Windows Weekly October 11, 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
October 14, “The Sanctuary Within,” Leah Purcell

How can we find that still small voice within us? How can we hear what it is telling us ?

This is a service for all ages with a full sermon to engage the hearts and minds of adults – but divided into chunks, with more music than traditional services and with more opportunities for participation. For their faith development, the children and youth will attend the service on this Sunday instead of having Sunday school. This service will be in our Sanctuary.

Music: Richard Porterfield, organ

The hymns we will be singing are:

HYMN 163 “For the Earth Forever Turning”
HYMN 123 “Spirit of Life”
HYMN 131 “Love Will Guide Us”

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



October 21, “Thomas Starr King Revealed,” Sigrin Newell

In California in the 1860s, Unitarian minister Thomas Starr King worked with John Muir to save Yosemite. He also started a predecessor of the Red Cross and helped California join the Union as a free rather than as a slave state. Two mountain peaks and a UU seminary are named in his honor. With the help of David MacLeod and Debbie Reep MacLeod we will explore a fascinating, little known piece of American and UU history.

Dr. Sigrin Newell has been active with Albany UU for nearly 30 years. She recently retired from Walden University, a distance-learning graduate school where she taught education to doctoral students.

Music: Albany UU Choir sings music of the Civil War and Abolition


October 28, “How Can We Be a Sanctuary For Each Other,” Rev. Sam Trumbore and Leah Purcell

Sanctuaries can be a physical place that we go for safety, protection, sustenance and renewal. A congregation like ours can also offer it by the community we create for each other. One important way we do this is by honoring the births, deaths, marriages and major life transitions in our lives. The metaphor we’ll be working with is an umbrella.

NOTE: This is our Wheel of Life service, traditionally on the last Sunday of October. Anyone who has experienced a major life transition is invited to bring a picture, a symbol, or a memento of that event. It can be brought forward during service to honor that transition (and may be retrieved after service ends).

Music : Albany UU Choir and Youth Choir led by Richard Porterfield




Announcements


PLEASE! Help keep our shared space clean!
This is a reminder that we are ALL responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of our space. Our contracted cleaner is here Mon-Fri in the early morning only. Izzy does a good job in the limited time he is here on Sundays and Mondays. The rest of time, it is up to us to keep our spaces clean. If you or your group use any part of our building, please leave it better than you found it. This is especially important if you bring in or make food. Our cleaner is NOT responsible for the kitchen. WE ARE. (And Izzy is when he is here.) If you use anything in the kitchen, even if it's just one cup, wash it, dry it and put it back. Then wipe down the counters and clean out the sinks. The more we keep our spaces clean, the less problems we will have with unwelcome critters! Thank you!


In case you missed it!
If you missed Marietta Angelotti 's Sept. 30 workshop on kids and screens - download her informative slideshow here .


Photo Directory - Connecting our Congregation
Photo appointments are still available on Wednesday, Oct. 24. We want all Albany UU members and friends to be part of the new photo directory!  Sign up online or call a Lifetouch representative at 1.866.756.0281 and tell them you want to schedule a photo session for the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany. Find more information here .
 
Can you spare 2 or 3 hours to welcome and sign people in for their photo appointments at Albany UU?  Volunteers are needed for afternoons and evenings on October 24-26 and for the morning and afternoon of Saturday, October 27. Please let Peggy Sherman know if you are interested.  


Feeling Crafty?
Calling all folks who would like to make wood, metal, fabric, yarn and other crafted items at home for the December 2nd Holiday Bazaar.  Please contact Sigrin Newell at  518-439-6705  or sigrin.newell@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.


Last call for Women's Group!
The new Women’s group will meet on Thursday mornings from 10 am - 12:00 pm on October 18 and November 1. At the meeting on November 1, we will decide whether to continue.

It was agreed that the group needs a minimum of five members who are committed to attending regularly in order to move forward.

Meeting in small groups can be both empowering and entertaining. We’d like to continue, but will not be able to if the interest simply isn’t there.

So let us hear from you! Email julielomoe@gmail.com , or come on October 18 at 10:00 am in Room B-8.
Sunday Schedule

9:00 AM
- Mindfulness Meditation, Room B-8

9:45 AM
- Nursery/Toddler Rooms open

10:00 AM
- Mulitgen Service, Sanctuary

11:00 AM
- Coffee Hour, Channing Hall

11:30 AM
- Youth Choir, Room B-3/B-4

11:45 AM
- Inclusivity Team Meeting, Room B-7

5:30 PM
- Walker Book Group





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
From Our Blogs
Upcoming Learning and Discussion Opportunities with the Minister!
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 .

Mindfulness Meditation Workshop
Nov. 9-10
Rev. Sam will be leading a meditation workshop/practice session Friday, from 6:00 pm till 9:00 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm with a light vegan potluck lunch at about noon. If these dates are not good, this workshop will be repeated on Feb. 8 and 9, 2019. Send an email to  registrations@albanyuu.org  to sign up. Find out more  here .
Family Ministry with Leah Purcell
Family Ministry - building strong connections between families and the congregation; and equipping parents and caregivers to engage in their child’s faith development at home.  

Coming Up on Saturday, Oct 20, 3:00 – 5:00 PM - Unplug the Christmas Machine Workshop for Parents and Caretakers
For years, readers have turned to Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Robinson and jean Coppock Staeheli for inspiration and advice year after year. Using ideas from this book, Leah Purcell will help participants to combat the materialistic, commercialism of Christmas with practical ideas to put the holiday season into a UU perspective. More info here . Sign up by Wednesday, Oct. 17. Minimum number of 7 participants required.
Denominational Connections
Ysaye Barnwell to be theme speaker for Central East Region Summer Institute
The 40th   anniversary of SI is already ramping up the awesomeness with the announcement of Ysaye Barnwell as the 2019 Theme Speaker. A former member of the vocal group Sweet Honey in the Rock, Barnwell is an energetic and beloved workshop leader in the UU community. She has a deep knowledge of the African-American vocal tradition, and of music’s power to connect, motivate, inspire, and teach. Come and share in the experience of building beloved community through a collective voicing of our shared joys, concerns, and humanity. Learn more at  cersiuu.org .

Want to know what is happening in the Central East Region? Looking for information on workshops and offerings? There are several ways to keep in touch and know what’s happening. Visit the CER website, Subscribe to the Central East Newsletter, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @ceruua.

Hudson Mohawk UU Fall Gathering! UU Saratoga on Oct 27!
All are invited the HMUU Fall Gathering at UU Saratoga (624 Broadway), Saturday, Oct. 27, 10:00am-3:00pm. The sessions will include break out sessions for participants to apply these concepts and skills to particular areas of congregational life and leadership because culture impacts all we do from stewardship and finance, to religious education. Please bring a brown bag lunch. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided. View the flyer here . Find more info about HMUU here .

Emma's Revolution is coming to Kingston!
Support the UU Congregation of the Catskills and see Emma's Revolution in concert! Friday, Oct. 19, 7:30 pm . Find more info here .
UPCOMING EVENTS
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 .

Albany UU Humanists
The next meeting of the Albany UU Humanists will be Tuesday, Oct. 16, 7:00 pm in Room B-8. Find more information here .

N.Y. State Convention of Universalists 192 nd Annual Convention
Friday and Saturday, October 19-20, the N.Y. State Convention of Universalists holds its 192nd Annual Convention in Syracuse. Keynote speaker is Dr. Gretchen S. Sorin. She is co-writer working with Ric Burns on the soon-to-be shown PBS documentary “Driving While Black: African Americans on the Road in the Era of Jim Crow,” which is based on her research.  Find more information here .

Getting to Know UU: orientation to UUism
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

Circle Dinner - Saturday, October 27
Please plan to join us for the October Circle dinner, the first dinner of the church year. Circle dinners provide Albany UUs and visitors the opportunity to socialize and become better acquainted over a delicious potluck dinner in a private home. Find more information here .

Art Exhibit/Salon Show Oct. 1- Oct. 28 
Visit the gallery in Channing Hall to see works by Sheryl Galinski and Marjorie Ward.

Sheryl Galinski is a long time resident of the Capital Region and frequently sells her work at the Poestenkill.

Marjorie Ward lives in Latham and has exhibited her work throughout the Tri-city area. Reception with the artist, Sunday Oct. 28, 11: 30 am. Find more information 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!

Sheridan Prep Academy Volunteer Opportunities
Love to Read with A Child? Be a volunteer reading tutor with an elementary age child at Sheraton Prep (our neighborhood public elementary school).This is a 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 .

More Volunteers Needed! The Community School Coordinator has a wide range of volunteer opportunities for many people. 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.
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
-Leah Purcell, Director of Religious Education (RE) and Family Ministry, dre@albanyuu.org

Keep up with what's happening for children and families. Check out Leah's RE Newsletter!
 
Check under the Family Ministry heading for upcoming opportunities!

Nursery/Toddler Room opens at 9:45


Multigenerational service this Sunday
For their faith development this Sunday, Oct. 14, all children and youth will attend the service in the Sanctuary. Leah Purcell will lead the service and our Music Director, Richard Porterfield, will play our beautiful organ! There will be no Sunday school.


If you haven't already, register your child for Religious Exploration!  
Register for RE  on line  and pay the registration fee  on line  too! Or, pick up a paper copy in the RE Office. 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


Volunteers needed for the FOCUS Food Pantry - Saturday, Oct. 27, 10:00am-1:00pm . Albany UU has a leading role to staffing October's pantry. Please let Matt Lesniak know if you would like to participate at mattlesniak@tutanota.de . Emmanuel Baptist Church, 275 State St.

Raise Your Voice for End of Life Choice
Ask a Candidate.  It’s election season, with a general election on November 6. Make sure you are registered to vote. When a candidate asks for your vote, you can ask whether that candidate supports medical aid in dying.  Click here to take the pledge to “Ask the Candidate.”  NOTE: You are not required to make a financial pledge, regardless of where the website routes you.

How to Influence Your Legislators.   Attend a presentation by the leaders of Compassion & Choices NY, Corinne Carey and Amanda Cavanaugh, Oct. 24, 1:00-3:00, Bethlehem Public Library .

Workshop: Having the Conversation about Your End of Life Wishes.  This workshop will give you the tools and the confidence to have “the conversation.” Hosted by the UU Congregation of Saratoga Springs, and led by Death with Dignity Albany’s Director, Bonnie Edelstein, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2:00-4:00, at 624 Broadway in Saratoga. RSVP Marian Bigelow 518-587-3847 or  marianbigelow@gmail.com
Inclusivity Team Recommends
Concert for Vieques (Puerto Rico)
Friday, Oct. 12, 7:30 in Community Hall – Come hear two great Afro-Caribbean music groups and support the creation of a hurricane refuge and resource assistance facility in hard-hit Vieques – a project of Centro Civico.
Order tickets here . Or pay $15 at the door. View the flyer.

View the film documentary “Cracking the Codes,” to help us talk about racial inequality grounded in systemic disparity and inequities in American history, culture and identity. The film will be shown in two parts at Unity Church, 21 King Ave., 2:00 -4:30 PM on October 20 and November 3 , followed by light snacks and a facilitated discussion led by Dahlia Herring. Free, but donations accepted. RSVP to dottie_frament@hotmail.com . Find more info here.  
Green Sanctuary's Tip of the Week!
Practicing Our Seventh Principle:
Keep your tires properly inflated - save up to 2 miles per gallon. Rotate your tires twice a year to cut down on wear and tear and make them last longer.
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     
10:00 AM Woman's Group (1st & 3rd)
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