The Flaming Chalice - UU Valdosta

What’s going on.…October 2003

Sun	Oct. 5	10:45 AM	Service – "A-maze-ing Stories," Dr. Fred Howard Layleader: Charles Judah
Th	Oct. 9	6:30 PM	Board of Trustees Meeting at the church in the R.E. wing
Sun	Oct. 12	9:30 AM 10:45 AM 12:15 PM	Adult R. E. Service – “Science and Spirituality,” Dr. Christine James Layleader: Theresa Thompson Second Sunday Potluck
Mon	Oct. 13	11:00 AM	Break Bread delivery
Wed	Oct.15		Newsletter deadline
Sun	Oct. 19	10:45 AM afternoon	Service – "Does UUism Have an Adequate View of Evil?” Rev. Ann Marie Alderman Congregational Outing and Picnic
Sun	Oct. 26	9:30 AM 10:45 AM	Adult R. E. Service – "Healing with Art," Lars Leader and Diane Holliman REMEMBER DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS!!!
Wed	Oct. 29	5:00 PM	Social Action Committee meeting at the church

October… How things change and stay the same over a year. Your editor was away last October also and watching changes at our church from afar. At this time last year we were welcoming a new minister and events of recent months had yet to occur. While no one of us would have wished happenings to our congregation of this past year, most of us are blessed with the desire to find the good in events and to grow through our experiences, rather than dwelling on the negatives. We are more visible in the community than we have ever been and our social outreach programs have a real potential for making a difference in our community. We are back on track seeking a minister for our congregation and perhaps have a more enlightened focus for our needs and expectations for that minister. Fred Howard started off our services for October a year ago and he will do so again this year as he embarks on his own personal quest. The Board is preparing for a celebration of the renovations of our building soon and in a service this month we bring our art collected on summer travels to celebrate our community and redecorate our space. Jason Halter celebrates becoming an Eagle Scout and in so doing brought us our Meditation Garden and Walkway during this past year. Come join in the activities for this month as you are able and bring your friends. We have much to offer each other and our community.

Dr Fred Howard will speak on October 5. His topic will be "A-maze-ing Stories" – reflections on being a UU. Fred, a member of our congregation, is a physician recently become a theology student at Emory University. Welcome Fred back to our pulpit.

On October 12 Dr. Christine James, Valdosta State University Philosophy Professor, will speak on “Science and Spirituality.” Christine has been active in the South Georgia Peace Coalition and has sponsored discussion programs at VSU over recent months.

Rev. Ann Marie Alderman, Associate Minister of the Jacksonville UU Church, will be visiting our pulpit on October 19. Her sermon title is "Does UUism Have an Adequate View of Evil?" She will discuss how might we reconcile our principle that encourages us to uphold the worth and dignity of all with the real life presence of evil. Ann Marie says she is in her second year at UUCJ as Associate Minister and is primarily responsible for children, youth and adult education programs and pastoral care organization. (She served as the RE Director for two years previous to being called as Associate Minister.) She preaches once a month on Sunday mornings, leads the church’s Faith in Action service, also once a month, on Sunday evenings, and leads most of the Wednesday evening Vespers services. She is a (she says, long time ago) graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and spent many years after that in automotive mechanics and in wood flooring! She returned to her original sense of vocation by means of the UU Church in Statesboro, GA several years ago, after moving to Savannah. She says she loves camping, hiking, being with her partner and her dogs!

Lars Leader and Diane Holliman will lead the October 26 service, “Healing with Art.” The service will be similar to the water communion service of past years. This summer it was suggested that members and friends find art works during their travels to replace damaged works at the church. Bring your contributions to this service as we join together in community and healing.

Religious Education Program

Ÿ Youth R. E.: We are seeking a leader for this group and more participants! Get in touch with Lars Leader if you have some ideas. Planning is on-going, but for now this group will not meet until further notice.

· Adult RE meets on the second and fourth Sundays at 9:30 AM. Adult RE – Theresa Thompson will be leading the discussions this month, the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays at 9:30 a.m. The topic is Native American religion, with the focus on Hopi traditions. Readings are from Book of the Hopi by Frank Waters. This paperback is available at Borders Books. Bring the book with you, if you can. Contact Lars Leader for information.

Lay leaders for the services will be Charles Judah (10/5), Theresa Thompson (10/12).

MUSIC: Ming is scheduled to play all dates in October. Lay leaders are responsible for picking out the hymns and notifying Ming early in the week to give him time to prepare for the service.

SERVICE FORMAT: Lay leaders are responsible for having programs printed and ready for distribution at the service. The service format developed by the program committee should be followed with only minor changes.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Doug Fraser and Molly Scholz will be in town in late November. They’ll be doing our music on Sunday, November 23. We have missed their wonderful music and their presence, since they moved back to the west coast. Mark your calendar to welcome them back for a visit.

MORE MUSIC: Are you hiding your talent? We would like to know who might be available as substitute pianists? A couple of you have volunteered, but perhaps there are others with a hidden musical talent. Let someone on the Board know if you could be available off and on to help out.

President’s Portion

While I was on vacation at Sand Key I walked on the beach every morning and every evening. You know, when you walk you have lots of thinking (or not thinking) time. Aware of the waves and the sun rising or setting, I relaxed through deep breathing and trivial thoughts. At times, though, I thought, not of trivial things, but of the things most important in my life: family and friends.

Every day, I would detour around a roped off area where large numbers of birds were nesting. I watched them and wondered what kind they were and what their sounds meant and I knew that some of you would know the answers. I thought about the fact that we have helped each other explore many questions, some of them producing interesting and useful information, others concerning crucial questions and answers to live by. Often, we have found answers. At other times, we have been satisfied to remain on the search.

As my thoughts continued, I decided that I would thank you again for being in the Valdosta community when I was first searching for you (without even knowing who you were), and for being steadfast and remaining.

If you ever wonder about the importance of your presence or the work that you do, I invite you to try to go back to the time you needed an option and this church was here for you. At the risk of sounding dramatic or a little over-zealous, I believe for some it has been like a bulwark in a storm and for others, like an oasis in a dry land. You might have other descriptions of what the presence and the work of this church has meant (and still means) to you. Whatever that is for each of us, I am glad we are making our presence known for others who are still searching for a comfortable place to be and offering a place for all to be involved in making the world a better place for everyone. Let’s constantly send out a welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Valdosta.

CONGREGATIONAL OUTING: A Sunday afternoon trip is planned for October 19. We will have a cookout picnic at Grand Bay WMA. Canoeing and/or a nature walk in this wildlife area will be part of the visit. Also, we will go to the A-maze-in-Corn at nearby Cecil that afternoon. This is a maze made up of walking paths carved into an eight-acre cornfield. Be prepared to get lost, but not for very long!

Jason Halter who became an Eagle Scout at an Eagle Court of Honor celebrated at our church on September 24. Jason’s Eagle Scout project, the Memorial Garden and Walkway, will long be appreciated by our congregation. Thank you Jason and congratulations!!

Two more messages have recently arrived at our UU Valdosta e-mail address following the recent article about the vandalism in UU World (Sep/Oct 2003, p. 46). Carol Stiles sent the original messages and her responses to the congregation by e-mail.

v Stan Burch of the UU congregation in Douglasville (west of Atlanta) contributed a beautiful rainbow-colored hand-woven wall hanging during his visit to the service last Sunday.

When the committee met on August 26, the results of the congregational survey were presented and discussed. Anyone who would like to receive by e-mail a copy of the survey can contact Lars Leader. Printed copies are available at the church building. The committee also discussed how we might go about finding a suitable minister in light of the congregational survey results. At a Sunday service, we announced that the formal ministerial search process would begin the fourth week of September. This process involves announcing openings for two positions. We are looking for a UU minister to be with us temporarily while a comprehensive search is conducted for a UU minister willing to live in this area and serve in a contracted part-time position. The committee meeting for October will be announced in the church bulletin. Members of the committee are Joan Cline (Chair), Anna Hall, Jim Ingram, Lars Leader, and Randy Thompson. Any church member who wishes to help the committee with further input is invited to attend the meeting or contact Joan Cline.

Thank You! Thank You!

For keeping our building clean: Joan Cline and John Tait

For keeping our grounds neat: Jim Ingram

For planning Last Saturday Socials and taking care of the kitchen: Joan Cline

For helping out in the kitchen and helping take care of the rest of our facilities: All of you folks who quietly volunteer to help out.

For coordinating the September community forum on ethnicity and race at the church: the Social Action Committee, Anna Hall (Chair), Lars Leader, Laurel Hahlen, and Hue Jacobs

For agreeing to serve on the Ministerial search Committee: Joan Cline (Chair), Lars Leader, Randy Thompson, Anna Mitchell Hall, and Jim Ingram

For preparing and sending our the congregational survey: Lars Leader

For completing the survey concerning decisions about hiring a minister: Pat yourself on the back if you took part in the survey

For being the contact person for the contractor who repaired our building: Jim Ingram

For the Program Committee and people who agree to speak or find speakers: Charles Judah (Chair of committee), Mike Carmichael, Carol Stiles, Theresa Thompson

For donating use of his office copier for the newsletter printing: Jim Ingram

For helping clean-up the foyer and with August newsletter mailing: Sarah Tait and Dee Tait

For the big clean-up August 9: John Tait, Frank Asbury, Joan Cline, Lars Leader, Julie Halter, Anna Hall, Dee Tait, Chris, Charlie, and Sarah Tait, Benjamin

For continuing to respond to all the people who have remembered our church with gifts cards and letters: Betsy and Randy Thompson, Carol Stiles

For chairing the Membership Committee: Betsy and Randy Thompson

For delivering Break Bread Together meals in August: Dee, Charles and Chris Tait

For delivering Break Bread Together meals in September: René Kerr and Madison and Virginia Branan

For all the work she does even as she recovers from surgery and anticipates more surgery: Virginia Branan (Special thanks for procuring speakers, ordering brochures for the Moody Fun Festival, answering questions and providing advice, taking over e-mail responsibilities while Carol Stiles was on vacation and much more!)

For hosting the Last Saturday Supper in August: Charles Judah

For hosting the last Saturday Supper in September: Mike Carmichael

For preparations for the Moody Fun Fair: Virginia Branan and Dee Tait

For staffing the UU table at the Moody Air Force Base Fun Fair on August 22: Mike Carmichael and Dee Tait

For being supportive of the Horowitz family in preparing for and attending the Memorial Service for Martha Horowitz on August 16: All who were there to remember Martha and her contributions through the years to our congregation

For cleaning the walkways and assisting in getting ready for Sunday morning services: Sarah, Chris, and Charlie Tait, Kevin and Sean Leader, and others who help out with this pre-service task each Sunday.

For keeping up with so many details that most people are not aware of---insurance follow-up after the vandalism, more cleanup (and cleanout!), publicity in newspaper church briefs, organizing MAFB outreach, board business, continuing to help the program committee, being a compassionate listener for congregants, getting the newsletter copied and mailed, and managing to smile through all of the "busy-ness: Dee Tait

For serving as a greeter: Jim and Anna Hall, John Tait, Ann Zipperer, and Betsy and Randy Thompson

For providing transportation for members: Lars Leader, John Tait, Jim and Josette Ingram

For serving as layleaders in August: Charles Judah, Randy Thompson, Dee Tait

Treasurer’s Report

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.

The committee decided to have t-shirts made with the chalice symbol and UU Valdosta Social Action Committee on them, so that church members could wear them while participating in social action in order to raise awareness about our group. Our September Social Action was a Discussion Forum on Ethnicity and Race in a Changing America, held at the church. The event received a "thumbs-up" in the Valdosta Daily Times. Also, we are planning to send a group at the end of September or beginning of October to a stop on the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, which will bring attention to issues of concern to immigrant workers.

In October, our Social Action event will be to help one of our church members, Bobbie Dixon, move into her home, which she is purchasing through Habitat for Humanity. She was able to find people to complete all the necessary "sweat equity" hours before we were able to sponsor that as a social action project, so we would like to assist her in this way. Details will follow by e-mail and in the weekly order of service.

We are always looking for new ideas particularly ideas that are anti-hate oriented, in order to put some of the leftover restoration fund toward reducing hate and hate crimes in south Georgia. The Social Action Committee will meet October 29th at 5:00 PM at the church. Anyone interested in social action is welcome. You are invited to join our new email group. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UUValdostaSAC/ and click on the "Join This Group" button. Contact: Anna Hall, Committee Chair

In attendance were: Charles Judah, Randy Thompson, Lars Leader, John Tait and Rosie Asbury.

o UUA Grant Mailing: Julie Halter and Dee Tait are still working on the brochure. It was suggested that information about RE programs for children be included in the brochure.

o Once a Month Social: Joan Cline is coordinating this committee. The September social will be at Mike Carmichael’s home.

o Sunday Greeters: John Tait has volunteered to be the Sunday greeter coordinator.

o Re-dedication of the Building: The purpose of this is to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the church after the vandalism. The service would be very similar to the “Unified Against Hate” service we had last June. Volunteers are needed to help organize this affair, which will probably be held in November.

o Restoration Fund: There was a discussion on whether part of the restoration fund could be used for the re-dedication service expenses.

o The Social Action Committee will be asked to present a proposal to the Board (with estimated budget) for anti-hate community outreach programs.

o Wood-carved plaque: A member of the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, CA has offered to make a wood-carved plaque for our church. It was agreed to accept his offer to make a carved sign to mark the meditation trail.

o Building and Grounds: Another general cleaning is planned right before the re-dedication service.

o Church Sign: There was a discussion to put up a sign at the entrance of the church, which would convey our UU beliefs, values, and sentiments.

Newsletter Staff

Oct. 10-12 Martha's Vineyard Birding Weekend with all meals, lodging in our members welcoming homes and all local transportation. All you will need is your sense of exploration and adventure! We have planned a very special weekend this year with the emphasis on Eco-tourism and Birding activities. We have also arranged for Spooky Ghost Stories by a local celebrity. For those looking for rest and relaxation, we have our beautiful beaches and coastline, an afternoon stroll and time for shopping and sightseeing, as well as a Delightful afternoon Tea. Sunday we are pleased to have "Emily Dickenson" as our Speaker. Cost: $250 per person. Contact UUSMV, PO Box 1236 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, 508-693-8982, or email UUSMV@aol.com, www.UUSMV.info

Fall 2003 Online Courses at The Mountain-For professional involved in ministry, religious education, church music, administration, board and committee work, etc… (See brochure)

Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday Evenings. Beginner’s class 5:30- 6:30 PM. Continuing class 6:30-7:30 PM. Contact Dennis Bogyo if you are interested or need further information.

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

South Georgia Coalition for Peace The Board has given this grassroots community group permission to use our building for its meetings as needed.

RESTORATION FUNDS: Several of our members are concerned about the way we choose to use the remaining Restoration Fund monies. Carol Stiles has expressed her concerns in a well thought out letter to the Board. A further e-mail conversation has ensued between Carol, Betty Derrick, Lars Leader, Dee Tait, and Laurel Hahlen. Laurel says “(quoting Betty) ‘using the ... fund for activities for tolerance and inclusion in the whole community’ is perhaps our most sensible and powerful response to the vandalism that occurred at the church. Even if it hasn't been labeled a hate crime, there is a "hate" factor that has never been sufficiently addressed and is far too abundant throughout the region. We should use this opportunity to see if there's something that can be done to somehow change the acceptability level of hate-induced actions. I'm sure the Social Action Committee (and anyone else who's interested in participating) would love the chance to propose some ideas.” Carol Stiles in her letter “encourages the UU Valdosta board to work closely with the Social Action Committee in administering the Renovation Fund.” Lars has added that “The restoration fund should not be used either for general expenses or for a minister. I think the minutes of the last meeting do not really reflect the consensus of the BOT concerning this matter. … I'll try to clarify things in the next meeting.”

Thank you for reading our newsletter!
The Newsletter Team (click here to meet us!)

Sunday Services	Thank You! Thank You!	Religious Education
President's Portion	Social Action	UU Activities and Announcements
Social Events!!	Board Notes

FUND BALANCES AT August 31, 2003
General Fund		12,932.53
Restoration Fund		12,636.90
UUA Grant Fund		3,000.00
Total (Cash in Bank Accounts)		28,569.43

OUTSTANDING DEBT
Mortgage		31,941.11
		31,941.11

OPERATING RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS:		August	YTD
Receipts:
Pledge		1,325.00	1,970.00
Plate		87.00	159.00
Rent		280.00	560.00
Memorial contributions for Horowitz		75.00	125.00
Al Boyce fund		380.00	380.00
TOTAL RECEIPTS		2,147.00	3,194.00

Disbursements:
Mortgage		500.00	1,000.00
Utilities		168.74	521.74
Pianist		0.00	70.00
UUA Annual Dues		1,104.00	1,104.00
Supplies		64.83	151.83
Al Boyce		380.00	380.00
Repairs and Maintenance		613.55	613.55
Other		25.00	25.00
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS		2,856.12	3,866.12

NET RECEIPT (DISBURSEMENT)		(709.12)	(672.12)

RESTORATION FUND

Receipts thru August 31, 2003	Contributions	13,777.90
	Insurance	22,217.00
		35,994.90
Disbursements thru August 31, 2003 -
	Contractor	23,358.00
	Program	98.00
		23,358.00

RESTORATION FUND BALANCE		12,636.90


UUA GRANT BALANCE		3,000.00