Metro NY Minute -- November 2008
News From the District 
 
 
Worth Repeating!
 
Are you interested in presenting a workshop at the 2009 District Annual Meeting? The Annual Meeting planners would like to hear from you. The 2009 District Annual Meeting will be held May 1-2, 2008. Workshops should fit the theme "Turn Outward in Faith," focusing on the fourth system -- the Serving System -- in the  congregational systems model advanced by Larry Peers. To quote Larry: "Service to others is a powerful way for an individual to grow  spiritually. The congregation is attentive to providing support and recognition for individuals to grow through serving others -- and using one’s gifts, talents, or passion in meaningful and powerful ways. This is tied with your community presence: What you do within your congregation and how you serve others in the broader community extends your presence beyond the walls of your congregation." Click here to enter your workshop proposal.
 
Presentation of the 2009 District Awards and 2009 District Scholarships will be a highlight of the 2009 District Annual Meeting. You are invited to submit a nomination for one or more of four awards, and to encourage youth to apply for a scholarship. The nomination and application deadline is March 1, 2009.
 
Showcase your congregation at General Assembly 2009 in Salt Lake City UT June 24-28, 2009! The District can sponsor up to two Congregation Showcase events and is now soliciting proposals. The deadline is January 1. Click here to submit a proposal. 
 
More Good Stuff to Check Out!
 
Worship Service Providers available to District congregations
 
RE-Sources for religious education leaders
 
Job opportunities around the District
 
InterConnections for lay leaders
 
Action Campaigns of the UUA
 
UUA Monthly Mailing to congregations
 
uuworld.org, the UUA online magazine
 
 
Small Talk newsletter for small UU congregations
Calling all young adults!  Come to the Young Adults Winter Retreat and spend Presidents Day Weekend (February 13-16, 2009) in community with fellow District young adult UUs at Frost Valley YMCA Camp in Claryville NY!  Stay three nights in a beautiful 40-person, environmentally friendly lodge with a wood-burning fireplace. Meet new friends, re-connect with old ones, and just relax in the Catskill mountains. Participate in arts and crafts, hiking, or snow tubing -- to name a few activities -- or take some time for personal reflection. Nightly worship lead by a District young adult religious professional and an open-mic night are also in store. Registration includes all meals and is $175, increasing to $200 on December 1.
 
The deadline for submitting an Intent to Apply for the Fall 2009 Chalice Lighters call is November 15. Read more Acrobat Reader Required from Bill Slezak, District Chalice Lighters Coordinator. The Fall 2008 Chalice Lighters called congregation is the UU Congregation at Rock Tavern (NY). Funds collected will be used to help rebuild the congregation's facilities that were destroyed in a devastating fire on September 12, 2006. For a project description, click here Acrobat Reader Required.
 
News From the UUA 
 
UUA President the Rev. Bill Sinkford began a 19-day pilgrimage on November 4 to visit six African countries: South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. [Pictured is a Kenyan Unitarian children's center.] The four goals of the journey are to meet with UU colleagues; learn from the leaders in Truth and Reconciliation work in South Africa, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu; learn from leaders of social justice and human rights organizations involved in diverse struggles; and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site and witness to the Atlantic Slave Trade. UUs can participate in the journey by reading blog posts, news stories, and reports, viewing pictures, and watching videos of the journey. Religious education classes can join in one of the live, interactive Sunday School webcasts November 9, 16, and 23.
 
UUA President the Rev. Bill Sinkford released an open letter to UUs regarding 2008 marriage/family ballot initiatives voted on on November 4.  An initiative in Arkansas concerned the right of unmarried couples to serve as foster or adoptive parents. Florida and Arizona voted to write discrimination into their state constitutions as they defined marriage as being between one man and one woman. In California, Proposition 8 similarly amends the state constitution. Sinkford said, “This work was -- and remains -- profoundly important, in spite of disappointing results at the polls. Please know that your work was not in vain.”  Read more.
 
Worship Resources for Tough Economic Times is now available to help congregational leaders support one another. Set up by Erik Wikstrom, UUA Worship and Music Resources Director, the page is for sharing sermons, meditations and prayers, hymns and anthems, small group ministry sessions, newsletter columns, ideas for programs, and other helpful materials. Email submissions to Erik at worshipweb@uua.org, with appropriate attribution.
 
On Association Sunday 2008, ministers and lay leaders across the country preached and shared stories about the importance of association, of joining together in pursuit of a common purpose, and inspired their congregations to affirm their connections with UUs everywhere. Click here to read some Association Sunday sermons received by the UUA. To submit a sermon, email associationsunday@uua.org.
 
The 2008 Congregational Annual Report on Giving to the Annual Program Fund is now available online. View the report in color or in a printer-friendly version. In the Metro NY District, 47 of 51 congregations were Fair Share congregations for fiscal year 2007-08. Merit congregations (contributing at least 20% more than in the previous year) in the District include the UU Society of South Suffolk (Bay Shore NY), Upper Delaware UU Fellowship (Beach Lake PA), All Souls Bethlehem Church (Brooklyn NY), Skylands UU Fellowship (Hackettstown NJ), and the Unitarian Church of Staten Island (NY). Leadership congregations (among the 50 highest contributing nationally) in the District include the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (Manhasset NY), the Unitarian Church of All Souls (Manhattan), the UU Congregation of Princeton (NJ), the Unitarian Church in Summit (NJ), and the Unitarian Church in Westport (CT).
 
UUA President the Rev. Bill Sinkford issued a statement on October 10, following the Connecticut Supreme Court's marriage law decision: "On behalf of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I rejoice today at the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision to end discrimination in the state's marriage laws and to grant the freedom to marry to same-sex couples." Read more.
 
The UUA Health Plan is conducting an open enrollment period during November. Started in January 2007,  the UUA Health Plan ensures more than 700 employees and their  families in approximately 320 congregations. Benefits are comprehensive, and same sex couples/families are included. Staff and self-employed community ministers working 750 or more hours per year will be able to join the plan effective January 1, 2009, even if they have not taken advantage of  past enrollment opportunities.
 
News From Congregations
 
Milestones and Transitions
 
The Rev. Rosemarie Newberry was ordained by the UU Congregation of Monmouth County (Lincroft NJ) on November 2.
 
Jef Gamblee will be ordained by the Community Unitarian Church at White Plains (NY) on January 25, 2009, at 4:00 p.m.
 
The Rev. Susan Karlson will be installed by the Unitarian Church of Staten Island (NY) on April 26, 2009, at 5:00 p.m.

Skylands UU Fellowship (Hackettstown NJ) is holding its first service at its new location on November 16. Pending final legal arrangements, the Fellowship will soon purchase the 126-year-old church, part of the Beattystown NJ Historic District that has both Federal and state landmark recognition.
 
The Social Action Committee (SAC) of the Unitarian Church in Summit (NJ) joined a conference of Social Action Committees of UU churches in northern New Jersey sponsored by the UU Service Committee (UUSC) during which the tragedy in Dafur was discussed. The SAC has decided that four plate offerings will be used to support UUSC’s effort to build Women’s Centers in Darfur where women can have a safe refuge and have the ability to start small businesses.
 
The UU Congregation at Rock Tavern (NY), as reported in the July/August issue of the Metro NY Minute, is a member National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and its wayside pulpit is featured in a UUA home page website story on UU congregations opposing torture. Read more.
 
The Fourth Universalist Society (Manhattan) will donate 10% of the proceeds of its 3rd Annual Auction Gala to The Wedding Party, a New York City organization that supports and celebrates same-sex partnership and educates the public on the need for equal marriage rights. Open to all, the event takes place November 22. Contact Liz Daleske for more information.
 

The Morristown (NJ) Unitarian Fellowship hosted a competition for New Jersey architecture students interested in generating sustainable and energy-efficient designs for historic buildings and communities with growing populations and space needs. The congregation will view the submissions and discuss new ideas for green growth in the future on November 23. For a flyer, click here . 
 
The UU Society in Stamford (CT) held its third Green Living Festival on October 18, thanks to more than 50 Society volunteers. Roughly 400 people attended, enjoying 21 green-business exhibits, among other exhibits, children’s activities, African drummers, speeches by nine politicians, and home-made food. On October 25, the Society held a Pro-Am Charity Chili Cook Off to benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. Though the main attraction was chili, visitors also donated canned goods and other food items to the food bank. Event organizer and Society vice president Joe Gonzalez said the cook-off netted about 512 pounds of nonperishable food for the bank. Read more from the Stamford Advocate newspaper.
 
Other Noteworthy Items
 
The Canadian UU Educators holiday newsletter supplement includes a variety of holiday ideas, including pageants and plays, stories, a giving tree, a gift-making workshop, books, and links to online resources.
 
The Rev. Forrest Church, Minister of Public Theology at the Unitarian Church of All Souls (Manhattan), was the featured guest on National Public Radio's Fresh Air program on October 27. Read more or listen to the interview.
 
 
Upcoming Meetings and Workshops
 
Visit the District Calendar and the District Events page for these and other events:
 
  • Spirituality Development Con: November 14-16, South Nassau UU Congregation, Freeport NY. For a flyer, click here . To register, click here. To register as an advisor, click here. For more information, contact Corinne Hallander.
  • Youth Advisor Workshop: November 22, Unitarian Church in Summit (NJ), sponsored by the District. For a flyer, click here . To register, click here. For more information, contact Andrea Lerner.  
  • Rock N Run: December 26-28, First Unitarian Society of Westchester, Hastings-on-Hudson NY. For more information, contact Corinne Hallander.
  • Anti-Racism and Social Action Con: January 16-18, 2009, First Unitarian Society of Plainfield (NJ). For more information contact Corinne Hallander.
  • 7th National Midsize Congregations Conference: February 6-8, 2009, Hilton Houston Post Oak Lodge, Houston TX.
  • Young Adults Winter Retreat: February 13-16, 2009, Frost Valley, Claryville NY. To register, click here. For more information, contact Ryan Novosielski.
  • Youth Con: February 20-22, 2009, Unitarian Society of Ridgewood (NJ). For more information contact Corinne Hallander.
    •