E-mail UU-Valdosta at uuvaldosta@yahoo.com  

Phone:  229-242-3714 

New mailing address is P.O. Box 2342 , Valdosta , GA   31604

 

Page down or click the links to go to specific sections:

Sunday Services	Thank You! Thank You!	President's Portion
Board Notes	Social Action	UU Activities and Announcements
JUUST Change	Keep in your hearts....

Sunday Services

 April 2   -   Pete Mahan  “Starting Over: Opening the Door to a New Journey”

Pete Mahan, who regularly attends our services, will share a very personal story with us this first Sunday in April.  He says, “my stroke happened on March 4, 1995.  I could not talk, read, write, or understand things.  I was in the hospital for eight days and then I was an outpatient for six months.  My therapy was done by speech pathologists.  When the hospital said they could not help me anymore, I said I’ve got to talk more and I cannot write or read enough to work in my business.  Cathy Pitts, the speech pathologist who worked with me, told me there’s a place at Valdosta State University where I can read and write more.  It is The Adult Learning Center—PALS Lab.  Director, Barbara Stanley, told me I could be in the next class which would be in about three weeks.”

             On November 28, 1995, Pete began writing a diary in the PALS Lab.  In the Foreword to the diary he says that “about every month I put a date in the diary so we can see whether I’m getting better.  I hope the reader will know I can write better and faster now.  This diary is for students, speech pathologists, patients and friends.  If I can do this, anybody can!”  Pete will share parts of his diary and his personal story with us.

            Pete Mahan was born in Montgomery , AL .  He went to college at Samford University and got a masters degree at the University of Alabama .  He was a high school coach for six years after college.  He then was an Air Traffic Controller for the Federal Aviation Administration.  After two years, he became a Training Officer with the FAA and went to the Washington , DC headquarters.  In 1970, he began working with the US Secret Service as a Training Officer and became the Chief of the Training Resource Branch.  He retired in 1987 and bought two used book stores in Northern Virginia near DC.  In 1992 he sold those stores and bought a new one in Valdosta .  In September 2004 he sold The Book Rack and says he is now 100% retired.

April 9 -  Christine Bocazarcka  “The Value and Growth of Service”

Christine Bocazarcka is the current president of the Executive Board of the Tallahassee Unitarian Universalist Church. She will speak to us about the value of service to our local UU community, as well as to the wider UU world, and how she has seen such service develop in her own experience.

April 16 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus  “Judaism: Yearning for Community and Morality “

Judaism has always linked religious practice with social and political responsibility in the here and now.  We will explore how Judaism discovers meaning in history, justice, morality, and Israel .  In the words of the prophet Isaiah, the religious life should be grounded in a communal vision wherein “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”  What can we learn from Judaism to help make that vision a reality?  

This will be a second presentation on Judaism in the year-long series on World Religions Michel Stoltzfus has been bringing to us.    He began a shift to the religions of the Middle East and the west with his first presentation on Judaism in March.  Previously he discussed the religions of Asia .  Dr. Stoltzfus is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy and Religion Department at Valdosta State University .

April 23 – Dr. Sandy Jones  “Myths & Truths about Biological Evolution”

The ongoing Evolution/Creationism controversy is literally crippling biological education in this country.  Evolution is the theoretical foundation for this entire scientific discipline.  Yet in many states, students receive little or no formal instruction on the topic.  A serious concern about the scientific literacy of American citizens is the fact that it is possible to go through grades K-12 and graduate from college without ever learning what evolution really is.  This is the reason that the various iterations of political opposition to the teaching of evolution can depend on public acceptance of myths that misrepresent this important scientific theory.  Dr. Sandy Jones’ talk will focus on clarifying how biological evolution has been distorted to create the assumption that scientific and religious epistemologies are incompatible.

Leslie Sandra Jones describes herself as a passionate biologist who spent years as an Equine Reproductive Physiologist before developing an interest in Science Education.  She is technically from Anywhere/Nowhere because she is the daughter of a Naval Officer, who grew up all over and attended 13 schools before graduating from high school in Stuttgart , Germany .  Most of her childhood involved moving in and out of Hawaii which had a profound impact on her ideas about cultural and religious diversity.  After teaching for six cold winters at the University of Northern Iowa , she gladly moved here to join the faculty in the VSU Biology Department.  Her primary teaching responsibility involves content courses such as Integrated Science and the Natural History of Georgia for Education Majors.  As the only Science Educator in the VSU College of Arts & Sciences, she is actively involved in state and local initiatives that support K-12 teachers in the transition from the old QCC (Quality Core Curriculum) to the new GPS (Georgia Performance Standards).

April 30 - Dan Bremer  “Interdependence or Exploitation: New Laws and Illegal Labor in our Community”

Dan Bremer, President of Agworks and a Lake Park Councilman, will speak to us about brand new laws regulating the use and abuse of laborers from across the border. How can we reconstruct new relationships of interdependence rather than exploitation with these essential members of our community?  

Volunteers Needed:  There are several Sunday service jobs including lay leader, flowers, greeting guests, greet and meet host after the service, and music director.  In addition we do our own cleaning inside and out of our facility.  See the sign-up book in the foyer and volunteer.

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our President, Lars Leader.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

 

 

 

JUUST Change Consultant Visit

April 10-11

Mark your calendars for Monday and Tuesday April 10 and 11 for the first visit of Sue Lacy, out JUUST Change Consultant.  During both days she will talk with members of our congregation and the community in one to one conversations about out Accepting Difference Project.  Share your thoughts when she contacts you.   On Tuesday evening April 11 there will be a congregational gathering at the church.

Potluck and Congregational Discussion

Tuesday, April 11

at the church

6:00 PM  Potluck supper: a meat and a vegetarian main course and drinks will be provided.  Please bring salads, desserts, and vegetables to complete the meal.

7:00-9:00 PM Discussion led by Sue Lacy about how we want to proceed with our project and her consultancy.

We have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in our community and support from the UUA to do it.  Make plans to attend this discussion.  It is important!

Contact:  Betty Derrick

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President’s Portion:

An Opportunity We Shouldn’t Miss  

Lars Leader  

It has been quite a while since I last wrote something for this column.  But I couldn’t resist adding my bit this month.  That’s because our congregation has an exciting, as well as challenging, opportunity for community service and social action starting in April.  In last month’s newsletter, Betty Derrick provided us with an update on the Accepting Difference in Valdosta Project that she is directing.  As Betty explained in her article, this project was approved by our congregation as an appropriate use of money that remains in our Restoration Fund from the generous donations given by so many people in response to the vandalism of our church building a few years ago. 

One part of our project will be to sponsor a workshop on writing in the schools, focused on helping teachers, students, and communities address the divides of class and race.  The workshop will be part of the Wiregrass Literacy and Literature Festival of Deep South Georgia, coordinated by Helen Gerhardt and scheduled for this coming fall. 

Another part of our project will get off the ground this month. The JUUST Change Consultancy, a social justice program within the UU Association, has made plans to come to Valdosta on April 10-11 as their first step in assisting us.  The consultancy describes itself as “designed to help congregations increase their effectiveness in anti-oppression and social justice work by meeting congregations where they are, supporting a developmental process to build leadership, strengthening capacity, and applying anti-oppression knowledge and principles, to transform congregations and the communities of which they are a part.”  During those two days, Sue Lacy, one of their consultants, will meet with individuals in our congregation and from the community for one-on-one conversations about their concerns and ideas. 

On Tuesday evening, April 11, there will be a Congregational Gathering.  We’ll have a potluck supper at 6:00 p.m. (see Betty’s announcement in this newsletter), followed at 7:00 p.m. with a discussion led by Sue Lacy.  Sue will fill us in on what she learned from her Valdosta conversations, explore potential issues and opportunities with us, and lead a discussion of basic community organizing concepts and how to shape our vision. All members and friends are welcome to share the potluck fellowship and join the discussion. I hope you can join us!

Our congregation, with expert help from the UUA, now has a fine opportunity to move forward in our desire to respond to a painful event through positive and productive action.  But we need participation from our members and friends.  As George E. Odell put it, “We need one another when we are in despair, in temptation, and need to be recalled to our best selves again. We need one another when we would accomplish some great purpose, and cannot do it alone.”

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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.

 

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For more social action news, read the letter below from UUA President, Rev. William G. Sinkford, and also the Journey to Wholeness Newsletter posted below. 

 

On the Anniversary of War: A Call for Public Debate  

A Letter from the Rev. William G. Sinkford

March 16, 2006

Posted on the UUA webpage:   http://www.uua.org/president/060316_iraq.html  

Dear Friends,

Sunday, March 19, marks the third anniversary of the war in Iraq. Sadly, even though our government's poor planning and countless mistakes (in which we have again and again chosen to rely on military might rather than diplomacy and true international cooperation) has left Iraq mired in sectarian violence, there has not yet been an honest and open debate in Congress about the war.

As I said in a letter to Congress  in December 2005, I believe that continuing to pursue a military-based strategy that has failed to produce peace – a strategy that has tragic human consequences almost every day – is ethically and religiously bankrupt. The time for a public debate is long overdue. I believe that we as a nation need to have a real conversation about what we have done – and failed to do – in Iraq , and where we should go from here. I'm pleased to say that momentum is building for this to happen: a bi-partisan group of Representatives have filed a petition that would force a debate. Their efforts are supported by a recent poll  which found that 72% of American troops serving in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year, and more than one in four say the troops should leave immediately. Opponents of such a debate can no longer hide behind their smokescreen of patriotism, claiming that the only way to support our troops is to stand by the Administration and not to question. That position does a disservice to both our democratic principles and to the many thousands of Americans and Iraqis who are still in harm's way.

I was very moved by a recent letter to President Bush by Joseph W. DuRocher, a former commissioned officer and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy and a member of the First Unitarian Church in Orlando, FL. DuRocher cries with disbelief at what has been done in his name, concluding that he must "return the symbols of my years of service: the shoulder boards of my rank and my Naval Aviator's wings." His letter is a painful lament that should serve as a wake-up call to Unitarian Universalists and other people of faith and good will. We should not stay the course when the course is wrong. We need to have a real conversation about where we go from here.

You can help this happen by contacting your Members of Congress.

Friends, like many of you, I have felt great frustration in the last few years about my – and our – inability to bring about significant change in US policy on Iraq . The coming weeks are the best opportunity we've had in a long while to make real progress. I hope that you will join me in urging Congress to have an honest and open debate.

In Faith,

Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

About the UUA's position on the War in Iraq:

• Based on numerous General Assembly resolutions about international conflicts and the United Nations, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations is opposed to pre-emptive, unilateral military aggression, and has therefore opposed this war since its beginning. Subsequent General Assembly statements have called for "Congress to conduct open bi-partisan hearings to examine the moral and legal justification for the invasion of Iraq" (2003); the "broad internationalization of the reconstruction of Iraq with continued help from not only the United States but also the entire international community" (2004); and an "End to United States-sponsored Torture" (2005), among other actions.

• WIN WITHOUT WAR CAMPAIGN FOR AN OPEN DEBATE IN CONGRESS ON THE IRAQ WAR:   Members of Congress will be gathering on Capitol Hill on April 5th in support of H.Res.543, a petition to discharge the Homeward Bound Act on to the House floor for debate . To support this congressional call for an open debate, Win Without War (WWW) http://www.winwithoutwarus.org/ -- of which the UUA is a member -- is launching an End the Congressional Rubber Stamp Campaign - allowing for the debate and vote on all alternatives to the Administration's failed policy in Iraq. On the Third Anniversary of the Iraq War, President William Sinkford issued a statement that said, "As I said in a letter to Congress in December 2005, I believe that continuing to pursue a military-based strategy that has failed to produce peace - a strategy that has tragic human consequences almost every day - is ethically and religiously bankrupt. The time for a public debate is long overdue." For President Sinkford's full statement---Call for Debate on Iraq--see http://www.uua.org/ . For the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy strategy see http://www.uua.org/news/2003/iraq/060316_congress.html.

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SOUTHERN REGIONAL MARCH for PEACE IN IRAQ and JUSTICE AT HOME, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, 12:00- 4:00 PM  SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2006 Proposed Route: Martin Luther King, Jr. Center to Piedmont Park   For more information see www.georgiapeace.org   We now have almost 120 endorsing organizations!  You can see the most up-to-date list of speakers and performers on the website.
You can also download the most recent flyer, the endorsement form, and contact information.  There will be some parking available, but we encourage people who are able to take MARTA.  We are making gains with regard to raising the money needed to pull this march and rally off in a big way.  However, we still need donations!  You can make checks payable to Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta with "April 1" in the memo line.  Donors of $50 or more are welcome to table at the rally.      Out-of-towners:  There are currently the following offers for housing:  38-40 spots on couches, floors, and in spare bedrooms as well as space for 50-75 in the First Iconium Baptist Church gym.  The majority of these spaces are floor space, so it would be helpful if you could bring a sleeping bag.  Villa International anticipates they will have a few rooms available, with prices ranging from $20-36, depending on the number of people you share a room with.  Finally, but most definitely not the least important:  we need at least 150 volunteers for the day of the march!!!  From gathering contact information and donations to marshalling to exhibit set-up to backstage help to first aid to information table attending and more, there are plenty of ways to use your talents.  You can volunteer for an hour or for the whole event.      

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Newsletter

Editor:  Betty Derrick

Website:  Carol Stiles

April 15: deadline for the May newsletter 

About Our Members and Friends

Keep in your thoughts …

v   Our members and friends experiencing health concerns.

 Congratulations to …

v   John Tait who just celebrated his 50^th birthday.

v   Sean L. for reaching the final level of competition in the recent Georgia Tech High School Mathematics Competition that drew students from around the Southeast.

v   Helen Gerhardt who has been accepted at Pittsburgh where she will go in the Fall to begin graduate work in creative writing.  We are going to miss her creative energy here in Valdosta !  Good luck Helen!

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Treasurer's Report

Doug Tanner

FUND BALANCES at February 28, 2006

General Fund                                                        $21,292.85 

Restoration Fund                                                  $15,215.64

Total (Cash in Bank Accounts)                             $36,508.49             

 

OUTSTANDING DEBT                                     

Mortgage                                                            $24,849.54                                                             

 

OPERATING RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS:  YTD

                                                        January             Eight Months               

Receipts:                                                                                               

  Plate                                                  79.00                   795.19

  Pledge                                             890.00                8,160.00

  Rent                                                 340.00               2,020.00

  Interest Income                                    0.00                  721.77

TOTAL RECEIPTS                       1,309.00              11,696.96     

Disbursements:                                                                                   

  Mortgage                                         500.00               4,000.00

  Speaker's Fees & Exps                 1,124.86               3,068.61

  Repairs and Maintenance                      0.00                  326.00

  Postage                                                8.18                  193.78

  Supplies                                                0.00                 221.97

  UUA dues                                     1,960.00               1,960.00

  UU Conference Attend.                        0.00                  189.00  

  Utilities                                             176.11               1,245.99

  Advertising                                           0.00                    84.80

  Other                                               105.00                  138.00

TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS         3,874.15             11,428.15                                

               

NET RECEIPT (DISBURSEMENT)   ($2,565.15)                $268.81

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UU Board News:  March 5, 2006 Board meeting

In attendance were:  Lars Leader , Helen Gerhardt, Doug Tanner, Jim Ingram, and Rosie Asbury.

The meeting was opened with a reading- “The World is a Single Place .”  Tillman Insurance Co. sent a letter stating that the insurance for bonding covering all volunteers associated with our church has been added to our policy. $41.00 per year will be added to our premium.  The Board discussed the next year’s officers. Helen will be the chairperson of the nominating committee. The slate of officers will be presented to the April Board meeting and voted on by the congregation during the May annual meeting.  There was also a discussion on the budget for next fiscal year. Doug will be sending out letters to the members about the fund raising campaign.  He will also write two proposed budgets to be presented to the Board and eventually to the congregation. Included in one of the proposals is the possibility of paying off the mortgage.

The April UU Valdosta Board Meeting will be held Sunday, April 9, at 9:30 AM.

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 UU Florida District 2006 Annual Assembly will be held in Vero Beach, FL, on April 7-8.  The theme of this year’s assembly of congregations from around our UU district is “Sacred Threads – Many Paths”.  More information and registration is available online at www.floridadistrict.org or by phone at 407.894.2119.  Our annual UU Valdosta budget includes funds to support members’ attendance at meetings and workshops like this one.  If you are interested in attending this annual Assembly and desire funding to do so, please contact Lars Leader or Doug Tanner.

S A C R E D T H R E A D S ~Many Paths: The free and responsible search for lives of meaning is one that pulls us in many directions. We can find ourselves curious and fascinated by the different ways we, as individuals, find to make our lives meaningful and purposeful. Sometimes we feel mystified by each other and the choices we make to practice a path within our beloved faith tradition. To understand our common journey as UUs we need to understand not only what we believe, but also understand the paths of the others on the journey with us. We have invited the Reverend Kim Crawford Harvie to be the keynote presenter. Rev. Crawford Harvie is the Senior Minister at the Arlington Street Church in Boston , Massachusetts . She will share her views in a talk entitled One Wild and Precious Life. The title for this reflection on spiritual practice is taken from poet Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day; the final line asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do / With your one wild and precious life?” In addition to an inspiring keynote, we will be joined by teams of clergy and laypeople from our own congregations who will help us understand the ways they blend their spiritual practices under the umbrella of our larger faith.

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday Evenings: Beginner’s Class 5:30-6:30 PM.  Continuing Class 6:30-8:00 PM.  Contact Dennis Bogyo. 

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

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UU Activities and Announcements

Further information is posted on the bulletin board in the R.E. wing at the church.  Also check your Sunday Order of Service for announcements. 

April 7-8 UU Florida District Annual Assembly, Vero Beach , FL

May 17 – 21 UU Womenspirit Spring Institute and Gathering,

The Mountain  ( Unitarian Universalist Retreat Center near Highlands , N.C.)   Women Only Spiritual Retreat.  Through workshops, worship, and community connect with the Feminine Divine.  This Spring's theme is Many Faces, One Goddess -"She's all the same, we call her by a different name. Unmask many faces of the Goddess. Awaken her ancient wisdom; hear the many voices with  which she speaks. Discover how to birth her wisdom into your life and into our world."   See UUWomenspirit.org for more details.

May 13 Northeast Cluster Meets-Mary Says Goodbye & Retired Bio Prof Talks About Environment, UU Fellowship of St. Augustine

 Rev. Mary Higgins, Florida District Director, leaving: It is with regret we announce Rev. Mary Higgins has accepted a new position in another District. Mary will be taking her expertise to the soon to be combined Districts of Vermont/New Hampshire and Northeast. Mary will remain fully committed to the Florida District until mid-summer of this year. The Florida District Board is initiating the process to find the right person for our next District Executive by forming a Selection Committee and working closely with Harlan Limpert of UUA District Services. We hope to have a new District Executive named by May or June. The actual report date is still to be determined. We have had the benefit of Mary's dedicated and very effective service for over 9 years, and will miss her dearly. Her leadership here has earned her respect and reputation as one of the “go to” professionals for consultation with other Districts throughout the entire UUA. We wish Mary all the best in her new position.

In Faith, Steve Helle, President, Board of Directors, Florida District UUA

Best Wishes to Mary Higgins as she takes her ministry and professional expertise north.  We here in the Valdosta UU Congregation have appreciated her wise assistance on several occasions in recent years.  Knowing she was available through some difficult times steadied our way and always reminded us of our guiding principles as Unitarian Universalists.  Thank you Mary.

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WINE COUNTRY EXCURSIONS: UU’s of Napa , California , announce the second season of our UU Wine Country Excursions, a delightful way to tour the scenic Napa and Sonoma Valleys .  These small tours are customized to your interests, e.g. wine tasting, art, history, gourmet dining, or exploring the beauty of our hills and valleys.  The tour includes private room/bath and breakfast in the homes of congregation members.  Special places include COPIA (the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts),  Jack London’s home, the Francis Ford Coppola winery and movie museum, fine restaurants, many museums and galleries, miles of bicycling and hiking trails, etc.  We offer Excursions from April through October.  Plan for two days of touring and two or three overnight stays.  Home hospitality without tours is available.  All proceeds benefit our small fellowship.  We have limited openings, so contact us now for details.  (Contact newsletter editor or send e-mail for contact info to uuvaldosta@yahoo.com)

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 UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS 

Joan Lund

Forgive me for writing about something I have previously written. But I consider the topic very important. If you haven’t already started thinking about General Assembly, hopefully you will consider attending our yearly meeting, this year to be held in St. Louis , June 21-25. In addition to the exhilarating beginning Banner Parade and Opening Ceremony, the four subsequent days will be filled with thought-provoking, excellent business meetings, workshops, lectures, sermons, services, and much more.

One of the ways to become immersed in the business of General Assembly is to be a delegate from your congregation. All certified congregations have a delegate for every 50 members (or fraction there-of), with a minimum of two delegates. There may be additional delegates from each congregation: ministers in full or associate fellowship with the Association and employed by certified congregations; and emeritus and community ministers who are active in the congregation and have received endorsement from the congregation.

Study/Action Issues (SAI’s) and the Statement of Conscience are important pieces of the GA experience. Certified congregations determine which business items are admitted to the final agenda of GA each year. Individual congregations and districts submit Study/Action issues for consideration by the Commission on Social Witness (CSW). These are reviewed and edited for the delegate voting ballot. The ballot may contain from one to ten SAI’s; this year there is only one issue to be considered. It is hoped every congregation in our Association is a part in the social witness process that gives voice to our faith as we act on our social justice values.

This year’s Ware Lecture will be delivered by poet Mary Oliver, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. The sermon at the Service of the Living Tradition will be delivered by Rev. Judith Meyer, minister of the UU Community Church in Santa Monica and the Sunday morning worship will be led by Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer, the minister in Vero Beach .

Don’t forget that President Rev. Bill Sinkford and Moderator, Gini Courter have invited congregational presidents to come to GA, and are being offered up to $210 towards their registration. This reimbursement represents 75% of the cost of early full-time registration.

Once again, I encourage you to go to the UUA home page (www.uua.org ) where there are a variety of links to GA information, including website registration. As you know, I’ll be in St. Louis , looking forward to meeting and talking with Florida District folks. Contact me with your UU concerns, jlund@uua.org . Be at peace and stay well.

        Further news from Joan Lund:   It is hoped each month that the topic on which I write will be of some use to your congregation. For certain in each of your wider-world communities there are social justice issues of importance to UUs. The office for Congregational Advocacy and Witness (OCAW) assists UU congregations and organizations in developing their capacity and effectiveness for social justice work and to involve them in state, national, and international coalitions on these issues. What follows is based on information from Susan Leslie, Director of the OCAW.

The OCAW manages the Social Justice Empowerment Workshop program which held six workshops in the fall and will hold six more during this winter and spring. Unfortunately, even though the OCAW has received more applications for workshops, they will be deferred until the fall as the budget limits have been reached. These workshop/programs are very helpful for congregations in terms of mobilizing and inspiring members to engage in social justice efforts and help them develop a plan for how these efforts can be most effective. The workshop brings together at least 20% of their membership along with clergy and helps them accurately assess their capacity regarding size and other factors to identify the “passion” in their congregation. The OCAW office is also piloting a follow-up consultation to congregations that have sponsored these workshops.

Key coalition work for the current year includes representing the UUA and involving UU congregations in the broad interfaith Let Justice Roll/Living Wage Campaign. This initiative includes advocacy for raising the eight-year-old national minimum wage and it includes several state ballot initiatives and legislation, plus protecting the minimum wage increase won in Florida . The campaign will also focus on voter registration and GOTV for the 2006 elections.

The OCAW will continue working on UUA public witness priorities and with the Washington Office on marriage equality, an end to the war in Iraq , and progressive family values including reproductive rights and reality-based comprehensive sexuality education. To this end and to help bring a holistic integrated perspective to these various efforts Susan Leslie, attended training Spirit in Action Circles program which has worked with hundreds of grassroots organizations and congregations across the U.S. This group has developed core strategies for building an effective spirit-based anti-oppressive movement for a new democracy that brings together leaders, activists, and concerned individuals from various faith communities and issue-based movements. They will be sponsoring a workshop at General Assembly.

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Invitation to Ireland :  The March issue of "National Geographic" has an article about the resurgence of Celtic culture in places like Wales , Ireland , and Scotland ....  Unitarians (sic) have been actively involved with Celtic cultures for over two hundred years.  We have congregations in Edinburgh , Dublin , Cardiff ,  Belfast , and other Celtic cities.  In the United States , the number of Unitarian Universalists who are interested in Celtic culture and Celtic spirituality is rapidly increasing.

            This summer, a group of Unitarian Universalists will travel to Ireland , to focus their religious attention on the situation in Belfast ,  Northern Ireland ....  This is not a "shamrocks and green beer" tour of Ireland .   The tour will be managed by Global Exchange and there will be a lot of emphasis on political and cultural education.  We'll be meeting with Roman Catholics and Protestants who have been through some difficult times in recent years. The tentative dates for the Ireland tour are July 31st through August 14th, 2006.

            Additional information on expenses and the basic itinerary is available from Global Exchange.  www.globalexchange.  Global Exchange will manage most of the tour arrangements.    If you have questions about air travel,  lodging, meals,  ground transportation, etc.,  please contact the Global Exchange people.  The Unitarian Universalists involved in this program  hope to meet with Unitarians in both Dublin and Northern Ireland ....  One possibility is to extend the tour by 2-3 days, in order to see more of Dublin and in order to discuss Unitarian  and Unitarian Universalist involvement with topics like Celtic history and Celtic spirituality...   Expect a few surprises... Contact: Rev. Robert Murphy, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 840 Sandwich Road , Falmouth , MA    02536 .  

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UUSC Holiday Card design competition: These cards help support our worldwide work for human rights.  Create a design that reflects the spirit of the holidays, as well as justice, equity, and compassion.  See uusc.org/holidaycards for more information.  Deadline for submission of designs April 28, 2006.

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JOURNEY TOWARD WHOLENESS (JTW) NEWS

  New coalitions are emerging to end the war in Iraq, prevent climate change, stop the genocide in Darfur, defeat the anti-gay same-sex marriage bans, hold corporations accountable for their actions, and address the ongoing neglect in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  UUs are rising to the challenge of living out our faith and working to solve these huge problems and create a just society.  In entering into this holy work, this work for justice, some exciting new relationships and partnerships between people of faith and advocacy groups have formed that UUs are participating in. 

A SEASON OF PRAYER AND ACTION FOR JUSTICE AFTER KATRINA - MARCH 1-APRIL 15 Holding candles and signs while singing hymns, hundreds of congregations across the country will conduct prayer vigils and visit their congressional representative to mark the six-month anniversary of the Katrina disaster. Major denominations, national faith-based organizing groups, organizers of Gulf Coast survivors and national policy and organizing groups will call for six weeks of prayer and action, starting on the weekend of March 3-5. A new coalition, the National Alliance to Restore Opportunity to Gulf Coast Survivors, http://www.linkedfate.org/supporters.html is calling on the Washington leadership to rebuild the Gulf Region promptly, to provide support for displaced Gulf residents and to bring federal resources to the region without cutting other human needs programs. The NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), the Gamaliel Foundation (a network of 1,600 congregations in 18 states), ACORN, the People Improving Communities Through Organizing (PICO, a network of 1000 congregations in 17 states, including LA), Sojourners, Call for Renewal, Smart Growth America, the Kirwan Institute, Policylink, TIKKUN Community, Clergy Strategic Alliances, the Civil Rights Project of Harvard University, Center for Social Inclusion and Earth House are the primary organizers. For more information see http://www.gamaliel.org/NewsFromGamaliel03.01.htm 

 ********************************* EARTH SUNDAY SERVICES & EARTH DAY EVENTS - APRIL 22-23 Host an Earth Day Sunday, Address Global Warming As UU Congregations across the country focus their attention on consideration of a Statement of Conscience on Global Warming, the Congregational Office of Advocacy and Witness, UU Ministry for Earth, and Earth Day Network have joined hands to bring your congregation resources for planning one or more congregational activities during April in conjunction with Earth Day 2006, April 22. Materials for holding a Sunday Service and for various advocacy initiatives including an Interfaith Power and Light dialogue are available. See http://www.uua.org/news/congpacket/mar2006/earthday.pdf for more information. 

************************************ A MILLION VOICES FOR DARFUR CAMPAIGN - NOW - MAY 1:   UUA Responds: Save the People of Darfur Ways Your Congregation Can Participate in the Million Voices For Darfur Campaign http://www.uua.org/news/darfur/dafur_actions.pdf. The overall goal of the Million Voices Campaign is to raise the level of public awareness and outcry so that President Bush and Congress take significant action. To that end, the UUA, UU Service Committee, and other partners in the campaign will collect one million postcards from concerned people across the country. **We're hoping to collect 25,000 postcards from Unitarian Universalists before the Rally for Darfur in Washington, DC, on April 30 and May 1. See http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org. See President Bill Sinkford's appeal for UU involvement at http://www.uua.org/news/darfur/. See http://www.uua.org/news/darfur/congaction.html for more information. 

****************************************** UPDATE ON MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT - JUNE 5:  From the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy: As you may have already learned, Senator Bill Frist has announced that the Senate will vote on the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" (MPA) on June 5th of this year. While this gives us a bit more time before the vote than we expected, we should continue to intensify our organizing. Although a similar amendment was rejected by a bipartisan majority in 2004, same-sex marriage is often used as a wedge issue in election years, and we expect 2006 to be no different. Please help us diffuse the impact of this amendment; make it clear that you oppose any attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution, and to use same-sex marriage as a political tool. Make sure you know the facts about marriage equality and are able to articulate why it is important to you as a person of faith. Check out www.ngltf and http://www.nbjcoalition.org/jump_broom1.pdf for some good resources on marriage equality from a variety of perspectives. The UUA Washington Office will also be unveiling new resources on marriage equality as a matter of faith; stay tuned for more on this soon. Contact Elizabeth Bukey, Legislative Assistant for Civil Rights and Religious Liberty 202-296-4672. x22; ebukey@uua.org. 

****************************** (7) LASERMONKS! - OFFICE SUPPLIES THAT FUND CHARITABLE GIVING That's right, LaserMonks, the brothers of Cisterian Abbey Our Lady of Spring Bank in Wisconson sell inexpensive office products and give the profits to charities. Go to http://www.lasermonks.com for more information.