Read and engage with the lively community of
  Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church- Unitarian Universalist! 
donate_now_org_btn.gif


church outer
sanctuary
candles

Whoever you are, whomever you love,
However you express your identity;
Whatever your situation in life,
Whatever your experience of the holy,
Your presence here is a gift.
Whether you are filled with sadness,
Overflowing with joy,
Needing to be alone with yourself,
Or eager to engage with others,
You have a place here.
All are welcome here.

WORSHIP


Services are Sundays 10AM
 (we are on our summer schedule until September 17th)

Contemplative Worship on Wednesdays
 11:45am on the outdoor labyrinth or in the Sanctuary

 AUGUST WORSHIP:      

August 6:
Give Them Not Hell
August 13:
Love Eclipses Despair
August 20:
Standing on the Side of Love
August 27:
Labor Day

 

Words of Wikstrom

As I write, the visit of the Klu Klux Klan is about a week behind me, and I am about to leave Charlottesville for two weeks of vacation.  (My family and I are driving up to Maine to visit for the first time since we all left more than a decade ago.)  Bu the time you read this I'll be back, and we - individually, as a congregation, and as a city - will be getting ready for the "Unite the Right" rally, which will then be a couple of weeks away.  Folks are already predicting that this will be a memorable time in our personal and collective histories -  "the Summer of 2017."

There are people asking, "how did we get here?"  Charlottesville has always seemed like an oasis in a sea of intolerance - a blue island in a red sea.  Our congregation, our Unitarian Universalist Association, was solid in our commitment to undoing racism, and, as we say in our Mission Statement, having, "a lasting influence on local, national and global programs that promote equity and end oppression."  From our liberal/progressive haven, we were "fighting the good fight," and we were seeing signs of success.



Weaving Worship Together

For years it has been our practice for a team of lay people to work collaboratively with our ordained clergy in both creating and facilitating our Sunday morning worship experiences in the sanctuary.  Maybe you have felt called to this ministry, yet don't feel comfortable speaking in front of groups or aren't able to make the three-year commitment that's previously been asked of Weavers.  Beginning next year - our 2017-2018 church year - there will be some changes made to our Worship Weavers Guild.  

First and foremost, it is no longer a requirement for you to be "out front" on a Sunday morning.  If you are a writer, a visual artist, or have an extensive knowledge of poetry, you can now be a Weaver.  If you think creatively about things that matter - the so-called "Big Questions" - you are invited to consider joining the Guild.  (We still need people who would be comfortable co-leading worship, of course!)  Secondly, there is a perception that Worship Weavers will have to preach at some point.  It is possible, or course, that a lay Weaver will preach, yet a Weaver's participation will be dependent on their experience, ability, and desire.  (No one will be forced to do anything they truly don't want to.)  Finally, we are now asking only for a one-year commitment.  Your term of service can be renewed, should the experience be a good one for all concerned, yet you can now be a Weaver even if you don't have the ability to make a long-term commitment.

If you want to know more about what it means to be a Weaver, and what other changes there are in store for the coming year, please talk with Rev. Wik or any of our current Weavers.  If what you've read leads you to consider exploring the possibility of being a Weaver, the application and "job description" are available on our website .
August 20th Social Action Collection
 


Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle (LVCA) provides one-on-one, confidential tutoring in basic literacy and English as a second language to adults living or working in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Our talented tutors work closely with our students to help them succeed.

Coming Soon: Next Steps Weekend!
By Jeanine Braithwaite, Treasurer
 
We are excited to welcome Mark Ewert, UU Stewardship consultant, to TJMCUU August 25-27, 2017 for a Next Steps Weekend (NSW).  The NSW will provide a  review of our financial situation and stewardship potential and give us feedback and guidance on where we can go forward as a congregation.
 
The NSW is the first step in effectively utilizing a consultant to support our goals and aspirations as a congregation. It provides a foundation for future collaboration and provides insight into the options before us as a congregation. A congregation is a community, a network of systems. The NSW provides the opportunity to examine and gauge that community and those systems across a wide spectrum, not just stewardship, to ascertain the overall health and capacities of the congregation.


Summer in Charlottesville - TJMC's B&B



Visitors to the Charlottesville, VA area are invited to use our Bed & Breakfast program in the home of a Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist member.
 
Local attractions ... Meet fellow UUs and support our faith, while you visit historic Monticello, Ashlawn-Highland, Montpelier, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.  Whether you come for the history, a family vacation, a business trip, an event or service at TJMC, or to visit UVA for sports weekends or graduation, consider the UU B& B program.

 Get in touch with us... Contact our B&B coordinator,  Bev Thierwechter, who will assist you in choosing accommodations, confirm your reservations, and connect you with your B&B host.  After that, it is the guest's responsibility to contact your host with particulars of your stay, including arrival time, allergies, special requests, etc.

More information at:
B&B coordinator:   Bev Thierwechter, phone: 434-205-4087; 302-258-7749

August Art Show
Kristen Rexter (continues from July)
 
The Art Show for July features the work of Kristin Rexter.  You may meet her at her opening on July 2nd after the service.   Like much of her artwork that features carnivals and circus freaks, Kristin Rexter's imagination is equal parts disturbing and mesmerizing. There is no taming the spirits in her head, so she unleashes them in mixed media, layer upon layer on wood, paper, plaster, and canvas until she's exhausted each idea. A self-taught artist who has been creating since childhood, Kristin uses art to express her unique aesthetic and also as a therapeutic outlet to process physical and emotional traumas.

(Questions: Elizabeth Breeden, brs@cstone.net)

With AmazonSmile,  you can select Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church as your charity of choice so a portion of every purchase you make goes to supporting the work we do in our community. Please spread the word to your friends, family, and everyone who shops online.
STAY CONNECTED:
The TJMC-UU Monthly Bulletin is a digital publication of articles/essays that is published on or around the first of each month. Submissions should be saved as a Microsoft Word file including a title and by line, and emailed to office@uucharlottesville.org by the third Friday of the preceding month. Holidays may affect submission deadlines.