Starr King View
April 2008 Newsletter
Schedule of Sunday Services - 9:30 a.m.
April 6: “Spring Forward, Slow Down”
Karen Barker, Speaker.
As the pace of life in our culture speeds up, some of us are making a conscious decision to slow down. What are the implications of going against the culture, and what are the implications of going along? In this sermon, I share my experiences as a “downshifter,” and reflect on the many benefits of slowing down. (For more about our speaker, see page 13)
April 13: “Day of Remembrance”
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart preaching.
April 20: “Beyond Providence”
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart preaching.
April 27: “Radical Hospitality ”
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart preaching.
Adult Ed for April
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
April 6: Walking for Health
Introduction and program of six weeks of tracking your steps to better health.
April 13: Update on Women’s Health
Planned Parenthood of New England
What is happening in regard to fertility and sexually transmitted diseases in New England.
April 20: The Story of Stuff
Brief but comprehensive introduction to the history of consumerism since WWII. Discussion after the documentary.
April 27: Sermon Discussion - Rev. Sarah Stewart
Save the Date
The 2008 Annual Meeting for SKUUF will be held after the service on Sunday, May 18. Lunch and child care will be provided. All are welcome, but only members may vote. We will be voting on the final plans for the addition so please plan to attend.
Movie and Popcorn
The SKUUF Activities Committee presents “Movie and Popcorn” on Saturday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. Cartoons will be followed by our feature presentation, The Never Ending Story.
We will provide the popcorn and drinks, you provide yourselves.
In Fellowship April 2008
Our congregation’s mission statement includes two broad, worthy goals: to provide a liberal religious home for all who join us for worship or activities, and to encourage individuals and groups, children and adults alike, toward social justice and making the world a better place. I think there is a third focus of our mission as a fellowship, so basic that it may not need to be stated in the mission statement: to take care of one another. All of us need some extra help at different times in our lives, and all of us can benefit our spirits by helping another in need.
When I act in my role as your pastor, providing pastoral care to the congregation, I am a representative of this goal of the fellowship’s. I take the fellowship’s caring spirit with me when I visit people who are ill, or struggling in their lives, or whom I just want to get to know better. I see myself as an emissary of the congregation’s ministry, not just as an individual paying friendly visits.
It’s time, once again, to expand the work of making these caring connections. Starr King Fellowship is beginning a new program called Contact Ministry. Contact Ministry is a program to build relationships among fellowship members and friends. Volunteers will take on a short list of fellowship members and friends whom they will commit to be in touch with every month, whether through in-person conversations (at church or in the community), telephone calls, or written notes. Everybody in our fellowship will be contacted--so don’t feel as though you are being singled out! The caring community is for all of us. The goals of Contact Ministry are:
To build a relationship
Explore needs or interests the person may have
To make connections to people and programs in the fellowship
To maintain a relationship over time
The Committee on Ministry has sponsored this project, and Cris Criswell, Mary Tierney and I have been working on developing it. Contact Ministry is modeled on a program used by Plymouth Congregational Church, in which Mary participated, and on research that Cris did in his work as a pastor.
If you are interested in becoming a Contact Minister, please fill out an interest form in the foyer and return it to the office by April 17. There will be an orientation on Saturday April 26 from 8:30 a.m. to noon to train people for the program. If you have any questions, please see me, Mary or Cris.
Offering a comforting presence and a friendly connection is something we all can be a part of. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming this new project into our life as a fellowship.
In fellowship,
Sarah Stewart
RE CALENDAR FOR APRIL
April 6: Chapel downstairs for both groups and UU principle activity
April 13: Everyone starts upstairs
3-6 year olds working on Storytime with
7-12 year olds- F is for Family
April 20: Everyone starts upstairs
3-6 year olds Storytime with
7-12 year olds- E is for earthworms, special guests: Lauren from D Acres and WORMS!
April 27: Chapel downstairs for both groups and a continuation of UU principles and activity
RE Reminders and Announcements:
- Sunday, May 4 will be the annual Maypole service
- Sunday, June 8 will be Youth Sunday followed by the SECOND ANNUAL SKUUF BARBEQUE after the service. Save the date and look for further reminders.
Teachers needed for the 2008-2009 RE Year
We have a dilemma. Too many kids and not enough teachers....Isn't that just a WONDERFUL problem to have? Seriously we are in need of many teachers for the fall. We will probably have three different levels of RE programs running in the fall and need much support. Look for more information to come soon but remember...the more that help, the lighter the work load..... Enjoy.
Religious Educator
Search Update
The Search Committee appreciates the many people who have responded to the survey which will help us move forward in finding a Director of Religious Education. We expect to be able to evaluate the results for the RE Committee, the board and the congregation in some meaningful ways.
We hope all of you will think about possible candidates when the time comes to advertise the position. SKUUF could not be more fortunate in having members with lots of expertise and experience, and growth in the children's program is already bringing us rewards on top of the challenges.
We are willing to go outside the fellowship, as well, to find someone with enough time to provide the guidance and ongoing support that our children deserve. Members of the committee have been listening to members’ comments, and we appreciate your sharing your ideas with us on the survey and in person.
Several weeks ago we also queried the youth about their ideas and opinions. We recorded their main points and will include them in our list of need. We hope to be interviewing this spring, and we will keep all of you informed of the process as it unfolds.
DRE Search Committee
How to reach your minister:
Sarah is available to you in case of emergency even when she is not in the office. If you have a pastoral emergency, such as a sudden hospitalization, a personal disaster, or a death in your family, please call Sarah at home at 536-7507.
From Your Prez ~
What an exciting time this has been! On March 2, I attended the “Stewardship Orientation” led by Tamsin Kemos from the UUA and I agreed to visit four families to talk about supporting SKUUF in both the annual Stewardship Campaign and the Capital Campaign. On March 8, I was with seventy-one SKUUFers at our lovely Kick-Off dinner. The rain was heavy, but it couldn’t dampen our spirits. Thanks to the good food, great conversation, dynamic choir, and wonderful media presentation, it was an evening to remember!
I hope by now most of you have received your packet of “goodies” from our Capital Campaign co-chairs. If you live in the area and haven’t already been visited by a friend from SKUUF, you should be hearing from one soon. Please say “yes” when you get the call and enjoy some warm conversation with a fellow “SKUUFer”.
During the “testimonial” on March 9, one of our members talked about her years at SKUUF and about how her gifts of time, energy and finances increased as she realized how important the Fellowship had become in her life. She now gives 5 % of her yearly income to support the organizations she believes in. Just think what our world would be like if everyone did the same!
Continuing the Dream
Capital Campaign Update
An extremely Southern expression to denote the relative completion of a project is “It's all over but the shouting.” It connotes the heavy work is done, and participants can now relax and rejoice. For some co-chairs, that's their status. Work continues for the General and Stewardship, Financial Reporting, and Follow-up Teams. Status to date:
Publications and Publicity co-chairs, were especially busy and engaged in January and February. They developed the campaign slogan, “Continuing the Dream,” the case statement, brochure, thank you cards, kick-off dinner invitations, stationery, envelopes, and return labels, hired the printing company, stuffed and mailed invitations, and coordinated tracking responses. They also arranged for additional publicity media. One member created an exceptionally entertaining DVD that reviewed SKUUF's history, showed the building of the meetinghouse, from the stakes in the ground for the foundation, before the roof was built, and the installation of our unique floor. Charter members and others were there with wheelbarrows full of concrete, and performing duties of “sweat equity” vested in the current building. Another member created the professional posters and placed them on doors and walls to remind us of the March 8 kick-off dinner. He also created the chalice poster with the flame tracking our campaign progress.
Events co-chairs, did an outstanding job in planning and hosting the March 8 kick-off dinner, held at Plymouth's Common Man.
6:30 – the event started with soft drinks, white/red wines, hors d'oeuvres, cheeses, and fruit. We received a marvelous and warm welcoming speech and Sarah Stewart gave a UU blessing - inclusive, open, and with gratitude.
7:30 - the staff efficiently directed table groupings to the buffet, for delicious roasted pork or seafood pasta entrees, salad, vegetables, rice pilaf, dessert cookies, tea and coffee.
8:30 - Door prizes were announced – two separate ski passes, and a Continuing the Dream DVD, which also includes a virtual tour of the proposed upgrade to the meetinghouse. The DVD was enthusiastically viewed and applauded. There was a simulated game show announcement with flowers for campaign co-chairs, and chalice poster was displayed showing leadership gift collections of $242,000. AMAZING!!!
9:00 - General/Stewardship envelopes were available for pickup and plaques were given to each member of the teams, and a special thank you and plaque to Sarah for her leadership and support.
The event ended at 9:45 and a GREAT time was had by all attendees.
Leadership Gifts co-chairs, and their team completed their visits and had their pledge total announced at the dinner. Kudos and gratitude to them.
General and Stewardship Gifts co-chairs, and their team are conducting visits through April 4. All informational packets were mailed. If you have not received your packet, then it is a mistake. Please contact the office administrator, Regina Wadlegger, at admin@starrkingfellowship.org, or 536-8908 for us to correct the oversight.
The treasurer continues his outstanding oversight and reporting duties. Thank you and your assistant for all of your good work.
Follow-up co-chairs, will start their efforts after the General and Stewardship visits are completed by April 4.
To our team members and our fellowship, our gratitude is boundless.
Attention Committee Chairs
The Annual SKUUF meeting is scheduled for May 18 and the deadline for committee reports is Wednesday, April 23.
Annual reports may be typed or emailed and these are the only acceptable formats for submission. Typed reports may be dropped off at, or mailed to the SKUUF Office PO Box 337, Plymouth, NH 03264. Emailed reports should be sent to admin@starrkingfellowship.org.
Office Assistant
Notes from the Treasurer
I hope that everyone is starting to enjoy “spring”! I put quotes around spring because as I am writing this on the first full day of spring, it has been cold and quite windy up here in Wentworth. I do not even want to talk about snow right now- I will leave it to Gigi Estes to its sing the praises! We even lost our power for a few hours this morning. When I was growing up in southeastern Virginia, the grass was already getting green and the flowers were starting to bloom!
We have started looking around for places to finance a mortgage for our proposed expansion of SKUUF. We are looking at the UUA and three local banks- Community Guaranty Savings Bank, Meredith Village Savings Bank and Northway Bank. The goal is to find out, realistically, what terms and conditions we may expect and to evaluate who is most interested in doing business with us.
It is also necessary to get a realistic feel for what is out there, and estimate, again realistically, what we may be able to afford. In order to do that, we need to be able to tell the Building Committee roughly how much money we think will be available for the expansion, including money on hand, results of the Capital Campaign (amount pledged so far is $294,000), and a possible loan.
On 4 May, for the adult education hour, the SKUUF Board has asked for me to present some information to the congregation so that you can get a feel for the costs that are involved and the effect on our budget, and to let you know what we are looking at for finances. I will present several different options and budget projections for the next three or four years. This will also give you some feel for the possibilities.
On 18 May will be the annual meeting, we will be looking at (and voting on) both the budget for next year and the future expansion of our meetinghouse. The meeting on 4 May is aimed at answering some of the financial questions before we get to the annual meeting, so I hope that everyone can be there.
This is an exciting time to be a SKUUFer!
Peace to you all,
Treasurer
SKUUF Finances Snapshot
as of March 20, 2008
Fiscal Year to Date:
Income $ 91,027.40
Expenses $ 90,663.84
Important Balances
Operating Funds $ 10,886.51
Building Funds* $ 226,800.92
Endowment Funds* $ 12,319.97
Remaining Principle on Meetinghouse
$ 0.00 (Yippee!)
This represents only selected funds and liabilities. Please note that this is not a full accounting of assets or liabilities. If you would like more detailed information feel free to talk to Gary, or me.
*These funds represent multiple accounts grouped together.
Aluminum Cans
Remember to bring your aluminum cans to SKUUF. Let us continue to recycle for the good of SKUUF and the planet.
Building Committee Update
The building committee has been working on two sub-projects while we wait for the building campaign to wrap up:
· Insulation in the "attic" area by the sanctuary will be replaced soon. A "crew" is being formed to remove the existing insulation. This sweat equity will save the congregation about $800! Kudos to all these volunteers!
· A "Phase 1 Environmental Study" is being coordinated, which is required for the UUA loan process. This study shows whether it is likely that there are any contaminants on site. The engineer researches the history of the land and does an on-site visit.
The building committee is in a holding pattern until a project budget is determined in April. Once we have a budget, the committee will meet with the architect and construction manager to cut back the project to meet the budget. Over the course of a month or so, the building drawings and itemized budget will be revised. Watch for news on an April informational session to highlight ways we will need to scale back. Final plans and project estimate will be presented at the May 18 Annual Meeting for your approval. If everything is approved, we will proceed with construction drawings over the summer and hopefully break ground in the fall!
Community Closet
Remember, the Community Closet can always use our help. There is a basket in the foyer for your non-breakable food contributions. You can drop off canned or boxed goods anytime.
Remember to wear your Nametag.
It helps Everyone.
Social Justice
Community Outreach for April
Voices Against Violence exists to help those suffering from physical, sexual and emotional abuse happening every day all around us as we live and work in our quaint little communities. The issues we address are harsh and often unimaginable and the intervention we provide is essential. Voices advocates, both paid and volunteer, had thousands of contacts, including dozens who resided in our emergency shelter during the year. Our outreach and education program reached even more individuals within the eighteen towns we serve, and our relationships with entities such as law enforcement, medical and mental health providers, and DCYF continued to strengthen and produce more and more referrals each year, resulting in more comprehensive care for children and families.
From our outreach office on Main Street in Plymouth, we provide confidential services to individuals on a walk-in basis. This location also makes us much more accessible to the Family Division at Plymouth District Court, to Speare Memorial Hospital, and to Plymouth State University, all of which are locations where our services are frequently needed. We provide support groups, which help participants look at ways to make healthier life choices, and a support group for children who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence within their homes.
We continue to increase our outreach to the eighteen communities we serve by partnering with community-based programs or public service departments located within each town so we can be accessible to individuals who may not be able to come to our office. We are also excited about expanding our volunteer pool to include more community members who are looking for ways to have a direct and truly meaningful impact on a family’s well-being.
Finally, as with most non-profit entities facing funding challenges, we are exploring new and innovative ways to support our programs in terms of financial opportunities, donations of products and services, or through sponsorships of specific programs we offer. Thus we are even more reliant on our community partners, such as you, to help spread the word that our agency exists and really can help families in need.
Peace March
More than fifty Unitarian Universalists from around the state joined with many others to march for peace on Saturday, March 15 in Concord, in spite of town meetings scheduled that day. Three from SKUUF were seen there as well as some other Plymouth non-UU’s. One member’s perspective as a former soldier who served in the war is always eloquent and moving.
Tess George, Executive Director for UU Action Network writes about the march:
“As we marched down Main Street with our new, huge banner, proudly bearing the name ‘Unitarian Universalist Action Network of New Hampshire,’ I felt so honored to be a part of this group. So often, as we passed other marchers and people on the street, they shouted words of encouragement and thanks to the UUs for being there. One woman said ‘We can always count on the UUs.’
"We are known not only as a peace-loving faith, but as a faith that is willing to stand up for what we believe in. We were proud to be in the company of the American Friends Service Committee and the Sisters of Mercy, two faith groups that consistently and tirelessly stand for peace........"
Fair Tax Coalition
The Granite State Fair Tax Coalition announced the Fair Tax Resolution has been voted on so far in 96 communities around the state with 10 more to follow later in the spring. A vast majority of these towns want state lawmakers to lower property taxes by finding other revenue sources. The non-binding resolution asks state lawmakers to stop taking pledges and instead, work on ways to find a more fair system of taxation in New Hampshire. Fifty-three towns have so far passed the resolution this March, joining the 14 other communities that passed it in 2007 for a total of 67 localities in favor. Four more towns chose not to debate the resolution this year after citizens petitioned to place it on the warrant. “This question has now gone before at least 31,000 voters, living in almost half of New Hampshire’s towns, which is a pretty sizable polling sample,” said Paul Henle, executive director of the Granite State Fair Tax Coalition.
SKUUF attendees at the Social Justice potluck held in October to determine priorities for action chose the Fair Tax coalition resolution to work for and the results in the towns where we participated were mixed and unpredictable. It will be interesting to see how the attention to the issue of high property taxes which fund 60% of NH government spending will affect political campaigns this fall. The results in towns with the resolution on the ballot this year with SKUUF friends/members in our area were as follows:
Ashland -3/11/08—Y
Meredith—3/12/08—N
Bridgewater—3/11/08—N
Plymouth—3/12/08—Y
Bristol - 3/12/08—N
Rumney—3/18/08—Y
Dorchester—3/15/08—Y
Thornton—3/15/08—N
Groton—3/11/08—N
Sanbornton—5/13/08
Hebron—3/11/08—Y
Waterville Valley—3/11/08—N
Hill—3/13/08—N
Wentworth—3/12/08— Tabled
We certainly appreciate the efforts by many to get the needed number of signatures on the petitions and the support in the town meetings with speeches.
Green Sanctuary
March has been a busy month for Green Sanctuary. Several of us met with Sarah to plan our “Earth Day Service” for April 20. In addition, to include the RE children in our planning they will be working with a D Acres Garden Manager on that day to prepare their own “worm farms”. We know all you moms are really anxious to get these farms home but really they will improve your garden and are a great learning experience for the kids.
After meetings with the Social Justice Committee, it was decided we could all use some discussion of the principles of social justice and eco justice, and how we as a community and as individuals might attempt to merge these concepts. We find ourselves barraged with needs and wonder about setting priorities for our energy and money. Thus we will be co-sponsoring a presentation Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. by a PSU faculty member: Social Justice and Eco Justice Principles and Practices: Getting to the Core. Please try to attend.
We have also received the new pre-application form for Green Sanctuary Status and will begin filling in our information. Once approved by the Board we hope to bring the Fellowship final information on the Green Sanctuary designation process so they can decide whether to proceed formally or continue our own work without a formal designation.
The Nominating committee is looking for new volunteers for most SKUUF committees. Please consider Green Sanctuary
Seventh Principle
Do you remove your shoes on entering your home? Many of us who are not culturally predisposed to this activity avoid thinking about it because we are conflicted about starting a daily routine that you would then need to impose on others. Food for Thought!
From Dutch homes of the 15th century, where it was not permissible to set foot in a room without first removing one's shoes, to removing shoes at the front door in most Asian homes as a mark of respect to the house and to honor its cleanliness and purity, taking off one's shoes at the front door can be a deeply ingrained cultural habit.
For those of us who don't share this habit, a good reason to consider initiating it is grounded in the pollutants they carry in from the outside world.
The benefits of removing shoes are many, including:
· Taking off one's shoes at the door can be a simple celebration of everyday life, as easy as kicking off your shoes at the front door to symbolize leaving behind the harried outer world, then lighting incense and being soothed by the subtle aroma of lavender wafting through the house.
· Less dirt and small rocks gouge our floors, gently buffed by bare feet in the warmer seasons and by softly slippered feet in the cooler months.
· Bare feet are treated to the comforting sensation of walking on smooth wood, or other flooring, an uncommon experience in itself.
· Less time is spent cleaning the floor.
· Infants and young children with more sensitive immune systems inhale cleaner indoor air.
· A healthier home is ensured because shoes track in lead, pesticides and other pollutants, contaminating carpets and floors, turning a home into a toxic place for pets and young children, especially, who spend more time on the floor.
· Shoes in Japan are left in the foyer, and traded for house slippers, with the gesture being both symbolic and a conscious desire to leave behind the outer world by shedding, literally, the first obvious steps—shoes.
· Home is seen as a separate, special place, a sanctuary.
Adapted from Japanese Style, by Sunamita Lim (Gibbs Smith Publisher
Humanism and Electricity
Can I combine these? Let me explain: I’ve been encouraged by others in our Fellowship to write an article about each of these subjects. Now, regarding the subject of humanism, I expect to be part of an adult education session on this, perhaps in the fall. We have several humanists in this congregation, not surprising since it is, after all, an important part of our Unitarian Universalist heritage. For many folks in our congregation, humanism plays an important role, though not completely, within their spiritual thinking. I presented a talk at one of the SKUUF services last summer on my own humanism. If you want a written copy of that talk, I can easily provide it to you—just ask. What I’d like to be part of in the fall is some conversation beyond that talk that deals directly with humanism’s continuing role within this Fellowship.
The minister of a Unitarian congregation I belonged to for many years in Boston (yes, not UU but, as the sign indicated outside the building, “First Parish, Unitarian”) was most comfortable presenting scientific lectures, not sermons, on Sunday morning. He was not a humanist, but rather more of a free-thinking believer. To this minister, God was in and through the fabric of the universe, like the electricity he dramatically described that was all around us and passing through us. Which leads me into the next subject.
Inspired by what I’ve been learning about energy savings at SKUUF over the last few years, I’ve been keeping records on my computer of my home electricity usage. I keep something similar for oil usage but that isn’t as much fun these days. I changed most of the light bulbs in the house a couple of years ago and replaced two old refrigerators, one of these less than a year ago, so I’m still seeing a good reduction in monthly consumption as compared with last year. In 2007, I reduced kwh by 18%, resulting in a savings due to usage of about $300 over 2006. There’s still much more I can do in the house to reduce electricity usage, and I wouldn’t probably do it if I couldn’t have the joy of tracking my progress. I actually look forward to receiving each new electric bill from the Cooperative so I can see how I’m doing. So if you think you may be similarly motivated, here are the columns you can set up on an Excel spreadsheet, going across the page:
Month # Days Usage Per Day Co-op Power $ All Other $ Total Cost
Set it up so that “per day” and “all other $” are calculated automatically for you.
Totals and average usage can be shown for easy comparison from year to year.
Social Justice / Eco Justice
April 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Green Sanctuary and Social Justice Committees welcome a PSU professor on Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary to discuss Social Justice and Eco Justice Principles and Practices: Getting to the Core.
New Members
On March 22, we had a Path to Membership class after which ten people signed the book.
Sarah also decided to become a member of SKUUF and signed the book two weeks previously after the service in which she explained this decision. Most of you already know about this, but if you weren't at the service or haven't heard her talk about this, I'm sure she'd enjoy sharing the thinking that led her to this decision.
If you haven't gotten to know some of these folks (and some of them have just been at SKUUF for a few months), make a point of seeking them out at coffee hour or other times. Please welcome them all to their new status as SKUUF member.
Moments for All Ages
Do you enjoy sharing stories with children? Would you like to participate in leading a Sunday morning service? Sarah and the Worship and Music Committee are looking for people interested in leading Moments for All Ages on Sunday mornings. You may have a story or activity you have developed, or you may simply sign up to read a story Sarah will provide.
Please see Sarah Stewart to sign up for a Sunday.
Spring Adult Ed Offering
Wise Women in Training
Wise Women in Training will meet on Wednesdays, April 9 and April 23 from
10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the nursery area at SKUUF to continue their discussions of “healthy aging.” New members are welcome.
Starr King Family Seder and
Pot Luck Dinner
- What—Passover Seder UU Style. You bring a pot luck dish to pass.
- When—Saturday, May 3, Seder celebration begins at 5:00 p.m., dinner at about 6:00 p.m.
- Where—Starr King Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart, Minister
New Group to Use SKUUF Space
A Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous Group will begin meeting in the Youth Room on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., in April. Hosting this group is part of Starr King Fellowship's work with the community.
From the group's website at www.slaafws.org: "Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12-Step Fellowship of men and women who help each other to stay sober. They offer the same help to anyone who has sex addiction or love addiction or both and wants to do something about it."
Please join me in being welcoming and respectful of this 12-step program for adults of any sexual orientation.
Starr King View
Minister: Rev. Sarah Stewart
sstewart@starrkingfellowship.org
Office Administrator
admin@starrkingfellowship.org
Office: (603) 536-8908
Website—www.starrkingfellowship.org