The Uniter Newsletter of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign January 7, 2015 Worship Services January 11, 2015 New Worship Time at 10:15 a.m. “Better and Better” The Rev. Axel H. Gehrmann Second Sunday Potluck January 18, 2015 New Worship Time at 10:15 a.m. “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” The Rev. Axel H. Gehrmann January 25, 2015 New Worship Time at 10:15 a.m. “Half Heaven, Half Hell” The Rev. Axel H. Gehrmann Our Mission Build Community. Seek Inspiration. Promote Justice. Find Peace. Minister’s Message – The Rev. Axel H. Gehrmann I was out of the office after Christmas, spending a few days with family in California. Thus I offer this piece by Howard Thurman entitled “The New Year” for our first 2015 newsletter: There is always something impressive about a fresh start. Think how fortunate it would be if time was not somehow divided into parts. Suppose there were no day, only night. Even in parts of the world near the North Pole, there is a six-month day and a six-month night. Or suppose there were only winter, or only summer, or only spring. Suppose there were no artificial things like months so that we could not be mindful of the passing of time. Suppose there were no years, just the passing of hours, with no signposts to mark them into units of months and years. Then there would be no New Year. The beginning of another year means the end of a year that has fulfilled itself and passed on. It means that some things are finished, rounded out, completed forever. It means that for some of us certain changes have taken place so profound in their nature that we can never be what we were before. The New Year means a fresh start, a second wind, another chance, a kind of reprieve, a divine act of grace bestowed upon the children of [humankind]. It is important to remember that; whatever the fact may have been, it cannot be undone. It is a fact. If we have made serious blunders, they are made. All our tears cannot unmake them. We may learn from them and carry our hard-won lessons into the New Year. We can remember them, not with pain, but with gratitude that in our new wisdom we can live into the present year with deeper understanding and greater humanity. May whatever suffering we brought on ourselves or others teach us to understand life more completely and, in our understanding, love it more wisely… The theme of January’s worship services is “hope.” In this spirit, I hope your year to come will be filled with ever greater wisdom and love. See you in church! Religious Education News – Cindy Wakeland, Director of RE New Year Thoughts Happy New Year! Are you counting your blessings? Making resolutions? I have decided it is a good time to try and begin new activities but not to make the resolutions because I never seem to keep them. I just want to be the best that I can be, which means at my job and taking care of myself personally. If I can balance those two, then I will be a better person to others. After Christmas dinner, my mother read some letters and cards that she found tucked away in my father’s dresser as she was clearing out his drawers. This was the first Christmas since his passing this last July. There was an old letter from his grandmother, a note my brother wrote when he was 10 years, and a card from me. It was a Father’s Day card, nothing real special but he had pulled it aside and tucked it away for a memory on another day. That’s what letters can do – they can be memories from the past that make us happy today and give us hope for tomorrow. This made me think: It’s time for the UUCUC PEN PAL PROJECT 2015! Sign-ups began this past Sunday and continue through January 18th. Pen pals will be assigned and ready to receive mail on Sunday, January 25th. Pen pals will write for five weeks and have their pizza party reveal on Sunday, February 22nd. Sign up at the RE Table in Fellowship Hall or contact me at 384-8862 or re-director@uucuc.org. The Uniter Classroom Changes Religious Education (RE) Classes are back together and will be getting used to our new experimental schedule. Please take note there are a couple of room changes as we begin the new semester. The 6th – 7th grade class will move from the Windowless Classroom downstairs to the Library upstairs, and the 4th – 5th grade class will move from Room #4 to the Windowless Classroom. The other classes, for now, are as follows: Pre-K will be in the Children’s Chapel, K – 1st grade will remain in Room #2; the 2nd – 3rd graders will remain in Room #1; and OWL will remain in Room #4. The nursery will be in Room #3 and YRUU have their own place. All rooms will be clearly marked for you to find your way. Adult Education Venues Start February Take a glance at some possible adult studies the Religious Education Committee may offer this February. Ideas and interest sign-up sheets are located at the RE Table. The RE Committee will be discussing the options. Right now, we are considering “What Really Happened in Ferguson?” and “The Wisdom Path: Money, Spirit, and Life.” We also will think about a class on Meditation. The Religious Education Committee This month, Tuesday, January 13th, we will be discussing several topics, including evaluating the Holiday programs, looking at the experimental schedule, and deciding about adult education classes, to name just a few! We also need to think about our mission, welcome new members Sophie Meyn and Sarah Nixon, and begin planning our Fine Arts Day in classrooms on February 8th. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me. Musings on Membership – Sam Shore, Membership Coordinator The beginning of the year is a milestone for many people in many ways. The start of 2015 has special significance for me because it was on January 1st, 2014, that I first started working at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign. In this column, I’m excited to report back on some of the steps I’ve taken in my time at the church. January 7, 2014 Page 2 At the onset of my tenure, my first concern was getting to know the organs and individuals that made the church run. I had an opportunity to sit in with a number of committees, read through our church history books, and chat with old and new members about their experience. I continue to take advantage of opportunities to do these things, while also furthering my professional development through the resources offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Membership Professionals. A long-term concern of mine is ensuring that our church has modes of institutional memory that help ensure our volunteers have the information they need to be happy and effective in their roles. To this end, I helped organize a training about collaborative technologies for committee chairs and other interested parties, as well as a separate training for our Board of Trustees. I have endeavored to make myself an available resource for the volunteers who make our church run, providing an extra pair of eyes, hands, or ears as the case requires. I am also interested to explore how we can be more purposeful in helping visitors to our church become invested, engaged members. This year, we introduced a Connections Hub table which serves as a point of contact for new and old congregants to touch base with representatives of the Membership Committee on Sunday mornings. Behind the scenes, I have instituted a tracking document that can be used to ensure we are providing visitors with requested information and following up with them to ensure we’re addressing their needs. I’m excited to see what our church can accomplish over the next year. Stay tuned, and see you around church! Until next time, Your Membership Coordinator, Sam Karla’s Korner – Karla Peterson, Chair of the Board of Trustees Happy New Year! By the time you get this I hope to have seen you at church… at the new hour and with only one service. That change occurred as a result of the ReVisioning Task Force's work. The Task Force continues to do their work as they investigate new opportunities for worship and programming, and as they receive evaluation feedback from all of you as we try new things. That “happening” brings to mind the Strategic Plan and the many things that have been accomplished toward our goals. First, you participated in the development of the plan, and then you supported the goals through participation in activities as well as through your generosity in last year’s stewardship campaign. That generosity enabled us to hire and to keep Sam Shore as the Membership Coordinator. Sam has worked diligently with many of the committees, including Membership and Communication, the latter of which is working on developing a new web site and has also opened up many new electronic avenues to get our message out. Sam is putting together a report on his many accomplishments to which we will soon be privy. Stay tuned! As a congregation, we also approved the two-year initiative, Immigration Justice. While most of the work toward that goal has been behind the scenes to date, you will be hearing more about it in 2015. The Social Action Committee (SAC) has shared some of their budget with the group working on this “outreach” goal to get started – again, your generosity came through. And then there’s the Facilities Improvement Task Force (FITF) that is busy reviewing the old architectural plans and taking tours into various corners of the building. That group will soon be asking for your input relative to accessibility and functionality as it relates to our building. The Property Committee has done a lot in the past year – due, once again, to your generosity! We have a new boiler and new windows in much of the lower level. Those improvements have made The Uniter January 7, 2014 Page 3 us more “green.” Much more has been accomplished on building improvements, but time and space don’t allow for more detail now. Church Announcements The bottom line is this: You have made possible what UUCUC has accomplished this past year, and you have helped UUCUC live up to our beliefs and principles. As we move forward with all aspects of the Strategic Plan, we would love for you to be involved. We appreciate everything that you do to make it possible. THANK YOU. Lost, Found… Check Out Our Wares! Come one, come all… Our Lost and Found overfloweth! Please visit our Lost and Found, conveniently located to the left of the men’s restroom in Fellowship Hall, under the Literature Table. Some items include: Our Church Family Joys and Concerns This information is not available in the online edition of The Uniter. • • • • • • • Black knit hat and other colored caps One men’s glove Equal Exchange brand travel mug Black gloves Hot pink scarf Towels and a pillow And many more, too numerous to mention! These items will be cleaned and donated within the next month, so claim your items soon. Thanks Open Bidding: Join AUUCtion Committee The AUUction Committee will hold an organizational meeting on Sunday, January 25th after the service. We will discuss many aspects of the auction and assign preliminary roles. The auction is our largest fundraising activity of the year and is a lot of fun to work on. If you are interested in helping, there are many opportunities both large and small for you to participate. Please email the committee chair, Bill Childers, at wchilder57@gmail.com to be included on the listserv for the committee for this year and/or to RSVP to attend this month’s meeting. Welcome to Our New Accompanist We bid a fond farewell to Gonzalo Farias, who has served as our Interim Accompanist since September, and we plan to welcome Matthew Gladden as our new Accompanist. Currently a DMA candidate in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying at the U of I, Matthew has served as a pianist/organist for the First United Methodist Church of Urbana, he currently accompanies The Singing Men of WGNN, and he has also been an accompanying assistant at the U of I. In addition, he owns Gladden Music LLC (www.methodbooks.com), which sells instructional books to piano teachers. Prior to moving to Champaign in 2009, Matthew served as The Uniter January 7, 2014 Page 4 Welcome to Our New Accompanist, cont. a pianist in various churches in Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, and he was the winner of a number of musical awards. Many thanks to members of the Accompanist Search Committee: Marsha Clinard, Axel Gehrmann, Tanja Hodges, Frank Knowles, and Matt Sheppard. – Millie Davis, Chair Coming Events The First Happy Hour of a Happy New Year Join us at the next UU Happy Hour on Thursday, January 15th at the Clark Bar in Champaign. Stop by any time between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. to get together, chat, and relax. The Clark Bar is located at 207 W. Clark St. in Champaign. This group gathers on the third Thursday of each month. For more information, contact Russ Rybicki at russadr@fastmail.fm. We hope to see you there! Social Action News Monthly Shared Offering: The Public i January’s Shared Offering will help support The Public i, the longest-lived alternative paper in Champaign-Urbana (C/U). Affiliated with the Independent Media Center for all of its 12 years, the Public i is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are all volunteers to “a collectively-run, community-oriented publication,” and invite anyone from the community who wants to attend editorial committee meetings and contribute a story. Providing a forum “for topics underreported and voices underrepresented,” we are local authors writing about local, national, and international issues, plus people originally from C/U who continue to contribute or let us reprint their stuff (Mark Weisbrot, Robert Naiman, Dave Roediger, Sarah Lazare). Every article promotes social justice by valuing diversity, fighting The Uniter injustice, and promoting equality. Pieces range from “A Day at Stateville,” performed at UU church last May, and Pete Seeger's 1958 visit to UIUC, to the Northwestern Football Player Union, to Russia, Ukraine, and Hungary, and from local healthcare and local prison and police reform (not building a new jail, returning the MRAP, not employing tasers) to the environment and environmental justice (Mahomet aquifer, Homer Bulldog mine). For these and other stories, visit our website at http://publici.ucimc.org/ We operate on a shoestring budget. In addition to an online edition, we publish an eight page print edition that works out to 10 issues/year. We distribute our ca. 3000 print run in numerous cubbies located throughout C/U. The poor quality, old-timey newsprint vs the better-looking online version means you have to wash the ink off your hands when you're done reading. Money from UUCUC Shared Offering will go entirely towards publication costs, approximately $300/issue. The Public i does not run ads and all labor (editing, distributing) is volunteer-donated. UUs Gave Boost to Backpack Project The 2014 backpack giveaway at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen was a success, and the generosity of this church played a significant role. This year, we approached the project from two angles. First: We collected filled backpacks. Second: We donated the items from the Mitten Tree. Overall, our donation was huge, and we warmed and delighted a great many people this past Christmas. Sandy Hannum poses in Fellowship Hall with the UUCUC backpack collection donated last month. January 7, 2014 Page 5 Backpack Project Boost, cont. We gathered a total of 40 filled backpacks, plus several extra items for the packs, including many bottles of assorted lotions, lots of snacks and games, and four coats! The mitten tree was absolutely packed in both services with mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves for all ages. the church Library. To get help from Care Core or to be added to the listserv, please email gethelp@uucuc.org. Feminist Book Group Meets the third Tuesday of the month, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Library. Contact Karen Folk at foxfolk@aol.com or 367-9723 for more information. The giveaway day, December 19th, was not terribly cold, so the people waiting in line came in feeling cheerful. We gave away 806 backpacks in just two hours. There were lots of smiles and hugs. Santa and Mrs. Claus were there handing out candy canes to the children and several kids sat on their laps. Finance Committee Chaired by Tanja Hodges. Meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Children’s Chapel. To join or for more information, email thodg01s@gmail.com. Thank you for helping to make the holidays happier for people in need. Grief Chalice Circle Meets the first and third Saturdays of the month from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Library. Contact Pamela Van Wyk (pcvw811@gmail.com) or Mona Shannon (mona4shannon@gmail.com). – Sandy Hannum Groups and Chalice Circles Adult Discussion Group Meets after services every Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m. in the Library. The topics range from issues related to local Church matters, up through contemporary international issues, including denominational, congregational, social, national, and international and faith issues. Newcomers are always welcome. Led by Chuck Cooper. Caregiver’s Chalice Circle Meets the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Contact Sylvia McDermott at evdrew@aol.com. The Uniter Reflective Writing Chalice Circle Meets the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Contact Pat Nolan at 384-7477 or pnolan96@aol.com. Women’s Brown Bag Luncheon Meets the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Contact Anine Singh-DeGrood at aninesing@hotmail.com. Bridge Group Meets from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Children’s Chapel on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Any one is welcome from “beginner” to “gee whiz, you're good!” We play to get the maximum fun out of the game. Contact Barbara Mann at barber_mann@yahoo.com. Care Core Supports church members and friends in need, shares community resources, and visits anyone who would like a friendly call. The Steering Committee, led by Peri Ceperley, meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. in Playgroup Meets every Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Nursery. To join the mailing list and begin connecting with fellow parents and guardians of children, email childcare@uucuc.org. Toward a Deeper Understanding Join Our Church! We strive to deepen the religious life and support the spiritual growth of members and friends who join together here, working to build a better world beginning with ourselves. If you find you are in sympathy with our principles and at least 14 years of age, then we invite you to sign our Membership Book. January 7, 2014 Page 6 Join Our Church, cont. There is no one single, right path to membership. But here are a few options: participate in worship and other events; attend a Q & A Session, or perhaps one of the three-session Orientations that are offered twice a year. Above all, familiarize yourself with our congregation. Then, fill out a Membership Information Form, available at our Welcome Table in the lobby or in the church office. The form asks for contact information and encourages you to consider the kind of church involvement you seek. After returning the completed form, you will be contacted by the minister or someone from our Membership Committee, to set up a time to receive additional information and sign the book. — From Axel Gehrmann and The Membership Committee How to Reach Us Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Telephone: (217) 384-8862 Mail: 309 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801-3221 Email: admin@uucuc.org Web: uucuc.org/ Publications and Deadlines The Uniter is published every two weeks from September through May, and every three weeks during the holiday season and summer months. Send announcements to admin@uucuc.org. To receive The Uniter electronically, contact the office. The next submission deadline is noon, Tuesday, January 15th. Subscribe to our weekly E-News! The E-News comes out on Fridays and provides last-minute news and reminders of events taking place in the coming week. To sign up, contact admin@uucuc.org. For questions about pledge payments or Trust Fund donations, contact the Financial Secretary, Amy Robison, at finsec@uucuc.org. The Uniter Contacts Staff Axel Gehrmann, Minister (minister@uucuc.org) Tu., Wed., Fri., 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cindy Wakeland, Director of Religious Education (re-director@uucuc.org) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., M-Th Brittni Ballard, Office Administrator (admin@uucuc.org) 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., M-F Samuel Shore, Membership Coordinator (membershipcoordinator@uucuc.org) Wed. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Matt Sheppard, Music Director (mgs5055@gmail.com) Matthew Gladden, Accompanist (matt.gladden@gmail.com) Beth Cobb, Assistant for Services (bethac54@comcast.net) Anine Singh-DeGrood, Childcare Coordinator (aninesingh@hotmail.com) Myron Winkler, Sexton (mjwinkler7@gmail.com) Josh Winkler, Sunday Sexton (MrWinky1979@hotmail.com) Stephanie Cobb, Kitchen Helper (s-cobb@comcast.net) Board of Trustees Karla Peterson, Chair Chris Hannauer, Vice Chair Lynn Wiley, Treasurer Barbara Childers, Clerk David Prochaska, Finance Liaison Mona Shannon, Membership Liaison Brian McDermott, Moderator Barbara Hudgings, Personnel Liaison Jared Lofrano, Property Liaison Libby Tyler, Religious Education Liaison Mike Retzer, Social Action Liaison Sue Searing, Worship Liaison Committees & Chairs Care Core: Peri Ceperley, gethelp@uucuc.org Finance: Tanja Hodges Green UUs: Andy Robinson Membership: Peggy Patten & Karen Retzer Ministry: Jeff Unger Music: Sarah Wisseman Partner Church: Brigitte Pieke Personnel: Kathleen Holden Property: Jerry Carden Social Action: Ryan Latvaitis Stewardship: Emily Laugesen, Kathleen Holden, & Kathleen Robbins Religious Education: TBA Worship: Amanda Ramey January 7, 2014 Page 7 Calendar – January 7, 2015 Thursday, January 8 12:00 p.m. E-News and OOS Deadline 5:30 p.m. Personnel Committee – Library 7:00 p.m. Chalice/SGM Leaders – Library 7:30 p.m. Finance Committee – Children’s Chapel Thursday, January 15 12:00 p.m. E-News, OOS, and Uniter Deadline 5:00 p.m. Happy Hour Group – Off Site at Clark Bar 7:00 p.m. Reflective Writing Chalice Circle – Library Friday, January 16 9:00 a.m. Playgroup – Nursery Friday, January 9 9:00 a.m. Playgroup – Nursery Saturday, January 17 2:00 p.m. Grief Chalice Circle – Library Sunday, January 11 10:15 a.m. Worship Service, RE, and Child Care 11:30 p.m. Adult Discussion Group – Library Sunday, January 18 10:15 a.m. Worship Service, RE, and Child Care 11:30 a.m. Adult Discussion Group – Library 12:00 p.m. Immigration Event – Children’s Chapel Monday, January 12 1:00 p.m. Bridge Group – Children’s Chapel Tuesday, January 13 5:30 p.m. RE Committee – Library 7:00 p.m. Board of Trustees – Children’s Chapel Wednesday, January 14 12:00 p.m. Women’s Brown Bag Luncheon – Fellowship Hall 6:15 p.m. CrUUners Rehearsal – Sanctuary 7:00 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary The Uniter Monday, January 19 7:00 p.m. Social Action Committee – Fellowship Hall 7:00 p.m. Caregiver’s Chalice Circle – Library Tuesday, January 20 7:00 p.m. Feminist Book Group – Library Wednesday, January 21 9:30 a.m. Uniter Folding Party – Fellowship Hall 11:00 a.m. Care Core Steering Comm. – Library 6:15 p.m. CrUUners Rehearsal – Sanctuary 7:00 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary January 7, 2014 Page 8
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