Upcoming Services. July 1, Pipe Dream, Wishful Thinking or Possibility? Exploring the 6th UU Principle. The Rev. Ernie Mills

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1 Thermal Belt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship July 2018 Services at 10:30 a.m. on the 1 st & 3 rd Sunday of each month at 835 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC Like/follow us on TBUUF Mailing Address: P.O. Box 653, Tryon, NC Upcoming Services July 1, 2018 Pipe Dream, Wishful Thinking or Possibility? Exploring the 6th UU Principle The Rev. Ernie Mills Our 6th UU principle is "the goal of world community, with peace, liberty, and justice for all". Considering the present global situation and the egos leading the nations, this principle may sound like a pipe dream, a totally unrealistic expectation. Yet we should not lose hope in humankind and faith in human creativity. This is a grand vision and could become a reality as long as we continue to believe in ourselves. Let's keep the dream--and our future alive. July 15, 2018 The Great Web, the 7th UU Principle The Rev. Ernie Mills Our 7th UU Principle is "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part". There is nothing new about the idea that we are all connected in a great web of life. This is a very ancient idea that could be classed as "archetypal"; an idea rooted deep in the psyche and grounded in the emotions. We feel it even though we may continue to believe that humans are the apex of creation and that the earth was created for us to dominate. This principle reminds me of the song "Simple Gifts"; "tis a gift to come down where we ought to be"... in that place where we find ourselves in the great web.

2 Rev. Mills completed a BA in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, a Master of Religious Education from Duke Divinity School, and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He previously served as minister to the Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County. TBUUF services are held at 10:30 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at 835 N. Trade St., Tryon Coffee, light refreshments and fellowship follow our services. July 1 volunteers: Greeter: Cathy Fischer; Hospitality: Laura & Al Converse July 15 volunteers: Greeter needed; Hospitality: Cathy Fischer Sign-up sheets to volunteer for hospitality and to greet are on the back table at each service. From Minister Ernie Mills The Gospel of Margaret Mead The word, gospel means "good news". And there is a lot of good news in the readings found in our Singing the Living Tradition" hymnal. One of my favorites is from the Gospel according to Margaret Mead. (561) "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has". TBUUF may be a small group of people but I would certainly never doubt that it has brought positive change to the world of Polk County. I would find it hard to believe that the production of "Best of Enemies" did not influence in some small or great way those who attended. You all raised over $850 for the Feed-a-Kid program. I'm sure this donation made an impact on the community. These are just two recent examples of what TBUUF has done in the community. We may see these a small things yet that is how great change most often happens. We should never think that just because we are a small group of people that we cannot have an impact on the world around us. Carl Jung once said "a thousand zeros equals zero". In this culture of bigness we sometimes get snared by the illusion of numbers. We prize the mega-church, the

3 mega-this and the mega-that, forgetting that numbers alone mean very little when it comes to major changes in our world. It's about quality not quantity. Let's "never forget" to "never doubt" Margaret Mead s good news. It s Been an Honor! PRESIDENT S LETTER For the past three years I have had the privilege to serve as President of TBUUF. Many changes have occurred during that time, many positive, some challenging. During my tenure, I have been fortunate to work with many great people. For two of the years we had Rev. Michael Carter regularly in our pulpit. Michael s dynamic speaking style and forceful leadership increased our attendance and revenue. With Michael s departure and a change in policy at the Tryon Daily Bulletin that limited our publicity, we have slipped back to a similar attendance level as before Michael s time. I am optimistic that we may soon have a new ministerial relationship that will allow us to grow again. I want to thank everyone for all of his or her help over these three years. First, it has been a pleasure to work with this Board. Everyone is hardworking and dedicated, and the Fellowship is blessed to have such strong leadership. I think the new Board is also strong, and I look forward to working with them as we transition to new leadership. There are many activities that go into making this Fellowship work. Below is a list of volunteers/committees. If you think you could help, please contact the appropriate person. * Board: Nick and Cathy Fischer, Gretchen Boyd, Penny Kessler, Barbara Moffitt * Membership Committee: Dianne Kinoshita * Finance Committee: Gretchen Boyd, Nick Fischer, Phil Nungesser * Newsletter and Webpage: Laura Converse * Order of Service: Christine Mariotti * Facebook: Cathy Fischer * Music: Annie Ewing, Christine Mariotti, Ellen Douglas * Pastoral Care: Robin Edgar, Marie King, Ernie Mills * Directory: Joy Soderquist * Publicity: Vacant We owe all of them a great debt of thanks. Namaste, Phil

4 ANNOUNCEMENTS TBUUF has formed a committee to research and evaluate the possible purchase of the Tryon Pentecostal Holiness Church, located on Hwy. 176 in Tryon (see photos below.) Our primary goal is to acquire a space where we can grow and offer youth fellowships and a nursery during our services in order to attract and keep the younger generation coming to our fellowship. We also want to hold UU educational and social meetings that would be open to the community. At this time, the current rental space we are in cannot offer any room for separate children s activities and the property we are hoping to acquire has many suitable options for those, as well as a large kitchen/meeting area that we can utilize for public meetings and a rental space for events that would generate income. The property on Hwy. 176 includes the church building with a sanctuary and pews seating 80 to 90 people. The upper level has five offices plus a full bathroom that can also meet the space needs for a children s fellowship room and as nursery. The lower level includes a community room with full kitchen and half bath which we can use for our own needs and to rent to the public for income. There is parking for 30+ vehicles. The acquisition of this or any other property will require a real TBUU community effort. We plan on applying for a Chalice Lighter grant to help fund such a project. Please contact Gretchen Boyd if you would be interested in contributing to financing either by donation or investing in a simple interest loan. For further information, please don t hesitate to contact a Board member.

5 TBUUF Reads: Summer s a great time for a book! Here are some we ve highlighted in the newsletter previously* in case you re looking for suggestions. Modern Man In Search of a Soul by Carl Jung On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers Martin & Malcolm & America by James H. Cone Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death by Katy Butler Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult * For a description of these books you can check past newsletters which can be found on the website tbuuf.org