THE FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF MIDDLEBOROUGH

Transcription

1 THE FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF MIDDLEBOROUGH 25 South Main Street, Middleborough, MA April, 2016 The yearlong theme is Embracing the Stranger. Sunday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Sarah K. Person preaching The Planting A congregation is a unique experience. We come for ourselves for self-discovery and to try and make sense of the world we live in. But we also come for others, to find a meaning and purpose in the world. The people we bring with us, and the people we find in congregations, are the ones who will journey with us on the path of discovery and purpose. Many of you have shared with me your answer to the question, Why church? Today we ll talk about what we want to take from this beloved community, and what we want to give. Special music will be provided by Sixteen Shillings: Rob Dragunas & Mark Belanger. Sunday, April 10, at 10:30 a.m. Susan Hotchkiss leading MUSIC SUNDAY: Making Music Matters! Whether we are singing or playing an instrument, making music enriches our lives. With a salute to Spring, we celebrate our connection to the earth, give recognition to the preciousness of life, and strengthen our conviction that making music makes a difference. Even beauty must fade, and life is not a garden. It takes imagination, resiliency, and WORK to make the dream. Come join us in Making Music Matters. Sunday, April 17, at 10:30 a.m. Nick & Madeline MacDonald leading These Hands of Mine Who can we turn to for hope in these violent, hateful, troubled times? In this special service of song and poetry, troubadour Nick MacDonald invites us to look within ourselves for the strength and compassion to seek justice and make a difference in the world every day. Our collective strength lies in each of us listening deeply to what is needed and sincerely asking, What shall I do with these hands of mine? Nick MacDonald is a conductor, educator, and song leader based in Portland, Maine, who strives to help singers of all ages find their true voices, both musically and spiritually. He teaches and directs choruses at the Waynflete School and is the music director of the Tri-City Community Chorus. With the help of his wife, accomplished singer and violinist Madeline Kapp MacDonald, Nick travels New England and beyond presenting immersive and inspiring performances and worship services. Sunday, April 24, at 10:30 a.m. Juliet Donaldson, DRE, & Rev. Sarah K. Person The Harvest Today is a family service where we explore Leo Tolstoy s The Three Questions. Church gives us the space to explore the big questions in life and receive support in a loving community. It s time to put into words and deeds what this congregation commits to be and do for one another in the coming year. The Chalice Choir will be singing. Minister s Meditation One of the wonderful, and most difficult, aspects of ministry is figuring out how and when to take a stand on an issue. As a congregation, you have some choices in how and when to do this. The one thing we cannot do as a church is to advocate for a particular candidate from the pulpit or in public. We can, however, come to a consensus and take a stand on particular and controversial issues. We can educate and advocate in our communities. You can vote in this society to speak in public, write a letter to the editor, demonstrate, attend protests and rallies. These activities can be sanctioned by the congregation, and you can represent your church to the wider world. Your Parish Committee can vote to authorize your minister to speak, write, demonstrate or testify on your behalf on a controversial issue. You can do these things on your own and tell us about it, educate us about it. All these things start with you, the passion you carry, and the momentum you create within this beloved community. This is a time when your voice, our voices, need to be heard. Together we can reach a better understanding of what it means to be a church in the larger world. Blessings, Rev. Sarah

2 Chris s Comments I was thinking about what is my part in various aspects of life recently. It began with what is my part in minimizing my own carbon footprint? LIke many people, I want to decrease pollution and global warming. I also, like many people, sometimes skip things that would help because they are inconvenient. Recently when Pam and I were in Florida, it was sometimes difficult to recycle the way we do at home. In hindsight, I can think of alternatives to what I did - which was on at least one occasion throwing something in the trash that could have been recycled. As a relatively affluent American, I am contributing every minute to global warming, even when I recycle and drive a fuel efficient car and use a programmable thermostat to reduce fuel use in my home. Am I doing my part? Maybe, maybe not. That brought me to what is my part at UU Middleboro? Showing up on Sunday morning? Putting money in the collection plate? Letting Rev. Sarah know how much I appreciate her sermons? Bringing treats for Sunday morning? Those are part of my part, but not all of it. I am aware that my part is different than some other people s parts. I believe that my part is affected by my particular talents. I have stepped up in a variety of ways from cleaning to teaching Religious Education to serving on the Parish Committee. Not once have I considered a position that involves me cooking or handling finances. Those are not my talents. There is discussion of the need for people at a church to give their Time, Talent and Treasure. Hardly ever does sharing our talent not involve some time, and it rarely is useful to give our time if we are not also sharing our talents. (I recommend the book Serving with Grace, Lay Leadership as Spiritual Practice by Erik Walker Wikstrom, which talks at length about not offering to do things we don t want to do in the name of service.) That leads me to Treasure. As a social worker and a social activist, I am well aware of the unequal distribution of wealth in our society. I have been blessed in many ways by my birth and other life circumstances to have always had a roof over my head, clothes to wear and food to eat. I have benefited from a college education and generally good health. I feel an obligation to share some of the treasure I have been blessed with. I chose to share as much as I can with UU Middleboro as opposed to some other good causes. My discretionary income is different than many other people s. A portion of my discretionary income gets spent on my animals. Pam and I especially enjoy going out to eat, and we do that on a regular basis. We drive a 13-year-old car and an 18-year-old truck. We travel less than Pam would like to travel. I pinch pennies in ways that would make some spouses crazy, AND we give money to UU Middleboro. So am I doing my part at UU Middleboro? Maybe? Soon I will have an opportunity to look at my budget, to consider what I want for UU Middleboro in the coming year, and to find ways to add at least a few dollars a week to what Pam and I give. I hope you will think about what your part is. I hope you will consider your talents, what brings you joy, and what can you give of your time, talent and treasure. I hope whatever you decide it will bring you as much joy as the three T s that I give to UU MIddleboro bring to me. In Faith, Chris Korben, President CUUPS IN APRIL CUUPs will be meeting on the first and third Mondays - April 4 and April 18 - at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall.

3 UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC Friday, April 15, at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall Join others in an exploration of Understanding the Fundamentals of Music on the fourth Friday, April 15, at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. We will watch a lecture by Professor Robert Greenberg, published by The Great Courses followed by discussion & REFRESHMENTS! This is the fourth lecture in a series of four. Talk to Susan Hotchkiss for details. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KEITH KRON S ENNEAGRAM WORKSHOP Saturday, April 23 9:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall Refreshments provided Looking for an interesting way to know yourself better? Want to transform your family, work and church relationships? Join us for a fascinating look at the Enneagram, a tool to help you understand your personality type and, more importantly, how it interacts with other types. You ll come away with a greater appreciation for what makes you tick, why you get along better with some people and not others, and what you might do about it. \Rev. Keith Kron is the Transitions Director for the Unitarian Universalist Association, helping congregations find interim ministers and settled ministers. An elementary school teacher before he entered the ministry, he has taught courses on children s literature for the Starr King School for the Ministry. Kron has also served as the Director of the UUA Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns. Please RSVP with Rev. Sarah at minister@uumiddleboro.org so we know how many to expect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LABYRINTH MEDITATION WHAT IS A LABYRINTH? "A labyrinth is a single path or unicursal tool for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation. Labyrinths are thought to enhance right brain activity." -The Labyrinth Society Join Laura and Greg Stevens on Saturday, April 30, at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall for a short discussion on labyrinths followed by a walking meditation using a labyrinth as a tool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PLANT SALE COMING SOON Saturday, May 7 Tomorrow snow may cover our gardens, but life is awakening in them with the promise of glory to come. And you will soon be out plotting and planning what to add, discard, move, or divide. Our annual Plant Sale will be the Saturday before Mother s Day, May 7. One part of the sale is plants potted from members gardens. So please pot up for us divisions and extras of your flowers and herbs (vines, shrubs and trees, too!). We especially need diversity and surprises, so share a piece of that Penstemon, that huge-leaved hosta, and maybe just one fan of that exquisite iris. We love to sell natives, so also pot up any you have to share - from your own property only! Do your digging, dividing, and potting soon to minimize shock and allow for root development in the pot. You will need to tend your pots until the Thursday before the sale, when you can bring them, clearly labeled and described as necessary, to the church. Questions about dividing or potting? Contact Mike Schroeder. The other part of our Plant Sale is a huge selection of flats of flowers and vegetables grown by a local nursery. So as you do your garden shopping, plan on checking these out for your gardens or for Mother s Day gifts. In the past, we have had spectacular hanging plants. Any special requests? Maria Pucillo-Dunphy might be able to help. Your help will be needed for sale day, May 7, the Sunday after, and probably the following Saturday and Sunday morning. Mark the date on your calendar, and watch for sign-up sheets. Maria Pucillo-Dunphy and Mike Schroeder

4 April is the month for our annual Music Sunday. This year our musicians are singers in the Chalice Choir, accompanied by Ruth Iampietro, and joined by Rev. Sarah, Adrienne Williams, and Nancy Kidd. Special music includes Bach on double bass, Brahms in a vocal ensemble, and an extended choral work by UU composer Elizabeth Alexander. The Middleborough Music Guild is again sponsoring its Annual Spring Youth Concert, to be held at 3:00 on Sunday, May 1, at Central Congregational Church. This year we hope to have a children s choir representing our 1 st UU Society of Middleborough, and we hope many of you will come to the concert to support the performers. There will be choral and instrumental groups of children (up through Grade 8) from the Middleborough/Lakeville community. A free-will offering at the concert will benefit the Middleborough Music Guild s Music Scholarship Fund. Susan Land Hotchkiss, Director of Music RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM We are in the middle of our unit on The Big Questions. So far we've asked, Where did we come from? and What is religion? Coming up are: Where is God? What do we need in Life? and What about death? Our wrap-up family service for this unit is on April 24 where we'll present Leo Tolstoy's The Three Questions and ask, What is the best time to do things? Who are the most important people? and What is the most important thing to do? During this unit, the children and youth have been encouraged to ask their own questions, so we'll be exploring Are mermaids real? How do baby eels know where to go when they're born? Do we have a soul? Should all religions be respected? How old can you get? and Is the universe infinite? In May we'll begin our very timely unit on Immigration Injustice, Embracing the Stranger. We'll be learning how each successive wave of immigration helped make America the great country it is today, despite each wave being met with opposition and resentment from those already here. Let us open our hearts, open our minds and open our arms. Youth UUMiddleboro Singers (YUUMS???) There is an Annual Spring Youth Concert on May 1 (3:00 p.m.) at the church across the street from ours (Central Congregational Church), and we would love to have our children and youth sing our version of This Little Light of Mine and the Easter Sunday song, Thank You for Your Loving Hands, at this event. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more information. (continued on the next page)

5 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM (continued) Family Service Auction Items There are a few family-oriented Service Auction items that you can still sign up for: # ITEM DONOR MIN. BID 7 Pizza Party Game Night JR Pucillo-Dunphy $ 10 We ll be making pizza, and everyone can make & Greg Stevens per family their own. We have a couple of different doughs & Families (opening bid) available and lots of toppings. Let us know your favorites, and we will try to have it. Greg will be bringing lots of games to play, or bring your family s favorite to share. We will do our best to accommodate dietary needs. Max. 10 families. At the Church; Date TBD; Time 4:00 p.m. whenever 14 Guided Hiking Trips John Rocharz $ 75 per person 1. Waterfall Hike to NH 2. Children s Hike to the Cave of Tuckermans Ravine 3. Snowshoe trek to NH/VT 4. Fall foliage hike/tour in the Pemi Wilderness & White Mountains Sundays - May 8; July 17; October 23; December A Dive-In Family Movie at Jesse s Pool Hoyle/Kosuk & $ 5 per person Saturday, August 6 Huggon-Mauretti $ 15 per family Maximum Number of People - 20 Families (Max. Bid: $10 per person, $20 per family) 42 Water Volleyball Party at our Pool Hoyle/Kosuk Family $ 5 per person Minimum Number of People - 8 $ 15 per family Maximum Number of People 20 (Max. Bid: $ 10 per person $ 20 per family) 49 Storytelling for Birthday, Halloween, etc., Parties Marilyn Thayer $ 50 Please let Norm Grenier (n.grenier@comcast.net) know if you would like to sign up for any of these. Juliet Donaldson, Director of Religious Education

6 Present: Absent: MINUTES OF THE PARISH COMMITTEE MEETING February 17, 2016 Reverend Sarah, Chris Korben, Marc MacQueen, Holly Begley, Eileen Smith, Amanda Huggon-Mauretti, Nancy Backus, Dave Berman Brendan Conroy, Christine Hoyle Attending: Pam Davis, Cheryl MacQueen, Bob Waterman, Cindy Benard The minutes of the January 20 meeting were approved as amended. The Treasurer s Report was presented. Pledges are slightly down for the fiscal year to date. All monies are now in the Dodge & Cox and Fidelity accounts. Our final rent to the Grant Building has been paid. The Minister s Report was distributed to the PC via on 2/17. Rev. Sarah noted that the U United collaborative with other youth groups has dissolved due to concerns about kids safety during shared activities. Rev. Sarah will be meeting with the ministers from these other churches. The Space Transformer s Group reported that work on the building is nearly complete. A checklist of work remaining to be done is being reviewed and scheduled. The heating system needs to be balanced, and new thermostats need to be installed. If anyone finds the building without heat they should call Marc or JR immediately. When running properly, a green blinking light on the furnace indicates that it is functioning. The total cost of renovations is $70,400, less than the $75,000 projected. We will hold a Welcome Home pizza party after the service on the 2/28. The I Love My Church Initiative has garnered over $102,000 in pledges from donors. $63,000 of that will be received in the short term; the remaining $38,000 will come in over the next five years. The five-year goal of $150,000 will cover future repairs and renovations. Church members should be aware that there is no pressure to donate if they are uncomfortable doing so. Strategic Planning was discussed. Bob, Amanda and Christine H. comprise a sub-committee for planning. Review and update of the mission statement may be a starting point. A list of ten to fifteen questions for a possible survey of the congregation may be a starting point. Chris K. asked all PC members to think of three things we need/want to have happen for the church. The Religious Education Committee stressed the need to appreciate our staff by helping and affirming their good work. Bob W. suggested including both Juliet and Susan in the strategic planning process. Bob also suggested that the Staff Support Committee meet with staff to help inform them about the budgeting process. The Stewardship Committee will hold its first planning meeting on February 24 and will draft a schedule and budgets for the campaign and should be in full swing by mid-april. Cash in the Plate for March will go to UU youth scholarships. Monies collected at Bud Soule s memorial service will help kids attend Star Island and Ferry Beach, in keeping with his family s wishes. It was decided that July & August cash in the plate will go to the Williams family to help fund Alice s Pan Mass Challenge Bike Ride - the money ultimately goes to research that Lexie's doctor is doing in Boston. Also under consideration for cash in the plate are Conway House and music scholarships for church members. The Annual Meeting was discussed. PC members were asked to think about what to put on the warrant and to consider changing the day and time of the meeting from Friday evening to something that might be more convenient for people, such as on a Sunday after church. This will be discussed further. The warrant must be posted at least two Sundays prior to the meeting. (continued on the next page)

7 The PC will be seeking delegates to the Ballou Channing District and UUA General Assemblies. Plans for a congregational retreat have been pushed ahead to the fall. Internationally known concert pianist Silvard will perform at the church on Sunday, June 12. The Tech Committee reported that the Go Daddy ( provider) contract is changing. The cost of mailboxes is going up. We can get a discount by signing a multi-year contract. There would be additional savings if the church had 501c3 status. The PC will hold a special meeting on March 2 at 6:00 pm to discuss the pros and cons of obtaining 501c3 status. The Buildings & Grounds Committee suggested that we repair cracks in the sanctuary ceiling with money from the Mary Fuller Fund. This was moved, seconded and approved. The meeting was adjourned. (Minutes approved by PC 3/16/16) Present: SPECIAL PARISH COMMITTEE MEETING March 2, 2016 Rev. Sarah Person, Chris Korben, Amanda Huggon-Mauretti, Marc MacQueen, JR Pucillo-Dunphy, Christine Hoyle, Nancy Backus, Eileen Smith, Brendan Conroy, Holly Begley Attending: Dan Hotchkiss, Pam Davis The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the advisability of seeking a letter of determination from the IRS to document our 501c3 (non-profit organization) status. Dan Hotchkiss presented information on the possible benefits of obtaining a letter of determination. While all churches are recognized as 501c3s, having a letter of determination can make it possible to access a number of benefits for the church. Presently, some of the benefits include a significant discount on QuickBooks, the church s accounting software. Additionally, individuals using Amazon can designate a percentage of their purchases to go to the church through a rewards type of program. Having a letter of determination may also simply certain grant applications to certain organizations. No additional filing or paperwork is required from the IRS, so the only downside appears to be spending the $850 application fee, which could easily be recouped in discounts over just a few years. Dan offered to donate his time to prepare the application for FUUSM. It was moved, seconded and approved that Dan prepare the application for a letter of determination to be submitted after July 1, 2016, so that the $850 fee can be included in the 2017 fiscal year budget. The meeting was adjourned. (Minutes approved by PC 3/16/16)

8 PARISH CARE Pastoral Care help is available to assist with meals, transportation, emergency babysitting, and hospital visits during illnesses or other family emergencies. We are a diverse, active and caring community; and we welcome your questions and your participation. You are always invited to call or visit our minister to discuss any matter of concern to you. Pastoral Care: Susan Curtiss Janet Walkden Meals: Dody Adkins-Perry Rides: Tricia Tummino Cards: Chris Korben Caring Choir: Valerie Fontaine Prayer Shawls & Blankets: Juli Gould PEOPLE TO PEOPLE SERVICE AUCTION RESULTS! Many thanks to all those who participated in the auction. It was a great success. We are now at $11,500 and still collecting and selling. With a little luck, we will reach $12,000...two thousand above our ambitious goal. Thanks to all who purchased, and thanks to all who provided over fifty auction items, reverse items or articles for sale. It would not have been possible without a concerted team effort. Congratulations to all. Well done! Norm Grenier FOOD PANTRY Our congregation supports the Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Middleboro. To all those who are contributing food and supplies to the food pantry thank you so much. The donations have been just what is needed and are appreciated by the folks running the pantry and the clients they serve. Evalyn Buczek handles our congregation s food pantry donations. There are baskets in the Parlor in which you may place your donations. She will deliver items to the Sacred Heart Food Pantry as the baskets fill up. Please consider planting an extra row for the food pantry when planning your gardens this spring. Thank you. FLOWERS FOR THE ALTAR If you would like to provide flowers for the altar on a Sunday morning, please use the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Thank you. CASH IN THE PLATE FOR APRIL The Cash in the Plate for the month of April will be given to the Middleborough branch of the Old Colony YMCA to help families in need send their kids to camp this summer. 51% of children at the Y camps are ONLY able to attend because of financial assistance! 73% of the people the Y serves are under the age of 17! And, 66% of the families the Y serves receive financial assistance! Let's help the Y send some kids to camp. THE ELSIE GAUDETTE AWARD The Elsie Gaudette Award can be given this spring (the third Sunday in June) to a person who exemplifies the service and dedication to this church that Elsie did for many years. The Elsie Gaudette Award Committee will be meeting to review the nominations. Ask any award winner (listed on the plaque) about it. If you know of a deserving person to nominate for this award, you must nominate her/him in writing, telling of this person s contributions to the church over time and why this person deserves the honor. Send your signed letters to the Committee Chairperson, Linda E. Thompson. SUNDAY MORNINGS Child care for the littlest children begins at 10:15 a.m. in the Nursery Room. Large-print hymnals and hearing-assistive headsets are available. OUR BROADCASTS Our worship services are videotaped and broadcast over local cable television in Middleboro on Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 35. Visit: aspx?channelid=4&showid=2 Middleboro: Sunday & Monday: 10:00 a.m. Wednesday & Thursday: 4:00 p.m. Friday: 3:00 & 7:00 p.m. Saturday: 7:00 p.m. Our worship services are now broadcast over local cable television in Lakeville on Verizon channel 32. Lakeville: Sunday: 6:00 p.m. Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00 a.m. Saturday: 6:00 p.m.

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10 FULL TIME CHURCH WITH PART TIME STAFF First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist in Bridgewater, MA Saturday, April 9 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Presenter: Karen Bellavance-Grace, Congregational Collaborations Lead Congregational leaders know there is always so much more that they could do than there is time and resources in their congregations to do. Small churches with part time ministers, religious educators, or musicians sometimes struggle with the desire for a full time vital church without the full time staff to support it. Lay volunteers can add so much to the life of the church, but generational shifts in our church demographics and changing patterns of volunteerism create additional challenges. This day is designed for leadership teams to take time apart from the day-to-day running of the church to focus on some big questions and make space for big ideas. There will be opportunities to work with your congregational colleagues as well as the chance to learn from and with peers in other New England congregations. Event Fee: $35 per person. If you are coming with a team, the fee is $25 per teammate after four. *Please bring your own "brown bag" lunch. Morning refreshments, drinks and snacks will be provided. There is a sign-up sheet on the Parlor table, or let Rev. Sarah know if you are interested in attending. (Deadline is April 5 or when we reach maximum capacity)