Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Friday News Update           September 16, 2011

10 AM Service

September 18, Sunday: Balloon Sunday – Multigenerational, 10 AM. Come join in our annual multigenerational kick-off of the church school year! We will delight in one another’s presence as we celebrate being together in our beautiful balloon-filled Sanctuary. We will recognize our Children’s Worship graduates who are moving into our congregation’s youth program. Come claim your balloon and your place in our beloved community as we release our hopes and prayers for the coming year together.

Child Care

We will worship in multigenerational community. For those who prefer, child care is available for children four years old and younger in the lower hall of the main church building. We also have a “Comfort Room” at the Rugby Road entrance of the Sanctuary for parents with young children. Audio from the service can be heard in the Comfort Room.

Church This Week.

September 18, Sunday: Social Action Collection – On Our Own. On Our Own/Charlottesville has matured over the past twenty-three years. This mental health consumer-run organization is unique in its crucial work to support lasting mental health recovery for its members. It is located in the house on Fourth Street beside the Jefferson School. Members participate in their own recovery from mental illness through peer-support groups, educational programs and social activities. They are empowered to give back to the community through volunteer work such as helping the SPCA and Food Bank. On Our Own recently expanded its mission to assist with holistic health, employment, housing, and leadership development. It is seriously understaffed due to funding reductions. Please look at http://onourowncville.org for more information.

September 18, Sunday: IMPACT, 11:30 AM, Summit House. Your IMPACT team is gearing up for another successful campaign to bring about concrete systemic changes that affect the social and economic fabric of our neighbors’ lives. This will be an information and “listening” session.  Let us know ahead of time if you need child care. We will brief all interested people about IMPACT’s work and gather your sense of the most pressing justice issues to address in our area this year. Call Bob Gross, Greta Dershimer , or Sarah Peaslee with your questions.

September 20, Tuesday: UUppities, 7 PM, Parlor. Beading. Join us as Ann Salamini and Donna Baker lead a session in beading.

September 21, Wednesday: A Conversation about Atonement, 7 PM, Church Parlor. Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom and Leia Durland-Jones, DRE, invite you to explore the concept of atonement, our worship and faith development theme during the month of October. All are welcome to join in the dialog from 7-8 PM. October’s UU Stars Studio Leaders will continue the conversation from 8-9 PM by exploring the UU Stars (first through fifth grade) lesson plan materials.

September 22, Thursday: UU Christian Fellowship, 7 PM, Summit 2. Mary Anna Dunn will lead the service. Better Than the Mighty. This service title is taken from Proverbs 16:32. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” All around us there is a growing culture of anger, even within the most outwardly homogenous communities. Can our daily spiritual practice help us rule our spirits and step out of the cycles of anger?

September 23, Friday: IMPACT, 7 PM, Social Hall. Your IMPACT team is gearing up for another successful campaign to bring about concrete systemic changes that affect the social and economic fabric of our neighbors’ lives. This will be an information and “listening” session. Let us know ahead of time if you need child care. We will brief all interested people about IMPACT’s work and gather your sense of the most pressing justice issues to address in our area this year. Call Bob Gross, Greta Dershimer, or Sarah Peaslee with your questions.

September 25, Sunday: Two Services Start – 9:15 AM+11:15 AM

September 25, Sunday: Sermon - Radical Hospitality. 9:15 AM + 11:15 AM. In the Christian scriptures, the rabbi Jesus is remembered as telling those who would listen that the heart of religion was to love God and “love your neighbor as yourself.” It is remembered that on at least one occasion someone challenged him with the question, “Who is my neighbor?” This question echoes through the ages and continues to challenge those who would call themselves liberal in their inclusivity. What might a truly welcoming life look like? Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom will explore this and other questions.

September 25, Sunday: First Day of Children & Youth RE Classes. Register at: http://www.uucharlottesville.org/education/religious-education-program-registration

Church Notes & Requests for Help

Opportunities to Connect: Leadership Development Committee. If you loved the “Cultivating Connections” event on Saturday, September 10, and you would like to share your creative ideas with the team that pulled it together, think about serving on the Leadership Development Committee. We are looking for someone who cares about the future of TJMC, works well with other creative people, and would like to be more deeply connected to our community. This is a two-year term. For more information, email leadership@uucharlottesville.org or call Jean Sorrels-Jones, or any member of the Leadership Development Committee.

TJMC-UU Board of Trustees: The Board is looking for an individual with good administrative and word processing skills who wants to serve on our church’s governing body. The person in this pivotal position will help to assure informaiton is shared effectively. Primary duties include minute taking and attendance at both Executive Committee meetings (with the President, VP, minister, etc.) and the monthly Board meetings. This term is through June of 2012, with the option for an additional full two-year term. For more information email leadership@uucharlottesville.org call Jean Sorrels-Jones at 296-3631, or our Board President, Ian Sole.

Membership Committee Launching bUUddy System to Whole Congregation: The membership committee has been cultivating connections with new members of the church by using a bUUddy system of pairing up new members with long time members in the church to make a deeper connection with TJMC-UU. Now it is time to expand our base of long time members. A bUUddy is an involved member of the church who would like to share his/her interests with a new member. Detailed forms are posted on the bulletin board under Community Life. If you would like to become a bUUddy, forms are available in the membership box. Please do not be discouraged if you do not get a bUUddy right away because as we keep adding new members, our program will continue to expand. Patsy Swindler and Gayle Floyd, bUUddy Coordinators.

Recycleables #3-7: For several years, Ralph and Martha Smith did a huge favor to TJMC by taking our #3-#7 plastics to the Culpeper recycling center, since Charlottesville was not taking them. Now the McIntire Road Recycling Center is taking them! Call the Rivanna Waste Authority for when the center is open. Also note: If you have Dixon Trash Disposal, they will also recyle all materials appropriately.

Prize Donations and Volunteers are needed for TJMC Oktoberfest and Bingo on Friday, September 30. Prizes include toys, games and art supplies, sports equipment, kitchen items, plants or flowers, books, non-perishable food items or gift cards in $5 denominations (no higher please). Volunteers are needed on Friday, September 30, beginning at 3:30 PM for set-up. All ages welcome. Please sign up after Sunday Service at the RE table in the Social Hall or contact Lorie Craddock.

Fall Means WVTF Fundraising: If you are a proud UU/NPR listener, you have heard the underwriting announcements telling folks about TJMC.  Those announcements are paid for by people who make their donations through our church instead of directly to the station. Just drop your check in the offertory any Sunday in September or October. Make it out to TJMC with “WVTF Radio” in the memo line.  Does it before the fund drive starts and we will even enter you into their drawing for great prizes! Support public radio and help get the word out about TJMC.

Covenant Groups: There are only two more Sundays for Covenant Group registration in the Social Hall. Groups will be starting up again at the beginning of October. To join a group look for the Covenant Groups table in the Social Hall after the worship service and fill out a registration form or register online at the church website at uucharlottesville.org. For more information contact Sally Taylor.

Circle Potlucks: Only two more Sundays to sign up for Circle Potlucks occurring on the second weekend in October! These no-agenda, purely social meals are a great way to meet some new folks and have fun. There are lots of options to suit a range needs and styles, so look for signups in the gallery after the worship service. Questions? Contact Sally Taylor.

TJMC Holiday Card: Send a TJMC Holiday Card to members and friends, and at the same time contribute the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). It is time for Edith Good to start collecting for the annual card that TJMC distributes during the end of the year holidays to benefit UUSC. UUSC is a social justice affiliate organization of the UUA. See their website at volunteerservices@uusc.org. The card will be distributed with the December issue of the Bulletin. Receipts are available for donations, which are tax deductible. Checks are made to UUSC and all funds will go to the organization. Sign up with Edith Good at the counter in the Social Hall after services. Your name will appear on the card. Lorie Craddock has again agreed to design this year’s card cover.

Greeting Cards Collection for FWCC: The Labyrinth Ministry is collecting stationery items (greetings cards of all kinds, writing paper, and especially stamps) for our annual holiday donation to the Fluvanna Women’s Correctional Center (FWCC). At 23 cents an hour, it takes almost two full hours of inmate employment to afford a single first-class stamp. Please help by placing your donations in the FWCC Collection Box located in the Edgewood Lane entrance. Deadline is the end of October.

Volunteer Needed: Do you love art history? Would you like to visit and read to a UU Roanoke church member who is in Charlottesville for long term cancer treatment? Please contact Chaplain Alexandra McGee, Ministry Associate, at ma@uucharlottesville.org who will give you more information.

Registration for the 2011-2012 Religious Education Program for Children & Youth is available at http://www.uucharlottesville.org/education/religious-education-program-registration on the church’s website. All families with children infants through twelfth grades participating in the program need to register. Classes begin Sunday, September 25.

Calling all non-parents and parents of grown children. Our church’s children need You! While parents of children in our church’s religious education program do help out in a variety of ways, we desperately need non-parent volunteers too. You can help and still attend worship regularly! Please speak with Leia Durland-Jones, DRE, today to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Leiadj@embarqmail.com or 293-8179 x 3#.