Sunday, April 27, 2008 - 10:30 AM

“Rev. Caitlin O’Brien, Guest Minister
"Choosing Change"

Rev. Caitlin O'Brien will share with us about her ministry as Associate Director of Project Place in Boston.  Project Place runs "social enterprises" that employ people who want to work their way out of homelessness.  At this time of seasonal change, we will reflect on how we might live more fully, by choice.

Sunday, May 4, 2008 – 10:30 AM

“A Piece of Your Heart”
Rev. Tim Kutzmark

The wish for peace on earth has been part of the dream of many for far too many years.  But many spiritual traditions claim that we won’t create any semblance of peace on earth until we figure out how to create peace in our own individual lives.  A troubled heart, many wisdom traditions teach, creates a troubled world.  Join us as we explore some basic spiritual principles for creating peace in heart and mind. Today’s Worship Associate will be Jamie Cummings, one of our wonderful UUCR teens.

Sunday, May 11, 2008 – 10:30 AM

“Mamma, A Rainbow”
Rev. Tim Kutzmark

Join us this Mother’s Day as we remember and celebrate the many women who’ve impacted our lives through the years..  As part of today’s service of readings and reflections, we are invited to bring pictures and/or mementos of the women who have nurtured, shaped, or inspired us during our lives.  These will be lovingly placed on a special altar that will become the centerpiece of our worship today.  We’ll also celebrate the baby dedication of Alex Leonard Burritt, son of Robyn Hymers and Leonard Burritt.

NEW MEMBER SUNDAY

Are you interested in becoming a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading?  Our next New Member Sunday is June 1.  We will welcome new members with a welcoming ceremony, and afterwards the new members will gather for a special luncheon hosted by our Membership Committee.  If you feel the time is right to join the church, please contact Rev. Tim, in the church office (781-944-0494 extension 101), or speak to a Membership Committee member at the welcome table in the atrium, or contact Laraine Turner, our Member Services Coordinator (781-944-0494 extension 103). 

REV. TIM’S SERMONS AVAILABLE

Copies of Rev. Tim's most current sermons are now available in the Atrium of Fellowship Hall. Sermons are also available on our website.

QUIET SPACE

As part of the Sanctuary construction our narthex sound system has been restored. We now have a quiet area that restless people and their children may sit in and listen to the service without feeling they are disturbing others. Sit on the comfortable chairs or crawl on the carpet, we are just happy to have you with us.

DID YOU PICK UP YOUR SUNDAY NEWS ON THE WAY INTO WORSHIP?

The office in concert with Green Sanctuary is now making the Sunday news available on small oak tables at the Woburn and Summer street entrances to Worship.  We are asking that all take one per family. There should be a commensurate paper and print reduction footprint with this one small action.

So here is a gentle reminder!  Do not forget to pick your Sunday News edition up for your family on the way into Worship!  It is no longer inserted in every order of service but it is still very much available for your perusal.

UUCR WORSHIP SERVICES ON LOCAL ACCESS CABLE TV!

Our Sunday worship services are broadcast in the following towns:

• READING CABLE TV RCTV:  Channel 9 on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  Check the RCTV schedule for changes.
• BURLINGTON CABLE ACCESS TV (BCAT): Public access channel Sundays at 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Provider Channel, Comcast 9, RCN 3
  Verizon 39 Check the BCAT schedule for changes http://bcattv.org
• NORTH READING CABLE ACCESS: Public access channels are:  Channel 22 - Comcast   |   Channel 24 – Verizon, please see website www.norcam.org for weekly date and time

Dear Friends:

Recently, through the kindness and vision of an anonymous donor, our congregation has become the caretaker of a very generous and proactive financial gift that will allow us to engage our children in social action outreach, allow UUCR to make a visible and real impact locally, create an intergenerational hands-on service opportunity for all of us, and promote our Unitarian Universalist values in the larger community.

Here is the basic information on this exciting and meaningful endeavor that will help move our congregation to a new level of community outreach and service:

The UUCR Helping Hands Outreach Fund

An anonymous donor has contributed $10,000 to establish a yearly outreach fund for UUCR.   In the words of the donor:  the goal of this fund is “to help children learn the value of giving and to gain a first hand experience in understanding the UU principles in a way that promotes the UU principles locally.”  The method is to have our UUCR youth help the church in determining how this fund is to be distributed, using the following procedures:

1. Each church school class from 4 through 8 will make a recommendation for a service or charitable organization whose work is focused in the communities north of Boston from which UUCR draws membership.

2. The teens of SHYP (Senior High Youth Program) will review the suggestions from each church school class and lead the children of the church in choosing an organization to receive $7,600.  The other four organizations will receive $600.00 each.

3. This money will allow UUCR to fund a social action/charitable outreach program in the local area, and distribute the money in a way that helps promote our Unitarian Universalist principles in the local community. (Note: If it is felt that the money is not best served locally, the money can be used non-locally.  But the first intention is to fund local service and or charitable organizations.)

4. The money should be awarded annually in May (June for ’08, if necessary)  Note: In order to award this money for spring 08, and work it within the already existing ‘Principles in Action’ curriculum, the Social Action Committee will be invited to help with suggestions for five organizations that meet this criteria, and the children will be discuss these suggestions during the ‘Principles in Action’ classes.  After this shared period of education, the children, facilitated by SHYP, will vote as stated above.  In future years, the UUCR Helping Hands Outreach Fund will be carefully and fully integrated into the ‘Principles in Action’ spring curriculum, per the suggested procedures of the donor.  An administrative committee comprised of a representative from the RE and Social Action Committees, the Director of Religious Education, and the minister will oversee the program.

5. The donor intends that their gift of $10,000 be an annual gift (assuming they are financially able and that this method of gifting achieves its goal) 

6. The donor hopes that others will be inspired to contribute to this fund so that its yearly impact will increase.

7. This money is not to be used toward operating expenses or debt service of the church.

8. An intergenerational volunteer/service component to this fund will be coordinated and promoted to allow children and adults to actively become engaged in hands-on service with the organization awarded the $7,600 amount.

This is an historic moment for our congregation.  I hope you’ll join me in celebrating our new social outreach program, and in sending prayers and thoughts of gratitude and good energy to our anonymous donor.

See you on the path,

Tim

PS: We’re in the final days before our NEW UU CLASS—AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR FAITH begins on May 1st and runs for four consecutive Thursday evenings.  This is the last NEW UU class until September.  See the listing in today’s newsletter for complete information.  We always have a blast in these classes, and it gives me a chance to get to know you better.  Long-time members who have never taken the class are also welcome to join the fun. 

PPS: Planning ahead.  Our last NEW MEMBER SUNDAY until the autumn is scheduled for Sunday, June 1st.  I like to sit down and get to know our new members, so if you are thinking about joining the church, please let me know we can set up a time to chat.  The sooner the better, so we don’t up end pressed for time.  Email me or phone 781-944-0494. 

From the Pres

April 19, 2008

Spring is here!  I, for one, am ready. Church has been busy all winter and continues to be.  There is a lot going on for all of us.  The SHYP (Senior High Youth Program) youth have left for their service trip to New Orleans.  They are driving in their vans even as I write this column.  I’m so proud of the work they have done this year with our DRE Aileen Dashurova leading them.  This trip is just the culmination of a year of thoughtful, meaningful activities around homelessness and the challenges of living with almost nothing.  Aileen and the other chaperones will help them process what could be some very difficult images and experiences in Louisiana and your teenagers’ lives will change.  And, through it all, they will continue to be the fabulous, quirky, kind, UU people they have become.  I just love the way we raise our kids.

Soon, it will be time to travel up to Maine for our annual Ferry Beach weekend (June 6, 7, and 8).  Susan Delaney will be organizing us and you will be hearing from her soon.  Steve and I have attended Ferry Beach since 1987.  It is an important tradition for us and some of our dearest friends in the world.  We hang out on the porch or the beach, play music, watch the children, make sandcastles, play games, take walks to the candy store, eat our meals together, sing and dance and joke and play at the talent show, gather for worship on Sunday morning, and be with one another in a way that is quite different from any other. There are even people who swim in that very cold, Maine ocean.  It’s fun, the price is right (though, if it’s a hardship, there are scholarships), and the food is great.  I hope you will stop me at coffee hour and ask about Ferry Beach if you’ve never been there.  We can only take about 130 or so of us, so sign up early.   See Susan’s announcement about Ferry Beach in this newsletter.

I’ll see you on the Quillen porch,

Love,

Lorraine

Help us balance the budget?

Happy Spring from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading.  We hope to present a balanced budget at our annual meeting in May.  Can you help?

You know this place will be here for you.  Can you be here for us this year?  Pledges from our congregation are the lifeblood of this church. 

If you haven’t already done so, please make a pledge.  Contact Committee member Steve Dennis for assistance.   Thank you for your support.  

NEW UU CLASS TO START MAY 1

Are you new to the church?  Would you like to meet other folks who are new as well?  Have you been here a while but would like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, or get to know some new people in a fun, small group setting?  Are you thinking about becoming a member of UUCR?  Then the NEW UU CLASS is just the thing for you.  Join Rev. Tim for a four-week exploration and introduction to our faith.  The class will be held on four consecutive Thursdays May 1, 8, 15, and 22 from 7:00—9:00 PM in Loring House Room 205. Registration is required, please call the church office at 781-944-0494, email the Church Office , or sign up right here!

PLANNING FOR THE NEXT CHURCH YEAR

It's time to plan Adult Enrichment offerings and activities for the coming year and I'm seeking input and suggestions. Whenever I've put out this request - I'm sure there are some terrific ideas that would be great additions to the Adult Enrichment menu.   Please email Fran Sansalone or phone her at 781-944-2444.

What do you want to see offered? What kinds of offerings are you yearning to participate in? Spiritual growth and exploration - personal skills - how-to guidance - movies - academic topics – current events discussions? Fill in the blank on the following questions: 

• I wish Adult Enrichment would offer ____.
• I'd really like to attend/participate in _____.
• Why doesn't the UUCR offer a class/discussion/activity about _____?.

What do you want to provide? UUCR members represent an amazing variety of skills, expertise, and interests. What talent and interest would you like to share with others? It may be an activity or topic that we've offered/explored before (the Hebrew Scriptures, movie nights), or one that we've never considered (you name it). Let us know what you can offer and we'll help you make it happen.  Do you want to help in the planning? We'd love to hear from you if you'd like to join the Adult Enrichment Committee.  We only meet a few times a year in planning sessions and help coordinate the logistics of individual classes/offerings. Committee members are NOT required to actually deliver/present the offerings.

April:  UUCR Reads is Back by Popular Demand!

The book has been selected, Here if You Need Me, by Kate Braestrup, a Unitarian Universalist minister, who is the chaplain for the Maine State Warden Service. There will be a Book  Discussion (with Refreshments)  on Sunday Evening April 27, at 7:00 p.m

May: Theater Outing to See Godspell

With so many people involved in Tim's Bible Discussion Groups, we thought there would be interest in an outing to see Godspell put on by the Burlington Players. We have reserved a block of tickets for the Sunday, May 4th matinee ate 2:00 p.m. for  the Group Rate of $13.00 per ticket.

Contact Beth Brauer  (978-664-5046) if you are interested in attending. Suitable for children ages 10 and up. Sign up soon if you have interest.

FERRY BEACH REGISTRATION TO COMMENCE APRIL 27

Spring has Sprung!   And it is time to think about our all church retreat at FERRY BEACH PARK ASSOCIATION.  This is a UU Conference center on the ocean in Saco, Maine.  Every June our church family  spends a weekend socializing, playing, relaxing at the beach.  Over the years we've had a wide variety of activities for children, adults and families.  Plan to come join the fun.  This year the dates are June 6, 7 and 8.  Registration will begin after church  this Sunday, April 27, and continue until through May 22, on a space available basis.   If you've never attended, feel free to call Susan Delaney with any questions you might have.  If you are unable to come for the entire weekend, we have day rates. Saco is an easy hour and 45 minute drive from the Reading area.

SPRING GREENING

OK, it's April.  It's getting warmer outside.  Taxes are (hopefully) done.  Some of you are probably starting to think about the next dreaded April activity: spring cleaning.  But what about those chemical cleaners?  Aren't they harmful to the environment, and do you really want your family breathing that stuff?  So how does one get the job done without the name-brand chemicals?  Come find out April 27!  Eileen Barrett (sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Committee and Adult Enrichment) will share information on how you can use environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials and products in maintaining your home.  This course was held for the liberal ladies in the autumn, and is now being offered to the wider church community, so please join us April 27 after church!

Village Bank Update

The response to the April 13 Second Offering to found a microcredit bank in Haiti was simply amazing. The hope was to raise $2500—half of the cost of founding a bank through FINCA. But together, you donated $3607! Participants in the March 9 Hunger Banquet had already donated $201, for a total of $3808.

Our partners in this project, the Melrose UU Church, have also gone over their $2500 goal, with $3214 in hand so far and $400 more pledged. And hearing about the bank, the UU Church in Framingham decided to hold a Second Offering, which raised $1200. Including the Melrose pledges, $8622 has been donated—close to enough for two banks.           

On behalf of the new village bank members in Haiti who will now have access to credit to start and grow businesses, thank you—women like Marie Deci Bien, who has said, “I have 4 children.  For the last 10 years I have sold flour, sugar, bread, and oil from a roadside table.  With my loan from FINCA, I was able to purchase goods wholesale.  Now I have more profit, which allows me to feed and educate my children and save some money.”  More updates will be along as we correspond with the folks at the Melrose Church and with FINCA.

“Welcoming Massachusetts” Pledge re Immigration

The UUA Office for Congregational Advocacy & Witness invites—urges—UUs to sign the Welcoming Massachusetts pledge at www.welcomingma.org. The pledge affirms Massachusetts as a Commonwealth that respects the dignity of all people, including immigrants.   

The pledge states (in part), “A rhetorical war has dehumanized immigrants, while our broken immigration system leads to inequality and violates the very principles upon which our country was founded, creating much suffering among people, their families and our communities. The current anti-immigrant rhetoric fails to recognize the economic and cultural contributions that immigrants make to our Commonwealth along with the rich immigrant traditions of the past which have made Massachusetts what it is today.” 

Welcoming MA plans to gather 100,000 signatures from individuals and 1,000 organizational endorsements by June 1st. Mass. legislators will be called upon to pledge “to make Massachusetts a welcoming state” and “to urge members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and the Administration to enact real solutions to America's broken immigration system in the first 100 days of the 111th Congress.”

UU Statewide Forum on Immigrant Rights

Saturday May 10 – 11 AM TO 3 PM

The UUA and the UU Service Committee will host a UU Statewide Forum on Immigrant Rights with the Arlington Street Church (351 Boylston St., Boston)--now a New Sanctuary Congregation on May 10.

• Sharing of participants’ family immigration stories
  Stories of people who came here from Central America
  Showing of Detained (documentary about 2007 immigration raid in New Bedford)
• What’s happening today?
• What are the economic policies driving immigration?
• What can we do?
• Learn about the Welcoming Massachusetts initiative, the New Sanctuary Movement, moratorium on [immigration] raids, immigration reform, and more.

RSVP to Audra Friend . Include the name of your congregation and your town or city and put Immigrant Rights Forum in the subject line. 

2008 Minns Lectures: “UUs and Class: A Faith for a Few?”

Lectures by Rev. Mark W. Harris, Minister at First Parish of Watertown. The lectures are free.

Brahmin Culture for the Masses (Thursday, May 1, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will look at the alliance of business, Harvard College, Brahmin culture, and liberal religion.  How did class determine our history and who became involved with the Unitarian movement?  We will also look at a few people who wanted to spread the Unitarian faith to the masses in more evangelical styles, including Margaret Fuller’s brother, Arthur. (Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave., Cambridge)

Universalist Piety and a Classless Heaven (Tuesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will examine the Universalist faith and its appeal to a broader number of classes in society through its message of equality.  If all are equal in heaven, then nobody is saved unless everybody is saved. (King's Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon St., Boston)

The Science of Salvation (Wednesday, May 7, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will look at the relationship between liberal religion and the eugenics movement.   Where did the birth control and euthanasia movements have their origins? (First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown)

(The final lecture, “A Faith for a Few?,” will be delivered at General Assembly this summer.)

UU Lobby Day Report

From UU Mass Action:  “The Second Annual UU Lobby Day at the State House was a great success! Over 100 UUs gathered in the dome of the State House to raise our voices in song, learn[ed] how to lobby on issues and fanned out to visit our legislators on the issues of global warming and housing. This year we advocated for new funding for homeless prevention which was included this week in the House budget. Next stop the Senate. We are also working to expand funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program. Our second issue is passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act.”   For more information, visit www.uumassaction.org/node/118. Mandy Neff from our congregation attended the Lobby Day

help support our re children

The RE children (grades pre-K through 5) are currently studying the 7 UU Principles as part of the annual Principles in Action program.  The past two weeks, the children have learned about two exceptional programs that exemplify the UU Principles.  Help support our RE students by considering making a donation to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program or Pennies for Peace.  We are requesting donations of worn athletic shoes (please no cleats or metal parts) and pennies.  Clean out your house and your pockets to support two worthwhile causes.  The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program will recycle your old sneakers to create new play spaces for children around the world, and Pennies for Peace will use the pennies raised to buy school supplies and build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Throughout the month of April, shoe collection boxes will be located on the Loring and Sawyer porches and will be in the Atrium on Sundays.  Pennies for Peace jars will be located on the RE Table in the Atrium or can be given to one of our RE children. 

Pre-Mother’s Day (Fairly Traded, Organic) Chocolate and Coffee Sale: May 4

At coffee hour on May 4, the Partner Church Committee will once again sell bars of fairly traded, organic chocolate ($3.50 per bar, 2 for $6.50). With a bar of this chocolate, you can say “I love you” to a mother in your life or someone who is like a mother to you, “I honor you” to Mother Earth, and “I respect you” to the farmers who grew the cacao trees. Choose from several flavors of milk and dark chocolate. Also, order Equal Exchange coffee—many flavors of caffeinated and noncaffeinated coffee are available.

Profit from selling the bars and the coffee will go into the fund for 2008-2009 stipends ($300 apiece) for our partner seminarians, Marton Csecs and Julia Fülöp, who are studying for the Transylvanian Unitarian ministry.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CALENDAR

Friday April 25

• approximately. 8:00 p.m. SHYP returns from New Orleans

Sunday April 27

• Pre-K and up begin in Sanctuary and dismiss into Loring House for Principles in Action 5.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community.Hall 
• Coming of Age 10:30 – 11:45

Sunday May 4

• Pre-K and up begin in Sanctuary and dismiss into Loring House for Principles in Action 6.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall
• Youth Adult Committee sponsored ALL YOUTH (grades 6 – 12) Field Day and BBQ 12 – 3 p.m.
• Coming of Age trip to Walden Pond with Mentors.
• SHYP 6:30 – 8:30 Loring House

Friday May 9 - Sunday May 11

• Mass Bay District Youth Conference

Saturday May 10

• Coming of Age Ropes Course with Mentors. TBD

Sunday May 11 (Mother’s Day)

• Pre-K and up begin n Sanctuary and dismiss into Loring House for Principles in Action 7.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall.
• SHYP 6:30 – 8:30 Loring House

Saturday May 17 – Sunday May 18

• SHYP Sleepover Loring House

Sunday May 18

• Bridging Service Intergenerational Service.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall.
• No SHYP.

Sunday May 25

• Closing Sundae
• Pre-K and up begin in Sanctuary and dismiss into Loring House for Ice Cream Sundaes.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall
• SHYP 6:30 – 8:30 Loring House.

Sunday June 1

• Fun Field Day 
• Coming of Age 10:30 – 11:45 help at Field Day.
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall
• SHYP 6:30 – 8:30 Loring House

Sunday June 8

• Ferry Beach Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall
• NO SHYP

June 15

• Celebration Sunday Flower Communion Intergenerational
• Playschool with Jenn and Karyn in Community Hall

TEACHER APPRECIATION DINNER

Another wonderful Teacher Appreciation Dinner has been a huge success! Thank you to Lani and her amazing multiage storytelling. It was a fun evening of gratitude, celebration and good hard work by our church school students for their teachers!

New Orleans

I am writing this prior to the SHYP leaving on Friday to New Orleans, We are excited, anxious, curious and intrigued!  We would like to thank Rev. Tim and Lorraine Dennis for their unwavering support and commitment to the trip and the unique and empowering nature of this social justice work. We also thank the congregation and friends who have donated money, time and materials to the trip and to the Hope Haven School in New Orleans. We thank our Adult advisors Curtis Johnson, Sandy Olney and Gary Biadasz who are non-church friends who have volunteered their time and undergone Safe Congregation and RE standards and policies enabling them to be approved to support our youth on this important trip.  We are grateful to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga Tennessee, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke Virginia for hosting us in their churches for our sleeping during our long drives.  A special thank you to long time friend of Gina Snyder’s, Byron Hammer, for arranging our connection to Hands On New Orleans – the organization that we will be working with during our stay.   We are grateful to the Hope Haven School for allowing us to stay on their campus while we are in New Orleans and we thank Paula Wisnewski and Mary Gould for sharing with SHYP their personal histories and experiences in New Orleans. Thank you to Gulf Coast Volunteers of the Long Haul for lending us the movie Washing Away about New Orleans and sharing important information about their experiences to aid us in ours.   To Michela Tucci’s Girls Scout troop we send thanks and encouragement to keep up the good social justice work that we share a great passion for together.  Thank you to everyone! This trip has been very detailed and well planned by our youth and support system. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you when we return! Think of us, send us love, blessings and courage to do all that we can to promote healing and renewal to the people of New Orleans.

Namaste,
Aileen