Dear Members and Friends,

I'm writing to say thank you! Thank you for all of the wonderful activities and gatherings that we have enjoyed together so far in my time serving you, even though I've only been here for about four months. These have been both professionally fulfilling, and personally enjoyable. One reason I became an interim minister is because I had started to become professionally bored in my settled ministry. Since I became an interim minister, I'm happy to say that I have not been professionally bored for even one day!

 

During the month of December, not only will the pace of 2U's activities not slow down, our church calendar will be even more full, and more fulfilling, than usual. I will flesh out many of those activities below. Each one of them is worthy and valuable. I'm sure some of you will be more interested in some of them, and less so in others. But having an understanding of, and respect for, all areas of our congregational life is not a "zero sum" equation. No activity is diminished by our encouraging and promoting them all. So I hope, this month, you will join me in broadening our knowledge of, and support for, this impressive array of projects and gatherings. I am proud of, and grateful for, all of the work and care that will go into them. And I'm looking forward happily to taking part.

 

Enticing Events in December at 2U:

 

The 2nd (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. - Noon: Introduction to Leadership Development - Listening to how you would like to grow as a leader, and supporting you in that journey, through 2U. (Facilitated by Rev. Jennie, Dan Lewis, and John Broome. Free. Refreshments will be provided. Sign up, or just show up!)

 

The 3rd (Sunday) 10:30 a.m. Rededication of our Black Lives Matter banner, during our worship service, and outdoors, afterwards, for a group photograph.

 

The 10th (Sunday) 10:30 a.m. Our Holiday Music Sunday, featuring our enthusiastic choir, under the direction of our Director of Music, Amanda Thomas, and special music, with a homily by Rev. Jennie. Please join us and stay for the Cookie Sale afterwards!

 

The 17th (Sunday) 10:30 a.m. An Annual Seasonal Favorite - Our No-Rehearsal Holiday Pageant. We will need you to step up to make this heartwarming story come alive. And we trust that you will, delightfully so.

 

The 20th (Wednesday) 7:00 p.m. Our Annual honoring of the Winter Solstice, and Celebration of Yule. For several years, our Pagan group, COVES, has helped us give tender attention to the longest of nights, and the shortest of days. This gathering will take place in the Sanctuary. You are invited to bring sweets and treats to share. In their invitation, the COVES group beautifully wrote: "The new yearly cycle will bring new light and hope to all the Earth. We will gather to await the new light together in community. Yule is in the midst of winter, but even in the depths of darkness, there is the promise of light to come." This annual gathering is one of the best-attended COVES events. So please join us!

 

The 24th (Sunday) 4:00 p.m. Annual Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols. Please join us for lessons from timeless wisdom and contemporary stories, special music, and lots of carol-singing, concluding with "Silent Night," by candlelight. Please note that there will not be a morning worship service that day. And we will hold the Christmas Eve service earlier than usual. This is a family-friendly, intergenerational service. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors!

 

The 31st (Sunday) 10:30 a.m. Annual Pancake Breakfast (instead of a worship service). Please join us for feasting and socializing. (Our staff will have this Sunday off.)

 

Thank you again, dear 2Uers-- for your companionableness, for your lovely sense of humor, for your commitment to social justice advocacy, for showing up and for stepping up, and for welcoming me into this "church family" for this interim time.

 

With care and cheer, your Interim Minister,

Rev. Jennie ("It's a privilege to be here.")

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Upcoming Sunday Services:

 

December 3rd: "Black Lives Matter" (Rev. Jennie preaching) Please join us for the rededication of our Black Lives Matter banner, which is back up, now that work on the front of our building has been completed.

 

December 10th: "Holiday Music Sunday" (The Choir, led by our Director of Music, Amanda Thomas; Rev. Jennie preaching)

 

December 17th: "No-Rehearsal Pageant" (Rev. Jennie preaching)

 

December 24th: "What Child is This?" (Rev. Jennie preaching) Please note that this service will be at 4:00 p.m., and there will be no worship service in the morning. Join us for lessons from timeless wisdom and contemporary stories, special music, and lots of carol-singing, concluding with "Silent Night," by candlelight. This is a family-friendly, inter-generational service. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors!

 

December 31st: 10:30 a.m. Annual Pancake Breakfast (instead of a worship service). Please join us for feasting and socializing. (Our staff will have this Sunday off.)

 

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Rev. Jennie's availability in December:

From December 25th - January 1st, Rev. Jennie will be taking professional development time. If an urgent concern comes up, she will receive emails, and messages left on her confidential voice mail of the church's landline, through: [email protected] . You may also contact a board member or a member of the pastoral care team, who can reach her by cell phone. She will be back in the office on Tuesday, January 2nd.

"HARVEST THE POWER"-AN INTRODUCTION

 

The Adult Religious Education team of 2U is excited to hold an introductory session for anyone interested in exploring the UUA leadership development curriculum "Harvest the Power." The workshop will be held on  Saturday, December 2nd  from 10:00 a.m. to noon, in the Fleishman Room, at 2U. This is the leadership development program that was highlighted during worship services on October 22nd and 29th.

 

Interim Minister, the Rev. Jennie Barrington, and Adult RE chair John Broome will lead the introduction.

 

If you are wondering whether this program is good for you, or would like more information about it, please plan to join Rev. Jennie and John on Saturday, Dec. 2nd at 10:00 a.m., at 2U. There is no fee for this workshop, and no need to pre-register. All are welcome!

 

Please e-mail John at [email protected] or Rev. Jennie at [email protected]  for additional information.

On Sunday, December 3rd, our pianist, Carl Kennedy, is performing a concert at 2U with his jazz trio from 8 to 9 pm in the sanctuary. The program will feature Carl's original compositions as well as a selection of jazz standards. Carl is excited to share this project with the 2U congregation and hopes to see you all there! $10 suggested donation.

What inspires you? You are invited to a special board chat after the service on Sunday, December 10, where we'll explore the Board's theme for the year, Sharing Joy and Hope. We'll share the things that inspire us, watch a short video, and envision together how we might bring joy and hope into everything we do. This will be the first of a number of board chats throughout the year devoted to this theme. Come prepared to be inspired! Noon to 12:45 pm.

The Annual 2U Holiday Cookie Sale is coming up soon on Sunday, Dec. 10. Enjoy the beautiful music on this Holiday Music Sunday and afterwards purchase a variety of homemade cookies. Cookie bakers and volunteers to help the day of the event are needed. (If anyone is familiar with using Square, we'd love your help for check-out.)  A sign-up sheet is on the What's Happening table, or please contact Barb Hailey, 773-844-8846, [email protected] or contact Kate Friedlob, [email protected] , 773-528-0884 for more information.

Covenant of Earth and Sky (CUUPS Chapter) invites all to join us for our annual YULE ritual, also known as WINTER SOLSTICE on Wednesday, December 20th at 7pm in the Sanctuary. 

Office hours will resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

It would also be great if we could get a Young Adults group going again too. The previous coordinators have left, so we could use some new coordinators to help plan and carry out social, educational, community service activities for 2U folks that are 18 - 29 years old.