Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort

Newsletter
N.B. -- This is a plain text version of the October newsletter. As the new website progresses, you will find a downloadable .pdf file but for the moment we present it in this simple, but quite legible we hope, form. Webmaster UUFB NEWSLETTER Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Of Beaufort P.O. Box 593, Beaufort, SC 29901 Reverend Nan L. White ____________________________________________________________ Volume 2 Issue 9 beaufortuu@embarqmail.com November 2, 2008 Notes from Nan Below is one of my favorite readings about living in a faith community. Having grown up as an introvert (it’s true) and with great need to be alone, I find this reading helpful in reframing my own understanding of religious community. Douglas Taylor writes in a meditation called The Blessings of Community – from a meditation anthology titled For All That Is Our Life. Alone in the world, I was beset with frustration and anger at the world around me-so much injustice and hatred, so little peace and freedom. I longed to make a difference, I struggled against powers and institutions. But my actions seem insignificant and my words were drowned out. Then I came into community, a religious community of hope and love. Here I found support and energy, vision and power; the authority of shared witness. And together we changed the world. Alone in the world, I was beset by sorrow and hurt in my life—so much loss and emptiness, so little hope and understanding. I wept for the pain in my heart. I ached from the hardships I bore, but my tears brought little relief and my burdens grew too heavy. Then I came into community, a religious community of hope and love. Here I found support and compassion, wisdom and grace, and the power of shared suffering. And together we made life sweeter. Alone in the world, I was beset by confusion and emptiness in my soul, so much busyness and pettiness, so little depth or connections. I shriveled inside from want of real spiritual bonds and my soul cried out for meaning. Then I came into community, a religious community of hope and love. Here I found support and encouragement, depth and diversity, and the power of sharing the journey. And together we saved my life. For all the varied reasons that have brought us out of loneliness and into community, we give thanks. For the blessings we each bestow on one another with our energy, compassion, and prayer, we give thanks. For the blessings we become to others in need, we give thanks and remember that we are not alone. What a Night ! The ninth annual Founders Dinner generated celebratory feelings; it wasn’t just the wine. It was described as the best one ever by some “old timers”. Conversation didn’t just flow, it bounced and sang. Laughter spiked the atmosphere. Covenants on respectful listening were sometimes jettisoned as each of us forged ahead exploding with ideas, or retelling summer adventures, or speculating on the imminent tenth year of UUFB and, maybe, a place to call our home. 2008 is, perhaps, a vintage year! The excitement from two property search adventures has been palpable. Social justice activities have escalated through generous donations of time and money. Curiosity and enthusiasm about Unitarian Universalism are visible in the membership class participants and the new faces on Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings are special for many of us, maybe because it takes so many of us to make them happen. Some of us clang and bang and chat during set-up and take-down of the sanctuary. Others work sedately behind the scenes, their efforts and pre-planning reflected in the Sunday services: the unique centering table, the music, the varied guest speakers, the lay worship leaders and individuals who do welcome and announcements, and the religious education story tellers. And, after the service, there is a time for coffee, snacks and conversation, when we enjoy getting better acquainted with each other and our visitors. One can’t think or talk about UUFB without thoughts of gathering for food. I sometimes think this is the glue that is holding us together this year, when we gather for yet another meeting on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. But yet I know it is not. The real glue is Rev. Nan who, with her sparkling smile and winning ways, nudges us forward so we have no opportunity to become complacent. It was Rev. Nan we have to thank for planning and officiating at the Founders Dinner pre-dinner meeting. But, it was the thirty individuals who signed the membership book in August 1999 as the first members of UUFB that we truly thank for bringing Unitarian Universalism to Beaufort. Barbara Banus, Fellowship President Indeed, Everything May Be Possible The theme of the UUFB Financial Commitment campaign, Everything is Possible, appears to have struck a responsive cord with our members and friends. Our goal was $90,000; we have received financial commitments to date of $87,000, or 97 percent of our objective. Given the period of financial uncertainty we are going through, this is astounding. The continued commitment shown by members of this fellowship and faith movement is inspiring, and it makes our future plans possible. Of the 68 people contacted by the stewardship canvassers, we have heard from 40 of you. We still need to hear from 28 more folks to close out our campaign and complete work on our 2009 budget. If you have not returned the financial commitment form, please do so as soon as possible. If you have misplaced the form or never received one, please contact Jim Key, 843.812.6647 to have one sent to you. It is important to hear from everyone, even if you do not have the capacity or desire to pledge very much at this time. While we have over $150,000 in our property fund, we would like to continue to grow that fund so we can acquire property with little or no debt in 2009. This fellowship has always delivered financial support from the light of generosity and abundance rather than from the darkness of scarcity and stinginess. It is clear from these results that our fellowship inspires us to be generous as we start our tenth year of existence. With profound thanks to the Stewardship Team, consisting of J and LM, BM, HR, KT-W, and ST, I look forward to hearing from 28 more of you so we can celebrate meeting our objectives and complete our work on the 2009 budget. Jim Key, Chair, 2009 Financial Commitment Campaign Gateway to Membership by Jerri Meisner For over 28 years I have been a Unitarian Universalist (UU). In the 25 years I belonged to the congregation in Raleigh, I met and married Larry, raised our two sons, and worked in many volunteer jobs and one paid position. It was my spiritual home, sacred community, and extended family. From my experiences and reflections on it, I offer three suggestions: 1) Greet everyone, 2) Get involved, 3) Give money. *Greet everyone* and keep UUFB a friendly place that welcomes all. New members: don’t sit in church waiting for the person beside you to welcome you - they are probably new, also! Longtime members: don’t do church business on Sunday morning, but spend the time reaching out to someone you don’t know. Everyone is a de facto member of the Care and Membership Committees, making all welcomed and cared for. If you don’t see someone for a while, call or email them and say, “You have been missed.” Start now to greet everyone. Get involved. Members who are involved feel a sense of ownership and are satisfied. Although we have a Minister and a Nanny, we are basically a co-op, relying heavily on volunteers. Volunteering your time makes you an integral part of our congregation. Sharing your own spiritual beliefs and journey makes you part of our shared religious community. Spending time in Youth RE makes you excited about our future. If you don’t know how to join in, email beaufortuu@embarqmail.com *Give money. UUFB is a generous congregation. Our members share their talents, time, and treasures. We support many social justice projects in the Beaufort community: Penn Center, Marshview Organic Farm, Family Promise, Habitat for Humanity, and annual scholarships for high school students. We support our district and national denomination by paying our fair-share dues each year. We are hoping to purchase our own property this year and move forward with a building of our own. The theme for our 2009 stewardship campaign is Everything is Possible.* Please give generously. UUFB is made up of individuals of inherent worth and dignity. It takes all of us working together, sharing and caring. It takes all of us being warm greeters, finding ways to get involved, and offering our resources. OUR MISSION: Our mission is to create a joyful sanctuary for spiritual and intellectual growth, embracing all souls in a nurturing community from which we go forth as activists for social justice and as stewards of the natural world. -Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort (adopted 2007) Social Justice: The Wider Web Penn Center Bell Dedication According to the Penn Pals newsletter from Penn Center, there will be a special service of dedication to place the bell and the new belfry on Friday, November 6 at 5:00 PM in the York Bailey Museum. The bell ceremony will be preceded at 3:00 PM by the Founders Memorial Service at Brick Baptist Cemetery, including comments by Rev. Nan White. At 4:00 PM, the 26th Heritage Days Celebration opening ceremony takes place with the Flags of the Gullah People processional and presentation. Help Make Signs for Heritage Day Parade !! Welcome to all who wish to help create new signs for the HERITAGE DAY PARADE. We will gather at 7 PM on Thursday, November 6 at Penny & David Russell’s house (25 Royal Pines Blvd, Lady’s Island). If you have any questions, contact them at 522-9729 or beaufortuu@embarqmail.com The parade will be at 9:00 AM the following Saturday morning, November 8. Plan to meet at St. Helena middle school at 8:00 AM. Angel Food A Great Help Angel Food Ministries is a food program that is open to everyone, regardless of income or religion. The next Angel Food distribution is November 22, 2008, from 9 - 11 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church on Lady's Island. Volunteers are needed to hand out the food. If you would like to purchase a box or review the current menu and receive ordering information, please contact Brigid Fackrell at beaufortuu@embarqmail.com A 'box' is purchased ahead of time and the food is delivered to the distribution site the morning of the distribution. The menu varies monthly, but always includes meat, some starch (rice, pasta etc.), vegetables and dessert. It is said to be enough food for a family of four for a week or for two seniors for a month. $1 from the price of every $30 box goes back into St. John's to purchase boxes for people who cannot afford the base price. So not only do you get a good deal, but you are helping others at the same time. With the holidays approaching, if anyone would like to purchase a box for a needy family, your generosity is timely and appreciated. You may also contact St. John's Lutheran for more information or go to www.angelfoodministries.com. The Angel Food program in Beaufort County has grown to be in the top ten in the nation. UUFB Activity in Social Justice UUFB has conducted social justice activities this year in education, service, advocacy, community organizing and witness. We have included projects in our strategic plan that impact locally, nationally and internationally. Our efforts respect membership desires to focus on only a few groups and actions, but individuals’ interests, such as Thumbs Up and Angel Food Ministries, have drawn support through sharing their stories with UUFB during our Social Justice moments in Sunday service. Major UUFB projects during the year include: * Scholarships offered to three local high school students, totaling $2000, in recognition of their essays on the topic, If you were Laura Towne living today, what would you do to motivate elementary school children in Beaufort to excel in school? Our student winners were featured in the Penn Center Newsletter and introduced at the Marshview Farm fundraiser concert in May. * Marshview Community Organic Farm, a St. Helena program, teaches young people (8-14) about good nutrition as they raise organic food and help manage the farm work on a five acre tract. The food is sold locally and the youth receive credits toward a scholarship savings account based on the number of hours they work. Many UUFB members donate their labor on Saturdays throughout the year. In addition to our $300 contribution, laptop computers were donated. Our Laura Towne weekend concert provided just under $600 more to support the enterprise. * Through Family Promise, an interfaith program to help the homeless in our area, UUFB has been responsible for providing meals, staying overnight at church shelters and offering fellowship with families. We also donated $1000 to this program. UUFB support for racial equality has taken many forms in 2008. We marched in the Dr. Martin Luther King day parade in January, and we will march again in the November Penn Center Heritage Days parade. UUFB contributed $700 to the Penn Center Gala from the Social Justice budget, and individuals contributed $1000, as we filled three tables at the event. In support of the restoration of the Penn Center bell, brought to Penn Center in 1864 by Laura Towne, UUFB donated $200 from Social Justice funds and another $2400 from members. This bell will be displayed in the Bailey Museum at Penn Center, with Unitarian support prominently engraved at the base. We are proud to be in partnership with Penn Center as we ask and answer the 21^st century question, What would Laura Towne do? Other regular social justice activities include: ongoing support for KIVA, an international micro enterprise investment project; food collection for and funds collected for HELP of Beaufort; and sponsorship of our annual New Year’s Day Peace Vigil, a growing community witness for peace, that last January resulted in prominent coverage and a picture by the Beaufort Gazette. RE NOTES FROM DOWN THE HALL Our school-age RE children are involved in a Sunday project that excites them. We are compiling a scrapbook of Famous UU's --beginning with the five UU Presidents. If you would like to share the story of a well known UU with our children, and have that person included in the scrap book, please sign up to help us some Sunday. The glue, scissors, and excitement will be provided. You just bring a name and biographical information. The scrap book will eventually be given to the membership committee to use as a "brag" book with new members. Music Stand Needed Those of us who do Welcome and Announcements have recognized that a music stand would be very helpful for holding notes, and would improve the quality of our work; e.g., less juggling of papers. If anyone has a folding stand that you would be willing to loan or donate to UUFB, it would be appreciated. Choir in November Thank you to those who have already let us know your availability for our new choir date, Sunday, November 16, with practice on the prior Thursday, November 13. For the rest of you, keep the responses coming! Rehearsal will be at the home of Barb Banus beginning at 5:30 PM. Chili supper to follow! Bookshelves ? The congregation has a wonderful opportunity to own some bookshelves for our future home. The former owner of Firehouse Bookstore has offered these shelves to us, but we need a place to store them by the end of next week, November 9. We also need someone with a vehicle adequate to carry them. If a few of us could store one or two of them that would be great. Please let David Grim or Rev. White know if you can house one or two of these shelves until we have a church home. Centering Table Would you like to take a turn decorating the “Centering Table” for a Sunday service? Please let Penny Russell know about your interest. She may be reached at 522-9729. Getting Involved at UUFB BEHIND THE SCENES: · Set up/take down chairs · Bring snacks and make coffee · Volunteer in nursery/ RE · Keep financial records · Keep meeting minutes OUT FRONT: · Greet at front door · Join Membership committee · Do readings in service · Be on program committee · Sing in the choir or perform IN OUR COMMUNITY: · Habitat for Humanity · Marshview Farms · Heritage Days at Penn Center · Family Promise · Join social justice committee WITHIN YOURSELF: · Meet with Rev Nan White · Read UUA website: www.uua.org · Read UUFB website: www.uubeaufort.org · Order books from UUA · Join discussion groups MARK YOUR CALENDAR November 6 - Penn Center Heritage Days begin, with the Founders Memorial Service at Brick Baptist Church at 3:00 PM; Bell Restoration service at 5:00 PM; and parade preparation at Russell’s house at 7:00 PM November 17 - UUFB Board Meeting December 7 - UUFB Annual Meeting December 14 - UUFB Christmas Party January 4 - New Board members installation January 24 - UUFB Retreat at Penn Center, led by Annette Marquis May 1-3 - Laura Towne Birthday celebration at Penn Center Upcoming Sunday Services November 9 - Celia Brown, David Grim, and Jerri Meisner will tell their stories of “Why I am a UU.” Bring your friends. November 16 - Rev. White will be in the pulpit. The choir will sing. November 23 - Colin Hagan of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy will speak about the latest climate change and energy news affecting the state of South Carolina. Colin spoke at the Beaufort library not long ago at a UUFB sponsored event. November 30 - Intergenerational Service. A fifth Sunday offering will be received for Marshview Community Organic Farms.