USH-Enews November 19 &26 , 2009 Print Only Edition

USH-Enews is a weekly email newsletter produced for members and friends of the Unitarian Society of Hartford. The USH web address is: http://www.ushartford.com/ Check at the end of this USH-Enews for information on submissions, subscriptions and escape from the mailing list or to find past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Office hours: Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours by appointment.

photo

Considering the Season (photo by Edith Savage)

Worshipping Together Since 1830
One Service 10:30 AM

(Double Issue, 11/22 & 29)

Sunday - 22 November - Annual Thanksgiving Service - Come practice an attitude of gratitude with us as our children set our congregational thanksgiving table, and welcome new members to gather round it with us.

Sunday - 29 November - Local Peace -Including some recent success stories from the Hartford area; what role do community leaders and interfaith cooperation play in local peace and promoting non-violent cooperation, and what are some possible causes for the recent spike in local violence? UU member, social justice advocate, and GLBT leader Greg Nickett is guest speaker.

Greg Nickett has been a member at USH for Two years, participating in Council on Social Justice and Interweave. He lives in Simsbury with his partner Paul Knierim and their dog, Jamie. He was raised in the United Methodist faith in Warrington PA, near Philadelphia. His next challenge will be singing at USH in early 2010. Greg has worked in human resources for 14 years.

Music 11/22 For our family Thanksgiving service, what could be better than families singing together. A wonderful group of singers from our congregation, representing all ages of children and grownups, joins the Chancel Choir in a song of gratitude by the UU composer Elizabeth Alexander, "We Lift Up Our Hearts." Ms. Alexander was looking for a text to use for her family's dinnertime grace. She found Richard M. Fewkes's text of thanksgiving to be both simple and profound, and she adapted the words as she was moved to set them to music.

For the sun and the dawn which we did not create;
For the moon and the evening which we did not make; For food which we plant but cannot grow;
For friends and loved ones we have not earned and cannot buy; For this gathered company which welcomes us as we are,from wherever we have come; For all our free churches that keep us human and encourage us in our quest for beauty, truth, and love; For all things which come to us as gifts of being from sources beyond ourselves; Gifts of life and love and friendship. We lift up our hearts in thanks this day.

(Note to children and families singing "We Lift Up Our Hearts" - if you have practiced this song with Mattie and Shannen, please come to the Sanctuary at 10:00 AM on Nov. 22nd to practice together with the Choir.)

Music 11/29

On November 29th the Meeting House Quartet returns to the Chancel. Four extra-devoted members of our Chancel Choir have put in extra hours to prepare choral song beyond the scope of the choir. Nancy Blickenstaff, Kim McClain, Dave Klotz and Paul Hansen have chosen and rehearsed additional music for this fifth Sunday of the month.

For this service an exceptional verse-anthem by the great English composer Henry Purcell is featured. In his extremely short life (only 36 years) Purcell produced some of the finest church music ever written, as well as numerous excellent operas. So popular, in fact, is Purcell that his style inspired various rock & roll bands! This year is the 350th anniversary of Purcell's birth in 1659, and his music still has the power to move and inspire us.

REflections on Children's Programming

Multigenerational Worship Service - This Sunday, November 22nd, we will gather together to celebrate the spirit of gratitude. We have many tangible and intangible gifts to be thankful for in our community, and you are a precious addition to the list!

There will be no individual classes this week as all children are invited to participate in the worship service. There will be childcare for children under three in the nursery.

Service Project for Children - Next Sunday, November 29th in lieu of Religious Education classes, we will gather in the second and third grade classroom to make gratitude boxes. In these boxes, we will collect change to augment the collection to reduce or eliminate staff furloughs.

There will be no individual classes this week as all children are invited to participate. There will be childcare for children under three in the nursery.

Gail M. Syring, DRE

Things You Could Do for USH

Write a check as you are able in the light of the feature article above and let's be done with the staff furloughs and feel proud for the collective accomplishment of matching contributions where each dollar we contribute yields two for the worthy purpose.

From the Editor: Suggestions for Contributors.

This Week’s Feature Articles

Contributors take note. The next issue of the USH-Enews will be issued on Friday December 4th. If you can send submissions on Monday, November 30th it will be appreciated.

Financial Challenge update
Stewardship Considers Fundraising Ideas
Volunteers Needed
A Thanksgiving Meditation
Friends of Music Fund
Regifting Sale
Cafeteria of Causes Nutrition Report
Coming to Festival of the Season?
Learning about BaHa'I
Invitation to attend Meditation and Dharma

Financial Challenge Update

By now, you have likely heard about the $5,000 challenge put forward by a few very generous donors. In order to meet this challenge, we need to raise an additional $5,000 by December 31 from at least 100 donors.

We have several initiatives underway to help meet this challenge. We have the basket raffle, which will be ongoing until December 6th. So far, we have raised $210 from 16 donors from this initiative. This week we will be starting a campaign to bring in your unwanted change. A jug will be in the lobby to collect coins (and dollar bills, too!). The children in RE will also be bringing home collection containers to reminder us to put our coins to good use, helping to prevent us from having to send the staff on an unpaid leave this winter.

However, no amount of loose change and basket raffle ticket sales will amount to $5,000. In order to meet the donors’ challenge and keep our staff employed, we will need people to send checks to the office for this campaign.

For instance, if 100 people could donate $50, we would meet our need. Or if 10 people could give $100, we would only need 100 to give $40 to match the challenge. And so on – I’m sure you can do the math.

Please consider what you can give to help keep our staff employed throughout the year, so that we can continue to benefit from their hard work that keeps our spiritual home up and running.

And don’t forget that there is a separate fundraising effort underway to raise $6,000 to support the music program. Donations for this are being accepted until December 1. Contact Edith Savage with any questions. - Sue Kinney

USH Stewardship Sub-Council Forum on Fundraising Ideas - November 15, 2009 - The USH Stewardship Sub-Council sponsored a forum to solicit ideas for fundraising after the service on Sunday, November 15, 2009. Nineteen enthusiastic participants attended. A list of both short-term and longer-term ideas was generated (see below). Generally, short-term ideas were directed at eliminating the two weeks of staff furloughs scheduled for February 2010.

Now we need to assess who would be willing to work on any of the ideas listed below (or any other ideas that you might have).

Short-term

1. A slumber party
2. In-home dinners
3. Offering to do work or perform services, the payment for which would be donated to USH
4. Donating loose change to USH; e.g., penny rolling day; Get youth to take responsibility for this
5. Personally asking individual members to contribute
6. Contributing Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars

Long-term

1. Increasing membership. Shouldn’t we be able to get help from the UUA in regard to growing the USH membership. Having a UUA financial consultant come work with us might be a worthwhile investment.
2. Develop and improve marketing, including advertising; e.g., press releases
3. Establish program for welcoming religious refugees; e.g., lapsed Catholics, Protestants, etc.
4. Signage on Bloomfield Avenue (likely to be controversial)
5. Increase usage of the building
a. Day care
b. Day school
c. Summer camp
6. The building could be rented out for birthday parties and other events. More aggressive marketing of the building might help bring in more rental dollars.
7. An event-planning group might be consulted for ideas about how to better market the building. Or, someone might be brought on as a rental agent and paid on a commission basis.
8. The Hartt School of Music still occasionally uses our space for concerts. Sponsoring more concerts might be tried, although the sound system would need to be upgraded at cost approximating $20,000.
9. Some of space might be converted for long-term rental to multiple like-minded, mission-oriented, or religious non-profit agencies that may need little space or may be willing to share space or may only need space a very part-time basis. Benefits may accrue from co-location of multiple agencies. The availability of meeting space and a kitchen may be an added attraction.
10. Who are our neighbors? And, how well do we know them? We might approach several community and neighborhood associations and ascertain how we might be able to meet their needs.
11. Greater use of “matching funds” campaigns
12. Auction services and donated items.
13. We could have an ongoing auction of services and items. Create a brochure of services available for donation to USH. Fundraising event that incorporates a range of approaches such as silent auction, regular auction, tag sale.
14. Create online bulletin board of goods and services available for donation. In this way items never have to be brought to church. Sort of like an internal eBay or Craigs list.
15. We should seek to be more visible in the neighborhood. We could use our large lawn area to sponsor outdoor antiques fair, crafts fair, or flea market or some combination, charging $50-$100 per vendor. This would require advertising. Putting on such an event for the first time would require a year or more of planning and work. Money can be made from advertisements in the program book for such an event. Note: Heavily weather dependent and would require use of the inside of the building for food preparation, use of bathrooms, and in case of inclement weather.
16. How well do we know our donors, especially our major donors? They may be giving for reasons other than (or even despite) our standard pitches. We need to know our donors better. How would they like USH to communicate with them? In the past, it was routine USH practice to interview the top one-third of donors after they made their pledges. The minister was responsible for communicating with the top 10-15 percent of donors.
17. The Stewardship Campaign should be revised. The top donors should be recruited into the effort. The pledge drive should be much more personalized. We should know more about our donors. Doing all of this requires the active involvement of more people.
18. The Zen of Fundraising by Ken Burnett is a recommended source of ideas for fundraising.
19. We need to get more members actively involved in the activities at USH, and we need to do a better job of utilizing the efforts of those willing to put in time.
20. We might better organize our members into neighborhood networks. For example, members who live near each other might come to church early and share breakfast from time to time, contributing on average something more than the cost of the meal.
21. We should seek voluntary donations for things like the coffee after the Sunday service. (Put a coffee can with a slot next to the coffee pot and put a sign on it that says “Can the furlough!”) The same sort of thing could be done for all events that involve food and beverages.
22. A weekly dinner might be sponsored by each sub-council on a rotating basis, with the proceeds going toward the sub-council’s work.
23. Have a weekly supper as a way of building community. An event of some sort would follow supper. A suggested donation would be sought. Those who cannot afford the suggested donation would pay less, and those who are able to do so would pay more.
24. Join activities with Fern Street should be considered. Merging with Fern Street should also be considered.

Jean Groothius has volunteered to work with anyone else interested in putting on an antique/craft fair and flea market (see item 15 above). You may contact her directly if you are interested in looking into the feasibility of such a project.

Susan Kinney will work with Gail to get the “spare change” campaign going.

What speaks to you and what can you do?

Additionally, the Stewardship Sub-council is looking for new members – meetings are short, the fellowship is fun and the work is critical to our ongoing sustainability. Please consider joining.

E-mail, or otherwise make known, your willingness to lead or participate in any of the above activities to Charles Huntington (chuntington(at symbol)comcast.net) or Susan Kinney (sbkinney(at symbol)comcast.net).

Volunteers Needed - For Reading/Math tutoring program at Noah Webster School
Students at the Noah Webster School on Whitney Street, Hartford, are in need of extra instruction in reading and math. Tutors are needed for one day a week, for about an hour, and work one on one with students.

Currently, there is a need for 4th grade reading tutors and middle school math tutors. Children are chosen to be tutored by the classroom teachers. The reading and math materials are available, well-organized and each child has a folder so the tutor can record progress, observations, etc. Most tutors come one day a week (usually mornings), though everyone is welcome to come more often, and tutor from about 1 to 1.5 hours. Each volunteer is trained before starting the tutoring program.

The Noah Webster Partnership Project is a priority of the Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice (ICEJ), it is hoped that all member congregations will participate in the tutoring program. Education Task Force Co-chair Bette Marafino has seen the program at work and says “The children are adorable and eager to learn!”

If you would like more information and details about the program, please contact Shai Cassell at 930-4278 or email her at shaileen@sbcglobal.net. Or you can contact Bette Marafino at 860-233-1989. Her e-mail address is: bettemarafino@sbcglobal.net

A Thanksgiving Meditation - As I make music, I give thanks for it with every breath. As I intentionally listen to beautiful music, especially live music, I am transported, either within myself or outward, toward people or places or divinity. I would not have made it through the shattering process of a divorce without my piano, twelve boxes of tissues, songbooks by Jacques Brel, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Don McLean and “La Boheme.” I have witnessed audiences seemingly thunderstruck and moved to a scarcely breathing state by a musical performance – one of those moments, which defines sublimity. In churches and meeting houses and temples, I have heard young and old combine their voices and instruments in strains of joy and sadness, victory and peace, courage, determination and comfort.

At these times, I have hoped that hearts have been healed and atomic particles in our bodies revivified by the action and feeling of being a part of the music. When the organ is producing tones that only an organ can, causing the hairs on my arms to jump up and wave, and I simultaneously break into a totally unexpected, huge grin, there is something happening in the deepest and most sensate part of me; I am blessed with a glorious and totally freeing experience.

Music wraps its arms around and through a service and carries the Word home. We don’t have to know the people language or the instrumental language in which the music is written or performed. We have only to open ourselves, to resonate, and all the communication that is necessary will happen. I wish for you a life enthralled by music. - Edith Savage

Friends of Music Fund - Thanks to all who have contributed so generously and have brought us to the half way mark in our goal to raise $6000 to bridge the gap in our music budget by our deadline of November 30. If you have not yet contributed, but wish to do so, please make out a check to USH with a notation in the register at the bottom left, saying “Music Fund”.

With gratitude, - The Friends of Music

Cafeteria of Causes Nutrition Report -- Our early November serving to the Pols was 12 petitions to Congress, one to the White House, and one to the CT Coalition on Domestic Violence for use in its own lobbying efforts. The main dish was a spiced Thank You to the CT delegation in the House for the votes FOR health insurance reform and AGAINST the Stupak amendment. But folks also dished out opinions on the Afghan war, military families, foreign military bases, sex education, food safety, global warming, and climate legislation. 103 of our signatures spiced up those messages.

Was your voice an ingredient of at least one of those dishes ? If you want to contribute, stop by the Pyramid and add your name... or better yet, send your own favorite cause's message to Ed Savage so that he can add it to the succulent dishes we are serving up weekly to our legislators! You can reach him at EdSavage(at symbol)ushartford.com or ESavage1(at symbol)gmail.com

Regifting Sale! - Find a home for all those unwanted (but nice) items and help USH become greener. Drop off new (like new) items to the Green Table (any Sunday, starting now) and do some holiday shopping (buy other good stuff) during coffee hour on 12/6 and 12/13. REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE! We will also have green stocking stuffers and green cleaning bags (bags full of stuff from the green table) including our very own USH bags for sale.
Holiday shopping CAN help the planet and USH.

Learning about BAHA’I - If your plan for living includes learning at least one new thing a day, then Reverend BJ’s Sunday, November 15 sermon on the Baha’i religion was the place to be.

We learned a lot.

“I myself was almost a Baha’i (around 20 years ago), Reverend BJ “confessed.” But she did not become one for a couple of reasons—Eastern culture was not for her and she “didn’t want another prophet.” Now, looking back, she said she’s sorry she hadn’t stuck with it longer.

Baha’i, the youngest of the world’s religions, has six million members worldwide in 250 countries. Its scriptures have been translated into 700 languages. There are about 500 members in Connecticut.

Reverend BJ spoke of the similarities between the Baha’i and the Unitarian Universalist religions. The two creeds equal “all truth.” Both have a “simple theology” which includes a unity of religion. And, she said, both believe that “You and I and a leader can evolve, grow and be more than we think we can be.”

Other aspects of the Baha’i faith include no public worship and brief devotional worship. Members meet every 19 days in a rented space or in each other’s homes for a three-part service. There are no clergy, no talks, no sermons. Baha’is believe “work done in a spirit of service is the highest form of worship.”

The meeting every 19 days is in three parts:
1. A brief devotion.
2. An administration session and a consultation. In the consultation, when a person speaks, what she or he says belongs to the whole group. Every voice is heard and respected.
3. A feast

“One of the most powerful acts of love and service is prayerful attention,” Reverend BJ commented on the consultation part of the Baha’i service. “I wonder how it would work if we tried the Baha’i 19-day meeting?” she asked, but she said she was not about to try it. Reverend BJ told us that the feast part was obligatory. Even after disagreements that may have come up during the second phase of the meeting, everyone has to stay for the feast. One of the main teachings of the Baha’i faith is that there is a profound truth in the heart of everyone. “They are such peaceful, smart, religious people,” Reverend BJ said. “I love their freedom to be religious.”

But members of this faith are being persecuted in Iran. Reverend BJ described seven ordinary Iranians who have been in jail for 18 months for disrespecting Iran’s current rule and religion. This is part of the “state-sponsored persecution of Baha’i people.” Many governments have protested this imprisonment, but the seven still have not had a trial. More than 300 Baha’i believers have been killed because of religious-based prejudice.

One of the hymns we sang during the service, Be Ours a Religion, seems to sum up the Baha’i and UU faiths. We sang, “Be ours a religion which like sunshine goes everywhere, its temple all space, its shrine the good heart, its creed all truth, its ritual works of love.” - Kayla Costenoble

Invitation to attend Meditation and Dharma Gathering on Wednesday nights: - Answering the Why? and How? of Meditation:
Reprinted, with permission, from the sermon written and presented by Margaret Leicach on July 12 2009:

"As Buddhists see it, much suffering comes from the inner dialog that runs through our minds and how we deal with it. We ruminate over the past. We live in dread of future developments that may never occur. But the only instant we can affect is the present. Buddhist practices are focused on helping human beings concentrate on the present.

The practice of meditation, of learning to be as much as possible in the present moment allows me to slow down my thoughts so I can pay more attention to them. The more aware I can be of how my mind works, of my own inner narratives of about what is going on in my life, the greater chance I have to re-design these narratives to minimize Dukka (suffering) and create a more peaceful and harmonious world for myself and those around me.

One of the Unitarian Universalist Sanga's meets here at the Meeting House every Wednesday evening in the Meditation Sanctuary just to the right of the Chapel. If you are new to meditation and/or new to our particular practice, you can come at 5:30 for a brief orientation. At 5:45 the bell sounds, and we enter a 20 to 30 minutes of zazen, or silent sitting meditation.

The Meditation Sanctuary is silent, aside for the occasional passing truck or fire engine, the twitter of birds in the trees, and towards the end, the sounds of the music staff and choir gathering for rehearsal in the main Sanctuary.

When the bell next sounds, we stand and participate in walking meditation for about 15 minutes. Finally, we sit and share a teaching- on CD or read aloud- for about 20 minutes, followed by a few minutes of silent reflection on the teaching, and ending promptly at 7:00 PM."

Please join us on any wednesday evening! - Jan Bennett

What Time Are You and Yours Planning to Come to the Festival of the Season On Saturday, December 5th? Whenever you come, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there to greet you and our USH Christmas Tree, decorated by the Youth Group, will be up in the lobby. You’ll have an opportunity to spread Holiday Cheer to the children who live next door at the Village for Families & Children by putting a gift on the tree as you come in to enjoy the Festival’s many treats.

Take a look at this schedule of Festival activities, decide when you want to join the party and then, if you plan to attend the dinner, please sign up for your potluck dish or to help with the festival at the Adult Programs table during Coffee Hour on the next two Sundays.

3:00 to 5:00 - You can play the dreidel game on the lobby floor if you want to and maybe win a prize.

3:00 to 5:30 - You and your family can make a craft or crafts of your choice to take home.

     --- Make a Graham Cracker Gingerbread House, or
     --- Decorate Holiday Cookies, or
     --- Make a Holiday Wreath, or
     --- Make a Friendship Bracelet with our Youth Group

3:00 to 5:00 - Share great food with your friends while listening to holiday music in the Coffeehouse in the Chapel. We’re still lining up the performers but you can be sure you’ll recognize them and enjoy the singing.

5:00 to 5:30 - The Meetinghouse Carolers will be caroling their way around the ambulatory, visiting the crafts rooms with musical holiday cheer. Join the singing! Or just listen and enjoy the familiar songs of the season.

5::30 to 6:00 - Participate in a multigenerational worship moment with BJ in the Sanctuary.

6:00 to 7:30 - Enjoy the great food at our traditional potluck dinner in Fellowship Hall accompanied by Sid Garvais on the piano and then end the festivities by enthusiastically singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas” conducted by John Stowe.
Josh Schreier and Bill LaPorte-Bryan, Festival Coordinators - See Poster

What Else is Happening

Basket Raffle Continues (more)

Holiday Luncheon, Wednesday, December 9 at Noon - All women are invited to attend this Christmas party hosted by the Women’s Alliance. Sign up for the Pot Luck Lunch on the Alliance Board in Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be followed by the traditional holiday reading of A Visit From St. Nicholas To a Liberated Household and bring your favorite Holiday Poem to share. To provide some holiday cheer to the less fortunate, bring a gift for Interval House, Hartford’s program for battered women and their families. Books, crayons, color books, stuffed animals, blocks, basic toiletries or disposable diapers of all sizes are especially welcome. Sign up by Dec. 6 so we can set a place for you. You may also bring your spouse, partner or guest. $1 per person will be collected to cover our costs, or $6 per person if you do not bring a dish to share.

Holiday Bake Sale, Sunday, December 13 - The Women’s Alliance is sponsoring a bake sale after the Special Music Service on Dec. 13. Pumpkin bread, Cranberry bread, Christmas biscotti and Chocolate biscotti lovingly baked in the Meeting House Kitchen will be offered along with a variety of donated items. Bakers please bring your home made goodies to Fellowship Hall before the service.

GHICEJ's Health Care Task Force - We invite you to a conversation with Simsbury UCC, First Church of the Living God and New Hope church on November 30 at 6:30 PM at Immanuel Church, on the corner of Woodland & Farmington in Hartford.

This is an opportunity to share & to listen to stories that might be different from yours to increase understanding and gather recommendations of change and improvement to those in the health care system and legislators. Through a better understanding of the views and experiences of members of its congregations, GHICEJ will offer a collective response by the end of January.

We hope for a good turn-out. Questions to Joan Kemble t-jkemble(at symbol)cox.net

Coffee and refreshments at coffee hour - Sundays, we will have food, as well as coffee, tea and juice during coffee hour.

A sign-up sheet for those who would like to bring snacks will be posted in the lower lobby.

Please feel free to bring your favorite coffee-hour type foods, whether purchased or baked in your own kitchen! Suggested items: bagels and cream cheese, muffins, fruit, coffee cake, vegetables and dip, hummus, crackers and cheese, donuts or donut holes/munchkins, pretzels, etc. etc.

Please label any foods containing nuts.You can get reimbursed for expenses by filling out a form and returning it to Brian in the office and thank you so much for considering signing up to bring a snack. It will be most appreciated! Ann LaPorte Bryan

Adult Programs - Stop by the Programs Table on Sunday, November 22 or December 6 to register for the December 11, Friday Dinner and Movie. The featured movie will be Bagdad Cafe. You may also register by calling the USH office at 860- 233-9897. Mark your calendars for the 2nd session of Ember Days that will take place on Wednesday, December 16, 12:00 - 2:00 PM and Friday & Saturday, December 18, and 19, 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

The fall programs are winding down and it's not too early to think about possible programs to offer in the winter/spring term. Perhaps you or someone you know has an idea for a course, workshop, or Sunday afternoon program that you would like to see included.

To obtain a Program Proposal Form, you may go here. From the Spiritual Life pull down menu (on the left side of the home page), click on Adult Programs. In the first paragraph, click on download the form in Microsoft Word. The form is also available at the USH office. Please attach a detailed paragraph in Microsoft Word (if possible) about the program to the completed Proposal Form that can be used for promotion. Please email the completed Proposal to Janice Newton or Nancy Reed no later than Monday, January 4 so that your proposed program can be reviewed and included with the other 2010 Winter/Spring Programs for Adults and Families..

People's Action for Clean Energy(PACE): Clean Energy Expo, Environmental Awards night and discussion

When: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Where: Unitarian Society of Hartford 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford When: Main program begins at 7PM. Come early for exhibits and snacks

Admission is free to the public. Donations are welcome.

4:00 - 5:30 PM Film "Meltdown" (FX Cable)
5:00 - 7:00 PM EXHIBITS AND DINNER
Solar and other clean energy companies
Environmental Exhibits
Little City Pizza; homemade desserts; coffee
7:00 PM Annual Meeting
7:15 PM AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement:
Eric Epstein - Three Mile Island Alert
Staff - Beyond Nuclear
Legislative:
Rep. Vickie Nardello; Rep. Sean Williams, Rep. Matthew Lesser, Lonnie Reed and Elizabeth Esty
Organization:
Chris Phelps - Environment Connecticut
Media:
Adam Ney - Buildingctgreen.com
8:00 PM "THE TRUTH ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER"
Eric Epstein - Three Mile Island Alert
Cindy Folkers, Kevin Kamps, Paul Gunter, Linda Gunter - Beyond Nuclear

More information about the Nov. 21 event may be found at pace-cleanenergy.com. INFORMATION: (860) 693-4813 or www.pace-cleanenergy.org

Caring Network - One must bear in mind one thing It isn't necessary to know what thing that is. John Ashbery - If you know of any member experiencing some difficulty, please contact Diana Heymann, Chair of the Caring Network heydiana(at symbol) comcast.net 860.461.0908 or call the office so we can provide some assistance. A wide range of community services is also available to those in need by calling InfoLine at 211. Please contact Diana if you are able to volunteer your services.

Further Down The Road (About 30 Days)

Movie and Commentary - A Road to Mecca With Yahya Michot and Herb Brockman Wednesday, December 2, Hartford Seminary 6:30 PM, Free More

Social Justice Journeys (From the UUA) And from USH

photo

Green Topics - Did You Know?

Garbage or trash is a major form of environment pollution these days. Each person produces about 4.3 pounds of trash a day.

On the Calendar

Thursday, November 19
9:30 am International Women’s Circle, Fellowship Hall

Friday, November 20
12:00 pm District Ministers Meeting, Fellowship Hall
5:30 pm Family SGM, Fellowship Hall, David, Socinus

Saturday, November 21
4:45 pm Pace Event, building wide

Sunday, November 22
10:30 am Worship w/ Welcome to New Members, Sanctuary
11:30 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
2:00 pm Small Group Ministry, David
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Monday, November 23
7:00 pm Artist’s Way, Servetus
7:00 pm Rental, Ballou

Tuesday, November 24
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, November 25
7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving
Friday, November 27
Office closed both days

Saturday, November 28
10:30 pm Rental, Chapel

Sunday, November 29
10:30 am Worship, Sanctuary
11:30 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
2:00 pm Small Group Ministry, David
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Please notify Brian Mullen of all additions or changes to the calendar. Follow this link to all our scheduled events

External Events and Educational Notes

Craft and Food Holiday Fair 11/21 Our friends at Unitarian Universalist Society: East in Manchester are sending a special invitation to their annual Craft & Food Holiday Fair on Saturday Nov. 21, 9 AM - 3 PM More

Surviving the Holidays: Navigating Family Conflict 12/12 and 13 (more)

An Evening of Opera Arias, Sunday December 6th, Beth El Temple, West Hartford More