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UUCM Newsletter
January 2018
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For the most part, the winter holidays have come and gone. Mythically speaking, there are still three wise men out there following a star. But otherwise, the longest night has passed and the light is returning. We've kindled lots of lights, revisiting the "hopes and fears of all the years" in story and song. Our longing for a more loving and peace-filled world burns a little more brightly, reflected in the faces of those we love. We hope for peace for all people, everywhere.
I always return to the words of African American preacher and scholar Howard Thurman at this time of year. His words remind me that regardless of our beliefs or traditions, this place of renewal with it's vision of a more loving, peaceful, and just world is where the real work begins. He writes,
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among all people,
To make music in the heart.
This is where the rubber meets the road, my friends, and the party's just beginning. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. But how? There are so many things clamoring for our attention. It can feel like our heads are spinning in a thousand directions.
We have to decide what matters most. We have to name it and claim it and bring our attention back to it again and again and again.
That's intention - this month's theme. And what a great theme it is for January. It's not so much about resolutions, making decisions to do or not to do something. It's more about the process of continually attending to what's most important in our lives.
Whether it's the inherent worth and dignity of every person or the muffled silence of softly falling snow, setting an intention is a practice you can use to direct your focus from moment to moment toward the things you value most. They are not mutually exclusive -- but they both require our attention and focus. Happy New Year!
Faithfully Yours,
Rev. Carol |
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Worship Services
Sunday at 10:30am
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Rev. Carol Strecker
It almost sounds like an oxymoron in a tradition where so much seems based on the freedom of the individual and the individual's right of conscience. But what does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist with intention?
(Sunday Morning Circles)
Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, Minister of the UU Church in Manchester, NH What does it mean to look at this country and these times more intentionally, through a moral lens? More about this
Pulpit Swap. (Sunday Morning Circles)
Whole Congregation Potluck immediately following the service.
Rev. Carol Strecker
Intention is focus. What happens when we choose to focus on what's working well in our lives, individually and collectively? How might stories about the best we've been impact the course of our future? (Sunday Morning Circles)
Collaborative Service by Worship Committee & Congregant Volunteers
What gifts might we find in these long, dark winter days? Come discover the joys to be found in simple pleasures. And enjoy some musical fun!
(Sunday Morning Circles)
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January 14th is the first of two "pulpit swaps" between UUCM, UU Manchester and UU Nashua UU. All three ministers will be using themes from the UUA's suggested "
Common Reads".
Rev. Carol, Rev. Allison and Rev. Patrick hope to provide all three congregations with a variety of perspectives on the themes of using Unitarian Universalist values for engaging in our democracy.
This is an exciting opportunity for all three congregations to create a common framework for a conversation that's critical in our day and age, and that could lead to building a social justice coalition among the three churches.
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Whole Congregation Worship is designed to be welcoming, engaging, and meaningful for all ages. These are gatherings for the entire community. Nursery care is available every Sunday for infants and toddlers. At any time during the service, children accompanied by a parent may leave the sanctuary and enjoy our Family Room, which has a speaker broadcasting the service.
Soul Work Boxes are available for anyone of any age who would like to work with their hands during worship.
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Music! Music! Music!
For more information about our music programs, contact our music director, Carolyn McCreary ([email protected] 978-772-5870).
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All singers are invited to join the UUCM choir. We rehearse Wednesday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30pm in the sanctuary. Please join us!
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jamie (
[email protected]) or the CYFF Committee chair, Cathy Goldwater,
[email protected]. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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During January, children in Grades 1-6 will be hearing the parable of the Good Samaritan and working in multi-age groups to develop a skit based on the message of the parable. Children will have the opportunity to participate in many ways, expressing their ideas about the theme through drama, visual arts, music, photography, and videography. The CYFF committee is excited to see what our talented young folks come up with!
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To learn more about current and ongoing programs, see the
Adult Faith Formation webpage and the
church calendar.
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UUCM Activities & News
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Kick off the new year by joining us for our Community Supper, where we will feature a favorite comfort food -- Mac 'n' Cheese. We will also be serving ham, salad, and a fruit dessert.
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This session is open to all in the UUCM community. As part of our continuing education for WITT members,
Amy Jo Muscott, M.Ed., Education Coordinator, will provide information about the important service that Bridges
(our UUCM neighbor) provides to the Milford and Nashua communities. Bridges is a nonprofit organization that provides free and confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, teen dating violence, child sexual abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and harassment. They provide crisis intervention, emergency shelter, court advocacy, support groups, and education and outreach to both men and women. For more information, contact Donna Ryan ([email protected])
The UUCM Timeline Scroll will remain on the wall in Barnum through early January. As we reflect on the stories of our UUCM history, many of our core values as a congregation over this timespan come to light.
- From our very beginning in the 1800s we have valued reason, the right of conscience, the worth and dignity of all people. Many early members were abolitionists.
- In the 1960s Rev. Charles Gaines marched in Selma with Rev. Martin Luther King as a strong symbol of our value for civil rights for all.
- During the Nieuwejaar ministry there are many stories that speak to our value on building a close knit, diverse community for all ages.
- We were the first congregation in the district to become a Welcoming Congregation, which again spoke to a high value placed on affirming the inherent worth and dignity of all people, along with a belief that all should have the freedom to be with the ones they choose to love and strive to live with mutual respect, inclusivity, and diversity.
Please visit the Timeline, post additional memories, and see what other core UUCM values are evident throughout our history.
On January 21st, Reverend Carol will teach us about the Appreciative Inquiry process and how we can use it to make explicit what we value here at UUCM so that we can look forward with intention. In February we will convene after a Sunday service for lunch and a workshop to put this Appreciative Inquiry tool to practice. If you have any feedback or questions, please contact us at [email protected].
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D
uring the month of January, we will be collecting new socks (any size, shape, color) for SHARE. Please put them in the sock basket in Barnum Hall.
Look for information in our newsletters to find out what the special collection is each month.
For more information, contact Sandy Frades (673-2955 or
[email protected]
)
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The cost is $10/person and you must reserve and pay ahead (so we can buy the correct amount of food). We will enjoy a variety of fondues including the traditional Cheese fondue with bread, Italian Bagna Cauda with veggies, and Beef cooked in broth. Of course, there will be a decadent Chocolate fondue for dessert! Contact Sue Olsen 603-345-9780 or Dona Eaton 603-673-7526 to reserve your spot.
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The craft group can recycle your unwanted Christmas cards into gift tags for next year's Holiday Fair. There is a labeled box on the shelf in the coat closet where you can deposit them.
Thank you!
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Reasons to use the Airport Ride Service to Manchester:
- It's just $30 ($60 R/T)...cheaper than Airport Parking for a week
- Your car stays safe in your garage at home
- Avoid driving at night
- Avoid asking a relative to pick you up late at night
- No waiting in the freezing cold for the shuttle bus in Lot C
- No worries about scraping a foot of snow off your car upon return
- This fundraiser helps UUCM
Shuttle operates from 5am to Midnight. Call Cammie Opre for a reservation at (603)265-0292 (cell) or (603)249-8839 (home).
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 After a post on the UUCM Facebook page about Blessing Bags was shared to the Milford, NH Residents Facebook page, more than 1200 people had seen it in less than 24 hours. If you have announcements or good photos of UUCM happenings that might be of interest to the community, send them to [email protected] and our Facebook administrators will take it from there. We also welcome your ideas about other ways to spread good news about UUCM into the wider community.
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2 Sanctuary Greeters, & 2 Coffee Hour cleanup. Most jobs are suitable for families with kids. Contact
Barbara Livoli
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From Meghan Hoye: 
The Soup Kitchen needs you! To run the Sunday lunch service smoothly I need two volunteers on the 2nd Sunday each month.
Please consider joining Marti Kennedy and me at least once this year. Invite a friend to join you! (Being a UUCM member is not a requirement.) If you want to volunteer, but can't commit to four hours, consider joining us for a two-hour shift: 10:30-12:30 or 12:30-2:30. If you have considered volunteering, but are on the fence, stop by and check it out! Anyone age 14 and up can volunteer. Children age 12 or 13 can volunteer with parent supervision.
Put this month's theme into action by making it your Intention to help us prepare and serve lunch to our grateful guests on January 14.
Click this link to volunteer for one or more Sundays:
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Carole Treen (603)472-5806 or [email protected]
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Please leave contributions in the SHARE basket in Barnum. This month's needs: Toothbrushes & paste, Deodorants, Shampoo & Conditioner, Bar Soap, Feminine Hygiene Products, Diapers, Wipes
In the event of bad weather, you can check whether church programs have been cancelled in several different
ways
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Please observe UUCM's Food Allergen and Alcohol policies on the
UUCM Policies
webpage.
Weekdays before 6pm and Saturdays before 5pm: Park only behind the church or in the circular driveway in front (and NOT in front of the Garden Door). For more parking information (including a printable map),
click
here
.
Once you log in to UUCM.org to access the Members & Friends section, you will find the latest directory, committee listings, and info about people who've moved. Or you can get a directory from the UUCM office. If your contact information is incorrect, send email to [email protected] with 'Directory Changes' in the subject line.
You can also learn about church governance and read Council minutes at
https://uucm.org/members/governance/governance-council/
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