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The Point
Newsletter of the Universalist Unitarian Church
Rev. Severn Towl. Minister |
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The Point
Newsletter of the Universalist Unitarian Church
Rev. Severn Towl. Minister |
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December 2 The Hanukkah Story December 9 A Story of Waiting December 16 A Season for Children December 23 Joy in the Dark World December 24 Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Candles 6:00 P.M. December 30 Lay Service Celebrations from Around the World From Severn Please make note of the Christmas calendar and contribute flowers and goodies where you can. This can be a difficult time of year for many. Keep in your thoughts friends, family and neighbors, and make calls or drop in on those who could use some cheer. Anyone willing to decorate the big table in the chancel for the Christmas Eve Service? Message from the President Many thanks to everyone who has already pledged to the Capital Campaign, and also to the Capital Campaign Committee for all their hard work. This is something we have talked about for years and it is wonderful to see it finally come to fruition. We are currently in the process of finding a buyer for the tower clock and someone to remove or purchase the cupola. We are also in the process of obtaining designs and estimates for a new cupola. Things are moving along! During the busy holidays ahead, let’s try to take time to slow down. Remember to enjoy and celebrate each other and the season. In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life goes by pretty fast – sometimes you just have to stop and take a good look around.” Happy Holidays to you and your families and friends. Diane Wheeler Christmas Gifts for the Church Liquid hand soap, toilet paper, card tables, Kleenex. Maili Bailey Guest at Your Table (GAYT) The envelopes handed out at the Thanksgiving service will be collected by Marilyn Wheeler in early January. Remember, $40 makes you a member of the UU Service Committee (youth $10, seniors $20) and dual regular is $75. We have supported these efforts in grand style over many years and would like to continue - even increase - our numbers. If you are new to us, please ask for information. Severn Christmas Reminders The two Holiday Quiet Times will be Thursday, December 13th and December 20th from 7 to 8 P.M. Please feel free to stop by for even just five minutes if this works best for you. You need not stay the entire hour. There will be occasional soft music, many candles, warmth and decorations. An island of peace in the midst of frenzy. We will need help assembling the tree after church on December 9th (it will decorated during the service on the 16th). For the 16th we will have a Special Social Hour and Goodie Feed! SO, please bring in some healthy and not-so-healthy eats to help out, maybe some punch, whatever moves you. And we will also need food for a reception after the Christmas Eve service. Poinsettias, red/white flowers, greenery, needed for Christmas Eve decorations as well. Severn Children’s Focus If you are interested in reading a story or talking with our children during Children’s Focus, please contact Linda Lee (872-6003 before 8:30 P.M. or llee@msad47.org) Books and help selecting books are available. This is really a fun activity! Linda Lee Coffee Hour Caterers for December/Early January December 2nd Lassandra Von Appen and Keegan Yang December 9th Linda Davis and Ellie Adams December 16th Ave Vinick and Sue Cook December 23rd Scott Price December 30th TBA January 6th Welcoming Congregation If you'd like to volunteer but don't know what's involved, please see Claire Prontnicki. Help is available if you'd like to co-cater rather than doing it solo the first time. Email at cprontni@colby.edu or call 873-5894. Thanks! Claire Prontnicki Elementary RE schedule December 2nd Tina Missbach December 9th Emily Wheeler December 16th NO RE / Intergenerational / tree decorating December 23rd Scott Price December 30th Emily Wheeler 2008 First Sunday “Non-Pledge”Plate Donations and Reminders about Check-Writing It’s time to nominate and select the organizations that will receive the donations from our First Sunday Plate in 2008. On two Sundays, December 2nd and December 9th, we will provide nomination slips with the Sunday bulletins. We’ll ask you to write the name of a local area organization or charity on the nomination slip. We will collect and collate the names of the organizations or charities after the service on December 9th. If we need to hold a “run off” election, we will schedule it for another Sunday in December. For your interest, we sent First Sunday Plate donations in 2007 to the organizations listed at the end of this article. Our collectors of the weekly offering plates are responsible for seeing that offerings are directed to the correct recipient or organization and ask that people who write checks for the First Sunday Plate make their checks out directly to the organization that will receive the donation. If that isn’t possible, in order to be certain that your donation is going to the correct recipient, please indicate on the memo line that your check is intended for the First Sunday Plate. Checks for regular pledges may also be placed in the offering plate on the First Sundays - and unless otherwise indicated - such checks will be credited to the check-writer’s annual pledge. All cash collected on the First Sundays of the month will continue to be directed to the organization that has been nominated for that month. 2007 Sunday Plate Recipients January Minister's Discretionary Fund February Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter March Keller Family Camping Fund April Habitat for Humanity May Hospice Volunteers (WTVL) June Minister's Discretionary Fund July Hardy Girls / Healthy Women August Evening Sandwich Program September Minister's Discretionary Fund October Community Dental Center November Family Violence Project December Minister's Discretionary Fund Direct questions or suggestions concerning First Sunday Plate Donations to Karen Kusiak at 453-6834; or email karen.kusiak@colby.edu . New Member Sunday There will be a New Member ceremony on Sunday, December 2nd. Please contact Severn (873-4006) if you are ready to "sign the book" or want to learn more about church membership. Beth Schiller Worship Committee The topic for the Lay Service on Sunday, December 30th is Celebrations Around the World. Anyone who would like to contribute a tradition from another culture they are familiar with should contact a member of the committee. The committee is also always seeking members willing to serve as worship leaders during lay services. Please let a member of the committee know if you have any interest in contributing in this way. Advent quiet times are scheduled for Thursday, December 13th and December 20th at 7:00 P.M. in the sanctuary. It's an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, enjoy some quiet time, and focus on what's important in our lives. There will be quiet music and candlelight on both evenings. As always, concerns and compliments about worship may be conveyed to a member of the committee. Margrit Thomas Chair Edie Keller Peter Burgher Bruce O'Donnell Gi Reed Margrit Thomas David Vaughn Nancy Wynne December Greeters Dec 2nd Mary McCann Baker and Ken Baker Dec 9th Bruce O'Donnell and Gi Reed Dec 16th Beth Schiller and Don Zarfos Dec 23rd Dec 30th Sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board downstairs -- thank you! Beth Schiller December Nursery Schedule "Adult Company for our Paid Babysitter" December 2 Melissa Evers December 9 Tina Missbach December 16 Scott Price December 23 Jim Jarosz December 30 Jim Jarosz Thank you for your time. Kathy McKay Welcoming Congregation Committee What does it mean that our church is a Welcoming Congregation? Visitors and newcomers alike are perhaps unfamiliar with this term and may not understand the process our church underwent to become a Welcoming Congregation in October 1996. In a nutshell, Welcoming Congregations are UU churches who publicly welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender people. Only fourteen UU churches in Maine are designated as Welcoming Congregations; our church was the third to receive this designation. To become a Welcoming Congregation, a church must respond to 16 “Action Steps” in three broad categories, i.e. religious education, congregational life and community outreach. It took several years before our church completed the process (more on that next month). Once our church achieved all the applicable Action Steps, it officially voted to be recognized as a Welcoming Congregation. Following that, a brief description of how each Action Step was met was sent to the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns (OBGLTC) in Boston. Upon receipt of this information, the OBGLTC sent us two black/purple “We are a Welcoming Congregation” posters – one is placed on the wall near the exit door in Averill Parlors, and the other at the table at the rear of the church sanctuary. Current members of the Welcoming Congregation include Ellie Adams, Carol Basen, Peter Burgher, Jan Mathieu, Bruce O’Donnell, Maria Timberlake and Ray & Connie Winship Connie Winship |
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