Our duty... is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist.
We are collaborators in creation.
--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Greetings, It has been such a joy to return to you after the sabbatical month of February. During my time away, I visited various Unitarian Universalist congregations, experiencing worship and talking with colleagues. Time away offers fresh perspectives. I am more convinced than ever that our world, people of all ages, need the sustaining power of our free religious faith to nurture their spirits and help heal the world. Seekers are looking for an open place where they can draw on wisdom from many sources. Unitarian Universalism is such a faith. However, our stone English chapel building with the cross on the steeple firmly places us in the Christian tradition and doesn't express who we are today. I wonder if it is time to replace the cross with a more inclusive symbol, such as our Unitarian Universalist chalice? From the street, our building exhibits our roots, but not our branches. Let's engage in thoughtful conversation with each other about our feelings on the abundance of Christian symbols here at UUCM. I talked about this and other sabbatical perspectives in the March 13 service, which you can listen to on our website at http://uucm.org/ministries/recent-sermons/
This month we will be celebrating Creativity with special activities at church on April 10. That afternoon, I will be offering the Charge to the Congregation at the installation of Allison Palm at UU Nashua. (All are invited to attend. See details later in this newsletter.) You can find a packet of resources on this month's theme of Creation at uucm.org/wp-content/uploads/Resources/Apr2016Creation.pdf
In closing, I want to thank all who have been working on the pledge drive for next year's annual budget. I am so grateful to all of you who have already pledged to support our vital ministry in the year to come. You can check the current progress on the wall near the Garden Door entrance. I want you to know that your minister is committed to our shared ministry with her money as well as her mind, heart, and spirit. I have pledged to give a leadership amount of 5% of my salary and housing. If you haven't already done so, please pledge. If you have pledged, please consider increasing your pledge so that we can meet the budget goal. In April, you will have a chance to meet with our Council to review the proposed budget and express your priorities.
Blessings to you,
Barbara Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord |
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Worship Services - Sundays at 10:30am
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Carolyn McCreary, Music Director, and Nancy Baker
with Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord Our annual spring music service will kick off April's theme of Creation with a focus on honoring and caring for the Earth. The central choral piece in this service is "The Song of Chief Seattle", a beautiful work by Robert Gass based on words attributed to Chief Seattle in his 1854 powerful, bittersweet plea for respect of Native American rights and care for the Earth. Our UUCM choir is joined by two members of Wings of Song, the group that originally recorded this song. This is also our spring Justice Sunday where we will contribute to the environmental justice work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). After Church: Meet the Minister and UU&You class in the Fireside Room with Rev. Barbara. All are welcome! Monthly UU&You sessions are an opportunity to meet the minister and get answers to your questions about Unitarian Universalism.
Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord, Sandy Frades & Jackie Davis After gathering in the sanctuary, everyone will have a variety of creative activities to choose from, such as cooking, poetry, collaborative music composing, cake decorating, movement, circus arts, painting, manual arts (making circuits!), crafts, meditation. Some activities will require that parents or grandparents accompany their children. Come do something you already love - or come try something new! Mark SchwartzbergWe carry a spark of creation, a spark of creativity. It is what drives us forward to imagine and create that which is beyond what we can simply observe. Mark is a member of our popular Sermon Seminar program, where a group of UUCM members gather monthly to support one another in leading worship. These are some of our favorite worship services! We are so fortunate to have Mark serving as President of our Congregation this year. Before Church (9:00am in Barnum) - Pathways to Membership classRev. Barbara McKusick LiscordHow do fear and courage contribute to the lives we create for ourselves and our communities?
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Lifespan Religious Education
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For more information about all RE programs for children and youth, visit http://uucm.org/religious-education/programs-for-children/ or direct inquiries to Sandy Frades, REC chair (sandyfrades@comcast.net or 603-673-2955 or cell 603-533-2995) or Jamie Ferrier, RE Administrator (office@uucm.org or 603-673-1870).
The RE Planning Team is meeting with Kim Sweeney to plan what next year will look like. Among other things, we will be analyzing information from the February parent meetings. As most of you know, Kim was our Director of Lifespan Religious Education for several years. When Kim left us she went on to work in the district and is now serving the UUA New England Region as the lead for Faith Formation and Safe Congregations. Kim will be working with us for the next year or so to help us define what we would like for our families, youth, and children in the future.
If you have any comments or ideas for this team to consider, please contact any member of the RE Planning Team: Emily Jones, Sandy Frades (REC Chair), Rev. Barbara McKusick Liscord, Sue Olsen, and Kim Sweeney.
Sunday mornings on April 3 and April 17:
o Spirit Play -- K-1st grade
o Spirit of Adventure -- Grades 2-3
o Traditions with a Wink! -- Grades 4-6
o Neighboring Faiths -- Grades 7-8
Every Sunday:
* Nursery and Friendship Finders (Pre-K) are available every Sunday.
* Children's Choir (ages 5-10) rehearse on Sundays from 10-10:20am.
* OWL Grades 7-9 meet every Sunday, 4-5:30pm, except on April 24.
* High School Youth Group meets Sunday evenings, 5:30-7:30pm. Some
members will be going on a service trip to NYC in late April.
April 10: Special Multigenerational service: "I Created It!" -- Experience first hand the creativity theme for April. After a very short opening and closing, there will be many activities available to pursue something creative. Some will be multigenerational and others geared for a specific age group.
April 24: Game Day for children/youth.
Attention: Parents of Middle School Youth
Parents of youth in the Middle School Youth Group are asked to attend a very short meeting on Sunday, April 3, at 10am in the Granite Room.
We have 12 youth, 3 advisors, and 2 drivers registered to go on our service/learning trip to New York City with the Youth Service Opportunity Project, April 29-30. The youth and advisors will be learning about homelessness and serving in programs across the city. They will return to share their experiences at the worship service on May 1 -- not to be missed!
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UUCM  News & Activities |
* If you haven't yet offered a service or item, you still can! Fill out a form on the display in Barnum or send email to sueolsen@comcast.net * We have many new items up for bid this year. Keep reading the weekly newsletter for enticing updates! * A detailed Auction List will be live on the UUCM website on April 5th at http://uucm.org/community/auction-2016/ * Proxy Bids: If you can't attend the auction, you can place a proxy bid on Live Auction items starting April 5th. * Bidding on Silent Auction items closes before bidding on Live items begins, so arrive early to get your bids in! * Child Care will be available, so bring the entire family. There are many family-centered items and activities up for bid. Plan to be there on Saturday, April 9 at 7pm. Mark your calendar now!
Invite your friends too! Volunteer by sending email to auction@uucm.org or contact Susan Olsen, Dona Eaton, elise DeMichael, or Leslie Bennett.
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Please join us for this BYOB potluck dinner for adults. After dinner, we'll have some special entertainment. Childcare and pizza for children will be provided in the Anthony Room. If you need childcare, please contact Susan Dyke Deschenes at suzedesch@gmail.com and include the names and ages of your children. |
Sunday, April 17, 9:00-10:30 am in Barnum Hall or
Tuesday, April 19, 7:00-8:30 pm in Granite/Barton Room
If you're planning to join UUCM, please consider attending one of the Pathways to Membership classes. There, you will learn about the history of Unitarian Universalism and the rights and responsibilities of UUCM members. Please contact Susan Dyke Deschenes at suzedesch@gmail.org if you plan to attend. If neither of these times fits your schedule, please contact Susan or Rev. Barbara for a 1-on-1 meeting.
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Yard, Plant, Bake and Anything Else Sale
Stop procrastinating -- and clean out your basement, attic, spare room, spaceship, or ... whatever! You have the opportunity to raise money for UUCM and for yourself. UUCM will organize the Yard Sale, do the advertising, and provide an excellent selling location!
You set up your table, sell your stuff, and clean up your area after the sale. 20% of your profits (or more, if you wish) will go to UUCM.
There is a signup sheet in Barnum Hall with more details about the event. Or you can contact Sandy Frades (673-2955 or sandyfrades@comcast.net).
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The U-Usual Suspects repeated their 2014 First Place Victory at the 2016 annual Amherst Library Trivia Contest. They are winners with us, too, as they once again decided to split their winnings between the library and UUCM. Many thanks to team members Lynn Coakley, Fred Dyke, Susan Dyke Deschenes, Leslie Bennett, Graham & Barbara Smith, Bethany Poulin, Debbie & Neil Maloney, and Wendy & Mark Conway. (UUCM will host another Trivia game in October.)
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Just ONCE this year! Give it a try! (You might like it.)
Volunteer at the Nashua Soup Kitchen
Every month we need 3 volunteers to help Meghan Hoye (424-3431 or meghan_jeff@comcast.net) serve Sunday lunch at the Nashua Soup Kitchen. When: 2nd Sunday of every month (next on April 10) Time: 10:30am-2:30pm Duties: Setup, simple food prep, serving, cleanup Who: Adults and youth 14 and older (accompanied by a responsible adult) Learn more: Talk to an NSK volunteer: John & Marty Miller, Jeff Hoye, Marti Kennedy, Dona Eaton, Barbara Coan Click here to volunteer for one or more Sundays. Thanks so much!
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, 5:30-6:30pm
Our suppers are becoming ever more popular! To learn more or to join the pool of volunteers, please contact Nancy Danzinger, UUCM Community Supper Coordinator, (ndanzinger@comcast.net, 673-9561), Barbara Smith (673-6629, brbsmith@me.com), or Dona Eaton (donageaton@gmail.com, 673-7526).
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We are invited to attend the installation of Rev. Allison Palm as the settled minister in Nashua. Rev. Barbara will be offering the Charge to the Congregation as part of the ceremony. The Nashua congregation would like RSVPs so they know how many people to plan for. If you would like attend, please send email to office@uucm.org (Subject: UU Nashua Installation). Also, if you have advice to pass along to our neighbors as they begin life with their new minister, send email to Rev. Barbara at minister@uucm.org (Subject: UU Nashua Installation).
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Most of us at UUCM know about Ferry Beach, but did you know there are nine other UU camp and conference centers around the country and in Ontario, usually in beautiful natural settings? Most operate year-round or close to it, offering retreats, conferences, and summer camp that reflect our UU values and provide opportunities for learning and growing in community. We in New England are lucky to be within a few hours of several. You can learn about them all at http://uuaccc.org/?page_id=50. And if you see Kim Gabert at coffee hour, ask her about the Rowe Center in western Mass -- she practically grew up there!
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Keep for future reference!
Monthly newsletter - 20th of the month - Send to NEWS@UUCM.ORG
Weekly update - Every Monday - Send to OFFICE@UUCM.ORG |
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March: Audrey Fraizer, 603-672-0887, fraizer@myfairpoint.net
April: Linda Higgs, 603-673-7601, lbhiggs@gmail.com
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Please leave contributions in the SHARE basket in Barnum. This month's needs: Pancake Mix & Syrup, Condiments, Cooking Sauces & Seasonings, Cooking Oil
In the event of severe weather, you can check whether the church is open in several different ways.
Please observe UUCM's Food Allergen and Alcohol policies on the UUCM Policies webpage.
Weekdays before 6pm and Saturdays before 5pm: Park only behind the church or in the circular driveway in front (and NOT in front of the Garden Door). For more parking information (including a printable map), click here.
In the Members & Friends section on the UUCM website, you will find the latest directory, committee listings, and info about people who've moved. Or you can get a directory from the UUCM office. If your contact information is incorrect, email office@uucm.org with 'Directory Changes' in the subject line.
Minutes from Council meetings and Treasurer's reports, newsletter archive, services provided by UUCM members & friends, rides to the airport or bus terminal, recipes, how to buy or consign clothing and goods with the proceeds going to UUCM -- plus links to hundreds of shopping sites where your purchase benefits UUCM, and much, much more!
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