OCTOBER 17-21, 2022 - 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.
REMINDER: NAMING TOWN HALL DIRECTLY AFTER SERVICE OCT 16: VOTE #2 RUNS OCT 16-23. CLICK HERE TO VOTE; MEMBERS ONLY.
Note: If you would like to have an announcement made from the pulpit on a given Sunday, please contact Communications, Beth Cliff, by Wednesday at 5:30 PM. We try to limit the announcements to three; Rev. John will decide what to include if there are too many!
NEW MEMBERS! MEET THE VALENZUELA FAMILY!
the Valenzuela family
We are pleased to have the Valenzuela family joining us in worship, faith formation classes, and ongoing congregational life!

The Valenzuelas love to travel camp and dance. They are Colombian American and speak Spanish and English at home. Over the summer, they traveled to Colombia. Diana (5 years old) and Lucas (7 years old) play soccer, swim, and attend school at Fairfield Montessori. Lucas also sings in our youth/teen choir - and we heard him last Sunday as he lit our chalice, in Spanish and in English.

Andres is a network engineer. Lina is an educator, a realtor, and volunteers on our membership committee. Click HERE to contact Lina to say a special welcome!

If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Rob Zuckerman or Beth Cliff. Our next Membership Sunday, when we welcome new members, will be Nov. 20.
PARENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN AGE AND SPIRIT:
WE'D LOVE YOUR INSIGHTS AND CONNECTIONS!
We are gearing up for our first ever Voices Cafe KIDS concert on Saturday November 5 at 4:00 PM, expanding our offering to families and listeners of all ages! 
 
We'll have kids’ artwork activities before the concert starts, and a potluck dinner afterwards, and the artists, Dan + Claudia Zanes, are fabulous. Listen to, and read more about, this award-winning duo at https://www.danandclaudia.com/. Proceeds are dedicated to the Connecticut Food Bank.
 
Please help us spread the word! Do you have special connections in schools, PTAs, music organizations, camps, daycare centers, after-school programs who should hear about this? We want to know about them! We can do the out-reach, or you can, but first up, we need to know who to connect with!

Contact: Dave Caplan or Beth Cliff with your ideas. Thank you, in advance!
"100 for 100!!" LET'S CELEBRATE A MOMENTOUS OCCASION!
One of our great friends and a long-time and very generous supporter and member, Marion Wertheim, is going to be turning 100 in early November. WONDERFUL!

We want to help celebrate this momentous occasion by delivering her a huge sack of cards - we'd like to get at least 100! - from all parts of the congregation - young, old, newcomers, long timers, folks she knows, and even folks whom she only knows as UU congregants here in Westport, a beloved community she helped build with her husband Joe, since 1957.

Please, write a card for Marion, and address it to her, c/o The Unitarian Church in Westport, 10 Lyons Plains Road, Westport, CT 06880. We'll collect them all, and a group of well-wishers will deliver them all to her on her big day. Questions? Contact Rev. John or Ruth Fontilla, our admin at 203.227.7205 x 10.
INTERFAITH THEOLOGY CONTINUES ON ZOOM TUESDAYS 11:00 AM
Interfaith Theology hosted by Temple Israel runs Tuesdays on ZOOM at 11:00 AM-noon. Please go HERE for the schedule so far. This Sunday, it will be Rev. Alison Patton from Saugatuck Congregational Church. Questions? Contact: Nancy McKeever.

The Zoom link will remain the same for each class. Please save this information: Join Zoom Meeting: HERE Meeting ID: 828 6719 0378 Passcode: 314594
FUNDRAISING FOR OUR CHILDREN'S LEARNING JOURNEYS:
HOLIDAY WREATHS, SCENTED CANDLES & BOTTLES & CANS
The Faith Formation children and youth are selling holiday wreaths and scented candles throughout the month of October. They request your bottles and cans as well. We have a donor match that makes the redemption now worth 10 cents! (We are looking for other donors to match the match!) If you would like your leaves rakes this fall, hire the youth group!
"HYBRID" UU MOVIE GROUP MEETING OCTOBER 28 AT 7:30 PM
Catherine Called Birdy
Movies we picked to discuss this month are: “Catherine Called Birdy”, “Bros” and “God’s Creatures”.

Please join us if you have seen any of these or want to hear about them. We will meet in the West Wing and on ZOOM. Walk ins welcome. For more information, or the ZOOM link, please email Dorothy Rich.
BOARD CHOOSES ONE END AS PRIORITY FOR FY '22-23;
MEETS THIS TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 7 PM in WEST WING
square logo of church silhouette with blue gold colors
Our Board voted to select a single end for our focus this year, given the needs of our congregation: “We become a financially sustainable, engaged, growing Congregation comprised of all generations.” All the ends for this year can be found on our website, HERE.  

The Board also reworded End No. 1.2.1: It now reads “We embrace a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance, where we treat each other with loving kindness and mutual respect, working together to resolve any conflicts with love and compassion."

The Board meets again this Tuesday October 18 at 7 PM in the West Wing. All are welcome; let Stapley our secretary know if you plan to attend. As always click HERE for agenda, draft minutes from September, and other Board postings.
YOU ARE INVITED! BECOME PART OF OUR SOCIAL EMAIL GROUP
You are invited to join our social email group, designed as a way for us all to communicate with each other, congregant to congregant, without formal administrative or ministerial review: it's our place to share as we wish. Click HERE to understand more about it, and contact Beth Cliff if you're interested. The more the merrier!
ONGOING PROGRAMMING
Mondays: 6-7:30 PM via ZOOM Buddhist Practice Group Nina Nagy Let Nina know you are attending.Teachings offered on a donation basis. 

Wednesdays: 7-8:15 PM A New Earth Bob Bevacqua

Thursdays: 4 PM Talking Circles. ZOOM HEREJim Francek.

Fridays: Last Friday of each month: 7:30 PM UU Movie Group. Hybrid. Dorothy Rich

Saturdays and Sundays: Sat 12:00 noon- 4 PM; Sun 9:30- 9:50 AM John Street Bag Lunch Drop Off David Vita

Sundays: 9 AM UU Meditation & Mindfulness (virtual and in person) Janet Luongo

The Hiking Group First Saturdays and third Mondays. 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).
All women welcome at all events; visit our website for complete info.
Questions? Contact TUCWomen@gmail.com
  • The Women’s Circle with Grandmother Nancy: Tuesday, October 18, 7-8:30 PM. (First and third Tuesdays of the month) Talking circle - thought provoking and inspirational conversations. ZOOM HERE Contact Pat Francek

  • Friday, October 21, 2022 - 6:30 PM: Chris Place hosts POTLUCK in New Canaan  Halloween theme: Costumes are Welcome. RSVP to Eileen Belmont, 215-350-3015,. She will email you the address. Bring a yummy dish to share, any type. NO red wine. Save the dates for the next potlucks, November 11 and December 16.
SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES
Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
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,or Diane Cano,
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.