Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

8690 Yankee St.  Dayton, OH  45458

 

937-436-3628  www.mvuuf.org 

Chalice

 
MVUUF Building by Lew Hann

MVUUF Forum  October 16-31, 2012


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Letter from the Minister

 

"Diversity in Our Community"

 

While Centerville and Washington Township aren't the most racially diverse areas in our city, we do have some ethnic and religious diversity. I've been sitting on the Centerville Washington Township Diversity Council for the past few years to encourage diversity.

 

This is the third year that we will be holding a program called "Voices and Stories" where residents share their personal stories. This year our program will be highlighting diverse religions. Our own Shannon Hansen will be sharing her story about her time in the military and her struggle as a Pagan to get recognition of the religion formally so that proper burial symbols would be placed on gravestones for Pagans. We'll also hear from a Jewish man who as a young child during WWII was sheltered by a Christian family. An American Muslim woman and her Buddhist husband will share their journey of how they met and learned more about how similar their religious values were. The program will be held on Thur. November 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Centerville High School's Central Theater.

 

 

In October, the Diversity Council will be hosting a speaker from "Welcome Dayton." Tom Walhrab will speak to us about the program's scope and goals. This program is scheduled for Thurs. October 25 at 4:00 p.m. at Centerville Library.

 

 

Then in March, we'll be hosting the woman who is featured in the movie, "Traces of the Trade," who discovers that her family's forebears were heavily involved in the African slave trade. The Diversity Council will be hosting the showing of the movie and a talk by the author. Later, we'll have discussions about the movie hosted in several churches, including one here at MVUUF.

 

As you can see, these programs are right up our alley in terms of learning about diversity. I hope you'll consider attending one or all of these events. If you have any questions about them, let me know.

 

 

~Rev. Amy Russell

Keeping Up With Our Members

 

  

Mike and Linda O'Brien's son, B.J., died unexpectedly on Oct. 4. Please hold the entire O'Brien family in your hearts as they go through this terrible time. To send sympathy cards to the family, please mail them to 132 Woodburn Ave. Dayton 45419.

 

Sermon Topics

 

 

 

October 21 - Parenting as a Spiritual Adventure Rev. Amy Russell and Joel Araujo, student minister
~As parents or adult members, we often learn more from the open, curious attitude of young people than they learn from us. Children teach us how to live much more chaotic and wondrous lives, opening us to new adventures. Rev. Amy and Joel will both share their adventures as parents.

 

 

 

 

October 28 - Samhain  Rev. Amy Russell and CUUPs
~Samhain is seen as one of the most important shabbots, or festivals, of the pagan year. It celebrates the time of year when the veil of the living and the dead is the thinnest, and we spend time remembering those we have lost. We'll remember people or animals who have made a difference in our lives with a Samhain ritual.

 

 

 

 

Around the Fellowship

 

Daytime Book Club Title*
October 24 - Nightwoods: A Novel, by Charles Frazier

 November 14 - Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, by Rachel Maddow

 December 12 - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
*We meet one Wednesday a month, at 10:30 a.m., in the Fellowship Library. We then go out for lunch together. All are welcome! 

 

Lunch with Amy Is on The Move!
In October, Amy will be meeting at the House of Kabab on 298 N. Main St. in Centerville. They have Mediterranean sandwiches, are relatively inexpensive, and are a quiet, independent restaurant. It's very informal and they do accept credit cards. We meet every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. so please join us!

 

Community Discussion Group*

October 21 - "World Aristocracy? - Part 3." Moderator: Joe Lawrence

October 28 - "Is There A Solution to the Immigration Problem?" Moderator: Gordon Taylor

*This adult group meets every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Founders room for fellowship and thought-provoking discussions led by member volunteers. For a more detailed listing of topics, please see the Sunday bulletin.

 

Child Dedication
Our Child Dedication service will take place on October 21. If you or someone you know would be interested in having their child/ren participate, please let Rev. Amy know.

 

Planned Parenthood Book Fair
The largest book fair in Ohio is coming soon! Planned Parenthood's biggest fundraiser, their annual book sale, will be held Nov. 9 - 11 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Coliseum. If you've been putting off donating your books, be sure to drop them off in our book barrel in the RE hallway ASAP!

 

Fall Bazaar
 Come one, come all to the Fall Bazaar: Our annual Fall Bazaar & Craft Festival is on November 10, 2012, from 10am - 3pm. We'd like YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS to attend and support the fall bazaar! To attract and keep our vendors from year to year, it's important to have as many participants as possible. While we do advertise to the community, our best resource for customers is our own fellowship and our closest friends. Please invite your friends and neighbors for a fun-filled day of food and shopping! We have both new and returning vendors selling wares, food and drink items available for purchase, and even a donation based MASSAGE stop to reduce your stress! We also have raffles galore, so don't miss out! Check out all the special baskets at the Sunday service and buy your tickets in advance or at the door. You can win as many times as your tickets are drawn, and you do NOT need to be present to win. All proceeds support our MVUUF general operating fund! Note: There are still many opportunities to volunteer! Please contact Jenny Oest ([email protected] or 614.439.7691) to sign up for one of many important tasks!

 

Humanitarian Giving
During October, the Humanitarian Giving Action Group welcomes non-pledge donations to benefit the Suicide Prevention Center. The mission of the Suicide Prevention is to save lives threatened by suicide by offering 24-hour crisis hotline and support groups; to foster prevention of suicide by offering specialized training programs and programs for school children; and to encourage community involvement in suicide prevention efforts to affect change.

 

Environmental Learning Book Club

Join us October 15, in the Founders room at 7:00 p.m., for a spirited discussion of Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. The authors are Paul Hawken, (Ecology of Commerce), Amory & L. Hunter Lovins, Founders and co-CEOs of the famous Rocky Mountain Institute. They argue what most conservationists and environmentalists see as a serious imbalance in traditional capitalism - "it has always neglected to assign monetary value to its largest stock of capital-namely, the natural resources and ecosystem that make possible all economic activity and all life". For copies of the book, contact Environmental Action Group chairman Gary Courts at 436-1094 or [email protected].

Advertising Fellowship Events
Just a reminder - when planning Fellowship events, make sure to use all the avenues of communication. These include email lists, the bulletin, the Forum, our Facebook page, and our bulletin boards. Remember that not everyone uses email or attends service and we want to make sure we're reaching as many people as possible.   

We are a liberal religious community that embraces diversity and respects the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  ALL are welcome here, no matter their race, sex, sexual/affectional orientation, gender expression, or ability.

Please visit us on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. for our worship service - we'd love to see you!