THIS SUNDAY'S
WORSHIP SERVICE
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"The Sacred in Congregational Life"
Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Guest Speaker
Rev. Sue Browning, Service Leader
ZOOM ONLY
Sunday, April 30, 2023 - 10 a.m.
We are excited to welcome Lenore Bajare-Dukes, our new primary contact at the Unitarian Universalist Association, as our guest speaker. What do you value in congregational life? What is the meaning of sacred in this context? How might congregations change over the next 3-5 years? How is our faith evolving? At this service with Lenore and Rev. Sue Browning we’ll explore what it means to be a UU congregant in today's world.
NOTE: This is the 5th Sunday in the month, and on 5th Sundays we hold our Sunday service on Zoom only, i.e., there will be no service at the church. The service will be a chance to gather with our sibling congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton.
So we can begin the service promptly at 10 a.m., please arrive at the church, or sign into Zoom ( click here) by no later than 9:50 a.m. |
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Our Speaker’s Bio
Lenore Bajare-Dukes, incoming member of the Congregational Life Staff team of the Central East region, is a listener, facilitator, and passionate Unitarian Universalist. She has spent the past five years serving as a lifespan religious educator with the UU Church of Lancaster, PA, where she is proud of work integrating music with RE, teaching emergent strategy and justice, and finding ways to connect during the pandemic. Lenore has loved UU congregational life since a childhood nurtured by the congregation in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Lenore holds a Master’s in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (Eastern Mennonite University), where she focused on organizational change, systems analysis, and designing and evaluating social change programs. Her professional life has taken her to post-revolutionary Tunisia, Richmond VA, Washington DC, central PA, and national online networks. Lenore’s work prior to UU religious leadership includes working and teaching within the movement for truth-telling, racial healing, and reparations. She was a founding member and producer with an oral history project “The Trump Diaries: A People’s History of the 45th Presidency,” and a reporter on the resulting Edward R. Murrow Award-winning radio documentary Two Years: Diaries of a Divided Nation.” Throughout her work, Lenore strives to create spaces honoring people’s inherent worth and dignity, especially when that worth and dignity is not honored in the larger culture: spaces to share life stories and worldviews, grapple with complex truths, and imagine shared futures of love, purpose, and belonging.
Lenore is a member of the River Crossing Playback Theatre troupe, where she has a regular spiritual practice of listening to and “playing back” people’s memories through ritual, improvisation, and song. (Ask her about Playback in UU congregations!) She enjoys talking nerdily about stories, playing with her young child and partner, and learning languages in the hopes of traveling.
Welcoming Families and Children on Sunday Mornings
Each Sunday, UUCR offers childcare and simple age-appropriate activities for children of all ages. If you have any questions about UUCR's programming for families and children, please be in touch with Rev. Sue.
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Upcoming Worship Services |
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Sunday, May 7 — In Person and ZOOM
"Challenges Facing the Transgender Community"
What are the experiences of people identifying as transgender and non-binary in today's world? Where is there growing acceptance? What are the challenges? At this service led by Rev. Sue Browning, and congregants Kathy Lee and Linda Dutton, we'll have a chance to learn together through a panel conversation with guests from the transgender community.
- Rev. Sue Browning, Minister & Tina Jones, Guest Speaker
- Linda Dutton & Kathy Lee, Service Leaders
- Michael Casey, Musician
Sunday, May 14 — In Person and ZOOM
"Creators of Peace"
Rev. Bran Lennox reflects on how Julia Ward Howe's famed pacifist Mothers' Day Proclamation of 1807 might challenge us to address the roots of violence where they begin.
- Rev. Bran Lennox, Guest Speaker
- Nancy Holland, Service Leader
- Michael Casey, Musician
Sunday, May 21 — In Person and ZOOM
"Predictability and Security"
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor." How much energy do we spend trying to keep life predictable? At this service with Rev. Sue Browning we'll reflect on the dynamics of predictability and security in our lives. The service will include our annual Flower Communion celebration.
- Rev. Sue Browning, Minister
- Marilee Taussig, Service Leader
- Michael Casey, Musician
- Dick Durham, Guest Musician
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So You Don't Miss Anything! |
- This Week's Worship Service Information
- Upcoming Worship Services Information
- Newsletter Index
- Helpful Links, Office Hours, Upcoming Events Calendar
- Upcoming Musical Guests
- Minister's Column
- NOTICE — UUCR Building Closed April 26 - May 6
- Yard Sale & Auctions Fundraiser
- Food & Wine Still Needed for Auction Reception
- April's Outreach Collection — ShoreRivers
- May's Outreach Collection — Delmarva Pride Center
- Weed Pickin' Day
- Annual Congregational Meeting Notice - May 21
- Pastoral Care and Connection Committee
- Birthdays
- UUCR Contact Information
- End of Reflections Notice at the VERY END
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If you don't see "VERY END of REFLECTIONS for April 27, 2023"
at the VERY END of this email, you're not seeing the entire email.
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This Week's
Worship Service
Last Week's Worship Service Recording
UUCR
UUCR Office Hours:
W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
M, Tu, Th, F — CLOSED
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APR 29 | Yard Sale
APR 30 | Worship Service
ZOOM ONLY
Lenore Bajare-Dukes, guest speaker
MAY 06 | Silent & Live
Auctions and Reception
MAY 07 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister
& Tina Jones, guest speaker
MAY 14 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Bran Lennox, guest speaker
MAY 21 | Worship Service
In Person & ZOOM
Rev. Sue Browning, minister
MAY 21 | Annual
Congregational Meeting and Luncheon
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If you know of another link or event that should be added, please contact
the UUCR office by email or phone 410-778-3440. Thanks!
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At This Sunday's Service,
Meet Our New Contact at the UUA!
This Sunday, April 30, we will have a Zoom-only service at 10 a.m. The service will be a chance for UUCR and UUFE to hear from our new primary contact at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Lenore Bajare-Dukes. (Our primary contact is the first UUA person we check with for questions and support.)
As you'll see in her bio above, Lenore brings a wealth of experience to the position. She's dynamic, a wonderful listener and storyteller, and comes ready to support our congregations.
At the service we'll hear of Lenore's journey into the role and her perspectives on our faith. She's curious to learn what we are excited about and what we are worried about, and will offer perspectives on trends in congregational life, and initiatives underway at the UUA. There will be opportunities for Q/A as a part of the service.
It would be wonderful to have many join this service and get to know Lenore!
In connection,
Rev. Sue
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UUCR's door's will be closed to outside groups and UUCR meetings from Wednesday, April 26 through Saturday, May 6 to allow for the Yard Sale and Auctions setup and other related acitivities. |
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Please plan to attend the Yard Sale on April 29
and the Auctions and Reception on May 6.
If you cannot attend the auctions, and are interested in items,
a proxy bidder can be appointed for you — just let us know!
Both the Live Auction and Silent Auction Catalogs are now available on the UUCR website (click here).
Scroll down to the bottom of the website's landing page
and follow the directions from there.
Please contact the following to donate to, or volunteer to help with the:
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Food & Wine Still Needed
for Our Auction Reception
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We still need more people to sign up for our Auction Reception's appetizers, desserts, and wines. Nonalcoholic drinks will be provided. We will munch on delicious hors d’oeuvres while perusing our silent auction items and placing our bids. If you're attending the Yard Sale, please sign up on the sheets provided on the white board. If you want to sign up electronically, email Jackie Mathwich at jackiem6703@gmail.com. Thank you!
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Social Justice Committee
Outreach Collection for April
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The Outreach Collection for April is ShoreRivers, the homegrown clean-water voice for Maryland's Eastern Shore.
There are several ways to donate to ShoreRivers throughout the month of April. In church, you can write "Outreach Collection" or "ShoreRivers" on the "for" memo line on your check. Or, until April 30, you may click the donate button ( click here) on the UUCR website. Then use the option C ustom Amount and check the box Write us a comment. Please type that it’s for the monthly outreach or ShoreRivers. |
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The May Outreach Collection of the UUCR Social Justice Committee is for the Delmarva Pride Center.
The mission of The Delmarva Pride Center is to create a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities. They support, educate, connect, organize, and provide outreach to the Delmarva LGBTQ+ community and its allies. This community service organization provides regular social events in safe spaces to encourage respect and dignity for all people. An important upcoming event is the Delmarva Pride Festival June 16 – 18, 2023 in Easton, MD.
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Come out to UUCR on Saturday May 20 at 9 am; we are planning to have regular days to work on our beautiful grounds (clearing weeds as well as other tasks) monthly. We hope to be able to eliminate, or at least reduce the use of Roundup and other herbicides.
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If you don't see "VERY END of REFLECTIONS for April 27, 2023"
at the VERY END of this email, you're not seeing the entire email.
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Annual Congregational Meeting
Sunday, May 21
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The annual congregational meeting will be held on Sunday, May 21st following the Sunday Service.
The business to be conducted at the meeting will include presentation of the:
Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024
Slate of Candidates for elected offices
Committee Reports
Other Business as determined
The Budget and Slate of Candidates will be voted on by the congregation. This requires a quorum of 20% of the membership, so please plan to attend the meeting either in person or via Zoom (click here). Members who have signed the Membership Book prior to February 20, 2023 will be eligible to vote.
In gratitude,
Lynn Geisert
President
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Pastoral Care and Connection |
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You are encouraged to share your joys and sorrows with the UUCR Pastoral Associates (see below). This team is a mixed group — but all have had previous life experiences and a variety of professional training in counseling and philosophy. Please contact one, or several of us, if you “want to talk.”
Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
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APRIL
-6 - Stan Salett
-7 - Tom Tontarski
-9 - John Ramsey
13 - Amy Warner
16 - Connie Schroth
17 - Jim Lavin
22 - Elisabeth Tully
30 - Kim Agee
MAY
-6 - Joy Mayfield
-7 - Sabine Harvey
-9 - Lynn Dolinger
10 - Tom Lippincott
14 - Rachel Perry
18 - Nancy Holland
25 - Ray Gomez
27 - Harry Hart
28 - Betty Kerr
29 - Sydney Brookes
30 - John Ford
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We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact the UUCR office by email (click here).
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Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive | Chestertown, MD | 21620
Phone: 410-778-3440
Office hours: W, Sa, Su — 8:30 am-12:30 pm
Closed — M, Tu, Th, F
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VERY END of REFLECTIONS for April 27, 2023
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