 From the Minister
What Social Justice Team will you be on? Will it be "Crime & Punishment"? Or "Economic Issues"? "Education"? "Environment"? "Hungry & Homeless"? "Interfaith Collaboration"? "LGBT"? "Racism"? "Women & Reproductive Justice"? (Perhaps one of the first orders of business of some of these teams will be to select a better name for itself.)
The CUC Social Justice Planning Team is envisioning that each of these social justice teams will have three levels -- view them as concentric circles. At the center of each team is its five-person Leadership "Core." The next circle out are the "Ready" team members -- between 15 and 40 folks who are ready to be called upon first to help the team realize its goals. The third circle is the entire congregation -- because each team will have occasional events that call upon every member's participation.
The vision is that every CUC member will be on a Social Justice Team -- either as one of the five people at the team's leadership core, or as one of the "Ready" active supporters. Whatever team you're on, we also hope you'll be able to participate in some of the events organized by other teams.
So what Social Justice Team will you be on?
Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith
Rev. Meredith Garmon, Minister
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April Theme: Transformation
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Practice of the Week:
See the Good in Yourself
Because of the brain's negativity bias, we tend to fixate on what's wrong with ourselves instead of what's right. If you do twenty things in a day and nineteen go fine, what's the one you think about? Probably the one that didn't go so well. Knowing your own strengths and virtues, is just a matter of seeing yourself accurately. Then, recognizing the good in yourself, you'll feel better inside, reach out to others with less fear of rejection, and pursue your dreams with more confidence that you'll have success. READ MORE... |
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Worship: Sun Apr 5
Easter and Transformation
Rev. Meredith Garmon 
It's our annual Flower Celebration service -- so bring a flower with you! We'll reflect on the Easter story and its message of possibilities for transformation.
Sunday's Music: Easter music from Adam Kent and the CUC Choir. READ MORE...
Worship: Sun Apr 12
Transform Self and World
Rev. Meredith Garmon 
Our mission includes: "engage in service to transform ourselves and our world." This morning's worship service will include round 3 of our Social Justice Congregational Conversation.
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Come Sing With Us
Tuesday Nights
 It's not too late to sing with the choir! If you have been thinking of singing with the CUC Choir, now is a great time to join us. Rehearsals are Tuesday nights from 7:30-9:15pm, and the Choir performs two Sundays each month. You do not have to read music, just have a love of singing and a willingness to learn. Anyone is welcome to stop in to observe or participate in a rehearsal to see what we are all about. Please contact director Lisa Meyer at 347-278-3187 or at [email protected] for more information. |
Come tell us.
What's in a name?
Sun Apr 19
There will be an Informational meeting led by the What's In a Name? committee following that Sunday's service. Everyone in the congregation is invited to take this opportunity to publicly express his or her feelings, in 60 seconds or less, about the possibility of a name change for CUC. Following everyone's turn at the microphone, we will ask you to select your favorite potential new name from a choice of three. THIS IS NOT A VOTE. We are giving those of you who would like to see a change, a voice in what the new name might look like.
After the meeting, the What's In a Name Committee will meet again to discuss the responses and the plan is to put this to a vote at the Congregational meeting in June. We hope you will join us and be part of this process.
Thank you! The What's In a Name Committee:
Karen M. Dreher, John Cavallero, Scott Damashek, Karen Schatzel, Adine Usher
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Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk
Sun Apr 19
In memory of member John Saccardi, we have organized a group from CUC to participate in the Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on April 19th at Rye Town Park. If you are interested in participating, please click on this link to join our team: "UU's for John":
Please note, the walk is a Sunday morning. Meredith has been informed that some people will be participating and may be late and/or miss the service.
This is also the day of the What's In A Name informational meeting. The walk begins early enough that we should all be able to get back to CUC in time for it and all are encouraged to do so.
If you are unable to participate, any donation is still most welcome. Donations can also be made thru the above link and clicking on the General Team Donation link. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Marie Damashek 917-623-0624 or [email protected]
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Featured Article The CUC Annual Giving Campaign is underway! Thank you to everyone who has already made their pledge of support for the 2015-2016 church year. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. So far, we have raised $101,100 in pledges. This is good progress but we still have a way to go to reach our goal of $425,000 - a 13% increase over last year's total. If you haven't already made your pledge, please take a moment to do so. You can make your pledge online: PLEDGE, or print the pledge form from the website and mail it or bring it in to CUC. If possible, please consider increasing the amount of your pledge over last year to help us reach our goal. This is an invigorating and inspiring time to be part of the CUC family and we need everyone's support to fully realize our mission: Nurture Spirituality; Foster compassion; and Engage in Service. A successful giving campaign will give us the "lift-off" we need to launch a new era for CUC. Thank you and I look forward to celebrating with everyone at our Giving Campaign Brunch on Sunday April 26. Yours in community, Jeff Blatt, 2015 Giving Campaign Chair |
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Buy a bookplate
 Please think about gifting CUC one or several of our new hymnals. For $18 per hymnal, we'll put a bookplate inside the cover acknowledging your gift or dedicating the hymnal in honor of, or in memory of, someone. Contact the church office, or complete an envelope at Sunday Service. |
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Sharing Sunday Offerings
April: Prideworks
Each month we share our plate offerings with outside organizations in need. In April, 25% of our collections will go to support Prideworks for Youth, an annual one-day educational conference in Westchester for LGBTQ youth and allies.
PrideWorks' mission is to INFORM our communities about the realities of growing up gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and to INSPIRE them to respect and support LGBTQ people and to ADVOCATE for positive change.
Many CUC youth have attended Prideworks in its 15 year history and our staff and youth have led workshops on finding support for ourselves in our religions. The six congregations of Westchester and Rockland have collectively been a major sponsor of the event for the past three years.
Prideworks promotes a positive message, teaches leadership skills, and fosters a sense of community for LGBTQ youth, their allies and the adults in their lives in the lower Hudson Valley. Workshops and seminars are carefully selected that focus on creating safe and supportive environments and improving self-advocacy and leadership skills so attendees can better understand themselves, advocate for equality, and enhance their schools and communities.
The conference each year draws over 500 attendees. Typically, 70% are students and 30% are adults. About 20% of the students identify as LGBTQ. Attendees over the past 15 years have come from over 70 different middle and high schools, 10 colleges, and our six UU congregations.
See Rev. Garmon if you have an idea for a future monthly plate share. |
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Quick Links
April Journey Group Packet: "Transformation"
cucmatters.blogspot.com/p/journey-groups.html
April Communitarian: cucwp.org/newsletters
CUC Main Web Site: cucwp.org
Boundless Way Zen of Westchester: basementzendo.blogspot.com |
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The Communitarian Weekly
Community Unitarian Church at White Plains
468 Rosedale Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
914-946-1660, www.
cucwp.org
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 Lifespan Religious Education
Dear RE Families, Teachers, and Friends,
I hope you have had a wonderful week. I really look forward to seeing you on this weekend filled with celebrations of freedom and renewal. May both come into your lives in new ways this spring. Please see the following five (5) announcements:
1. This Sunday, April 5
Children and youth start in the sanctuary for the Child Dedication, then go to Fellowship Hall for the...
Easter Egg Hunt, cookie decorating, and Flower Ceremony.
Bring a flower for each person in your family to share.
2.
Food Pantry Collection This Sunday
Please bring a non-perishable item with you to the  service. The Food Pantry especially needs: peanut butter, dry cereal, canned tuna, and canned soups. Thank you for your generosity.
3. Stitching In Spirit:
The CUC Monthly Crafting Circle
CUC Adult RE Program
This Sunday, Apr 5 at 11: 30 in the Youth Room (#14)
Led by Rev. Kelly Murphy Mason, Community Minister
Fiber arts and handicrafts have figured significantly in people's communal and spiritual lives for millennia. Come join affiliated minister and avid crocheter Kelly Murphy Mason in this ongoing group exploring what it might mean for those in our faith community to be "stitching in spirit."  Please feel free to bring with you any handicrafting projects you might have underway, or else just bring an open and inquiring mind. Newcomers are always encouraged to attend.
4. Be Brave! Share Your Talent.
Sign up to sing, juggle, tell a joke, bake, or show your art work at the Third Annual CUC Variety Show Fundraiser on Sat May 9
NOTE NEW TIME: 4:30-6:30 pm.
The children voted for this year's proceeds to go to The Sanctuary for Animals (
www.sanctuaryforanimals.com), a family-run organization caring for over 600 exotic and domestic animals coming from abuse and neglect. Contact Liz Suvanto at
[email protected] to join the show or sign up in the RE Lobby. For the bake sale, contact Amy Swiss at
[email protected].
5.
UU Summer Camps & Retreat Centers for Children, Youth, and Families
Whether you are looking for a place to go as a family or somewhere for your kids to experience a fun camp, there are many amazing Unitarian Universalist summer destinations:
Ferry Beach is oceanfront in ME.
ferrybeach.org
The Mountain is atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC. mountaincenters.org
The Rowe Center is in the Berkshire Mountains in MA.
rowecenter.org
Sophia Fahs RE Camp is one week in August on Shelter Island.
www.liacuu.org/Fahs
Star Island is a 46-acre island off the NH coast. starisland.org
Unirondack is in the NY Adirondacks.
Please let me know how we can lift your spirits this season.
Sincerely,
-Perry
Perry Montrose
Director of Lifespan Religious Education and Faith Development
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UU District Events
1. The Southold congregation,
where former intern Jef Gamblee is currently the minister, lost their building to fire. In response, a fund to assist the congregation in their recovery has been created. Checks can be made out to First Universalist Church of Southold. All contributions are to be sent to: First Universalist Church of Southold, PO Box 22, Southold, NY 11971 or to pay by credit card or paypal visit the CERG website for the link
2. Being a Healing Presence: A Training in Pastoral Care Lay Ministry:
Sat
Apr 11,
, Mt Kisco, NY. READ MORE.
REGISTER
3. Environmental Film Series at UUCHV
Here's a great chance to learn and network with other Westchester UUs about planning climate activism. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Hudson Valley (Croton) is hosting a showing of seven episodes of the Showtime documentary series, "Years of Living Dangerously." The series started on Fri Feb 27, with another episode every 2-4 weeks. See the full schedule:
CLICK HERE
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Each episode is one-hour, followed by discussion and coffee.
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Caring & Sharing
If anyone knows of another among us who is in need of a caregiver from our Caring & Sharing Circle, contact Maxi Feldman 835-0541, [email protected] or Carole Mehta 234-6294, [email protected]
In Memory...
Our thoughts are with Julie Gans, her husband Creighton Cray, and her son Justin. Julie's father Larry Gans passed away on March 20th. Mr. Gans, age 90, was living in his home in Delray, FL.
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Help Wanted
We're looking for an editor for these weekly newsletters, and assistance with the order of service inserts. If you like writing, graphic design, and social media, please get involved! Communications work would be less than 2 hours a week, and there is support from a social media committee. This is a great way to support and promote our wonderful community. Contact Rev. Meredith for more information, or Emily Economou @ [email protected].
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Science & Spirituality
Thu Apr 9, Apr 23, & May 14
For the next three sessions, the "Science & Spirituality" class will be watching and discussing the three episodes of Your Inner Fish. Each episode is 60 mins. Followed by discussion. READ MORE...
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This Week at CUC
Sun April 5
10:00 am
RE Easter Egg Hunt
11:45 am
Stitching In Spirit
Wed Apr 8
7:30 pm
Board of Trustees
Thu Apr 9
11:30 am
Science & Spirituality
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Contacts
Minister, Rev. Meredith Garmon [email protected] 914-946-1660 x3
Director of Lifespan Religious Ed. & Faith Development, Perry Montrose [email protected] 914-946-1660 x4
Church Administrator, Liliana Keith [email protected] 914-946-1660 x2
Music Director, Adam Kent [email protected] 212-595-7280
Choir Director, Lisa Meyer [email protected]
Community Minister, Rev. Deb Morra [email protected] 914-830-1509
Community Minister, Rev. LoraKim Joyner [email protected] 914-948-1696
Community Minister, Rev. Kelly M. Mason [email protected] 347-497-3741
Bookkeeper, Lisa Sommer [email protected] 914-946-1660 x7
Board of Trustees
Board Chair, Randy Marshall [email protected] 914-633-3115
Vice-Chair, Karen Schmitt [email protected] 914-921-3647
Treasurer, Nicky Klemens [email protected] 914-967-4419
Secretary, Johanna Bauer [email protected] 914-636-1047 |
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