Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Enjoy!
-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
.
|
|
|
|
March 10, “What Will You Pack?” Rev. Sam Trumbore
A common experience for those who are not experienced travelers is they pack too much. Anyone who has dragged a over-sized suitcase through an airport or a train station knows the importance to packing light. But what do we leave behind?
Music:
Albany UU Choir and Youth Choir led by Richard Porterfield
Hymn 21”For the Beauty of the Earth”
Hymn 324 “Where My Free Spirit Onward Leads”
Hymn 295 “Sing Out Praises for the Journey”
Hymn 83 “Winds Be Still”
Hymn 324 “Where My Free Spirit Onward Leads”
|
|
Sunday Services
10:00 am
March's theme: Journey
March 17, Inclusivity Service
The Inclusivity Service will feature guest speaker, Lisa Good, founding director of Urban Grief. Urban Grief is a community-based organization that responds in the aftermath of community violence, educates about the effects of violence, supports those affected through crisis/bereavement support, by connecting community members and caregivers with each other as resources and mutual support.
Music:
Richard Porterfield
, piano
March 24, “Pilgrimage,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
A sacred journey to a holy shrine or grotto can be a personally transformative experience. Those desiring healing may travel to Lourdes in France or Medjugorje in Bosnia. All Muslims must do the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca. What might a Unitarian Universalist pilgrimage look like?
Music:
Albany UU Choir sings "Keep Your Hand on That Plow"
March 31, “Encountering the Unexpected,” Rev. Sam Trumbore
Leah Purcell, our Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry begins her two month sabbatical. She will be having experiences of rest and renewal as well as engaging in a process of discovery visiting other congregations hoping to learn new thing to bring home. On any journey we encounter the unexpected. The challenge is to expect the unexpected and learn and grow through what is discovered.
Music:
TBD
Announcements
New Photo Directory
If your photo is in our handsome new directory, you can pick up your copy after the service this Sunday, March 10 or from the church office during regular business hours.
Would you like a directory, even if your photo isn't in it? We are asking for a $5 donation to cover costs. Let Peggy Sherman know if you would like to order one at
msherman@nycap.rr.com
, or sign up on the bulletin board in Channing Hall.
Registration is open for Young Peacemakers Week August 19 - 23
This urban day camp for kids in grades 2 - 8 is a joint project between Albany UU and Albany Friends Meeting (Quakers). At camp, we will build commitment to living in a nonviolent world through play, music, art, and communication that nurtures connection and empathy. It is meaningful and FUN!
Warmth for the Homeless
Please gather blankets, sleeping bags, and warm coats, etc. and put them in the bin in the coatroom to be given to those who are homeless. Thank you for your help!
The homeless shelter is so grateful for the donations to the blanket bin!
|
|
Sunday Schedule
9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary
9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open
10:00 AM
- Sunday Service, Community Hall
- Programs for Children and Youth
11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall
11:30 AM
- Annual Dinner Skit Rehearsal, Community Hall
11:45 PM
- Auction Committee Meeting, Room B-7
5:30 PM
- Walker Book Group, Channing Hall
Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
Sign up for a class or event
- Sign up at the Sign Up Site in Channing Hall
OR
- Call the church office, 518.463.7135
If childcare is offered for the event, please let us know you need it when you register, including names and ages of children.
Envelopes for your cash donations
A reminder that envelopes are available on the table in the Community Hall Lobby each Sunday for cash contributions that you want to earmark toward a specific fund or pledge. You must use an envelope with your name and pledge year on it, if you wish to have your cash attributed toward your pledge. If you have any questions, an usher will be happy to assist you.
|
|
Growing Our CENT$ of Community
|
We're well on our way...send your pledge today!
We are at about 20% of our goal. Keep those pledge forms coming in!
Many thanks to all those who have already pledged. If you haven’t already done so, please pick up your pledge packet after the service at the back of Community Hall.
All pledges should be returned by April 1st so don’t delay. Remember to include your UU Bucks raffle ticket when you return your pledge.
To Return Your Pledge by April 1st, you can:
We’d like to know what Albany UU means to you.
If you are willing to share your answer to this question, we would like to share it with the congregation. You can email Patti Jo Newell at
patti.jo.newell@gmail.com
. Thank you!!
|
|
Learning opportunities with our Minister
|
Mindfulness Meditation Workshop
March 8-9, 2019
It's not too late to sign up
for this meditation training and practice workshop will be led by, on Friday 6:00pm to 9:00pm, and Saturday 8:00am to 3:00pm. It gives the participants an opportunity to learn Buddhist mindfulness meditation techniques and/or refresh and deepen their meditation practice. Learn more
here
.
Letting Go
Four Sessions March 12, 26, April 2, 9; 7:00 pm in Room B-8
Instead of just giving something up for Lent, this class will provide an alternative by diving into the process of letting go itself. A companion book for this class will be Dr. David R. Hawkins,
Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender
. Learn more
here
.
|
|
Learning opportunity with our Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry
|
Potluck and UU Family/Household Circle Training
For Families, Couples and Households: Everyone in each household participates in the training - youth and children too!
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.
|
|
From Our Board of Trustees
|
“Open Question” Responses and a Call For Proposals
First, the Board thanks all of you for your enthusiastic responses to the Open Question we posed: “What would it look like for Albany UU to be a good neighbor?” To date, we have received 52 separate ideas of how we could answer that question. You can find all those responses, a tally of the number of “yeses” that each idea received from all of you at the January 27 service, plus the comments you submitted during that service, on our member website at the following
link
.
The Board invites you to submit to them a brief proposal on any of these ideas where you think that there is enough energy and enthusiasm for the Board to consider pursuing. (Note: the Board is looking for proposals on new ideas, not on projects that we as a congregation are already pursuing.)
The Board would like to be able to consider your proposals at our next Board meeting on Thursday, March 28, so please try to submit your proposals to
OpenQuestion@AlbanyUU.org
before then. We realize this is very short notice. But because there is already considerable enthusiasm behind a couple of the ideas, we want to move relatively quickly on this so as not to dampen the already palpable enthusiasm. But at the same time, we do not want to leave out of consideration any ideas with significant support which fall within our mission as a congregation. So please do not hesitate to submit a proposal if you think it is deserving of consideration. And if your proposal is submitted after March 28, it will still be reviewed and considered by the Board.
In your proposal, please include the following:
1.
The name of the proposed project and a brief description;
2.
The vision and imagined goals of the project;
3.
Names of the person(s) committed to date to being responsible for bringing the idea to fruition;
4.
Names of the person(s) committed to date to help out as needed;
5.
An estimate of how many volunteers would be needed to bring this idea to fruition. (Note: a small number of volunteers is not necessarily better than a large number. The Board supports encouraging more of our members to get involved in carrying out our mission);
6.
Any allies - organizations or individuals - especially persons/groups of color - in the community who could help us to ascertain whether or not your idea is one our neighbors would welcome and support, and/or who could help us bring this idea to fruition;
7.
An explanation of how this idea supports Albany UU’s mission: “We welcome everyone. Our Unitarian Universalist community seeks truth and deeper meaning, pursues justice through inspired action, and cultivates compassion and love for all connected with the web of life;” and
8.
Any funding needs for the first year. (Note: whether these funds would come from the annual operating budget or obtained by fundraising separate from our congregation’s budget is a decision that would be made at a later date).
The Board is excited to hear from you. Feel free to talk with us individually about this initiative.
Board of Trustees: Meredith Andrews, Dick Dana, Molly Daniels, Fred Eames, Linda Hunt, Jim Hutchins, Matt Lesniak, Lee Newberg, Patti Jo Newell, Annika Pfluger, Reese Satin, Nancy Shay, and Rev. Sam Trumbore.
|
|
Help Evaluate our Professional Ministry
|
The Board of Trustees and Rev. Sam Trumbore would like to hear from the congregation in order to plan for the future of our shared professional and lay ministry. Here are their key questions:
- What are the most important things the congregation wants our professional minister to do?
- How well is Rev. Sam doing at what he does? Where does he excel? Where might improvement be made? Are there other things you would like to see him do?
- What are the needs, if any, that our shared professional and lay ministry is not meeting?
To answer these questions, we invite everyone at Albany UU to complete a questionnaire, and we are also planning to conduct about 40 interviews. You can get the questionnaire:
- In print, after the service on March 3, and in Tammy’s office after that;
- As an online form, here, which you can submit online;
- As a PDF document that you can download, print and complete by hand; and
- As a Word document that you can download and fill out on your computer.
We will need your completed questionnaire by April 28 in order to include it in our analysis for a report to the Board. If you use a printed questionnaire, you can return it by:
- Handing it to one of us;
- Scanning and emailing it to EVALUATION@albanyUU.org;
- Mailing it to EVALUATION, First UU of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12206; or
- Placing it in a sealed envelope addressed to EVALUATION in the box labeled “Treasurer” in the Copy Room.
If you prefer to respond orally to the questionnaire, please call the office at 518-263-7135 or email us at
evaluation@albanyuu.org
.
We hope you will join us in this important effort and look forward to hearing from you!
Meredith Andrews, Bruce Rodgers, Reese Satin, Nancy Willie-Schiff
|
|
Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion this
Sunday, March 10 at 5:30 pm
in Channing Hall. Bring your favorite dish to share and a small contribution to cover beverages. We will discuss
Behold the Dreamers
by Imbulo Mbue. Learn more
here
.
Annual Fellowship Dinner
The Annual Fellowship Dinner will be held on
Friday, April 5, 6:00 pm
at the Franklin Terrace in Troy. Come join us for an evening of fun, food, fellowship, and frivolity. Find more information
here.
Getting to Know UU
We invite you to join us
Saturday, April 6
for “Getting to Know UU”. This orientation for newcomers is from 8:45 a.m. to noon. Find more information
here
.
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
.
Spokane in 2019, Providence in 2020
Consider attending 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
.
|
|
9 Days Until the Auction!
Feeling increasingly housebound as the winter wears on? Here’s the perfect antidote: The
Cure Cabin Fever Auction
at Albany UU on Saturday, March 16
th
at 6:15 pm. Free child care will be provided.
Check out the
preliminary auction catalog
and the exciting fixed price items on the bulletin board in Channing Hall. The deadline to donate an auction item is March 12
th
.
While there, don’t forget to sign up to attend this popular ALBANY UU event at the discounted $5 rate (a $2 savings) to attend.
|
|
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!
|
|
 |
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!
Find information on Leah's Sabbatical
here
.
Nursery/Toddler Room
opens at 9:45 for children and infants under 2 years old
Faith formation of children and youth this Sunday, March 10:
The pre-k through 7th graders
start the morning in the service in Community Hall with their families and then go to their Sunday school groups.
8th/9th grades
will not meet.
Youth Group
meets at 10:00.
RE Volunteer Brunch - Saturday, March 23, 9:00-N
This is for everyone interested in volunteering in RE next year - or just thinking about it! Learn more
here
.
Orientation to 2019-20 Rite of Passage Program - March 24
Next church year we'll offer the Rite of Passage program for incoming 9th/10th graders.
Please join Leah Purcell and Rev Sam for an orientation to the program on Sunday, March 24th from 11:30 to 1:00 in room B-8.
|
|
|
|
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair,
email
SRC Recommends the following:
Troy City Council Meeting, Thursday, Mar. 7, 7pm
- The Sanctuary Resolution will be introduced again at this public meeting. Council Chambers at City Hall, 433 River Street, Troy
Day of Action/Mobilization for Green Light NY:
Driving Together, a campaign to win equal access to drivers licenses for immigrants in NY -
Tuesday, Mar. 12.
More info
Meeting of Capital District Border Watch, a subcommittee of ICE-Free Capital District. Tuesday, Mar. 12, 5:30pm
. Matt Lesniak will transfer your interest in attending if you leave a message at (518) 426-1385. Location TBD.
Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment forum - "What You Eat Affects the Environment" Wednesday, Mar. 13, 7pm
at Albany UU. This free public event is co-sponsored by the
Green Sanctuary Committee.
More info
Lecture/Inspirational Speech, The New And Unsettling Force, by Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis with Willie Baptist, Saturday, Mar. 16 6:30pm
, First Presbyterian Church, 362 State St.
Sponsored by the Capital Region NYS Poor People's Campaign Committee.
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 TUESDAY DATES for visiting lawmakers at the Capitol this session to
advocate for legalizing medical aid in dying
. Death with Dignity Albany will be there on
April 9
. Albany UU has volunteered for
April 30
. Lobby Day for Compassion and Choices is
May 14
. Contact: Nancy Willie-Schiff at
n.willie.schiff@gmail.com
.
|
|
|
|
Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week
|
Living our 7th principle
While you may think you’re doing your car (and your wallet) a favor by hand-washing it at home, it’s actually the opposite.
According to the International Car Wash Association, automatic car washes use less than half the water used when washing your car at home. The average home wash uses 80-140 gallons of water while the commercial average is 45 gallons.
Commercial car washes often reuse water and send the runoff to treatment centers instead of nearby lakes and streams. They also use high-pressure nozzles that require less water usage.
|
|
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.
We are sad to announce that long-time member,
Mary Reich
died on Tuesday, March 5.
A Celebration of Mary's Life will be held at Albany UU on
Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 pm
in the Sanctuary followed by a reception in Channing Hall. Contributions of finger foods for the reception are welcomed and encouraged.
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
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)
|
|
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.
|
|
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 (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
).
|
|
First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135| 518.463.1429 | Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
