December 1998

What’s going on....

Chalice Light Dinner, Friday, Dec. 4, 7:00 p.m.

COME ONE, COME ALL to the first ever CHALICE LIGHT HOLIDAY DINNER at the Valdosta UU Church. The RE students are planning an evening of good food, lots of lights to celibrate the chalice, thoughts about the chalice, singing, trimming the tree, etc. We need you all to come help celibrate! The students will provide a ham, green salad, breads, desserts and drinks. Please bring a favorite holiday dish to supplement the menu, or if you don't have the time to cook, you can always drop a donation into the basket instead to help with expenses. Please call Steve or Janet by Dec. 1 (or ASAP - ed. note) if you can attend so that we have an idea of how much food to prepare.

11^th annual World AIDS Day - Dec. 1, 1998, - "a day bringing messages of compassion, hope, solidarity and understanding." This year’s theme: "Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign with Young People."

Adult Forum And Meditation Groups

Are you interested in discussing religious topics with other UUs? Or are you interested in silent group meditation? Given sufficient interest, you can do either! Wendy Sue Lamb is willing to organize and lead the Adult Education discussion group, while Bill Hayes is very interested in a group for investigating meditation procedures used in different religious traditions. If you are interested in one or the other (or both?), please contact Wendy or Bill by phone or e-mail. They would like to have input from interested people, and envision both groups meeting from 9:30 to 10:30 before church. (If you’re interested in both, this will have to be discussed and meditated! -Ed.)

Women’s Group

Women’s Group meets the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Articles/books/project suggestions are welcomed - please bring them with you!

We gather for good food and company and sharing, in the presence of women, various activities. Join us, Dec 1 and Dec 15, 7 p.m.

Break Bread Together

If you can deliver meals the 1^st and 5^th Tuesdays of each month beginning about 11:00 a.m., please contact Carol Stiles. Meal delivery only takes about an hour of your time.

Survey Request

Our minister requests and invites everyone in the congregation to fill out a "Needs and Aspirations Survey" during November. See Jack Ford for a copy. This is the survey that the U. U. A. provided last year for all members. Please complete one even if you did it last year. Thanks!

Board Meeting

Sunday, Dec. 13. Time to be announced. Note change in date to second Sunday, due to the holiday.

Thank You, Thank You, (It is after all, Thanks-giving!)

For signing up to prepare for Sunday services and clean up afterwards: Julie Halter, Steve Andersen, Theresa Bibin, Carol Stiles, Virginia Branan, and the following large group (it goes faster!): Julie, Janet, Rene, Jack, Steve. [Sign-up list on refrigerator, lots of spaces open in December and January!]

For taking care of individual cleaning and other tasks which make our church run smoothly: You know who you are, better than I do! Keep it up! [Sign-up list also on refrigerator, tasks move faster - and are more fun - with more than one person doing them!]

For photocopying, stapling, addressing, folding, stamping newsletters over the past few months: Laurel Hahlen, René Kerr, Molly Scholz and Doug Fraser, Chuck Cape, Betty Derrick, Carol Stiles [Dinner sometimes included, see Carol!] For photocopying - the offices of Jim Ingram, Albert Slone, and Charles Judah are particularly appreciated!

For organizing R.E.: Janet Andersen (and all those who help with RE groups!)

UU Coffee House -

A great success - Thanks to all who helped and attended!!

Issues of Serious Note:

Organizational meetings and rallies continue to be held in Valdosta, calling for a speedy investigation into the death of Willie James Williams while in custody at the Lowndes County jail.

The following letter was written by Carol Stiles (with help from some "co-editors" ), submitted to and approved (with revision) by the UU-Valdosta Board, 11/15/98, for signature by those individuals wishing to do so. The letter was presented to the congregation at the 11/22 service, and signed by several individuals present. The letter was published in the Valdosta Daily Times, 11/27/98.

Dear Editor,

As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm and promote "the inherent worth and dignity of every person." This is one of our guiding principles, adopted by a vote of the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. Furthermore, in the recent words of UUA President, Rev. John Buehrens, "violence on the basis of sexual orientation, race or gender is wrong, is evil, is reprehensible."

Given recent events in Valdosta, we appeal to the hearts and minds of individuals in all the levels of power to subscribe to this guiding principle. We also call on all people in the community of Valdosta and this region to join together in peace, to speak out and take action against violence and oppression in all forms.

Stephen Andersen, Valdosta
....and 15 other individuals

50^th Anniversary - UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Dec. 10, 1998.

"The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities."

Eleanor Roosevelt

UU Activities and Announcements

Winter programs at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, an independent affiliate of the Unitarian Universalist Association, near Highlands, NC, (about two hours from Atlanta).

Website: http://themountain.uua.org/mountain

e-mail: mountain@dnet.net

Phone: 828-526-5838

An Appalachian Christmas, Dec. 23-26, 1998. Appalachian stories and song in a natural setting. Includes a special Candlelight Christmas Eve service led by the Mountain Quartet.

A New Year’s Celebration, Dec. 30 - Jan. 3

A concert by the Mountain Quartet, hiking and natural history, fellowship, paper-making, intergenerational activities

Deadline for The Flaming Chalice is the 15^th of each month. Contact Carol Stiles, anyway you can!