What’s going on... August 2004

[WebEditor's note:  Due to technical problems in July and August 2004, this newsletter was posted late, in February 2005, primarily to add it to the newsletter archive....  cms]

August…  Just a few weeks and Rev. Barbara Child will be joining us for a year, a year in which we have great hopes for increased visibility in our community, increased growth in our membership, and increased development of our individual spiritual lives.  We have an opportunity to start this exciting year early with a special Adult Religious Education module that Virginia Branan and Dee Tait will lead.  Volunteers are needed to get the church ready for Barbara’s first visit and the start of this yearlong project. If we are expecting newcomers, our guests should see our facilities at their best!  If you’re about volunteered out, hang in there; the rest of us need to volunteer more!  The programs all summer have been exciting and this month’s offerings offer wonderful opportunities for growth.  Come also to participate in acknowledgement of the wonder of relationships as we celebrate a marriage in early August.  Some of us are still on vacation this month.  Others are returning as the Fall Semester begins at VSU and in the public schools.  Come when you can to join in our wonderful faith community.  We miss you when you are absent and need your hands and hearts to help us meet the challenges we have set ourselves.

Sunday Services

August 1, Anna Mitchell Hall will speak on "Our Interfaith Faith."  She will talk about the UU experience of bringing together members with varying religious beliefs in one congregation.  How do we handle interaction and conversation with those whose beliefs conflict with ours?  She will discuss the difference between tolerance, acceptance, integration, and appropriation.  Her hope is that everyone will be left with a lot to keep in mind as our congregation strives to grow in size and dynamism in the future. She plans to use musical selections from various faiths and cultures in the service.  Anna is a member of our congregation who has been very active especially in leading the Social Action Committee and often leads our Sunday singing.  

Diane Holliman , Halim Faisal and Charles Judah will lead the service on August 8.  The title of the service is "Lifeboats and Parachutes."  This service will be a celebration of the relationships that give us hope and love, and sustain us in life's journey.  Diane and Halim will exchange vows at the end of the service. Diane insists that this will not be the centerpiece of the service.  This sounds like an unusual and special service being led by two of our members Diane and Charles and Halim, who is a regular and always special guest.  

Rev. Jack Ford will return on August 15 speaking on “The Splendor of Life: (A Pollyanna message) .”  Jack asks “What makes you so special?  What makes life worth living?  What gets you up in the morning?”  Jack signed his recent email: "Excited to see you again soon, the reverend "wolf" Ford."  Rev. Ford, a carpenter and UU minister, lives in Jacksonville , FL.   Jack served as minister to our congregation for several years.  We are always glad to welcome him back.  

On August 22 Mike Stoltzfus will speak on "A Buddhist Approach to Fertility, Responsibility and the Environment."  Several of our members have mentioned that they would like to hear more about Buddhism.  Dr. Stoltzfus is a member of the Philosophy Department faculty at VSU.  He states some of his ideas in this abstract from one of his papers: "Buddhist values emerge from a vision of interdependence, nonattachment, and moderation in all pursuits.  This article is a reflection on these traditional Buddhist teachings within the context of the current crisis of overpopulation and environmental degradation.  I highlight the implied link (present in many religious traditions) between spiritual piety and the production of progeny, and the Buddhist rejection of this link is investigated.  More importantly, the Buddhist values that encourage moderation and responsibility regarding procreation are highlighted. Buddhism does not suggest that people should 'go forth and multiply,' just as it does not view humans a special creation by 'God' and therefore given 'dominion' over the natural world."  

Doug Tanner, who recently joined our congregation, will bring our service on August 29.  His topic will be "Adventures in Buddhism, or Why I Could Never Be the Dalai Lama."  Doug is Director of the Financial Aid Office at VSU.  He says he will be discussing differences in eastern and western culture and thought in his presentation.  This should be an interesting complement to the previous Sunday’s discussion about Buddhist and Christian ideas.  

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. The nursery is now equipped with new furniture. UUA policy recommends that it is prudent to have two people providing childcare for each age group on any given Sunday.   Sarah Tait has agreed to be a provider every Sunday for the nursery. One additional volunteer is needed each Sunday.  Please consult the two-month schedule available at the church and sign up for the dates you can help. This could help our church grow!   

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Adult Religious Education

9:30-10:30 AM in the R. E. wing.

 “Tell me, what do Unitarian Universalists believe?” Ever felt stymied by that question? During August Dee Tait and Virginia Branan will be the facilitators for “Articulating Your UU Faith” by two popular UU ministers, Barbara Wells and Jacoten  Hove. With our new minister coming in September and a really concerted effort to introduce more local visitors to our church, all members and friends are invited to sharpen their skills by attending these five sessions in August.. Virginia was impressed when she heard the authors in a workshop at General Assembly 2002. The UUA website description of the course states: “This creative five-session course guides participants through a series of easy and engaging exercises that equip them to discover and articulate their beliefs, including personal reflection, role-playing, discussion and even the creation of a worship event. Great for newcomers, and a wonderful next step for long-time Unitarian Universalists.”

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Rev. Barbara Child arrives September 8 to begin her ministry with the UU Church of Valdosta .

 

New Church Directory: We are beginning the process of printing a new church directory.  The directory will be effective only if we are all in it.  (1)     Be prepared to have your photo taken one Sunday in August.  The exact dates are uncertain because our photographers have had camera problems, but plans to continue the project are still on. (2)     Send your updated information for the directory to Anna Mitchell Hall:  name, as you want it to appear, mailing address, home/business phones, email address.

President’s Portion

Dee Tait

As I traveled I-75 Saturday morning on my way home from my sister’s place between Sylvester and Albany , I asked myself what would make me get out of bed before 7:00 on Saturday morning.  Of course, I was aware that my reason for getting up was to make it back to Valdosta and have breakfast and get to the church by 10 A.M. to help clean, so really my question was why I would do that.  

As my tires hummed away, my mind drifted into this analysis of what is important to me and my mind said:  “health, family, friends -------.  I was about to get into a list of other things of importance when my mind detoured to ask how the church impacts my health and family and friends.  I thought about our mission statement that tells me this is the place where I can strive for intellectual, moral and spiritual enlightenment and I decided it has a lot do with my health, psychological and otherwise.  Family and friends?  This is the place where I meet and share with family, immediate and extended, and that blends in with friends.  So, as usual, I was reminded that this church is a pretty important place to me.  I know that because it made me get out of bed before 7:00 on Saturday morning.   

If you notice that the church buildings looks nice, mention it to the people listed in the Thank You’s in this newsletter.

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Church Clean-up – Volunteers Needed!

Saturday, August 28 10-12 AM

John Tait is asking everyone to volunteer to help with a major church clean up before the arrival of our minister.   If our president can get up early to drive from Albany Georgia in time to help with the clean-up in July, surely some of us can manage to get to the church the last weekend in August to help out.   Thanks to those of you who have been volunteering.  Don’t stop, but we’d like to see the rest of you too!  

Rev. Barbara Child’s October Series:  If you haven’t already sent Lars Leader your choice of date(s) and times for Rev. Barbara Child’s series, which she will teach Wednesday, Oct. 16 and/or Saturday Oct. 19, please do so right away.  The series is entitled, “Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There (Options for Staying Healthy and Whole in Stressful Times.”  Lars has heard from several people but we need to be able to let Rev. Child know soon so that she can plan her visit. She has asked that we choose the best times for us as a group, taking into consideration, also, that we would invite the community to join us.   This is intended as one mode of growth for us individually and as we reach out to our surrounding community.  Thank you if you have already responded.   Lars Leader can best be reached via email.  The original e-mail asked for your preference of several times and dates. 

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with Betsy Thompson, Membership Ministry Committee Chair, or any of our church officers. We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

 

 

 

 

about our members and congratulations  

v      Late summer this year appears to be the time for romance in our congregation.  Please extend your best wishes to two couples, who have recently pledged themselves to each other---- Hue Jacobs and Chris Baesman eloped on a Blue Moon the last day in July---- Diane Holliman and Halim Faisel pledge their vows during our August 8^th Sunday service.  

v      Congratulations to Rhonda Crawford, who has recently received two awards: The Bronze Star for bravery under fire in Iraq and the Tuskegee Airman Award.  We will miss Rhonda and Jason who are moving to Ft. Walton Beach . Their UU church is definitely the winner!  We’ll miss them.  

 

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 Dee Tait.  

Social Action Committee

This committee will begin meeting regularly again in the fall.  Contact Anna Mitchell Hall if you are interested in current activities of this committee

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