HighLights

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis (UUCA)
333 Dubois Road, Annapolis, MD 21401; Phone: 410/266-8044; Fax: 410/266-6910
mailto:newsletter@uuca-md.org Web site: The Home Page at: http://www.uuca-md.org

Staff:
Reverend Dr. Fredric J. Muir, Parish Minister

Reverend Amber Beland, Assistant Minister
Francoise H. Ateto, Director of Religious Exploration
Betsy Jo Angebranndt, Minister of Music
Christol Medley, Church Administrator/Editor

Theresa Novak, Intern Minister

Susan Eckert, Members Services Coordinator

LaVonne Rinehart, Office Assistant

Lori Frederick, DRE Assistant

Stephanie Meredith, Coffee Server

 

Church Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Next News Deadline: midnight, 03/21/2007

Next Mailing: 03/27/2007

Volume 50, Issue 5

March 13, 2007

 

The Buhata Pinay (Do it, Filipina!) Project Gathers Momentum: Generous Gift to be Presented at the UUCA Annual Meeting

 

During the past two years the UUCA UN Global Justice Committee and the leadership of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines have been collaborating on the Buhata Pinay ("Do it, Filipina") Program. Its mission is to enable and empower women and their families in the following four areas: 1) Economic participation within a sustainable environment; 2) Education; 3) Health and safety; and 4) Building leadership within the broader communities. Our overall goal is to improve the quality of life for women and their families residing within 26 marginalized communities on Negros Island and in Metro-Manila. Growing out of UUCA's Women's Rights Worldwide initiative, we have been seeing plans for Buhata Pinay unfold and grow.

The UUCA Endowment Fund and the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation have provided significant seed money that have made early phases of this project possible. In Phase I Rev. Rebecca Sienes and other members of the Buhata Pinay Team on Negros Island worked with twelve UU communities to identify the priority needs and goals as determined by the women themselves. Five UUCA members traveled to the Philippines last summer as part of this process. Phase II currently underway has as its purpose the establishment of a coalition of women's groups and communications network and throughout the communities. Without such an organizational infrastructure, longer-term activities would be difficult to sustain.

Within the next year, Phase III begins as we embark on a women's livelihood program, beginning with feasibility studies to assess traditional projects and alternatives that may yield greater value per hour of labor input and higher individual satisfaction for the producers, such as stone-crafting, jewelry-making, weaving and sewing. Thanks to a generous gift to be presented at the UUCA annual meeting, initial funding for the Buhata Pinay Women's Livelihood Program is secured. This symbolizes the progress we've made over the past two years and provides the impetus for the significant work that lies ahead.

The UUCA UN Global Justice Committee welcomes your participation in this initiative. Please contact Christine Nielsen at chrisrkr@erols.com or Phyllis Marsh at pnmarsh@aol.com for further information.

 

 

               

Upcoming Sermons

 

 

March 18

“What Was in that Comma?”

By Rev. Fred Muir, Sr. Minister

Join me to reflect on the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War.

 

March 25

Anti-racism Transformation Team Sunday

"Now Is the Time" was the title for this year's UUA National Conference to lead congregations into a Multiracial, Multicultural Future. What might this vision look like for UUCA? Join Archene Turner, ministerial intern of the 'other' UUCA (Arlington) and ARTT as they reflect on this message.

 

April  1

One service at 9 am

 

 

 

 

April  1

Annual Congregational Meeting

The Annual Congregational Meeting will be

 

 
 held on Sunday April 1st, 2007 at 11:00 a.m.  20% of the voting membership constitutes a quorum at all congregational meetings.  Voting rights are restricted to those who have been members for at least thirty days.  It is important that voting members of UUCA attend this Annual Congregational Meeting. Child care will be provided. A congregational brunch will begin at 10:15 am, members are asked to bring "Heavy" finger food to share with others. The business meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 am. Childcare will begin immediately following the R. E. program, and members are asked to also provide "heavy" finger food for the R.E. children

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Our Beloved Community

 

Keeping the Faith

Check out these recent findings:  “Fewer than half of Americans can identify Genesis as the first book of the Bible, and only a third know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.  Only one-third of Americans can name even one of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.  Approximately 75 per cent mistakenly believe the Bible teaches that ‘God helps those who help themselves.’  More than 10 per cent think that Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc.  Only half can name even one of the four Gospels and – a finding that will surprise many – evangelical Christians are only slightly more knowledgeable than their non-evangelical counterparts.”(W. Post Book World, 3/4/07) You may have read a review of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t from which these findings come.

      Now you may not think religious literacy is that important, but I would urge you reconsider.  Think about how many of the current international wars or civil strifes have a religious cause or component; consider all of the themes in literature, everyday expressions or daily events that have religious origins or overtones; how can you hope to understand our nation – from the Pilgrims to the Slave Trade to the election of G.H. Bush – without having even a vague (but accurate) sense of the religious particulars?  It seems to me that religious literacy is fundamental to giving understanding, meaning and direction to living in 2007.

      Here at UUCA, there are plenty of opportunities for developing religious literacy.  Whether it’s Sunday morning worship or covenant groups, spiritual discipline opportunities or legislative ministry, the New UU class (on 3/31) or one of the many PathWorks (adult ed.) classes – there is simply no excuse from being religiously illiterate at UUCA.  Plus, it’s a great way to meet others and have a rewarding time.

      I urge you to consider how you might expand your religious/theological/spiritual IQ; consider all the ways to do that our church.  Keep the faith and see you soon,

 

       Fred

 

 

 

Web of Life

A number of events over the past few weeks have made me think about how we are, as UUs, called to witness for justice.  We are called to move always towards a better place and to be a supportive voice in a sea of opposition and oppression.  While I was visiting a friend and UU minister this past week in St. Petersburg, Florida the vision and possibility of our religion was made very clear.  In the town of Largo, Florida a transgender person who was in the process of transitioning from male to female was exposed in the local press and this lead to his being fired from his position as city manager.   Many UUs and others of liberal religions stepped forward to have a press conference this past week calling on the city to think again about its decision.  Watching these ministers call for humanity and dignity in the face of overwhelming anger and fear about someone being different reminded me yet again of the power of our message and the safety of our churches.  We stand up for others because we believe that each of us has inherent worth.  We are called to welcome others no matter who they are and we work to provide a safe place for people when everywhere else they turn they find judgment and pain.  It is so important that we understand and work towards not just tolerating others but accepting them for who they really are.  Sometimes we are a quiet faith but events like this in Largo, Florida called our people to step up and step out, to support and welcome this person, to tell him he is not alone.  We can do that too in our own lives and in our own community, we can witness for justice no matter where we are.  We can open our arms in welcome and support, becoming that beloved community together, indeed we may be one the only ones who do for so many people.

 

May you be blessed,

 

Amber

 

 

 

UUCA Outdoor Club

UUCA Outdoor Club is open to all members and friends of UUCA who wish to enjoy the fellowship of UU’s in the setting of an outdoor activity. 

March 24, 2007  Gwynns Falls Trail Hike, Baltimore   9:00am-3:00pm  Meet at  9:00am at Park and Ride at I-97 and Benfield Blvd (by Severna Park Racquet Club).  Moderate hike from the Carrie Murray Outdoor Education Center.  Bring picnic lunch to eat after the hike.  For more information or to sign up, please contact Eloise Hoyt ehoyt@toadmail.com

April 7, 2007  Bike ride of about 20 miles on the Northern Central Railroad Trail. Fairly flat, gravel and dirt trail off I-83 north of Baltimore. (If trail wet, we will ride on the B&A trail. Cancelled if rain on April 7.) Meet at 9am at the Park and Ride at I-97 and Benfield   Blvd. (by Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club). Late lunch at local restaurant near beginning of trail. For information or to sign up for ride, contact Jacque or Al Pulsifer, ajpulsifer@verizon.net

 

Strategic Planning action Resource Committee News

The new year has been busy for SPARC--UUCA’s Strategic Planning Action Resource Committee.  Many of you will have noticed co-chair Margaret Martin’s intriguing story-boards outside the sanctuary.  You will be able to resume viewing both the SPARC story-boards and Margaret--outside, as the weather improves!  We have visited additional UU churches in the area that have recently undergone expansions or constructed new buildings, and have surveyed the members of those churches who were most closely involved to assess what they did, how they did it and how it worked out for those congregations.  We still have two more local churches to visit, as well as a few long-distance congregations we also want to contact.  

SPARC has been working on a web-page to keep the congregation informed and this should be up and running in the near future.  In the meantime, you can look for updates via the newsletter.  In the very near future the church property will be surveyed.  The survey will identify all the physical features of the property (plat, all man-made improvements, etc.), identify specimen trees, critical areas and buffers, identify potential sites for a building, show us where our boundaries are, and also re-set the boundary markers where needed.  We have received all the proposals and selected a Surveyor and very soon the survey will be underway—watch for those little flags and markers to appear!  

We are working on a 'survey' of our own to get your feedback on current church usage and future building and improvement needs.  That survey form will be ready by St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) and we hope everyone will take the opportunity to respond and be heard.  

On Friday, April 13th, 6 p.m. we will hold another social hour to talk with you and address any questions or concerns you may have about the work SPARC is currently doing and plans for a new building!  We hope to repeat the SPARC social-hour approximately every six weeks.  In the meantime, if you have questions or would like more information, you can send an email to: sparc@uuca-md.org or speak with any of the current SPARC members:  Art Hansen, Bill Curtis, Bill Irwin, Cindy Hackett, Danielle Kinkade, Debbie Cole, Diane Ratcliff, Kirk Albright (co-chair), Margaret Martin (co-chair), Pinto Soin and Sandi Roddy.

 

 

 

UUCA Book Club

The Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the church library.

Our selection for  March 20 is Asne Seierstad’s The Bookseller of Kabul, a non-fiction look at a family in post U.S. invasion Afghanistan. For April 17 we have chosen The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, a moral-dilemma tale crafted around the lie of one man.

If you have questions, contact Jackie Rocca. All are welcome to join us.

 

 

Recital

 

A recital of art songs written by our Minister of Music, Betsy Jo Angebranndt, will be presented by soprano Charlotte Woolf at 7:30 Saturday evening , March 24 here at the church. Music included on the program will be a set of Mystical Songs which were commissioned by the Maryland State Music Teachers Association, songs using texts by Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson and songs from musicals written by Betsy Jo. The accompanist will be Louise Huddleston. A reception will follow the performance.

Charlotte Woolf is a resident of Madison, Wisconsin where she is an active member of the Madison UU Church and Choir.

 

All-Church Retreat AND T-shirts!!!

 

The All-Church Retreat (April 27-29 in Westminster, MD) will be here before you know it.  We have more cabins, more fun in store, and more opportunities to deepen our relationship as we strive for our version of the “Beloved Community.”    Please hurry because we only have room for 144 people total.  Also, this year we have an added bonus of making t-shirts available for purchase to those who register early.

      That’s right, this year we have made plans for a UUCA All-Church Retreat T-shirt!   Sue Bupp has worked with our idea for a logo (a roasting marshmallow over a chalice flame) and with the help of her designer is turning it into a great full color design, royal blue t-shirt.    For only $15 a shirt we will offer adult and child sizes.   Sizes available include adult small through XL as well as, 2XL and 3XL (extra charge for 2X & 3X).  Child size small and medium will also be available.   However, you need to get your t-shirt order in by Sunday, April 1st (come to the congregational meeting and pre-order a t-shirt!!)  The t-shirts turned out so wonderfully we decided to offer them to everyone!   So even if the retreat won’t work for you this year, you can get one of these beautiful royal blue shirts.  Those attending the retreat will receive their t-shirts as they arrive, others will have to wait until the following Sunday at church.

      Wonderful fun and deep connection await you at the Hashawha Environmental Center April 27-29, 2007.  Come play with us.  May we all be enriched by the experience!

      The costs are $55 per adult, $50 for children (5 – 16) --those 4 and under are free.  This price includes two nights accommodations (in heated dormitory-style cabins), all meals Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday.   Limited scholarships will be available as needed.  Please contact Debbie Cole (debcole@cablespeed.com), Lisa Combs (lisacombs@verizon.net )  or Robert Cole (especially for the egg-citing stunt show-- robertcole.email@yahoo.com) for more information or to sign up for our information e-list.  Be brave, come share yourself at the 2007 All-Church Retreat –we’d love to spend some time with you!

 

 “The New UU”

 

Saturday, March 31

8:45 AM – 12 Noon

“The New UU” is designed for newcomers and new members.  It offers an introduction to Unitarian Universalism’s theology and history and provides an opportunity to learn more about the programs and activities of this congregation – the UU Church of Annapolis.  Anyone thinking of becoming a member of the congregation is strongly encouraged to attend.  We will meet in the Sanctuary and a continental breakfast will be provided.    It’s a wonderful way to learn more about Unitarian Universalism as well as a chance to meet church leaders and staff.  Please call Susan Eckert, at 410.266.8044 x110 to let us know that you will be attending and/or to request childcare.

 

 

Welcoming, Caring & Connecting

PASTORAL CARE TEAM NEWS

 

UUCA PASTORAL CARE TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU!

During the month of February Team Care Providers:

Made a home visit to an ill church member

Delivered a meal to a church member recovering from illness and helped them with some household tasks

Made numerous phone calls to follow up on various individual care needs

Mailed 7 cards from the Care Corner

On Sunday evening, March 25, the Pastoral Care Team will host a workshop on the end of life journey focusing on how to be a caring presence to the terminally ill and their loved ones.  The workshop will be facilitated by UUCA member and hospice chaplain, Rev. Katherine James Klemstine.  See related article in this newsletter for additional information.

Are you in need of a caring friend who will listen, empathize, encourage and provide confidential care and patiently support you as you work through a crisis or difficult time?  Do you know a church member who could benefit from this type of care?  Then contact one of our Coordinators.  They can tell you more about our Pastoral Care Ministry and how you can be matched with a Care Minister.

 

Care Minister Coordinators:

Susan Eckert (410) 266-8044 (weekdays)

Carol Friend (evenings, weekends)

Kathy Hughes (evenings, weekends)

Care Ministers:

Pat Fleeharty                        Jerri Kohler 

Kathy Higdon           Marge Matthews

 

 

♥ Please be sure to register as a Unitarian Universalist if you are admitted to Anne Arundel Medical Center.  Due to regulations, it may be the only way our Care Ministers will know to check on you and offer support.♥

 
 

 

 

 


Blood Drive a Success

Thanks to everyone who helped make the 6th Annual Wintertime Blood Drive at UUCA a success.  A special shout-out to Joan Mackin who always arrives with a huge pile of chocolate pretzel treats for donors, volunteers and Red Cross Blood Center staffers.  Thanks to everyone who provided snacks - donors joked they gained 10 pounds eating cookies instead of losing a pint of blood.

Thanks also to Girl Scout Cadette Troop 856 of Broadneck.  Two of its members attend UU COA classes, but the entire troop turned out to help with the blood drive.  They made "reminder" phone calls, checked people in at the front desk, babysat and served up drinks and snacks.  This effort is part of their path to a Girl Scout Silver Award.

77 folks checked in to donate and 37 donors actually completed the process.  A fair amount of people were deferred for colds, low hemacrit counts and high blood pressure.  It must be the weather.

Our next blood drive will be held during the summer in a (hold the excitement)Bloodmobile! 

According to the Red Cross, our efforts last Saturday will have a positive impact on the lives of up to 110 folks who need whole blood and platelets.

 

Give yourselves a round of applause!

 

UUCA’s Pastoral Care Team presents:

Sunday, March 25, 2007

5:30 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

 

“End of Life” Journey

and

Sunday Supper

The Rev. Dr. Katherine Klemstine will lead a Workshop on How to Provide a Compassionate and Caring Presence to the Terminally Ill and their Loved Ones.

Frequently we tend to feel helpless when someone close to us is dying.  We have often heard others reveal with a tone of sadness, “I just didn’t know WHAT to say!”  It is a very important concern to find just the right words to comfort our family members and friends at such a time.

In this workshop, guidelines will be offered for listening and communication skills that effectively provide support to the terminally ill and their loved ones.  Based on professional insights into the experience of dying, practical advice will be given on how to recognize, understand, and respond with wisdom and sensitivity to  both the verbal and nonverbal messages of someone facing end-of-life.

The Pastoral Care Team has published a helpful Booklet on “End of Life” Issues which includes a Planning Guide, What to do When a Death Occurs, and How to Plan a Memorial or Funeral Service

Pre-registration and a registration fee of $10 per person are required to attend.  Register on Sunday after services; by calling the church office or Online: http://www.uuca-md.org/home.htm (click on “Events Calendar”; “Calendar”; “Event List”; “Open Registrations”).  Questions? Contact  Susan Eckert (410) 266-8044, X-110; membership@uuca-md.org

 

A dinner suited to every appetite will be served.

 

 

 

 

Resource Stewardship

Finance Notes

 

About a year ago, UUCA converted to new accounting software.  That probably sounds about as exciting to you as the bolts that hold your microwave oven together.  But let me tell you what’s in it for you.

      The new system is from ACS Technologies, so it’s known simply as “ACS”.  One of its important capabilities is that it handles both expenditures and member contributions.  In the past, the details of member contributions went into one database, and only the total amount of contributions was entered in QuickBooks (our old accounting program).  ACS makes it easier for the Management Team to keep good records and get key information when it’s needed.

      The convenient access to data extends all the way to you, because you can look up your contributions online.  Our ACS software includes an “online companion” that you can access from the UUCA website.  If you go to www.uuca-md.org, right at the top center you will see “Access ACS”.  Click here, assign yourself a user ID and password, you can see a record of your contributions.  ACS also allows the Management Team to define groups, and Access ACS lets members view the Church Directory and lists of group members.  You can also update your email or phone number in your profile.  Wow, 21st-Century technology comes to our Church!

      I suspect most of us prefer to have person-to-person interactions with UUCA rather than through a computer.  For those not anxious to jump online, ACS makes it easier to generate statements of member contributions for mailing.  ACS has other capabilities –  which we may implement in the future, so it may allow UUCA to save money in those areas.  Watch for changes to come, especially as we update and streamline our website in the near future.

 

Dick Roop, Finance Chair

 

UUCA ENDOWMENT FUND REQUEST FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS

 

The Endowment Fund is again requesting proposals from individuals and organizations interested in applying for funding for projects that further the mission of the church. The fund has $14,000 available to grant to projects that support the mission of UUCA.

 

Proposals should include:

 

1.   A description of the proposed activity or use of the funds and the expected result;

2.   A time schedule and budget for accomplishing the expected result;

3.   Resumes or similar documents indicating the qualification of those who will receive the award to accomplish the proposed objectives;

4.   References who can attest to the capabilities of the proposed awardees;

5.   Applicants should be prepared to make an oral presentation to the Board if requested to do so.

 

Grant applications are available at the office or at www.uuca

 

The Endowment fund has recently funded a comprehensive women’s development program in the Philippines, which was a call to women to “know their rights and their capabilities in order to strengthen their lives and their families”.

 

Additionally, the Endowment Fund awarded grants locally. One is promoting prison ministry, focusing on those individuals preparing to reenter the community. Another is funding an at risk youth in school program that promotes a healthy and educational after school experience for several local middle school children.

 

The Board will review applications and announce awards in April and May. Special consideration will be given to individuals/organizations that apply for grants that will have an impact locally. Grants generally range from $500 to $5,000 depending on the project.

 

 

 

 

 

Faith Development

Religious exploration News

Do you believe in:

•    Economic justice?

•    Environmental justice?

•    Civil liberties?

•    Rights in humanitarian crises?

 

Then you will want to participate in the UU Service Committee’s annual Guest At Your Table fund-raising campaign!  Boxes were distributed last Sunday and are still available at UUCA.  Take one home, place it on your table, and put a sum of money into it at each meal.  Boxes will be collected starting April 1.

 Web of the Woods: WOW is an intergenerational outdoor program to be held in the woods surrounding our church on Sundays, May 6, 13 and 20.  The theme this year will be “Enchanted Forest” and will combine fantasy and ecology.  Planning has begun - if you would like to be involved, contact Fran (410-266-8044 x101 or dre@uuca-md.org).

 

 

 

 

Our Unitarian Universalist Story

 

Tuesdays Starting April 3 from 7:00-9:00 pm

Have you wanted to know more about our Unitarian Universalist roots? Come join us for this 4-session course where we will be exploring the roots of Unitarian Universalism to see how we got here and where we might be heading in the future.  Our discussion will include history as well as talk about our own experience as UUs. 

 

Sign up continues for the Passover Seder! 

 

Our 19th Seder will be held on Friday, April 6 at 6:00 PM.  Seating is limited and sign-up is required – look for the Seder table in the narthex after each service.  You will be asked to pay, choose one of the traditional recipes, and volunteer to help in some way.  Adults - $8; children 5-12 - $4; under 5 - free.  As a Green Sanctuary Congregation, we encourage participants to “adopt a table” – i.e. bring their own dishes (plates, bowls and glasses) to set one table.  Contact Stan Robbins by phone 410-349-8582 or email stanyonah@hotmail.com or Amber Beland by phone 410-266-8044 ext. 107 or email assistant@uuca-md.org if you have questions or would like to know more.

 

Calling all Young Adults between the ages of 18 to 35!

Come and join us for a potluck and brainstorming session where we will get to know each other, talk, laugh and eat as a community.  This is your chance to be a part of the future of our Young Adult and Campus Ministries.  Lyn Cox from the district is coming to be with us and help us dream big.

 

When:  Sunday, March 18 1:30 to 4 pm

 

Where: In the Sanctuary

 

What to Bring: Please bring your ideas and dreams along with a dish to share with 4-6 people.

 

RSVP:  Please let Amber Beland know you are attending by calling the church at 410-266-8044 ext 107 or email assistant@uuca-md.org.  I especially need to know if you need childcare.

 

See you there!

 

 

 

 

Social Justice  & Outreach

ARTT Book Discussion Series

Wednesdays, 25 April to 23 May, 6:30-8:00 p.m., the RE Sanctuary:  "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by James Loewen
James Loewen spent two years studying and comparing twelve widely-used American history textbooks. His findings were published in "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong." This book focuses not only on alleged errors or deliberate omissions in history textbooks but also on the lack of controversy that Loewen claims believes would make learning history exciting.
Join ARTT for a five-week book discussion series of "Lies My Teacher Told Me" in the RE Sanctuary on the lower level.
Contact Lisa lisa@malibuonline.com or Kathryn Hopecrownsville@aol.com for more details.

 

 

ARTT Movie & Discussion Night

 

Monday, 14 May 2007, 7:00 p.m., the Sanctuary:  "Wilderness Journey"
The film "Wilderness Journey" is a well crafted series of testimonies by first hand participants that unfolds a complicated, heart-wrenching time within our Unitarian Universalist religious movement that affects our work and attitudes toward systemic anti-racism today.  Wounds from this time run deep. Myths, unexamined prejudices, rigid blame and unprocessed guilt keep this trauma within our denomination alive under the surface of much of our work to heal, transform and invigorate anti-oppressive and anti-racist work.
This film is a gift of candor and a window of opportunity to authentically address a process in the past, full of intricacies and complications, without falling into self-righteous finger-pointing and blanket assumptions. It tells a story of people in varied stages of understanding and readiness for anti-racism that parallel places folk are in today. It tells a story of a denomination that was unprepared for transformation.

 

 

March is UUCA’s