Wednesday, March 31, 2021 |
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THIS SUNDAY'S
VIRTUAL WORSHIP SERVICE
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"Trusting A Different Way"
Rev. Sue Browning
UUCR & UUFE YouTube Worship Service
April 4, 2021
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Easter marks the beginning of many transitions for Jesus's followers, but transitions to what? We too live in a time of uncertainty as we cautiously anticipate a post-covid world. Join us for our Easter Service with Rev. Sue Browning as we reflect on the potential of resurrection especially in times of adaptation.
Our Easter worship service will be pre-recorded and available online (on our YouTube channel click here) by 10 am, Sunday, April 4. You may also go to the church's webpage by clicking here and find the service by clicking on the tab at the bottom of the "Keeping In Touch" column on the left side of the page.
If you have a joy or sorrow for the April 4 service, please share it during the UUCR Coffee Hour or if you're not planning to attend, email the UUCR office at UUCR email by Thursday, April 1 at noon.
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Come Join Us for Coffee Hour |
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Please come join us for UUCR & UUFE Coffee Hour on Sunday, April 4. The Coffee Hour Zoom link will open at 10:30 am for anyone wishing to come early.
It's a time to see and talk to one another, and the next best thing to being there!
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This Week's
Worship Service
This Week's Coffee Hour UUCR & UUFE
Last Week's
Worship Service
UUCR
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Apr 4 - UUCR & UUFE YouTube Worship Service, Easter
Apr 4 - UUCR & UUFE Coffee Hour
Apr 9 - Folk Music Zoom Concert, FREE - see below for more info. ♫
Apr 11 - UUCR Zoom Worship Service
Apr 14 - Board Meeting
Apr 16 - UUFE Native Plant Sale - last day to order 🌿
Apr 17 - Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day - see below for more info.
Apr 18 - UUCR & UUFE Zoom Worship Service
Apr 22 - Earth Day 🌎
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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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Upcoming
Virtual Worship Services
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Sunday, April 11
"What If Big Things Changed?"
Do all changes need to happen slowly? What spurs new ways of becoming? Join Rev. Sue Browning for a service exploring the potential of bold ideas taking hold in community. What do we need to accept as fixed, and where might we trust our dreams of what could (and should) be?
- UUCR Zoom Worship Service
- Rev. Sue Browning
Sunday, April 18
"A Lynching on the Eastern Shore"
In 1892, James Taylor was lynched near the Kent County Courthouse. He never received his day in court. At this service, led by Rev. Sue Browning and UUCR member Philip Dutton, we'll explore the story of this lynching, the power of bringing an honest telling of history into current conversations, and the current plans to memorialize James Taylor's story.
- UUCR & UUFE Zoom Worship Service
- Rev. Sue Browning and Philip Dutton
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International Day
of
Transgender Visibility
Today, March 31, is the International Day of Transgender Visibility. It’s a day to celebrate transgender people and their many contributions, and to recognize the ongoing discrimination they face every day.
Locally, the Talbot County Council voted again this year to unanimously recognize the International Transgender Day of Visibility. An important step. This past Sunday I attended the TransLiance and Gender Expression Movement panel conversation, where members of the trans community shared their challenges with employment, healthcare and service availability on the Eastern Shore. The conversation also included participants' stories of finding needed pockets of affirmation and support from family, friends and the wider community.
At the national level, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, this week denounced recent policy actions which do harm to the trans community, noting:
“Bills moving through state legislatures across the country attacking trans people, their lives, well-being, rights and access to healthcare are based in fear and hate. We must urge our state leaders to oppose these efforts to undermine equity for all.
To the trans people in my life and everywhere, please know that I hold you in deep love, respect and dignity. I pray for the day when no one is forced outside the circle of love and all people can live and grow and thrive in their own identities.”
Policies come in many forms and they have a spillover effect. We need to stay vigilant and support policies of inclusion and non-discrimination everywhere.
I add my prayers to Rev. Frederick-Gray's. May we together do the necessary work, so all will be able to live, and grow, and thrive in their own identities.
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*** PLEASE NOTE ***
Sometimes due to the length of Reflections, some committees' sections are on a second page in some members' emails. If you don't see a "Follow Us," in the middle of the page, at the very end of this email, you need to click at the bottom where it says "[Message clipped] View entire message" (or something similar in whatever email service you use.) Or, you can click below.
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Having trouble viewing the entire email? Click here
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The Building & Grounds Committee thanks all those volunteers, known and unknown, who responded to
the call to do chores on the grounds of UUCR. It looks SO much better!
Diane & Jim
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Leadership Opportunities at UUCR |
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The Leadership Development team is actively seeking individuals to serve on the Board of Directors next year. Here are The Top Ten Reasons to Serve:
- You want to deepen your connections to UUCR and to other members.
- Since the pandemic, you have too much time on your hands, watch too much TV, and you want to be useful again.
- You believe our congregation is strengthened by having a Board energized by members rotating on and off.
- You miss our monthly pot-lucks and would enjoy seeing friendly faces in Zoom Board meetings (happy hours).
- You are curious about how our congregation operates and what our Board does to support committees and programs.
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You miss our in-person gatherings and want to get in on the planning for our reopening later this year.
- You want to help ensure UUCR’s mission remains relevant in our Chester River community.
- You’re looking for an excuse not to clean/fix the house and all the other things on your “to do” list.
- You enjoy working as part of a vital team where members encourage and support each other.
- You’re reluctant to make a commitment but know it will bring deep fulfillment.
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Joe Jencks
FREE Zoom
Folk Music Concert
Friday, April 9th
7:30 - 9 pm
hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, DE
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To learn more about Joe, please visit: www.joejencks.com. To sample his music, some of his previous concerts are available on YouTube. |
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Household Hazardous Waste
Drop-off Day
Saturday, April 17
8 am - 2 pm, rain or shine at the
Nicholson Transfer Station
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Free to Midshore County residents (Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties). For further information about the event, and acceptable drop-off items, please click here. |
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Social Concerns/Social Justice |
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Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection |
The Social Concerns/Social Justice Committee’s fourth outreach collection for this year will be launched on Sunday, April 4, for the Bayside HOYAS. The Bayside HOYAS, an acronym for "Helping Our Youth Achieve Success," is a youth program which targets young men from the ages of 11-17 to help them better themselves in school, home, and community. Their mission is “to promote academic excellence, positive character development, and civic responsibility among secondary school age youth and young adults in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, Maryland.” They work to achieve this mission through educational enrichment, mentoring, leadership training, health promotion, and public service projects with youth of limited opportunities.
Founded by Paul Tue, Pierre Tue and John Queen in 2013, the organization provides a wide range of programming, to include academic counseling, community service projects, youth leadership summits, outreach to families in need, and athletics. Since 2019 they’ve operated a resource center (UUCR’s former office on Cross Street), which provides the young people a place to drop in, socialize, plan events, or seek counseling and resources. Currently their biggest outreach program is connecting jobless young adults and teens with potential employers while providing mentoring and training for the interview process. Bayside HOYAS, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (for their website please click here).
You can contribute by sending a check to the church office, made out to UUCR specifying "Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection" in the memo line, or you can donate online at the church website using the "Donate" button (click here) and "Custom Amount," specifying "Bayside HOYAS Outreach Collection" in the comment section. Any questions, please contact Amy Warner, co-chair of the SC/SJ committee at [email protected]. Please make your donation by Friday, April 30th.
The committee thanks all members and friends for their very generous support of the outreach collections for this church year.
Amy Warner
Co-chair, SC/SJ Committee
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Pastoral Care and Connection |
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We are here for you! We will focus on staying directly connected with our members and friends, especially those who may need assistance or support. The caring teams from our congregation is staying in touch, but if you need to reach out, please be in touch with any of the contacts below to stay connected (and see additional contacts below for RE families).
Please know your congregation is here. We can help you find connections. Please don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what is helpful for you in this time.
Rev. Sue Browning, and the Pastoral Care Associates: Kevin Brien,
Gayle Folger, Nancy Holland, and Vida Morley
or for more information, contact:
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MARCH BIRTHDAYS
14 - Neenah Newell
18 - Jackie Mathwich
30 - Jan Sprinkel
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
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6 - Stan Salett
7 - Tom Tontarski
9 - John Ramsey
13 - Amy Warner
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16 - Connie Schroth
17 - Jim Lavin
22 - Elisabeth Tully
30 - Kim Agee
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We want to help celebrate your birthday! If we didn't include your birthday, please contact Darlene at UUCR office email
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Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River 914 Gateway Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: (410) 778-3440
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