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The Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah
Weekly Newsletter
October 20, 2019
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Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday, October 20, 11:00 AM
Our Worship Theme in October is Belonging
Judy Saucerman preaching
Longing To Be
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Our
Worship Associate will be
Luke Higgins
Our
Storyteller will be
Jake Kawatski
Music by
Kelly Blackmarr, The Choir and
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Hospitality by
Kathy and Joel Matulys
Good news on Rahn Hall. Though there is some time before the work is complete we do have access to the bathrooms!
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What's New This Week
Details and Everything Else are still
below.
- Fall Fundraiser goes live now! And October 27 will see an event in Rahn Hall to give you another opportunity to support the church.
- Green Team movie screening "Burned" date set: November 15th, 7pm in the Sanctuary.
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RE Reflections
Eva Newbold, Director of Religious Education
In September, we held the first Parents’ Night Out of the year. Children ate pizza, mixed slime, played games, dug for dinosaurs, and watched a movie. The movie of the night was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which, incidentally, I saw in theaters with the youth group at UUSC about 10 years ago. It’s not just the kids who have fun at these events, I always enjoy them too. I love that participating in Parents’ Night Out gives me (and the kids!) the chance to interact outside of RE class on Sunday. Mark your calendars for our next Kids’ Night Out: Halloween Edition on October 25!
October will see the beginning of this year’s OWL class. Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a UU-endorsed sexuality education program that is being taught right here at UUCS to children in grades 4-6. My master’s degree, and one of my undergraduate, majors were in gender and sexuality studies, so I firmly believe in the importance of programs such as OWL. I am so proud to be a part of a church that promotes such a wonderful and necessary program. By dispensing honest, accurate information on sexuality, we seek to help our children navigate the love and relationships that await them.
I remain so thankful for the children here at UUCS, their joyful spirits, sense of wonder, and curious minds. I look forward to the rest of this RE year with them
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Next Sunday Worship
Sunday, October 27, 11:00 AM
Our Worship Theme in October is Belonging
Dr. Greg Brock preaching
Slavery Reparations and You
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"You are only free when you realize you belong no place --
you belong every place."
~~ Maya Angelou
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Rev Susan Karlson has been retained to provide
pastoral ministry for crises, weddings, funerals and other life events.
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Religious Education
Eva Newbold, Director
Parents’ Night Out: Halloween Edition!
Friday, October 25th, 6:00 to 10:00
Are you ready to enjoy a child-free night on the town, or perhaps a child-free night at home? We are here to help! We are offering a
Parents’ Night Out
on Friday, October 25th to all parents and guardians. The cost is
$20.00 per child
and
$10.00 for each additional child in the same family
. Send your kids in costume to a Halloween themed night of fun! There will be pizza, arts and crafts, a movie, and more!
RE Registration
If you have not
registered your children
for the 2019-2020 RE year, please do so here:
REGISTER
We are requesting that
every parent volunteer at least one Sunday to assist in RE
. The curriculum and activities are all planned out, and we'll have a lead teacher in the classroom. We only need a second pair of hands. Please reach out to
Eva Newbold at
re@uusavannah.org
to sign up for a Sunday.
We are offering OWL (Our Whole Lives) for 4-6th graders
this year.
OWL is open to those outside the church, so spread the word!
If you are interested in signing up your child/ren, or if you have any questions, let me know! It will be held on Service Sundays during the regular RE time.
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As a public service here's a sample of the new ballot for the November 5 General Election.
Just click it for your copy. No surprises at the polls!
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Virtual Service Fundraiser starts now!
A live event will be held October 27, 7:00 pm in the
almost
complete Rahn Hall.
This is
the premier Fall fundraising event
for our self-sustaining congregation: a tradition shared by UU congregations worldwide.
Choose one or more from dinner parties, B&B stays in Asheville or Nashville, handyman work, wreath and card making, portraits of you or your pet, tech lessons, pet sitting, personal growth experiences and more!
Start supporting the church
right now by clicking....
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Starting Point: A New UU Program
Saturdays,
November 2, 9 and 16, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Contact Linda Archinaco for more information and to register at
Experience UU as a journey! Participate in
Starting Point
, a new UU program that replaces Pathways to Membership and is designed for newcomers as well as long-time members. The concept of "journey" is the heart of the program and offers an opportunity to reflect on the many journeys of our lives. Some questions that may be explored include:
• Has my spiritual path unfolded in the way I anticipated?
• How has our congregation and UU evolved? What are my hopes for their futures?
• What does "serving needs greater than my own" mean to me at this time?
Starting Point can help newcomers decide if UU and our church is right for them, while members may discover they have a renewed connection to their deeper selves, the congregation and Unitarian Universalism.
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Social Justice and Action
Contact: Jim Rosch,
jimrosch@gmail.com
or 518-232-1005
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Inner City Night Shelter
Sunday, October 20, 4:15 pm, 124 Arnold St.
This month we need people to bring sandwiches and a dessert or soup and to serve the meal. If you haven't done this yet, its a good time to start. You will experience a real difference in your life and make a difference in the lives of the homeless in Savannah.
Celebrating Families
Tuesdays at 5:30 - 6:30, October
22 and November 12
First Baptist Church Social Hall at Whitaker and Hull Sts.
The program for alternatives to incarceration for those convicted of non-violent crimes begins its summer/fall schedule next month. Please join us in providing and serving a meal to these folks.
We are looking for people to provide the following items: main dish, salad and dressing, ice tea and lemonade, bread and fruit for dessert.
Savannah Pride
Mark your calendars for
October
24-26
for supporting the
LBGTQ community
. There will be a
parade at 8pm on the 25th
and lots of activities Thursday through Saturday. If you would like to
lead the UU group
in our involvement, let me know. Its going to be a great weekend.
Congregations in Service
Saturday, November 9:
begins at 8am with breakfast at First Christian Church and ends at noon with lunch at the same place.
Making blankets, decorating pillowcases, making cards for nursing homes, painting at Rape Crisis Center, Tybee beach sweep, Meals-On-Wheels Pet food delivery, Savannah Tree - TBD project, Final touch-up at Family Justice Center, painting large pickle jars for cookie jars, Collecting items for Inspiritus/Social Apostolate, collecting pet food for senior citizens.
Sunday, November 10:
begins at 12:30pm at the Baha’i Center with lunch and ends at 4pm.
Making blankets, decorating pillowcases, making cards for nursing homes, singing at nursing homes, painting at Pegasus, picking up litter at Daffin Park, baking treats for Inner City Night Shelter, painting large pickle jars for cookie jars, Collecting items for Inspiritus/Social Apostolate.
Plan to be there and join with the other churches to make a difference in these community events. We will have a sign up for next week.
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UU Book Club
Oct 20, 6:00 pm
Meeting at the Starbucks at the corner of
Victory Drive and Skidaway Rd.
until Rahn Hall is complete.
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
In this bravura follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize, and National Book Award-winning #1
New York Times
bestseller
The Underground Railroad
, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
Now meeting every third Sunday!
at the Starbucks at the corner of
Victory Drive and Skidaway Rd.
until Rahn Hall is complete.
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WRUU 107.5 FM Community Radio
Last Day to Pledge!! October 18.
Annual Pledge Drive
The radio station is one of our proudest initatives of the last several years. Please put your money where our principles are.
Since we went on the airwaves in 2016, WRUU and more than 60 volunteer hosts have been dedicated to serving the city of Savannah with programming that is stimulating, informative, eclectic, and entertaining.
We strive to remain a community radio station that is independent and free of commercial clutter. People just like you have made generous financial gifts, allowing us to develop and become the unique station that we are today.
Station expenses include the actual over-the-air signal that enables you to listen and enjoy, and things like tower rental and engineering fees when something goes wrong. We have no salaried staff and very few administrative expenses.
Everyone is a volunteer here. More than 60 volunteer hosts bring you hours of stimulating talk shows and unique musical programming to enjoy throughout the day, every day of the week.
Your financial gifts and donations have kept us going and keep us on the air. We depend on our generous listeners and supporters. Your support makes a huge difference!
Help us reach this year's goal of $15,000. This year, listeners who become a Serious Fan with a $107.50 donation, or donations in the amount of $10 or more per month, will receive a WRUU branded travel mug. It’s a small way to show how much we appreciate you.
Our Annual Pledge Drive is happening NOW through October 18th. Go to
https://www.wruu.org/
to learn more about ways you can donate and support Savannah’s best community radio station!
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Sounds and Spirits Concerts
City Hotel: No Suds
Sunday, November 3, 4:00 pm
As one fan puts it, "If you haven't heard City Hotel in concert, you haven't heard City Hotel!" A regular at local breweries, the southeast's most celebrated string band with bluegrass instrumentation will make a
rare appearance in concert
. The familiar awesome foursome will be joined by a fiddler for an extra-special treat. In this pristine acoustic and intimate setting, you will be able to savor their superb musicality and linguistic brilliance without interference from the beer haze! But no worries, wine will be flowing after the concert with a reception.
A 75-minute concert with no intermission, followed by a wine reception.
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Green Team
Upcoming Events:
November 15th, 7:00 pm, in the Sanctuary
Movie screening - "
Burned"
Hosted by Vicki Weeks
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Hospitality Host
What days will you provide Hospitality? During the Rahn Hall renovation, hospitality will consist of lemonade and tea provided by staff and ready to serve. You are encouraged to supply cookies or similar and provide setup and cleanup at a table outside the main entrance, weather permitting. Join these generous members. Maybe only four Sundays to go!
Oct 27 - The Mellows
Nov 3 - Open!!
Nov 10 - Open!!
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Rahn Hall Renovation Update
Photo: Bartolo places the last tile.
We're in the home stretch! Stay tuned for the Dedication date. You can still participate in the last of the work -
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Even though this is not a tremendously active spot, it is remarkably effective in matching needs with resources.
Julie Gillart
announces the
Terra-Cotta Gallery
Grand Opening
Location: 201 E. 37th Street
October 19, Noon to 1:30 pm
African storytelling, live music, drum circle, arts and craft workshops and gallery tour
Free to Public
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The State of the Transition
Here is an update from your Contract Ministerial Search Committee, composed of Dorothy Holmes, Lilli Hutto, and myself. I hope this will help you understand some of the process and initial steps.
Sincerely, Joel Matulys
The ministerial search process outlined by UUA is quite detailed and explicit. At this time we are only considering a contract minister, which is one who is less than full time and has a specific contract for a limited duration. This differs from the “Called/Settled” ministerial search process, which is much more involved, lengthy and a future event.
Our committee is attempting to follow the UUA process for a contract minister; however, we have had to make adjustments because our search is out of sequence with the normal UUA ministerial schedule. Fortunately, the support from the UUA Transitions Office has been excellent and has helped us as we move forward.
Our first step was to provide information about our church to the UUA portal used by ministers and congregations in transition. This included brief statements about us, including the following: our congregational life, history and profile; personnel, membership and finances; our demographics and those of the community; accessibility, resources and programs. There was also information on the basics of the position, benefits and compensation, and a general questionnaire. A number of you provided your thoughts which helped us compose an accurate representation of our congregation.
This information was our initial attempt to describe UUCS, but clearly, some of this will change as we, as a congregation, discuss and reflect on our common vision, goals, and direction for our church. Because of our current financial situation and also the length of time needed to select a called minister, we are currently planning to have a contract minister for eighteen months, beginning January, 2020. Our next opportunity to determine our direction will be our upcoming congregational meeting on finances.
Another step in the transition process was an exit interview conducted on Oct. 2 with our UUA Transitions Manager. It provides us an opportunity to reflect and assess the end of a ministry. It isn’t solely an evaluation of the minister but also a reflection of the various ministries of the congregation and provides both congregations and the minister a chance to share (separately) information, insights, and their unique perspectives. Several dozen of you, mostly past or present lay leaders, were invited to the interview and provided clear and insightful responses.
Clearly, this was only the beginning of our opportunity to reflect and discuss our visions as a congregation as we move forward. In the weeks ahead we have much to consider and many tasks to complete, but as a congregation we have all the tools and goodwill to successfully navigate this transitional period. While the search process continues and we fill in more of the timeline, we have provided both lay and ministerial presence in the Sunday pulpit through the end of the year. In addition, we have contracted with Reverend Susan Karlson to provide temporary Pastoral Care and Life Event support. We look forward to our upcoming congregational meeting where we can all share our thoughts and vision.
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Director of Music
912-713-7975
Eva Newbold
Director of Religious Education
912 549-0326
Alex Borthwick
Bookkeeper
912-549-0326
Pastoral Care
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Alan Kindler
Office Administrator
912-549-0326
Office Hours
Sun 8:00 - 11:00 am
Mon/Wed/Fri 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Marc Coulombe
Sexton
912-549-0326
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah
311 East Harris St, Savannah, GA 31401
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Please visit the website for more information.
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