March 8 - 14, 2018
The CommUUnicator
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Unitarian Society of Germantown
Building Beloved Community
THIS WEEK:
We spring forward this Sunday (remember to reset your clocks!) and welcome a Guest Speaker, and we press "Refresh" on our Stewardship Campaign. This Friday our intrepid Elders gather for the monthly exploration.
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In Worship, 10:30am
A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Lawyer Walk Into a Bar
Guest Speaker Rev. Madelyn Campbell
with Music Director Mark Daugherty and the USG Choir
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Who is our neighbor, and what does it mean to be neighborly?
Rev. Madelyn Campbell, a member of the Joseph Priestley District Board, a neighbor to the south, will explore these questions with us.
Image attribution
:
He, Qi.
Good Samaritan
, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library
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In Child Spiritual Development
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This Sunday morning,
children and youth
will be in the sanctuary with their families until 10:45am, when they will be sung out to their classes.
Our High School program
changes weekly. The High School OWL Group meets this Sunday, March 11 in the Bristol Room from 10:30am until 12:30pm.
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
Meditation, reading, dharma and sharing are offered in Sullivan 3 on the First and Second Sundays of the month between 9:15 and 10:20am. All are welcome to join in quietly. On the other Sundays the space is open for those who choose to come and sit..
.
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
We will celebrate Shannon and Dennis Strain with a cake in Fellowship Hour and reluctantly say farewell to these two beloved members of the USG community. Please see below in the
Caring Notes for more information about the next chapter for the Strains.
At
12:00pm, attend the monthly
Open Small Group Ministry in the Daskam Room.
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, March 18, 10:30am
Less Me, More We
Join Director of Spiritual Development Jason Bender, Intern Minister Connie Simon and members of the USG Youth Group as we highlight the benefits we all receive when we focus less on ourselves and more on being in community with others. This special inter-generational service features music, the spoken word and even a few surprises. You don’t want to miss it!
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Spring Equinox Celebration
Sunday, March 18, 7:00pm
starts in USG's Grove, then moves inside
We celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring with music, ritual, story and meditation. All are welcome. Bring eggs (deviled or chocolate), jelly beans, or flowers. Contact Donya Coldwell at
[email protected]
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ERC Movie of the Month:
I Am Not Your Negro
Wednesday, March 21, 7:00pm
Edna Jones Assembly Room at USG
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Are You Interested? Please RSVP if so.
March for Our Lives
Saturday, March 24
Deadline to sign up for the DC Bus is Sunday, March 11
, as we need to know if we have the 30 people necessary to rent a bus.
What do I do?
**Please indicate if you are willing to be a group leader, responsible to make sure we stay together and don't lose anyone.
Please let us know whether you intend to attend in Philadelphia or D.C.
COST FOR DC MARCH/BUS?
$60 per person, round trip, via Rally Bus, leaving Philadelphia (JFK and 30th street) at 6:44 am; returning estimated 10 pm
By Sunday, March 11, we need to hear from 30 people and at least 3 group leaders to reserve a bus to go to the Washington D.C. March.
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Book Launch for Marietta Tanner’s new novel:
Saturday, March 24, 2:00 - 4:30pm
Edna Jones Assembly Room at USG
Book Description: While recovering from a breakup with the man she loves, a young African American woman decides to drive from New York City to Mexico with three female friends. In 1954, during the height of Jim Crow, the decision is both brave and potentially dangerous. For more information, contact Nancy Anderson at
[email protected]
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Black UU History Presentation
Sunday, March 25, 12:00 - 2:00pm
USG's Sanctuary
The history of Black UUs is a rich one
and very important in understanding where our faith movement is now. All are welcome to
this presentation
by Intern Minister Connie Simon. (
pictured here
).
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SAVE THE DATE
USG's Annual Seder
Saturday, April 7, 6:00pm
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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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Deadline for donations: April 2
USG Service Auction
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Donate a dinner or service for the live auction.
Plan a fun event for the poster auction.
Donate a gift certificate for the silent auction.
Donation forms available
at the auction table during Fellowship Hour
or
click below
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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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Rebuilding Together Philly Block Build -
WE NEED YOU!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
April 6, 7, 8
Team USG volunteers for their
8th time
on the weekend of Friday through Sunday, April 6 - 7 - 8, working from 8:30am till 4:00pm all three days. You can volunteer one, two, or all three days. Join us for rewarding work and pleasant camaraderie! Interested? Please RSVP to Linda Bernstein at
[email protected]
.
Learn more here.
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Join the MLK Day 2019 Team!
Are you famous for your organizing skills? We need YOU!
USG needs a volunteer to act as deputy organizer of the supplies for MLK Day 2019. Help is needed for advance planning, obtaining and assembling donated materials. Interested? Please contact Carolyn Scott at:
[email protected]
.
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Need for Hospitality for Three People working on Reproductive Rights
Friday night, March 16
The
PA Reproductive Coalition for Reproductive Justice
needs a homestay for three people next Friday night. If you can provide hospitality for one or more, please contact Jim Cavenaugh (Rob Keithan's father) at 717-580-6011 or the USG office.
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Job Posting:
Director of Spiritual Development at USG
You may have heard that we will be searching for a new DSD. Though Jason Bender is irreplaceable, we hope our next DSD will be equally so. If you or someone you know has
a passion for guiding the hearts and minds of children, youth and adults, please
check this post out
.
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Stewardship Plows Through the Snow!
The USG Stewardship Team rebounds, no matter what the weather! The Campaign has begun and pledge materials have been mailed, so please
watch for them in your mailbox.
Members and friends can pledge 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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To give via text, please do the following:
1.Send text to this 10-digit Give+ Text number:
215-607-6191
2.In the message field, put the amount and the fund you wish to donate to, either pledge or stp,
example
: 25 pledge ($25 would be donated to pledge payment) or 30 stp ($30 would be donated to Share The Plate).
3.Press send.
4.You will receive a registration link, click the link and enter your contact and payment information.
5.Tap “Process.”
6.After registration is complete, you will receive a verification text as well as a receipt via email.
For future giving, simply send a text with the amount and fund you wish to give, and it will process automatically.
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Have YOU sent in YOUR FAMILY's photo yet?
Or do they still look like this?
Send in your
family
photo (whether a single member family or multiple) NOW to
[email protected]
.
Help people learn to recognize you and yours!
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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 March.
- March 11 - Village 1 (see Elaine Hills)
- March 18 - Village 2 (see Betsy Gabriel)
- March 25 - Village 3
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A Greater Philly Cluster (GPC) Workshop
on
"Path to Membership"
Saturday, April 24, 2018
9:00am - 12:00pm
UU Church of Delaware
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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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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, March 8, 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.
March 8 SGM is at a leader's home.
CAMI (Citizens Against Mass Incarceration)
- Fourth Monday, March 26, 7:00pm. At USG. Contact
Nancy Anderson
.
Caregiver Support Group
- Second Friday, March 9, 11:00am - 1:00pm. At USG. Contact
Maura Gallagher
.
Choir Rehearsal
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CANCELLED FOR MARCH 8. (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, March 9, 2:00pm. At USG. Contact
Gerry Whelan
, ASD Chair.
(YES, THIS IS A GO FOR MARCH 9!)
Finding Our Roots - Earth Honoring Traditions
. First Monday, except for holiday weekends: (September 10).
Next meeting March 12
,
7:00pm
. At USG.
Goodbye, Hello!
We soon say a reluctant Goodbye to consummately dedicated outgoing EARTH chair Dennis Strain and Hello to gracious new chair Donya Coldwell. Contact Donya at
[email protected]
.
NEW: Flute Circle for All Ages - Every other Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:00pm, until
April 11.
Next circle March 14. At USG. Please bring your instrument, although some will be available. Contact
Jason Bender.
Humanists - PUSH
-
Philadelphia Unitarian Society of Humanists
, Fourth Sunday, March 25, 12:00pm. At USG. Contact
Paul Teti
.
Men's Group
- Third Tuesday, March 20, 7:30pm. At USG. Contact
Mark Tuveson
.
Mindfulness Meditation with Rev. Kent
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Cancelled for March 8
.
Every Thursday,
Resumes on March 15 at
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
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First Wednesday, April 4, 1:30 - 3:00pm, off-site. Contact
Gale Gibbons
.
Open Small Group Ministry
- Second Sunday, March 11, 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
, March 18,
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, March 18, 12:00 - 1:30pm.
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...
...
Nancy Dearden
who entered the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on February 26 to receive four days of inpatient treatment. Nancy and Dave very much appreciate all the support they have received from the USG community.
...John Duey
, whose father,
Rev. Charles John Duey
, died on March 7. Cards and emails are welcome.
We celebrate and bid farewell to...
...Shannon Strain and Dennis Strain
, two beloved members of the USG community. Since they joined in May of 2006, they have given service and heart to USG beyond compare. This is their last Sunday here before they leave for a new chapter in their lives. Shannon and Dennis are moving to a retirement community in Central Pennsylvania. They want to thank their USG friends for twelve enriching years. In their words, “this congregation is very special and deserves to be cherished." Godspeed to you both. You will be missed.
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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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