourselves in our congregations as we wrestle with the terribly complex path that is laid before us. Our history has had us both proud and divided during times of great social stress. Let us reason together about what conditions we need to have in place in our congregations to make this a time of our greatest pride in our response rather than a time we will recall with shame. It is not only our congregations that will be the better for this but all humanity. I believe we have a faith understanding that can save lives. This is a time to demonstrate and share that tradition with the communities we live in.”

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The Newsletter Team (click here to meet us!)

President's Column	Thank You! Thank You!	Religious Education
Social Opportunities!	Social Action	UU Activities and Announcements
Board Notes!	Special Column by Rev. Mary Higgins.... UU response to Sept. 11