THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SAVANNAH
Weekly Newsletter 
March 26, 2017
In This Issue
Minister and Staff

Minister
917-664-4027

Director of Music
912-713-7975

Nancy Arteberry
Director of Religious Education
912-234-0980

Office Administrator
912-234-0980 

Marc Coulombe
Sexton
912-234-0980 
Maria Martinez
Bookkeeper
912-234-0980

Board of Trustees

 

Abby Powell

President

president@uusavannah.org 

 

Gordon Matthews

Vice President/President-Elect

 

Robin Lonscak

Treasurer

 

Margaret Hall

Secretary of the Board

 

Jessica Leavitt

Trustee At Large

 

Judy Saucerman

Trustee At Large

 

John Cook

Trustee At Large

Hours and
Deadlines
 
Office Administrator's Hours
Mon.-Wed. 5:15-7:30 pm
Thurs. 3:00-7:00 pm
Sat. 4:15-7:30 pm
Sun. 9:00 am-1:00 pm

Minister's Office Hours 
next week:

Sunday, 2:00-5:00pm
Tuesday, 2:00-6:00 pm
Friday, 12:00-2:00 pm


Pastoral care requests can be sent to the team at any time to: pastoralcare@uusavannah.org

  Deadline for the Order of Service, Weekly Newsletter and Sunday Services Announcements: 
Tuesday at Noon
submitted to admin@uusavannah.org
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Worship This Sunday
9:30 and 11:00 am

The Stone Right in Front of Us, Still
Rev. David H. Messner
Choosing our frame of mind for the work that chooses us.

Our  Worship Associate will be Susan Daggett and our  Storyteller will be Jake Kawatski.

Children and Youth will attend Religious Education classes. In the early service, children begin in worship and depart for their regular classes (divided in age groups) after the story for all ages. In the late service, children may stay in worship or can attend our all-ages religious education adventure for the entire hour which is led by Nancy Arteberry, our Director of Religious Education. The nursery will be available during both services.

Also this Sunday:
  • UU101, 12:30-1:30 pm in the Sanctuary
  • Pastoral Care Committee meeting, 12:30-1:30 in the Minister's Office
Letter from A Board
Abby Powell, President, Board of Trustees

I am a firm believer in practicing an attitude of gratitude. There is a portion of each board meeting where we express our gratitude through a thank you note practice. I would like to thank the wise board members before us who set up the practice, which sets the tone for the rest of our meeting.

Earlier this month the board shared by email blast a decision made in our March meeting about the sanctuary windows. To summarize, we carefully considered many factors to reach a unanimous decision to decline Ardis Wood's generous offer to change the sanctuary windows. We are extremely grateful for the offer of this gift. It is through similar such generous investments that our church will continue to grow and thrive. The Board would like to recognize especially Ardis Wood's continued contribution to the beauty of our surroundings.

Our Fund Trustees have been busy at work, researching the best options for investment of the building fund. In March the Board heard a recommendation for investment of the building fund. We declined the initial recommendation and asked the fund trustees to investigate other options, including the UU Common Endowment Fund, laddered CD's or T-bills, low or zero cost trading account, staggered entry into the market and/or index funds. For more information, the fund management guidelines are available on the church's website in the Building Fund Policy and the Endowment Fund Policy.

There is a UUA Spring Gathering 4/7/17-4/9/17 just up the road in Charleston, SC. It will be the host for the UUA Presidential Candidates Forum and there will be a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Charleston UU church. Road trip, anyone?

Gratitude in service,

Abby Powell
President, Board of Trustees

Worship Next Sunday
April 2, 2017
9:30 and 11:00 am

The Day I Decided to Live a Less Thoughtful Life --  Rev. David H. Messner

A Simple Commandment: Stop thinking about the doing, and begin practicing the doing. In work, in play and in love.

Our Worship Associate will be Kelsey Buckner, and our Storyteller will be Jean Iaderosa.

Special Music will be provided by the UUCS Adult Choir and Vocal Ensemble.

Our offering this week will support our Denominational Affairs ministry.

Children and Youth will attend Religious Education classes. In the early service, children begin in worship and depart for their regular classes (divided in age groups) after the story for all ages. In the late service, children may stay in worship or can attend our all-ages religious education adventure for the entire hour which is led by Nancy Arteberry, our Director of Religious Education. The nursery will be available during both services.

Also this Sunday:
  • Pastoral Care Committee, 12:30-1:30 pm in the Minister's Office
  • UU101, 12:30-1:30 pm in the Sanctuary
Popcorn with TED
March 24, 6:30-8:00 pm

March's theme at UU Savannah is the Mind. We've all wondered what's going on inside the mind of an animal.  Can we know what, or whether, they're thinking and feeling?

Carl Safina thinks we can. Using discoveries and anecdotes that span ecology, biology and behavioral science, he weaves together stories of whales, wolves, elephants and albatrosses to argue that just as we think, feel, use tools and express emotions, so too do the other creatures - and minds - that share the Earth with us. 

Come hear Carl Safina explore the question"What are Animals Thinking and Feeling?" Safina is the author of seven books and founding president of The Safina Center at Stony Brook University, where he also co-chairs the University's Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Safina is a winner of the 2012 Orion Award and a MacArthur Prize, among others; his work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, CNN.com and The Huffington Post, and he hosts " Saving the Ocean" on PBS.

See you on Friday in Rahn Hall, 6:30.

Help the Celebrating Families Project
March 28

Only two more dates in this cycle for our families in the alternative to incarceration program. We provide and serve a meal on these Tuesdays. After this Tuesday (March 28) we will be serving meals on April 11 and May 16. Sign up at Rahn Hall at the Engagement Table or contact Jim at  jimrosch@gmail.com or call 518-232-1005.

The First Love Story
April 1, 6:30 pm 

Join us in the Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church on Washington Avenue to listen to Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author of Walking the Bible and host of the PBS series Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler. 

This event is sponsored by several Savannah houses of worship, including our own UU Savannah. Admission is free. After the program in the First Presbyterian Sanctuary, stay for the book signing at 7:30 pm in Stewart Hall. See the flyer here.
 
Congregations in Service
April 1 and 2

Only one more week to sign up for the projects that are listed in the insert in this week's Order of Worship!The projects are on Saturday morning, April 1, and Sunday afternoon, April 2.  We join with other churches and provide service to many worthwhile projects in the community. Just choose a project and fill out your name and email on the insert and drop it in the box in the back of Church. Breakfast and lunch are provided on Saturday and lunch on Sunday for the participants. It is a great way to meet other church members in town and to make a difference in the community!
 
Ready to Garden?
April 1
 
Congregations in Service (CIS)* will be conducting a landscaping project at the new building for the Reed House at 2812 Bee Rd on Saturday morning, April 1st. Reed House provides opportunities in training, education, employment and housing for adults challenged by mental illnessesA continental breakfast is served at First Presbyterian Church, 520 E. Washington Avenue, at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday for all CIS volunteers for that day, and then everyone will head to their sites around 8:30 to begin their work.
 
We are the lead church for this particular CIS project and will work with volunteers from other churches to help clean up three beds and plant new plants.Hand tools, gardening gloves, hats and sunscreen will be needed. A sign-up list will be in Rahn Hall with more details. For more information contact Jennifer Highland. ( JLHinSAV@comcast.net or 941-323-4058)
 
*CIS is organizing numerous projects the weekend of Apr 1-2; see the orders of service from last Sunday's worship services or the UUCS online newsletter for additional projects which may interest you.

UUA Southern Region Spring Gathering 
April 7-9, Charleston, South Carolina

The centerpiece of this Gathering will be on Saturday, April 8, when we hear the  three candidates for UUA president express their views on the future of Unitarian Universalism.  We will be collecting questions for them prior to the event.  Saturday workshop topics include stewardship, social justice and leadership, culminating in a celebration of The Charleston Unitarian Church's 200th anniversary.  Plenty to learn and to celebrate! 

Contact Beth Mowry at bethmowry@comcast.net about driving up and back on Saturday.  

For further information and to register, go to: 
 
 
Pathways to Membership 
April 15 and 22

Pathways to  Membership classes are coming up! They are a chance to learn about Unitarian Universalism, our church and the way of membership.
  • April 15, 1:00-5:00 pm in Rahn Hall, Part 1: UU theology and engaging in the ministries of the church, and 
  • April 22, 1:00-4:00 pm, Part 2: Belonging and Joining UUCS.
To sign up, email Jessica Leavitt at jessica.leavitt@gmail.com, or sign up at the Engagement Table in Rahn Hall on Sunday.

Announcing April Kids' Night Out!
April 28, 6:00-10:00 pm

Back by popular demand! The religious education department will host another Kids' Night Out on Friday, April 28, from 6:00-10:00 pm in Phillippa's Place. Our theme will be Star Wars, and we will have games, arts/crafts, hot dogs, ice cream, and awesome Jedi activities. The event is for children up to grade 8, and nursery care will also be available. The public is invited, so pass the word to family and friends! The cost is $20 per child, and $10 per additional child in the same family.

Space is limited, so make sure you sign up now using the link below:

Kids' Night Out Registration

May the force be with you! 

Two of our past-year Family Promise guests
Be a Family Promise Host
April 30-May 7

We are looking for people to provide food, hospitality and atmosphere for our homeless families that are staying with us from April 30th to May 7th. People are needed to provide food and help put the food out for families to serve themselves, and to make sandwiches for lunch for the following day. Other people are needed to visit with the families during dinner, helping them to feel comfortable with the surroundings and sharing some time with them from 5:30-8:30 pm Sunday to Saturday. Please choose a meal or two to provide, or sign up to be a host any evening during the week.

We also need people to stay overnight to make sure that the families are secure. The "stay over" people are only needed from about 8:00 pm-5:00 am the next morning, from Sunday to Sunday. Again, if you could do one or two nights, that would be great! 

Let me know what you can do, or if you have any questions, contact me at  jimrosch@gmail.com 518-232-1005.

Monthly Joys and Sorrows
January/February 2017
 
" Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness."
-- Rabi Harold Kushner
 
These are the joys, sorrows, concerns and personal milestones shared by our Members and Friends:
 
  • Former members Roberta Carver and Glenn Cocker got married in February.
  • Many congregants express joy and concern about unfolding world events and our place in them. Among these, Roxanna Lester expresses concern for her Muslim students and Judy Saucerman expresses joy at her participation in the women's march on Washington in January.
  • Please continue to keep Marion Ordway and her husband in your thoughts during this difficult time.
  • Ziva wishes us all joy for the new year.   

For all the collective spoken and unspoken joys and sorrows shared in our community, we offer our compassion and presence.
 
"We need one another.
All our lives we are in need,
And others are in need of us."
 
With love and compassion,
Your Pastoral Care Committee

Mark Your Calendars for the Coming Weeks

Thursday, March 23
  • Tour of Homes, 11:00 am-1:00 pm in the Sanctuary
  • True Colors AA meeting, 7:30-8:30 pm in Phillippa's Place
Friday, March 24
  • Popcorn with TED, 6:30-8:00 pm in Rahn Hall
Sunday, March 26
Monday, March 27
  • WRUU Executive Task Force meeting, 6:00-7:30 pm in Rahn Hall
  • Fund Trustees meeting, 6:00 pm in Phillippa's Place
Wednesday, March 29
  • Qigong Practice, 11:00 am-12:00 noon in Rahn Hall
  • Adult Choir & Vocal Ensemble rehearsal, 6:00-8:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Thursday, March 30
  • True Colors AA meeting, 7:30-8:30 pm in Phillippa's Place
Saturday, April 1
  • Congregations in Service, 8:00 am-12:30 pm, beginning with breakfast at the First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave.
  • Bruce Feilor's Talk on The First Love Story, 6:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave.
Sunday, April 2
Wednesday, April 5
  • Qigong Practice, 11:00 am-12:00 noon in Rahn Hall
  • WRUU Infrastructure Team meeting, 6:00-7:30 pm in Rahn Hall
  • Adult Choir & Vocal Ensemble rehearsal, 6:00-8:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Thursday, April 6
  • True Colors AA meeting, 7:30-8:30 pm in Phillippa's Place