What's going on ....

Coffee House II

Our second Coffee House will be held Feburary. 21, at  6:30 p.m!! Ideas and suggestions are welcomed - we need names for performers, including yourself, or anyone you know, to provide vocal and instrumental musical performances, comedy and dramatic presentations, readings - any kind of entertainment or performance art for our non-smoking, non-alcoholic Coffee House. We all have great memories of the last coffee house over a year ago! This will be our first in the new church, and what a fantastic setting for another terrific evening! We will need help with beverages and food, ticket sales, publicity, equipment, and so on. First planning meeting, Wed., Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.! See Dee Tait's column in this issue....

Coffee House - Planning Meeting

Games Night

Saturday, Dec. 6, 7:00 p.m. Bring a game, a snack to share, and a dollar donation. The games begin around 7:00 p.m. and will continue until…. Call René Kerr or Julie Halter for more information.

December 7 - Christmas decorating and Board meeting

Meditation Group

If you are interested in joining a group to meet for meditation, or discussion and support of meditation, please call Ann Bachrach.

this month, to Ben Anderson, who outfitted 15 people with canoes and gear for a wonderful Sunday afternoon of canoeing at Grand Bay! Thanks, Ben!

The tenth observance of World AIDS Day will be held December 1 with the theme of "Give Children Hope in a World of AIDS." Local observance will take place at the VSU Regional Center for Continuing Education (the old Georgia Power Bldg.) at 903 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, at 6:00 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1. The event is coordinated by the HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Georgia Dept. of Human Resources, District Health Office, Valdosta.

Please continue to bring non-perishable food items to the church and they will be delivered to the Lowndes Associated Ministries to the People program for persons in need.

Women's Group meets the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Bring a snack to share, if you wish. We are bringing poetry or other writing - short story, fiction, whatever strikes your fancy - to read and discuss with the group. We are also open for suggestions for a book to read and discuss as a group, or any other type of activity - bring your ideas!

The WebSite has had 112 visitors! Are you one of them?? UU-Valdosta is now "on-line" with a website. Check it out at:

http://geocities.datacellar.net/SoHo/1918/

Earl Daniels continues to work on the website, and welcomes suggestions. He has included the site in the "Interdependent Web Ring," so that anyone - anywhere in the world! - following this ring (or jumping randomly amongst the UU sites in the ring!) will visit our site as well. Ideas may be sent to him via e-mail (earl@technologist.com) or passed on through the newsletter editor, Carol Stiles

Have you stopped lately to think about how important you are? No one is more important than you are. Absolutely, no one! Particularly in a place such as the Unitarian congregation.

Please hold that thought during the upcoming months. We will be enjoying two very special events - the Coffee House in January and Super Saturday in February. Enjoying, yes, but the work and preparation have to be done.

The steps are very simple. First - mark your calendar right now: January 31, for the Coffee House, February 28 for Super Saturday. That will avoid the "I didn't know about it" later on. Second: Ask yourself "Who will do it, if I don't?" And as you do this, don't start telling yourself someone else can do it better, because that's probably not true in the first place.

Third: For right now, let's just deal with the Coffee House. Don't wait to be asked! Come right up to René or to me and choose what you will do to make this event a real success. That's the only way it's going to work. Let's all enjoy it by sharing the load. Fourth: Let's meet at the church at 7:30 PM, Wed., Dec. 3, to do some serious planning:

• We need to get everyone involved in recruiting talent
• Other jobs/tasks/positions are:
• Master/mistress of ceremonies?
• Purchasing, preparing, serving food (not as much food as last time)
• Greeting guests and taking tickets
• Preparing fliers and other advertising
• Arranging tables, chairs, etc.
• Setting up equipment
• We need to decide on a theme for the Coffee House
• Will this be an event for adults or all-age inclusive? Or will we do a separate event for the children/youth?

-- Dee Tait, President

The call is out! The Florida District UUA Chalice Lighter Program has sent out the call to help light the chalice in our district - specifically in our church! Sign up to be a Chalice Lighter and help UU Church of Valdosta as we move toward completion of our church in-the-woods! This also will give you the opportunity to help other churches in the Florida District with a $10 donation for up to three calls per year. A form with more information on the Chalice Lighter program is included in this issue of the newsletter.

Sylvia Grandal 11/30

Bonnie Parker 12/15

Nyssa Daniels 12/24

The R.E. classes will decorate and prepare Christmas baskets for the people on our Break Bread Together route. We will need about 12 baskets. Please bring small baskets, and items to fill them, such as personal items and non-perishable foods before Dec. 21, when the baskets will be delivered.

Charles Judah will lead the church service for the Christmas program on Dec. 21.  Please bring a gift of non-perishable food, personal hygiene items, or household items (dishes, sheets, towels, etc.) for the LAMP program.  Also, please bring your singing voice for Christmas music, and a potluck dish for the communal meal to follow the service!

Religious Education (R.E.) Classes

All R.E. classes meet at 9:30 a.m., Sundays, before the 10:45 a.m. service. Adult R.E. is led by Hue Jacobs. The Adult R.E. class is reading and discussing The History of God, by Karen Armstrong. The children's R.E. classes continue with their respective curricula. In December, the R.E. classes are preparing a short program for the Christmas service and will put together baskets to be delivered to the people on our Break Bread route. During the church service, the students meet with an adult volunteer from the congregation. (To volunteer to work with the students, contact Janet Andersen).

UU Activities

Dec. 26 - Jan. 1
Southeast Unitarian Universalist Winter Institute of Miami (SWIM),
Camp Owaissa Bauer, Homestead, FL

February 28
Super Saturday Seminar, North Region, hosted by UU-Valdosta

July 28 - Aug 1, 1998
Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI '98), Radford University, Radford, VA

Both SWIM and SUUSI involve a variety of workshops, outdoor activities, social activities, worship services, and so on. Check the bulletin boards in the church and R.E. building for more information and announcements!

From the SUNSHINE, Newsletter of the Florida District UUA: Autumn, 1997, Vol. 1, No. 1

SWIM

Southeast Unitarian Universalist Winter Institute of Miami (SWIM) is held Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 at Camp Owaissa Bauer, Homestead, FL. This is a week filled with workshops (yoga to painting to self-help and support and many others), nature and outdoor activities (canoeing, parasailing, etc.), worship, sharing and personal growth, and social activities for people of all ages. The theme this year is "Touch of Wonder." For more information, look for a registration brochure, which should be available soon, at the church or contact the Newsletter Editor.

UU-Valdosta will host the North Region of the Florida District UU for a Super Saturday Seminar, on February 28, 1998. This is a day-long seminar for all members and friends to gain a greater understanding of Unitarian Universalism, as well as learn ways to participate in the church in the areas of Religious Education, Worship, Leadership and Finance. Note: There will be many leadership roles to fill in carrying out this event!

Deadline for January issue: December 28

Contact:
Carol Stiles, c/o UU-Valdosta,
1951 E. Park Ave., Valdosta, GA 31602
or by e-mail: cranfun@peachnet.campus.mci.net