Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Enjoy!
-Blessings
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W
e welcome everyone. Our Unitarian Universalist community seeks truth and deeper meaning, pursues justice through inspired action, and cultivates compassion and love for all connected by the web of life
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February 17, “Love the Hell out of this World,” Matt Meyer
When the culture around us doesn’t encourage us to our best selves, how do we model the kind of world we want to live in? Matt will reflect on the good and bad of middle school, the time he picked the very best costume for a high-stakes 5th grade costume party, & how we find the skills for beloved community.
Matt is a musician and community organizer who has led hundreds of services for UU congregations across the country. He has a degree in hand drumming and has studied abroad in Cuba, Ghana and Central America. Matt serves as Director of Community Life for Sanctuary Boston and is a founding resident of the Lucy Stone Cooperative in Roxbury.
Music:
Matt Meyer’s “Rhythm Revelations” with an assist from Richard Porterfield
HYMN #361 Enter, Rejoice and Come In
HYMN
#188 Come, Come, Whoever You Are
HYMN
#346 Come Sing a Song With Me
HYMN
#1007 There’s a River Flowing in My Soul
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Sunday Services
10:00 am
February's theme: Trust
February 24, “Earning Trust,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
What does it take to earn someone’s trust? What kind of confidence is needed to build that trust? What kind of trust is required to invest your time, talent and treasure in a congregation like ours? Come hear how we are striving to earn yours.
Music:
Albany UU Choir sings “May Peace Dwell within our Hearts” and “Keep Your Hand on that Plow”
Announcements
Artist Reception
Join us in Channing Hall during Coffee Hour this Sunday, Feb. 17 at 11:00 AM for a reception with portrait artist, Jason Yohe.
Office Hours
The office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 18 in observance of President's Day. The office will reopen at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Call to Action!
Volunteer to help refugees
– The Refugee Welcome Center in West Hill is expanding its English learning program for stay-at-home moms and is in need of volunteers to help with child care during the lessons (two hours one morning a week). If you are able to help, please contact Karen Kaufmann at (518) 477-9034,
kkaufman@nycap.rr.com
All Sides Considered Cancelled on Feb. 21
Join us for the next meeting on Thursday, March 7 at 1:00
pm.
High School Youth Group Soliciting Donations for “Neighborly Bags”
These are plastic gallon storage bags with items for people often seen on street corners asking for help. The youth are asking you to bring in items like toiletries, feminine sanitary supplies, socks, gloves and hats. Look for the donation bin in the Coat Room.
At our last Family Chapel, younger children were invited to write notes affirming “you matter” to be included in these bags. Once the youth have a supply of bags ready to go, they will start distributing them during Coffee Hour on a Sunday morning. Then you can take a few bags to keep in your car so you have them at the ready to give away.
From the Religious Services Committee (RSC)
We ask everyone to be sensitive to fellow congregants and use restraint when applying perfumes, colognes, after shave, etc. It will be appreciated by those who experience an acute sensitivity to fragrances.
Planning for weather emergencies
In the event of severe weather, a decision to cancel Sunday morning RE classes will be publicized by 9:00 PM Saturday.
A decision to cancel Sunday meditation and the service will be publicized by 8:00 AM Sunday.
The cancellation of all other classes, programs and meetings depends on a decision by the chairperson. We hope to receive information enabling a cancellation announcement two hours before the event start time.
Notice of cancellations will be by email, FB and a notice posted on our website.
Join the Flower Committee
Help brighten our Sunday services! No special talent needed--all instructions and vases provided. Contact Sandy Stone: (518) 489.8293 or dsalbany@nycap.rr.com.
Warmth for the Homeless
Please gather blankets, sleeping bags, and warm coats, etc. and put them in the bin in the coatroom to be given to those who are homeless. Thank you for your help!
The homeless shelter is so grateful for the donations to the blanket bin!
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Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Sunday Service, Community Hall
- Programs for Children and Youth
11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall
- Artist Reception, Channing Hall
11:45 AM
- Annual Dinner skit rehearsal, Room 24/25
- Monday Men's Group, Room B-5
1:00 PM
- Drumming Workshop with Matt Meyer, Community Hall
Quick Links
Sign up for a class or event
- Sign up at the Sign Up Site in Channing Hall
OR
- Call the church office, 518.463.7135
If childcare is offered for the event, please let us know you need it when you register, including names and ages of children.
Board of Trustees 2018-2019
Officers
Trustees
Ex-officio Members
Education Council
Elected Officer
(not on Board of Trustees)
Minister
Church Administrator
Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry
Music Director
Dr. Richard Porterfield,
Music Associates (volunteer)
Randy Rosette, Chris Jensen
Administrative Assistant
Religious Education Assistant
Lead Youth Adviser
Tracey Hickey
Custodian
Izzy Wright
Snow Removal Tech
Quintain Murray
Envelopes for your cash donations
A reminder that envelopes are available on the table in the Community Hall Lobby each Sunday for cash contributions that you want to earmark toward a specific fund or pledge. You must use an envelope with your name and pledge year on it, if you wish to have your cash attributed toward your pledge. If you have any questions, an usher will be happy to assist you.
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Learning opportunity with our Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry
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Potluck and UU Family/Household Circle Training
For Families, Couples and Households
Friday, March 15
Potluck at 6:00 programming starts at 7:00; ends at 8:00
Leah will share a tool to use as a family, couple or household to strengthen connections and communication at home. It’s a way to help practice your values where it counts most – at home, with the people you spend so much time with! Wouldn’t we all love to make our home life more enjoyable for ourselves and those we love, if we could? Here is one fun and easy way to accomplish that.
The whole family or household does not need to come to learn – just two members is enough to learn and bring the practice home.
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Supporting Each Other in Hard Times
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Increased needs for emergency financial assistance have come to the attention of our office and the minister. These needs have stretched the Minister’s Discretionary Fund dipping into its limited reserves. Pondering what to do about this, the Board has reinstated an old fund for this purpose called the “Economic Distress Support Fund.” The Board designated two ways to offer our members short term financial support when they are economically challenged.
- Members and friends are invited to give money to the EDS fund. Members who are in a moment of temporary financial distress may confidentially request money from this fund through the Church Administrator. Disbursement is made by the minister in agreement with two members of the Pastoral Care Associates program designated to serve in this capacity.
- The minister also maintains an email list of people who would want to be asked in a specific instance to give money for a specific need, usually a larger amount of money than the EDS fund can supply. Again confidentiality of the giver and receiver is maintained. Requests can be made through the Church Administrator and are approved by the minister in agreement with the two Pastoral Care Associates.
This system only will work if you want to support it. The EDS Fund is ready to receive your contributions by sending money directed to the “EDS Fund.” The other way to support this program is by letting Rev. Sam or Tammy know you would appreciate being added to the EDS email list. You may contact him
minister@albanyuu.org
or the office
thathaway@albanyuu.org
to be added to that list.
Thanks for the many ways we help each other monetarily, emotionally, or otherwise that make our congregation a strong community of mutual support.
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Saturday, February 23 at 7:00 PM
Have fun creating a Spring themed painting, while helping teens fund their trip to serve people experiencing hunger and homelessness.
•Any and all ages and talent levels welcome.
•You will be led by local artist Nadine Angelotti-Polo.
•$40 per person registration pays for all supplies, wine and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks while helping our youth go on their service trip.
•RSVP soon to reserve your spot and learn how to pre-pay: Email to registration@albanyuu.org
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“In Rhythm and Song”
--
Workshop with Matt Meyer
Matt Meyer of Rhythm Revelations will present our service this Sunday,
February 17th
and will stay to lead a drumming workshop starting at 1 PM. Learn more
here.
Albany UU Humanist Meeting - Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 PM
We welcome all, particularly those with any interest in agnosticism, atheism, religionist humanism, spiritual humanism, secular humanism, etc. We hope you will join us, and give us your thoughts. Find more information
here
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14th Annual Wine and Cheese Tasting Fundraiser
Mark your calendars for our 14th Annual Wine and Cheese Tasting Fundraiser, coming up fast on
March 2 at 7:00 pm
! Learn more
here
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The 11th Annual Hudson-Mohawk Cluster Sunday Celebration
Mark your calendars now for the HMUU service - Is It Too Late? Healing the Earth and Our Spirits - Sunday, April 7, 11:00 AM at Doane Stuart School Find out more preliminary details
here
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UUA Common Read - Justice on Earth - Discussion Group
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Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7:00 pm, Room B-7
Please join us in Room B-7 for this Inclusivity Team sponsored discussion group for the 2018 UUA Common Read book: Justice on Earth:
People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class and Environment
, edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom.
If you didn't make the first two discussions, that's OK.
Attendance on all dates is not mandatory, join us this time!
There are still a few copies of the book available for purchase at the Albany UU office.
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Gear up for the UU Albany Annual Auction
Need a change of scenery after a long winter? Exciting news…. the
Cure Cabin Fever Auction,
this year’s annual ALBANY UU fundraiser, IS COMING!! Please leave your winter cocoon and join your fellow Albany UUs for this annual event on Saturday, March 16 at Albany UU at 6:15 pm.
The first fixed price auction items will be posted this Sunday! Check out the bulletin board in Channing Hall for these very reasonably priced selections. Among the tempting offerings: a holiday sing-a-long, hikes, a weekend get-away, and a variety of special but affordable meals. Keep your eye on the board regularly since items will be added as more contributions come in.
Note: You can bid on fixed price items even if you cannot attend the auction.
Sign up today in Channing Hall to attend for only $5…a small (discounted) price to pay for a fun-filled evening with good company and tasty appetizers, beverages, and desserts.
Of course, in addition to bidders, we also need donors.
It’s time to leave your cozy nest and step forward!
Co-hosting is encouraged to share the prep work, entertaining duties and expenses. Donor forms can be found below
and can be
filled out electronically or by hand. Printed copies of the form are also available in the lobby or in Channing Hall. Place completed forms in the specially marked basket in the lobby. Make your donation by February 28 for inclusion in the preliminary catalog.
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Sunday Volunteers - Make it a New Year's Resolution!
Would you like to be involved in the Sunday service in a more meaningful way?
Visit
Sunday Hospitality Sign Up
to find out about the ways you can volunteer on Sunday morning. We thank you and could not do what we do without YOU!
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RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
-Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education (RE) and Family Ministry,
dre@albanyuu.org
Keep up with what's happening for children and youth
, including resources to support parents and caretakers at home by checking out
Leah's RE Newsletter!
Nursery/Toddler Room
opens at 9:45 for children and infants under 2 years old
Faith formation of children and youth this Sunday, Feb. 17:
The pre-k through 3rd grade groups
will attend the first part of the service with their families, starting at 10:00 and then meet together in Room 24/25 after the story in the service until 11:20.
Children and youth in grades 4-12
will attend the entire service with their families in Community Hall starting at 10:00.
RE Volunteer Brunch rescheduled to March 23
Not many of you could attend, this Saturday; it is a holiday weekend - so Leah has rescheduled it to Saturday, March 23 from 9:30 to noon. This is for everyone interested in volunteering in RE next year - or just wanting to know more about how the program and how the volunteers are supported.
The meeting for parents/caretakers of youth in grade 8-12
has been postponed. New date will be announced shortly, stay tuned!
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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC Recommends the following:
Be sure to stop by the SRC Table during Coffee Hour
for your Fair Trade coffee, cocoa and chocolate, and to learn more about our social action and "green" initiatives.
Citizen Action Open House and Black History Month celebration
- Tuesday, Feb 19, 5:30-8:00 pm
, Citizen Action office, 94 Central Ave. There will be spoken word and speakers. Light refreshments will be served and people are invited to bring something to share.
Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
JOIN Death with Dignity Albany on Tuesday, March 12, 1-3 pm, at the Albany Jewish Community Center, 340 Whitehall Road in Albany, for a viewing and discussion of
Living While Dying
, a
45-minute, life-affirming, documentary film that focuses on how people living with terminal illness greet the inevitable with courage, humor, creativity and acceptance.
Save these dates for visiting lawmakers at the Capitol this session to
advocate for legalizing medical aid in dyin
g. Death with Dignity Albany will be there on February 26 and April 9. Albany UU has volunteered for March 26 and April 30. Lobby Day for Compassion and Choices is May 14. Contact: Nancy Willie-Schiff at
n.willie.schiff@gmail.com
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Spokane in 2019, Providence in 2020
Looking for a meaningful experience in an interesting location with programs that will challenge and uplift you – all in the company of thousands of other Unitarian Universalists? Consider General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association!
In 2019, GA will be held in Spokane, Washington from June 19-23. Closer to home, in 2020, GA will take place in Providence, Rhode Island from June 24-28. Learn more
here
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Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
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Keep electronics out of the trash!
-Keep your cell phones,
computers
, and other electronics as long as possible.
-Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.
-Recycle your cell phone.
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To share your Joy or Sorrow
with our Albany UU community, you may submit it on a yellow card during the service or by using our
online form.
Need to Talk? Albany UU Pastoral Care Associates are here to listen!
Our Pastoral Care Associates have been trained in compassionate listening skills and are available to all members and friends of our congregation. To contact a Pastoral Care Associate, email:
listeners@albanyuu.org
, contact
Rev. Sam Trumbore
, the Albany UU office at 518.463.7135, or one of them personally. They are: Chuck Manning, Phil Rich, Randy Rosette, Sandy Stone, Lisa Barron, Donna Meixner, Dee VanRiper and Sharon Babala.
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Regular events and meetings
Check Windows Weekly for changes to date, time and location.
Sundays
11:45 AM Inclusivity Team (1st)
5:30 PM Walker Book Group (2nd)
11:45 AM Social Responsibilities Council (3rd)
11:45 AM Green Sanctuary Committee (4th)
Mondays
6:15 PM Religious Education Council (1st)
Tuesdays
10:00 AM Philosophy Discussion (weekly)
1:00 PM Bridge (weekly)
7:00 PM UU Humanists (3rd)
Wednesdays
10:00 AM Projects & Quilts (weekly)
7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal (almost weekly)
Thursdays
1:00 PM All Sides Considered (1st & 3rd)
7:00 PM Program Coordinating Council (2nd)
6:15 PM Board of Trustees (4th)
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Going to miss a Sunday?
You can listen to the entire Albany UU Sunday service at home or on your mobile device. The two most recent services are available as MP3 files on the Albany UU member resource website. Here is how to access:
username: AlbanyUU
password: EEthelredBrown405
Our sermon archive (select Ministry/Sermon Archive on the left website menu) has pdf files of sermons texts (when available) and audio files of sermons. You can also request the office put a service on a CD.
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
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Parking:
Parking is available on the street. On Sundays (and for some special events) Albany UU has permission to use the University at Albany’s Hawley Parking Lot on Robin Street at Washington Avenue.
Office hours (unless otherwise posted)
September-June:
Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00
July-August:
Monday–Thursday 9:00-1:00
Websites
Building use
To
reserve a room
for an Albany UU activity
or to rent a hall or classroom space
, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Sapphire Correa (518.463.7135 or
office@albanyuu.org
).
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org
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