Editor: Margaret Batschelet, typea45@swbell.net
Nosotros, las congregaciones miembros de la Asociación UU, convenimos en afirmar y formentar el valor y la dignidad propria de cada persona.
One of the attractive and important features of liberal religion is openness to a wide range of religious and spiritual beliefs. These words in my title, taken from our reading for this service by religious educator Sophia Fahs, remind us that liberal beliefs DO matter. All too often, however, I hear suggestions that in liberal religion, belief--in something or someone--is not required or important, or perhaps that in liberal religion we can believe anything we want to. Fahs' reading names many beliefs that are central to liberal religion, and others that are not. Her reading also reminds us that it not only matter WHAT we believe; it also matters THAT we believe.
The CUUC 2003 Service auction was a major success. We had 45 donations in all that brought in about $3200. The auction dinner was a blast. What more could we ask for. Thanks to the auctioneers--Henry, Margaret, and Lisa. Thanks to the caterers--Sandi and Sue. Thanks to all those who gave and those who bought.
The soup lunch for March is scheduled for March 9 immediately after the service. The March soup lunch will be hosted by the Women's Group.
March 17 - "The Environmental Effects of Fluoride," Speaker: Loretta Von Coppenolle
March 23 - RE Sunday; Coordinator: Joan Bradshaw
April 6 - Speaker: Barbara Cooeyman
April 13 - YRUU Service
April 20 - Flower Communion, Coordinator: Margaret Batschelet
The Women's Support Group will meet at 7:00 p.m. at the church on March 10th and 24th.
The Remarkable Film selected for March is "Lolita", the 1961 version directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring James Mason, Peter Sellers, and Sue Lyon. It will be shown at 6 PM on Sunday, March 9 at the church.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
To Dianna Ross for volunteering to give our wall in the front a fresh face lift! To John Bradshaw for all he continues to do to maintain the building! And, to Sue Minton for helping me clean the rugs downstairs!
Much as Sue and I enjoyed each other's company, we'd like to avoid meeting like that. So, on Sunday morning those of you who like to drink coffee in the sanctuary will find COVERED COFFEE CUPS. -June Kachtik
Our religious education program is in transition and doing so with lots of support from Di Ross,Gina Reynolds, Lisa Kuntz Reg Veilleux and myself. On the 23rd of this month we will experience the largest impact on our program that we have seen in some time. We will be creating our own curriculum through a process called CAT (curricular action theme) or a CAT in a BAG for a DAY. We desire that all will contribute either on the 23rd or by means of completing an individual plan on your own, in your own time frame . The topics to be selected should in some way relate to our Unitatian-Universalist Principles and Sources, copies of which are available in the coffee room. On the morning of the 23rd you will receive LOTS of support from Lisa, Di, Gina, Reg, the church children and myself. Please come with your ideas, skills and experiences so that we may capture yours for one of our CAT's. By so doing we honor our first Principle; the dignity and worth of everyone present. REgards, Joan Bradshaw
We think this project, first suggested by Sandi Boyd, has great potential and possibility. We will let you know of the time and place for the Workshop following the Program Committee Meeting next week. Dianna Ross and Joan Bradshaw, Co Coordinators
The Program Committee will meet after church on Sunday, March 9, to plan services for April and May. All those interested in CUUCSA programming are invited to attend.
Third Annual Retreat to be held on Saturday, March 29, 2003, at the Church EVERYONE mark your calendars and reserve that Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Here are some FAQs on the great event.
What is the retreat?
Every year we take a day to ask ourselves how are doing and where we want to go. We use the answers to these questions to chart the course for the coming year?
Must I attend?
Yes. Attendance is required!
Even if I'm not a member?
Yes.
Even if I'm new to the church?
Yes, especially if you are new to the church. Even if you're new, it's your church. You get to decide what it's going to be. That's the purpose of this retreat.
Give me a break! Retreats like this are a waste of time. "Plus ca change, ...."
Wrong! Both of our previous retreats have had a profound effect on the church, and this one will have an equally profound effect.
Can you be more specific?
This has been a year of change in the church. We have new members with new ideas. We have an interest in engaging the services of a professional minister. We have a proposed budget increase to match this interest. We have unfinished business like growth and a mission statement. There is much to be done.
Sorry, I have kids.
Not an excuse. We'll provide child care. Please let Joan Bradshaw know if you are bringing children. You can call her at 341-8506 or E-mail to joanbradshaw@sbcglobal.net.
I have a blood-sugar problem.
Not an excuse. We'll provide lunch. Please confirm your attendance so we know how many loaves and fish to bring in. Henry Halff will be taking names and kicking butt. To avoid the latter, call him at 493-7501 or email him at henry@quiensabe.com.
I suppose you'll be bringing up homework next.
How did you guess. There is homework, but it's fun. It comes in two parts.
Part 1. You'll find, in each of the orders of service this month, a largely blank sheet upon which you can, as the inclination strikes you tell us what you like best about being in the church and what would make being in the church better for you.
Part 2. Please fill in the following survey and send it to June Kachtik (Junekac@aol.com) or bring it to church.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never I see some of my church friends on other occasions.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never I pick my Sundays for attending church based on the topic/speaker.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never I get the UU World and I read it.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never I help my church friends.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never I feel I can call on my church friends to help me.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never This past year I attended a Southwest Conference workshop.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/NeverI contribute more than one or two dollars a week to church.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never Having children in our church is important to me.
Sometimes Yes/Often No/Never This past year, I participated in a church-sponsored social justice activity.
Besides Sunday mornings, the other church activities that I participate in are:
I have been going to this church for___years.
June Kachtik, Operations Facilitator
The soup lunch for April is scheduled for April 20 (Easter Sunday) immediately after the service. The April soup lunch will be hosted by Sandi Boyd and Sue Minton.
This year's SWUUC Spring Conference will be held from April 25-27 in Tulsa, with the theme "Deepening Your Faith, Growing Your Soul." Workshops will take place at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, with accommodations at the Doubletree Hotel Warren Place. Brochures will be available in mid-January and can be accessed on the Web.
Of Course It Makes a Difference
A few months ago, the topic of Religious Education came before the Board. Actually, I brought it before the board because Joan Bradshaw and I were thinking of ways of putting our RE program in hands other than those that have handled it over the past eon. Now, I'm a big fan of parental participation in RE, but when I asked the parents on the board what they thought, their reactions surprised me.
"We take care of our kids all of the time. We want to do other stuff when we come to church."
"We can't control our own kids in a classroom situation."
"We were told [probably by me] that having an RE program would help the church grow. Well, we got an RE program but there's been no growth. Why bother?"
And the most bizarre, "The RE program doesn't seem to do much for the kids. Why have one at all? Why not just let them run around and play with each other?" It's this notion that I want to discuss this month. Actually, "discuss" is the wrong word; what I want to do is give it a good bashing.
First let me establish my authority on the subject. I grew up Unitarian.
A brief aside. Growing up Unitarian-Universalist is NOT the same as having Unitarian-Unitarian parents or even being in church while your parents are attending a service. Growing up Unitarian-Universalist means being a part of the institution through participation in the RE program.
Back to establishing my credentials. To repeat, I grew up Unitarian (which dates me). My son grew up Unitarian-Universalist. I've taught RE (always with disastrous results). For three years, I served on a the children's worship committee and for another three years the RE council (once as chair) of a large, vigorous RE program. I even served as Board Liaison to RE for a year. So--listen up!
RE does make a difference to kids. Sure, knowing who Ishmael was or how the Druids celebrated the solstice may not in themselves have any impact on our kids' lives. But the whole enchilada has one hell of an impact. It's hard for me to imagine what I would be like had I not gone to Unitarian Sunday School all those years. But I will try.
Sometimes it seems to me as if everyone in the denomination speaks UU with a different accent. Mine is native UU. There's nothing better or worse about any accent, from a UU perspective, but your accent is unquestionably part of what of makes you you (clever, eh?). I probably learned the same sorts of things that folks growing up Lutheran, say, learned, about the bible and all. But I learned to naturally look at those things through UU eyes. Those who come to UUism from Lutheranism think differently than do I. At the least, not being Lutheran is a part of their Uuism that I don't share.
As a religious community, then, we have to ask ourselves whether or not we want our kids to speak native UU, that is, to make the liberal perspective the one that comes most naturally to them. If we do, then RE is absolutely essential. Home schooling won't work because it leaves out the most important parts of the liberal perspective. One of these parts is the institutions that support the liberal perspective and its work. The other is the very concern of those institutions for posterity. Organized religious education is the only mechanism available to us for making our children part of our church.
In addition, a kid's particular experiences in RE do, more often than not, make a difference in his or her life. For my son that experience was AYS (About Your Sexuality). For me it was being, once a week, in a group where I was not bottom monkey, and, indeed in a group where there were no bottom or top monkeys. For Dianna Ross, RE was a place where she could safely explore her own identity as she was growing up. Steven Ross had a Druid RE teacher and thereby had his eyes opened to new dimensions of religious practice. (So, knowing how the Druids celebrate the solstice did have an impact on Steven.) Those of us who don't see how one week or another may can a difference in a kid's life may be looking at the wrong week for that particular kid.
By the way, when I asked Steven and Dianna if their RE had made a difference in their lives, they both looked at me as if I was out of my gourd.
But, enough about the kids. Lets ask ourselves what the RE program does for the church.
First off, those of us who have spent any time in RE know that kids are much more demanding consumers of religion than are adults. This means that the quality of service offered in RE programs is typically higher than that in the adult program. If you don't believe me, use Joan or the Internet to look at some of the childrens' worship materials used in UU Sunday Schools. In churches with active RE programs, parents participate in RE on Sunday morning, and the kids bring RE home on Sunday afternoon. This cross-fertilization helps to cement (pardon the mixed metaphor) children's and adults' joint participation in a common enterprise.
Taking a broader view, RE is part of what any UU church is all about, and it's perhaps the most important part. (I've often wondered why MREs are never the senior ministers in our churches.) If we think that the business of our church is to help each of us grow his or her soul, then attention to that task should rightly focus on the souls of our youngest members. Furthermore, unless we imagine that our work on this earth, either as individuals or as a community, will be complete within our lifetime, we need to pay at least as much attention to how our posterity will carry on that work as to how we do. Finally, the work of religious education is the work of preserving and enhancing the liberal way of life for its own sake. It is our way of making sure that we are something more than a bunch of people who are unhappy with some other religion or another. It is our way ensuring that we can grow liberals, or at least the practice of liberalism, from the ground up, not just as a twig broken off some other tree.
It's important for all of us to be thinking about our dedication to RE right now because our crack RE committee has come up with an inspired plan to get all of us involved, in some way, with the RE program. On the 23rd of this month, you'll have the opportunity create a small part of our RE curriculum, a package that anyone can open on Sunday morning and use to lead Sunday on that day. You may be thinking, "Oh, I can't do that. I'm really not all that creative." You're wrong. You can do it, as can anyone with a considered commitment to liberal religion. Later on you'll get a chance to use your package, or someone else's, to teach an RE class; and this too, you can do. What we'll get out of this exercise is more than a viable RE program for this small church. What we'll get is a mechanism for re-uniting all of us with all of our children in the common work of this church and liberal religion. See you on the 23rd, if not before.
March 9 - "It Matters What We Believe," Speaker: Barbara Coeyman
March 9 - Soup Lunch following service, sponsored by the Women's Support Group
March 9 - Program Committee Meeting following service
March 10 - Women's Group, 7:00 p.m.
March 17 - " The Ethics of Water Fluoridation," Speaker: Loretta Von Coppenolle
March 23 - RE Sunday; Coordinator: Joan Bradshaw
March 24 - Women's Group, 7:00 p.m.
March 29 - All-Church Retreat, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
April 3 - Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
April 6 - Speaker: Barbara Coeyman
April 12 - Fellowship Dinner
April 13 - YRUU Sunday
April 20 - Flower Communion, Coordinator: Margaret Batschelet
April 20 - Soup Lunch, Sandi Boyd and Sue Minton
April 25-27 - SWUUC Spring Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma
May 1 - Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
May 3 - Garage Sale
May 18 - Annual Congregational Meeting
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