Wednesday, Sep 13th, 2023
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Welcome back!! It was so wonderful to see so many of you at the Water Service! We have such an exciting year ahead with so many amazing activities!
There are two major items I’d like to bring to your attention this month. The first is the importance of the congregational survey, and the second is a summary of the priorities chosen by the board for the 2023/2024 year.
I want to emphasize the importance of the congregational survey. The best way to find a settled minister who is a good fit for UUFCC is for every one of us to provide our input on the survey. More voices will enable the search committee to capture the diversity of views that best represents us. Please do it! We value your perspective! The board held our annual retreat on Saturday September 9th and has chosen to prioritize the following four items. The first one, not surprisingly, *is* the ministerial search. The Board will be providing input on the materials needed to present to ministerial candidates, and we intend to keep in close contact with the MSC as they proceed with this most important task. Our second priority is to review and revise the UUFCC mission and vision, a task that is part of the transition work. The board reviewed the statements on Saturday, and we believe they could be strengthened. But we don’t want to completely overhaul them because a new minister may want to do that. We would like to make minor changes, and we will need your contributions to the effort. In addition, we all need to make sure we apply the mission and vision to our decision-making. Our third priority is to re-envision how UUFCC members contribute to issues of social justice. One of the signs I saw at the Women’s March in D.C. in January 2017 read “I can’t believe we still have to do this!” Yes, we still have to do it, and maybe now more than ever. How can we use our collective action to have the most effective positive impact on our communities? Finally, we will examine the Program Council. The board will be looking at their charter to clarify it, and searching for additional members to serve on the council.
Happy Fall!
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Sunday Services are both In Person* and on Zoom! *Child care is available in Room C from 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM on Sunday. |
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| Sun, Sep 17 - "The Things We Carry" - 10:00 AM with Rev. Tracy Sprowls This morning we celebrate the High Holy Days of Judaism. The High Holy Days offer all of us a time to reflect and to heal and to begin again. These days are about relationships and connection and forgiveness. Whether Jewish or not these days offer us the time to really consider ourselves and our relationships to ourselves, to each other, to the community and to the world and try again to get it right. |
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To join by phone call: 301-715-8592
Meeting ID: 964 3956 5352# |
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Sun, Sep 24 - "The Value of Connection" - 10:00 AM with Rev. Tracy Sprowls Summer was bookended by the UUA General Assembly in June and the Parliament of World Religions in August. Come hear some highlights from both these conferences and a conversation about the power of religion in the 21st century. |
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| Soulful Sundown: "The Autumn Equinox: A Time for Reflecting on Balance" with Virginia Hubbs
The autumn equinox that takes place on September 23 is a time when day and night are of equal length, when the earth cools and leaves change in color and texture, when flowers begin to rest -- a brief period of balance in much of our external environment. Through poetry and reflection, we consider how we bring balance to ourselves and our environment.
Upcoming: Oct 4 with Linda Bryce; Oct 18 with Chas Brua
Email linda.bryce@hotmail.com to be placed on an email notification list. |
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| See Upcoming Events below! |
 | Lunch with Tracy
Fri, Sep 15 | UUFCC | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Bring your lunch and hang out with Rev. Tracy for an hour of conversation. We will meet at UUFCC this Friday! (and monthly following) All ages are welcome!
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 | Family Picnics
Sep 15 & 22 | UUFCC | 6:00 PM
Join us for a community building and planning picnic: Families with Middle School and High School youth, Friday, September 15 Families with Elementary kids, Friday, September 22 Please bring a dish to share!
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 | Parents' Night Out
Sat, Sep 16 | UUFCC | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Sign up for our first Parents' Night Out this year! Just drop your kids off to play and build fun connections with other friends and enjoy some time out for yourself! We will provide games, crafts, dinner, and a movie! Sign up here. |
 | RE Kids & Youth
Sun, Sep 17 | UUFCC | 10:00 AM Pre-K/K please sign-in downstairs in Room D with Sue and Rocky!
1st-5th grade please sign in upstairs at the Welcome Table and join us in the sanctuary for the Wisdom Lesson |
 | Middle School Youth
Sun, Sep 17 | UUFCC, Room 6 | 10:00 AM Join us this week for a special meeting to take the survey for the Ministerial Search Committee and play some Community building games!
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 | Lifespan RE Hour
Sun, Sep 17 | UUFCC | 11:30 AM
Join us this Sunday for an Intergenerational Drum Circle with Rachel and Tim Summers! All ages and experience levels welcome - just come and have fun.
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 | Meditation MondaysMon, Sep 18 | Zoom Link | 12:30 PM
Join Kelle Kersten for a guided meditation during your lunch to center yourself for the coming week!
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 | Memoirs
Thu, Sep 21 | UUFCC, Fellowship Hall | 2:30 PM Each attendee is free to share a memory with the group or just listen. Our purpose is to encourage people to record their memories to share with friends and family and to develop a sense of fellowship with one another. Any and all are welcome. Contact Mike Bourgo. |
 | Fellowship Supper
Thu, Sep 21 | UUFCC, Fellowship Hall | 6:00 PM
Join us for a community potluck each month on Third Thursday in the Fellowship Hall! This is a wonderful time out to connect with UUFCC friends, eat a delicious meal, celebrate birthdays of the month.
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| Wheel of the Year at UUFCC
Thu, Sep 21 | UUFCC, Fellowship Hall | 7:00 PM
Join us right after Fellowship Supper in September for our first Wheel of the Year!
Theme- Fall Equinox/Mabon, end of harvest, giving thanks Ritual- creating a nature mandala |
 | UU Adventurers: Kayak and Bald Eagle State Park
Sat, Sep 23 | Boats & Bikes, Bald Eagle State Park | 9 AM
Meet at Boats and Bikes at Bald Eagle State Park (182 Marina Rd. Howard, Pennsylvania 16841) for a morning of kayaking! Bring your own kayak or rent one! Bring a friend!
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 | Pack HOPE Food Pack Event
Sat-Sun, Sep 23-24 | Calvary Harvest Fields Join others in our community to Pack HOPE for people in the toughest places around the world by helping to provide thousands of nutritious meals. Training is provided at the start of each food pack session. Register online for one or more packing sessions. |
 | Resilience & Acceptance in the Face of Collapse
Sun, Sep 24 | UUFCC | 11:30 AM
Click the image or here for the flyer info.Join Kelle Kersten and Bob Flatley for this free 9-week course. We begin with a sobering introduction to societal collapse, then guide you through a supportive pathway to greater resilience and acceptance in the face of collapse. Know that this experience will be emotionally rigorous. See Syllabus for more info. Commitment: ~4-5 hr/wk (HW + meeting). Registration 18 ppl max.Reserve your place by Sun, Sep 22.Email magicjubilee@yahoo.com with questions. |
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Survey for UUFCC ministerial search — Give input now! Please complete a brief survey to tell us what you think about a new minister for UUFCC! Your input as a UUFCC member or friend is essential for helping the Ministerial Search Committee find a new minister who fits well with our congregation. If you haven’t done this anonymous, confidential online survey yet, please do so now. Many thanks to those who’ve already completed it! The survey is one of several ways the Ministerial Search Committee is gathering congregational input. A little later this fall, we will host ministerial search listening circles for members and friends to share their views and thoughts. The survey should take only 15-20 minutes to complete, and you can do it from any computer, tablet, or smartphone connected to the internet. If you need assistance or an alternative way of completing the survey, please contact MSC member Wayne Osgood, wosgood@psu.edu, 814-876-0279. Thank you very much!
Your Ministerial Search Committee,
Chair Ann Snowman, Kevin Alloway, Etta Habegger, Wayne Osgood, Pam Short, Jamie Stitzer |
 | We have two new staff members!
Our new Sexton (custodian) is Luke Arzner.
Our new Financial Secretary is Christine Eleazer(left image). See her introduction below! Christine is a semi-retired CPA. She started her career in Public Accounting and later transitioned to corporate accounting. Christine has worked in a variety of industries including manufacturing, oil & gas, and service industries. She has three children and 2 grandchildren. Christine grew up in NJ, went to Clemson University in South Carolina, then lived in Pittsburgh, Allentown, and returned to NJ before moving to State College in 2014.
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September Shout Outs
Each month, the Fellowship pays tribute to those who have “gone the extra mile in service to UUFCC.” Click here to see the shout outs!
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From the Treasurer
We have new instructions for making contributions in the form of stocks or mutual funds.Our investment account has moved from TD Ameritrade to Schwab. If you are planning to make this kind of contribution, please contact me at Treasurer@uufcc.com for the new wire transfer instructions. |
Board Update
From the Board of Trustees meeting on August 23: - The Board affirmed the email vote approving Luke Azner for the position of Sexton, and Christine Eleazer for the position of Financial Secretary.
- The Board also affirmed the email vote to approve the request for repair of the UUFCC driveway by Eby paving and that it be funded with 50% of the $29,715 cost (or $14,857.50) from the E&DG committee.
The Board also listed achievements accomplished during the previous 2023-2024 Fellowship year. The Board: - Approved a new AV platform
- Approved steps to the Chancel
- Approved new cameras and microphones
- Approved a Wi-Fi upgrade
- Approved an automatic door opener
- Approved a new garden fence
- Approved programmable Wi-Fi thermostats
- Approved a new roof
- Approved the repaving of the driveway
- Were granted an energy audit
- Agreed on the Painting and repurposing of some classrooms
- Hired a Sexton and a Financial Secretary
- Agreed on the removal of the yews by the front door
- Passed a resolution to adopt the 8 th Principle
- Established a ministerial search committee and made a head start on the ministerial search process
- Updated and developed policies and procedures
- Created a Safety and Security Task Force
- Disbanded the Reopening Task Force
- Reinstituted the Fellowship Relations Committee
- Completed a successful pledge campaign
- Appointed a Nominating Committee
- Affirmed the Covenant
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For more info on Activities for Adults, visit the Adult RE page or contact Ashley Hamlin: 509-339-9389 | ahamlin@uufcc.com. |
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