The Flaming Chalice

Sun. 5/4 10:30am Internship committee meeting

Sun. 5/4 11:00am Adult R.E. Building your own Theology

Mon. 5/5 7:00pm Women's Group at Carol Stile's

Sun. 5/11 9:00am Service - Mother's Day discussion

Sat. 5/17 8:00am Habitat for Humanity work day

Sun. 5/18 9:00am Service - Jack Ford

Sun. 5/18 11:00am Congregational meeting

Mon. 5/19 7:00pm Women's Group

Thu. 5/22 7:00pm Newsletter Committee work session

Sun. 5/25 9:00am Service - Betty Derrick - Tenure

The annual congregational meeting and election of officers will be held on May 18, 1997, at 11:00am, at the new church building site. The meeting should be less than an hour long, and there will be a pot-luck picnic afterwards. Bring a chair if you want a place to sit! The agenda for the meeting will include:

• Election of officers for 1997-1998;
• Approval of the budget for 1997-1998;
• Amendment of bylaws to create a board position of Youth Ambassador;
• Amendment of bylaws for an annual audit of the church's financial records;
• Presentation of committees.

The election of officers will be from nominations from the floor, or from the following people selected by the nominating committee:

• President: Dee Tait
• President-elect: Stephen Andersen
• Secretary: Martha Horowitz
• Treasurer: René Kerr
• R.E. Director: Janet Andersen

The next year will be an exciting one for this congregation, including the move into the new building. This congregational meeting is where the momentum starts for the coming year!

Chalice Lighters Wanted
There is a contest going among Florida District congregations, with a prize of $1000 going to the congregation with the largest percentage of the membership becoming Chalice lighters! Chalice Lighters are asked to contribute $10 whenever a 'call' is made. No more than three Chalice Lighter calls are made in a single year. Congregations can apply for a Chalice Lighter Grant to fund projects in three areas of growth; (1) professional religious leadership; (2) new or expansion of buildings and grounds and (3) new congregational development. Sign up with Jack or any board member on or before the annual meeting May 18^th.

Sign up your Talent!
The Talent and Treasure Auction will be held in June! This is expected to be a quality fund-raising event, where donations of merit and talent will be offered. Maybe you could donate a day or two of work to be auctioned? Contact Earl Daniels at earl@technologist.com for details and to get your name on the list to support this effort!

Habitat For Humanity work day
Saturday, May 17^th, we will install the drywall in the Stephanie Martin house. Wear your UU T-shirts, be there at 8am, and come whether or not you know what a taped-and-mudded joint is! Contact Hue Jacobs at 245-1330.

Committee involvement

The next year will be a busy one, and we need the help of everyone. Your opportunity may be to spearhead a particular event or group, or it may be to serve on one of our committees. By sharing the work among your committee members, you can contribute a great deal without having to worry if you are otherwise busy from time to time. It is through the dedication and hard work of the committees that we can accomplish great results. Here are some of the opportunities open to you:

• Program committee - Chaired by the vice-president, helps to find speakers for services and to develop other activities.
• Newsletter/publicity - works to spread the word from the board and other committees, by publishing a monthly newsletter, and communicating through other media about our activities
• Social concerns - our outreach to the community, and to help inform the congregation of social needs and events.
• Religious education - to develop and run R.E. programs and other activities for our youth.
• Internship - to provide feedback and guidance for intern minister.

This brief overview should help get you started to consider how and where you can help.

John DeWolf-Hurt Fund
John DeWolf-Hurt, humorist, civil rights activist and former District Executive for Florida and Mid-South died at his home in Ocala, Florida on November 5, 1996, at age 75, of pancreatic cancer. The John DeWolf-Hurt UU Growth and Expansion fund is designed to stimulate the growth of UUism in the Mid-South and Florida districts. Donations should be marked "John DeWolf-Hurt UU Growth Fund" and sent to:

Florida District Office
1901 East Robinson Street, Suite 18
Orlando, Florida 32803
401-894-2219

List your Favorite Books!
Among other things, our internet web site will have a list of our favorite books. Give your list to Earl or e-mail to earl@technologist.com.

The blooms and banter of springtime -- the whippoorwills, the owls and crickets serenading in the coolness of the nights -- are precious and too brief accouterments in our corner of the world. Already I am sweltering at midday, while roofing plywood buckles in the heat, even as this final effort at a cold front rolls toward us. For the sake of sanity, of healthier relationships, and touching what is sacred, I resolve to stop: linger just a little longer in the garden, by the campfire, at the pond or in my favorite hiding spot. Feed my soul. Smell the gardenias. Smile and sit and do nothing.

Those moments seem as rare as spring in south Georgia. This is such a busy time, as I prepare to end another calendar year with you at the church. So much is happening. We sold the church and went to early services, while we watch the walls go up on Park Avenue. I have just attended our Florida District annual assembly (while dreaming I was with you in a tent on Sapelo Island!). Two weeks from now will be my final visit before summer break. Then I will stay a week in town to put the ceiling in our new church, with the help of Chuck and Jim (and other able carpenters?).

Thank you to those faithful who have fueled our dreams and hopes for a strong presence of our liberal religion in Valdosta this year. Attendance has been very low all year, and this can be discouraging. But I believe our church board has grown stronger.

I am honored to be the minister of the finest UU fellowship I know anywhere. I pray that our enthusiasm and our inspiration to continue will expand as our new building grows.

One of the most exciting events of this time is planning for our official dedication service, September 21, 1997. Please block this on your calendar now. Stars and exclamation points on that date !0!9! We are planning a day full of excitement and a church full of people. Check this line-up. Rev. Scott Alexander, minister of the Church of the Larger Fellowship and author of Salted With Fire, will light us up with his "evangelistic" fervor! Mary Higgins, Florida District Executive Director, or another representative from the district, will bring us up to date on area activities. Mary Louise DeWolf-Hurt and Bud Evans, founders of our church, will bring us anecdotes and history, and a very special gift presentation.

Members, old and new, please plan to be here for this event. Let us make September 21, 1997, the most memorable event in the history of our great church!

Love and Peace,

- Dorelan Miller

May Sarton

Born in Belgium - 1912

Died near her home on the coast of Maine - 1995

Poet and author of 53 books, including 19 novels, 17 books of poetry, 15 nonfiction works (including journals and memoirs), and two children's books. Her first book, Encounter in April, was published in 1937 She thought of her work as bridging the worlds of homosexuality and heterosexuality, old and young, men and women. Sarton was a favorite for her far-reaching insight into issues of love, creativity, and aging, and for dedication to a life lived as a poet.

Come out of the dark earth
Here where the minerals
Glow in their stone cells
Deeper than seed or birth.

Come into the pure air
Above all heaviness
Of storm and cloud to this
Light-possessed atmosphere.

Come into, out of, under
The earth, the wave, the air.

Love, touch us everywhere
With primeval candor

- May Sarton

We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

• The inherent dignity and worth of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part;

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Valdosta is committed to building a community of acceptance and love, where all people may strive for intellectual, moral and spiritual enlightenment. We offer a place to celebrate life's passages and to join in social action on behalf of local and global communities.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Valdosta
1951 East Park Avenue
Valdosta, GA 31602