The Beacon-December 2007
December Worship Services
(Service is held on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the
Sanctuary.)
December 2 - “Back of the Bus.” Rev. Nate will frame the legacy of Rosa Parks with a powerful theory developed by a sociologist named Patricia Hill Collins. The theory is known as interlocking oppressions. As a black feminist Collins says she sees various “systems of oppression as being part of one overarching structure of domination…” a system where interlocking identities such as race, class, gender, sexuality, etc… are interconnected to a larger system of supremacy. Worship Associate: Amy Hillier Fraatz.
December 9 – “Liberal Fundamentalism”
During Rev. Nate’s Interim Ministry in Staten Island he received a letter calling the church bigoted, biased and anti-Semitic. Could it be that the author considered Unitarian Universalists to be liberal fundamentalists? Are we becoming a tradition that is intolerant? If so, how? If not, what are we doing to correct this perception? Worship Associate: Anne Slater and Janet Scannell
December 16 – “Give Them Not Hell but Hope!”
By drawing upon the history of our Universalist ancestors, Rev. Nate will present his charge to the congregation to unify faith, love and action as inspired foundations of our beloved community. The purpose is to respond to those who proclaim eternal damnation with a prophetic twenty-first century vision of universal love. (Holiday pageant)
Worship Associate: Anne Slater
December 23 – “Sacred Solstice: In the spirit of this earth-centered holiday, Celtic readings and songs will be used to celebrate the pagan origins of the Christmas Tree, the Yule Log, and other winter rituals. The service will inspire us to kindle the deepest light within in during the darkest time of the year. (Children Chapel)
Sunday, December 30– “Poetry Sunday.” Please bring your poetry to share during an interactive and reflective service designed to welcome in the New Year. Worship Leader: Kim Cox
MINISTER'S MESSAGE
An Interview With Reverend Nate
Why did you want to serve as the Settled Minister of the First Unitarian Church?
First Church was and is my dream congregation! I was looking for a progressive, urban, diverse community dedicated to social justice. My intention was to find a congregation that craved inspired, dynamic and multicultural worship that was relevant to a twenty-first century understanding of religious pluralism. I was captivated by the rich legacy and the historic building and appreciated how the congregation was open and honest about its strengths and growing edges. I also appreciated that church’s struggle with money, membership and governance. These three areas are some of my greatest passions. Put simply, it felt like my skills and interests matched the congregation’s needs. I deeply believe this is meant to be!
Why do you preach without text?
In my ministerial internship it became apparent that my writing voice was very different than my speaking voice, most likely resulting from my three learning disabilities – dyslexia, processing delay and memory deficiency. As a result, my mentors help me build upon my verbal strengths as a speaker. They helped me refine the following process: first, search deep within myself for a topic that is challenging and scares me to explore; second, present the topic to the worship associates for joint study two weeks before the service; third, craft a worship script that connects all parts of the service to that theme and then type my sermon; fourth, rehearse with the worship associates and then narrow my sermon into several key points; fifth, create a logic map of those points and then practice delivering it verbally. The purpose of this process is three fold: to find my authentic voice, to help make the ideas as accessible as possible, and to challenge myself to be vulnerable with our church family.
Why is your style so different than our previous ministers?
There are probably three factors that distinguish my ministerial style: my training, my beliefs, and my vision. I graduated from seminary in 2005 and as a result received a very different kind of training than my colleagues who developed their style in the sixties, seventies and eighties. I believe that a minister’s role is not to use didactics to preach at a group, but to choose a form of speaking and worship that matches the content of the message. For example, if the theme is deep listening and loving speech then it’s most appropriate to offer a dharma talk; if the theme is liberty then a take-it-home preacher-man style might be best to express the content. As a result each service is a little bit different; which explains my vision for marrying the content with the form. I am part of a Unitarian Universalist movement that is determined to enliven our worship and to use creativity, innovation, and multiculturalism to reawaken the Sunday morning experience. I hope you all find it to be just as fun as it is for me to create.
Rev. Nate you have many ministerial responsibilities. Of them, what makes your heart take flight? What parts of your job excites you?
I love creating. I love preaching and crafting inspired, vibrant and diverse worship! I am deeply moved by the gift of being a pastoral care provider and consider it a sacred exchange. I am wildly passionate about social justice. I thoroughly enjoy financial management, fundraising and cultivating a sense of stewardship for our church family. I’m a total geek about technology and love to find new ways to express our potential. I am passionate about teaching and learning – in fact, religious education called me to become an ordained minister. I love to figure out systems, related to policy and governance and its interplay between the emotional systems of an organization. I’m so grateful to be engaging in a vocation that draws upon many of my passions. I wish the same for each of you – to find an authentic calling!
What makes you want to pull the cover over your head? What drains your energy and taps into your weaknesses?
I have three diagnosed learning disabilities and therefore it is really difficult for me to manage reading really long emails – and email forwards leave me feeling overwhelmed, at times. I also struggle with serving as the chief editor of the newsletter and website content. My hope is that someone will step forward to serve in these roles. I appreciate receiving books and articles, but it is very difficult to read lots of material given the time constraints of the position. It can also drain me to try and host and entertain in my apartment. I’m not a gifted chef and enjoy having a life outside of church. I am frankly struggling in this regard because of my relocation in a new city. Give me time. I also realize the strain on my relationship to live in two different cities, and therefore it’s hard for us to attend social gatherings as a couple, aware of the little time we have together.
What’s your greatest hope in this new ministry?
I hope that we can live out the true potential of Unitarian Universalism by experiencing together the vibrancy of our theological diversity in worship. Meaning, my hope is to build upon our history of protestant humanism by embracing religious pluralism.
What’s your greatest fear?
I don’t want to be “otherized.” I’ve been preaching about how to make a person “the other” through the act of demonizing, vaporizing, eliminating, or romanticizing. It’s common for people to project their fears and hopes onto clergy and my hope is that people will come to know me as simply human. I’m simply Nate. I don’t have all the answers and certainly make my share of mistakes.
Why do you take a Sunday off a month?
It is custom for Unitarian Universalists ministers to take one Sunday off a month. My contract reads, “The Minister will be free of Sunday service responsibilities once per month. The minister, even if not in the pulpit, is responsible for all worship services during the church calendar year. During the one Sunday off per month, the minister will be choosing among the following activities as appropriate and/or necessary: attending to other programmatic needs within the church (example: Children’s Religious Education), pursuing continuing education, spending time with family, attending denominational events.”
Did You Know?
After surveying ministers throughout the country, the Unitarian Universalist Association concluded that it takes the following hours a week to complete these ministerial tasks.
20 hrs/week Write a sermon
10 hrs/week Rites of passage
(death, wedding)
10 hrs/week Pastoral care
10 hrs/week Outreach
5 hrs/week Teaching (and prep)
2-4 hrs/week Committee Meetings
(not including prep)
2 hours Newsletter
2 hours Board reports
1 hour Follow-up on visitors
Note this survey does not include the Minster’s responsibilities to cultivate his/her own spiritual practices or to tend to the structural and administrative duties (finances, governance, supervision of staff) of the church.
Do you have more questions of Nate? Please ask him directly at church or by calling him at (215) 701-9072.
Rev. Nate Walker
Settled Minister
215-701-9072
RevNate[AT]PhilaUU.org
CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Greetings from Your CRE Director
When Rev. Nate and I sat down to talk about what to plan for the children’s pageant, we weren’t in agreement. Nate had reservations about doing the nativity scene because the pop-culture version of the story is not biblically accurate. We were in agreement that for many Christians, the nativity is an enactment of the virgin birth, proof of the divinity of Jesus and a demonstration of the intervention of God and angels. My take on the nativity is that the children enjoy taking part in it and look forward to the costumes and the theatre. Rev. Nate was uncomfortable with us reenacting the nativity without taking in consideration the scholarship of this popular narrative.
We went to the biblical source material for how the play fits with the actual accounts. We discovered that there are very few passages about Jesus’ birth and early childhood, and they don’t exactly agree with each other in their interpretations. The book of Luke is the familiar version of the birth of Jesus and is the primary source of the narrative of the nativity. In Matthew’s account, when Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant (and they haven’t yet moved in together), he wants nothing to do with her until an angel intervenes on her behalf. The book of Matthew is the source of the story of the three wise men. In his account, the three wise men were unwitting spies sent by King Herod to find out if Jesus was the messiah. They were warned in a dream not to tell Herod about Jesus and decided to not return to Herod. It was then that the King decided to kill the firstborn son of each family. Mary, Joseph and Jesus were forced to flee to the desert.
Nate and I decided we will do the nativity scene keeping in mind the questions raised by our search. When you watch our play, I suggest you think of a few questions: How much of the story actually happened and how much has been added to make the story more meaningful and instructive? How much can a story change before being recorded 50 to 200 years later? What elements were borrowed from previous narratives? What meaning did the nativity story have for our founding Unitarians who rejected the Trinitarian notion of Christ and sought to preserve the idea of Jesus as a prophet? What meaning does this narrative have for us today? These are good starting points for conversations with children, too.
I hope you have a peaceful, joyous holiday season filled with family, friends and good cheer.
With affection,
Jansen Wendell
Jansen[AT]PhilaUU.org
December Worship Highlights
Sunday, December 2, 11:00, children’s chapel: Children will worship for 15 minutes, followed by church school classes
Sunday, December 9, 11:00, children’s chapel: Children will worship for 15 minutes, followed by church school classes
Sunday, December 16, 11:00: sanctuary: Holiday Pageant. Children are welcomed to participate in the retelling of the Nativity scene, followed by a cast party in Griffin Hall. Childcare for younger children and infants is available.
Sunday, December 16, 12:30: Parish Hall: children decorate the Christmas tree and celebrate the holidays with the adults.
Sunday, December 23, 11:00, children’s chapel: Children will worship for 15 minutes, followed by church school classes
Sunday, December 30, 11:00, Griffin Hall: All Together Sunday. All children, K-8 share a worship service and program together.
A Thank You: to Kate Connolly for her homily about making amends and to Denise McKeon for her chapel homily about the spirituality of dance. Also thanks to Debbie Shultz, Anne Harney, Thomas Hunter, Katy Morris, Wendy Jastzab, Tracy Jastrzab, Janet Scannell and Dea Silbertrust for helping out at our Halloween party. Thank you, Connie Baker for donating the book And Tango Makes Three, a true story about two male penguins at the Central Park zoo who become a couple and raise an “adopted’ penguin from birth.
Chalice Lighting ceremony: Any family that wants to participate in the chalice lighting for an adult service is encouraged to contact Jansen or simply sign the sheet posted on the CRE bulletin board. There will be enough Sundays to accommodate all interested families.
Guest at Your Table: Our Thanksgiving family service was the kickoff for Guest at Your Table. We distributed boxes that you can take home and put on your dining table. At each meal put the equivalent of the cost of one meal in the box. When we collect the boxes in late December, the donations will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and their social justice work.
Teachers needed: We still need one 4-5 grade, two Pre-k/Kindergarten and two 1-3 grade and teachers to complete our teams. Now is the time to step up and contribute.
GETTING TO KNOW UU
Heading to the Pacific Central District this month, with its 36 congregations in northern California, northern Nevada and Hawaii, we will visit the UU Congregation of Marin, located in San Rafael, CA. Founded in 1950, they are situated in a hilltop location with a lovely view of the surrounding mountains and countryside. The congregation has been participating in the Partner Church Program for several years. “The Mission of the UU Partner Church Council is to foster and support partner church relationships between North American congregations and congregations in all other countries where partnering is sought and welcomed. This includes countries where partners are already active, such as Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, as well as other countries where new partnerships are now beginning, such as the Philippines, India, and Poland.”
UUCM has been partnering with the Unitarian Church of Sovata, located in the Transylvania region of Romania. This congregation was also formed in the 1950s. Their church is fairly new and some in the congregation were relocated to Sovata, after the valley was flooded by Romanian dictator, President Ceausescu, with the intention of destroying a place where numerous churches had previously peacefully coexisted. Modest funds are sent from UUCM on a quarterly basis to help the Sovata church make improvements to their building and provide additional support to the minister and his family. Both husband and wife are Unitarian ministers: he serves two churches and she, three. Members of the UUCM have visited Sovata on several occasions, and both churches have exchanged banners. It seems clear that a strong bond of friendship and support has developed between the two churches. Visit the UUCM website, www.uumarin.org, to learn more about them. Someday in First Church’s future, I hope that we too might investigate the rewards of joining the Partner Church Program as a way to extend our outreach.
Submitted by Ken Olin
PRESIDENT'S COMMENTARY
When my daughter Kate was in kindergarten, I was quite surprised to hear one of her friends ask “Are you Christmas or Hanukkah?” I quickly learned that this was common talk among five year olds in our predominantly Jewish neighborhood and in essence was just a way of identifying who was Christian and who was Jewish. By age 7 both Kate and Liz struggled with the answer and my response was “We celebrate Christmas.” Interestingly they never asked exactly why we were celebrating.
This summer at General Assembly, I attended a very interesting session entitled “The Culture of Celebration.” The key takeaway for me from this workshop is that as Unitarian Universalist congregations we more appropriately honor traditions than celebrate religious holidays. I grew up in a Christian family who truly celebrated Christmas, a holiday brimming with lots of family traditions. Today, Arthur, Liz, Kate and I honor those traditions and what wonderful traditions they are.
We love the decorating, baking, Christmas carols and the glow of extra candles and tree lights. Attending First Church’s Christmas Eve service is part of our long tradition. All of us can barely wait to give each other our gifts. Stuffed stockings are a big item in our house. Christmas day is a very leisurely day of opening presents, starting the day with lots of sweet breads and continuing throughout the day with other goodies and just hanging out, all with a fire blazing in the background.
I have several crèches. The Christmas story is a great one I love the power of the star in that story. I have wonderful memories of Liz at age three nobly playing the role of the star in the Christmas Eve Christmas pageant.
I savor the notion of Peace and Good Will to all. It’s pretty dreamy in this world in which we live. Regardless of what tradition you honor or choose not to, may you this season find peace, first in your own heart and life and then in the greater community and world.
Submitted by Debby Schultz
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Over the past two months the Social Justice Ministry Team (SJMT) has reviewed our mission and decided that we currently have enough volunteers to support four main action areas: Literacy, Housing, Peace and Anti-Violence, and Homelessness. We are also working on awareness efforts around the issue of Racial Justice which weaves through all four of these action areas. We are most interested in finding volunteers to support and sustain these five activities, but you will continue hear about action opportunities in other areas, like GLBT equity and environmental concerns.
You can find a new flyer about FirstUU social justice with action dates and contact names at http://www.philauu.org/index.php/outreach.
The next SJMT meeting will be Sunday, December 16, from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. in the Parish Room. The first hour will be spent in three small groups focused on Racial Justice, Housing, and Homeless and Literacy. We'll then join together to report and celebrate. If you are interested in social justice in one of these areas please join us! Together we can make a difference in Philadelphia.
Peace and Anti-Violence
While our social justice ministries in the areas of housing and tutoring have developed over many years, the Peace and Anti-violence Ministry is new and still taking shape. It is concerned primarily with reducing the number of murders and other violence in our city, but we seek to link this work to larger issues relating to peace and violence worldwide, race and racism, and our responsibilities to our children. To date, our work has focused on two initiatives: (1) making connections with religious and community-based organizations in Philadelphia that are already doing work to end violence; (2) engaging middle and high school students in educational activities relating to Philadelphia African-American history. Joan Bauer is leading the first of these initiatives by meeting with people from faith-based and community organizations who are directly involved in anti-violence ministries as she seeks to find a way she can help in this work. See The Beacon for periodic updates or to learn more, contact Joan at jebauer9[AT]navpoint.com or 215-563-2744. Amy Hillier Fraatz is leading the second initiative in conjunction with her project at the University of Pennsylvania called "Mapping the Du Bois Philadelphia Negro" based on W.E.B. Du Bois's 1899 book, The Philadelphia Negro. First church volunteers interested in mentoring high school interns from the Freire Charter School on Thursday afternoons, developing curriculum materials, or working with at-risk youth on a mural of Du Bois are encouraged to contact Amy. ahillier[AT]design.upenn.edu) or 215-222-1347.
Economic Justice & Housing
WinterShelter
Our committment of helping to feed the 22 men who come and stay the night at 22nd and Spruce Sts.( basement of Trinity Memorial Church) is starting November 23. We have a team for the day after Thanksgiving (beef stew is planned) but many more need to sign up for the other nights from now until April. Families and teams are encouraged for the cooking and serving. Sign up sheet is available at the back of the church. Teams of people, families are encouraged to take part but registration MUST be made at least a week ahead of serving with the coordinator. Call Ginny Beier to register, 215-545-7831 or vhbeier[AT]hep.upenn.edu.
Fair Trade Coffee
Our church continues to serve only Fair Trade Coffee that we get from Equal Exchange, a worker-owned coop. The UUService Committee receives a portion of their profits. In addition to this service on Sunday we encourage you to look for the fair trade symbol on products you buy elsewhere . If enough people are interested this service could be offered at the church. Contact Ginny, 215-545-7831 or vhbeier[AT]hep.upenn.edu.
Recycling
Please bring your mixed paper and cleaned, crushed plastic bottles with a neck to the corner of 22nd and Spruce Sts. on the first and third Saturday of every month (between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.). Also bring cardboard and mixed paper. The good news is that many neighborhoods have started to go single stream recycling: the bad news is that more volunteers are needed to help sort and load the materials onto the trucks at Trinity.
Volunteer as a Literacy Tutor
The Social Justice Ministry will be exploring the ways FirstUU can support literacy. Without improvements in literacy in Philadelphia, improvements in economic and legal equality are not likely to occur. Sharon Tomalin is looking for volunteers who will tutor children and adults at AchieveAbility, a social service agency serving homeless families in West Philadelphia. For info/training, contact Sharon 215-735-5047.
Criminal Justice
Books Through Bars
We continue to support this program which sends books to prisoners. Packing takes place at the A Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. every Tuesday 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. and the first and third Saturday of the month 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Check the flyers attached to the donations bin in our lobby, and on their website, www.BooksThroughBars.org. They do not need hardback fiction, out of date reference, old textbooks.
Declaration of Life
During Rev. Nate's sermon on October 21st he proposed [During the sermon of October 21st we considered] a moral justice in which we seek reconciliation not retribution and in which the response doesn't have the capability to become what it opposes nor to otherize those with which we might disagree or judge to be flawed.
Inspired by those sentiments, the Social Justice Ministry Team would like to offer for consideration the personal signing of a Declaration of Life which designates the legal systems and one's loved ones NOT to seek the death penalty if one is murdered. You can find this declaration at http://www.uuadp.org/declaration.html and can learn more about Unitarian Universalists for Alternatives to the Death Penalty at http://www.uuadp.org/about.htm.
ADULT PROGRAMS
We invite you to check out the new Adult Religious Education brochure available in our lobby where you can learn more about these and other programs going on this Fall at First Church!
Population Education:
Sunday, Jan. 13, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
This one-time workshop is designed to train CRE teachers on how to use Population Education with the children. Population growth affects our environment, including air and water; it affects economies; it affects energy availability, use, and distribution; and it also affects our everyday lives, whether we live in the city, the suburbs, or anywhere in the world. We’ll explore activities that can be done with children at multiple age levels (elementary through high school) to introduce the issues and develop strategies for dealing with them in a way consistent with the UU principles. Facilitator Fran Poodry 610-544-8056, fpoodry[AT]speakeasy.net
Depression Support Group
The group continues to meet on the first Sunday of each month, following service (December 2). For more info contact Arcenia Rosal at 215-561-6506, or Lynn Rubin at 215-837-3371.
Women's Book Club
The World is [definitely] Flat, as discussed by us on November 12. Where were you when you realized this truth? Monday, December 3 will mark our last book discussion of the year at the home of Phebe Shinn at 7:30 p.m. Call her at 215-382-1691 or email pandgshinn[AT]verizon.net to RSVP. Facilitated by Sharon Tomalin, we'll discuss the
poetry of Poet Laureate Billie Collins and his book Sailing Alone Around the Room. Prepare for our January 7 planning meeting for the year. Bring TWO books that you highly recommend and have checked out their availability in the public library, as well as in paperback.
Earth-Based Rituals
Please join the First Unitarian Church's Earth Based Ritual Group for our 10th annual Winter Solstice Celebration. The service will be held on Saturday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Room. All are welcome. Please contact Elizabeth Ralston at elizabethriam[AT]yahoo.com, or at 215-222-9507.
Native American Spirituality for Women
This ongoing class, facilitated by member Connie Baker, will start its third year in January. It is for women who would like to know more about traditional Native American spiritual practices and culture. The class currently meets on the first Friday of every month, but that is open to change, if there is consensus.
Native Americans lived a balanced life, in terms of how they used natural resources, and considered everything to be sacred and equal in importance. They believed in living harmoniously with nature, and were taught to be aware of the impact of everything they did. The first class of the new year will be on January 4, at 7:00 p.m., in the Fahs Room. Suggested reading to bring interested people up to speed is Mother Earth Spirituality, by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man. For further information, you may contact Connie at 856-282-7448, via email at conniejazz[AT]comcast.net, or see her after church.
BEACON BITS
A Holiday Work Party!
Attention all Holiday Elves! We’re going to Deck the Halls of First Church on Sunday, December 9, at 12:30 p.m. after the service. A grand time will be had by all, as we string the tinsel, hang the holly and suspend the wreaths. The children will decorate the Christmas tree. Jansen will provide musical accompaniment and lead the group in seasonal songs. You’ll even get some lunch! Join with all the other Frosties and Rudolphs and kick off your Yuletide with the decorating of First Church!
Ministry Discernment Group
Have you ever considered enrolling in seminary? Do you feel compelled to be an ordained minister? If so, please contact Rev. Nate so he can connect you with five other individuals in the congregation who will begin to meet regularly to discern their call to ministry.
Volunteers Needed!!
Do you have special skills you can offer toward church building maintenance and upkeep? It’s a big, old building with plenty of room for elbow grease. On your own schedule you could help First Church. Contact Christina with your special skills, and we’ll put your to work!
… Contact Christina[AT]PhilaUU.org !
Sixth Annual World-Class Rummage Sale
BURSTING BASEMENTS, CLUTTERED CLOSETS? GOT TOO MUCH STUFF? Don't forget our Winter Rummage Sale! START COLLECTING NOW! The Sixth Annual World-Class Rummage Sale will be held Saturday, February 23, 2008. We want your stuff. Keep it, collect it, amass it and then donate it to First Church. And don't forget - February 23 is the date!
World AIDS Day Presentation:
December 2, 12:30 PM
Christiane Geisler, a nurse working in HIV research, will give a presentation about an HIV project she is working on, in Togo-West Africa. There will be a 15-min DVD from Togo, opportunity for questions, for sampling Togolese food and for getting involved in the project. HIV/AIDS is not over, come and hear about it!
Dec 2, 12:30 to 1PM; venue will be announced
KUDOS
John Lehman Honored
Last month, at our All-Church Potluck, the Board of Trustees honored member John Lehman for his immeasurable contributions to the congregation, presenting him with a framed copy of the following letter:
Dear John,
The Board of Trustees thanks you for your exceedingly generous service over the years in guiding and enhancing the financial operations of the first Unitarian Church. Although your work was often behind-the-scenes, the beneficial effect of it is apparent in many crucial ways. To identify some of the most important contributions on behalf of the Board we consulted Norman Fouhy. As Church Administrator, Norman is perhaps the most familiar with the extent of your contributions, having had the pleasure of working closely with you over ten years.
Norman reports that our financial statements are exceptionally clear and easy to use, thanks to your tireless work converting our bookkeeping system from an outdated manual one to a computerized one. This was an enormous undertaking. Your role in monthly verification of bookkeeping transactions resulted in accurate, reliable and transparent reports. These tangible results are easy to pinpoint and appreciate, as many members and business contacts have frequently reported. Beyond these accomplishments, Norman highlighted the intangible contributions: the countless hours you were available to ensure smooth resolution of problems encountered in managing the finances. Your extensive commitment is especially noteworthy given the fullness of your personal professional life.
Most of us have just a glimmer of what is involved in financial operations, and so it is difficult to fully grasp the meaning of your tenure as Treasurer and your impact serving on the Finance Committee. Please accept our deepest appreciation of your service and loyalty, and our best wishes to you in your future.
Most sincerely,
Debby Schultz, Carl Denlinger, Mark Peterson, Jennifer Hurley, Shirley Steele, Virginia DeRolf, Mike Dorn, Gerry Parchman
Send your words of appreciation in to the Kudos section! Send your submissions to Heather Speirs at hmspeirs[AT]gmail.com.
MINISTRY FOR ARTS
Play Discussion Group for 2007 – 2008
All members and friends of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia are invited to sign up for this on-going theater discussion program. Please sign up for the program on the sheets at the rear of the sanctuary or by e-mail to valsand[AT]earthlink.net indicating your preferred meeting day of the week for the discussion group. If you are interested in hosting a discussion group please indicate that on your sign-up sheet or e-mail.
Upcoming plays include:
Wittenbergat the Arden Theater
January 17 - March 9, 2008
Eurydiceat the Wilma Theater
April 30 – June 1, 2008
MEMBERSHIP MINISTRY TEAM
Appreciation for Making Coffee Hour a Delicious Success
Thank you from Phyllis Belk, membership team chair, to all the generous folks who are contributing refreshments for coffee hour this month. I may miss someone, in which case please tell me, but here’s the names of those I know brought muffins or coffee cake or fruit or cheese tray or brownies or cookies or banana bread or other good stuff to help make our Coffee Hour after church a particularly social occasion:
Joy Wiltenburg, Luana Goodwin, Carol Jessup, Debby Schultz, Marilyn Ashbrook, Marilyn Sandberg, Eva Baker, Joan Forman, Joan Wells, Dea Silbertrust, Barbara Higgins, Lora Thornburg, Chris Robertson, Sharon Tomalin, Shirley Steele, Beth Ralston, Kim Cox, Julie Ream.
And a big thanks to Kim Cox who will be taking over the job of coordinating the coffee hour refreshments each month. Please say yes when she comes to you with a request. We are trying to manage the list of members & friends who are willing to contribute coffee hour goodies, so that no one is asked too often (our goal is no repeats for at least three months). If you are not already on the list, and are willing to be asked every third month for a coffee hour refreshment, let Kim know at klc707[AT]yahoo.com.
Sixteen New Members So far…
REPORT FROM MEMBERSHIP: Can there be a ministry team that is having more fun than the Membership Team? There is nothing like being part of a team that’s on a roll. Sixteen persons have joined our church in our first three months since Rev. Nate began infusing energy, excitement and hope into the congregation. The names and addresses of new members are listed in this Beacon in the Additions-to-Directory section. Profiles and photos are included of at least five of the new members. Others were published last month. A couple of new members prefer less publicity.
With Rev. Nate, the membership team has held an Orientation session once a month (first Sundays), and a New Member in-gathering in October and November, with one planned now for December 9.
Seventeen persons attended the November Orientation, and close to that number have already indicated interest in attending the December 2 Orientation. Other activities include the following.
- The team has organized hospitality for coffee hours after church, lunches for the Orientation sessions, and a monthly brunch. Kim Cox will be the coordinator for coffee hour refreshments beginning in December .
- ConnectU, a special team to welcome visitors and do follow –up, is being revitalized by co-coordinators Kate Laepple Hertzog and Chris Robertson.
- Ushers and greeters for Sunday mornings are being coordinated by Paul Costa.
- New Member photos have been taken by Steve Lynch and posted on an easel in the back of the church. They are beautiful.
- Several people are helping to gather information about new members to publish in the Beacon.
- Circle suppers are being organized by Sharon Tomalin and will start-up soon.
- Calls to visitors are being made within a couple of weeks of their first visit, and most of the membership team is helping with this outreach.
We are helped in our outreach by the excellent record-keeping of the office staff, and the timely referrals of visitors information to us. Thank you Mike!
Please consider joining our team. Let Phyllis Belk, chairperson, know of your willingness to be involved. Phyllis.belk[AT]verizon.net
Submitted by Phyllis Belk
Membership Team chair
Phyllis.belk[AT]verizon.net
MUSIC NOTES
Dolce Suono Concert Series Announces New Home at First Church
The Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series, a highly acclaimed and innovative performing organization in Philadelphia, enters its third season. After two seasons at the University of Pennsylvania, Dolce Suono has moved to a new, larger home here at First Unitarian Church. Dolce Suono’s educational outreach partnership with the Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia is entering its third year. www.dolcesuono.com
The Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series is known for offering chamber concerts of the highest level of artistic excellence to the public free of charge. Its core musicians hail from such institutions as the Curtis Institute of Music, The Philadelphia Orchestra, University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University. Dolce Suono’s founder and artistic director is flutist Mimi Stillman, internationally acclaimed as soloist and chamber musician. A Yamaha Performing Artist, she was the youngest wind player ever to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and at twelve was the youngest wind player ever accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree.
Concerts at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 7:30pm Air Power: Wind Quintet and Piano
Mimi Stillman, flute (Yamaha Performing Artist); Geoffrey Deemer, oboe (Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia); Sam Caviezel, clarinet (The Philadelphia Orchestra); Michelle Rosen, bassoon (Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia); Jen Montone, horn (The Philadelphia Orchestra); Susan Nowicki, piano (Curtis Institute of Music)
Music of Poulenc, Barber, Ibert, Higdon
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 7:30pm Love Songs: A Valentine Serenade
Mimi Stillman, flute (Yamaha Performing Artist) & Allen Krantz, guitar (Temple University).
Music of Fauré, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Piazzolla, Brahms, and Dorff
MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM
Your MLT is responsible for assisting Rev. Nate with implementation of all the programs that are so vital to First Church. Perhaps a list of things that we have done over the past months will be helpful to you in knowing what we do and when to call on us.
Seeing vacancies in the leadership of the Membership and Adult Religious Education Ministry Teams, we recruited a leader for Membership and initiated the meeting of those interested in ARE to get the ball rolling. We also met with the Director of Children’s Religious Education and have been boosting his efforts to engage a CRE Team without success to this point in time.
We have taken on responsibility for organizing the all-church potlucks and any programs that accompany them. All of our members are participating on one or more of the ministry teams, although this goes beyond their MLT role.
Things we see that need doing are: 1) Formation of some small teams in the area of Communications to work on editing the Beacon and preparing publicity for local publication. The website team is very active and productive. 2) Reformation of a CRE team to aid Jansen in broadening the program for our children. 3) Revitalization of the Finance ministry team and/or reorganization into focused group dealing with creating the budget, reviewing our current expenditures, investing our Endowment and any other available funds.
We are few at the moment. Please contact us if you have interest or skills and would like to explore or volunteer in any of the program areas: Luana Goodwin (Social Justice, Finance), Carol Peterson (Membership, Young Adult), Phebe Shinn (Communications, Property), Anne Slater (ARE,CRE). We are also interested in your concerns and suggestions.
Submitted by Luana Goodwin
Worship Associates
OR: Who ARE Those People up in the Chancel with Nate?
The concept of lay people (non-clergy) taking part in the service along with the minister is not a new one to habitues of Protestant churches. However, in Unitarian Universalist churches what we call “Worship Associates” migrated east from Oakland , California, where Rob and Jan Eller-Isaacs introduced the concept to the Oakland Unitarian Universalist congregation some 20 years ago.
The Minister, the Worship Associates, and the Music Director meet at regular intervals throughout the church year to brainstorm sermon topics, to make suggestions following comments heard from the congregation, and to develop special celebratory church services. The diverse talents of people in the congregation assist the minister in developing rich services that speak to the many ways we experience and express our religious beliefs.
Each worship associate participates in two services per year, and learns along the way how a service leader leads. In the summer, when our services are lay-led, the speakers and their assistants are worship associates who have been learning during the past year the ins and out of preaching, the art of creating a cohesive service, and how to find appropriate music to fit the sermon.
Worship Associates have been chosen in many ways over the past several years. All are members of the church. Each has shown in some way the ability to speak out (literally and figuratively) and to lead a discussion or teach a class. The WAs serve three-year terms, and invite members to join.
If there is a topic that you would like to have Nate explore, if you have deep knowledge or familiarity with a topic that you think would interest the congregation, please speak with Rev. Nate Walker, or Rick Womer or Sharon Tomalin (chairs of WA), or any of the other Worship Associates. Our group will consider your idea, and invite you to help develop and lead the service if it is selected.
Anyone interested in nominating themselves (or someone else) for WA membership should contact the same people. We expect two positions to be open in January.
The current Worship Associates are Joan Bauer, Kim Cox, Virginia DeRolf, Luana Goodwin, Amy Hillier Fratz, Ken Olin, Val Sandberg, Janet Scannell, Anne Slater, Bill Sternman, Sharon Tomalin, and Rick Womer.
MEET OUR NEW MEMBERS
Brian has been visiting the Unitarian Church for the last three years and has decided it was time to make it official. He says he was drawn to the liberal spiritual environment and all the ‘cool’ and interesting people here. He was raised Catholic in northeast Philadelphia and spent his college years in New Orleans. He has lived in Center City Philadelphia for the last four years and is currently training to become an MRI technologist. He looks forward to developing a deeper spirituality with the help of the UU community.
Rich Donnell started attending First Church occasionally about six years ago, and is already acquainted with many of its members. It is a joy to have him decide to affiliate with us. A Center City resident for 28 years, Rich grew up in a Unitarian household.
His work experience includes corporate communications, secondary education, mental health, HIV/AIDS services. He’s currently working in the City health department, monitoring agencies that receive city, state, federal funds through the City for medical and other services for people with HIV/AIDS.
Rich has a wide variety of interests. He enjoys reading fiction, history, and psychology; as well as gardening, dancing, karaoke.
Jessica grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where she still has friends and family. She has always been a bookworm and divides most of her free time between the Philadelphia Free Library and Penn's awesome Van Pelt Library. She enjoys listening to country music and singing along, as well as playing folk music and dancing.
Jessica is the Assistant Director for Alumni Relations at the University of Pennsylvania, where she went to school and rowed on the varsity crew team. She is also pursuing a master’s degree, with a focus on gender studies and will finish up her thesis this winter. Before that she was a mortgage loan officer doing residential real estate and is very glad to be out of that field now. At work, Jessica organizes events where prominent professors can interface with alumni.
Prior to moving to Philadelphia in 2005, she lived in Annapolis, where she discovered the peaceful easy feeling she could get by attending the Unitarian Church every Sunday morning and is grateful to now be included in this Center City community. She is exploring the connection between spirituality and psychology, with a focus on "authentic happiness."
Allison Schue is a Midwesterner thrilled to be in Philadelphia. Originally from St. Paul, MN, she has been calling Philadelphia home for the last four years. She has been a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania for the last four years and is beyond excited to graduate this spring. There, she is studying landscape architecture and architecture in hopes of working on urban parks and community revitalization projects after graduation. Outside of school, Allison loves to have baking contests with Eva Baker, cycles, and is a cellist. She is ecstatic to be a member of UU and is enthusiastically looking forward to contributing to the community in any way that she can. Previous page: The Beacon - 2007
Joshua Seligman
Joshua Seligman is a Native Philadelphian. He has spent the last 17 years away from Philadelphia going to college and learning his spiritual lessons, and is sure more are on the way.
Joshua prides himself on having a gypsy spirit and has lived in Chicago, Pittsburgh, NYC,
Next page: The Beacon - November 2007