Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Friday News Update

January 29, 2012

January’s Sermon Theme: Death. W. Somerset Maugham once observed, “Death is a very dull, dreary affair, and my advice to you is to have nothing whatsoever to do with it.” Instead, we will spend the month of January – sometimes called “the dead of winter” – exploring the inevitability of death, our response(s) to grief and loss, death as a metaphor, and even the potential gifts of our mortality.

February Theme: Justice Albert Einstein said, “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” This month see what TJMCers are saying about it!

10 AM Only

January 29, Sunday: Sermon – Because There Is Death, We Celebrate Life! 10 AM Only. Elie Wiesel has said, “Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.” Many religious communities “die before [they] actually die” because the vast majority of members do not take an active role in nurturing the life of the community. This Sunday we will experiment with not replacing our worship service with our Congregational Meeting but, rather, transforming our Congregational Meeting into a true worship service.

Religious Education classes for children and youth will be at 10 AM this Sunday.

Four year-olds through fifth grades begin their morning in Children’s Worship in the Parlor.

Parents, four year-olds through fifth graders should be picked up

from the playground following the service.

The two and three year-olds RE class as well as the youth classes start in their classrooms.

For more information, see the RE display table in the Social Hall on Sunday morning.

Children are welcome in worship.

Nursery care is available for children two years old and younger

during both services in the lower hall of the main building.

The Comfort Room at the Rugby Road entrance of the Sanctuary is designed for parents with young children. Audio from the service can be heard in the Comfort Room.

Heads up! The Pledge Drive coming!

The 2012-13 Pledge Drive kicks off on Sunday, February 12. Look for information in the mail shortly before that date. Please start considering your pledge amount now so you can return your pledge card promptly. Also, consider helping out as a phone caller, envelope stuffer, snack donor, or some other job… there is something for every experience level! Call Adam Slate at 760-1346 or pledgedrive@uucharlottesvlle.org with questions, to volunteer, or for more information.

uucharlottesville.org Information Go To Links

February 2012 Bulletin: http://www.uucharlottesville.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/february-2012-monthly-bulletin-2pub.pdf

Calendar: http://www.uucharlottesville.org/calendar

Sermons: http://www.uucharlottesville.org/about/worship-life/services-and-sermons

Are you part of the TJMC-UU Facebook community? Click HERE or log on to Facebook and ask to join the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church group.

Have you seen the Unitarian Universalist weekly e-news letter? Click HERE for this week’s edition.

Click HERE to visit the Southeast UUA District webpage. It is full of information for our UU district.

Did you know that TJMC is a member of the Center for Non-Profit Excellence? This allows you to access any of the CNE’s classes at the membership rate. Simply state your connection to our congregation on your registration. Click HERE for more information about the CNE.

Church This Week.

January 31, Tuesdays: AFD: Why Evil Exists, 1–3 PM, Parlor.

January 27-28: Dream Quest in session please do not enter the church building unless you are attending this function. If you need to go to Summit House please park in Summit House parking lot or walk around the church. Thank you.

January 28, Saturday: Newcomer Orientation, 9 AM-12 PM, Summit Rooms 1+2. This is an opportunity to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and about our church. The seminar will be led by our Membership Committee, our minister, Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom and other church leaders. Come join us for fellowship and coffee. A light breakfast and snacks will be provided. The bright pink sign-up sheet is on the Community Life bulletin board next to our Church Office or you may contact Jean Newland. Please let us know if you will need childcare and to provide a phone number for emergency contact in the event of inclement weather.

January 29, Sunday: Green Sanctuary Carpooling Challenge. Do not forget to carpool to the single service congregational meeting! We will be holding a raffle for a $50 Whole Foods gift card for carpooling drivers and riders. Get your ticket from a Green Sanctuary member as you enter the church, and we will be announcing the winner during the service. Family members do not count! Walkers and bikers are also eligible. This is a wonderful way to build community and conserve energy!

January 30, Monday: Administrative Council, 7 PM, Social Hall.

February 1, Wednesday: Green Sanctuary Task Force Meeting, 7 PM, Parlor. Our meeting will celebrate this past Sunday’s Congregational vote, review the final application we will be submitting to the UUA for accreditation, and then move to spring projects. Discussion about a congregational party, a Wearin’ O the Green Celebration Friday, March 16, in partnership with the Social Committee, and the solar roof project, food composting, and an Adult Faith course created by the UU Ministry for Earth will be on the agenda. Join us!

February 2+9+16+23, Thursdays: Active Minds, 1 PM, Parlor. Join us for conversation and companionship.

February 3, Friday: Food Pantry, 9 AM, Social Hall. Volunteer to help unload, sort, and distribute food.

February 3, Friday: PJs, Pancakes & Bingo! 5-8 PM, Social Hall. Do not miss this super fun all-church pancake dinner where wearing PJs is optional and having fun it not! After a delicious dinner of pancakes, sausage and other treats, we will play Bingo using our fabulous Bingo machine. Bingo begins at 6:30 PM and Bingo cards are $2 each or three for $5. For more information or to find out how you can help, contact Cathey Polly or Allison Pugh (apugh@virginia.edu).

February 4-11: Women’s PACEM, Summit House. Sign-up sheets for food, hosting, set up and cleanup will be in the Social Hall after each service from January 8 to January 29. We partner with the Muslim Student Association, so we serve more food, but receive more volunteers to help serve. Email Elizabeth Breeden for information.

February 5, Sunday: Sermon - Through the Door, 9:15 AM + 11:15 AM. We begin our month of exploring the theme of justice by looking at the many justice-related efforts going on in and through TJMC. Many of these initiatives are vitally important, and something to be proud of, but the question remains – are we willing to walk through the door that they open into the new world we are called to co-create? Elizabeth Breeden and Erik Wikstrom will explore this question.

Church Notes & Requests for Help

Be a sweetheart, donate to the auction. The auction committee is accepting donations for our 2012 Auction “How Sweet It Is!” after services and online at http://www.uucharlottesville.org/get-involved/fundraising/ auction until Sunday, February 5, at 1 PM. We are especially in need of dinners and other social events, services, vacation getaways and other adventures. Selected items go up for bids on Sunday, February 12, with final bids on auction night Saturday, February 25. All proceeds go to fund programs at church, so please donate and make our sweet dreams come true.

Bed & Breakfast Hosts Needed: Meet interesting UUs and other religious liberals from all over while raising money for the church. TJMC needs more hosts for the UU Bed & Breakfast program. If you have an extra room and you can accommodate guests occasionally, please contact Katie Corish.

Church CDs wanted for Spring Auction: If you are a musician associated with TJMC, would you donate a signed CD for a very special auction raffle? Our “How Sweet It Is!” Auction on Saturday, February 25, will feature the sweet sounds of music by Mike Dunn, Wendy Repass, Terra Voce, Kevin Oehler, and maybe you? If you have recorded your music, would you donate a CD? Please bring it to the Auction table in the Social Hall or put it in the Communications mailbox. If you do not have a CD, but have recorded some of your music, you can send a .wav or .mp3 file to communications@uucharlottesville.org and be included in the “Sugar High” playlist for the auction.

Coming of Age Class Marketplace: Helping Our Youth! Stop by the Social Hall after services on Sunday and get in on these great deals while supporting our upcoming Coming of Age class as they raise funds for their June 2013 pilgrimage trip to DC. Attractions Coupon Books – more than just restaurants; TJMC-UU T-shirt orders. Our youth (and their parents) thank you for your support!

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.