UUCSC News and Updates
Weekly on Fridays
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, RI
All are welcome!
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Reverend Denis Letourneau Paul, Minister
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This Sunday, February 6, 2022 |
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Worship
In person 10 am
and Virtual 11:15 am
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“Spheres of Influence”
Rev. Denis Letourneau Paul
February 6, 2022
We’ve heard it so much, it’s become a useless cliche. We’re living in troubling and challenging times. The “culture war” has become so extreme that we can’t even talk to some of our own family members about the most fundamental topics. Big issues are incendiary, and even sports and weather have become politically divisive. So how do we figure out who we can talk to, and when we are most likely to change hearts and minds?
Virtual Coffee hour to follow the 11:15am service.
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Religious Exploration
In-person
10am-noon
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Two Hours of RE!
We are trying a new schedule in RE this month: Sundays from 10am-noon!
We want to encourage parents (and any interested children) to join the service in the sanctuary at 10am. We will provide outside playtime from 10-11, and then hold our RE sharing circle at 11:15. Come to any part of it that you can!
Any adults from the congregation who wish to join our RE circle are welcome!
Also, see below for our All Ages Hike this Saturday, Feb. 5th!
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Lee Cowan, Director of Religious Exploration
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Share the Plate Sunday
Half of the plate and designated collections received by check or online
the first week of each month are shared with a worthy local nonprofit. The Share the Plate recipient in February is Farm Fresh Rhode Island.
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People are showering in their raincoats and posting videos on social media. Really. It’s a thing. And proof that whatever happens IRL (in real life) is WAY less believable than fiction.
This kind of viral stunt isn’t uncommon on TikTok, where everything is perceived as a challenge. Complicated dance steps, getting dumped on with ice cold water, or baking a pumpkin chocolate chip cake are all dares. If you accept the dare, and do it with flair, it could get you a lot of attention. Remember back in September, when teenagers were vandalizing school restrooms? It was a TikTok challenge.
I took a look at a few of these raincoat-in-the-shower videos online. In each, the person is wearing a coat of a certain brand, opening and closing it, apparently to demonstrate how amazingly effective it is at keeping the wearer dry.
These folks are advertising for a brand. It’s a brand I will not name because I don’t feel like it’s my job to advertise for products. My feeling has always been that if I’m going to wear a brand name or logo emblazoned on a shirt, hat, jacket or shoes, the manufacturer should be paying me, not the other way around. But I guess I’m an outlier, because all these TikTok-ers are happy to take on the unpaid job if it can get them noticed. They end up being evangelists for a brand, in a competition where the best evangelist wins. And of course the brand is the ultimate winner.
Is there any brand you love so much, you’d be willing to essentially work for free for them? There’s only one brand I’d be willing to do that for. It’s a brand I’ve given a lot of resources to, and even dedicated my life to: Unitarian Universalism.
But have you ever noticed how hard it is to find UU logo gear? In my last congregation we addressed the problem by printing mission t-shirts for everyone. When we’d go to social justice events, or local celebrations, or interfaith adult religious education classes with other congregations, we’d wear our shirts with our name and mission statement of four words, each accompanied by a symbol.
We were known as the black t-shirt folks. Unitarian Universalists whose mission is to love, revere, discover and connect.
Now, that’s evangelism for a brand I can get behind. And it makes me wonder: What can we do here in Rhode Island to evangelize our brand?
In Peace,
Rev Denis
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All Ages Hike: First Saturdays |
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You are invited to meet at the trailhead of Trustum Pond at 10am on Saturday, Feb. 5th. Hosted by Lee Cowan and the RE Committee, we invite anyone from the congregation to explore this beautiful wildlife refuge with us!
Lee Cowan, Director of Religious Exploration
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Longtime UUCSC member, and former member of Westminster UU, Rod Driver passed away on January 16th. A URI Mathematics Professor and life-long political activist, he also cared deeply about the environment and was a lover of educational gadgets. A memorial service will be held this Saturday in North Kingstown and will be available via livestream.
Click here for his obituary and details about the service.
Submitted by RevDenis
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UUCSC Men's Breakfast
Tomorrow
Saturday, February 5, 2022
9:00 AM
Submitted by Will Bender
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The Pastoral Care Committee, in partnership with Rev Denis, is working to revive an important caring ministry to the UUCSC community. Formerly called Caring Connection, the newly named Helping Hands has already welcomed offers of rides, meals and cards for those in need of temporary support from our faith community.
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Helping Hands will serve to connect Members and Friends of UUCSC to rides to medical appointments. After hospitalization or a death in the household some meals can be provided. Cards of support can be sent to congregants on various occasions.
On Wednesday March 2, 2022 at 7pm, there will be an open zoom meeting for any and all Members and Friends of UUCSC who wish to weigh in on the creation of Helping Hands. We seek and desire comments and ideas on how this ministry can best serve our Beloved Community. Attend for a short time, or for the whole exploration of the future of this work. Share how you have been served in the past, and how you would like to be served should the occasion arise. Please join us for some creative planning of our future together.
In the Faith, Linda (Whyte Burrell), Chair Pastoral Care Committe
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New Office Hours 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM Tuesday through Thursday, and 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM on Fridays. |
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Auction Chairperson Needed: The Board of Directors is hoping to have an auction in April that will incorporate Dining for Dollars and we are looking for a person to chair this event. Please contact Elizabeth Donovan at elizdn342@gmail.com
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Guest at Your Table Campaign
"Stories for all ages from the grassroots"
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Every year during the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s Guest at Your Table program, we have the chance to learn about four people connected to UUSC partner organizations – the “guests” in Guest at Your Table. Click HERE for their stories.
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or by sending a check with "GAYT" in the memo line to:
UUSC, PO 808
Newark, NJ 07101-0808
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Dorothy Devine adds to her personal narrative/memoir. Update finished!
Your search for truth and meaning begins here.
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How to Submit Info to This Newsletter |
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Send announcements and news with Newsletter Item in the subject line to Etta Zasloff, Editor, at zasloff.etta@gmail.com and Sara Kaplow, Congregational Administrator, at uucscri@yahoo.com by Tuesday Noon
to assure publication by Friday of that week.
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