Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

You can register your children for classes during the Sunday worship services using the link to the online form below:

 Religious Education Registration Form 2010-2011

Alexandra McGee has been asked by Interim Minister Dr. Janet Newman and by the Board to serve a one-year term as Transitional Ministry Associate. In this role, Alex will teach, preach, make pastoral visits, and help in other ways as directed by Rev. Dr. Newman.  This is a ten hour a week commitment to TJMC.  

Alex graduated from a Unitarian Universalist seminary, Starr King School for the Ministry, in 2008, and spent a year training as a hospital chaplain. In addition to her role at TJMC, Alex also works as a chaplain at Hospice of the Piedmont and teaches yoga. She says she is delighted to be called to this blended community ministry. Alex may be reached through the Church Office and at TMA@uucharlottesville.org.

Last Thursday (6/24), a major storm hit the Rugby Road area and caused significant damage to TJMC-UU  trees and some damage to the social hall. The following pictures show the aftermath and damages.  We wish to thank all the volunteers that helped in the cleanup of the storm damage, including Dick Somer, Ron Wormser, Larry Briggs, Don Landis, Doug Webbink, Shirley Gordon, Mary Anna Dunn, Elizabeth Breeden, Sallie Kate Park, and Carole Black.
 

Dr. Newman is a graduate of Smith College, and holds both her master of divinity and her doctorate of ministry. After college she worked as a computer programmer/analyst in Northern Virginia for ten years. She and her husband were active in the UU Church of Arlington, VA where she served on the Board of Trustees and sang in the choir. After the death of her husband in an automobile accident, Dr. Newman followed her call to the ministry. She in currently serving as Interim Minister at First UU Church of Austin, TX, a congregation of over 700.

Rev. Dr. Janet Newman, is a career interim minister, whose life work focuses on congregations without a settled minister. She, will be joining us on Sunday, August 15, as the TJMC Interim Minister for 2010-2011. She states,

 “As a part of my calling, I am a builder of consensus even amidst contention. I assist congregations rediscover their own confidence and unity when they find themselves drifting away from their cohesive roots. My specialty is not to serve as a temporary caretaker while a congregation goes on about its business, but to lend a highlytrained, authoritative, guiding hand when such is needed to preserve a congregation’s success. My love of the ministry, especially as I practice it in congregations that are in challenging situations, is evident in all that I do.”

She was the unanimous first choice of the Interim Search Committee, who had four outstanding candidates from whom to choose. We chose Janet for her warmth, her commitment to each congregation she serves, her vitality, and her collaborative style - and the opinion of many that we would be lucky to have her.

Janet has a reputation as a very strong interim; she has often been called upon to lead congregations in conflict. She will be coming to us after a year in Austin (TX) UU. TJMCUU will be her nineteenth interim ministry position. We expect that Janet will help us reaffirm our confidence and deepen our unity, while enhancing our leadership skills. She will have two concurrent agendas: to be our minister, and to prepare us to confidently find our settled minister.

Janet will be in Charlottesville briefly June 7-10, meeting with a variety of church leaders and searching for housing. She will bring enormous energy and experience, a love of the ministry, and a warm and capable presence for all of us.