Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Friday E-Mail News           September 2, 2011

10 AM Service

September 4, Sunday: Sermon - Welcome Home. Water Ceremony. 10 AM. After a summer that may well have taken you hither and yon – if only mentally – we gather once more as one community – a chance for us to celebrate where we have been and prepare for where we are going. At this multigenerational service we will also take a special offering to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s UUSC Somalia and East Africa Relief Fund. As we celebrate our first Water Ceremony with our new Lead Minister let us generously reach out beyond our own community to one that has been ravaged by drought-induced famine and violence.

Remember to bring a small amount of water from your home, a favorite outdoor location/sacred place or your recent travels. We will pour all our offerings into a common vessel.

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 4, Sunday: Special Social Action Collection - UUSC Somalia & East Africa Relief Fund. In light of the dire humanitarian crisis, severe drought leading to devastating famine, in East Africa the UUSC has opened the Somalia and East Africa Relief Fund. UUSC will work with partners on the ground to provide immediate relief to Somalis suffering from the famine as well as support communities hosting Somali refugees in other countries affected by the crisis. With 3.2 million people, half of the Somali population, needing immediate lifesaving assistance, this is the world’s worst food security crisis in the last twenty years. The long-term conflict and statelessness in southern Somalia has exacerbated the impact of the drought that has affected the area at large, causing catastrophic famine. If you make a donation to this UUSC Relief Fund equal to or above the following amounts ($40 for adults, $20 for seniors, $10 for youth), you will be given complimentary UUSC membership status, and receive regular news about UUSC’s worldwide humanitarian efforts.

September 4+11+18, Sunday: All-Church Carpooling Challenge. The first three Sunday services in September will be intergenerational single services at 10 AM, so Green Sanctuary has decided to hold three consecutive carpooling Sundays to accommodate the crowds. There are only 120 parking spaces in our lots and around the church and more than 400 adult members. Spaces may be hard to find! Circle the dates September 4+11+18, and contact TJMC members and friends who live near you or stop by our table in the Social Hall so that you can find a buddy and join our All-Church Carpooling Challenge. Each Sunday at the door, carpoolers will receive tickets for a raffle to be held after church Sunday, September 18.

September 5, Monday: Church Office Closed for Holiday.

September 6, Tuesday: UUppities, 7 PM, Parlor. Wine and cheese! Let us check in after our summer hiatus and brainstorm on topics for this year!

September 7, Wednesday: Green Sanctuary, 7 PM, Parlor.

September 9, Friday: Labyrinth Walk, 6-7 PM, Outdoors. Please join us for an early evening walk on our beautiful outdoor labyrinth (behind the Social Hall) to celebrate the coming of autumn! Live acoustic music (Celtic harp, Native American flutes) will accompany the walk. Friendly folks will be on hand to introduce you to this contemplative activity if you are new to it. Rain will cancel.

September 10, Saturday: Cultivating Connections, 8:30 AM–1:30 PM, All Church. Only one more week until the all-church gathering “Cultivating Connections” brought to you by the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Development Committee. Join us from     8:30 AM-1:30 PM, Saturday, September 10, to celebrate our connections to each other with worship, song, conversation, and activities designed for all ages. Child care will be provided for our very youngest, and older children will be valued participants in a truly inter-generational event. You must RSVP for lunch and if you are bringing children let us know their ages. Email connect@uucharlottesville.org, post to the TJMC group on Facebook, or sign up on the Board bulletin board by Tuesday, September 6.

September 11, Sunday: Sermon - Us & Them. 10 AM. On this, the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, let us pause as one community to remember. Let us also recommit ourselves to what our Unitarian Universalist Principles call, “the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.” At this multigenerational service TJMC will join with many other communities throughout Charlottesville by participating in a creative project that will be unveiled at the World Peace Day celebration at Burley Middle School at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 21. Please bring with you an image or object that symbolizes your vision of peace. When you come into the Sanctuary, place your item on the altar so that we, together, can create a communal altar.

September 11, Sunday: Covenant Facilitators, 1 PM, Parlor.

September 11, Sunday: Peace Action - United Nations UUN-Offfice Group, 11:15 AM, Summit Room 2. This is our first fall meeting and there is a very exciting agenda. You are welcome to visit.

September 11, Sunday: NatureSpirit Pot Luck, 6 PM, Social Hall. What’s new with NatureSpirit? This year Marlene Jones, Tom Damery and Lisa Kelley will be leading the NatureSpirit group. To begin the year, we will be hosting a series of informal discussions; the monthly worship services have been discontinued. Our first discussion will be on the topic of Nature as an important part of spiritual or religious practices. We will start with a potluck dinner followed by the discussion. You can contact us by emailing natureuucharlottesville.org.

Church Notes & Requests for Help

TJMC-UU September Bulletin is now online at uucharlottesville.org.

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.

Summit House Lock Box: Has a new combination. See the Church Office for more information.

Circle Pot Lucks: The sign-up sheets for the Circle Pot Lucks to be held on the weekend of October 7-9 have been posted on the wall in the breezeway between the Sanctuary and the Social Hall. Choose which of the potlucks you and your family would like to attend and fill in your contact information for your choice. Please sign up for only one meal so that everyone can participate. Unfortunately only one of the ten potlucks are willing to include children. We still need hosts, especially ones that welcome children. Anyone willing to host should sign up at the table in the Social Hall or contact Sally Taylor.

Yard Sale Success: Our 2011 two-day yard sale was a tremendous success. Including proceeds from the Book Sale and the Yard Sale, the church made over $16,000. Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday or Sunday to help or to shop.

Altar Decorations: Let your joy bubble up and onto the altar for a coming Sunday. Please sign up on the Worship Associates bulletin board in hallway and plan a display for Sunday services soon. Flowers? A special collection? Plants? Feel free to contact Holly Dilatush for ideas, assistance, or encouragement.

AFD Classes: The AFD Committee is pleased to report strong interest in suggested offerings for this fall. Stay tuned for an exciting slate of AFD opportunities, full information coming soon for classes beginning in September! More info, questions, contact AFD Committee Chair Holly Dilatush.

Covenant Groups will start up again at the beginning of October. Registration for them has already begun. Fill out the registration form found at the Covenant Groups table in the Social Hall after the worship service or fill out the form online at the church website uucharlottesville.org. For more information about Covenant Groups visit our table in the Social Hall or contact Sally Taylor.

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. Thank you! Classes begin 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 today to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Leiadj@embarqmail.com or 293-8179 x 3#.