What’s going on...October 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Services

The overall theme for our October Programming is Building and Cherishing Community.  

October 2 – “Small Group Ministry,”  Joan Cline

Small group ministry has been a powerfully effective organizing tool for churches of all kinds over the past few decades, promoting growth, effective action, and personal connection. Joan Cline will speak to the church about her research about small group ministry and how it might feed both our needs for a closer “church family” and contribute to our wider community.  

October 9 – “UUs and the WWW Community,”  Lars Leader

It doesn’t seem surprising that Tim Berners-Lee, the chief inventor of the World Wide Web, is a Unitarian Universalist. This week Dr. Lars Leader , VSU Professor of Curriculum and Informational Technology will discuss how peer-to-peer communities are built through both UU and WWW forms of diverse, accepting, and decentralized interaction.  The presentation will include audience participation.  

October 16 -  “Hinduism as the Song of God,” Michael Stoltzfus

Michael Stoltzfus will mine the Bhagavad-Gita, one of the many sacred Hindu texts, for spiritual wisdom and modes of religious practice.  This month he will focus on Bhakti and Karma yoga as particular types of spiritual discipline.  The Gita helps us to recognize and appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary, the sacred as manifest in the mundane things of everyday life.  

October 23 – Reading by John Guzlowski

Poet and retired literature professor, John Guzlowski was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Vinenberg , Germany in 1948. He has published numerous poems and essays, including the book Language of Mules, a collection of poems about his parents and other forced laborers and displaced persons in Germany during and after WW II.  

October 30 – “Day of the Dead,” Luanna Goodwin

Artist Luanna Goodwin will assist us in building an open labyrinth the day before this service to mourn and celebrate all of our lost loved ones. This ceremony will bring together music, poetry, and group responsive readings, but silent memory will stand at the core of the labyrinth and of the service. If you wish, bring a photograph of loved ones you wish to commemorate, but symbolic flowers will be provided to lay on the inner altar.  

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Worship is meant to be:  silence, reflection, community, inspiration, hope, coming home, comfort, getting in touch with the seasons and my deeper self, being with those who care for me.

                        Anonymous member of our congregation

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Beloved Community Wednesday Potluck and Discussion:

This group has usually met on the third Wednesday of the month; however since Joan Cline, who coordinates these gatherings, is traveling, please watch for announcements or e-mails about whether and when this group may meet this month.  

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 Congregational Meeting

October 16, 2005 

The Board has called a special congregational meeting to decide if the congregation should use part of the UU Valdosta Restoration Fund to help other UU churches or individuals/families affected by Hurricane Katrina.  The amount of any donation will also be decided.  This meeting of UU Valdosta members will be held after the Meet and Greet time at the end of the regular Sunday service.  Plan to attend this important meeting and participate in the democratic process in our congregation – one of our UU Principles.  

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SPARC - Sunday School With a Purpose

The Service Planning and Reflection Committee (SPARC) will be meeting two Sunday mornings each month at 9:30 AM in the Religious Education Building  to reflect on our church’s ministry to each other and the wider community. Please join the group to shape the path we walk together.  

Don’t forget to sign up in the SPARC notebook on the counter in the vestibule. Please take time each week to check the sign up sheets and volunteer to help make our services meaningful for all.   

 

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.  

Hurricane Relief

The Board has voted to offer our church facilities as housing for Katrina refugees for two or three families, depending on the size of the family. The church has a kitchen, three bathrooms, a shower, and three rooms in the RE building which could be used as bedrooms, one with a crib. If you have friends or family members from the area affected by Katrina who need housing, or if you have cots, air mattresses, or other amenities that could be used contact Helen Gerhardt.

There will be a Congregational Meeting on October 16 to discuss donations to victims of Hurricane Katrina.  See details elsewhere in the newsletter.

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee have established the UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund to assist in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. All funds received will be distributed under the auspices of the Southwest and Mid-South Districts.  You can designate your online gift to be used in either of two ways.  

Click here to go to the UUA online link for secure donations, and read through the options carefully.

http://www.uua.org/news/2005/050831_katrina/donate.html

·         Make an online, credit card donation through the UUA's secure website for community relief efforts AND for affected UU congregations so that their ministries to their communities can be restored.

·         Make an online, credit card donation through the UUA's secure website exclusively for community relief efforts.

Or you may contribute in the following ways:

·         Give stock and mutual fund shares.

·         Send checks payable to the "UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund" to: UUA, P.O. Box 843155 , Boston , MA 02284 -3155 (If you wish to restrict your gift to community relief efforts, please write “CRE” in the memo line of your check.)

 

   About Our Members and Friends...

Keep in your thoughts and prayers our members and friends in difficult health situations or caring for loved ones.... contact Josette if you can help deliver meals.

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At the VSU Happening

The VSU Happening was an orientation in August that included dozens of tables where community and campus organizations introduced themselves to the new students on the VSU campus.    UU Valdosta had a table.  Helen Gerhardt, Doug Tanner, and Lars Leader talked with students who passed by.  They handed out information about our congregation and the UU principles.  Students had a chance to win prizes by matching names and photos of famous UUs with quotations from those people.  Best of all, some students expressed interest in learning more and visiting our church.  We have a list of students, including some who may ask for a ride to our services.

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UU Board News:  The Board at its September meeting approved a JUUST Change application from the church.  Betty Derrick, Lars Leader, and Helen Gerhardt, who have been working on the Restoration Fund Project, hope that through this UUA social justice program application the congregation will be able to sponsor a workshop for the Valdosta community. 

 The Board has called a special congregational meeting for October 16, 2005, to make a decision about the use of  the Restoration Fund to help those  affected by Hurricane Katrina.  

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Treasurer's Report

Doug Tanner

                FUND BALANCES at August 31, 2005           

General Fund                                        $20,934.41

Restoration Fund                                 $17,214.64

Total (Cash in Bank Accounts)         $38,149.05

                                                                                                               

OUTSTANDING DEBT                                                                     

 Mortgage                                             $24,151.74                             

                                                                               

OPERATING RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS:                                       

                               July                         Year to Date

Receipts:                                                                                               

  Plate                     58.00                          183.19

  Pledge                  920.00                     1,855.00

  Rent                      240.00                        380.00

TOTAL                 1,218.00                   2,418.19

                                                                               

Disbursements:                                                                                   

  Mortgage            500.00                     1,000.00

  Repairs and Maintenance                                                

                                197.00                         326.00

  Supplies                  66.33                          66.33

  UU Conference 

    Attendance          0.00                          189.00

  Utilities                253.13                          399.17

  Advertising             0.00                            84.80

  Other                      12.00                            24.00

TOTAL                 1,028.46                        2,089.30

               

NET RECEIPT (DISBURSEMENT)    

                                  $189.54                       $328.89

               

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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. 

October 1 Chrysalis Way, hosted by Congregation All Souls UU

October 14-16,  Vermont Fall Foliage Escape,  11th annual B&B weekend offered by the UU Church of Rutland, VT.  . For information email:  uufoliagevermont@yahoo.com or call 802-293-2510.

October 14-16 YRUU All-Age CON, Sarasota

October 15 Southeast Cluster Annual Meeting and Workshop, Managing Our Differences, with Rev. Mary Higgins, Boca Raton

November 12 Fall Leadership Conference 200,5 First Unitarian Church Orlando ; Facilitated by Gini Courter Moderator of the UUA

November 11 – 13 Florida Women and Religion’s Annual Fall Retreat,  DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center , Ellenton , FL  

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.

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS

Joan Lund

As I receive (some on line) and read the various interesting and informative newsletters I am sent from our congregations I am struck by how active and vital each group is, often in very different ways. The initiatives many individuals and congregations undertook after the devastation of Katrina made me realize how caring and committed we are. The latest information I received from the UUA reported the money sent for relief was $857,648, from 4,815 contributors, including one anonymous donation of $100,000. By the time you read this hopefully it will be so much more.

                Generosity seems to be my theme for September and October. After writing about the Veatch Program last month I thought you might like to know about the UU Holdeen India Program (UUHIP), established in 1984 thanks to a generous bequest to the UUA from Jonathan Holdeen, an attorney and business man who was interested in assisting impoverished people of India . UUHIP currently is a non-sectarian religious and philanthropic trust.

                Since its establishment UUHIP has supported more than 70 groups of marginalized peoples to help increase their organized strength and self-reliance; have access to productive resources, services, and opportunities; increase their livelihoods, assets, economic independence and security; influence government policies; challenge discriminatory social practices; and build, manage, and control their own institutions. UUHIP supports long term partnerships with democratically governed poor peoples’ organizations that can advocate on their own behalf and are committed to non-violence in their approaches to dealing with social injustices. UUHIP offers strategic support to these organizations that will strengthen their ability to innovate, work, and grow effectively.

                Financial assistance is given in the form of grants which are used for a variety of activities including leadership building, strategic planning strengthening, organizing, advocacy, and problem solving skills, and promoting government accountability. Funds may be used to union organization and technical/legal expertise. These are just some of the ways the grants may be used. Seed money provided by UUHIP sometimes enables groups to generate additional funding from other private and public donors both Indian and international sources.

                UUHIP is part of the UUA Office of International Relations and maintains a small office in Washington , D.C. Holdeen is governed by the UUA Board of Trustees and UUHIP’s own Board of Advisors. If you wish to learn more go to the UUA website’s search box and enter “Holdeen”. If you wish to contact me I can be reached at jlund@uua.org. I look forward to hearing from you.  

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Newsletter Staff

 

Editor:  Betty Derrick

Website:  Carol Stiles

October 15: deadline for the November newsletter    

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Pastoral Letter from the

Rev. William G. Sinkford, President 

Unitarian Universalist Association

A Gentle, Angry People

(Tuesday afternoon, September 6, 2005)

I am so angry. I've had to stop watching coverage of the disaster along our Gulf Coast . The statements from our political and military leaders that we have "turned the corner," that we have a unified disaster command with "perfect coordination," in response to this "natural disaster" are more than I can bear. I cannot watch one more press conference with congratulations for the "heck of a job" FEMA and the military have done.

                Natural disaster? Katrina was certainly a force of nature, although there is substantial evidence that the global warming so many deny increased the fury of the storm. But we cannot lay responsibility for our response at the feet of Mother Nature.

                Perfect coordination? I shudder to think that our nation's delayed and inadequate response to the suffering left in Katrina's wake might be proudly claimed as a plan.

I am fighting not to sink into paranoia, though as a person of color I have a lifetime of experience which would provide ample justification.

                These last days have provided a picture of what racism and classism and privilege look like. Racism is not about individual prejudice. Classism is not about individual poverty. And privilege is so often allowed to be invisible.  

I am so angry. Look at New Orleans . 

Tens of thousands of American citizens, almost all of them poor and Black, living in unimaginable conditions with no food and water, waited for days while evacuation buses passed them by to pick up tourists from luxury hotels.

                Citizens in devastated small towns on the Gulf Coast are still without evacuation or adequate supplies.

                New Orleans was too "dangerous" for the small number of National Guard troops available to enter the city. How much of that perceived "danger" had to do with the color of the citizen's skins? Why were food and water not brought in by helicopter? Did relief have to wait 5 days? How long would it have taken the people in the Superdome and the Convention Center to receive assistance if they had been middle-class White Americans?

                Isn't it deception to say that this disaster was a surprise when government reports have predicted it for decades? These reports predicted that the poor, Black neighborhoods in the lowest lying areas of the city would be the most devastated. Funds for the Iraq occupation took precedence.            

Why were there so few National Guard or regular Army troops available for the relief effort? Can we believe that the deployment of Guard units to contain resistance to our occupation of Iraq had no impact on our response? Our national priorities are clear.

                The media is far from blameless. Why were Blacks described as looters and Whites described as "searching for food." Where were the images of white New Orleans police officers "searching for food" as they carried off wide-screen TV's.

                Local leaders share the blame as well. What was the meaning of "mandatory evacuation" from New Orleans when so many Black and low income citizens had no means to leave the city? At the end of the month, people living from pay-check to pay-check do not have money for gas, if they have a car, nor money to stay in a hotel for days. Where were the school buses to take these citizens to relative safety?

                Racism and classism mean that the concerns, even the very lives of people of color and poor people, remain invisible.

As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus said: "God would not be pleased with our response."

I am so angry. But we are a gentle and a generous people. In response to the disaster, Unitarian Universalists and so many American citizens have opened their wallets, and many have opened their homes and their hearts to the hundreds of thousands of now homeless New Orleaneans. Donating to the UUA/UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund is an excellent way to express compassion. Opportunities for hands on congregational effort will multiply as the diaspora of the evacuees from the Gulf Coast continues. Public and private support for reconstruction will need to continue for months and even years.

But even our generosity has been tinged with the racism and classism that sullies the soul of our nation. One Unitarian Universalist wrote to me of "a disturbing message from a member of our congregation speaking from the pulpit this morning, regarding social action plans to help evacuees who reached [our town]: ‘These are people who left town in their cars before the hurricane hit. They're good families. You don't have to be afraid of them.' I listened in shock and horror but could not find words to respond. I know you can and will. And must."

                We are told that now is not the time for criticism of how the disaster response has been managed, that there will be time for commissions and committees to conduct investigations. We know that now is the time to provide relief and support for the citizens of the Gulf, and we are working as hard as we can to do our part.

                But it is not too early to begin learning from this disaster. New Orleans will most certainly be rebuilt; the economic engine of this nation requires a thriving port at the mouth of the Mississippi . But will New Orleans be rebuilt in the image of the past, which marginalized so many of its citizens? Can we not craft a vision grounded in the search for justice, equity and compassion?  

We are a gentle and generous people. But let us not forget our anger. May it fuel not only our commitment to compassion but also our commitment to make fundamental changes. Our vision of the Beloved Community must stand against a vision that would allow the privilege of the few to be accepted as just and even holy. Our religious vision must again and again ask the Gospel question "Who is my neighbor" and strive always to include more and more of us as we intone the words that gave birth to this nation, "We the people..."  

We are, and we should be, both a gentle, and an angry people. 

http://www.uua.org/president/050907_katrina.html