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| Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa | December 2012 |
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Rev. Dr. Sara Zimmerman, Minister
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Erin Powers, DRE
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Foster Angels
The Foster Angel tree will be in the lobby on November 25th. Select your angel(s) based on age and gender. Gifts should new and wrapped with the angle securely attached to the package. Gifts must be at the church on December 9th by noon.
This program is in coordination with the "Foster Angels of Hillsborough County"
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Come and join Buildings & Grounds Work Day,
December 8th,
9-11 a.m.
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Calendar
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DOMELIGHT
Deadline for Submissions: 17th of each month
Length of Articles:
300-350 words
Submit via email to: domelight@uutampa.org
DL Editorial Board:
Harriet Blymiller
Mary Francis
Ron Hammerle
Christine Smith
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Board of Trustees
effective September 1st
Contact us at:
bot@uutampa.org
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Let's Talk Blog
Join the discussion at
http://uutampa.org/blog/
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Visit our website at
www.uutampa.org
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Our congregation is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association an organization of more than 1,000 congregations in the U.S. and Canada. Our national headquarters is in Boston, Massachusetts.
Other UU Links
Southern Region website
Florida District website |
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 Spirituality, Science, and Healing Sunday Sermon Series
While on sabbatical, our minister, the Rev. Dr. Sara Zimmerman, is developing a curriculum for the UUA and other liberal religious organizations.
This project to create a Spirituality, Science, and Healing curriculum is funded in part by the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. As part of the development of the Spirituality, Science, and Healing curriculum, UUCT is proud to participate in a special speaker series. Next in the series:
On December 16, 2012, "The Relation of Religion to Physical and  Emotional Health from a Gerontological Perspective" presented by guest speaker Dr. Nan Sook Park, Ph.D., MSW.
Nan Sook Park is a member of UUCT. She is a Ph.D. Program Chair and an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida. Dr. Park received her MSW and Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Park's research interests include the roles of social isolation and psychosocial resources in community and long-term care settings. She is also interested in issues around health disparities and minority aging, and the role of religiousness/spirituality in the lives of older adults. Dr. Park teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on research and human behavior theories.
And coming January 27, 2013, "Mindful Healing" with guest speaker Rev. Sam Trumbore. Rev. Samuel Trumbore is the Minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, New York and is currently chair of the Open UUA Committee that monitors compliance with the UUA bylaws on open governance. Before coming to Albany in 1999, Rev. Trumbore served in Port Charlotte, Florida for six years and three years in a consulting role in Niagara Falls, New York, the congregation in which he was ordained. He received his education for ministry in Berkeley, California at Starr King School for the Ministry. He is past President of Iroquois Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship.
The January service will conclude this series and Rev. Dr. Sara Zimmerman will return March 1st.
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Come Ye, Come Ye to the Congregational Meeting on December 9th
It's time again to pay attention to UUCT finances and approve a budget for 2013. To support the democratic process, all members should plan on attending. At lot of members have already put in countless hours to get ready for this meeting and the Board of Trustees wants to thank every one of them for the work they do on behalf of the congregation. These are exciting times at UUCT so don't you be left out. Be informed and be present to vote! The meeting will start at 12:30 in the Large Dome. Sandwiches will be provided by the Board of Trustees. Please bring a side dish to share. Agendas will be arriving soon by email and by post. Pat Benedict, Secretary Board of Trustees |
 From the Desk of the President by Mary Francis First, let me thank our member for their generosity during our stewardship drive. When I accepted the position of the BOT president , one of my biggest concerns was that the stewardship drive would generate enough funds to begin paying back our mortgage on the new building. But our recent pledge drive for 2013 exceeded $128,000; so we did it - YOU did it! The 2013 budget will be reviewed and agreed upon by the congregation at our meeting on December 9th following Sunday service. (Note announcement above). Exercise your membership responsibilities and plan to attend this meeting - and eat. Don't just come to attend a meeting but come to enjoy the food and company too. It is the season for company parties and for family and friends getting together to celebrate. Let's use this time to remember our joy of being part of this community. The BOT kicked off a workshop with the Planning Committee to improve our leadership process, communications, and overall organization. We have segmented the tasks into three areas: - Board Leadership to include member recruitment and orientation following election
- Committee Leadership with defined missions and responsibilities with a complete set of foundational documents
- Process Leadership to identify, grow, and sustain leaders
Join us at Conversations with the BOT following services on the 4th Sunday every month to learn more and offer input. In the meantime, if you have questions or suggestions, email me at president@uutampa.org. And wishing everyone peaceful and happy holidays! Mary |
R.E.flections
Erin Powers, DRE
Making Space in Our Children's Lives for Spirituality
We teach our children to make a place for their toys, to make time for family and friends. This is how they begin to learn that these things must be taken care of, especially family and friends. But as UUs, we often struggle with teaching our children to make space for their spirituality. We are sometimes hesitant to tell our children how to tend to their spirit. "It's not our place. They need to find their own path. I don't want to indoctrinate my child." There is some truth to these statements, but what is missing is teaching our children that, whatever path they choose, it is important to dedicate time to finding it and practicing it.
At our recent RE retreat we entered into a discussion of how we came to be UUs. Only one of us was raised UU and then it was split between those of us that grew up with and without church. Those that grew up with a church were happy that their parents had made the space in their lives for spirituality, even if it was not the right church for them. Those that grew up without a church felt a sense of loss for not having that experience as a child and also had more difficulty making space for spirituality in their adult lives. All agreed that it's an invaluable life lesson for all children.
Before John and I came to UU Tampa, our Sunday ritual was going to Target. We were worshippers of The Big Red Dot, Olivia's name for Target. We filled our time and house with "stuff." Very little, if any, of this stuff fulfilled our spiritual needs as a family. The only good part of this practice was the time we spent together; breakfast at MiMi's was often part of our Sundays. But, for all the time spent, it was not time well spent and it was not feeding our souls. Once we joined UU Tampa and spent our Sunday mornings in worship, things started changing. It was subtle. Our bank account was bigger, our waistlines were smaller and we started to talk more about things that mattered and a newfound sense of peace entered our family life. It's not important which path we present, if any, but it is important to make that space in our children's lives. Attending a service regularly or having regular time as a family to meditate and discuss spiritual beliefs are both great ways to do this. We all need some kind of spiritual practice, no matter what we call it, and as parents that's an important message to pass on to our children.
Please join us for the Tree Trimming Party on December 2nd after service! |
 UUA Trustee Tidbits by Joan Lund
jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727 As member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we covenant to affirm and promote our UU Principles...number five..."The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." Are we involved in a "democratic process" when congregation delegates come together at General Assembly (GA)? Do delegates come funded by their congregations with instructions on how to vote? Do delegates represent their congregations, or do they possess enough money to afford GA, have time to attend, and maybe are interested in GA's location that year? In January 2010, the BOT received the Fifth Principle Task Force Report and for several reasons, mostly making certain Justice GA 2012 was a success, did not address its recommendations. In August 2012, an ad hoc BOT task force, which I convene, was charged with re-opening the conversation and recommending how the BOT should move forward with the recommendations. The Task Force focused on GA governance issues and recommended GA become a biennial event, held in odd years. The Task Force also recommended the delegate body change from passive receptors to active policy makers, giving power and responsibility to the people who are the member congregations. Delegates would be elected and certified by their congregations or boards and serve in an accountable relationship with geographically neighboring delegate teams and UUA trustees. The UUA would subsidize delegate registration for the governance / business meeting. The Report indicated that our UU faith cannot continue in a faux democracy and the unaccountable representation that characterizes Association governance. The Task Force believes the status quo for GA is not an option: "The thinking activity of the denomination has no focus now...no focusing process or mechanism". Next month, I will write on the BOT's work so far regarding the recommendations; our discussions, decisions, and procedures. The BOT did accept the Task Force's fundamental objectives to make GA more democratic, delegates more accountable, the assembly less expensive, less economically and generationally discriminatory, and more active in policy formation. The committee further recommended the number of delegates be reduced to approximately 2,000.I strongly suggest reading the Fifth Principle Task Force Report, available online on our UUA web site. Please email or telephone me if you would like to talk about the recommendations and/or any other Trustee related issue: jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727. I wish you and your congregation a happy, blessed, and peaceful holiday season. |
Blues and BBQ teams up with
CUUPS for "Fall Fest"
Mark your calendars for Saturday,
December 1st from noon until 7:30 pm
- We will have Blues and BBQ - but more . . . at
7:30 pm all are welcome to stay for Bardic Circle.
There will be food and music - of course!
Hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers with chips
Sign up to play a tune! Join the entertainment line up
But don't miss Mama Gina who will perform and have cd's available
Join the drum circle - bring a percussion instrument, but,
no worries, there will be extra drums/rattles available.
There will also be vendors with wares for sell so do some holiday shopping. Get a tarot reading. There will silent auction items, a 50/50 raffle, and games. So bring a friend and join in the fun with all proceeds going to UUCT. Questions? email cuups@uutampa.org |
 Circles in the Woods CUUPS
Following our Fall Fest with Blues and BBQ on December 1st, Bardic Circle will begin at 7:30 pm. This is Open Mic - a time to tell stories, sing songs, and poems . . . the time of the 'Bard.' We wish everyone a wonderful Yule! We will see you at Full Moon Celebration on December 29th. This night will offer a bit of humor and fun for a "We're Still Here" celebration based on the belief by some that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world on December 21st. If we are still here, we will celebrate our continuation on Earth. If we are wrong, we will all meet in Summerland instead! Coming in 2013 - WICCA 101 Six session classes will be on the 1st and 3rd Sunday afternoons, beginning on January 6th through March 17th. Class attendees will write and perform the May 25th Full Moon Celebration. More details on our CIW CUUPS calendar . For more information about Circles in the Woods CUUPS, e-mail cuups@uutampa.org. |
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SABBATICAL COMMITTEE UPDATE
Congratulations, everyone! We have now completed the first half of our Minister, the Rev. Doc. Sara Zimmerman's Sabbatical period. By all indications, this has been a very successful period in our congregation's sabbatical life. A few good examples of our success are:
- Our annual Stewardship Drive ended on November7, 2012, reporting that $129,992.60 had been pledged by responding congregants in support of our 2013 operating budget. With additional "post budget pledges" expected to be received later, the Stewardship Drive's final total could be raised by several thousand dollars.
- Our annual fundraising auction held on November 11, 2012, was another success, netting well over $8,000.00 in support of our 2012 Operating Budget, and
- Attendance remains good at our Sunday Services.
If the past is any indication of the future, within another three months we will
be reporting the successful end of the entire Sabbatical period. Thank you one and all for making this possible. Just as a gentle reminder, if anyone has any questions relating to Rev. Dr. Zimmerman, please contact a member of the Sabbatical Committee:
- Pat Benedict (Co-Chair),
- Bill Blymiller (Co-Chair),
- Ara Rogers (Member), and
- Ed Benedict (Member).
All may be contacted at sabbatical@uutampa.org.
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 BOYCOTT THE RED BUCKETS EVENT!
By Pat Fearns, Interweave Chair interweave@uutampa.org
The holiday season is rapidly approaching; soon the plethora of Red Salvation Army kettles and bell ringers, seeking donations, will appear in local malls and shopping plazas. And, with them will bring the continued boycott of the Salvation Army by the GLBTQ community.
A decade ago, the Red Buckets events were founded by Bil Browning; after he and his partner, at the time, were treated adversely in Indiana almost 20 years ago. "The Salvation Army refused to help us," Mr. Browning recalls, "unless we broke up and then left the sinful homosexual lifestyle behind. We slept on the street, and they didn't help when we declined to break up at their insistence." "The boycotts' proponents feel those who drop money into the Salvation Army's ubiquitous red kettles at Christmas, or shop in its thrift stores, often know little about the organization's evangelical Christianity, its opposition to homosexuality, and its occasional attempts to influence public policy on gay rights." reports the New York Times.
Mr. Browning, whom the Christian World magazine recently called "the Red Kettle Menace," encourages people to donate instead to other organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, or a favorite GLBTQ organization within your community.
The boycott works by its positive social action statement. Instead of donating real money, activists and other GLBTQ supporters are encouraged to deposit GLBTQ dollars into the kettles. One version of the money looks like a real dollar bill, but its (obviously fake) denomination is three dollars, it carries a rainbow flag, and it bears the words, in small print: When the Salvation Army ends its policy of religious bigotry and discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, then, and only then, will this be a real dollar bill.
For more information about this cause and how you can help, including a link to print your own GLBTQ money see: http://www.rainbow411.com/event/boycott-the-red-buckets.html.
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 HOPE Happenings
Hillsborough Organization
for Progress and Equality
By Carol Partington, JusticeMinistryNetwork@uutampa.org
New Problem Selected for Research to Action in 2013 By Carol Partington, JusticeMinistryNetwork@uutampa.org UUCT's Justice Ministry Network is our liaison to HOPE - Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality. At HOPE's 24th Annual Convention November 12th, we voted to select Affordable Housing/Homelessness as our new problem area for 2013. The issue will be refined further by the new Research Committee. It will take all of us working together to determine a local solution to this serious problem area and to build the power to achieve it! UU Network Members attending the convention were: Carol Partington, Christine and Chuck Smith, Jeff Austin, Kim McDonald, Judy Lane, Pat Fearns, Marta Pearson, and Diane Gainforth. UUCT was second among the HOPE congregations in the Individual Investment Drive with a total of $8,383. We had 49 investing units, 41 of which were over $50 and were listed in the Convention Program. This list is posted on the HOPE bulletin board with the UUCT members and friends highlighted. We are proud of the ownership of HOPE this represents for the members of our congregation. The following are the key dates for HOPE in 2013: (Please avoid scheduling UUCT events on bolded dates) March 18th Rally (for Network Members) April 8th Nehemiah Action (our UUCT goal is 100) June 3rd Justice Ministry Celebration (all are invited) October 28th Annual Convention (for Network Members Our three Team Members, Judy Lane, Marta Pearson and Carol Partington, are working to build our UUCT Justice Ministry Network. To reach our goal of 100 UUers towards the overall goal of 1200 at HOPE's Nehemiah Action April 8, 2013, we'll need at least 25 Network Members each bringing three. Please consider becoming a Network Member! We are seeking UU's to participate on the new Research Committee. A good place to start is by attending HOPE's Research to Action Training & Kick-Off, Monday, December 10, at 6:30 pm, at St. James Episcopal House of Prayer. The new Research Committee will determine what our first "bite" will be into the Affordable Housing/Homelessness problem. Thanks for your efforts to ensure there's "HOPE for Justice" in our community! |
 GREAT COURSES DISCUSSION NEW DAY-TIME HOURS This eye-opening discussion group is held on 1st and 3rd Mondays, 3 - 5 PM in the Multi-Purpose Building. Currently following the "The Great Ideas in Philosophy" lectures from the Great Courses Co., the November discussions are as follows:
Dec. 3rd France and the Philosophes, and The Federalist Papers and the Great Experiment
Dec. 17th What is Enlightenment? Kant on Freedom, and
Moral Science and the Natural World
Everyone is welcome; join us when you can. Snacks are provided. If any questions, contact Jeannette Manning, 813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com. (Adult Religious Education Committee) Everyone is welcome and snacks are provided. (Jeannette Manning, Adult RE, 813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com) |
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 Read a Good Book!
By Carol Baker
This is a pretty busy month for most of us, but maybe there's some time to squeak in a few short reads. Here are this month's ideas for good reads.
Ron Hammerle: Never Say Die is not another James Bond novel, nor an updated version of the eighth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It's a new book that brings a forceful and colorful critique of "The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age," as Susan Jacoby's subtitle forewarns baby boomers, anti-aging researchers, scientists, physicians, cosmetic hucksters, bioethicists and all who are seeking the "Fountain of Youth" through diet, vitamins, exercise, genetic manipulation, transcendental meditation, or drugs. "Who wants to live to be 100--or 120 or 150," one TED-X speaker recently asked his audience? The TED-X audience voted most heavily for 120, but I'll bet few read Jacoby's book--or more quickly enjoyed Shel Silverstein's wonderful song, "You're Still Gonna Die."
Mary Francis: I really enjoyed The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman with the fictionalized history on the siege at Masada in 70 CE when Roman legions surrounded a Jewish settlement of 960 people who had taken refuge on a plateau on the edge of the Judean Desert. Driven from Jerusalem, the people of Masada had created a fortress they hoped would protect them from the Roman invaders. In the end, just two women and five children survived. The fiction and fact woven in The Dovekeepers, told a passionate saga of four women who come together to tend the doves in Masada. Alice Hoffman based her story on only one written account of the siege and archaeological artifacts found at Masada -- a swatch of tartan cloth, inscribed pottery shards, a pair of sandals. The characters -- redheaded Yael; the widow of a baker, Revka; the beguiling Witch of Moab, Shirah; and her daughter Aziza. This novel is full of the mystical with hidden meaning. For example, the dove eggs represent sustenance for the community and their bleached bones are studied for signs of the future. And of course, a bit of passion has to be in a story of women!
Harriet Blymiller: Reading Mary's review, above, made me remember a book Joyce Formica loaned me--because it also has to do with Masada: Cross Bones, a fictional forensic archeological mystery by Kathy Reichs. It presents the possibility that Jesus and his family lived and died at Masada. The novel is based on actual, unpublicized facts--that more than the seven skeletons Mary mentioned were found at Masada, a family buried separately from the rest. An interesting look at an interpretation of certain archeological finds and a good mystery about the modern suppression of facts that could upset the religious applecart and all that goes with it.
Marjorie Acker: I have two books that I recommend. The first one offers a glimpse into a world most of us have not experienced. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is about an Iranian female professor who teaches American literature. Ms. Nafisi chronicles what she does when the Iranian government cracks down more and more on how and what she teaches.
Defending Jacob by William Landay is gripping fiction. Mr. Landay is a lawyer and writes very realistically about a lawyer defending his teenage son who is accused of murder. The book holds your attention and takes a roller coaster turn.
Thanks to our contributors! I hope you all get some time to read over the holidays, but there's always next year. Let me know what you've been reading and enjoying so I can pass it on to others: cbanddave@verizon.net
Your editor,
Carol Baker
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 Playground Update!
Screws have been tightened, mulch has been spread, and dilapidated playground equipment has been removed! The playground renovation in November was a success! We even have fencing to separate the big kids from the wee ones. Thanks to all the RE families who spent a productive, yet fun morning getting the playground in tip-top shape and safe for our children to use:
Nan Park
Rakshi Aslam and Mathews George
Pam Tingiris and Greg Shean
Marla Frazer
Tom Krumreich
Chantal King and Erika Campbell
Sasha and Nicole Drelles
John and Erin Powers
Nick, Stacy, and Maddie Gilmore
Please contact Nick Gilmore for more information at nicholasgilmore@yahoo.com.
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 Migrant Food Basket
Thanks to those who put non-perishable items into the migrant food basket! Before Thanksgiving, the food was happily received at the San Jose Mission migrant camp day care center.
When you do your grocery shopping, think about those less fortunate and buy something extra that you can put in the basket. All items should be non-perishable. No clothing, please, but with the cooler weather blankets are welcome.
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 GAME NIGHT
This fun evening of games and fellowship occurs on the 2nd Friday of each month, 6:30 - 9 PM in the Multi-Purpose Building. Play our games or bring your own. Great snacks are provided. Our next Game Night will be held on Friday, Dec. 14th.
Mexican Train Dominoes is a perennial favorite. We also have chess, UNO, Blok-Us, Skip-Bo, and Scrabble sets, as well as cards and whatever YOU want to bring.
If you have any questions, contact Jeannette Manning, 813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com.Ê (Social Activities Committee)
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Spotlight on . . . David Stickell: It's A Small World After All
 David Stickell almost crossed paths with several members of our congregation when he and they lived in State College, PA, and Princeton, NJ., reinforcing the philosophy of that Disney song that you can't get out of your mind even when you try.
After earning his master's and doctorate in education at Penn State University, David moved to the Princeton area, where he began working for Educational Testing Service in 1960. (He left the summer that Barb Hammerle began working at ETS.)
In the summer of 1964, he was lured to Lewisburg, PA, to become project director for a Ford Foundation grant obtained by two professors at Bucknell University. Shortly after arriving, a member of his former doctoral dissertation committee at Penn State called and tried to lure him back to Penn State. "You would be perfect at this job, and we need you," he told David.
"But we just bought a house and lot here," David told him, convinced that his immediate future lay at Bucknell. But his former Penn State faculty advisor was persistent and wouldn't take no for an answer. Before the summer was over, David agreed to return to Penn State, where he spent the next 25 years, retiring in 1990.
Like others who come to Florida, David was first drawn to Florida to see his daughter, Ellen. After several years of semi-annual trips south (at Christmas and usually once in the summer), 2010 was the year he decided to buy a house here and sell his home in State College. "It is still a work in process," he said, referring to his home, but don't all homeowners say that?
When he enrolled in the UUCT "Building Your Own Theology" class, he discovered that Trude Diamond was someone with whom he had crossed paths. Shortly thereafter, he learned that two other new members, Christine and Chuck Smith, were former staff and faculty members at his undergraduate school, Lehigh University, but again, their paths did not overlap.
David has the distinction of having been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County (PA) for 50 years. Other long term interests include the American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause, and Project Vote Smart.
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The Emerson Forum
End Of Life Care Issues Capture National Attention
Weeks after our September 21st Emerson Forum on "End Of Life Care After Terri Schiavo," discussion and debate surrounding end of life care grabbed the attention of national media and the public.
- Diane Sawyer's World News Tonight (www.abcnews.go.com/WN) began a series of feature stories in October, following a decision by ABC News "to help advance discussions about end of life care issues."
- The New York Times ran a series of stories on a case involving a legally-competent, adult, female, patient who wished to die, but whose religious parents were challenging her decision in court.
- Diane Rehm and Terri Gross, of National Public Radio (www.npr.org), both aired feature stories about Compassion & Choices (www.compassionandchoices.org), a national network of volunteers committed to assisting patients who wish to end their lives on their own terms.
- Massachusetts voters came very close (49% in favor; 51% against) to joining Oregon, Washington and Montana in passing a Death With Dignity Act during the national elections. Passage would have enabled physicians to prescribe life ending medications to legally and medically-competent, terminally-ill patients, at the patient's request.
- In mid-November, Dick Gordon's "This Is The Story," and NPR's Frontline featured lengthy stories about the Final Exit Network (www.finalexitnetwork.org). The organization, witha nationwide network of more than 3,000 volunteers, is "the only organization in the United States that will help individuals who are not 'terminally ill' or do not have 6 months or less to live hasten their deaths."
Public debate on "death with dignity" and "patient self determination" is following a path very similar to debate on elective abortion more than four decades ago. Six years after 21 New York City clergymen (later 1,200 nationwide) began providing referrals for medically-safe but then still-illegal abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion throughout the United States. January 22, 2013, marks the 40th anniversary of that decision.
The second Emerson Forum, to be held this spring, will address "What We Can Learn About Life From The Death of A Pet." The keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. Dani McVety, a Florida veterinarian who has developed a nationwide network of veterinarians specializing in end of life and hospice care for pets.
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Editors' Note
UUA Is A National Pioneer On 'Death With Dignity'
In 1988, at its General Assembly, the Unitarian Universalist Association passed the following "Right To Die With Dignity" resolution:
"BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That Unitarian Universalists, acting through their congregations, memorial societies, and appropriate organizations, inform and petition legislators to support legislation that will create legal protection for the right to die with dignity, in accordance with one's own choice."
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 2012 Pledge Update First of all, thank you, everyone, for your generous support of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa! We have the freedom, privilege, and responsibility to support UUCT in its entirety, and that's exactly what our pledges and other contributions enable us to do. Now it's time to review our 2012 pledges and make up shortfalls if at all possible. If you would like to review your giving 2012 pledging history, please come into the church office on a Sunday morning, and I will print a summary for you. The UUCT 2012 fiscal year will close on December 28th. It's important for you to know that pledges and contributions received after December 27th will not be deposited until January 3rd , due to holiday banking hours. Therefore, when you are thinking about taxes, please remember that any giving after December 27th will not be shown on your end-of-year statement. The statements will be mailed out during the second or third week of January 2013. Again, thank you for your support of UUCT, Joyce Formica, pledge secretary |
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SOCIAL JUSTICE + COMMUNITY ACTION = SOCIAL ACTION
By: Pat Fearns, Social Action Chair
socialjustice@uutampa.org
Many of you are aware that I was recently appointed by the Board of Trustees to lead the Social Action Committee, in addition to my continued leadership of Interweave. As this article's title implies, I see the Social Action Committee as a partnership of our Social Justice committees with community action causes that will benefit our world.
The Social Action Committee consists of several committees including (in alphabetical order):
CHARITY/OUTREACH: (Chair-Ollis Hughes) This committee holds many drives to collect supplies for the less fortunate. Our most recent drive was the school supply drive in which we filled 15 bookpacks with pencils, pens, paper. etc. and distributed them to schoolchildren of migrant workers.
HILLSBOROUGH ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS & EQUALITY [HOPE]: (Chair-Carol Partington) Together we work for justice, fairness, and equality in our community. Recently the focus of HOPE has been causes amd issues of unemployment. The focus of HOPE for 2013 is affordable housing/homelessness.
GREEN GROUP: (Chair-Tom Krumreich) An educational ecological group focused on environmental action, which conducts discussions groups and social actions. To join the news group and follow online postings please see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UUCTGreenGroup/
INTERWEAVE: (Chair-PAT FEARNS) An education group of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (GLBTQ) community and its allies affiliated with Interweave Continental. Through awareness, we promote the appreciation and value of diversity in our community.
How can I help get involved?
- Reach out to leadership in a committee you are interested in. Find out about the activities they are involved with and what you can do to help make a difference.
- Stay tuned, in the next several weeks, for an upcoming Social Action survey that will be announcing proposed Social Action Projects we will be participating in for 2013. Let me know which activities you will be interested in participating in or supporting.
- If you have a specific Social Action activity that you would like to see us participate in as a group, please let me know, and I will add it to the survey.
- We have a Social Action Project scheduled for December!
WHAT: ROCK AIDS CONCERT--FREE ADMISSION/DONATIONS ACCEPTED
WHEN: WORLD AIDS DAY-SATURDAY DECEMBER 1ST: 11 AM-4 PM
WHERE: LOWERY PARK BANDSHELL-1101 W SLIGH AVE-TAMPA
BENEFITS: METRO COMMUNITY & WELLNESS CENTERS
DESCRIPTION: A DAY OF ROCKIN' AWARENESS TO RAISE FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT METRO'S HIV/AIDS SERVICES.
HOW WE WILL BE HELPING:THE UUCT SOCIAL ACTION VOLUNTEER TEAM WILL BE SELLING SODA &/OR WATER AT THIS EVENT TO HELP FUNDRAISE FOR METRO.
GET INVOLVED: EMAIL ME AT socialjustice@uutampa.org TO SIGN UP FOR THIS VOLUNTEER TEAM & COME TO THE EVENT WEARING YOUR UUCT T-SHIRT OR IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE WEAR A YELLOW SHIRT. THIS WILL BE A GREAT FUN EVENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. DON'T MISS IT!
LET'S JOIN TOGETHER TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY & WORLD A BETTER PLACE!
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Month of Sundays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa Services begin at 11 a.m
December 2 "Haiti and the Shape of Justice" Rev. Brock Leach It turns out that even in the face of unimaginable loss, in situations overflowing with reasons to despair, the Spirit of Life does indeed "give life the shape of justice." UUSC's experience with partners in Haiti illustrates how even people left with nothing but imagination, courage, and a sense of their own possibilities can create a better future for themselves. Imagine what we can do. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, Brock is a community minister affiliated with the UU Church of Sarasota and a trustee of the Florida District of the Unitarian Universalist Association and Vice President of Mission, Strategy and Innovation at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). Brock was a ministerial intern at UUCT in 2009-2010. December 9 Principally Principled: Shades of Grey Dr. Ralph Lehman Why Principles Are Important and How They Might Work. Ralph and his wife Judy have been active members of UUCT since 2000. December 16 A Sermon in the Spirituality, Science, and Healing Series Dr. Nan Sook Park* Nan Sook Park, PhD, MSW, is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida and a member of UUCT. Dr. Park's research interests include the roles of social isolation and psychosocial resources in community and long-term care settings. December 23 Erin Powers, Director of Religious Education Children and Youth will be performing a Pageant called The Light of Life. It explores the many ways light is used in various religious traditions' winter holidays. "The spirit of light shines forth in this season to remind us that there is more that connects us to one another than that separates us." December 30 Where Do We Go From Here? Mary Francis and Russ Kirby We are starting a new year with a clean slate. What a great gift! A time to let go, refresh, and renew. What does that mean? What are we going to do with this opportunity? We can begin by doing small things. That is how change takes place - from within - from many actions occurring simultaneously. A member of UUCT since 2000, Mary has served on numerous committees at UUCT over the years and is the current President of the Board of Trustees. Russell Kirby is a lifelong UU who joined UUCT upon moving to Tampa in 2008. Russ is a professor in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida. * This Science and Religion curriculum project has been funded in part by the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. |
Conversations With The Board: Members of the Board of Trustees will be present for conversation after church on the 4th Sunday of the month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. The purpose of these conversations will be to open communication and share ideas. Come with questions and ideas, but always with an open mind.
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I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
Maya Angelou
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