Domelight Newsletter February 2013

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. Be sure to attend the final speaker in the series:

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 the Iroquois Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship.

From the Desk of the President
by Mary Francis

Early in January, our Board of Trustees spent a "team building" Saturday together. Normally the new Board does this earlier in the fall, but this board agreed to work with the Planning Committee to develop the church leadership process and we continue to make this our primary goal. But the retreat was a success because we did get to know each other better and understand our commitment to the church.

A question arose regarding if our mission and vision are still relevant since they were defined five years ago. There was the question, "does everyone know our mission and vision?"
Mission:
One Place, All Faiths,
Creating a Caring, Justice-seeking Community

Vision:

- A center for liberal religious education for people of all ages;
- A community of caring and committed individuals diverse in identity and theology;
- A haven for those seeking a positive spiritual experience;
- A positive force in the community for justice and equality.

Our "number 1" vision - creating a center for liberal religious education for people of all ages - created the energy that resulted in our new building. So that was a very good thing! But there was the feeling of "what is next?" Is our vision still correct? Is education still the first priority or have our congregation and our goals changed? We don't know. So, this will be a topic for Conversations with the Board and maybe even the next Congregational meeting.

We agreed that we all find our church a place of friends and extended family. A community that inspires us to work and contribute our time and energy to its benefit. A place where others accept us even though we are on different spiritual paths. To sum it us, our caring members and community are the glue that holds our church together.

Blessings, Mary

Board to accept nominations for the Betty Lee Service Award

The Betty Lee distinguished award acknowledges a member of our church for "high standards of diligence and dedication" to the well-being of our church. The Board of Trustees is currently accepting nominations from members of our congregation for this annual award.

Please submit your nomination by Wednesday, April 10, 2013, to president@uutampa.org with the reasons you believe this individual should receive the Betty Lee Award. The final candidate will be presented with the Betty Lee Award at our annual congregational meeting on Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Past Betty Lee Service Award winners:
1982 Harry Albertson
1983 Joyce Glauser
1991 Patricia McCracken
1992 Joyce Formica
1993 Hazel Peterson
1994 Gene Pizzo
1995 Jay Palmer
2005 Kathy Albury
2007 Ed Benedict
2008 Judy Lehman
2009 Pat Benedict
2010 Ara Rogers
2011 Bill Blymiller

Note: While they may be well-deserving, please don't nominate a previous recipient or a Board of Trustees member. Thanks!

R.E.flections

Erin Powers, DRE

New Year, New Traditions

The New Year is a time for new starts and new traditions. How are you doing on your resolutions? Have you made any family resolutions? It's always a good time to reflect on past family traditions and routines and see what works and what doesn't. How often do you discuss our seven principles as a family? I encourage you to start discussing our principles with your family. Put our principles on the wall in a prominent place. It will help you remember and help your children remember. They are often the ones who remind us adults when we forget the important stuff! Below are the Seven Principles in kid language. I think you will find it easy and enjoyable to use our principles as a launching pad for thoughtful discussions with your children.

Every person is important and valuable.
All people should be treated fairly.
Our churches are places where we should accept one another and learn together.
Each person should be free to search for what is true and right.
All people have the right to speak out and vote on things that matter to them.
We should help build a peaceful, fair, and free world.
We need to take care of the earth, the home we share with all living things.

The UUA also has great family resources on its website, www.uua.org/families.

In RE news, the YAG (Young Adult Group) has partnered with our youth to teach the Popcorn Theology classes on Sundays. This will allow our Youth Advisors, Erika and Alyssa, to do more activities with our youth outside of church. A great start to the New Year for our youth!

SABBATICAL COMMITTEE UPDATE

We have now entered the final month of the Sabbatical period, with just weeks to go. While indicators are still pointing toward a successful end to Rev. Doc. Sara Zimmerman's Sabbatical period, there are several people among our congregation that are ready to breathe a sigh of relief, as they are more than agreeable to give up their part in replacing our Minister. How many Unitarian Universalists (UUs) does it take to replace a Minister?

To answer that question, start by asking our six Worship Associates, Lee Bonta, Diane Gainforth, John Powers, Ara Rogers, Pat Benedict, and Rom Delacroix. These stalwart six have spent the last five months contacting guest speakers to insure all is going well, helping to select hymns for services, arranging for live music, proofreading Orders of Service, and writing and editing their own scripts to ensure that Sunday services have gone well.

Next, ask our Worship Committee members, Joan Lund (Chair), Harriet Blymiller, Jeannette Manning, Pam Tingiris, Russell Patterson, and Russell Kirby, who have spent hours creating a list of potential guest speakers, arranging a pool of potential live musicians to play at Sunday services, and tweaking the various ritual parts that constitute a Sunday Service so that all goes smoothly. Do not forget to include our two sound room technicians, Bill Blymiller and Jay Kirchheimer, who, in Rev. Zimmerman's absence, have met the audio needs of all our guest speakers, video recording folks, and musicians during Sunday services.

Poll, too, the members of the Care Committee who took on the minister's role in providing pastoral care. The Care Committee, composed of Tempie Taudte (Chair), Jeff Austin, and Marjorie Acker, has been performing the minister's role in meeting the care needs of the congregation. This has ranged from telephone calls and home visits to counseling referral services.

We are not done counting yet. Three members of our Board of Trustees (BOT) have taken over the minister's role of supervising our church's employees. BOT President, Mary Francis, has been supervising our Custodial person; BOT Vice President, Bill Blymiller, has been the supervisor for our Office Staff; and BOT Secretary, Pat Benedict, has been our Choir Director and Musical Accompanist supervisor.

So, how many UUs does it take to replace Rev. Doc. Sara Zimmerman during her sabbatical? By my count, it takes 20. Okay, so we may have exaggerated just a little in this enumeration. My point is simple. Rev. Zimmerman's are big shoes to fill. And, our church has 20 volunteers that have given freely of their time, energy and love of our community to ensure that all has gone well during our minister's absence by filling various parts of the minister's shoes. We are forever grateful to them and the role(s) they have performed during this Sabbatical period.

You will have an opportunity to thank them personally and welcome back Rev. Doc. Zimmerman. On March 3, 2013, Rev. Zimmerman's first Sunday back in the pulpit following the Sabbatical, we will have a welcome back and celebration party immediately after the service in the Multi-Purpose Building. Please plan on coming. There will be food and plenty of time available to let Rev. Zimmerman know how much we missed her and appreciate the role she plays in our beloved community.

If anyone has any questions relating to the "Welcome Party" or Rev. Doc. Zimmerman's Sabbatical, 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.

Circles in the Woods CUUPS

Circles in the Woods CUUPS sponsors a monthly Full Moon Celebration on Saturdays closest to the full moon. All Circles in the Woods CUUPS activities are open to the public and held at UUCT; cost is a donation. Families with children are welcome. No pets please. Plan to stay to socialize afterwards. (Bring a dish to share.) All are welcome who come in perfect love and perfect trust.

February 23rd @ 7:30 PM Sacred Oaks Circle will welcome and honor the Goddess Bridget and lead our annual baby blessing. Bring the wee ones and join in the blessing.

Want to learn more about Wicca? Circles in the Woods CUUPS continues to host classes on the 1st and 3rd Sunday afternoons. The first two classes were held in January but it is not too late to join us. A love donation of $25 for all six classes is suggested. (All money will go to UUCT General Fund). Class attendees, who are interested, will write and perform the May 25th Full Moon Celebration.

Class Three - February 3, 1pm -3pm - The Wheel of the Year

The Solar/Lunar Calendar

Esbats: Celebrating the Phase of the Moon

The Great/Lesser Sabbats

Activities:

Wheel of the Year Altars

Class Four - February 17, 1pm -3pm - Magick and Ethics

Magick Overiew

The Five-pointed Star

Working with Permission Ritual Etiquette

Psychic Self-Defense

Activities: Role Playing of ethics scenarios

Class Five - March 3, 1pm -3pm - Ritual Basics

Why ritual?

Preparing Ritual Space

Common Ritual Tools and altar setup Using Meditation, Divination, Spells, Charms, Poppets, and more.

Activity: Walking Meditation

Class Six - March 17, 1pm - 3pm - The Working Circle

Between the Worlds

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit

Raising Energy Dedication, Initiation, Covens

Next Steps and Ritual Planning

Activity: Bring a item for consecration/blessing

For more information about Circles in the Woods CUUPS, e-mail cuups@uutampa.org.

UUA Trustee Tidbits

by Joan Lund
jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727

Although February is the month of love and Standing on the Side of Love is very important, once in a long while I decide to write a column of personal privilege, not something in which the UUA Board of Trustees is currently involved. This is one of those times and it is a tough column to write. Hopefully my words, and the assault weapons massacres of recent times, will generate some interest, if the topic has not already done so in your congregation.

For over 50 years, I have been an advocate of controlling firearms in the possession of Americans. My interest began when, as a young woman, I was invited to be in the pulpit at the UU Church of Wilmington, DE and had to make a decision on a topic and chose gun control. I knew, and statistics showed at that time, that handguns were causing problems in society. I never dreamed of the proliferation of weapons today. I know so little about them except that all types have turned our nation into a violent, fearful, gun-toting place to live. I know all the gun-rights advocates would say that there is a personal right to bear arms, even to the point of pre-dating the Second Amendment. But it was clear when the Second Amendment passed that Madison and the other MEN viewed the "right to bear arms" in the context of a "well-regulated militia" to defend the community, not undermine it. The goal was to resist aggression from European powers, confront Native American tribes, and put down internal rebellions, including slave revolts. What is happening in our country is quite the OPPOSITE OF SECURITY and not what the Founders had in mind.

As American history has unfolded, the American Right and today's arms industry have come to devote enormous resources to twisting the framers of our Constitution and Bill of Rights into extremist ideologues who put "liberties," like individual gun ownership, ahead of all practical concerns about "security." And in today's world, the propaganda spewed by many politicians has proved so successful that even those who favor common-sense gun control are deemed violators of the original intent of our Founders, as essentially un-American, and of course face defeat in elections.

Guns are robbing us of freedom, not insuring it. Eighty-three Americans die daily from gun violence in the USA, eight are children or teenagers. WE must put in place common-sense gun laws and enforce those laws. Our UUA is urging us to take action to prevent gun violence and the link to help your congregation work toward that end can be found at uua.org. I urge each of us not to let this goal fade from our vision and to embark on congregational discussions about how we can reverse this tide of violence. I can be reached at jlund@uua.org or 813-931-9727.

Consider Serving on the Board of Trustees

Serving on the Board is a great way to be meaningfully engaged in the life and mission of our church. In the coming weeks, the Nominating Team is seeking candidates for Trustee positions and the subsequent election to be held at the Congregational meeting on May 5th.

Interested parties should meet the following qualifications:

A member in good standing, leadership ability, a desire to serve, orderly approach to decision making, sense of integrity and honesty, willingness to keep an open mind, a team player, and a good sense of humor who can commit to an average of ten to fifteen hours a month.

Trustees serve three year terms and the newly elected trustee's term begins on September 1st.

Serving on the Board is an important way to live out your values while helping to maintain and grow a strong organizational foundation that can support and sustain this vibrant community. If you are interested, or wish to suggest someone to serve on the board, contact one of our Leadership Committee members, Ed Benedict, Diane Gainforth, Russ Kirby, or Russ Patterson. You may also email Ed Benedict at Edbenedict457@gmail.com to nominate yourself or to recommend someone else as a candidate for the Board.

Your Care Team

Do you know we have a Care Team? A care team to provide support for members and friends who are experiencing joys or sorrows.

Members of the team include: Tempie Taudte, Irene Bembry,
Nicole Drelles, Randy Gainforth, Ralph and Judy Lehman, Joan Lund, Jacky McCabe, Jodi Pecoraro, and Jack Zak. Some Care Team members make hospital visits and send greeting cards. Others will listen to congregants' concerns, and help them find resources, if needed.

Tempie coordinates all activities of the Care Team. To contact Tempie for help: phone at 813-931-1817 or email: care@uutampa.org.

Join us for

Children: The Challenge:

A six-week study group for parents

Beginning January 15, 2013

Tuesdays @ 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

FREE

Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Multi-Purpose Building

These groups will be conducted by local therapists, Anthony Miller, LMHC and Randall Gainforth, LMHC. A limited number of Rudolf Dreikurs' Children: The Challenge will be made available for $18.00.

Parents want help knowing how to reduce conflict, have fun, and raise responsible children. These groups are designed to help parents deal with such concerns as bedtime, meals, chores, homework, school, and fighting. The groups provide a source of encouragement and support for parents who want to improve their relationships with their children.

Parents will learn how to:

Develop friendly and cooperative relationships
Create a family atmosphere of freedom with order
Use encouragement
Resolve conflicts
Conduct family meetings

Parents will also learn the basic goals of misbehavior and how birth order affects decision-making and personality development.

Questions? Call Randall Gainforth at 813 988 7500 or rgainforth@aol.com

GREAT COURSES DISCUSSION NEW DAY-TIME HOURS

We are getting closer to modern times!

This eye-opening discussion group is held on 1st and 3rd Mondays, 3 - 5 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Building. Currently following the "The Great Ideas in Philosophy" lectures from the Great Courses Co., the next discussions are as follows:

Everyone is welcome; join us when you can. Snacks are provided.

Questions? Contact Jeannette Manning, 813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com.

GAME NIGHT

This fun evening of games and fellowship happens on the 2nd Friday of each month, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

in the Multi-Purpose Building.

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.

Questions? Contact Jeannette Manning, 813-857-0468, manningjea@yahoo.com.

HOPE Happenings

Hillsborough Organization
for Progress and Equality

By Carol Partington, JusticeMinistryNetwork@uutampa.org

UUCT's Justice Ministry Network (JMN) is our liaison to HOPE - the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality. HOPE is unique in that it gives us an opportunity to come together with local faith groups to work for justice and equality by achieving long-term systemic changes that resolve local community problems.

At the current time, a new committee is researching the problem of Affordable Housing/Homelessness to get a clearer picture of the situation in Hillsborough County. Soon we will select some aspect of it to address at this year's April 8th Nehemiah Action. The research moves quickly, and we need many people to do the work in a short amount of time.

At the same time, we are building our Justice Ministry Network within UUCT to assure that we will meet or exceed our UUCT goal of 100, toward an overall goal of 1200, at this year's Action.

How can you help?

Participate on the Affordable Housing/Homelessness Research Committee, between now and April 8th. Help clarify the problem and create a solution.
Attend the Feb. 24th UUCT Network Meeting, after church in the MPB, to distribute members and friends of our congregation among our Network Members to prevent duplication when inviting them to the Action.
Tell us your story. How has the lack of affordable housing affected you or someone you know? Have you had a problem with foreclosure? What percentage of your income is spent on your rent or mortgage payment? Please share the specifics of your stories with me. ( yellowcap9@yahoo.com), or Sharon Streater (hopeinc@fdn.com).
Mark April 8th on your calendar and commit to attend the HOPE Nehemiah Action. Can you bring 3 others with you? If we have 25 people each bringing 3 others, we will meet our goal! Of course, something could come up at the last minute, so we need to plan for more than 25 +3 each.
Check now to see that these important dates are on your 2013 calendar:(Please avoid scheduling any UUCT events or meetings on these dates)
- February 24th UUCT Network Meeting, MPB
- March 18th - Rally (for Network Members) (Location TBD)
- April 8th - Nehemiah Action (our UUCT goal is 100: 25+ Network Members bring 3 each) (Location TBD)

See one of our current Team Members: Judy Lane, Marta Pearson, or Carol Partington, for more information. If you want to get involved in any way, please contact me, 813-985-9109, or Sharon Streater, 813-325-0455.

Let's work together for "HOPE for Justice" in Hillsborough County!

Starting a New Year with the Young Adult Group (YAG)

By Seth Keith

YAG stands for the Young Adult Group, a group of UUCTs age 18 to 35(ish) committed to safe shared experiences. Today I will be profiling our outgoing YAG leader, Erik Gern.

Erik has shown how dedicated he is to our group. Whether it was through a reminder of the topic of discussion, or his concern that we were missing our goals. Erik is an active member. He competes in some running events in the Tampa area. His profession is primarily as a web developer, and as a writer. He has also been working on a novel recently, which we are awaiting a reading. He enjoys singing with the popular Rock Band game, and has a mighty low voice. He is a great commando of Nerf-dome; we occasionally will have all out Nerf shooter sessions on our Game Nights. He also has nifty rhythm when dancing on the Just Dance game. We have enjoyed many events together and look forward to his continued involvement in our UUCT YAG group. Great job Erik!

I asked five interview questions of Erik. Here is a transcript: 1) How did you find UUCT? I had been a UU since 2001 in Tennessee. After I moved down to Florida, I wanted to find another UU church, and UUCT fit the bill. 2) When did you become a YAGger? I've been coming since August 2009. 3) What do you like to do for fun? I write science fiction and fantasy stories in my spare time. I also like running and hiking. 4) How do you view UUism? I think a lot of people see it as a paradox: how can you have a creedless religion? I like the paradox. I think it isolates what makes a church work: the community it fosters. We are a community of independent thinkers who will look for truth anywhere we can. 5) What is a favorite YAG event? I have always enjoyed our video game nights!

If you would like more information about our group, please e-mail us at: uuctyag@gmail.com

Blues and BBQ Event . . . and Chili Showdown

Friday, February 8 from 6-10pm, will be the next Blues and BBQ Event our 1st ever Chili Showdown. Break out your special recipe and sign up to win. (sign-up sheet on the UUCT bulletin board). Open mic for musicians and spoken word. Contact person: Jay Kirchheimer; soundtech@uutampa.org

FUNdraising

by Stacy Gilmore

As the new FUNdraising Committee Chair, let me first explain the functions of the Committee: The Fundraising Committee conducts events each year for the support of the UUCT General Fund and to build community among congregation members. I will be reaching out to committees and groups to encourage their participation in planning some of the events. I am also interested in ideas that any of you may have.

Some FUNdraisers already scheduled are:

SCRIP--ongoing

Spaghetti Dinner in August

Auction in November

I am available as a resource for any other fundraisers as well.

If you are interested in joining the FUNdraising committee, or have great ideas for fundraisers please contact me at stagilmore@yahoo.com. (Disclaimer: if you have great fundraiser ideas you may be recruited to join the committee)

Scrip FUNdraising

UUCT is now signed up with Scrip to raise funds for the church's general fund. The best part about Scrip, is that it does not cost you anything! You purchase gift cards for places you already shop, and the church receives a portion!

Visit http://www.shopwithscrip.com/ to see the list (it's long!) and to purchase gift cards. UUCT's Enrollment Code is 8FB2E1CE35565

Questions? E-mail Stacy Gilmore, our FUNdraising Chairperson at stagilmore@yahoo.com

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRIES:

WHERE WE ARE & WHERE WE ARE GOING!

By: Pat Fearns

Interweave Chair

interweave@uutampa.org

It is time to provide an update on the status of Domestic Partnership Registries (DPRs) in Greater Tampa Bay. Last week the Pinellas County Commission approved adopting DPRs, joining its municipalities including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Gulfport. A vote to implement DPRs is upcoming by the Hillsborough County Commission, incorporating the existing registry in Tampa. Approval of DPRs by the Hillsborough County Commission will represent the first major change in the Commission's position since they stripped discrimination protections for the GLBTQ community in the 1990s and banned government support of gay pride displays or events--after one such display took place in a county library. As we slowly implement GLBTQ protections within municipalities, then counties, we are coming another step closer to statewide GLBTQ equality.

The rest of this article is a dedicated refresher to the Bay Area's DPR's: 1) what they do, 2) why they are important, and 3) some common misconceptions.

One of the biggest misconceptions about DPRs is that they are only important for the GLBT communities. Any two people may register as domestic partners if they are 18 or older; not in a marriage recognized by the State of Florida, not blood relatives, live together, and consider each other members of their immediate family. Thus, many seniors who may not want to or be able to marry could seek the same protections as the GLBT community members.

Another common misconception is that health care facilities stand in the way of partnership recognitions. Often, however, the barrier to visits and decision-making is raised by the patient's immediate family. Some other little known facts: 1) Powers of attorney become invalid at the time of death; 2) There is no other legal paperwork which designates burial and funeral arrangements; 3) Rights established in wills may take months or years to probate/enforce; 4) an estimated 1200+ rights and benefits attach to marriage.

Here are the rights provided by the local DPRs:

Visit partner or their children in medical facilities
Visit partner or their children in correctional facilities
Make medical and educational decisions for the partner's children
Be notified of medical emergency of partner or partner's children
Make healthcare decisions for partner
Be determined as a pre-need guardian
Make funeral arrangements for partner or partner's children

We must do everything in our power to educate each other about these rights and endeavor to dispel the myths. All components of society should be addressed including: 1) heterosexuals, 2) business components (it's good for business), 3) senior/elderly populations, 4) faith-based organizations and 5) government entities.

RELEASED FELONS CONTINUE TO FACE SUPPRESSION

WITHOUT AUTOMATIC CIVIL RIGHTS RESTORATION

By: Pat Fearns

Social Action Chair

socialjustice@uutampa.org

As we approach the two-year anniversary of exceptionally stringent civil rights restoration criteria implemented by Gov. Rick Scott and State Attorney General Pam Bondi, it is important to understand how these criteria are adversely impacting our citizens' civil freedoms and rights.

Typically, the civil rights lost upon being convicted of a felony include the rights to: vote, serve on juries, hold elected office, obtain certain state occupational licenses, and possess a firearm. There was a time when these rights, except possession of a firearm, were automatically restored upon release of supervision, whether from incarceration, parole, or probation.

In the past, the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) was to help released convicted felons with the process of having their civil rights restored. However, the amount of help provided by the DOC has declined dramatically, especially since the late 1990s.

Under Gov. Charlie Crist, a more streamlined process for rights restoration for largely non-violent offenders included a petition to the Governor and State Office of Executive Clemency prevailed. While the process was exceptionally stringent and time consuming, it was something that a felon could begin pursuing upon release. By contrast, the criteria implemented by Scott and Bondi require felons to wait five to seven years after completion of their sentences to apply for restoration of their civil rights.

Because a disproportionate amount of convicted felons are African-American, this results in suppressing the minority vote. The claims of Scott and Bondi that the new rules have helped lower Florida's crime rate are contradicted by a 2011 Florida Parole Commission report, which studied 31,000 cases between 2009 and 2010. The study found "recidivism for felons who had their rights restored was about 11 percent, while the overall re-offense rate in the state is more than 33 percent," suggesting that felons who have their rights restored are better reintegrating into society.

Breaking the numbers down even further, the contrast in the results of the two criteria are clear: under the Crist reforms (April 2007-March 2011) 154,178 people had their rights restored; since then, only 370 restorations have been approved.** Taking the data a step further, approximately 4,000 felons are released every month. Estimates are that by the end of the governor and Cabinet members' terms in 2014, Florida could have as many as 600,000 people without the right to vote.**

This doesn't happen in states that have adopted automatic civil rights restoration of one kind or another. Fulfillment of one's felony sentence is punishment of the crime for which they were convicted. Why should they continue to be punished after they have already served their time? We must return automatic civil rights restoration to our state.

**DATA ADAPTED FROM TAMPA BAY TIMES EDITORIAL

Month of Sundays at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa

Services begin at 11 a.m

Feb. 3 The Religious Life Rev. Elena Rigg

There can be a great difference between the religion we profess, the religion we say we believe in, and the way we live our everyday lives. Most of us would say that it is the life that is important. But what is the religious life if one were to seek it? That is, what kind of life might match the religion we publicly profess? This is a formidable question.

Rev. Rigg is minister emerita of Unitarian Church North, a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Mequon, Wisconsin. She served there for ten years. When she retired in 2008, she and her husband Dave (a history teacher for forty years) moved to Fort Myers. As president of the Board of the Florida Community of Mindfulness, she has been an active participant in establishing a Mindfulness Practice Center in Tampa.

Feb. 10 Heart Communion Erin Powers

Join in the story of a village that uses a different measure of worth. Imagine a village where sharing of your heart is just as important, if not more important, than sharing your money. Join them in the search for "the perfect heart."

Erin Powers is the Director of Religious Exploration for Children and Youth. She has held this position since June 2012. Erin's husband John is also very active in the church. They have 3 children, ages 11, 3, and 10 months.

Feb. 17 Music Sunday Bill Blymiller and Jae Polcyn

An old UUCT tradition returns. Music Sunday is a time when we take a break from normal Sunday activities and settle into the joy that music brings into our lives. If you haven't been to a Music Sunday, you are in for a treat. If you have, then we know you welcome the reprise of this old tradition.

Feb. 24 "When Poverty Ends, Peace Will Come: Real RESULTS" Ken Schatz

Ken recognizes the UU commitment to community service. He will talk about global poverty and how individuals can make a significant difference in ending poverty, preventable disease, and lack of access to education and financial credit. He will describe how you can get involved at whatever level you wish. Most of us don't know how we can make an important difference and save a life. According to Ken, "Some say that when peace comes poverty will end. I believe that is backwards: when poverty ends peace will come."

Ken and his wife Linda describe themselves as "just regular folks" who have volunteered for more than 30 years with the international non-partisan citizens advocacy group RESULTS whose mission is to end poverty. They moved to Tampa four years ago from Alexandria, VA. Ken was a management consultant and speaker focusing on leadership and the difference we each make.

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.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller

Contact Info
UU Church of Tampa

email: info@uutampa.org

11400 Morris Bridge Road, Tampa, FL 33637

813-988-8188