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Greetings!
Please join us on
Sunday, March 13, 2016 for
Loving Who We Are
We'll explore more about how Our Whole Lives and Standing on the Side of Love shapes Unitarian Universalist identity overall, Northwoods, and individuals.
How do we love who we are?
by Interim Minister
Rev. Donna Renfro
Music by
Juanetta Cooper
and piano accompaniment by
Ann McAlpin
Religious Education this Sunday:
9:30 & 11:30 Services:
2- and 3-year-olds: Celebrate! Class - Childcare room
pre-K and kindergartners (ages 4-6): Spirit Play - Spirit Play Classroom
1st through 3rd grade (ages 7-9): Explorers I - Explorers I class, next to library
4th through 6th grade (ages 10-12): Explorers II - Room 10, upstairs
9:30 Service Only:
7th-12th grade: ChUUse Your Own Adventure- teen room
11:30 Service Only:
7th and 8th grade: WhUU Are YUU? UU Identity Program - garden room
9th-12th grade: YRUU - teen room
Childcare is available for our youngest friends in the Childcare Room.
Adult Forum:
This week in Adult Forum guest lecturer Dana Fisher Ashrawi will begin a 3-part series on The 7 UU Principles and the Middle East. Ms. Ashrawi serves on the boards of UUs for Justice the the Middle East and the Arab-American Educational Foundation. Ms. Ashrawi is a third-generation UU and is related to the Rev. Theodore Parker. The series continues on March 20 and 27, however it is not necessary to attend each session.
First Service: 9:30am
Coffee and Conversation: 10:30am
Second Service: 11:30am
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Dear Northwoods Members and Friends,
Wow! Thanks to everyone who came out to the FaithsTogether food drive last Saturday. THIRTY FOUR Northwoods UUs came out, and the drive kept 750 families from being hungry! I talked to the Director of the Montgomery County Food Bank at the end, she told me they have large drives like we did two or more times a month. So if this is something you would like to continue doing, be in touch with Nicole Moon - Volunteer and Donor Services Coordinator, nmoon@mcfoodbank.org, 936-539-6686 (work), 832-724-9979 (cell.)
There has been a suggestion that we create a Volunteer Wall, similar to the History Wall, where congregants could write what they do out in the community. This would let us see where individual congregants put their volunteer efforts as individuals. We will do that after the History wall comes down on Monday. Please look at it before then, and write anything else you want to be recognized in Northwoods' history.
SAVE THE DATE! March 20, 12:45-2pm in the Sanctuary, for all who are interested in children and teens Faith Development and Religious Exploration! Rev. Donna's 'adopted UU' daughter, Rachel Stevenson, will be at Northwoods, helping lead the worship service, about how involvement in RE as children and youth can lead to Young Adults staying involved in Unitarian Universalism. Rachel will also share what her employer church does, and what she does in the School of the Spirit as part-time DRE, Youth Coordinator, and Spirit Jam teacher. Please know that 1. this is a 'dreaming' session for Northwoods, for what RE can become; 2. this is a new and I believe the most innovative RE model from Katie Covey, one of UU's most creative DREs, and curriculum writers; 3. Jenn Simpson will be out of town this day, sadly, and she has been in touch with RE leaders about this model; 4. I am infringing on my daughter's vacation and visiting time with me time to have this meeting with you; 5. This is not a rehashing session of past difficulties with RE and YRUU. Please RSVP to me, especially if you need childcare, so we can have a pizza lunch available.
In Faith,
Rev. Donna
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Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda
The BoT will meet this Sunday. A copy of the agenda is available for review here.
On the agenda is a discussion on the changes in open carry laws. With the new open carry laws in Texas, if we wish to prohibit open carry at Northwoods, we have to either put up signs with very specific language, and type at least 1" tall, or hand out cards with the proscribed legal language to everyone who enters. Neither of these are great options-- large signs on our beautiful grounds, or bringing gun language into the peace of our sanctuary. The alternative is to allow open carry, there is no inbetween. The board will decide about this at the meeting on Sunday. If you'd like to express an opinion, feel free to come to the meeting or talk to a board member between now and then.
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Busting at the Seams!
The big day is getting closer: April 2, Saturday... at Northwoods.
One storage unit is packed and a new space is nearly available.
Hallie's garage is near capacity! Rob Wiley has graciously offered his garage space. The gate will be open, the side door unlocked. There are shelves for small items and open space for larger pieces. Please arrange all drop offs in a careful, efficient manner. Do not lock the door after your drop off.
The Wiley Garage: the building on the right of the gate.
2811 Crossvine Circle
The Woodlands, TX 77380-1396
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| | Hallie's garage is stuffed! |
If you have questions, please call Hallie Moore 281-813-6328. See the happy folks at the bourse table outside church on Sunday and volunteer for the fun.
We need your donations; your help setting up the Friday before and on the actual day of the sale. Northwoods and the Montgomery County Youth Services all benefit from your contributions and your shopping. Spread the word!
See you April 2nd.
Early Bird Shoppers: We be lamps: two charming bed side lamps: white pottery with a subtle rose motif. Two formal brass table lamps: tall (about 3 plus feet, two bulbs each). Both need new shades (Marshalls has deals on shades.)
A classified request: We have a shopper looking for a clean, used refrigerator with many years of coolness left in its future. Contact: Hallie Moore if you have a lead. 281-813-6328.
For Storage or for viewing, or to find out how you can help:
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Stewardship Conversations Have Begun
NUUC committees and teams have been invited to hold "Stewardship Conversations" at their meetings. These conversations encourage participants to share their reasons for coming to Northwoods, and talk about their dreams for the Church. Three committees have held conversations so far, reaching 17 members. Members come for friendship and spiritual growth,
and dreams range from practical (rehabilitate the worship space) to abstract (encourage spiritual growth). The conversations are helping to deepen the connections in these groups. If you're a committee leader and have led a conversation already, please let David Shontz (Peterkin_2000@yahoo.com) know about it.
Thank you for your support.
David Shontz
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Two Quick Announcements from Jennifer Simpson:
Free Stuff & Egg Stuffers
1. A very large collection of recyclable food trays and containers was found in the sound room. Artists and up-cylers, help  yourselves! Whatever is not claimed will be recycled next week.
2. Bags of eggs will soon be available for volunteer filling. Look for the eggs this Sunday, March 13, and return them next week. There will be an Egg Hunt between services on Easter (March 27.) Children will be age-grouped.
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Community Recognition for a Northwoods Member
Northwoods' own Carolyn Moore is one of eleven people in The Woodlands to receive the "Spirit of Service" award from the Woodlands Community Magazine. Carolyn was recognized for her work on recycling. To see the article, click here.
Congratulations, Carolyn!
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Service Auction Event Openings
There are still plenty of opportunities to have some Service Auction fun and support Northwoods while doing it! Below is a list of upcoming open events. For more information, click here. To register, contact the church office.
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| | Painting with Papers Service Auction event hosted by Kate Rhoad. |
Upcoming open Service Auction events:
- Wild Woman's Bunco. Friday March 25, 2016
- Learn to Knit Lace. Saturday March 26, 2016
- Beginner Beverages, Bites, and Bridge. Saturday March 26th, 2016
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Northwoods' Senior's Friendship Group
On Saturday, March 26th, the Northwoods Senior's Friendship Group will meet for the first time. This group will be open to all Northwoods Seniors around the age of 55 (plus or minus) and up. If you are close to this age, please join us as we are totally inclusive. Its purpose will be to provide an opportunity to bond and socialize, and support this very special generational group through group activities, fund raising, and charitable projects. The group will meet on the fourth Saturday of each month at the church from 10:00 AM to Noon in the Garden Room. During the first meeting, we will discuss what YOU want in such a group and we will collectively form the structure and parameters of the group for the future.
Please let us know if you plan to attend by emailing Bob Pryor ( Tbmsounds@comcast.net) or call 281-376-1889.
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Lunch Bunch
Lunch Bunch will go to Crust Pizza in Panther Creek Village Center this Sunday. Crust Pizza is located on the corner of Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road.
Questions? Please ask Phil or Beth Marshall.
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Membership
New to Northwoods?
Considering membership?
Want to catch up on your UU history and theology?
Join us for Pathways to Membership class. the 2016 classes will be on:
January 10, April 10, July 10 and October 9.
This class is recommended as a prerequisite for signing our Membership Book. Please register by contacting the church office. Childcare available upon request.
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Board of Trustees
The Northwoods UU Church Board of Trustees meets at 1 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. The Board is responsible for governing policies, finances, human resources, buildings and grounds, and congregational communication. The Current Members of the Board are:
Ann McAlpin
President
Lisa Cronce
President-Elect
Larry Loomis-Price
Past President
Rud Merriam
Treasurer
Bob Long
Parliamentarian
Cyndie Mahaney
Secretary
John DeCaire
At Large
Kate Rhoad
At Large
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Committee on Ministry
The Committee on Ministry meets on the fourth Sunday of each month and is responsible for the shared ministry of the congregation in the areas of Spiritual Life, Congregational Life, Religious Education, and Social Justice and Outreach (SEE Justice). Current Members of the Committee on Ministry are:
Linda Nadler
Chair
Mary Chimarusti Sharon Ossowski
Jeff Graeber
David Shontz
Beth Marshall
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Membership Coordinator:
Helen Sherwood
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Ministries Meetings and Groups
Leadership Development Committee
Chair
Dorothy Kennedy
Carol Hensley
Hal Meyers
Spiritual Life
Asimov Humanists: Meets 2nd Saturday each month, 10am-12 in The Garden Room. Contact Karyl Paige 281-435-2644
Drum Circle:
CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans).
Meets every 2nd Sunday of the month in the Sanctuary at 1 pm. Contact Tess Bennett.
Northwoods Progressive Christian Fellowship: Meets several times in the fall, winter, and spring for discussion, study, and fellowship, and sponsors vespers services for Advent and Good Friday. For more information and dates, contact Bob Long.
Zen Mind Buddhist:
A meditation and discussion group that meets on the 1st and 3rd Sundays at 6pm. For information, contact Carolyn Cash.
Blue Mountain Meditation: Meets Tuesdays at 5:00 pm at Northwoods.
Folk Choir Rehearsal:
Meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Contact Rusty Rhoad at 281-419-1984.
Congregational Life
Avant Garden Gallery:
Artists are invited to display their works in the gallery. For scheduling, click here.
Coffee Hour:
Between church services (10:30-11:30 a.m.) every Sunday.
Courageously Coed Book Group:
Meets on the second Monday at 7pm in the Garden room. Click herefor more information.
Men's Group:
Meets the first Thursday of the month. Contact Mark Smith.
Men's Book Club
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Meets the first Saturday of the month at 10:00am in the Garden room. Click here for the 2016 reading list. Contact Wally Gardner.
Women's Book Club:
Meets the third Saturday of the month at 10:00am in the Garden Room. For more information contact Shirley Locke.
wUU hUU:
Northwoods Writers' Group:
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays. Bring something you've written to read. For information contact Rusty Rhoad at 281-419-1984.
The Ewe Ewe Knitting Ministry:
Meets on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Thursday of each month in the room 3. Contact Cyndie Mahaney
Northwoods Playgroup: Meets Fridays at 10:30am. For more information please contact Carrie Smith.
SEE Justice
Monthly meeting the first Sunday of the month 12:30-2 pm in the Garden Room. Contact Paul Nelson for more information.
If you would like to nominate an organization to be the recipient of Share the Plate Sunday, click here for more information on how to do so.
Millbend Coffee House: Live music every second Saturday at 7:30 pm at the church. This event is sponsored by Northwoods and is open to the community. Contact Teresa Allen at 281-350-3052.
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Southwest UU Spring Conference
A Personal Invitation from Natalie Briscoe, UUA Staff
I would like to extend a special invitation to all of the members of Northwoods to Spring Conference on April 8th - 10th, 2016 at Wildflower Church in Austin, Texas.
This year's theme is "Differences that make a Difference: Justice Making Inside and Out." In today's increasingly multicultural world, it is difficult to know how to manage difference in our congregations and how to be a beacon of welcoming and acceptance to the communities that are influenced by our churches. This year's Spring Conference will help us start conversations about recognizing true difference in our congregations and in our communities, navigating those differences in faithful, Unitarian Universalist ways, and building a beloved community that truly includes all people.
We will begin on Friday evening with opening worship and a time to gather. Saturday will again begin with worship, which will lead into the Key Note Presentation by Kathy McGowan, Southern Region Field Staff Member and Multicultural Specialist on the Southern Region Team. After the key note, a panel of presenters will give us a perspective on managing differences in congregational life.
The Panelists are:
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Rev. Joanna Crawford: LGBTQ ministries in the congregations and in the community at large
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Rev. Chuck Freeman: Economic and Class differences in congregations and ministry to the homeless.
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Lewis Morris and Kurt Cadena - Mitchell: Cultural and Ethnic differences in UU congregations
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Natalie Briscoe: Multigenerational issues in congregations and faith development as a justice issue
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Rev. Brian Ferguson and our hosts from Wildflower and Faith Presbyterian: Interfaith cooperation
After the panelists have spoken, we will adjourn for lunch. Following our lunch break, the panelists will be leading small group discussions based on the topics that they discussed briefly during the morning's panel. These small groups are your opportunity to go deeper into the topics and get tactics for taking these discussions back to your home congregation.
Young people ages 5 to 13 are invited to attend Natalie's multigenerational small group. Young people ages 14 and up are invited to attend any small group they would like. Child care is available for children 5 and under.
After the small group discussions, we will have a wrap-up session and a closing. Participants are then invited to spend the evening enjoying all of the night life that Austin has to offer. A list of hot spots and activities will be given to assist you in making your evening choices and organizing into group outings. Young Adults who have attended the conference will gather together during this time.
On Sunday, participants are invited to worship with both Faith Presbyterian Congregation AND Wildflower UU Congregation at 10:00AM and 11:30 AM respectively.
I hope this year's Spring Conference will help your congregation approach these difficult, relevant, and necessary conversations about how we will go about building a peaceful, fair, and free world for all.
Register at Southern Region Website, here.
I hope to see you there!
Natalie
Congregational Life Field Staff
For the Southern Region of our Unitarian Universalist Association
Serving Texas and Mexico
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 Happy 50th!
Congratulations to Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church's on it's big 50th Anniversary!
A three-day celebration will take place at Bay Area UU Church the weekend of March 18th, 19th and 20th.
For more details, please click here. |
This Saturday, March 12th at 7:30pm
Millbend Presents
Bernice Lewis
with Mariah Lewis
With three decades of performing at festivals, concert halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along with a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Bernice Lewis has built a solid national reputation. She is also a published poet, a producer, and an educator extraordinaire. This time around, Bernice is bringing her talented daughter Mariah to join her for the evening. Houston songwriter and songwriting mentor Linda Lowe will bring one of her students to share in opening this concert.
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We Asked, You Responded Last Saturday, Faiths Together, along with the Montgomery County Food Bank, hosted a Food Fair. That event can only be described as a tremendous and rewarding success. Part of that success was a result of members of Northwoods UU (more than 30 members in fact) coming out to help package and distribute foods to the needy. Food prep began early, and as a steady stream of cars and trucks began their trip "down the line,"volunteers loaded up each vehicle with bountiful supplies of fresh vegetables and fruits, canned goods, meats, and dried goods. So often, when we think of food banks we think of canned goods, rice and beans. The fresh fruits and vegetables just made the day. The flow of cars went on for the next 3� hours. Seeing the looks on the faces of the men, women, and children that received the goods was reward enough for all of us. Many happy faces and tears - on both sides of the line. Our thanks to the following members for coming out: Teresa Allen, Karyl Paige, Tomi Phillips, Beth Marshall, Lisa Cronce, Iva Cronce, Luka, Alex, TJ Boeker, Laura Shontz, Sophie Shontz, Lisa Gunden, Scot Schmucker, John Hammond, Sai Boeker, David and Priscilla Shontz, Susan Hawkins, Barbara Madera, Judith Bartok, Kate Rhoad, Rusty Rhoad, Reverend Donna Renfro, Brenda Hutchinson, Natalie, Brian, Kathryn Donahue, Rick Haddock, Vick Bradley, Sage Haddock, and Kai Haddock. My apologies if I've left anyone out, or misspelled anyone's name. |
| | | John Hammond helps pass out oranges. | |
A special thanks to Karyl Paige for bringing the project to the attention of SEE Justice. And thanks to Reverend Donna as well for bringing news of the effort to the "top of the page" in the Beacon Bits.
With appreciation,
Paul Nelson
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Shoes for Honduras! Shoes for Honduras! Shoes for Honduras!
Used shoes are again being requested for children and adults in Roatan, Honduras - any size or type, especially athletic shoes, as well as soccer cleats, unifor
m jerseys, and any other soccer supplies such as goalie gloves, shin guards, and deflated soccer balls - and also basketballs and basketball jerseys. Feel free to contact Lynn Rippelmeyer with any questions at (281) 356- 7506 or ljripp@comcast.net.
Thanks to all who have contributed in the past. It has made a huge difference in lives and is much appreciated.
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Crisis Hot Line by Text
Statistics show that only 5% of teens are willing to call phone crisis lines, but they're more willing to text. Text 741741 to text anonymously with a crisis counselor. Trained counselors are standing by to listen to whatever is on your mind. |
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Calendar, Beacon Bits Submission Policy,
and Contact Information
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Thursday March 10, 2016
6:30 PM Paul Klein & Klay Vage Rehearsal
7:00 PM Rummage Sale Planning Meeting
Friday March 11, 2016
10:00 AM Northwoods Play Group
Saturday March 12, 2016
10:00 AM Asimov Humanist
7:30 PM Millbend Coffeehouse
Sunday March 13, 2016
11:30 AM Cakes for the Queen of Heaven
1:00 PM Board of Trustees
6:00 PM Sangha Meditation Group
Monday March 14, 2016
7:00 PM Courageously Coed Book Group
Tuesday March 15, 2016
5:00 PM Blue Mountain Meditation
7:00 PM Folk Choir Rehearsal
Thursday March 17, 2016
6:30 PM Paul Klein & Klay Vage Rehearsal
7:00 PM Ewe Ewe Knitting Ministry
Friday March 18, 2016
10:00 AM Northwoods Play Group
Saturday March 19, 2016
10:00 AM Women's Book Group
Sunday March 20, 2016
6:00 PM Zen Mind Buddhist
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Submission PolicySend submissions for the next issue of The Beacon Bits to office@northwoodsuu.org no later than 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Any member of the Northwoods family may submit material to the Beacon Bits. Ideally, most submissions will come from a contact person or chairperson of a group or ministry team. The Beacon Bits will not publish any advertisement or notices promoting individuals or businesses.
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Contact Information
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Interim Minister: Reverend Donna Renfro
Phone 281-651-4800
Office Hours:
Monday: Sabbath and day of rest. Emergency calls only, please.
Tuesday - Thursday 10am to 3pm
Friday: Sermon Writing Day, 10am to 3pm, by appointment only
Saturday: by appointment only
Sunday: Worship
Congregational Administrator: Jamie Thompson
Church Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 am- 3pm
Coordinator of Lifespan Faith Development: Jennifer Simpson
re@northwoodsuu.orgPhone 281-298-2780
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