Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham 4300 Hampton Heights Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209 Tel: 205.945.8109
Fax: 205.945.8111
Email: office@uucbham.org
Web: www.uucbham.org
Greetings, members and friends of the UU Church of Birmingham: this is your weekly All-Church E-mail for Friday, May 6th, 2011.
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This Sunday, May 8th, 2011 “The Motherhood of God�
The Rev. Lone Jensen Broussard ~*~ Words do matter. On this Mother's day, which began as a Mother's Peace day after the Civil war and was started by our Unitarian foremother Julia Ward Howe, we will explore the meaning and idea of the feminine Divine. The "Motherhood of God" was spoken of by our Universalist ancestors who also ordained the first woman
minister in1863. They were not speaking of Mary, mother of God only. God is a word that points to what we cannot express and is neither male or female, however for centuries we only got one side of the story.
GBM's Mothers Day Food Drive: Please bring canned or boxed foods to UUCB, starting next
Sunday, May 8 thru Sunday May 22, for Greater Birmingham Ministry's food pantry for children during the summer months, when school is out. Even more families will be in need because of the devastation of recent tornados. UUCB will provide a box or basket in the Narthex for collection of the food items.
Scott Elementary School, on the edge of Pratt City, is collecting items for relief of tornado victims in its hard-hit area. They need things for babies, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, ladies deodorant, flashlights and batteries, gallon-size zip lock bags, old luggage-back packs-and gym bags, and men's clothing. Taking items to the school gets them quickly to people in greatest need. All donations greatly appreciated! Tornado Relief Donations One of our youth, Jessie, is collecting donations for families as part of her leadership in the Homewood ROTC. Donations that are needed currently include clothing and toiletries. Please bring items to church and look for the box labeled "Homewood ROTC".
The UUCB Nominating Committee continues to be hard at work in preparing a slate of candidates to fill various leadership positions. We will present to the Board in the very near future. If you have recommendations, please submit to the Nominating Committee. We are: Erica Anderson, Darryl Hunt, Kim Spidell, Mary Williams and Deborah Young. Positions to be filled:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
3 for Board of Trustee members
1 for Endowment Committee
2 for Nominating Committee
Concert this Sunday Karen Bentley Pollick, Violin Grant Dalton, Percussion Mother’s Day recital
Unitarian Church of Birmingham Sunday, May 8, 2011 4:00 pm Suggested donation $10 All proceeds will go to the tornado victims. Sundaae Morning Forum Discussion Group at 9:00 am will be watching the lecture series
“The Medieval World” on the 2nd & 4th Sundays each month. Everyone is welcome. Consecutive attendance is not essential.
Want to be a Service Leader? We would like to invite people to submit their application to be part of our evolving worship program here at
UUCB. If you would like to find out more about being a Service Leader (SL) and take part in the upcoming ½ day SL training offered on May 7th, please contact Chauma Smith-Guss at chauma.guss@gmail.com or Patti Steelman at PattiSteelman@gmail.com.
Have you ever wondered how we can reach the people who are Unitarian Universalists at heart but do not know that this congregation is here?
A Membership Outreach Committee is being formed and looking for members who will help
with this task. For information please contact Buck Williams: phone 925-0938, cell: 223-7060, email: buckeysan@gmail.com.
From the Social Activities Committee:
Ladies Lunch Bunch will meet on Thursday, May 11th at 11:30 a.m. downstairs in the Reading Room. Bring your lunch and join us for good fellowship. Techies! Help Wanted!
Can you turn a Word document into one that can be filled out online and emailed? The Software Task Force would like to have our questionnaires online for church people to fill out and email to us. We have the documents - do you have the skills to help? Please email Anne Bloomer at annebloomer@me.com.
UUCB Prom, June 4th, 6:30-10 pm
Ever wish you could go back and re-do your prom experience now that you're finally as cool as you thought you were in high school?? Well, get ready to break out those dancing shoes!! The
first ever UUCB Prom will be Saturday, June 4th from 6:30-10 pm. Hors-d'oeuvres will begin at 6:30, and the band will start up around 7. UUCB's own Jason Hollon and his band will play songs from the last several decades! There will be plenty of food, drink, and even a real photographer to capture those Prom memories.
We need your help--help us find a theme for the Prom and get a prize! If you have an idea for a theme for the Prom, please submit it to Kim Shoemaker in the church office
(office@uucbham.org) or to Anthony Hamley (ahamley25@gmail.com) by Sunday, 5/15, at 10:30 am. Prom tickets will be ready for sale as soon as we have a theme.
See you there!
What’s Happening in Religious Education? We will have a child dedication this Sunday for Talia Riddle, Patrick Etheredge, and Seamus Hogeland, during the Story for All Ages. Please come to church to support these families and commit to helping them to nurture their children as they grow! 2. This is the last Sunday (really!) to bring money to put in the Stewardship Jar. Time to empty out your change purse, piggy bank, coin jar, or wherever you keep all your loose change and make a contribution toward our church's future. 3. Next Sunday will be the last day of classes for the 2010-11 school year. We encourage parents and children to create and bring a small gift of appreciation - this could be something homemade, a card, etc. for your child(ren)'s teachers or childcare workers. They put in untold amounts of time this year helping to nurture our little one's spirits this year, and they deserve extreme gratitude from our ENTIRE church community. 4. We'll be having childcare and classes as usual. 5. If you have not yet turned in your pledge forms for next year, please make it a priority to do so this Sunday. Last Sunday before the Board and Finance Committee create the budget for next year. Even if you can only give a little bit each month, please do go ahead and give that little bit. And if you can give more, please do that, too!
What's Happening in Adult RE? The Sunday Morning Meditation Group meets form 9-10 in Room 114 downstairs. All are welcome. No experience needed. If you are planning to attend the 50th Anniversary UUA General Assembly, June 22-26 in Charlotte NC, please go to www.uua.org to register and obtain housing information, and contact Sharron Swain at dre@uucbham.org so we can organize a contingent from our congregation. This is a wonderful way to meet other UUs and come away feeling energized and inspired!
TICKETS FOR POLITICALLY INCORRECT ON SALE NOW! "Sophisticated ... outrageous ... and always progressive ... the only continuing political satire cabaret ensemble in the US"
Tickets to the Berlin-style cabaret performance by The Politically Incorrect Cabaret, "P.I.C -- Enemy of the State," May 14, 8:00 PM, are on sale! Seating is limited and by prepaid reservation, only.
Three ways for you to reserve & purchase: Offline by Credit Card: 205.838.1391 [leave call back number] Online at: http://www.politicallyincorrectcabaret.com/shows.html Postal Mail/Checks to: The Politically Incorrect Cabaret, %Diane McNaron, 136 Roebuck Drive, B'ham, AL 35215
$20 table seating, BYOB $15 row seating
May 14, 8:00 PM, Birmingham Performance @ Homewood Community Arts Center [Home of the Children's Dance Foundation] 1715 27th Court South Homewood, AL 35209 Directions at: http://childrensdancefoundation.org/WhoWeAre/Directions.aspx 205.838.1391 for information
The following is a note from UUA Stewardship Consultant, Larry Wheeler. The UUCB Board of Trustees has voted to consult with Larry as the church moves ahead with new Mission and Vision Statements and as we continue Strategic Planning. I am looking forward to this process with Larry, which will begin with an Assessment Workshop on Saturday May 14, 2011. I do hope you can attend this important event. Best, Anthony Hamley
UUA ASSESSMENT WORKSHOP -- Saturday, May 14, 2011 By Larry Wheeler, UUA Stewardship Consultant
I will be visiting with you on Saturday, May 14, 2011, to present a 6 hour Assessment Workshop from 9:003:00 (or 10-4) at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham. With such workshops, our hope is to have as large a turnout as possible. Child care is offered, and lunch will be provided; however, please confirm your attendance with Anthony Hamley (either email at ahamley25@gmail.com or call 205-253-4965) no later than May 7, 2011, so that lunch can be reserved for you. The lunch will be provided to you free of charge though donations to pay for lunch will be gratefully accepted.
This type of event is what UUA Stewardship Consultants regularly recommend to congregations as they consider new Vision and Mission statements, a Strategic Plan, and when considering eventually undertaking a Capital Campaign. The reasons for this include: 1. We want congregations to be successful in this overall process. History has shown that if they are not successful, it often impacts them negatively for years to come. 2. In the workshop, we review what we've learned about where you are and where you say you want to go, and we will discuss with you the steps you've indicated you plan to take to get you there. Often, in this process, it becomes obvious that not everything has been considered or that certain assumptions or plans should be reviewed further and possibly adjusted.
3. We bring solid backgrounds to the process. In my own case, I have been a UU for 44 years with a long history of fundraising and financial experience, the last 18 years as a UUA Stewardship Consultant. I have belonged to small, medium-sized and large UU congregations and served 8 years as a UUA Board of Trustees member representing both the Florida and Mid-South Districts. At the end of the workshop, I will highlight my observations and recommendations and upon returning home, will immediately send you a written report. 4. By the way, this workshop is offered to congregations who are "Fair Share" contributors to the UUA at an all inclusive rate of $1080 -- a real bargain given the amount of time that a consultant puts into preparing for and conducting the workshop. The UUA considers the process that important and has found that it regularly helps congregations to reach stronger consensus as they move forward. Please do plan to attend the workshop! If you have questions, contact Anthony Hamley at ahamley25@gmail.com or at 205-253-4965. Please RSVP to Kim at office@uucbham.org.
Sanctuary Art Exhibit Greetings from Earth Our sanctuary artist for May and June is Dale Short. His exhibit of photographs is titled “Greetings from Earth.� Opening reception will be Sunday, May 15 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Dale Short fell in love with photography in elementary school, and his parents supported the
endeavor even when it required commandeering the bathroom for his darkroom. He later went
on to work as a photojournalist, and eventually switched to advertising photography in search of big bucks. After years of running through airports with a hundred pounds of lighting equipment, he became so burned out on photography that he refused on principle to own a camera.
This impasse ended on the day his granddaughter was born and the objects in the world took on
a whole new glow. Several thousand photographs later, he's assembled two dozen for an exhibit titled "Greetings from Earth"--based on his finding that when you start looking at things closely enough they appear to be from another planet. One ongoing series is "The Holy Church of...", based on his theory that everything looks holy when seen in the right kind of light.
A native of Shanghi, Alabama, Dale has worked as a newspaper and magazine editor, a television producer, book editor, layout designer, advertising photographer, radio DJ, corporate
communications consultant, public radio commentator ,journalism instructor for 17 years at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, an instructor in fiction and playwriting at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and has done readings and seminars at colleges across the U.S.
From the Social Activities Committee: We're looking for hosts for Cottage Suppers and/or Movie Nights. If you've never hosted one of these events, here's how it works. For Cottage Suppers, the host provides beverages and hors d'oeuvres, and everyone else brings the rest of the meal. You set the date, time, and the number of people you can accommodate. For Movie Nights, everyone brings heavy hors d'oeuvres to eat before the movie. You pick the movie, or entertain suggestions from others; set the time,date and the number of people you can accommodate. If you'd like to host one of these events, let anyone on the Social Activities Committee know— Cathy Taylor, Susan Barrow, Sue Garrick, Bennie Mendelson, Susan Putnam, Mary or Dick Segreto, or Jeanette Willert.
From the Committee on Ministry
The Committee on Ministry’s mission is to evaluate the shared ministry of the congregation and the minister of the UUCB. A shared ministry comprises the work of the members of the congregation, the standing committees of the church and the efforts of the minister. In addition, in concert with Rev. Broussard, we will continue to guide the work related to the covenant which began last year. As we go through this church year, we hope you will share your thoughts with us. We need to learn what works and what needs improvement in our shared ministry. You are encouraged to share your thoughts with any of the committee members. You can recognize us by our salmon-colored nametags. Please note that while we cannot accept anonymous comments, any that we receive will remain confidential within our committee. Committee on Ministry members for 2010-2011 are: Juanzetta Flowers, Chair; Andy Duxbury, Vice-Chair; Tan Crochen, Mary Williams, Dale Hogeland, Winn Chatham, and Anthony Hamley, who serves as the transition member from last year. We welcome your input to our mission. Contact Juanzetta Flowers or any member of the Committee on Ministry if you have any questions or if you want to volunteer to be a part of this process.
From The Armed Services Welcoming Committee seeks to reach out to veterans, family and friends of veterans, to welcome them to a spiritual home and ensure that they are needed, wanted and accepted at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham. We will do so first through in-reach within our own congregation and afterwards through outreach to our broader community. For more information, contact samguss@gmail.com
From the Flower Committee
The flower committee is seeking new members. No experience required. Contact chair.flower@uucbham.org if you’d like to be part of this fun committee.
UUCB has a facebook page!! To find it, just search for UU Birmingham. Please click on "Like," and off you go. Tell your friends! The page is in its beginning stages, so let us know what the page should offer. Please send any positive feedback or ideas for improvement to Donald at extant4@hotmail.com.
Podcasts of recent sermons are available at www.uucbpodcast.net. ~Please remember to go through the church office to schedule all meetings and/or events held at the church. Thanks, Kim! To see all scheduled meetings/events at the church go to: http://uucbham.org/calendar.shtml Upcoming Sermons Sunday May 15. The Troll's Mirror. What we believe matters. It shapes our behavior, it colors our outlook and ultimately determines our spiritual well being. Join us as examine how our own internal "fun house" mirrors can help or hinder us. Since we are a congregation that welcomes many different beliefs it is for us a deeply religious issue as well. Sunday May 22. What does it mean to belong? Each of us has a longing to belong to something greater than ourselves, whether we are teeny tiny babies or
adults in the late seasons of our lives. On this Sunday, we will explore the many ways in which we find ourselves in relationship with each other, how these relationships impact who we are and who we are becoming, and why this matters to all of us. This is our annual Religious Education Sunday, and we hope to see you there! Sunday May 29. Speaker: Chauma Smith Guss Our Wars of Reconciliation, a thoughtful look at Memorial Day. How do we reconcile our urgent desire for peace and an end to suffering with the unfortunate reality of war?
This Sunday at the church: Mother's Day
9 am - 10 am SUUndae Morning Forum - Gathering Room
9 am - 10 am Mindfulness Meditation 9-10 am every Sunday Room 114 12 pm - 2 pm Justice Committee Meeting in Room 114 or Reading Room 1:15 pm - 7:15 pm Diane Mcnaron Voice Lessons Room 102 4 pm - 5:30 pm Karen Bentley Pollick Concert - Fundraiser for UUCB - Sanctuary