November 15-19, 2021 - 10 Lyons Plains Road Westport, CT 06880 - Phone: 203.227.7205
CLICK HERE for 2 week calendar PDF. .CLICK HERE for past issues of SOUNDINGS.
LIGHT THE LIGHTS! WE DID IT!
Children Are Our Future logo
Thanks to the generosity of dozens of fellow congregants, we are pleased to announce that we EXCEEDED our goal of $20,000 in the Children Are Our Future campaign! With the Scouller/Nelson 1:1 match, that means we'll have over $40,000 to put to good use in designing and delivering programs that will enhance the development and experiences of our children and families. 
 
Many many thanks to all who contributed. Your gifts are very gratefully received and will be put to great use. This extra money will make a big difference this fiscal year, as we continue to nurture families and children in Fairfield county.
CALLING ON OUR FUN-RAISERS EXTRAORDINAIRE!
engage join participate unite involve
We are starting to think about events or activities for the first half of 2022 that can help us continue to provide financial support to our beloved congregation - while bringing us together in community and with good cheer. We are holding a brainstorming ZOOM call this Monday, November 15, 6:00-7:00 PM. All are welcome to attend.

ZOOM info is HEREMeeting ID: 849 9333 4276 Passcode: 229741 Ideas but can't make the meeting time? That's OK! Just reach out to Beth Cliff and she'll share your thoughts at the meeting.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 16, 7-9 PM
Our Board of Trustees meets the third Tuesday of every month, and this Tuesday is no exception. It will meet in the West Wing. Minutes from prior meetings and agenda items can be found HERE.

Recall that our ends - think of them as strategic goals - can be found HERE.

Questions? Concerns? Thoughts you'd like to share with us? Please contact board@uuwestport.org
TUCW At The Movies
The UU Movie Group has made its selections for their Friday, December 3, 7:30 PM gathering. The “winning” movies to watch during November are “The French Dispatch”, “Passing” and “Belfast. No need to watch them all; all are welcome. For ZOOM and further details contact Dorothy Rich.
REMEMBERING OUR LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBERS
The Legacy Society is comprised of members who have made a commitment to the long-term future of our beloved congregation by including TUCW in their estate planning. We are pleased to feature various Society members, as a attribute to them and their generosity. Questions? Contact Chuck Harrington.
Music gave Eunice Powers a means of expressing the depths of her inner world. Her own library was filled with books from around the globe; the vast places she traveled and the many languages she learned. A teacher for 40 years, Euni supported  lifelong learning and making meaningful connections. She sang alto in TUCW choirs and played piano for the Medi-plex Nursing Home in Westport, knowing just what songs would help them remember. When preparing her end of life plan, she gave generously to the Music program here at TUCW. Eunice lives on in our memories and will have an influence on so many she will never meet. We are grateful for her gift.
Faith Formation
We have a lot going on with our Adult Faith Formation and our Soul Matters curriculum. This week, we are announcing two offerings and a reminder about our ongoing UU Writers Soul Matters program. Questions, contact Linda Lubin.
ONLINE INTERFAITH THEOLOGY, TUESDAYS AT 11:00 AM
We are pleased to share that all are invited to join the online Interfaith Theology course hosted by Temple Israel, 11:00 AM every Tuesday. In this forum, local clergy from many denominations share perspectives and wisdom with attendees. Already a few of us UUs join in; it'd be great to have more! To see who is on the teaching roster (including Rev. John, in May), please click HERE

Topics so far have included Covenants, Sikh practices, Environmental Theology. Very interesting to hear different points of view, from both the clergy and participants. Drop in as you are available; no prep required. RSVP for ZOOM link HERE.
NEW SEASON OF HOPE: LIGHTS IN THE DARKNESS
after Sunday Services - Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12, Dec 19
Chanukah, Advent/Christmas, candlelit services, the long, dark nights approaching the Winter Solstice...we each feel the crowd of memories, feelings and longings pressing upon us. 
 
For millennia we humans have faced the darkness by gathering, creating common experience, creating rituals, telling stories that bring mind, heart, spirit and body into harmony with the natural world.  Intentional opportunities to reflect, to share, and to connect are a gift during the holiday season. 
 
What’s your ‘holiday/solstice’ story’? How does it fit into the ancient stories of Judaism, Christianity, Pagan and other spiritual traditions? Come as you are able!
gold pen
UU Writers: Thursday, November 18, 1:00 -2:30 PM (daytime group) or  7:00 – 8:30 PM (nighttime group). More info HERE
Social Justice Banner
JIN HI KIM'S "A RITUAL FOR COVID-19" - NOVEMBER 19
We are a community sponsor of internationally renowned musician and Guggenheim Composer Fellow Jin Hi Kim’s ‘A Ritual for Covid-19,’ a community purification performance in memory of 628,000 deaths in the USA and 4.4 million deaths worldwide during the pandemic. The performance, on November 19 is a benefit for radio station WPKN.
 
Please CLICK HERE for a video excerpt. And HERE for tickets.

Kim creates a live interactive performance on the world’s only electric komungo as she presents a range of projected images reflective of the coronavirus pandemic.
LGBTQ+ 101: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 at 11:15 AM
LGBTQ+coloredpathway
The Gender Equity Team (GET) is excited to present “LGBTQ+ 101: An Introduction to Identities and Allyship,” a training provided through a grant from the Triangle Community Center in Norwalk. This is a two part, multi-generational training to give our congregation common language to connect us as we learn more about terminology, definitions and rethinking historical and traditional assumptions about gender and sexuality. The first session will begin at 11:15 am on November 21, 2021 in the Sanctuary. The second session will be January 9, 2022.  Participation and registration is intended for those who can attend both dates. 

Seating is limited so register now by contacting Jamie Forbes. Due to Covid precautions we ask that you bring your own lunch. 
CALLING FOR GENTLY USED CHILDRENS' COATS
Beardsley children need warm coats and gloves or mittens! If your child has outgrown last year’s coat, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a new life. Please drop off coats for children ages 4-13 in the Beardsley Box under the Social Justice table. Mittens and gloves are needed as well, and thank you to our knitters who are creating hats and scarves for them this month! Beardsley is a neighborhood school which means children walk to school each day. Please, let us keep them warm this winter. Accepting donations thru November 21. Contact: Lynne Laukhuf
RACIAL JUSTICE BEGINS WITH YOU! SEE RESOURCE GUIDE
Black Lives Matter

See Our Resource Guide offerings - virtual and local in-person - events for the next week. Please click HERE for details.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING "RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION AND OUR 8TH PRINCIPLE"
Thank you to everyone who joined us last Sunday to view “Segregated by Design” and participated in thoughtful discussions afterward! We hope you left with new insights and personal revelations. Please look for a summary of key themes and observations in next week’s SOUNDINGS.

If you were unable to watch the video, or would like to share it with others, you can access it HERE. Also, a few copies of The Color of Law are available to borrow from our library.

To learn more about residential segregation here in our own communities and what can be done to address it, as well as how our UU principles inspire us to action, please plan to join us for a follow-up program on Sunday, January 16.
ONGOING PROGRAMMING EACH WEEK
Mondays: 6-7:30 PM via ZOOM Buddhist Practice Group Nina Nagy Let Nina know you are attending.Teachings offered on a donation basis.

Tuesdays: 7:30-8:15 AM. MOVING! (Virtual) low impact, heart-healthy aerobics. Beth Cliff
6-7 PM.

Wednesdays: 7-8:15 PM The Power of Now Jim Francek

Thursdays: 4-5 PM Talking Circles. ZOOM HEREJim Francek.

Fridays: Every other Fri (but no Fri Nov 28), 12:30-2PM. Shawl Ministry Jan Braunle

Saturdays: 12:00 noon- 4PM John Street Bag Lunch Drop Off David Vita

Sundays: 9 AM Meditation (Virtual and Oak Room) Janet Luongo

The Hiking Group meets the first Saturday and the third Tuesday of the month, 9:30 AM. Jamie Forbes Gian Morresi
Our complete calendar is always on our website. Click HERE for quick access
Find us on digital and social media: website: uuwestport.org, Facebook public page (Unitarian Church in Westport) private group (uuwestport), and Instagram (uuwestportct).
  • Sacred Circles with Grandmother Nancy: Tuesday, November 16, 7:00-8:30 PM. (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) Talking circle, thought-provoking conversations. ZOOM HERE. Contact Pat Francek

  • Story Telling Workshop: How to transform a good story into an inspirational one. Mondays, November 15 and December 137:00 – 8:30 PM. Participants will develop their own inspirational stories and present them the following week. Contact Elizabeth Macdonald for further information. ZOOM HERE

  • BLM Meeting, Friday, November 19th7:00 – 8:00 PM, ZOOM: HERE We continue working on the following areas: police accountability, education reform, and conferences intended to inspire, connect and create further action.
All women welcome at all events; visit our website for complete info.
Questions? Contact TUCWomen@gmail.com
SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES
PASTORAL CARE
If you are going through a challenging time or know somebody in the congregation who needs support from our Pastoral Care Chaplains, call to leave a confidential message in the PCA voice mailbox 203-227-7205 ext. 19 or email pca@uuwestport.org.
CARING NETWORK
Our support network is available to provide tangible help for friends in need: meal delivery, pharmacy runs, grocery shopping, a regular phone call of connection. Contact a minister or coordinators Dorothy Rich, Diane Cano, or Sharon Poole.
ADDICTION RECOVERY
For individuals or families of our congregation seeking confidential support or information about addiction issues. Please contact our Addiction Recovery Ministry by calling 203-227-7205 ext. 19 or emailing pca@uuwestport.org
The Unitarian Church in Westport is a diverse and welcoming religious community, free of creed and dogma, and open to people of all backgrounds and beliefs. 
 WE INSPIRE and support individual spiritual growth. 
 WE CONNECT through worship, music, learning, and caring ministries. 
 WE ACT in the service of peace and justice.