March 29 - April 4, 2018
The CommUUnicator
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Unitarian Society of Germantown
Building Beloved Community
THIS WEEK:
We celebrate Easter, Fun "April Fool"-ishness, a Passover Seder, and Year 8 of Team USG's Help on Rebuilding Together Philadelphia!
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In Worship, 10:30am
Easter Sunday:
Beginning Again with Grace
Rev. Kent Matthies
with Music Director Mark Daugherty & the USG Choir
Whether you believe the resurrection was real or a myth, come celebrate Easter with us! Even when you think all is lost in despair, hope can and does rise again.
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In Child Spiritual Development
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This Sunday morning,
children and youth
will be with their families in the Sanctuary until 10:45am, when they will be sung out for an
Easter Egg Hunt!
The forecast is for clouds and a high of 53, so
jackets
would be appropriate. Parents, please pick up your children after the service
in the Grove
.
Our High School program
changes weekly. The High School Group meets this Sunday, April 1 from 6:00 - 8:00pm in the Bristol Room.
For a detailed schedule of Youth Group Activities for the program year,
click here
and locate the Youth Group column.
Please
click here
for details of the Child and Youth Spiritual Development programs.
Childcare for children 4-5 years old and younger is offered this Sunday and most Sundays from 9:00am - 12:00pm in the Committee Room.
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Opportunities
Before the Worship Service
Meditate in the Meditation Room
This Sunday, Sullivan 3 will be open to anyone who would like to meditate, as it is on 3rd, 4th, & 5th Sundays. Our usual second Sunday
meditation, reading, dharma and sharing will resume NEXT Sunday, April 8. For information on meditation,
click here.
Drop off nonperishable food items to the designated carts in the Kitchen for delivery to St. Vincent's Food Pantry.
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Opportunities
After the Worship Service
Parents, please gather your children from the Grove.
Greet members of the
Welcoming Team who will be the Fellowship Hour Hosts.
Go to the Assembly Room where Joanne Davis will take a
photo of your family for the USG online directory.
At 12:00pm, attend the
Ending Racism Committee meeting in Sullivan.
SignUp
is the reminder tool USG uses to organize volunteers for our upcoming activities.
Click Here
to go to our group page to sign up online.
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Sunday, April 8, 10:30am
The First Noble Truth
Rev. Kent Matthies
The First Noble Truth of Buddhism is that life is suffering. We get old, experience disease and heartbreak. Life is not always fair and we should never trick ourselves to believe otherwise. How do we deal with suffering?
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USG's Annual Seder
Saturday, April 7, 5:00 - 8:00pm
An event for all ages, our Seder will celebrate - with food, Haggadah reading, and music - the beginning of Passover and the liberation of Israelites/Jews from the slavery of ancient Egypt. Please
click here
for information and to register by
April 1
. All are welcome!
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The USG Team Works for Justice
at Rebuilding Together Philly
Friday, Saturday, Sunday - April 6, 7 & 8
8:30am - 4:00pm
We now have enough volunteers! Thanks to all who stepped forward and all who contributed to the Share the Plate for RTP.
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The Stewardship Campaign
All-Church Free Luncheon
Sunday, April 15
Fill in your pledge form that will come in your mailbox this week and then celebrate your stewardship with us over lunch!
Bon Appetit!
Christine Ginsburg (chair), Rick Rodes, Eric Foster, Tammi Talda, Kate Connolly, Eileen Whelan and Gerry Whelan
(The 2018-19 Stewardship Committee)
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EXCITING
SILENT AUCTION
ITEMS
USG Service Auction
Saturday, April 21
5:00pm
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GIFT CERTIFICATES: Kilian's, Fresh Market, Night Kitchen, Follicles
TICKETS: Ambler Theater, Act II Theater, Quintessence, Chanticleer
HANDMADE: Jewelry, Knit items
Photo by Eileen Teti
Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar with stand
AND MORE!
WE PUT THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING
Reminder: Deadline for
Donations
is April 2. No fooling.
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SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, May 5
The All-Church Dinner
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SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, June 2
for an
All Church Retreat
at
Diamond Ridge Conference Center
in Jamison. It is 45 minutes from USG and has excellent facilities for all ages: pool, pond for boating and fishing, street hockey, basketball and tennis courts, fields, mini golf, a beautiful indoor space for workshops such as yoga or meditation, and more. Details to come, but please save the date.
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Elevator & Driveway Update
The Elevator Committee is pleased to present drawings of the elevator as we hope to have it constructed. Please
click here
for detailed information and news about both the elevator project and the driveway project.
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Interested in joining USG?
The next New Member Signing is on
Sunday, April 29
. We ask that you take a UU-101 class, offered the third Sunday of each month after the service, and a New Member Orientation (next offered on Sunday, April 15) before joining. We welcome people into Membership four times a year. Please visit the Membership page in the Home menu on our website,
usguu.org
or contact Treva Burger at
[email protected]
for more information.
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A Gift of Ordination
Ordaining a Minister confers authority onto a spiritual leader to change the world and brings joy and deep satisfaction to a congregation. This year USG has the honor to ordain
two
Ministers. On Saturday, May 19th USG will ordain
McKinley Sims
at our congregation. On Sunday, June 10th we will co-ordain
Connie Simon
with our sister congregation, the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. Connie’s ordination will take place at the First Unitarian Church.
We invite you to financially support one or both ordinations
. Please
click here
for more information.
Blessings and Love to you,
Kent
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UUPLAN Welcomes A New Director
Richard Williams
, a retired architect and former independent elected Luzerne County Councilman, was selected as the new
Director of UU PA Legislative Advocacy Network (UUPLAN
) beginning in January, 2018. Please
click here
for more information.
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THANK YOU to All who Have Pledged for 2018-2019
Have YOU sent YOUR Pledge in yet?
If you have not, please do so via mail, online at
usguu.org/page/pledge-form
, or by putting the form in the box at the table in the dining room following Sunday services.
The All-Church Stewardship Luncheon is rescheduled for
Sunday, April 15.
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Assistance needed to research electronic lock and entry systems
The B&G committee and the Security Task Force are looking for someone to assist them in researching electronic lock and accessible entry systems to improve the security and ease of access to our church building. If you would be interested in working on this project or would like more information, please contact Gloria at
[email protected]
. Knowledge of these systems would be great, but not
required.
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One new email address for USG Communications!
For any communications questions or blurbs (
for weekly SPIRIT, CommUUnicator, Sunday Announcements, slide shows, etc.)
we now have
ONE
email address that will reach
both
Gloria and Carolyn:
[email protected]
.
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We are excited to announce our new Give+ Text option for making pledge and contribution payments to USG!
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Please
click here
to learn how to use this convenient tool.
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Have YOU sent in YOUR FAMILY's photo yet?
This Sunday, let photographer Joanne Davis snap a photo of you and for family for our online directory. Joanne will be in the Assembly Room following the worship service.
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Thank You, Villagers!
Thank you so much to all who participate in the Village Fellowship Hours! If you are willing to coordinate Fellowship Hour for your Village, please let Treva Burger, [email protected] know. Below is the schedule for
Fellowship Hour Hosting in April.
- April 1 - Welcoming Team
- April 8 - Village 4
- April 15 - Stewardship Luncheon
- April 22 - Village 5
- April 29 - New Members
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Announcing...
...A Greater Philly Cluster (GPC) Choral Workshop
to help plan the mass choir repertoire for a GPC music concert next church year.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, PA
12:30 – 5:00 PM
(12:30 – 1:30 Brown bag lunch; 1:30 – 5:00 workshop)
All ministers, music ministry teams, directors, choir members, and any member/friend (who’d like to sing in the mass choir) from the 14 GPC congregations are invited to the workshop. The goal of this workshop is to determine the repertoire for the mass choir in addition to forming a steering committee to help launch the first concert.
Click here
and
here
to learn more and to register.
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The Country We Want to Be: A Faith-Based Reflection on Immigrants and Refugees in the 21st Century
A Lecture by Donald M. Kerwin
Executive Director of the Center for Migration Studies, New York City
Friday, April 13
7:00 - 8:30pm
Main Room of the SugarLoaf Chateau of Chestnut Hill College
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SAVE THE DATE
Sunday afternoon, April 29
Philadelphia Interfaith Walk for Peace & Reconciliation
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Get Involved! Meet Fellow UUs!
Follow links below to join and find out more information about the events and groups at USG that occur usually once a month. Questions? Click on the contact links.
20's & 30's SGM Group
- Second Thursday, April 12, 6:30pm, Drop-in Young Adults Small Group Ministry group. For more information, please contact Stephanie Bonner at
[email protected]
or Carly Danielsen on Facebook where they maintain an active invite-only activities group.
CAMI (Citizens Against Mass Incarceration)
- Fourth Monday, April 23, 7:00pm. At USG. Contact
Nancy Anderson
.
Caregiver Support Group
- Second Friday, April 13, 11:00am - 1:00pm. At USG. Contact
Maura Gallagher
.
Choir Rehearsal
- (Almost) Every Thursday evening, 7:30 - 9:30pm. At USG. Newcomers welcome. Contact
Linda Smith or
Andrea Parry
.
ERC (Ending Racism Committee)
- First Sunday, April 1, 12:00 - 2:00pm. At USG. Contact
Barbara Dowdall
.
Exploring Elderhood
- Second Friday gatherings, April 13, 2:00pm. At USG. Contact
Gerry Whelan
, ASD Chair.
Finding Our Roots - Earth Honoring Traditions
. First Monday, except for holiday weekends: (September 10). Next meeting is April 2, 7:00pm. At USG. Contact Donya Coldwell at
[email protected]
.
NEW: Flute Circle for All Ages - Every other Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:00pm, until
April 11.
Next (& last) circle April 11. At USG. Please bring your instrument, although some will be available. Contact
Jason Bender.
Humanists - PUSH
-
Philadelphia Unitarian Society of Humanists
, Fourth Sunday, April 22, 12:00pm. At USG. Contact
Paul Teti
.
Men's Group
- Third Tuesday, April 17, 7:30pm. At USG. Contact
Mark Tuveson
.
Mindfulness Meditation with Rev. Kent
- Every Thursday,
NEW MEETING TIME 6:30 - 7:15pm
. At USG. Contact
Rev. Kent Matthies
.
Nature Walking at Valley Green - Every Monday and Thursday at 10:00am, you can meet others - whoever shows up- at Valley Green in Chestnut Hill for a morning walk. Contact
Tim Beckham, who is usually there.
Needle Exchange, a Handwork Group
-
First Wednesday, April 4, 1:30 - 3:00pm, off-site. Contact
Gale Gibbons
.
Open Small Group Ministry
- Second Sunday, April 8, 12:00pm, Daskam Room at USG. This group is available to people who want to try out Small Group Ministry or attend occasionally. For more information, contact Mark B,
[email protected]
, or just show up.
UU-101
-
Please note changes in day and time
:
Third
Sunday
, April 15,
12:00 - 1:20pm
.
UU-101
is an Introduction to Unitarian Universalism, held at USG in the Daskam Room, and childcare is provided. To RSVP or get more information,
click here
or email
[email protected]
. Starting in May and June, we welcome new leaders Charles Gabriel and Eric Foster, and we warmly thank outgoing leaders Andi Bernstein and Gale Gibbons.
UUJPIP
-
UUs for Justice & Peace in Israel & Palestine.
Third Sunday. Next meeting May 20, 12:00 - 1:30pm.
(April meeting cancelled).
At USG. Contact
Walt Ceglowski
.
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Join A USG Facebook Group!
You can join a USG Facebook group as well as meet in person!
To find out about special events, post photos, and stay in touch, here are some of USG's groups and their Facebook links:
ASD (Adult Spiritual Development) facebook
CSD (Child Spiritual Development)
YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) A Closed Group great to know about and if desired, ask to join.
YA - Young Adults
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE:
UU Greater Philly Social Justice is changing its name to
"Greater Philly UUs" as this FB will now include other items as well as Social Justice
P.U.S.H. Philadelphia Unitarian Society of Humanists
Exploring Elderhood
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Our thoughts and prayers are with...
...
The family of Jessica and Carl Slivak.
Jessica suffered a serious fall on Saturday, March 24, and incurred multiple fractures including of her face, knee and ankle. She is resting at home. Jess doesn’t know how long she will be laid up. Emails and cards are welcome. Please see the dedicated email sent out on Wednesday 3.28 for when help with meals is needed.
We are thrilled to announce that...
...Debbie and David Ward
happily welcome grandson
Theo Ward Dunsmore
, born on March 17 at 8 lbs-9 oz. Daughter
Molly
, who grew up in USG, Lee Dunsmore, and baby Theo are all doing well.
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Our Caring Team
Linda Bernstein (chair),
Bonnie McDairmant, Sarah West,
Rev. Kent Matthies & Intern Minister Connie Simon
If you are aware of any joys or concerns that should be part of our caring system, please let us know. You can email
[email protected]
If you call a caring team member and do not speak directly, leave a voice mail and your call will be returned ASAP.
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Tuesday's
SPIRIT
(not every Tuesday in the Summer) - Friday by 3:00pm
Thursday's Weekly
eCommUUnicator
- Wednesday by noon
Sunday's Announcements
- Thursday by noon
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The Unitarian Society of Germantown
| 215-844-1157 | 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19119
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