The Beacon - June-July 2008
Summer Worship Services
Religious Education Sunday
June 1, 2008 at 11:00 am
Join Jansen Wendell and the Children’s Religious Education for the annual Religious Education Sunday! A special Bridging Ceremony will be held for Tracy Jastrzab, who recently turned 18 years old and is graduating from high school.
“Why 06/06/06 Was a Special Day”
Sunday, June 8, 11:00 a.m. Intergenerational Service
While working as a Chaplain at a Children’s Hospital, Rev. Nate cared for a mother who gave birth to her son on June 6, 2006. Members of her church responded by telling her she’d given birth to the anti-Christ because of the biblical references to the number 666.
Memorial Service for Barbara K. Smith
Sunday, June 8, 1:00 p.m.
It is with sorrow we report the death of Barbara K. Smith (b. 1938 - d. 2008). She died on April 21 after surviving breast cancer, which later spread to her liver. Barbara was a long-time member of the church, active in music and religious education and a held a wide variety of leadership roles.
Music Sunday
Sunday, June 15, 11:00 a.m. Father’s Day Service
Join Christopher Barnard and the First Church choir and musicians for the semi-annual Music Sunday.
Summer Solstice.
Sunday, June 22, 10:00 a.m.
Start off your summer right by joining the Earth Based Ritual Group for our tenth annual Summer Solstice Celebration to be held on Sunday, June 22nd at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Room. This will be the first lay-led service of the summer. All are welcome!
Deciding to be Happy: One Person's Choices
Sunday, June 29, 10:00 a.m.
From Anne Slater: I didn't know what steps I would be taking, but I finally knew what the end result would be. Making that decision determined how I felt about setting out on the journey to happiness, and how I would take the steps I needed to take.
July 4, 1776 was Independence Day … But Not for All Americans.
Sunday, July 6, 10:00 a.m.
Jane Jordan will give a brief history of how our faith
has worked to bring "Independence Days" to slaves, those fleeing the Holocaust, women, the GLBT community, and others. She will compare these struggles to the struggle of people with disabilities for freedom and dignity today.
"Harnessing Anger"
Sunday, July 13, 10:00 a.m.
Join Janet Scannell as she explores her own journey with anger and challenges us to understand our anger and harness it for productive purposes.
Choosing Adoption
Sunday, July 20, 10:00 a.m.
Amy Hillier Fraatz explores issues relating to the choice she and her spouse made to adopt a baby, the politics of transracial adoption, and the universal issues involved in parenting.
How To Stand After The Fall
Sunday, July 27, 10:00 a.m.
The “fall” represents life events that we do not plan for because we had no idea that they could happen. This sermon will explore how to recover and continue moving. Led by Kimya Jackson.
Minister’s Message:
Becoming a Teaching Congregation
As of today we have ten people associated with our congregation who are in discernment about their vocation as a religious professional. Several have already completed or are current enrolled in seminary, and others are about to start in the fall. They have all talked to me about their aspirations and concerns about ordination, seeking advice about the next steps. In response, we have created a support group to help them discern their vocation and build collegial relationships. My hope is that if we can create a nurturing environment for these fine people to discern their ministry then not only will they thrive but so will the church.
This leaves me to ask a question, are the members of the congregation willing to build into their strategic plan the goal of becoming a “Teaching Congregation?” There are three ways we can achieve this goal. First, we can sponsor members of the congregation who are Candidates for ministry and hold them in care as they consider us a community that will ordain them into ministry. Second, we can host Field Education students from local seminaries to volunteer in the church. Finally, in years to come, we can raise the funds to hire a full-time Ministerial Intern. Each of these options are manifesting.
As you know Malika Levy recently became a Candidate for UU Ministry; meaning, she has successfully completed a career assessment and a meeting with the Regional Sub-Committee on Candidacy (RSCC). Sarah Lenzi, our Young Adult Coordinator, recently completed seminary and a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and will be seeing the RSCC in the fall. Also, Mark DeCourval of the Membership Committee has been attending Union Theological Seminary, and Seth Carier is starting at Andover Newton Theological Seminary in the fall. The current chair of the Young Adult Ministry Team, Chris Trace, is applying to seminaries in the fall. It’s likely each of these fine people will be approaching the church for formal sponsorship. The congregation will vote to hold them in care as they pursue ordination. There is no financial obligation but it would be helpful to create a fund to help these students attend UU conferences and represent the church at various events. These are examples of how we can achieve the first step in becoming a teaching congregation--to sponsor these fine people and hold them in care. The second step is to host seminarians as a Field Education site.
I was approached by Lutheran Theological Seminary to host a Field Education student next church year. His name is Eugene Search and he is on his way toward becoming an ordained UU minister. He's a member of the UU Church of Restoration here in Philadelphia and was recommended by Rev. Chester McCall. He has a diverse theological past, especially with spiritual / monastic practices in liberal Christianity. He was previously ordained as a Priest in the Old Templar Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, has a Masters in Pastoral Counseling, and is drawn to neo-pagan and contemplative prayer. I have invited Eugene to start his volunteer service at the church starting from September 2008 to June of 2008 for 10-12 hours a week. He'd like to focus on offering social justice ministry, small group ministry (such as offering one or two adult RE courses) and possibly helping Jansen with children's worship. He would like to be involved in the finance ministry (stewardship and budgeting) so as to learn the day-to-day operations of parish life. As his supervisor, we'd meet periodically for theological discussion, he'd attend staff meetings, and together we'd host a support group for those discerning ministry.
In the future, we may want to extend this practice by becoming an official Internship Site. This would entail budgeting $16K for a full-time intern to serve the church as a parish-minister in training with a Committee on Ministry and structured time with me for theological reflection. In September, we’ll be hosting a series of discussions for the congregation to learn more about the options and legalities of these stages. Together, we can discern how as a community we can respond to the many people who are emerging religious professionals. My hope is that you will continue to hold these people in care and give Eugene a warm welcome in the fall.
Peace,
Reverend Nate Walker
(215) 701-9072
revnate[AT]philauu.org
CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Greetings From Your CRE Director
It may be a coincidence, but just as I am helping to complete the first phase of the new safe congregation policy, issues about my 12-year-old daughter’s use of the internet have come to the attention of me and my wife. I would like to share a few of our experiences, which I’m sure are not uncommon. She has been “surfing the net” for a couple of years now and along with doing homework assignments and playing computer games, has discovered the joy of watching Japanese anime cartoons on YouTube, the video sharing web site. Some of the cartoons are violent and have inappropriate messages about gender roles. We started to pay even closer attention to the sites she was visiting and have asked her to avoid content that is for older teens.
In looking at the web-browsing history on our computer, we discovered that our daughter had recently created a MySpace page for herself. MySpace is described as a social networking service that allows members to create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with old and new friends. Her page said she was 16--5 years older than her real age. Did that ever raise red flags for us! Between school and home, we believed she had enough information to write a thesis on the dangers of the internet. We were up against the “all my friends do it” mind set. We asked her to take down the page, to which she agreed. Our daughter is not alone in her innocence. When we “googled” her name to see if any of her information was available in cyberspace, a previous Beacon article appeared, written by me, in which I mentioned her name! These incidents sent us on a search for parental control guidelines and software. We found “The Parents’ Guide to the Information Superhighway,” published by the Children’s Partnership with the National PTA and the National Urban League (www.childrenspartnership.org). They provide computer and internet safety tips for various age levels of children. Here are some of the tips:
• Monitor your child’s web browsing history. Your web browser should have a menu that allows you to go back several days and check out the web sites that have been visited. Let them know that you are doing this. He or she may object, but it is the job of the parent to be nosy. It shows them we care about them.
• Set clear rules for on-line use, and clear consequences if they are broken.
• Instruct your child not to give out information about themselves or their family without permission. Instruct them not to order products or create accounts without your knowledge.
• Explain that once information goes out on the internet, it cannot be erased.
• Together with your child, search for safe on-line chat rooms that have good parental controls.
• Explain that people can lie about their age and their motives. You should NEVER arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you have never met.
My wife and I were careful not to punish our daughter for making mistakes the first time. We want her to be willing to tell us if she sees something disturbing or dangerous. She now clearly understands that if she does anything she knows is out of bounds, we will have to put more stringent controls on her use of the computer. These incidents gave us the opportunity to learn together what is safe and appropriate. We are now doing our “homework” in learning what controls are available.
With affection,
Jansen Wendell (and Star)
Jansen[AT]PhilaUU.org
(215) 563-3980, ext. 305
CRE News
On May 18, the children voted to send the money collected during our chapel services, totaling $500.00, to two charities. Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswitoutborders.org) was the overwhelming first choice. They will receive 75% of our funds or $375.00. Tracy Jastrzab made a convincing plea for the medical needs of Chinese earthquake and Burmese cyclone victims. The second choice was the Stephen Shames Foundation (www.stephenshames.org), which provides university scholarships to former child soldiers, sex slaves and AIDS orphans in Uganda. They will receive the balance of $125.00. Thanks to Katy Morris for introducing us to that cause. Also thanks to Ginny Beier for Books Through Bars, Christiane Geisler for Hope Through Health and Paul Costa for the Emily D’Ancona Little Person’s Fund for their efforts on behalf of their charities.
June CRE Worship Highlights
Sunday, June 1, CRE Sunday. We will celebrate a successful church school year, honor and thank our teachers and conduct a bridging ceremony for our graduating teen, Tracy Jastrzab.
June 1, All-Church Picnic will also take place on June 1 in Clark Park in West Philadelphia, starting at 1:00pm.
Sunday, June 8: All-Together Sunday. Our annual blessing of the animals will take place. Children are encouraged to bring their pet (or a photograph of their pet) to be blessed or remembered. I plan to bring our new dog, Star.
Sunday, June 15: Our last day of the Church School. The children will remain in the sanctuary for the service.
Getting to Know UU
By Ken Olin
Asheville, North Carolina, may be best known for being the home of the largest private estate in the country, Biltmore, which is now a hotel of very high caliber. But the town is also home to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville. From humble beginnings, they have grown to an impressive size, and serve a large area with a strong social justice program.
On May 9, 1950, the Unitarian Fellowship of Asheville was organized in the George Vanderbilt hotel with a membership of ten. In less than a year the first issue of the Newsletter (April 1951) reported a doubling of the numbers to twenty-two and a bank balance of $48.96. In their early years, the group met in the basement of the First Congregational Church, with lay members conducting services. The congregation and church school met in the YMCA building from 1953 through 1956, with a part-time pastor leading services during the summers. The congregation called its first minister, the Rev. Dan Welch, out of retirement in 1955. In 1956 Eleanor Roosevelt addressed an overflow crowd at the YMCA space. Later that year to accommodate their burgeoning growth, the church purchased a home in West Asheville, where services were held until construction of its current campus in 1972. In October 1968, the church officially changed its name to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville. The Rev. Mark Ward is the church’s seventh minister and began his service in August of 2004. As of early 2008, they celebrate 550 members and 126 friends, not counting the many children enrolled in their RE program. With a prophetic ministry of service and a well-designed website, it seems likely they will continue to grow and prosper. Visit their website at www.uuasheville.org.
SOCIAL JUSTICE & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Criminal Justice
Books Through Bars:
2008 Pack-a-thon Report
Thanks to all involved for a successful Pack-A-Thon this May 18. Our new trustee to the Board Tricia Way committed to work 12 hours during this event! Supporter Ginny Beier encouraged the children of the Religious Education program to donate some of their collected funds for this program. Books continue to be collected in our lobby but it's better if you can take them to the A-Space (4722 Baltimore Ave.) for packing to send to the prisoners all across the nation needing something to read. Thanks to Mike Dorn and Gillian Stickney Swann for transporting donated books to West Philadelphia.
For info go to www.booksthroughbars.com.
Housing and Economic Justice
Report on a New Orleans-Katrina Experience
By Phyllis Belk
Last year three of us from this church –Luana Goodwin, Ned Motley, and me, went to New Orleans on a Katrina-Relief project with a group organized by some Delaware County Unitarians and Methodists. Exactly a year later, April 2008, another group went to New Orleans to work with Habitat. Our sponsor was the UU Church of Delaware County, and among the 25 in the group were seven people connected to First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia--Peg and Bob Gillies of Cape May, their son Carter from Athens, GA.,Leroy Forney, Jeff Rogers, Karin Tetlow and me. Karin and I have written some impressions of the trip. It was her first time in New Orleans since Katrina, and you’ll see how deeply she felt the experience. This year I was better prepared for the disastrous sights in much of the City, areas that resemble pictures of a country devastated by war. Last year we spent most of our work time doing the dirty job of gutting houses that had been closed up for 20 months since the hurricane. This year, almost three years since Katrina, we were able to work on construction of two new houses. The houses are nice and hopefully, more new houses will be built in the same neighborhood soon because it’s an awful place now. One of the urges that makes me want to go back next year is to see if the ugly, empty housing projects a block away have been torn down as promised. This year, we got to know a family whose house had been swept away in the flooding waters of the 9th Ward. Because of the homeowner’s age now (68) and lack of income, he and his wife are not qualifying for any of the programs to rebuild. This extraordinary family put a face on the tragedy of loss coupled with the New Orleans character of fortitude. Our group has committed to staying in touch with them, and doing what we can to help them. So the sum total of the work of our group of 25 will help three families. Do we feel our effort was worth the trip? Are we spitting in the ocean? Maybe. But I choose to feel glad that I went, grateful to have met some special people of New Orleans, to have listened to their stories which they say helps because there is a widespread belief there that no one cares. The camaraderie of our group was a special added benefit of the experience, as well as meeting hundreds of other volunteers. We’ll feel even better about our efforts if we can inspire others to make the plight of New Orleans recovery a national priority.
Some Reflections After Being in New Orleans
By Karin Tetlow
** Each day revealed another level of what it means to lose everything. Yes. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and everything in them. But they also lost neighbors, family members, community, their supermarket, their church, Wal-Mart, buses. Perhaps equally important, especially in the Ninth Ward and St. Bernard’s Parish where people tended not to cross boundaries, they lost networks for getting information, knowing how things worked and where was safer. (Opened a year after Katrina, NENA in the Lower Ninth Ward--partially funded by the UU Service Committee--functions as a resident-organized and controlled resource.)
** I uncovered a woman’s white shoe in the brush we were clearing. After carefully bringing it home in a plastic bag, I knew I could not even touch it, so I wafted herb smoke over it and placed it in the garbage. Do our levels of acceptance vary that much according to where we are?
** Race. We noted the virtual absence of African American faces at the Quarter Fest in the French Quarter and in Camp Hope, the Habitat converted school we stayed in. We watched excerpts from Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke (well worth renting) with one man’s account of his arbitrary arrest and heard chilling reports of racial behavior. When I returned I heard more stories about the white boy who had been shot by a black 13-year old outside my house two years ago. Is racial attitude that much different here in Philadelphia?
**Being judgmental. Why does a family who has lost everything have three flat screen TVs, window treatments and an empty refrigerator in their rental house? The answers are worth a sermon.
** Grunge does not support the spirit. After five days at our work site and seeing very few people and no children on the street, boarded up houses and tilted roadways, I felt hollow.
** But rebuilding can empower the spirit. Opposite our work site, a 75-year-old retired school administrator, tired of contractors, had co-opted relatives to help rebuild. He admitted to loving it.
** Nature happens! There in a backyard was a glorious bush of pink and yellow lantana (recognized by Phyllis because it grows in Texas) and a tiny bird of paradise flowering in broken cement beside a closed church.
** A source of Soul that is more than the music. At first I explained New Orleans as being the opposite of a place of Power—possibly a place of Dark. It is built around and below water, which finds its lowest level, unlike the spiritual mountain centers of the Southwest which reach into the light of inspiration. But like Yin and Yang we are both the dark and the light and one is revealed by the other. Back home, I couldn’t touch the white shoe.
Perhaps I should have.
ADULT PROGRAMS
Depression Support Group
The group continues to meet on the first Sunday of each month, following service (June 1, July 6, August 3). For more info contact Arcenia Rosal at 215-561-6506, or Lynn Rubin at 215-837-3371.
Earth-Based Ritual Group
Start off your summer right by joining the Earth Based Ritual Group for our tenth annual Summer Solstice Celebration to be held on Sunday, June 22nd at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Room. This will be the first lay-led service of the summer. All are welcome!. For further information please contact Elizabeth Ralston at 215-222-9507 or by e-mail at elizabethriam[AT]yahoo.com.
Interweave
Calling all BGLT members and friends to join the new Interweave listserve: interweavephila-subscribe[AT]yahoogroups.com. The listserve's purpose is to notify about upcoming Interweave events and share information of interest to the BGLT members and friends of our congregation. The listserve will be moderated.
Women's Book Club
Thanks to our facilitator and hostess Carol Jessup we learned of the many parallels of the author's life (Nick Hornby) and the four main characters in the novel A Long Way Down. Despite the premise of the book(suicide) it was an amusing read. Our next month's selection - The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls could appear to be a depressing story but at least three of the members thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it to be uplifting. Please join us with your impressions of the book on Monday, June 2 at the home of Sharon Tomalin. Please call her at
215-735-5047 or stomalin[AT]att.net ro let her know you are coming. We'll meet at 7:30 and hopefully get a tour of her new home, followed by the book discussion at 8. We welcome new members at any time and encourage you to come by 7:30 to get to know us. Questions can be directed to coordinator Ginny Beier [AT] 215-545-7831 or vhbeier[AT]hep.upenn.edu.
Upcoming Books:
June 2 – The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
July 7 - The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing at the home of Joan Forman. Please call her at 215-721-5478 or joanforman[AT]verizon.net. Please note book length: 675 pages.
August 4 - Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh at the home of Justine Hansen. Please call her at 267-972-4551 or justinehansen[AT]hotmail.com.
Sept. 8- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. (Note book length: 676 pages).
Native American Spirituality for Women
The Native American Spirituality for Women class is open one more month, through the June 6 meeting. The new curriculum includes two books: "Dwellings" by Linda Hogan, and "Neither Wolf Nor Dog," by Kent Nerburn. For information on how to prepare for the June class, please call facilitator Connie Baker at 856-282-7448 or 215-910-9670.
BEACON BITS
Philadelphia UU Meetup Group
We meet in the evening, 5:00 p.m. every third Sunday before the Contemporary Worship Service. More information on the Meetup Group can be found on our church website, http://www.philauu.org/index.php/meetups and at our meet-up site, http://unitarians.meetup.com/16.
Wine Excursions in the Napa Valley
UUs and friends are invited to take advantage of the UU Fellowship of North Bay’s “Wine Country Excursions.” Small, customized two-day tours are offered, including wine tastings, art galleries, museums, scenic trails and much more. Tours are offered from April through October. All proceeds to help our Fellowship grow and purchase property in this expensive real estate market. Contact us now for details, 2wilsons1dog[AT]comcast.net.
Shirley Steele Gallery Opening, Friday, June 6
Everyone is invited to the opening of Shirley Steele’s solo show, “Symbiosis” (new digital prints) on Friday, June 6. The reception will be 5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. at the Burrison Gallery at the University Club at Penn (2nd floor, The Inn at Penn, 3611 Walnut St.). Come and bring a friend! If you can’t get there on opening night, please stop by later. The show will run till July 4. For more information, visit http://www.steelestudio.com.
Fatherhood Festival: Saturday, June 7
The 2008 Philadelphia Fatherhood Festival is a free event offering workshops, resources, and information for fathers and father figures. Workshops include: Healthy Communication, Men & the School System, Fatherhood Affects the World, & Puberty 101: Talking to Your Teens. Special Features include National Speakers, Resources & Information, Father-to-Father Roundtable, Breakfast & Lunch Included. It is Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located on 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA. For more information e-mail: register[AT]daddyuniv.com. They are looking for men to attend. If you are interested, you can visit at www.fatherfest.com.
Summer Services Begin June 22
Remember that starting on Sunday, June 22, First Church will observe its summer services schedule. Throughout the remainder of the summer, services will be held at 10:00 a.m. in our air-conditioned Parish Room.
Labor Day Retreat at Camp Tockwogh
Mark your calendar! MLUC’s and First UU’s 2008 Labor Day Weekend Retreat at Tockwogh
August 30 –September 1. For online registration and more information about Tockwogh, please visit www.oldmacd.org/Tockwogh. Discount for registration by June 30.
YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM
Summer is nearly upon us. As a student, I always look forward to the no-class freedom of these months— inevitably I begin this warming time of year with a list in hand of all the things I intend to do, the places and people I want to visit, the books I want to read, the projects I want to complete. And, inevitably, so many items on my list go unfinished. Summer always seems to whiz by, and September finds me often no further along on my to-do’s than I was at the end of May. And, of course, I always wonder where the time went and what I spent it doing. Everything falls by the wayside in summer, as the world somehow seems to slow but time seems to go so fast. I suspect it would be better to enter this time with a shorter list of things I must get done so that I don't end up berating myself at the end of summer. Perhaps, it would make sense to instead enter these free months with a sense of what I do not want to do, like lose touch with friends who leave or stop attending to my spiritual needs.
I, like others, have spent many a summer skipping church, not getting involved in services or summer events. It’s almost as if I believe regular life stops for the summer, but it doesn’t. Communities don’t just go away for three months, and neither, I have realized, does a person’s need for community and spiritual fulfillment. My classes might be on hold, but my life and the world is not. I suppose my hope for myself, and for everyone in our congregation, is that this summer will be one in which we continue to come together and continue to strengthen the bonds that tie us; and of course that we all cut ourselves a little slack if we don’t complete our lists this summer. I hope we can all experience the warmth not only of the summer weather, but also of each others’ and our own kindness as we keep growing and the world circles slowly back to autumn.
The Young Adults will continue to hold events through June and July, though they will not be on the same normal weekly schedule. So please keep checking our website which will be updated frequently, and stay tuned to the listserve to hear about upcoming activities!
With hope,
Sarah Lenzi
Young Adult Coordinator
Sarah[AT]PhilaUU.org
PROPERTY UPDATE
Especially for Persons with Disabilities
A “Listening & Idea Session” is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 after the service (about 11:30 a.m.) on the subject of physical facilities at First Unitarian as they impact persons with disabilities. The chairpersons of the Property Ministry Team (Lora Thornburg) and the Membership Ministry Team (Phyllis Belk), as well as other members of those teams, want to hear from persons who are experiencing difficulties and/or have ideas for addressing some of the problems associated with services and programs in our church. Help us come up with some other solutions in the meantime to make First Unitarian Church more accessible for persons who have difficulty walking or standing, with sight or hearing. The session will be held in the Parish Room.
MEMBERSHIP MINISTRY TEAM
Membership News:
Summer Socials Being Planned
Congregation members should be watching for announcements about neighborhood get-togethers during the summer. The Membership Ministry Team is working to implement an idea proposed by Luana Goodwin for socials that will help keep members and friends in touch until the new church year brings us back together in September. Luana has volunteered to organize a gathering for residents in the Art Museum-Fairmount neighborhood, and Anne Slater for the west-of-City Line residents. Let Luana or Phyllis know if you would help organize a picnic or pot luck in your neighborhood. The team would provide support.
Since there is not another Beacon newsletter until August, communication will be by means of the website, the all-church emails, and the printed announcements given out at Sunday services. If you are not now receiving the weekly E-announcements from the church office, please make sure you have given your email to Mike McKee in the office.
On June 29 after church, the membership and property ministry teams will sponsor a discussion for persons with disabilities to talk about problems encountered in our building, and to provide suggestions for improvements.
The membership Ministry Team at its recent meetings planned two Orientations-to-Unitarian Universalism sessions, and New Member Ceremonies (for May and for June). Ed Close provided a fine luncheon for the May session, which was attended by ten persons. Kate Hertzog organized the new member ceremony for May where Kerri Lennon and Joshua Park, and Brian Lago, were welcomed into the congregation (see more about them in this issue).
The Orientation on June 1 will be the last one for this church year, and we expect a large attendance. Already there are several persons indicating their desire to join the church at the June 8 new member intake.
In its annual review, the Membership team reported that there are 191 members of the congregation, and that 43 new members joined during the church year (as of May 18).
An attractive bulletin board has been provided by Christina Doe, our head sexton, so that the photos of all new members can be exhibited at the back of the sanctuary, not just the newest members. Steve Lynch, the ministry team member who takes and prints up the wonderful photographs, has arranged a colorful display.
Submitted by Phyllis Belk
MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM
MLT Update
The MLT has welcomed the challenges of serving this congregation in the 2007-08 year. A piece on our accomplishments was entered in the Annual Report distributed at the Annual Meeting and available to others on request.
Anne Slater will be moving into the role of Co-leader with Rev. Nate for the coming year. She has been our Recorder during the past year. Carol Peterson is returning for her second year on the Team and Virginia DeRolf has agreed to join it. We are still looking for a few more members to round it out.
The work of the Team is very important in lending support to the Minister and ministry teams as they work to fulfill congregational goals, and in supporting the Minister and staff as they attend to church operations. The MLT also plays an important role in conflict resolution, as needed.
We have appreciated the enormous effort and accomplishments of Rev. Nate and the ministry teams this year. Significant advances have been made in the areas of: Adult Religious Education, led by Anne Slater and Rev. Nate; Membership, chaired by Phyllis Belk; Finance, chaired by Mike Dorn and aided considerably by Mark Peterson and David Melnicoff; Property, chaired by Lora Thornburg; Social Justice, chaired by Janet Scannell; Worship chaired by Rick Womer and Sharon Tomalin until January and Val Sandburg since January. There have not been standing ministry teams in the areas of Children’s Religious Education, which has a professional leader in Jansen Wendell, and Communication which has had a very active website group captained by Mike Dorn, Paul Vazuka and Christiane Geisler.
The Ministry Leadership Team challenges you to become involved in an area that draws on your interest and/or talents in the coming year. There are no qualifications for participation.
Getting Together Over the Summer
Summer is a time for stretching our legs and traveling beyond our usual boundaries but it is also affords, if we are lucky, more leisurely time at home. Some Circle Supper groups are continuing through the summer while others are not.
Here are two suggestions for building in some get-together time over the summer. The Parish Room has been reserved for lunch on second Sundays, July 13 and August 10. If you will bring a sandwich for yourself and one other, your can picnic there or take it outside to the yard or elsewhere, weather permitting. Also geographical gatherings are encouraged. Anne Slater has volunteered to host one for those on the western rim of Philadelphia and Phyllis Belk and Luana Goodwin are going to propose one for our many members and friends in Fairmount. Others are encouraged to initiate an event for your area.
DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP
The Board of Trustees has charged the Development Working Group (DWG) with the task of raising $195,000 in grant money to match existing funds to support a building preservation project currently underway. This project is also receiving support from the First Church investment account and a $75,000 challenge grant from Partners for Sacred Places.
Our group began meeting in March and we are still settling into our role and learning about the short-term and long-term needs of the building. We are dedicated to using our development work for this preservation project to help build a foundation for a capital campaign which will hopefully be launched in three years. Relationships are the central focus of our efforts. As part of our grant-writing, we will be building relationships with representatives of local foundations, community organizations, and political leaders. We hope these people will join us at First Church in the coming months for some of our special events. Please help us to make them feel welcome.
DWG members include: Phyllis Belk, Kim Cox, Virginia DeRolf, Richard Frey, Ed Greenlee, Janet Scannell, and Portia Sperr.
WHEEL OF LIFE
A memorial service will be held in the sanctuary on Sunday, June 8, at 1:00 p.m. for Barbara Smith, who passed away on April 21.
Even if you are unable to attend the memorial service, please send your cards to her daughter Jennifer and her granddaughters Amelia and Olivia to 528 Cambridge Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004. Let's shower them with love!
"We are overjoyed to report that Isaac William Fraatz came home with us around 1:30 this afternoon. Isaac was born at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, just blocks from our home, on Friday morning, May 16.
We expect to meet his birth mother some time soon and hope you will keep her in your prayers, as well.
We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and good wishes and can't wait to share this bundle of joy."
Submitted by Jim & Amy Fraatz
FLOWERS
June 1
In memory of John McNamara Connolly. From his sister, Kate.
June 8
In memory of my mother, Dolores Regina Carlson. From Christina Carlson.
June 15
In loving memory of my grandfather, Oliver Tennyson Alexander. Given by Steven Lynch.
MEET SOME OF OUR NEW MEMBERS
Brian Lago
Brian was born in 1951, in rural Western New York, near Buffalo. Brian comes to UUism through the Catholic church where as a child he was kicked out of the confessional for confessing that he had touched himself… His introduction to UUism came in high school through a substitute teacher whom he stayed in touch with for 30 years. He experienced a liberal awakening during the Kent State shootings and the beginning of his social and political activism. Serving as the vice president of the faculty union at Temple for six years, he participated in two lengthy strikes and successfully negotiated a contract to prevent another one. He also served as the treasurer of the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia, the treasurer of a Philadelphia Health and Safety Organization, and served in the Center for Responsible Funding, and the William Way Center.
Brian earned a Master of Fine Art from the Yale school of drama, worked in NY for several years before becoming the Technical Director of the Department of Theater here at Temple, for 14 years.
In April of 1996, Brian’s partner of 19 years died of complications from HIV. Within another year, both his parents had passed. After a period of depression, Brian had what he described as an “epiphany”, he left a 29 years career in theater to go to nursing school and in two years graduated as a nurse, (magna cum Laude), as a presidential scholar, with several clinical awards.
Today, Brian works as the Charge Nurse of the 45 bed unit where his partner died at Pennsylvania Hospital. The motto of that institution is “Take care of him and I will repay thee!” This is where I first met Brian, through our common work in HIV nursing.
In making the decision to join First Church, Brian had the following to share:
“In August of last year, after a 35 year hiatus, as part of a spiritual awakening related to a conscious decision to change my life, I returned to a formal place of worship. First UU has given me the opportunity and freedom to worship the God of my understanding, based on my 57 year spiritual search.
It has further enabled me to actively serve the community through programs like Rebuilding Philadelphia and Winter Shelter. Lastly it has expanded my spiritual practice through its excellent adult education programs. If you haven’t participated in one of them yet, you are missing out!”
Joshua Park
& Kerrie Lennon
Josh grew up in an Air Force family that frequently relocated. He moved to the Philadelphia area several years ago to attend Eastern University where he received an undergraduate degree in Youth Ministry. Disillusioned by his Christian upbringing, he forged a new path and obtained a Masters Degree in math education at St. Joseph’s University. After several years in the Philadelphia school system, he is now a program director at Sylvan Learning Center. Josh is also pursing a career in music as a singer/songwriter. His recent EP, “One Wish,” was released in December, and plans to record a full-length album are on the horizon. You can hear some of his music at www.joshuaparkmusic.com .
After a desire to return to a religious tradition,
Kerri’s family gravitated towards Thomas Paine UU Fellowship in Collegeville. By the time she was a sophomore in high school, she had become a very active member of the TPUUF community. She worked as a youth leader and especially enjoyed teaching the K/1 religious education classes. Her work with the social justice committee led her towards pursing a political science degree in college.
Discouraged by the state of American politics, she took some time off and moved to Philadelphia. Kerri is currently a manager at a major music venue in the city, and with a new inspiration intends to finally resume working toward her degree at Temple University in the fall.
Josh and Kerri are very pleased to have found First Church and the community it offers. They are also making plans to be married at First Church in May of 2009.
Previous page: The Beacon - August 2008
Next page: The Beacon - May 2008