What's going on....
April 2000

Sat Apr 1 7:00 PM Games Night!
Sun Apr 2 2:00AM
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME-Spring Forward!
Adult R. E.
Service - Jack Ford
Tues Apr 4 7:00 PM Women's Group at the church
Sun Apr 9 9:30 AM
10:45 AM
Youth and Adult R.E.
Service - Mike Stoltzfus, "Jesus and the Buddah"
Mon Apr 10 11:00 AM Break Bread Together Meal Delivery
Wed Apr 12 7:00 PM Gay-Straight Network potluck
Sun Apr 16 9:30 AM
10:45 AM
12:15 PM
Youth and Adult R.E.
Service - Seder Service: Celebrating the Festival of Passover, Sue Eigen and Diane Holliman
3rd Sunday Potluck & board meeting ; Pledge Deadline
Tues Apr 18 7:00 PM Women's Group at the church
Sat April 22 Anytime Easter Campout and Potluck at the church
Sun Apr 23 Sunrise
9:30 AM
10:45 AM
Easter Sunrise Service and Potluck Breakfast
Youth and Adult R.E.
Service - led by Theresa Thompson
Sun Apr 30 9:30 AM
10:45 AM
Youth and Adult R.E.
Service - Laurel Hahlen, "The Sixth Principle: Peace, Liberty, and Justice For All"

 

April ....... Don't be fooled on Saturday night, April 1, and forget about Daylight Savings Time. You'll want to be on time for Jack Ford's visit on April 2! Remember too that this is the month we promise to help pay for everything this wonderful groups brings us. Don't forget to pledge. There will be several special services this month: a good time to invite guests! Celebrate Passover with a Seder Service. Easter weekend enjoy our third annual campout at the church and an Easter Sunrise Service. The Florida District Annual meeting rounds out the month. You'll find details about these and other opportunities elsewhere in the newsletter. Please join in as many activities as you can.


Jack Ford returns to bring a service on Sunday, April 2. Word has it that he may be around for Games Night also. Jack has been absent from our services this year after being with us monthly for several years. Jack lives in Jacksonville, Fl and is studying for the UU ministry. He served as the minister of the Valdosta UU church for several years.


Easter Campout & Sunrise Service
Break out the tents and come join the fun for our third annual Easter campout. Come on out to the church anytime Saturday, April 22, afternoon/evening to set up your tent. We will have a potluck (bring your own beverages) around 7:00 PM followed by a bonfire, egg dyeing, and fun and games, of course! Sunday morning we will share poems, readings, thoughts, and breakfast (potluck) as we share in the sunrise. Even if you are not inclined to campout, come join us for the evening and the sunrise sharing (about 7:00 AM). Our regular service will still be held at 10:45 AM. For more information, watch the activity board or call Julie Halter.


Youth R.E.

The Religious Education program is continuing to cover world religions in the curriculum "Neighboring Faiths." Contact Diane Holliman for more details.




Games Night!
No fooling, games night is on April Fool's Day! Bring $1.00, a dish, and your favorite game to the church on Saturday April 1 at 7:00 PM. Call René Kerr or Julie Halter if you need further information.


Women's Group
Join us for good food and great company, the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a snack, ideas for discussion, or just yourself! Contact Julie Halter for more information.



Social Action Activities
Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2nd Monday of each month. If you can deliver meals on this day beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Virginia Branan. Volunteers needed for April 10.



Stream Clean-up

Sunday, April 16, after service Stream Clean-up gathering at Jim Ingram's farm. We voted on this as a congregational project, so let's all plan to participate


Valdosta Gay-Straight Network - Potluck Social
The Gay-Straight Network meets regularly at the UU church the second Wednesday of each month for a potluck social. The next meeting will be April 12 at 7:00 PM. Dinner will be followed by a "poetry and reading night." Bring your own work or your favorite writer to share! All are welcome. Contact Ann Kasun for further information.

The "Love Makes A Family" photo exhibit made a successful appearance in Valdosta Feb. 21 - 27. This very powerful exhibit features photographs and text narratives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered families around the country, and truly shows that, no matter the circumstances, "love does make a family." The exhibit is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, and was brought to Athens, Macon, and Valdosta, Georgia, by the Georgia Equality Project.

The exhibit was sponsored locally by our own Unitarian Universalist Church
of Valdosta, the Valdosta Gay Straight Network, and the VSU Division of
Social Work, with help from St. Francis Metropolitan Community Church (MCC)
and other individuals. The exhibit appeared at Pine Hall on the VSU campus for four days, and was moved to the UU church where it was open to the public for the weekend. We estimate that 250 - 300 people viewed the exhibit, and many positive comments were received.

I personally would like to thank all of the Unitarians who helped make this
exhibit in Valdosta a reality - as usual you all came through when something
needed to be done! For fear of leaving out someone, I won't try to list
everyone - just know that your efforts and support are appreciated and
remembered, perhaps by many people we may never meet.

With love, and all my best wishes,
Carol Stiles



VSU
Interfaith Alliance
The Interfaith Alliance is off with a bang. In early March after another round of grilling from a vocal few, the group received recognition from the VSU Student Government. I should add that many Senators were quite supportive;
having members from the UU Community there (thanks to Julie Halter and Julie Armstrong!) certainly made a difference.

Adam Moats did a dynamite job addressing the need for religious diversity on campus. This community owes him one! The group will have a planning meeting soon, to build on its momentum. Program suggestions should be directed to Adam.

When the group first sought recognition as a student group it caught some flack from the Student Government. In particular, the Senators asked for the group to sign a letter that waived VSU from any liability that resulted from violent protest. No other group, to our knowledge, has been asked to do this.
Thanks for your support, Tom Hallock.

New Zealand Habitat Opportunity
Ann Bennett is returning to New Zealand in June. She is currently putting
together a team to go back to the same community she visited last summer to build another house. The trip dates are
June 12-29. Other activities for the team will include birding, fishing and hiking. If you are interested in building a house for a needy family in New Zealand and adventuring there, tallk to Ann. Further information is also available on
the website: www.habitat.org/GV


Pledge Letter Deadline

Friends and Members should have received the budget & pledge letter by now. Please remember the budget relies on your input. I have already gotten a few responses: ........one point for the NON-procrastinators!!!

The budget and pledges are for July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. Please read the letter carefully and notice the deadline of April 16th.

We've done great this year. I also know the year is not over. I would like to suggest we start a savings account. Any input on that?
Thank You,
Rene'Kerr, Treasurer

Treasurer's Report
February Budget
Outstanding Debts:

UUA: $400.00
$400.00

Savings: $0.00

Income:

Pledge: $1100.00
Plate: $127.42
Fundraising: $ 5.00
Rent: $340.00
$1572.42

Expenses:

Mortgage: $520.00
Speaker: $229.00
Postage: $99.00
UUA: $100.00
Utilities: $169.49
Fl. Dist.: $410.00
UU Bookstore: $126.95
Sec. of State: $15.00
$1669.44

As you can see...we can't do this very often. : )

Your Treasurer, Rene' Kerr


****************************
Saturday April 8, 9-12 AM -Church building and grounds spring cleaning time. We need EVERYONE! Come help and then get lunch together---pizza order out or something.
****************************


Seder Service

The Seder (pronounced "say' der") Service was last celebrated at the Valdosta UU Church in March of 1982 when it was led by Norman Horowitz. We look forward to joining together again as a UU family on April 16, to experience this important part of our religious heritage from the Jewish tradition.

Historically, Passover began as a celebration of the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery under the Egyptians. Over the years this bold step toward freedom has become symbolic of all people's move toward freedom. We will celebrate not with a sense of having participated in an interesting ceremony,
but more importantly, with a feeling that this festival is a living part of our tradition and our commitment to the present and the future.


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In Remembrance
Richard Lee of Tallahassee, Unitarian Universalist minister and Florida State University Communications professor died recently. For several years, about fifteen years ago, he served as the first part-time minister to the UU Church of Valdosta. It was during his time of service to our church that we made our move from Mary Street to Ashley Street. He was instrumental in developing better organization and initiating growth in the congregation.


 


UU Activities and Announcements
Further information is posted on the church bulletin boards.

April 28-30 Florida District Annual Assembly 2000 in Orlando, FL.

June 22-26 General Assembly in Nashville, TN.




Thank You, Thank You
For delivering Break Bread Together meals:
Joan Cline and Virginia Branan
For posting the newsletter to the website and maintaining the website: Earl Daniels (Earl has recently moved from Macon to Atlanta.)
For moving furniture in the sanctuary for rug cleaning: Rene' Kerr, Albert Slone, Delane Slone, Dee Tait, Diane Holliman, and Virginia Branan
For support for the VSU Interfaith Alliance: Tom Hallock, Julie Armstrong, Julie Halter
For the "Love Makes a Family" exhibit: Carol Stiles, Ann Kasun, Virginia Branan, and everyone else that helped set up the exhibit and host it.


Newsletter Staff
Editor: Betty Derrick
Production:
Virginia Branan
Membership database: Doug Fraser
Website: Carol Stiles, Julie Halter, and Earl Daniels
April 16, deadline for the May issue



At the Church-in-the-Woods:
A Course In Miracles,Wednesday evenings. Contact Robert Dixon.
Cardio Karate - Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:00 - 8:15 PM. Call Albert and Delane Slone.
Tai Chi, Monday and Thursday evenings, Contact Vicki English.


Tai Chi Beginners Class

A new beginner's class will start Monday, April 3 at 7:30 PM at the UU
Church. The beginner's class which will meet on 7:30-8:30 PM Mondays and Thursdays lasts about 3 months after which you will be ready to join a continuing intermediate class. Contact Vicki English.

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Thank you for reading our newsletter!



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