b e a c o n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0 T h e b e a c o n i s p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y b y t h e U n i t a r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t C o n g r e g a t i o n o f G r e e n v i l l e 2 5 2 - 3 5 5 - 6 6 5 8 w w w . u u g r e e n v i l l e n c . o r g b e a c o n E d i t o r : D o n E n g l i s h b e a - c o n @ u u g r e e n v i l l e n c . o r g C h i l d r e n ’ s a c t i v i t i e s a r e a v a i l a b l e e a c h S u n d a y . S u n d a y S e r v i c e s - - 1 0 : 3 0 a m As I sit down to write this letter I have my leg up, my knee iced, and I am reflecting on how long term goals take perseverance, patience, and in this case a lot of old fashioned “leg work.” My knee surgery just before Christmas was successful and the recovery is proving challenging as promised. What has made it easier is the great support that I have received from my family and friends. The most appreciated expression of support has been the every other night dinners delivered by UUCG members and friends; what a relief not to have to worry about how and what to prepare for dinner. The planning, coordination, and follow through of this effort reminds me of how most significant goals are accomplished – not with lots of fanfare, but as the result of a commitment by a number of people. In my last letter I mentioned how important it is that we achieve more than our budgeted fundraising goal this year. In the past years we have seen several surprises, some good and some not. We now have a Choir Director and Youth RE Director and a new heat pump, some siding, and some new windows. The economic challenges faced by some of our members and friends are immense and some of their pledges cannot be fulfilled. PI- CASO, which serves a traditionally underserved population, is in danger of shutting down because it has lost much of its funding. As part of our Fifth Sunday Collection tradition our November 29 th collection generated $800 for PICASO. There is more good news! Our Hymnphony, in December, was a wonder- ful celebration of many types of music and raised $503 for new hymnals. Our recent Service Auction raised $1,750 and our new project, gift wrap- ping at Barnes and Nobles, coordinated by Claudia Sundman, earned UUCG $1,431. Ask Claudia about some of the potential UUs she met while wrapping. We are still waiting to hear about the results of our sec- ond McAllister’s Community Day, on December 9 th. So our fundraising has gone well so far, our budget has not been rocked by any new disasters, and Tom Thielen and the Stewardship Committee are getting ready to kick off our Annual Pledge Drive. Please be generous when they come calling. Their goal this year is to raise $93,000, which is a 10% increase over the pledges made for this fiscal year. Everyone will be asked to help make it a success. Some will have time, some will have money, and some will have talents – all of it will be needed. You will start to hear more about the Campaign in the upcoming weeks. This will be when we will want to ask ourselves why we pledge and what UUCG means to us, our families, and our communities. President’s Notes The UUCG P r e s i d e n t ’ s N o t e s PREZ NOTES (continued on page 7) February 7 Chocolate, Good Music & Making Love Rev. Ann Marie February 14 Promises, Promises Rev. Ann Marie February 21 The New Creation Story Rev. Ann Marie February 28 ECU School of Medicine’s Readers Theatre
As I sit down to write this letter I have my leg up, my knee iced, and I am reflecting on how long term goals take perseverance, patience, and in this case a lot of old fashioned “leg work.” My knee surgery just before Christmas was successful and the recovery is proving challenging as promised. What has made it easier is the great support that I have received from my family and friends. The most appreciated expression of support has been the every other night dinners delivered by UUCG members and friends; what a relief not to have to worry about how and what to prepare for dinner. The planning, coordination, and follow through of this effort reminds me of how most significant goals are accomplished – not with lots of fanfare, but as the result of a commitment by a number of people. In my last letter I mentioned how important it is that we achieve more than our budgeted fundraising goal this year. In the past years we have seen several surprises, some good and some not. We now have a Choir Director and Youth RE Director and a new heat pump, some siding, and some new windows. The economic challenges faced by some of our members and friends are immense and some of their pledges cannot be fulfilled. PI-CASO, which serves a traditionally underserved population, is in danger of shutting down because it has lost much of its funding. As part of our Fifth Sunday Collection tradition our November 29th collection generated $800 for PICASO. There is more good news! Our Hymnphony, in December, was a wonder-ful celebration of many types of music and raised $503 for new hymnals. Our recent Service Auction raised $1,750 and our new project, gift wrap-ping at Barnes and Nobles, coordinated by Claudia Sundman, earned UUCG $1,431. Ask Claudia about some of the potential UUs she met while wrapping. We are still waiting to hear about the results of our sec-ond McAllister’s Community Day, on December 9th. So our fundraising has gone well so far, our budget has not been rocked by any new disasters, and Tom Thielen and the Stewardship Committee are getting ready to kick off our Annual Pledge Drive. Please be generous when they come calling. Their goal this year is to raise $93,000, which is a 10% increase over the pledges made for this fiscal year. Everyone will be asked to help make it a success. Some will have time, some will have money, and some will have talents – all of it will be needed. You will start to hear more about the Campaign in the upcoming weeks. This will be when we will want to ask ourselves why we pledge and what UUCG means to us, our families, and our communities.
President’s Notes
The UUCG
President’s Notes
PREZ NOTES (continued on page 7)
February 7
Chocolate, Good Music &
Making Love
Rev. Ann Marie
February 14
Promises, Promises
Rev. Ann Marie
February 21
The New Creation Story
Rev. Ann Marie
February 28
ECU School of Medicine’s
Readers Theatre
During the last Council meeting the congregational leaders who were there got to talking about
how it might be time for us as a congregation to create a behavioral covenant. We all seemed to
simultaneously realize that there are times in congregational life, when we feel uneasy with
someone’s behavior, yet we are silent. In the name of allowing each other to be free, we some-
times tacitly allow uncivil, even hurtful, community breaking behavior to continue, or we wait
hoping the behavior will play itself out... Perhaps, we think we are being tolerant, when maybe
we are short changing the potential we have to create a more loving community. Surely there is
a better way to allow free thought, to welcome diversity of opinion, to be inclusive of all per-
sons who come through our door, while at the same time, intentionally maintaining a healthy
and respectful standard of behavior. What might we consider to be outside the bounds of civil,
loving and respectful behavior? How would we call each other back into “right relationship”
with each other when those bounds are trespassed? Have there ever been times when you
wished you could say; “we don’t do that here”? Going through the process of creating a behav-
ioral covenant, saying out loud how we promise to behave with each other, and what we will do
when those promises are broken, might lead us to, with intentionality, build a community that
better reflects not only our freedom to seek meaning, but our responsibility to treat each other
with love and respect.
—Rev Ann Marie
. . . of Rev Ann Marie Alderman
Deadline for next month’s beacon is Tuesday, February 23rd at 8:00 pm
Rev. Ann Marie’s Valentine Gift to UUCG is a Chocolate Tasting Party
You are invited to come and bring a sweetie (yourself, your partner, friends) to a gourmet
CHOCOLATE TASTING on Saturday evening, February 13th at 7:30 pm. Jon Hoskins of
SWIM (Southeastern Winter Institute in Miami) and SUUSI (Southeastern UU Summer Insti-
tute) fame will guide us through the pleasures of chocolate tasting. Please bring a $5.00 cash
donation or gourmet chocolates or one of your own very special chocolate recipes to share! Jon
is well known in UU camps and retreats for the fabulously fun and informative wine and choco-
late tasting workshops he leads. Let’s celebrate with chocolate! Please e-mail amalder-
[email protected] or call 414-4076 by February 10 with your plans to attend so that enough
chocolate may be purchased for the event, or to let her know if you need childcare.
—Ann Marie
2
Reflections
February Birthdays
Feb 2 Bayta Weinbaum
Feb 5 Sondra Haynes
Feb 6 Dorothea Handron
Feb 9 Shannon Terry
Feb 10 Lynn Caverly
Feb 13 Tom Thielen
Feb 17 John Gustafson, Tabitha Monaco
Feb 26 Shareen Berkowitz
Religions Education
The holidays were busy and full of excitement
and I hope everyone is well as we settle back
into our more normal routines. Kimberly has
been hard at work organizing and rearrang-
ing our rooms to give us a more pleasant and
usable space. I hope everyone gets a chance to
come back and see the wonderful work she
has done.
Our Tweens are continuing with The Golden
Playhouse curriculum, although we did skip
around a bit to make sure we covered the sec-
tions on Hanukkah and Christmas at the ap-
propriate time of year. The children are cur-
rently enjoying discussing stories from the
Old Testament. I personally feel that it is very
important for our children to have a working
knowledge of these stories that shape so
much of our cultural frame of reference, and
as always the children have some amazing
insights.
The Primary class is studying intangible
gifts such as love, friendship and forgive-
ness. These might seem like they are difficult
concepts for such young children but they
learn much through the stories and activities
based around the curriculum.
Don't forget to pick up your Scholastic order
forms; you can purchase some great books for
the children in your life and help our religious
education department earn some needed
books in the process. The Primary and Tween
3
Affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person
children have successfully listed 100 books that
they have read on their Scholastic poster. They
are quite proud of this as when we send this in to
Scholastic, books will be donated to children in
need.
I am very proud that we can offer our children
a safe and supportive place in which to explore
their spirituality. The time and energy of our vol-
unteers are what makes this possible I would
like to extend a sincere "Thank You" to everyone
who works to enrich the lives of our children. If
you haven't yet volunteered for RE, I would like
to offer you the chance to do so now. The re-
wards may be intangible, but they are also im-
measurable.
—Jennifer Thielen
Stewardship Committee
The Stewardship Commitee is seeking volunteers to assist
with the upcoming annual pledge drive. There will be a
Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregation
2010 Eastern Carolina Cluster Gathering
UU CONGREGATIONS & MULTI-CULTURALISM:
IN BETWEEN 8:30 am (Registration) - 3:30 pm Closing
Saturday, March 20 Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville, NC
Keynote The Perversity of Diversity
The Reverend Mark Morrison-Reed
Behind Unitarian Universalist efforts to be-come more diverse, there lies a surprising and painful truth. To change, we must start by accepting this truth with an honest look at who we are and why we are who we are. This ends in a conundrum, but not without hope. Torn between our reality and our aspiration, what are we to do?
5
Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual
Raised UU, Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed co-ministered with his wife, Donna for 26 years, serv-ing in Rochester, NY, and Toronto, Ont. Now focused on writing and other projects, his
Black Pioneers in a White Denomination is an invaluable chronicle. In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby is his most recent work.
KEYNOTE * WORSHIP * WORKSHOPS * ALL AGES WELCOME
Gather with other Thomas Jefferson District Eastern Carolina Cluster congregations (generally those on or East of I-95). Go to www.uugreenvillenc.org/cluster for updates regarding offerings, schedule, and registration or contact Rev. Ann Marie Alderman (252-
Affirming justice, equity and compassion towards all
There will be lots of activities for our
members and friends to enjoy at UUCG
over the next couple of months. Remem-
ber that we must balance our work and
play lives. Adult RE started again last
week, on Wednesday nights, with four-
teen participants studying the “Spirit in
Practice” curriculum. On February 7th Jim
Scott, the well known UU Troubadour,
will present a concert at UUCG. The tick-
ets will be $10 and childcare will be avail-
able. On February 13th, just in time to
celebrate Valentine’s Day, John Hoskins
will conduct a “Chocolate Tasting.”
Mark Morrison-Reid will be leading our
Sunday Service on March 21st. Jackie
Wyman has announced a reforming of
the Women’s Group and the start of a
new biweekly Women’s Lunch Gather-
ing. There should be something for each
of our members to enjoy. If you have an
idea for a new group or activity please
talk to any Board member, to Reverend
Ann Marie, or to the Chair of the Com-
mittee that your idea may be related to.
The Committee Chairs and their contact
information are listed on the UUCG web-
site. Creativity and fun ideas are always
welcome at UUCG!
In Gratitude and Covenant,
Patrice Alexander
Patrice Alexander, President
UUCG Board of Trustees, 2009-2010
Fellowship Committee
Remember that there are numerous
fellowship activities going on each
month (some meet each
week). There's the Tuesday Morning
Breakfast each week at Cracker Bar-
rel, the after church lunch at O'Char-
ley's each Sunday, the UUCG Book
Club meets each month on a night to
be determined, the Men's Group meets
at the church on every fourth Thurs-
day while the Women's Group meets
at the same time at Barnes and Noble,
the Forum meets every Sunday at
church before the Sunday service, and
the Women's Lunch Group meets
every other Friday. There are proba-
bly others that I have forgotten. Get-
ting together with fellow UU's is al-
ways a good thing!
For February: Some dates and times
will be announced later:
Men's and Women's Groups - 2/25
Women's Lunch Group - 2/12 and 2/26
Pot Luck and Movie (theme not yet
decided) - 2/27
7
Promoting a free and responsible search for truth & meaning
PREZ NOTES (continued from page 1)
What Should You Expect From Your Healthcare System in Planning Your End of Life Care?
MARCH 11, 2010
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Edwin Monroe AHEC Conference Center 2000 Venture Tower Drive
Greenville, NC For driving and parking directions go to: eahec.ecu.edu/MC_directions.cfm
PRESENTER
Bernard "Bud" Hammes, PhD
Bernard "Bud" Hammes was educated at the University of Notre Dame, receiving his BA in 1972 and his PhD in philosophy in 1978. He has taught at the University of Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington and at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Since 1984, he has served as the director of Medical Humanities for the Gundersen Lu-theran Medical Foundation in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In this position he provides educational programs for the medical and surgical residents, medical students, and physician assistant students. He also provides in-services and workshops for the medical staff, nursing staff, social workers, and the pastoral care department. Dr. Hammes chairs both the Institutional Review Board and Ethics Committee. For the Institutional Ethics Committee he serves the role of ethics consultant. Dr. Hammes' work has been primarily focused on improving care at the end of life. To this end, he has developed institutional policies and practices, staff education, and patient/community education with a special focus on ad-vance care planning. This work has resulted in two nationally recognized programs on advance care planning: If I Only Knew ... and Respecting Choices. He has authored or coauthored 23 articles and several book chapters that are focused on clinical ethics, advance care planning, and end-of-life issues.
Sponsored by End of Life Care Coalition of Eastern Carolina
Brody School of Medicine Department of Medical Humanities/Bioethics Collaborative For more information contact 847-0868
8
Affirming the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation and in society
9
Affirming the goal of world community & peace, liberty and justice for all
Jim Scott
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville welcomes you
to an evening with
Acclaimed acoustic guitarist Jim Scott will his songs of peace, and the environment on
February 7, 2010 at 7:30 pm.
131 Oakmont Drive, Greenville (just off Charles Blvd, near Gold’s Gym).
Suggested Donations accepted at the door, $10 for adults and $5 for children, (12 or younger)
With insight and more than a little humor, Scott makes his case for harmony in the world with a jazz / world folk music styling and some great guitar technique in accompaniment. Known to many as the voice on the Winter Consort's "Common Ground," Scott's musical output runs from lyrical songs, and instrumentals, to choral compositions. He has performed in the company of luminaries of the jazz and folk worlds. Pete Seeger said of Jim's guitar virtuosity "(Jim is) some kind of a magician." Paul Winter said of his long time collaborator "His music sings of the life spirit." His most recent project has been compiling “The Earth and Spirit Songbook,” an anthology of songs of earth and peace and he has added many of these songs to his concert repertoire. From this widely varied background, Scott considers himself a contemporary folk artist in the sense that folk music represents people with a positive and hopeful spirit. "Folk follows a long tradition of social commentary," Scott said. "It's the voice of the people. That's what I like to think I'm representing." " My messages are of ecology and social conscience, but also of optimism," Scott said. "I believe in the power of song and self-expression for change." For information about the concert, call 252-355-6658
Staff Minister: Rev Ann Marie Alderman Religious Education Dir: Kimberly Scholl President: Patrice Alexander Vice President: Theresa Sparrow Secretary: Susan Foreman Treasurer: Brenda Stewart Music Director: Mort Stine Choir Director: Stephen Brand Office Administrator: Michelle Covi
Deadline for next month’s beacon is Tuesday, February 23rd at 8:00 pm
Committee Chairs Building and Grounds: Feryl Masters,
Richard Weir & Terry Shank Endowment: Bill Paulson Finance: Paul Alston Hospitality: Kathy Weigel & Tracy
Donohue Membership: Alan Bailey & Heidi
Luchsinger Religious Education: Jennifer Thielen Social Action: Pat Tesh & Tom Long Worship: Bev Harju
Respecting the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville
