Windows Weekly November 15, 2018
Albany UU Windows Weekly
Greetings,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates. Feedback is always welcome. 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 .
Sunday Service 10:00 AM
November 18, "America: Our Responsibility," Rev. Sam Trumbore
The beautiful vision of America depends on active citizens embodying it, being involved in the political process, and defending our core values. That requires our attention, engagement, participation and our vote. This is true both in our nation and in our congregation.

This service concludes with a litany of gratitude and the enjoyment of corn mini-muffins baked that morning by Rev. Trumbore.

Music: Albany UU Choir sings music of John Lennon and Stephen Sondheim

The hymns we will be singing are:

HYMN 67 “We Sing Now Together”
HYMN 123 “Spirit of Life”
HYMN 161 “Peace! The Perfect Word”
HYMN “ America the Beautiful ” 

Here is a place you might find the words to our hymns.
Sunday Services
10:00 am





November 25, “The Sabbath of Humanity,” Joe Paparone

Sabbath is often understood as a time of rest, but material injustice means some people never get to rest. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus confronts the rules and rhythms of Sabbath and reframes Sabbath as a justice vision for society

Joe Paparone is the lead organizer of the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS, and Coordinating Committee member of the NYS Poor People’s Campaign. His work involves organizing faith communities, labor unions, and community groups in the struggles for racial, social, and economic justice. A life-long New Yorker, Joe lives in Albany with his wife Lesley and their dogs, Artax and Nym. He is currently pursuing ordination in the Mennonite Church USA.

Music : Richard Porterfield with piano music of Leoš Janáček and Ruth Crawford Seeger






Announcements



Important Announcement!
The Albany UU Humanist meeting scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 pm has been CANCELLED due to impending weather.


Heads up to volunteers about building access Fri, Nov. 16 and Sat, Nov. 17 
Often volunteers come to the building “off hours” to attend to business. Our youth are holding a District Youth Conference here this week end from 4:00 pm on Friday, Nov.16 to 9:00 am on Sunday, Nov 18. We’re working to provide an environment that is as safe and secure as possible for the youth from around Upstate New York and their advisers. Please plan your work so that you don’t need to come into the building between 4:00 pm on Fri, Nov. 16 and the early morning of Sunday, Nov. 18. If you cannot avoid coming into the building during those time frames, please text or call Leah Purcell 518.487.1536.


Planning for weather emergencies
In the event of severe inclement weather, a decision to cancel RE classes on Sunday morning 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.
Cancellations will by email sent through Constant Contact.


Office Hours
On Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23 the Albany UU office will be closed. We will see you at 9:00 am on Monday, Nov. 26! 


Holiday Bazaar Helpers Needed
There are several fun ways you can help to make our Dec. 2 Holiday Bazaar a success.
  • Share Your Creations. Donate your handmade craft items to the sale. We are looking for holiday crafts and stocking stuffers for adults, children and pets.
  • Help with set up and sales.  Help to price items and set-up on Saturday, Dec. 1 and/or to sell at the craft table on Sunday Dec. 2 or 9.
Please contact Sigrin Newell with your ideas or questions: 518-439-6705 or sigrin.newell@gmail.com . There will also be a sign-up sheet for Bazaar workers in Channing Hall on the next three Sundays.


Calling All AlbanyUUs of Color!
The Inclusivity Team is considering hosting a local or cluster gathering to support UUs of Color. In order to gage interest, if you identify as a Person of Color, we would love it if you would share your thoughts on whether you would be interested in attending such an event, and/or any thoughts as to topic of discussion whether focused or informal, and any other ideas for the gathering welcome. Please send email to Annika Pfluger ( annikafam@gmail.com).


Warmth for the Homeless
It's that time again to gather blankets, sleeping bags, and warm coats, etc. Please put them in the bin in the coatroom to be given to those who are homeless. Thank you for helping.
Sunday Schedule

9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Sanctuary

9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open

10:00 AM
- Sunday Service, Community Hall
- Programs for Youth

11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall
- Soup and Pie Sale, Channing Hall

11:30 AM
- REC Governance Committee, Room B-7

11:45 AM
- Social Responsibilities Council, Room B-8





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



Minister
Rev. Sam Trumbore, minister@albanyuu.org  

Church Administrator
Tammy Hathaway, admin@albanyuu.org

Director of Religious Education and Family Ministry
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

Lead Youth Adviser
Tracey Hickey

Custodian
Izzy Wright

Snow Removal Tech
Quintain Murray
Check out our blogs
Joy Library News!
The Inclusivity Team has donated eight books to the Joy Library: a biography and two novels intended for younger readers, and five adult-level nonfiction books. They will be found on the library's "New Books" rack for a month or so, and after that at the call numbers indicated in this list:
the biography: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice , by Phillip Hoose (2009) call# 323.092 HOO; the two novels: Elijah of Buxton , by Christopher Paul Curtis (2007) call# 813.54 CUR and All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely (2017) call# 813.6 REY; and the adult titles: The History of White People , by Nell Irvin Painter (2010) call# 305.8 PAI;  I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness , by Austin Channing Brown (2018) call# 305.896 BRO; Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color , by Andrea J. Ritchie (2017) call# 363.2 RIT; The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism , by Howard Bryant (2018) call# 306.483 BRY;  An African American and Latinx History of the United States , by Paul Ortiz (2018) call# 305.8 ORT.

Thanksgiving Holiday Events
Union Thanksgiving Service - Tuesday, Nov. 20, 7:30 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut St.
For close to a hundred years, Trinity Methodist Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Congregation Beth Emeth, Mount Calvary Baptist Church and First Unitarian Universalist Society have gathered before Thanksgiving for a joint service. We rotate the service between our four congregations. It is our tradition to bring canned goods to donate to FOCUS food pantry.

Thanksgiving Dinner ... at Albany UU! Thursday, Nov. 22, beginning at 1:00 pm
Each year we have an open Thanksgiving Dinner in Channing Hall on Thanksgiving Day. If you and your family or friends would like to join Rev. Trumbore and his family at this dinner, please sign up in Channing Hall and let us know what you would like to bring. Set up for the dinner will begin at 1pm. Appetizers will be served at 2pm. Dinner will be served at 3pm. Games and entertainment for mutual amusement will follow the meal (bring your favorites!). Cleanup begins at 4pm.
Calendar of Holiday Events

Sunday, Dec. 2
11:00 am  Holiday Bazaar , Channing
                 Tree Decorating , Channing

Sunday, Dec. 9
11:00 am  Holiday Bazaar , Channing
11:30 am  Pageant Rehearsal , Community Hall

Sunday, Dec. 16
10:00 am  Multigen service with the Pageant , Community Hall
1:00 pm  Caroling

Saturday, Dec. 22
4:00 pm  Multigen Winter Solstice Celebration , Channing

Sunday, Dec. 23
10:00 am  Multigen Christmas service , Community Hall

Monday, Dec. 24
6:00 pm  Candlelight Christmas Eve service , Sanctuary
7:00 pm  Cookie Reception , Channing
8:00 pm  Candlelight Christmas Eve service , Sanctuary

Invitation to a conversation
The Albany UU Board of Trustees has announced its intention to involve the congregation in a discussion of "What would it look like for Albany UU to be a good neighbor?" Its announcement stated that the Board believes that a sharper focus and greater intentionality will allow our congregation to make a more significant positive impact "on our community, our neighbors, and the world." 

Over the past year, the Governance Work Group has been talking with the Board about a new vision of how our congregation will govern itself, one that will enable the Board to focus on such important questions about our future.

The Governance Working Group has also been meeting with several committees and individuals as it works on this new governance structure. We now invite everyone to a presentation about what we have done so far. On Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11:30 AM following the Service, we will meet in Room B-8 with everyone interested. We also want to hear comments and questions from everyone.  Please come to hear a brief presentation, followed by a Q & A with the Governance Working Group.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Albany UU Humanists - CANCELLED due to impending weather
Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 PM, Room B-8

Delicious Homemade Pies and Soups
Don’t miss out on the annual homemade soup and pie sale following the service this Sunday, Nov. 18 in Channing Hall. Purchase delicious apple and pumpkin pies for your Thanksgiving dinner. Stock up on your favorite Café soups for those cold days ahead. Learn more here .

Our art wall
Come to Channing Hall and view the art of November’s feature artist, Janet Tanguay. Her mixed media paintings include recycled items. You can meet Janet at a reception on Sunday Nov. 25 immediately after coffee hour. Learn more here .

Getting to Know UU: orientation to UUism
Saturday, Dec. 1, 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 .

Game Night and Potluck
The Religious Education Council will host a Game Night and Potluck on Friday, Dec. 7 . Potluck dinner starts at 6 PM. Games start at around 6:30 PM. Find more information here .

Walker Book Group
Join the Walker Book Group for a potluck and discussion on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 5:30 pm in Channing Hall. Bring your favorite dish to share and a small contribution to cover beverages. We will discuss Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I. , By David Grann. Find more information here .

 Holiday Music Jam!
The annual Albany UU Holiday Music Jam will take place on Dec. 23 during coffee hour.  The event is multi-generational, multi-level, and multi-instrumental. Learn more here .
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!
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 high school and jr high weekend “cons” in November) and resources to support parents and caretakers at home by
checking out Leah's RE Newsletter!

Check out the interactive bulletin boards for children, youth and adults in Channing Hall and the 2nd floor and basement hallways – and make a contribution!

Nursery/Toddler Room opens at 9:45 for children and infants under 2 years old

This is a regular session of Sunday school groups this week.

Children in grades Pre-k through 7 th grade will start in the service in Community Hall with their families and go to their regular groups until 11:20.

Youth in Grade 8 and up meet for their groups starting at 10:00

An RE highlight from last week:

The 8 th /9 th grade group  talked a fair amount about disenfranchised groups as applied to US government representation, and outcomes of the recent elections, focusing on gender and race.
  
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES COUNCIL (SRC)
-Matt Lesniak, SRC Chair, email

SRC Recommends the following:

A huge thank you to all of you who contributed toothpaste for the Day of Simple Giving, sponsored by Grassroots Givers. AlbanyUU contributed more than 50 tubes--that's a lot of toothpaste! Please consider attending The Day of Simple Giving at St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church in Albany Saturday, Nov. 17, 10am to 1pm.  This event unites the Albany community to package toiletries and home goods for under served populations. There are usually other projects as well--for example, making up bags of books for a particular reading level which classroom teachers can then distribute to children who don't have access to their own books. 
 
Movie Night at Bethlehem Public Library, Nov 16, 6:30 pm. The Bethlehem Morning Voice Huddle, Capital District Alliance for Universal Healthcare, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), and Like Minds United Capital Region presents: Fix It: Healthcare At the Tipping Point and The Healthcare Movie. These two films give the background from the point of view of an American businessman trying to cover his employees and a short history of how Canada came to its Single Payer program.

Screening of The Black Power Mixtape , Saturday, Nov. 24, 7:30 PM at Albany UU, sponsored by Solidarity Committee of the Capital District. Find more information here.

Capital Pride Singers Celebrate the Holidays , Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7:30 PM, RPI Chapel and Culture Center, 2125 Burdett Ave., Troy and Saturday, Dec. 1, 7:30 PM, First Congregational church of Albany, 405 Quail St., Albany. Tickets: $10 at the door, or online at capitalpridesingers.org .
Our Worker Bees!
For Election Day Pie making, the apples were donated by Dale Baker from Don Baker Farm in Hudson.

The worker bees were:
Michaela, Tanya, Sharon, Paula, Pat, Hadiya, Sigrin, Kathy, Eileen, Laura, Barb S., Barb M. Darnell, Lynn, Janet, Toni. Under the leadership of Dorry Campano and Sandy Stone.

THANK YOU!
Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week!
Practicing Our Seventh Principle:
Please bring personal care items including empty toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes, water filters, tyvek envelopes, hearing aid batteries, corks, paper egg cartons, cell phones, winter garments including coats, hats, scarves, gloves and usable blankets to the recycle center in the Albany UU cloak room. Recycling like this is an easy way to reduce, reuse, and re-purpose -- and make a contribution to the earth. Right now, the company that we send water filters and personal care items is offering a bonus. Albany UU's points and last bonus was used to have 10 trees planted in an American forest. 
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.

Julie Lomoe had surgery for a subdural hematoma at Albany Med on October 30th. After three days in Intensive Care, she was transferred to Schenectady Center for rehab. She's recovered faster than anyone expected and was discharged on Wednesday.

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 PM 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) - Nov. only
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: 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
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