UUCM Monthly News
April 2022
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A Stable Faith
We have an increasing number of folks at in-person Sunday worship, we have coffee hour, we have a bunch of folks here working on the May Ritzy Boutique fundraiser, and even an increasing number of folks dropping in during the week! This patient seems to be trending in the right direction and for that we should all be grateful!
Read all of Rev. Shayna's April message here.
In Faith,
Rev. Shayna
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A Message from Marti Kennedy, UUCM President
As I write this message, UUCM is beginning this year's Stewardship Drive! This is always an important time for us as a congregation, but this year feels more urgent to me than previous years as we pass the two-year anniversary of our Covid-19 lockdown.
- What does UUCM mean to you, your friends, family, and neighbors?
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What could UUCM be for those people and the Souhegan Valley community if we were healthy and vibrant, bringing attention to issues that affect us all locally and nationally, and offering solutions to those issues?
- What would happen to this community and the quality of your life if UUCM declined into irrelevance?
As a faith community, this is our current challenge -- and how we meet it depends on you.
Admittedly, it is hard to see very far into the future at the best of times, and these are not the best of times. It's easy to feel as if we have no control of our own fates, but that is not true. More than ever, the Stewardship Campaign presents us with an opportunity to define who we want to be in the world and take concrete steps to get there. The first steps we take into the future of UUCM belong to you. Your pledge this year will determine what the future of UUCM looks like. Rather than wait to have the future shown to you, you have the chance to create the future you want to see at UUCM.
I encourage you to pledge as generously as you can. No pledge is "too small to matter". You will receive a brochure from the Stewardship Team soon if you haven’t already. I hope you will spend some time with that information, discerning what UUCM means to you and the wider community, and what work UUCM will be able to do to build Beloved Community within and beyond our doors -- if we have the resources to do so. I hope you all have been able to attend a virtual cottage meeting, to be a part of the conversation. If not, there is one more, April 5, at 7:00 pm.
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From the UUCM Board
Minutes of the March 27th board meeting here.
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Join Sunday Worship at 10:30am
Welcome to Awakening, our Soul Matters theme for the month of April. Read more about Awakening.
As we begin to emerge from the 2-year long period of hibernation we’ve been in due to the pandemic, we will continue to explore spiritual practices for leadership that can bring real life and vitality back into our lives together. On April 10th we will have a special Stewardship Sunday service exploring the spiritual practice of “faithful risking,” followed by a celebratory potluck. Next comes Easter Sunday on the 17th and something yummy from your Worship Team on the 24th!
Attend in person at UUCM or on Zoom
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Coffee Hour Treats after Worship
Each Sunday following the service, we serve coffee, tea, and hot chocolate with tasty treats. Thanks to Debbie Maloney, Dax Mattson, Jane Mika, Karen Crossman, Holly Hornor, and Dona Eaton for their delicious offerings in Feb/March. Please contact Dona Eaton and offer to bring something (homemade or store bought) during April and May.
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Finance Committee News
Fundraisers:
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SAVE THE DATE: May 14 – Christmas in May with Ritzy Boutique & Crafts in Emerson.
- Plans are underway to do an online Auction in late spring.
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We will need to take more money out of the endowment than planned this year as part of the 6-Year Investment Plan. However, this plan will end when we close the books this year, and we will not have spent the full $108,000 we voted for in 2018. Expenses will continue to be less than planned while we are partially shut down due to COVID – but not enough to offset our losses in income from both pledges and fundraising.
Finance Committee Happenings
- Prepared draft of next year’s budget, including input from committees/groups -- but no pledge information.
- Continuing to monitor this year’s budget, including generating estimates to complete the year.
- Prepared financial charts for 2022-23 Stewardship.
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Racial Justice Task Force (RJTF)
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Film Night: Sunday, April 3, 7:00pm via Zoom. Join us to view and discuss the film Bring Her Home about the connection between US Federal Indian Policies and the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women. See the Trailer.
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April 14 & 28, 7-8:30pm on Zoom - Widen the Circle Creative Salons. We’ll continue discussing chapters from the UUA’s report, Widening the Circle of Concern. Details for each meeting will be announced in the Weekly Update. Together, we’ll listen, discuss, imagine, and create a more just UU church and world.
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Join RJTF meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 4-5 PM on Zoom.
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If you cannot make meetings but would like to participate in our committee in other ways, contact Amy.
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Equity and Art - Art & Poetry Challenge
The Racial Justice Team at the Congregational Church of Amherst invites us to participate in the 2022 Art & Poetry Challenge, an annual event hosted by the nonprofit Racial Unity Team. The objective is to help increase the understanding of equity and to demonstrate the power of the arts. Up to $6,000 in prize money will be awarded to winners in elementary (K-2 and 3-5), middle school, high school, and adult categories of both art and poetry.
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Submit an original poem or visual work of art inspired by this year’s theme of “equity,” which means giving people what they need to reach their full potential. More information
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Spring Work Day
Saturday, April 9 from 9am-noon
After an absence of two years due to the pandemic, it is time to make UUCM shine once again. Come and tackle one of the chores that need doing inside and outside. All welcomed, training provided, snacks offered. Email for more information. |
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Potluck on April 10
Immediately following Worship
We are eagerly looking forward to the first potluck in two years. This is always a great time to socialize while sampling a variety of culinary treats from our members and friends.
Two things to remember:
-- List the ingredents to help those with allergies.
-- Label your dish so that we can return it to you.
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Earth Day - April 22
Let's kick off this initiative on April 22nd - standing tall outside UUCM holding signs. More details in the Weekly Updates leading up to Earth Day. Sign up by emailing climate@uucm.org
Greening UUCM
- Sunday coffee hour features ceramic mugs and real spoons. Whenever possible we avoid the use of disposables AND we recycle.
- By using the large screens in the Sanctuary, we have eliminated the need for printed programs.
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Adult Education in April
Topic: Dark Matter & Dark Energy
Wednesday, April 13 at 4pm
For millennia, humans assumed that the universe is stationary and unchanging over time. Indeed, Einstein made that assumption when he devised his General Theory of Relativity, in which he added a 'kludge factor' to ensure the theory would produce a stationary universe. However, in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble showed that the universe was, in fact, expanding. Since then, other researchers during the 20th century have made discoveries that have turned cosmology on its head. We now have strong evidence that the universe consists of much more than the matter with which we are familiar, and that the universe's expansion is accelerating. Dark Matter and Dark Energy have been proposed as explanations for these observations, but what they are is still largely a mystery.
Bryan Higgs will talk about the observations that have produced the concepts of Dark Energy and Dark Matter, why we think that they are real, and some ideas about what they might consist of, and resulting implications about the fate of the universe.
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The Surface of Mystery: an Adult Education series
Topic: Theodicy - Why do bad things happen to good people?
Tuesday, April 26th at 7pm /or/ Wednesday, April 27th at 4pm
This month the topic is theodicy, or the problem of evil. We’ll discuss the dichotomy of good and evil and how religions and societies account for the existence of evil in the world and its balance with the good. We’ll consider some relevant source material in philosophy, theology, mythology, and art.
The handout for discussion and the Zoom link will be in the April 22 Weekly Update. All are welcome!
The final discussion in this winter/spring series is on eschatology (the study of last things) and takes place the 4th week in May. Contact Nancy Baker for more info.
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Donate Your Goodies to Ritzy Boutique for Our May Sale!
You are encouraged to donate gently used items to Ritzy Boutique. Popular items are small kitchen appliances (hand mixers, blenders, waffle irons, etc.), small electronic items, small electric tools (in working condition, of course), costume jewelry, children’s toys and games. Other acceptable items are dishes -- no odd pieces, but vegetable and casserole dishes are acceptable. Bring items to UUCM and leave them in the Alcott Room.
We hppe the UUCM Ritzy Boutique and Spring Craft Sale will be a successful fundraiser. Working together and with your support, we can make it happen!
If you have questions, please contact Holly Hornor or Linda Pellerin.
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Collecting for Makeover Ministry
The WITT Prison Advocacy Team is collecting kitchen items and bed linens (new or clean used) for the Makeover Ministry in Manchester. Part of the Makeover Ministry’s mission is providing needed items for men and women coming out of prison. If you can contribute, drop items off at the church on Sunday, April 3, or Mon-Weds, April 4-6, from 8:30am-2:30pm -- BUT call Jamie at 603-673-1870 to make sure someone is there to let you in. Put the items in Barnum Hall on the SHARE table as you enter from outside.
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Donate Food to SHARE in April
Please purchase and deliver Pancake Mix & Syrup, Condiments, Cooking Sauces & Seasonings, Cooking Oil, Jelly, Cold Cereal to SHARE this month. Click to see where to drop off donations.
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To contact UUCM leadership:
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Jamie, our administrator, is in the office Monday-Thursday from 8:30am-2:30pm. You can reach her at 603-673-1870 or at office@uucm.org.
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Rev. Shayna can be reached at minister@uucm.org or call 603-673-1870 x2 For time sensitive or urgent/emergent situations – text or call 802-579-6066
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The UUCM Board can be reached at board@uucm.org.
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For Pastoral Care Assistance in April: Contact Linda Higgs or office@uucm.org
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What in God's Name Podcast
Tune in each Thursday for this podcast with Rev. Shayna and Rev. Chris Owen that pushes back against the binaries of politics and economics to uncover the pearls found in theological and philosophical exploration of today's current events. Says Shayna, "We don't break the news. We break it down!" Each show runs about 20-25 minutes. To listen to previously released podcasts or to sign up to receive notices for new podcasts, click here.
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Weather Cancellations at UUCM:
It’s Snowing – Are Sunday Services/Programming Canceled? If so, you can still participate via Zoom. To find out whether we will be meeting in church:
- Call the Church at 603-673-1870. If in-person church is canceled, the answering machine will tell you.
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Check the calendar on the website. The title will say "Worship Service (Online Only due to weather)".
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Check WMUR-TV (News 9) or http://www.wmur.com/weather/closings and look for “Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Milford” under the letter U.
NOTE: These closure notices apply to church services and programs only. It is up to group leaders, committee chairs, and renters to notify their people if a meeting is canceled.
Closings on Other Days:
If the office is closed, there will be a message on the answering machine. It is best to call ahead to ensure someone is in the office. For meetings or activities, check with the group leader.
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UUCM 603-673-1870 office@uucm.org
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