Thursday, March 2, 2023
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THIS SUNDAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE
"It's All the Main Road"

Rev. Sue Browning, Minister
Kim Agee, Service Leader
Michael Casey, Musician
Matt Mielnick, Guest Musician

In Person & Zoom

Sunday, March 5, 2023 - 10 a.m.

Do you find sadness is an interruption in your life? In her book "Bittersweet" author Susan Cain encourages us to instead see sadness as an integral part of life which opens paths to connection and creativity. At this service with Rev. Sue Browning we'll reflect on the importance of honoring sadness in our lives.

So we can begin the service promptly at 10 a.m., please arrive at the church, or sign into Zoom (click here) by no later than 9:50 a.m.

Welcoming Families and Children on Sunday Mornings
Each Sunday, UUCR offers childcare and simple age-appropriate activities for children of all ages. If you have any questions about UUCR's programming for families and children, please be in touch with Rev. Sue. 
Upcoming Worship Services
Sunday, March 12 — In Person & ZOOM

"A Sense of Beauty"

What does it mean to have a sense of beauty in a time when all feels ugly? How can we make ourselves vulnerable to beauty's deep message to strengthen our spiritual selves and our sense
of call in the world?

  • Rev. Kimberley Debus, Guest Speaker
  • Annie Lavin, Service Leader
  • Michael Casey, Musician


Sunday, March 19 — In Person & ZOOM

"For the World to See — T-shirt Sunday — An 'All Ages' Service"

Do you have a favorite T-shirt? Does it come with a story? Or maybe you have a beloved hat or coffee mug that might open conversations with friends and even strangers? At this service for all ages, all are invited to wear T-shirts and hats or to bring a favorite coffee mug and together we'll co-create a service with Rev. Sue Browning around the stories.  

  • Rev. Sue Browning, Minister
  • Nancy Holland, Service Leader
  • Michael Casey, Musician
Newsletter Index
So You Don't Miss Anything!
  • This Week's Worship Service Information
  • Upcoming Worship Services Information
  • Newsletter Index
  • Helpful Links, Office Hours, Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Upcoming Musical Guests
  • Special Congregational Meeting
  • Pledge Campaign Results so Far
  • Yard Sale & Auction Fundraiser Needs You!
  • Spring Equinox Sock Burning & Potluck
  • UUA General Assembly in Pittsburgh, PA
  • Kent County Food Pantry Items Needed
  • Pastoral Care and Connection Committee
  • Birthdays
  • UUCR Contact Information
  • End of Reflections Notice at the VERY END
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Helpful Links
Upcoming Events
This Week's
Worship Service



Last Week's Worship Service Recording

FEB 26 | YouTube link


UUCR



UUCR Office Hours:
W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
M, Tu, Th, F — CLOSED
MAR 05 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister

MAR 12 | ⏰ Daylight Savings
Time Starts

MAR 12 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Kimberley Debus, guest
speaker

MAR 12 | Special
Congregational Meeting
(see details below)

MAR 19 | Worship Service
T-shirt Sunday
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister

MAR 19 | Spring Equinox
Sock Burning & Potluck
(see details below)

APR 29 | Yard Sale in AM
and
Silent & Live Auctions in PM
If you know of another link or event that should be added, please contact
the UUCR office by email or phone 410-778-3440. Thanks!
Upcoming Musical Guests

MAR 05 | Matt Mielnick
Special Congregational Meeting — March 12
A Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, following the Sunday service.

The purpose of this meeting is to present two proposals for installing a paved pathway to the Woodland Memorial Garden. The two options were selected based on input from the congregation following the September 11, 2022, special congregational meeting.

A question and answer session will be held after the presentation, followed by a vote of the congregation. This requires a quorum of 20% of the membership, so please plan to attend the meeting. Friends and visitors are invited to attend, although only members who have signed the Membership Book prior to December 12, 2022 will be eligible to vote.

In gratitude,

Lynn Geisert, President
Gratitude to all who have pledged their support to UUCR for next year!

The Stewardship Committee has been reaching out to the last few members and friends who have not yet sent in their pledges for next year. We have achieved 78% of goal, and have a few more pledges that we are expecting to come in. Currently we are $17,491 short of the designated pledge income in the projected budget. I believe we will end a little higher by Sunday, but will remain short of our goal. This is not due to lack of pledging member and friend’s generosity, but rather to attrition from member moves, etc. If anyone finds their pockets are a little deeper and wish to increase their pledge, you can email the office at uuofchesterriver@gmail.com. We will be turning over the Stewardship Campaign’s final results to the Finance Committee this Sunday, March 5th, and they will make adjustments to the projected budget as needed, before presenting it to the Board.

Thanks again for your support!

Jackie Mathwich, Stewardship Committee Chair
Yard Sale & Auction Fundraiser
Needs You!
The 2023 Yard Sale & Auction Fundraiser is set for Saturday, April 29th and is our largest fundraiser of the year. Have you started thinking about what you'd like to donate and where you might be able to help? Before heading off for surgery, Jane Hardy made sure she started contributing to the cause. She volunteered for an auction position, gathered up some items to donate, and submitted photos and descriptions for the catalog. Won't you please follow her lead?

Begin collecting all your unwanted items for our yard sale and set aside your nicer items for our silent auction. For our live service auction, think about donating an event, trip, tickets, dinner, or anything that may be fun or helpful to our members and friends. Please consider contacting friends, family, neighbors, groups, organizations, businesses, etc., for donations of items and/or services, and also invite them to the yard sale and auctions. The deadline for all donations is April 16.

We won't start having you bring the donated items to UUCR until closer to the date, but would appreciate you letting us know what you plan on donating to the silent and live service auction as soon as possible so we can start our online catalog on UUCR's website. For donations to the auctions, please give a description and if possible send a photo of any items that we'll then use in the catalog (also let us know if you want us to set a minimum bid and the amount).

The yard sale will be held from 8 a.m. - noon in the UUCR parking lot (in case of rain it will be held indoors). The silent and live auctions will be held indoors beginning at 6 p.m. The evening festivities include an hors d'oeuvres and desserts reception. Proxy bidders can be provided for those unable to attend and still wish to bid on our offerings.

For Silent and Service Auction donations or any general questions, please contact:

Please contact the following to donate to, or volunteer to help with the:
2023 Spring Equinox Sock Burning
and Potluck —
Sunday, March 19 at 5 p.m.
It’s hard to believe, but spring is right around the corner. This year the Equinox is on March 20th. We have, in our ultimate wisdom, decided to combine our annual Sock Burning with our March potluck to be held on Sunday, March 19th at 5 p.m. The Burning of the Socks will be in the Woodland Memorial Garden followed by the potluck in the church.
The Sock Burning is a uniquely Chesapeake Bay tradition. On the Spring Equinox the watermen would burn their socks, which they had been wearing all winter. This is not a requirement at
our sock burning. The ceremony will be led by our own salty sailor, Kim Agee.

If you would like to help, contact John Ramsey at johnramsey1948@gmail.com.
UUCR Encourages Members to Attend the 2023 UUA General Assembly!
General Assembly (GA) is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles. Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association though a democratic process. Anyone may attend.

GA will be held June 21 - 25, 2023 online or in-person in Pittsburgh, PA. Most GA events will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA.

General Assembly 2023 will be a multiplatform event, with registration options for in-person and/or virtual participation. Registered delegates can vote on business and agenda items.

This year GA will be considering changes to our UUA Principles, as presented to us recently by Rev. Sue. This year’s Ware Lecture will be given by Imani Perry, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and a faculty associate with Gender and Sexuality Studies and Jazz Studies, contributing writer for The Atlantic, and author of seven books.

UUCR will subsidize the cost of registration for members who attend in-person or virtually. If you are interested and have questions about the UUA General Assembly or UUCR's process to identify delegates, please contact Rev. Sue or Lynn Geisert.

For more information: https://www.uua.org/ga.
Kent County Food Pantry Items Needed
The Community Food Pantry is still in need of personal care items and some specific food supplies. Please consider contributing to this essential community service. Some of the items requested include soaps, toothbrushes, shampoos, toilet paper, disinfectants, and deodorant. Food items include coffee, olive oil, and vinegar. Please check the Social Justice bulletin board in the UUCR lobby for a complete list of needed items. Donated items can be deposited in the bin located outside the RE Room. Thanks so much for your consideration!
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Pastoral Care and Connection
You are encouraged to share your joys and sorrows with the UUCR Pastoral Associates (see below). This team is a mixed group — but all have had previous life experiences and a variety of professional training in counseling and philosophy. Please contact one, or several of us, if you “want to talk.”
Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
Birthdays

MARCH

14 - Neenah Newell
18 - Jackie Mathwich
30 - Jan Sprinkel
We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).
Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive | Chestertown, MD | 21620
Phone: 410-778-3440
Office hours: W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am-12:30 pm
Closed — M, Tu, Th, F
VERY END of REFLECTIONS for March 2, 2023