What’s going on... October 2008  

Sunday Services

Sunday, October 5 – Rev. Fred Howard, "A Seminal Experience." 
This sermon will be a reflection on the influence of ideas that I witnessed during my seminary years as I watched the hearts and minds of some of my classmates gradually transform under the tutelage of great teachers and mentors.  Fred Howard is a Unitarian Universalist Minister who began his UU journey in our congregation and completed his ministerial studies recently.  He served the Macon UU church during this past year.  We have enjoyed his services over recent months.

Sunday, October 12 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus, “Jesus:  A Strange Example of Family Values

Many contemporary Christians try to turn Jesus into an exemplar of what has come to be called “traditional family values.”  What does Jesus say about the family and the roles of children, siblings and parents?  How does Jesus treat his own parents and siblings and how do they respond to his teaching and example?  We will investigate Jesus’ critique of the virtues and vices of family life through an analysis of his relationship with his biological family members and his critique of traditional gender roles.    

Sunday, October 19 – Dr. Richard Saeger, “The Upcoming Presidential Election”

Dr. Richard Saeger, Professor of Political Science at Valdosta State University , will speak to us about the up-coming election.  He will be sharing his professional views about issues in this election and no doubt will share some of his predictions about likely results. 

                This may be an appropriate place to remind ourselves that we are a diverse body with many different views and that there are regulations on the political activities of congregations which the UUA has summarized as follows:

1. ISSUE ADVOCACY: Without limits on time, effort and expense, congregations and their representatives may engage in issue advocacy through activities such as educating and mobilizing congregants and the general public. Note that issue advocacy is only acceptable if it does not involve political campaign intervention.

2. LOBBYING: Within narrow limits on time, effort and expense, congregations and their representatives may engage in lobbying—advocating for or against specific pieces of legislation—as an "unsubstantial" portion of an organization's activities. Courts and the IRS have ruled in the past that lobbying activity constituting 5% or less of total activities is acceptable.

3. POLITICAL CAMPAIGN INTERVENTION: There is a total limit on partisan activity, which the IRS calls political campaign intervention. Congregations and their representatives can do nothing that advocates for or against candidates for public office or political parties. This includes fundraising on behalf of candidates and donating meeting space, among other things.  

See the UUA website for more detailed information and come participate in what is almost certain to be an interesting discussion with Dr. Saeger who has made similar presentations in the past.  

Sunday, October 26 – Dr. Lars Leader, “Remembering Those We've Lost”

The end of October is a time in the calendar when people in many cultures look to the falling of the leaves, the end of the growing season, and the coming winter to consider and remember the end of lives or the loss of relationships.  Halloween in the U.S. and the Day of the Dead in Mexico are just two examples of festivals at this time.  Thoughts go to those who have left us.  During this service, members and friends will be invited to remember in words or thoughts family or friends who are no longer with them--those who have passed on or, perhaps, those from whom they feel distanced, for whatever reason.  Join us for this time of remembrance.                                      

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INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our President, Doug Tanner, or Membership Director, Lars Leader.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.          Rev. Jane Page also welcomes your questions about UU membership.

 

 

Religious Education for Children

                The RE program for children meets at 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  Volunteers to help in the classroom are needed. Contacts: Mya Storey  or Susan Bailey.

 

Rev. Jane A. Page, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro, serves our congregation in Valdosta each month.  She is available for conferences and special services when she is in Valdosta .

 

MINISTERIAL MUUSINGS: Rev. Page will not be with us in October. She will return to her regular monthly visits in November.  Watch for her column again next month.

 

 

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President’s Corner

Doug Tanner

Hello again everyone,

                We seem to be off to a great year and I would like to take a moment to thank all those who have gone the extra mile to get everything started over the last couple of months.  Your extra effort has drawn in many new faces over the last few weeks.

                Many of us participated in VSU’s opening events by staffing the church’s table at “The Happening”.  We had dozens of visitor’s to our tent and many expressed genuine interest in the church and our goal of promoting diversity and peace in the community.  Events such as this are important in connecting with the larger community.

                In August the newly organized Valdosta PFLAG group, Parent’s, Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays, had it’s inaugural meeting in our sanctuary and more than twenty church and community members came together to support one another.  A second equally successful meeting in September cemented the group’s conviction that there is a need for this group in Valdosta .  I applaud the Board’s decision to support this group’s effort to work for acceptance of those with diverse sexual orientation by allowing them to use of our facility.

                In the long run, if successful, these events will expand our connection to the community in which we live, work and worship.  If recent attendance at Sunday Services is any indication, these events have been very successful in attracting interested visitors and new members.  It was so crowded today we had to take down more chairs to accommodate everyone.  It was great to see so many new and familiar faces in attendance.

                I hope to see you on Sunday very soon.

 

Let’s Have Some Fun!!

 

Games Night

October 18   7:00 PM

At the church

Bring some finger foods and munchies to share, libations if you’d like, the kids, a friend, a favorite game and let the games begin.  See Sue Bailey for further details.  Come enjoy the fun! 

 

Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, October 24   6:30 PM

At the church

Bring a dish to share.  Coffee and tea will be provided.  You are welcome to bring other beverages.  We’ll plan to wind up by around 8:30 PM if you have other end of the week commitments.  Watch the movie Lars and the Real Girl before coming.  The movie should be available at local rental stores.  (For those who are unable to watch the movie ahead of time we will try to have a TV at the church around 5:30 PM before the potluck for anyone who would like to watch at least part of the movie then.  Let Betty know if you can help make this possible.  You may want to contact her before coming early to be sure the details have been managed.) We’ll discuss this quirky movie, which deals with change of various sorts.  During the evening we will select our next book for discussion. (Given Rev. Page’s September sermon on racism, we may want to consider one of the books from her reading list or one suggested during the discussion.) We are selecting books which deal with different cultures, religions, and life styles.  Betty is keeping a list of suggestions.  Let her know your recommendations.  Contact: Betty Derrick.

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ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Keep in your thoughts

Our members and friends experiencing health concerns….

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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 Betty Derrick if you would like to help.  

Accepting Difference Project

Matthew Richards, to whom we have donated some of our project monies, sends the following information:

"Causes"-- Valdosta 's (mini) Film Festival.

Causes II coming January 24, 2009

Just an early "heads up" that the second annual Causes (mini)Film Festival is slated for Saturday evening, January 24, 2009.   We hope to equal and maybe even surpass last year's total of 28 mini-documentaries and we hope that you've been thinking about issues that require attention.  Remember, last year we covered an interesting array of topics, everything from spaying and neutering to nano-solar technology!   Our prize money is more than double this year, thanks to a wonderful grant from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Valdosta.  We will award 4 prizes of $100 each. 

So, LET THE BRAINSTORMING BEGIN!

 PFLAG Meeting:  

A new chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has formed in Valdosta .  The next PFLAG meeting will be held October 21at 7:00PM at the UU Church.   Remember, bring a friend of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community!  For more information, see the national PFLAG website:  http://community.pflag.org/   

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Sadhviji is offering two special online lecture series: 

Series I – “Freedom from Trauma,” 9:00-10:15 PM 

M-F  October 13-17

Series II – “The Knower of the Self Gains the Ultimate,” 9:00-10:15 PM   M-F October 20 - 24

To access classes, go to the website www.arshavm.org  and click on the top tab Vedanta.  Once there, click on the left button, "online classroom" and then click on the pot.  Enter the classroom with your name.

OM       Arsha Vijnana Mandiram

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors

 

August 6 Meeting: Attendance: Doug Tanner, Bill Webster, Sue Bailey, Lars Leader, Rosie Asbury and Kari Wells. 

·         There was discussion of the roof and how it is holding up to all the rain.  Jim Ingram is still waiting to hear back from the roofers regarding the replacement of some panels.

·         “The Happening” at VSU is scheduled for Aug 21  1-4 We talked about the possibility of getting T-shirts made to wear at this and other community functions.

·         We talked about adding more pictures to our website to give people interested in our church a better understanding of who we are. 

September 3 Meeting: Attendance: Doug Tanner, Rosie Asbury, Lars Leader, Sue Bailey, Valerie Webster and Kari Wells

Old Business: 

·         Received a high estimate from roofers to fix the roof, Jim will continue to look for a more reasonable estimate.

·         R.E. table needs to be raised 6-8 inches so the kids can fit their legs under it, will try to get that fixed in the next month.

·         We still don’t know for sure who broke into the RE building sometime between Aug 7-10.  The police are still looking for possible suspects.  The broken window from the break-in is not yet ready to be picked up.  Hopefully sometime this week.

·         New Hope has been talked to about making sure they lock up the building when they are done and put back anything that they may have moved during their services.

·         “The Happening” seemed to be a success.  We had several people stop at the booth and ask for information.  For next year, we want to make sure to have a condensed version of the newsletter (something that talks about the up coming speakers and different programs that we offer.)  Also, make sure we have our web address and directions to the church so they have all that information on one piece of paper.

New Business:

·         Lars discussed Tropical Storm Readiness Documents, making sure that we have things like a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and a list of anyone from the church who may need to be checking in on incase of emergency.  Lars will also be sending a directory to all the Board Members so everyone has a copy.

·         Programs- Everything is scheduled through December with only one opening in Oct.  Lars is planning to fill that opening with a “Day of the Dead” Ceremony where everyone will bring pictures of loved ones to be remembered.

·         RE- Still working on Secret project to be revealed some time in the end of Sept-beginning of Oct.

·         Discussed using the Church for Weddings and what fees are appropriate.  They will be determined on a case by case situation depending on what part of the church will be used and how long it will be needed.

·         PFLAG will continue to use the church once a month for their meetings.

·         A board member will be out for surgery and will need people to help with Break Bread deliveries and cleaning the church.  If you can help please let Doug know.

October meeting will be October 8 at 6:00 PM.

 

Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick  Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait October 15: Deadline for the November newsletter.

 

 

Treasurer's Report

Rosie Asbury

August 2008

Receipts                 August                         July -present

  Plate                     $  145.00                         $     272.00

  Pledge                    1045.00                             1585.00

  Rent                              0.00                              240.00

  Mem. donation           0.00                             10000.00

Total Receipts      $ 1190.00                          $12097.00

Disbursements  

  Mortgage            $    00.00                                   $ 9507.00               

  Speakers’ Fees        750.00                                    1800.00

  Repairs & Maint.    362.00                                      362.00

  Newsletter                    0.00                                     212.28

  Postage                         0.00                                       25.49

  Supplies                      15.70                                       35.50

  Utilities                     253.21                                      480.32

  UU Dues                       0.00                                         0.00

  UU Conference        345.26                                   1232.78

  Advertising              145.80                                     145.80

  Other                           70.00                                        70.00

Total  Disbrsmnts.$ 1941.97                               $13871.17

Net Receipt           $    751.97                               $  1774.17

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund

The fall winds, and the political parties’ proclaiming time for change has put me in a frame of mind to write about change, a constant force in our personal and congregational lives. Does change bring conflict, or does conflict bring change? Both scenarios can be accurate. In either case both may be useful and productive, but not always. There is uneasiness involved in any change. People don’t always know what to do with their feelings when change occurs. Sometimes this plays out in congregational life when congregants focus misplaced anxiety on specific persons rather than dealing with the real issues. Anxiety leads to non-thinking so it is important to be calm, present, and connected within the area of anxiety. It is important to deal with anxiety and to treat all persons with respect.

                Anxiety may lead to conflict which arises when there is a disturbance in one’s emotional being. Several factors may contribute to this state such as unresolved present or past family issues, unexamined values and behavioral expectations, different perceptions and understanding of another, or an imbalance of pressures created by the environment. We must remember each one of us has some part of a truth associated with a current problem, but rarely, if ever, does any one of us have the whole or sole truth. Congregants need to speak their truths, as well as listening to the truth of our congregational friends and welcome, not fear our UU diversity.

                Leaders in the congregation must be competent, informed, accountable, and in touch with contemporary reality. They are the ones responsible for the operations and health of the institution. Congregational leaders need to be aware that complaints are a sign of a perceived threat to the stability of relationships and thus the congregation. The leaders need to know how to assess what is going on in the present as well as being able to suggest avenues to explore to address the problems. Direct communication is important and the committee on ministry should not be expected to solve problems with the minister or within the congregation. 

                What should leaders of the congregation do when unhealthy anxiety and/or conflict threatens? The best thing is to ask for help before it gets to that point. Even the slightest hint that something is not right and your congregation might not be able to resolve the issue by itself, the first person to contact is our very competent District Executive, Rev. Kenn Hurto.

                As always I look forward to hearing from you at jlund@uua.org. May your congregation enjoy good health and relationships as you work together now and in the future.

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Greetings Florida District Friends and Leaders

Kenn Hurto , Florida District Director

October is a full and energizing month for our District Congregations. Congregations are invited to participate in the 2nd round of Association Sunday October 12th. This is the annual appeal for our congregations to focus one service a year to issues affecting our larger ministries. This year, monies raised will go to fund lay theological education and programs that demonstrate excellence in ministry.

                Last year, our District congregations were most generous in their gifting. A delightful "give-back" is that next month, we will announce the recipients of $15,000 in "Congregations Grow" grants to develop our Unitarian Universalist witness in the District. Our thanks to the 21 Florida District congregations that have pledged their participation. (Editors Note:  Valdosta UU was not on the list last year, perhaps we should be in 2008!)By the way, if October is not convenient, feel free to choose another date. For more information, see: http://www.uua.org/giving/associationsunday/.

                One last thought: We are clearly in difficult financial times that require vigilance for congregational leaders. Our ministries need to engage our members, to provide support for those whose well-being is at risk. Similarly, we need to not circle our wagons. We need to stay engaged in the justice issues this crisis presents. There is ministry to ourselves and to our communities. Let us keep our faith strong, be engaged, and do a good job of being careful stewards of our gifts and resources while going forth to serve our people and communities. 

                All blessings on your good work. Thank you for your continuing faith and gifts of time, talent, and treasure to our many ministries.

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At the Church-in-the-Woods

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

Taoist Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday: Continuing Class: 5:30-7:00 PM; Beginners Class:7-8:00 PM  Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin

PFLAG Meeting – Tuesday, October 21 7:00PM 

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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 10-12 Florida UU Women and Religion Fall Retreat “Stories from China”  Chinsegut Hill Conference & Retreat Center, Brooksville, FL 34601    (352) 796-6254

October 10-12 YRUU CON-trol Freaks All Age Youth Conference, University UU, Orlando, FL

October 11 Small Group Ministry Workshop with John DuPree, First UU, Orlando, FL

October 12 UUA Association Sunday

October 16 Third Thursday Leaders’ Webinar

October 17-18 “On Top of the Heap:  Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times” (A two session workshop on Bowen Family Systems Theory as Applied to Congregations)

 with Rev. Kenn Hurto, Venice , FL   

 

Association Sunday 2008!   The success of the first Association Sunday, raising $1.4 million from 626 congregations shows what can be possible when we come together to support our common goals.

                Our second Association Sunday will raise funds to support projects focused on deepening our Shared Ministry. The theme is Growing Our Spirit. The following specific initiatives were chosen based on a survey of Unitarian Universalist leaders—to which over 1,828 responded—whose 1st and 2nd priorities are represented in this plan.  

“My hope is that Association Sunday will become a regular part of every congregation’s church year.”

                —President Bill Sinkford  

v   50% of the funds raised for Association Sunday 2008 will support Lay Theological Education programs:

Congregations, districts, and seminaries will have the opportunity to apply for grants to create programs which focus on spiritual and theological deepening. Preference will be given to programs which have a strong lay theological education component, that have built on an idea that has a proven track record of success, and that involve more than one UU congregation or entity.  Programs should be designed such that they can be replicated in other congregations; recipients of the grants will be asked to create resources and a case study that could be shared with others.  The purpose of the grants is to support the creation of materials, rather than to provide for new staff positions.  Grants will begin to be available in the spring of 2009. Rev. Harlan Limpert, Director of District Services for the UUA, will convene a team in collaboration with the UUMA, LREDA, the UU Funding Panel, and lay leaders to determine the application process and criteria. Grants will be for a maximum of $100,000 each.  

v   50% of the funds raised for Association Sunday 2008 will be divided equally among the following Excellence in Ministry programs:

• The Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association new initiatives for continuing education programs for ordained leaders through their CENTER programs.
• Scholarships for promising students preparing for our ministry.

                Students in candidate status are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Scholarships will be in the amount of $20,000 each (as many as funds make available). Funds will be distributed in June of 2009 through the Ministerial and Professional Leadership Committee on Scholarships, which will include a UUMA representative. The application process and criteria will be informed by a Summit on Excellence in Ministry, scheduled for December 2008.

• The Diversity of Ministry Team’s Initiative to support our ministers of color.

Please join us and sign up to participate on Sunday, October 12, 2008.

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Third Thursdays — Congregational Leadership Series  Hosted by the Reverend Kenneth Gordon Hurto, District Executive

THIS FALL, elected Congregational Leaders are invited to participate in a one to one-and-a half-hour on-line seminar regarding congregational leadership issues and dynamics. The purpose of this “web-inar” is to supplement the District’s live workshops and to create a community of conversation among the District’s leadership. THERE IS A $10/SESSION CHARGE for this seminar. You must pre-register to participate. You’ll need access to a computer and internet service, and be able to dial into the conference hosting telephone number. The seminar will provide opportunity for participants to interact with questions and comments. The format includes a directed slide-show presentation, a copy of which will be sent to all participants. SEMINARS will take place on the 3rd Thursday evening of each month September to May [December excluded], beginning at 7:30 PM. If your congregation participates in at least ½ of the seminars, all fees will be refunded at the end of the series. With the use of a speaker phone and your own slide projector, you can include as many participants as you like, but only the named registrant will be allowed active participation on the call.

TOPICS include:

1. Board & Congregational Goal Setting

2. Creating a Really Good Mission Statement

3. Money 101: Stewardship & the Operating Fund

4. Money 202: Deferred Giving, and Endowments

5. The Need for and the Art of Delegation

6. Conflict? Oh, We Never Have Any [— Help!!!]

7. Right Staffing – Lay & Professional

8. Ministry Assessments  

 

 

 The Smart Church , #21       Connie Goodbread

Lifespan Program Consultant, Florida District UUA  

What are the expectations for members of our congregation?

Do we challenge members to be the best that they can be?

Do we challenge ourselves to be the best that we can be?

Do we fund the mission/vision so that the congregation can really make a difference in the larger community that it serves?

Do we understand that we are always evolving, changing, becoming more fully human and that we are never finished?

Do we offer programs that help long time members to go deeper?

We are not the people who believe anything we want.

We are the people who believe what we must.

This, of course goes back to earlier articles in this series about our generosity with and about our faith. It is important how we behave with one another and whether or not we are living our covenant. Do we look at the programs we are offering to make sure that we are covering all six stages of faith development? Do we try to reach people in different ways addressing the three learning styles? Do we recognize the reality that people think and learn differently? Do we keep worship as a time for the faith community to come together, as a whole, to recognize the holy, hold up that which it finds most worthy and to celebrate and mourn?

• Generosity - Do we give generously with glad hearts and ask others to do the same? As part of understanding the depth of the community they are about the join, do we communicate to prospective new members the importance and the need to pay for the vision? …to volunteer? …to urge themselves toward deeper understanding …to live the covenant?
• Do we explain, or even understand ourselves, the responsibility of membership? – or are we afraid that this deeper discussion will turn people away so once again we make it easy and sell the faith cheaply. I don’t mean to say that we should just put obstacles in the way of new people who want to join our congregations. What I am saying is that we should communicate the importance of our faith.

What are the responsibilities of membership?

To uphold and stand firm on the values of the congregation and Unitarian Universalism

To work for a just and loving world

To help to grow the beloved community

To be generous with our time, talents and treasures

To believe what we must

To have an open mind and heart

To be respectful

To search for truth, responsibly

To speak our truth in a loving way

To listen deeply

To act responsibly

To become our best selves and understand that we are never finished but always becoming

To ask for forgiveness and be forgiving

To lead when we our leadership is needed and to follow when following is important

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Altar Cloth Memorial                                   Susan Pendergraft

From the Women and Religion Web Newsletter

In the spring of 2007 the Florida Women & Religion District hosted an inspiring conference called Healing and Changing Our World.  Younger women from the UU of Clearwater, Florida were so stimulated by the power of our Women & Religion circle they were aroused to action.  A few of these women took the helm and offered to help plan the next retreat. One of these women was Jenn Davis. 

                Many of us were involved with Jenn in planning our last retreat in the fall, 2007.  The theme was about working toward both personal and global Peace. During this retreat Jennifer Davis and Andrea Pisanello offered to co-chair the district. 

                In reflection the memories of the peace rituals and healing space we created have become even more sacred after the events of December 14.  On that day the Florida District lost both our co-chairs Jenn and Andrea to domestic violence.  Jenn’s two children aged 2 and 4 were killed as well.

                While trying to find a focus for my grief and a way to bring order out of madness a thought came to me that perhaps I could find hope and a sense of purpose by working with women nationwide to “weave” together all our expressions about domestic violence and our need to continue working on female empowerment issues.  The result would be a large art piece; one that could travel and hang in congregations nationwide.  Personally I very much needed to process the deaths of our friends and the children and for me that needed to come in some creative form.

                The call was put forth and about 50 people responded in Florida and beyond.  Women from W & R circles in Rhode Island , Colorado , Maine , Michigan , Florida and California sent fabric pieces that were placed into the final project in Clearwater .

                I would like to thank all those who organized the circles, gathered the materials, sent cards, words of love and encouragement and made sure to send the finished pieces in time for them to be placed on the final collage.  Special thanks to Dotti Doyle, Karen Frank, Savanna Pendergraft, and Diana Fraser for helping finish the final piece on a very long rainy Sunday afternoon.  Blessed Be!

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Speakers Bureau: This list is provided as a service of the Florida District. The individuals listed have expressed their willingness to be available for speaking engagements to Florida District congregations.  Speakers are listed by general geographical location.  Please contact the listed speakers directly to negotiate topics, dates, and honorarium/expenses. Congregations are expected to offer an honorarium plus expenses for this service. The recommended amounts are $250 for a Sunday service plus travel [IRS rate is $.585/mile]. If travel requires more than 3 hours, we recommend you also offer one night’s lodging. If you would like to retain a speaker for a workshop, please consider an honorarium commensurate with the additional time required. Once you have made your arrangements, please send an e-mail to the District Office regarding the details. After your date, the Office will send you a brief “how did it go” survey; we will very much appreciate your feedback on our speakers.   If you would like to join the Florida District Speakers Bureau, please contact District Executive Reverend Kenn Hurto at khurto@uua.org