Windows Weekly September 20, 2018
Albany UU Windows Weekly
Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Here you can find information on all things Albany UU! We hope you're enjoying this new format - we welcome your feedback.
-Blessings
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 .
Sunday Service 10:00 AM
September 23, "The American Tradition of Dissent," Rev. Sam Trumbore

We are very fortunate to live in a country that permits dissent from the administration in power. We are allowed to say that we don’t agree with the policies and practices of the government. We can also criticize the culture too. It is our special role as a religious tradition to dissent from that which dehumanizes and is unjust. Our vision is to work for justice for all people.

Music: Albany UU Choir led by Richard Porterfield
Sunday Services
10:00 am



September 30, "How to Keep Our Heart
Open … In Hard Times," Rev. Sam Trumbore

Our vision of community is very important to our congregation. Yet getting along with other people we may not agree with or like can be challenging. Negotiating our relationships skillfully takes some learning and practice. One very helpful practice to help us build stronger community that comes from the Buddhist tradition is loving-kindness or metta practice. Cultivating one’s capacity for loving-kindness can help us deal with the challenges of inclusion and welcome while negotiating our differences.

Music: Richard Porterfield with music of Edward MacDowell




Announcements




Photo Appointments Going Fast!

September appointments for the Albany UU Photo Directory are nearly filled, but appointments are available on Thursday October 25 and Friday October 26 – and new appointments were just added on Saturday October 27.  We want all members and friends to be part of the Photo Directory!   Sign up:



Sheridan Prep Academy Volunteer Opportunities

Love to Read with A Child? Be a volunteer reading tutor with an elementary age child a Sheraton Prep (our neighborhood public elementary school).. This is one-on- one reading program with a weekly commitment (yes, you can take vacations). Interested? Sign up for one day training on Saturday, Oct. 27 with Fiona Thompson at 518-475-6360 or fthompson@albany.k12.ny.us . Any questions speak to Winston 518-3262151 or hagborgw@gmail.com .
40 More Volunteers Needed! Ten of us are now volunteering at Sheridan Prep. There is a new dynamic Community School Coordinator who is working at the school. She has volunteer opportunities for 50 or more people. The opportunities range from working in classrooms, being a table moderator during lunch, helping with after school activities, reading with students, and helping organize the library. We are looking for additional volunteers from Albany UU. Can’t volunteer? Perhaps you have a lead for other sources of volunteers that we could contact. Please let Chuck Manning (chuckmanning@hotmail.com) or Winston Hagborg (hagborgw@gmail.com) know if you want to volunteer or if you have ideas.

Thank you cards!
Have you wondered what all the cards under the bulletin boards in Channing Hall mean? Those are hand-made cards from the children attending Sheridan Prep, thanking Albany UU for their new playground and for all we do for them. Check them out! Thank you to Sapphire, our Administrative Assistant for her artful display of those cards and many of the bulletin boards.


Check it out!
Keep up on what's happening with Albany UU's families, kids and youth! Check out the weekly Religious Exploration newsletter published by Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry.


If you missed it....
If you wanted to come watch and discuss the 2018 UUA General Assembly Ware Lecture By Brittany Packnett but were unable to attend, you can watch it at home by following this link:


Sunday Schedule

9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation

9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open

10:00 AM
- Service, Community Hall
- Religious Exploration for children and youth

11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall

11:45 AM
- Caring Network Meeting


Quick Links


Sign up for a class or event

- Send and email to: registration@albanyuu.org
- 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
Sam Trumbore, Minister
Jim Hutchins, Chair, Religious
Education Council
Matt Lesniak, Chair, Social Responsibilities Council

Elected Officer (not on Board of Trustees)
Seth Edelman, Assistant Treasurer


Staff

Minister
Rev. Sam Trumbore, minister@albanyuu.org  

Church Administrator
Tammy Hathaway, admin@albanyuu.org

Director of Religious Education
Leah Purcell, dre@albanyuu.org

Music Director
Dr. Richard Porterfield,
            music.director@albanyuu.org

Music Associates (volunteer)
Randy Rosette, Chris Jensen

Administrative Assistant
Sapphire Correa, office@albanyuu.org

Religious Education Assistant
Elizabeth Baldes, reassist@albanyuu.org

Leah Youth Adviser
Tracey Hickey

Custodian
Izzy Wright
From Our Blogs
Upcoming Learning and Discussion Opportunities with the Minister!
Metta or Loving-kindness Meditation led by Rev. Trumbore
Two sessions, October 1 and 8, 7:00 pm, Room B-8
Learn the basics of Buddhist heart-centered meditation that cultivates a non-specific love-for-all that becomes specific in caring for and serving others. Metta doesn’t require a response from others for its growth and development as it arises from an inner sense of abundance. Find out more here .

Building a House for Hope with Rev. Trumbore
Six sessions, Nov 6, 13, 27, Dec 4, 11, 18, 7:00 pm, Room B-8
Deepen your appreciation for our Unitarian Universalist purposes, principles, history, values, and traditions using the excellent book House for Hope by Rebecca Parker and John Buerhens. Find out more here .
What is Family Ministry?
Leah Purcells’s job title has changed to Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry . Family Ministry means building strong connections between families and the congregation; and equipping parents and caregivers to engage in their child’s faith development at home. Mark your calendars for Sunday Sept 30 to participate in the following: 

Parent/caretaker orientation in Channing Hall
We’ll start after the story in the service, when all the children are in Sunday school. Yes, you'll miss most of the service on Sept 30, but Rev. Sam is working on making sure a recording of the service is available on YouTube to watch later. 

Video Games; Phones and Social Media – Workshop for Parents and Caregivers to manage your child’s screens to maximize health, connections, and values
Information and discussion about child development, how additions are formed and the impact of various kinds of screen time can help parents to make decisions to manage your child’s screen time. Find our more here .
UPCOMING EVENTS
Albany UU Women's Group
The Albany UU women's group will hold its first meeting on tonight, Sept. 20 at 7:00 in Room B-8. Contact Julie Lomoe at julielomoe@gmail.com if you're interested in attending.

Caring Network Yearly Meeting
 The Albany UU Caring Network provides assistance to members of our community when they need a helping hand. Our yearly organizational meeting will be on Sunday, September 23 at 11:45 in Room B3/B4. Find more information here .

Workshop to Practice Effective Compassionate Communication
Come learn and practice using tools for nonviolent communication with Philomena Moriarty on September 29; 9:30am - 4:30pm , in Channing Hall. Find more information here .

All Sides Considered
All Sides Considered begins Thursday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 pm . Find more information here .

Refresh and Rejuvenate at Silver Bay
"Love the weekend! Good friends; new friends. Interesting and thought- provoking sessions. Superb fall location to refresh."   - Dave Metz

Join us for UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 12-14, 2018!

Stop by the UU Weekend table on Sunday to see the schedule of activities and fill out a registration form. Find more information here .

Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 pm in Channing Hall. Bring your favorite dish to share and a small contribution to cover beverages. We will discuss A Gentle man in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles. Find more information here .

Getting to Know UU: orientation to UUism
Save the date: Saturday, Oct. 20, 8:45 am-noon
We invite you to join us for "Getting to Know UU" to learn about Unitarian Universalism and about our congregation. Learn more here .

Feeling Lost? Get Connected!
Attend the Albany UU Get Connected Activity Fair on Sunday October 21 and find out what you might be missing!  Find more information here .

East of Hudson Potluck!
The next East of Hudson Potluck will be at Jean and Abe Bolgatz's home on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:00 pm. If you live east of the river, join us!
RSVP to Jean: 518 274 2501 or jandabolgatz@ gmail.com . 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Sunday Volunteers
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!

Gardening Volunteers
There's still plenty of time left in the season! Do you have two hours to contribute to maintaining the gardens surrounding Albany UU? The Gardening Committee welcomes you to sign up here , where you can select which week(s) you'd like to help. Volunteers often work in pairs. No experience necessary. For more information or to receive e-mail updates, please contact Donna Meixne r or 518-439-5947.

See also volunteer opportunities at Sheridan Prep under Announcements, above.
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
-Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry, dre@albanyuu.org

Keep up with what's happening for children and families and other events by checking out Leah's RE Newsletter .
 
This week the nursery/Toddler Room opens at 9:45

Children in Pre-k through 7th grade attend the first part of the service and go to their groups after the story.

If you arrive late, please have your child (pre-K through 7th grade) stay with you until after the story. We do not provide supervision for children in their rooms before then. Remember, pick up time for children in the nursery through 3rd grade is 11:20. Older children will be dismissed at 11:20 to come find you on their own. 

Youth in grades 8/9 and high school programming starts at 10:00. Please let your child know that they cannot be in the room with no adult or just one adult. Have them go to their rooms shortly before 10:00. 
  • Are you thinking of returning to Albany UU after a hiatus? We'd love to have you back; it would be helpful if you send me an email at dre@albanyuu.org.
  • There is something every Sunday for your child's faith development. There are multigenerational services and special RE sessions throughout the year.

If you haven't already, register your child for Religious Exploration!  
Register your child for RE today  on line  and pay the registration fee  on line  too! You can also pick up a paper copy in the RE Office or ask the office to mail one to you. Make your check out to Albany UU and put RE Registration in the memo line or pay in cash. Call the office at 463-7135 or email Leah at dre@albanyuu.org with questions.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair, email

Green Sanctuary Committee News!
Over the summer, the Green Sanctuary Committee elected new officers. These fine folk are Meghan Marohn, chair, with Chuck Manning co-chair, and Sandy Steubing, secretary, with Barbara Spink, co-secretary. Our first meeting will be Sunday, September 30 at 11:45 am in Room B-3/4 .

After this first meeting on the 5th Sunday, regular meetings will continue every 4th Sunday of the month at 11:45 AM in Room B-7. Everyone is always welcome at all meetings.

Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
Ask a Candidate.  It’s election season, with a primary TODAY and a general election on November 6. Make sure you are registered to vote. When a candidate asks for your vote, or when you are deciding on your vote, you can ask whether a candidate supports medical aid in dying. If you click here to take the pledge to “Ask the Candidate,” Compassion and Choices New York will send you everything you need to be successful in your efforts. (NOTE: You are not required to make a financial pledge, regardless of where the website routes you.)
JOYS and CARING CORNER
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.
Regular events and meetings
Check Windows Weekly for changes to date, time and location. 

Sundays        
5:30 PM       Walker Book Group (2nd)
11:45 AM      Green Sanctuary Committee (4th)
11:45 AM      Social Responsibilities Council (3rd)
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)
7:00 PM       Board of Trustees (3rd)
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: fuusan, password: Emerson405.

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.
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany
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
September-June: Monday-Friday, 9:00-3:00
July-August: Monday–Thursday 9:00-1:00

Websites
General: www.AlbanyUU.org

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 ).
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org