|
|
|
|
|
|
Coming Soon
Special Congregational Meeting
April 24, 1:00 p.m.
Clothing Swap and Grounds Cleanup
April 30
|
|
|
|
Sunday, April 24, 2016
9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
"Creative Choices"
Reverend Scott McNeill
April 24, May 3, Nov 8: These are the days of decision-making! Sunday's service invites us to think differently about the choices we make. By engaging with one another, we can create and construct the life of which we dream. Doing this means looking beyond "Yea/Nay" or "Rep/Dem/Ind". Instead, we must be willing to see voting as a means to an end - to see today and every election day not as finish lines, but as the next step to working together. NOTE: To alleviate overcrowding this Sunday, we encourage people to attend the first service if possible, and return for the congregational meeting at 1:00 p.m. All first service attendees are eligible to win an earth flag!
Special Congregational Meeting April 24 - All Members Strongly Encouraged to Attend
Following a week of visitation with Rev. McNeill, our candidate for associate minister, we will have a special congregational meeting on April 24th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. to vote to call the candidate to join our ministry team. Childcare will be provided. Please mark your calendars and see
search.uubloomington.org for details and the latest information.
|
We are...
Current pledge total: 463,965!
Many thanks to several families and individuals who raised their pledges this week.
Remember that our pledge goal this year is $565,000 and we hope everyone who participates in our congregation will make a pledge.
In gratitude, The Stewardship Committee
chalice painting by Patricia C. Coleman
|
|
Sunday, May 1, 2016
9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
"Credo: Coming of Age Recognition Service"
Coming of Age Participants and Mentors
The Reverend Emily Manvel LeiteThe Reverend Mary Ann Macklin The Reverend Douglas Wadkins
We welcome into our congregation and into our pulpit the fourteen 9th and 10th graders who have completed our Coming of Age program. Don't miss this moving opportunity to hear from our youth and to acknowledge them as newly adult members of our community! Maypole dance between services in the courtyard!
|
|
Sunday, May 1, 2016
7:00 p.m.
Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service
Join us in our sanctuary this Remembrance Service commemorating the six million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories, and for the resistance during that period. In this worship service we will also speak out against examples of genocide and patterns that lead to genocide in our own time. An Interfaith Choir will offer special music.
Our Offering will go to Exodus Refugee Immigration, the Indiana-based refugee relief organization which is currently working with Syrian refugees and other refugees to secure safety and home. A representative from Exodus and other marginalized groups will also speak.
For More Information:
|
|
|
From Our Ministerial Candidate
Over the months of talking with your Search Committee and Staff, I have come to develop a tremendous appreciation and awe for the city of Bloomington and the congregation you hold dear. And, I hope that I can join you on this path of ministry.
Like many of you, I am sure, I can remember the first time that I met the Reverend Mary Ann Macklin - and it was all because of her graciousness. It was a brief moment, just a comment that she offered to me during a conference that I held onto dearly; and for years, I have held her in the same deep respect that every UU minister has for her.
Bloomington, the city and the church, also holds a special place in my heart, and in my family. My wife is from a small town just outside of the city limits; Bloomington was the warm, welcoming place we could go to grab a bite to eat, visit a festival, or attend a Christmas Eve service.
Our family looks forward to spending more time with you - in seeking the spirit, building community, and changing the world!
In faith, Rev. Scott McNeill
|
Speaking of Candidating...
The word is out! The Rev. Shari Woodbury, recently ordained member of our congregation, will be candidating next week at the Westside UU Church in Ft. Worth, Texas. It's a wonderful match that Shari and her family are excited about. They appreciate all the continued good wishes and support from this, her home congregation. There is just one reason Shari wishes she could still be in Bloomington this Sunday -- to cast her vote for our congregation to call Rev. Scott McNeill! Shari says, "I hope all of our members will take seriously their right and responsibility to vote on this important decision, and support the wonderful candidate our search committee has presented. Go Team Bloomington!"
|
Our Folks...
Our thoughts are with Peggy Woodcock who is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Cards are welcome!
Wonderful to see Will Watt up and about---Will is recovering from successful hip replacement surgery.
We continue to hold Sandy Taylor and her family in our hearts. Sandy remains in a coma. Over the weekend she was moved from Room 103 to Room 125 in Bell Trace Health Pavilion.
|
 UU Board of Directors Update
It's an exciting week with the Reverend Scott McNeill here as our candidate for Associate Minister. The Board of Directors looks forward to welcoming Reverend McNeill to its monthly board meeting on Wednesday, April 20, at 7:00 p.m.
The Board urges all members to take advantage of the many opportunities (http://search.uubloomington.org/) to meet Reverend Scott and his wife, Reverend Sarah Gettie McNeill, throughout the week of April 17-24. At the end of the week, on Sunday, April 24, at 1:00 p.m., the board will preside over a special congregational meeting (childcare provided). The Ministerial Search Committee will briefly review the process by which they have come to recommend that the UUCB membership call Reverend McNeill to be its Associate Minister. We need a positive vote from over 90% of a quorum of at least 156 members in order to have him accept the call to join our ministry team. The vote will be done through a private ballot and members must be present in order to vote. Results will be shared immediately at the meeting.
Other business continues and the board will be considering a draft budget for 2016-17 at its
April 20 meeting. It is urgent for 2016-17 pledges to be made as soon as possible so that the board can plan upcoming expenditures based on predictable income for next year. Please take this opportunity to finalize your decision. Pledging on line is the easiest approach and pledge payments can be structured as you wish from July 1 through June 31, 2017. Thank you in advance for your support--whether it is ongoing or brand new. Every financial commitment makes a difference.
|
Ministerial Search Events and Notes
Please take an opportunity to meet Reverend Scott McNeill this week, and be sure to tell him why UU Bloomington matters to you. Click here for a calendar of events.
The livestream of the service did not work at 9:15 yesterday, but we got it going for 11:15. Click here to get to the tab for the online video archive. The video starts about 3 minutes in to the recording. Use the little slider button at the bottom to move to the 3:00 minute mark.
Members are strongly encouraged to attend the Special Congregational Meeting Sunday, April 24 at 1:00 PM to vote on whether to call Reverend Scott McNeill as Associate Minister for UUCB. Members must be present to vote. We need to have at least 156 members present to conduct the vote. Your voice matters--thank you for being engaged in this important decision in the life of this congregation.
|
|
JOB OPENINGS
Religious Education Assistant
This part-time hourly position, 5-10 hours per week, requires availability on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings. Necessary skills include the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, strong organizational skills, being database savvy, a team player, and having experience with children and working in childcare or leading a classroom. Pay starts at $9.50/hr. For a complete job description, contact: Adrienne Summerlot, Director of Religious Education. [email protected]
Openings on our Childcare Team
We are looking for caring, attentive, energetic, and experienced people to join our Childcare Team. This position is part time, flexible, approximately 10-15 hours per month. Shifts are Sunday mornings, some
Weekends, some afternoons and Thursday evenings. his position is part time, flexible, approximately 10-15 hours per month. Shifts are on Sunday mornings, some weekends, afternoons and evenings. Pay starts at $9.50 per hour. For more information contact Adrienne Summerlot. [email protected], (812) 332-3695 ext 202
Position Available June 2016
Application Deadline: May 15th, 2016
Knowledge of and familiarity with Unitarian Universalism is required.
Skills Needed: Computer and Social Network experience, leadership and organizational skills, ability to lead membership and orientation classes, organize volunteer events, rapport with college students and young adult population, ability to work independently under supervision, problem-solve, be a team player, make cold calls, welcome newcomers, and have a sense of humor.
Must be available on Sundays.
To apply, please send a Letter of Interest and Resume with two professional references to
|
|
Religious Education Happenings
Friday, April 22nd - Religious Education families and teachers host a pizza party with Rev. Scott McNeill. Join us from 6-7:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall for pizza and meet the ministerial candidate. Childcare is available. Visit this link to RSVP and let us know how much pizza to order! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409054daeac2ca02-relgious
Sunday, May 1st - Join us in between services outside for a traditional May Pole dance. The Heartland String Band will play.
|
 Shambhala Meditation Every Monday at Noon Join us at 12 noon every Monday in the Fellowship Hall for an hour of Shambhala Meditation, walking meditation, and Shamatha yoga with Sarah Flint. We have cushions available, but you may bring your own cushion if you have one. |
|
Taiji Continues on Tuesdays and Saturdays
Brian Flaherty leads Taiji in Fellowship Hall on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. This form practices the "Wu (Hao)" style of taijiquan, including practice of standing exercises, forms, and "pushing hands." Anyone is welcome, even those with no experience. Please wear loose-fitting clothing.
|
Our Congregational Ministry Themes April: Creation
January 2016: Resistance May: Blessing
February: Desire June: Simplicity
March: Liberation
|
|
Women's Alliance Upcoming Events
Our April 7th meeting was with Director Sandy Keller and My Sisters Closet, a clothing boutique that has second hand clothes. Her organization helps coach women going to job interviews and they also help the clients to dress for success. The women are fitted with two outfits including shoes and accessories, appropriate for job interviews.
Women's Alliance Meeting April 21
On Thursday April 21, at 11:30 AM in Fellowship Hall, the UUCB Women's Alliance is hosting a gathering to meet our ministerial candidate, Scott McNeill. Format is that of our usual meetings, first Thursday of the month gatherings with a brown bag lunch, drinks and dessert provided by hosts Doris Wittenburg and Cathy Hiatt.
Women's Alliance Meeting May 5
The May 5th meeting will be "FEMA Today" with Mary Ann Williams as our guest speaker.
Come to the meeting and learn all about it. Hosts are Denise Ogren and Claire Robertson.
The Women's Alliance meets the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 am at the church, unless otherwise indicated. Meetings begin with a brown bag lunch; drinks and dessert are provided. The program begins at noon, followed by the business meeting. --Julie Cauble, VP Women's Alliance
|
Ready to become a member of UU Bloomington?
Let us Know by April 20!
If this is your community, if you feel at home here, join us! If you would like to make the commitment and become a member of UU Bloomington, the next opportunity is Sunday, April 24, at 10:30am in Room 207B. (We ask for participation in our "Exploring UU" class prior to signing the membership book.) To make arrangements to sign the membership book, or for questions, please contact Shari Woodbury, Connections Coordinator, at 332-3695 or [email protected], by Wednesday, April 20.
|
Donation Forms are Due April 24!
Auction Time! Sunday, May 15
Each year in the Spring we hold a goods and services auction that can't be beat. Many wonderful dinners, outings, and interesting objets d'art are offered for auction, and our auctioneer will be the inimitable Darrell Breeden once again. If you would like to donate an item, please find the donation sheet by clicking here. Paper forms are also available in the office at church, Room 204. Donation forms are due April 24.
With the Annual UU Auction just a little over a month away (May 15th), there's still many ways you can participate: donate items for the live or silent auction; bring a dessert or salad greens for the luncheon; help set up or clean up. There's a way your time and talents can be of service for this important UU fundraiser. Stop by the table in Fellowship Hall to sign up or call chairperson Debbie Fish, 317-431-8071; [email protected].
|
Beacon Young Adult Lunch - Free Pizza on Sunday, May 1
This month's Young Adult Lunch will be on Sunday, May 1 after the second service. Pizza will be provided and one of our ministers will join in the conversation. The group will meet and eat in Fellowship Hall this time. Whether you've attended one of these lunches before or not, if you are a young adult (age 18-35) and are interested in building community with others at UU Church of Bloomington, YOU are warmly invited.
|
Young Adult UU Conference in Kalamazoo May 6-8
Young Adult Steering Committee for the MidAmerica region UU young adult conferences is hosting a young adult conference at People's Church in Kalamazoo, MI May 6-8, and it is open to young adults aged 18-35. It's called CONtinUUing EdUUcation, and it will be focused on issues related to education in the United States. We will enjoy contemporary worship, play, learn, eat, and enjoy fellowship together, interspersed with engaging workshops and social justice activities.
Sliding scale registration, to be paid at the door, is $25-$75 for the weekend. Scholarships are available! If you feel called to engage in this experience, but need financial assistance, please apply!
|
|
Green Sanctuary Task Force Spring Clothing Swap April 30
The Green Sanctuary Task Force encourages all of us to examine our habits of consumption. What do we buy? Where does it come from? What happens to it when we're finished with it? What impact does our consumption have on the earth and its inhabitants? Each spring and fall, we hold a Clothing Swap to offer an alternative to buying new clothes. This spring's Swap will be held on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon with drop off starting at 9:30 am. Info, contact Stephanie Kimball, [email protected]
|
|
Grounds Day April 30--9:00 a.m. to 12 noon
Engage in our Seventh Principle of Caring for the Earth! We plan to hold a spring grounds work day on Saturday, April 30th, 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon (rain date, May 1st). Help us implement a few changes from our Green Sanctuary Task Force-led visioning. Help our grounds reflect who we are --and wish to become-- in the community and greater world. --Rhonda Baird and Molly O'Donnell, co-chairs
|
UU SUMMER CAMP JULY 3-9, 2016 -- MUUSA!
Consider joining fellow UUs this summer in the Missouri Ozarks at the annual Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly (MUUSA). The weeklong camp offers many workshops and activities for families, couples and singles of all ages. This year Reverend Krista Taves will lead the daily Morning Celebration service on this year's theme: "The UU House of Soul."
Come gather in the beautiful forests and rolling hills of the Missouri Ozarks at YMCA Trout Lodge, where you can connect with old friends, make new ones and participate in a wide variety of activities. Registration is now open. Get all the details at www.muusa.org.
|
|
Hospitality for Those with Allergies
As a courtesy to our friends and members who have allergies to fragrances, we are designating the west section of the Meeting Room (next to the sliding glass doors and tall narrow windows) as Fragrance Free. Please do not sit there if you have used any fragrances. Anyone else is welcome to sit in this area. Thank you for your consideration.
|
UUs Who Can Provide a Variety of Professional Services -
List and Waiver Form Now Available
The Elder Focus Task Force has compiled a list of Unitarian Universalists who are available for hire for a variety of tasks including Pet Sitting, Home Healthcare, Organizational Skills, Carpentry, Counseling, Sewing Machine repair, Building Construction. The list and the liability waiver form are posted here:
UUs for Hire and Liability Waiver
|
|
Attendance and Membership
Certified Membership as of 2/1/2016: 464 Current Membership: 468
Attendance
Sunday, April 10 9:15 120 ; 11:15 186 ; RE:82 Total:388
Sunday, April 17 9:15 197 ; 11:15 215 ; RE:89 Total:501
Non-Pledge Offering
4/10 - $634
4/17 - $812
Total to be donated to Monroe County CASA - $362
Grocery Card Sales
(Bloomingfoods, Marsh, or Lucky's)
April 10 $1,050, income to UUCB $75.25
April 17 $1,525, income to UUCB $78.75
|
Join the Conversation!
Beloved Conversations Begins May 13
Another set of Beloved Conversations will begin in May! We hope that you will join us. Beloved Conversations is an experiential curriculum that provides a space to re-form/fuse the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing. New ways of being are learned through the actions of conversation and probing dialogue. Many of you heard about the experience as part of our Martin Luther King Jr service this year.
Our congregation will begin the Beloved Conversation process again with a 1.5 day retreat starting the evening of May 13, 6:00 until 9:30 p.m., and then Saturday May14 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. The regular sessions begin on May 20 from 2-4 pm, and will continue Sunday afternoons through the month of June, ending in early July. Many folks who have completed the previous sessions affirm the importance of investing time and energy in return for the profound benefit of the experience. The sessions work together with intention to ask us to slow down and think carefully in order to bring about greater understanding of complex and deeply impactful issues.
I hope you will consider signing up by calling or emailing the office. [email protected]. If you have questions you can ask Reverend Douglas Wadkins, Deb Fish or Shari Woodbury for more information! --Rev. Wadkins, [email protected]
|
|
Four Delegates will Attend MidAmerica Regional Conference April 30-May 1
We are very pleased to announce that we have four delegates attending the MidAmerica Assembly in St. Paul MN on April 29-May 1. Ed and Claire Robertson and Dan and Sharon Wiseman will be in St. Paul for the conference. Please greet them when they return and ask them about their experience and the very interesting UU's they've met from all over the Midwest. -Iris Kiesling, Denominational Affairs
|
Diaper Drive For Reproductive Justice Task Force Thru 4/30
The Reproductive Justice Task Force is working with the All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center to collect disposable and reusable diapers for families in need. Please buy diapers and bring to the Commons, where we will have our Diaper Depot. This effort will continue through April 30.
|
UU Humanist Forum Meets on Alternating Sundays
This group offers an opportunity for regular, open, wide-ranging discussions of issues relating to morality and ethics, human development, and the nature of the universe. The forum will meet next on Sunday, May 8, in Room 208 after religious education classes end at 12:45. The topic will be "People-to-people economic future, ala Uber and AirBnB" presented by Harold Ogren. No meeting on April 24, to allow members to attend the Special Congregational Meeting that day at 1:00 p.m.
|
UU Freethinkers Group Enjoys Free Ranging Discussion
The purpose of the UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting is to create the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social concern, political concern, and theological/religious concern. UU Freethinkers meet on alternating Sundays after children's religious education classes end, in Room 208. UU Freethinkers meet next on Sunday, May 1, at 12:45 p.m. Info, contact John Crosby.
|
|
UU History for You
Charles Francis Potter: Baptist, Unitarian, Universalist, Humanist, and the Short Life of Fame
Charles Francis Potter (1885-1962) was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts. His father was a factory worker making shoes and he was raised Baptist. He attended Newton theological School and earned a BD in theology. He continued at Bucknell and got a MA. He was ordained as a Baptist at the age of 17 but as he read the criticisms of the bible by German scholars he shifted his views and resigned in 1925 converting to Unitarianism.
He served as a Professor of Comparative Religion at Antioch College and then was called to be Unitarian Minister on the west side of Manhattan. He debated a fundamentalist minister on radio and with a live audience at Carnegie Hall and defended Thomas Scopes and Darwinian evolution. In 1925 he became an advisor to Clarence Darrow for the Scopes trial in Tennessee. He wrote numerous books on religion and in 1929 founded the first Humanist Society, in New York City. He helped draft the Humanist Manifesto and popularized the movement with his book Humanism: A new Religion that he wrote with his wife, Clara Cook Potter.
Potter's reputation faded after 1930. Not only did Christians ignore him, so did his fellow Humanists because of his interests in promoting yoga and the study of extra sensory perception, which most Humanists dismissed as pseudoscience. He continued to write, but he had resigned from the American Unitarian Association, and Humanism was of less interest during the Depression. He died of stomach cancer at the age of 77. --Elof Carlson, Congregational Historian
|
|
Community Connections
Our Faith in Action in the Community
Caring for a Loved One with Dementia - Presentation May 20 at the Hospital
Free community presentation on dementia care, Friday, May 20, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Bloomington Hospital, Wegmiller Auditorium. The speaker is Teepa Snow, and the presentation is titled "Changing Resistance to Care to Participation in Care." It's full of great information for anyone who is caring for a loved one with dementia.
Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA is one of America's leading educators on dementia. She holds clinical appointments with Duke University's School of Nursing and UNC-CH School of Medicine, has an independent practice, and over 30 years' experience as a Registered Occupational Therapist. The techniques and training models based on her Positive Approach™ to Care are used by families and professionals throughout the world. To watch a video of Teepa Snow click here.
|
|
Contact a Minister
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, our Senior Minister
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 201 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons
Our Interim Minister,
Reverend Douglas Wadkins
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 207 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. However, he will be away April 17-24.
In case of a pastoral emergency after office hours, please call his home study number,
812-369-4179.
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, our Minister of Religious Education
can be reached at 812-332-3695, ext. 203
on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
|
 Who Ya Gonna Call about Building Problems and
Facilities Maintenance?
If you notice a problem with the building, please contact Carol Marks, Church Administrator, [email protected], 812-332-3695, ext. 200, and she will contact the experts to get it taken care of.
Weekday office hours are generally Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exceptions are posted on the office entrance. Sunday office hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
--Carol Marks, Church Administrator
|
|
Livestreaming of Sunday Services
As archived videos of service become available they will also be at the link listed above.
If there is a problem with livestreaming, please contact Andy Beargie, our Multi-media Specialist, [email protected]
|
|
Calendar of all our congregational events can be found at www.uubloomington.org
In the left hand column, click on "Calendar" and then on the top link on the page or Click Right Here and then click on today's date. Information is also available on our public Facebook page: www.facebook.com/uubloomington You do not need a Facebook account to read our page.
Prologue Publication Schedule: Next issue, May 2.
Deadline for articles about congregational events and projects is 10:00 a.m. on date of publication, to [email protected]. The Prologue is published on the first and third Mondays of each month, with exceptions for Monday holidays. Upcoming publication dates: 5/2, 5/16, 6/6, 6/20, 7/5 (a Tuesday), 7/18.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington IN 47408, 812-332-3695
|
| Masthead photo by John Woodcock |
|
|
|
|
