What’s going on... June 2009 (sorry for the delay!)

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Sunday Services

Sunday, June 7 – Rev.  Al Hunt, "The Socinian Heresy"

Al Hunt will continue his discussion of Unitarian history with this sermon on the origins of Unitarianism in Modern Europe.  

 Sunday, June 14 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus, “Shinto Worldviews and Practices”

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan or, more properly, the origins of Japanese culture.  Shinto refers to the way of Kami, typically translated as the way of the gods.  General characteristics of Shinto worldviews include a lack of distinction between sacred and secular, harmony with nature, reverence for life, an optimistic view of human beings, relativity, seamlessness, and a lack of systematic creeds or texts.  We will discuss Shinto in terms of its historical and contemporary manifestations in Japan.

 Sunday, June 21 – Rev. Fred Howard,  "The Father Quest"

I lost my father this year.  Yet in many ways, he is still with me.  This morning I will explore some of the mythological insights of the father quest, and how it continues to inform my life.
 

Sunday, May 28 –  Rev. Al Hunt, "All Those Unitarians" 

This sermon will discuss all of the various forms of Unitarian belief that exist today...

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Let’s Have Some Fun!!

 Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, June 5

At the church

Potluck: 6:00 PM – Discussion: 7:00 PM

It’s Mya Storey’s birthday so come help her celebrate and enjoy good company, food, and discussion!

The book is "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga, an interesting first novel by an Indian writer.  The story is about the life of a young man from "the darkness" in India who becomes the driver for a wealthy Indian.  It provides an insight into the culture of the largest democracy in the world.  For those who have seen the recent Academy Award winning movie, “Slumdog Millionaire” this novel gives further insight into this class conscious society.   It raises numerous questions for discussion.  We have been selecting books which deal with different cultures, religions, and life styles.  Come prepared with your recommendation for the next discussion.  Contact: Betty Derrick.  

Games Night

Saturday, June 20

7:00 PM at the church

Bring a snack to share, the kids and yourself, and your favorite game and be prepared to have a fun fellowshipping time!    

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Religious Education for Children

During this spring the RE children worked on Earth Day lessons and continued learning about the similarities and differences between a variety of religious traditions.   The RE program for children meets at 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  Volunteers to help in the classroom are needed. Contacts: Mya Storey; Susan Bailey.

Special thanks to Stephanie Kiyak for the ceramic chalice she has given the church to replace a similar one we used when she regularly attended our services.  This is a going away gift from Stephanie who is a potter.  The chalice is decorated with religious symbols form different world religions.  It is her wish that the RE children complete the chalice by painting the symbols themselves.   Best Wishes Stephanie as you and your husband leave Valdosta for Buffalo, NY.

 

 

Social Action Activities

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday (and 5^th when there is one) of each month.  If you would like to help deliver meals beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Frank or Rosie Asbur.

Accepting Difference Project

 

Interfaith National Day of Prayer- Fred Howard’s comments

The Interfaith National Day of Prayer Event occurred on May 7, 2009 at the Lowndes County Courthouse. It was sponsored by the Valdosta Area Ministerial Association. Representatives of the following religious traditions participated : Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous North American, Islamic, Jewish, Mormon, and Unitarian Universalist.  Religious leaders were encouraged to attend and wear attire representing their faith group.  Many of our UU members were in attendance.  

The Interfaith National Day of Prayer (NDOP) ceremony was one of the most rewarding things in which I have had the privilege to participate.  The participants were as diverse a crowd as one could find anywhere on the planet, yet we were assembled from residents of our own community right here in Valdosta.  A palpable spirit of goodwill and enthusiasm for the service permeated the entire process – from the planning right down to the handshaking afterwards.  I sense that this may be the beginning of an annual affair that the religious community will anticipate with great relish.  George Bennett, the president of the Valdosta Area Ministerial Association (VAMA) has already reserved our spot for next year’s ceremony.

                My personal thanks to Lars and the other members of the congregation who took the lead in seeing that this initiative became a reality.  To me, the living tradition of our faith in “drawing wisdom from the world’s religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life” was so much in evidence here in all the efforts that went into making this inclusive event happen.  Through my experience with the inclusive NDOP event, what started out like a nice idea for me gradually evolved into a real opportunity to take our principles and purposes out into the community in a very visible way. 

                The Latin American writer Carlos Fuentes said, “People that live in isolation perish and it’s only people that communicate and give things to each other that thrive, that live.  I think having an identity means that you can accept challenges and influences from everywhere.”  By speaking from their personal faith and traditions while also being open to being with and listening to the prayers of such a diverse group, the ministerial leadership of VAMA demonstrated so effectively what it says to the world when we are secure enough in who we are as a people to be open to experiencing the stranger, the other.  The energy that I felt in the group as I stood on that podium on May 7 with representatives of the other faiths indicated that thriving, living spirit that lies at the heart of the interfaith movement.  May this event’s success be multiplied many times over in the life of our community and our world as we continue our efforts to make peace a reality in our lifetime.         

The Accepting Difference Project provided a small amount of funding for this interfaith project.  The following statement appeared as an insert in the program for the event.  Thanks to Lars Leader for his leadership on this project.  I’m sure he will be letting us know the response from the insert.  

Program insert: The Accepting Differences Project is an active interfaith body working hard to celebrate religious and cultural diversity, and foster harmony and mutual respect among different religious and spiritual traditions in the Greater Valdosta area. We believe that one of the best ways to promote interfaith harmony is by understanding and accepting differences among religious and spiritual traditions. To this end, we are contemplating regular interfaith prayer meetings, where different groups will come together in prayer. 

            If you would like to be involved in future interfaith religious and cultural events, like the one you are witnessing today, please write your contact information at the bottom of this slip.  Drop the slip into the “Contacts” box on the table at the side of the stage. We will be in touch with you.  Writing pens are available at the table.

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Mary Turner Project: In mid-May several of our members attended a commemoration gathering and ceremony to remember a number of community members that were lynched in this area in 1918.   Rev. Fred Howard participated in the event.  

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors- The Board did not meet in May. Watch for announcements about the date and time of the June Board meeting. 

Annual Congregational Meeting: The meeting (originally scheduled for May 17) was held on May 24.  In the President’s absence, Sue Bailey presided.  Members accepted the slate of nominees, approved the proposed budget with one small modification, authorized the Board to make contractual arrangements for Fred Howard to serve as half-time minister, and made arrangements for the congregation to participate in the UUA presidential election.

Ministerial Committee: President Doug Tanner has announced that the Ministerial Search Committee is recommending the Reverend Fred Howard as a candidate for halftime minister for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Valdosta.  As part of the Annual Congregational Meeting, the congregation will decide how we proceed.  He reminds the congregation this an opportunity to have your opinion heard and have a voice in the future ministry of the church.  The Committee was composed of Pat Wells, Dee Tait, and Anne Marie Smith.

Nominating Committee: Dee Tait (Chair), Josette Ingram, and Charles Judah are on the committee.   The slate of officers from the Nominating Committee recommended to the congregation for its Annual Meeting was: President Doug Tanner; Co-Vice Presidents  Bill and Valerie Webster; Treasurer  Rosie Asbury; Secretary Kari Wells; RE Director Susan Bailey; Membership Director Lars Leader; Building and Grounds Director Jim Ingram.  

Treasurer's Report: Watch for an updated report in the next newsletter.  This information was unavailable when the newsletter went to press.

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 ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Happy Birthday  in June to

v Mya Storey

v Chuck Giese  

Congratulations to

v Sue Bailey who graduated from Valdosta State University on May 9 with a Masters in Education degree. Her specialization for her degree was in the Instructional Technology/Library Media Option.   If you missed her some during the spring, now you know she was hard at work trying to get finished up with requirements for her degree.  Great work Susan!

v Dee Tait’s grandson, Nicholas Anthony Moszilli, who graduated from FSU May 2 with a BA in music.  Nick is Dee’s daughter Kathy’s son.

 Keep in your thoughts

….our members and friends with health issues or concerns about family members.  

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund

June 2009

 

For this month and in July the columns will be about our chief UUA officers, the President, Moderator, and Financial Advisor. In April the UUA Board of Trustees (BOT) voted to include on the 2010 General Assembly (GA) agenda, important changes in UUA Bylaws Articles V, VIII, and IX which determine the length of the terms the President and Moderator, and the creation of a Presidential Search Committee. This does NOT mean the terms of the President and Moderator will change before much conversation. By putting the proposed changes on the agenda it means there is over a year for discussions within all congregations and interested parties, before voting in 2010. At this time the BOT has not taken a position on the proposed changes.

                The proposed changes for both the President and Moderator would allow a single six-year term of office. A partial term of more than two years by reason of appointment and/or election would be considered a full term. The Financial Advisor term(s) would not change.

                In Article V, Section 5.1, a Presidential Search Committee would be created, and consist of five members elected by GA, a member appointed by our UUA Ministers Association, and one member appointed by the BOT. This Committee would choose two candidates for the presidency. The election and appointment of members would occur at the GA held four years before the GA at which there would be a presidential election. Each appointed or elected member of the Committee would serve a term of six years and take office at the close of GA at which they are appointed or elected. As stated in Article IX, Section 9.5 an individual may continue to run by petition for the office of President. The BOT will establish another committee to nominate one or more candidates for Moderator.

                Of course there are many questions, responses, and opinions to be voiced before the 2010 GA in Minneapolis. I encourage your congregation to devote time to discussions regarding the proposed changes and send delegates to GA in 2010. Hopefully the short column this month will peak your interest in these significant proposed changes. Please telephone or email me jlund@uua.org if you wish to talk about them or anything else UU-oriented on your mind. I’m a good listener and usually know, or can find answers to your concerns.  

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our President, Doug Tanner, or Membership Director, Lars Leader.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.          Rev. Fred Howard also welcomes your questions about UU membership.

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings Florida District Friends and Leaders

Kenn Hurto, Florida District Director  

Recently I had the pleasure of ordering a set of portable speakers for my laptop.  This should come in handy when I am doing presentations to our leadership groups.  The company I used did something very clever that I pass on for your consideration.  They sent me an e-mail, thanking me for my purchase. Then they asked:  "Please let us know how we are doing by filling out our one question survey online at http://..." That was quick and painless, easy.

                What did they ask you wonder? "Based on this purchase experience, how likely are you to recommend us to a family member or friend in the future?"  One question! It cuts to the chase and tells them a great deal about how well they are doing. The company used Survey Monkey, a popular online tool. All I had to do was click a "button" and I was done. They included as well an open box were I could type in anything else I wanted to say. My reply was linked to my invoice #, so they knew who replied.

                I thought: how helpful it would be for our congregations were our leaders to ask a similar one question of their guests: "Based on this worship experience, how likely are you to return or recommend our church to a family member or friend?"  We Unitarian Universalists host roughly 5,000 guests nationwide every week. Yet, last year, the UUA overall membership declined slightly, for the first time in years [as did the FLD!].  Prior to that, our growth prior was a slim 1%. We are doing so many things right. We are so rightly positioned to speak to this generation's spiritual needs. But we don't seem able to hold onto and convert our guests into members. While there is conjecture why this is so, would it not be more helpful to you as a congregational leader to know directly?

                Most of our guests pre-qualify themselves these days by checking out your website or uua.org. They already know much about us when they arrive. What they're looking for is whether we practice as we preach, whether we are as we say we are. What WE need to know is more fully why they came, what they found, and, if they are not coming back, why. Returning or not, we need to know this!

                I urge you to consider this idea. Ask just one question! Let's get over our fear of feedback and ask!  (Just a note from your editor:  Just think our Director of Membership already knows this software.  An idea we ought to try, Lars?)

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

New Hope Christian Community Church- Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 4:30 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.  http://internationalchristiancommunity.ning.com

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday: Continuing Class: 6:00-7:30 PM.  Watch for a new Beginners Class probably beginning in mid-August.   Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin.

PFLAG Meeting – 4th Tuesday each month, 7:00PM

Contact: Doug Tanner The web page for PFLAG Valdosta:
http://pflag-valdosta.web.officelive.com/default.aspx   

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UU Activities and Announcements

June 5-7, June 12-14, June 19-21- R3 (Mountain Mini) Retreats, The Mountain, Highlands, NC

June 24-28- UUA General Assembly, Salt Lake City, UT

July 5-10- RE Week at The Mountain, Highlands, NC

July 19-24- Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute(SUUSI), Radford, VA

An intentional intergenerational community of UU and like-minded people on the Radford University campus convenes for one week each summer to explore our interconnectedness, delight in the outdoors, enjoy music, and learn new ways of seeing our world and each other. See www.uusi.org for information. Rekindle the Flame Within is the theme this year.

July 19 – 24-Southland Unitarian Universalist Leadership Experience, The Mountain, Highlands, NC

August 29-District Wide Congregational Teacher Training, UU Congregation of Lakeland, Lakeland, FL

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Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait Photographer: Mya Storey June 15: Deadline for the July newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day Appeal to Honor UUs in the Armed Services:  “Each time I have to stand by the ‘Chaplain Corps’ table strewn with religious and spiritual information for National Guard Soldiers I support, I find myself yearning deeply for material that is representative of the open, diverse, nurturing, affirming and accepting ideas of the UU tradition…So many of our military service members are hungry for a community that allows them to develop and grow in a faith that fits who they are and what they believe.”—Second Lieutenant Kelly Cummins, Chaplain Candidate

                Not since 1942 has Unitarian Universalism provided resources to our service members or the chaplains who serve them. The UUA is seeking contributions to publish a collection of materials that provides encouragement and comfort to Armed Service men and women.    $25,000 must be raised before June 30, 2009 to produce, manufacture and distribute 20,000 copies at no charge to service members, military chaplains, and military chapels.  

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Recreation! RE-Creation!! Renewal!!!  Need some relief from the harsh economic realities? Need a vacation but can’t really afford one? The Mountain totally “gets it!” So we’re offering you three opportunities for retreat and renewal that fit within your tight budget – and all in the lovely month of June. R3 Retreats are designed especially to give you plenty of time and space to just relax and “do your own thing,” whether on your own, with friends or with your family.  Volunteer staff will welcome you Friday evening and offer participants light-hearted opportunities to become acquainted. Saturday morning, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, followed by an intergenerational walk to Chinquapin Mountain in the Nantahala National Forest through the rhododendron forest that might even be in full bloom. Saturday afternoon will be time for you to enjoy on your own - napping, reading, playing with your children or just gazing out at the spectacular beauty of these beautiful mountains in late spring. Our volunteer staff will join you at Community Social Time and dinner, and will host a campfire (weather conditions permitting) complete with s’mores. Sunday morning after breakfast and packing, there will be a brief community closing circle to share memories and bid farewell. Our very special “economy fee” for the weekend is inclusive of all meals (Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast), housing and program. Families, singles, and groups of friends – all are welcome.  Price: Adults $90; Youth (13-17) $44; Children (4-12) $33. The Mountain Retreat & Learning Centers Inc, PO Box 1299, Highlands, NC28741

(828) 526-5838 fax (781) 846-1295  

ESCAPE TO VERMONT: October 9-11, 2009  Fifteenth Annual B&B Weekend offered by the UU Church of Rutland, VT.  Enjoy the beauty of Vermont, UU hospitality, and a choice of guided activities:  hiking, nature walk, kayaking, bicycling, antiques/arts, cider making historic tour, soaring tour, touring historic sites and quaint towns, and much more.  Registration by August 15, $275 (single) and $475 (double).  After August 15, $325 (single bed) and $525 (double bed).  For more information contact uufoliagevermont@yahoo.com or (802) 353-7969. www.rutlanduu.org  (UU Church of Rutland website)