 Unitarian Universalist Church of
Loudoun Newsletter
March 2008
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One of the most important meetings of our church
year will take place on the last Sunday in April - the
election of officers to UUCL's Governing Board. The Nominating
Committee (elected at the January Congregational Meeting)
would like to hear from any members who are interested in
learning more about the Board positions and being a
candidate.
Here's what our By-Laws say about the
process:
Nominations to Office;
Conduct of Elections
Candidates for Governing Board, including
Officers, shall be selected by a Nominating Committee chosen
by, and acting with the guidance of the congregation. The Nominating
Committee shall receive written suggestions on Board
nominations from interested members of the congregation. Any individual
nominated for a particular Office or Board membership by five
(5) or more members shall automatically appear on the ballot,
unless the individual declines to stand for election. In the absence of clear
guidance from members, the Nominating Committee shall choose a
slate of candidates for the vacating Board seats, which shall
be published for the membership in the congregation's
newsletter at least four (4) weeks prior to the date at which
elections are held.
The membership of the congregation shall
continue to have the opportunity to nominate candidates up to
two (2) weeks prior to the date of election by the petition to
the Nominating Committee of five (5) or more members. Election may be by
acclamation in the event there is only one candidate for a
given Office. In
the event there is more than one candidate, a secret ballot
shall be provided by the Nominating
Committee.
To suggest a candidate for office, or express
interest in serving, contact the chair of the Nominating
Committee - Chris King, pking811@aol.com.
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Sunday Worship Services
- 9:30 &
11:15AM
Mrach 16: A "Good" Epidemic?
Rev. Amy Kulesza DeBeck
Join Reverend Amy for services
as she explores whether
good things and good works can be
contagious.
March
23: Easter for
UU's Rev. Amy Kulesza
DeBeck
The UUCL Choir will perform in a
celebration of Spring
and new beginnings.
March 30: Justice Sunday
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
sets aside one Sunday a year to look at some of the bigger
issues in our world. This year they are encouraging us to
look at the drain on this nation's resources the Iraq War has
created on our nation.
Announcement
- UUCL
will begin our summer service schedule with one
worship service starting Sunday, May 4th at
10AM. Religious Education classes will continue through
the end of
June. |
Religious
Education News
Saturday,
March 15 at 9:30 am the Youth Group will travel
to a Buddhist Wat in Sterling to learn more about the Buddhist
faith. Contact Karen Ward for information. dre@uuloudoun.org
Saturday,
April 5, 2008 - Loudoun County Schools 2nd Annual Parent
Involvement Symposium - 8:30 am to 1:00pm
Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn. The
Keynote speaker this year is Dr. Crystal Kuykendall author of
the book, From Rage To Hope. Here is a link to her
website: http://www.crystalkuykendall.com/
You
can register to attend this Symposium on the Loudoun County
Schools Website. I hope to see you there!
Can
you spare an hour a month and serve on our Religious
Education Committee? We would love to include
you. Please contact Denise Kirwan, chairperson, or Karen Ward,
DRE.
Grace
of the month:
One
more day to serve.
One
more hour to love.
One
more minute to praise.
For
this day I am grateful.
If
I awaken to the morning sun,
I
am grateful.
--Mary
Lou Kownacki
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A MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER . . . Rev.
Amy DeBeck 
MANY
of you have responded to me, thank you, and signed up at
church for Covenant Groups. If you are interested in a
Covenant Group, please respond to me directly for any
group at revdebeck@aol.com.
The primary emphasis of a Covenant Group is to
care for each other and encourage spiritual growth,
and meet needs for affirmation and acceptance. By creating an
open, supportive, and nurturing environment, a Covenant Group
promotes and facilitates spiritual growth and mutual
interactive care for one another.
Additionally, a Covenant Group offers
opportunities to search and grow at your own pace and
in your own way through learning together in specific
areas of interest. As a result of your expressed
interest, there are a number of Covenant Groups starting at
UUCL, including: UU World (to discuss
articles and issues presented in the UU World Magazine);
Caregiving; Retirement &
Beyond; A Gathering of Artists;
Men's Issues &
Medication.
The
UU World group's first article can be read
online at http://www.uuworld.org/spirit/articles/90593.shtml
It is an article about UU and prayer. This group will
meet Tuesday, March 11 from 7:30 to 9 pm at the chapel.
This is definitely
meeting, as several folks have contacted
me.
The Caregiver
Group is led by Bern Wladyka--contact her
if you are interested (bernwladyka@yahoo.com). It is an
ongoing group and usually meets monthly
Barbara Elvin
will be leading the group called Retirement and
Beyond, dates and such to be
determined.
Mary Lazar will host A Gathering of
Artists at her home studio, which is very nearby
our church. She would like to meet once a month from March to
June, dates to be determined.
A word about the Mens
Issues covenant group I'm convening. We
have three participants interested so far, beginning Tuesday,
March 25 at 7:30 at the church. I have three takers so far-- 2
more and the group will go. If nobody else signs up I
will switch to another topic that men will be free to join,
but the topic will not be men's issues.
We have several people interested in a
Meditation Group
and Richard May will facilitate on a Tuesday or Thursday,
TBD. First 20-30 minutes is meditation, next is
check-in, followed by educational video or discussion, or
journal piece. Contact me so I know
if we have enough folks to make it
work! |
SATURDAY,
MAY 3RD
NEW DATE
FOR UUCL SERVICE AUCTION!!!!
Please make a note
in your calendars for the 2008 UUCL Service
Auction!
The theme this year is "HAVING A BALL" -
so come dressed in your Ball Gowns or
Mardi Gras regalia for loads of fun
and
spirited bidding (both silent and live
auction items). You will have
the opportunity
to bid on diverse dinners with UUCL
friends, unusual items and services (from
horse riding lessons and
jewelry to a French Maid to help serve the food at your dinner party!).
The date has been
changed to Saturday, May 3rd, so be sure to mark this
on
your calendar. It will be held in Sykes Hall
at the 4H Fairgrounds in Leesburg
from 6-10pm. Stay tuned for more detailed
information.
If you would like to help plan this fun and
fabulous event, contact
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Potluck Dinner & Fun
Saturday,
April 5th 6PM
At
the church
The
Membership Committee is sponsoring a family-friendly event
to celebrate the Spring and our great
community. Music and other entertainment will
be provided. For more information, email membership@uuloudoun.org. |
Develop Your Own Theology in Adult RE
Classes
As a result of the success of the
previous Adult RE Class, a new group will start at the end of
the month. This group will step back and explore the first
book in the series, "Building Your own Theology -
Introduction." New and old members alike will find this an
interesting exploration. Please join us if you are
interested.
We will continue the current format,
discussing one session each week, so drop-ins are welcome.
Members of the group can further explore any particular
session on their own as well.
The sessions started on February 25th
and end sometime in April or May (to be determined). The
schedule for the group will be Monday evenings from 7-8pm
downstairs in the church.
The group will be led by Skip
Freidhof. For more information, place your name on the
sign-in sheet at the back of the church or contact Skip at
skip@gsscreative.com or phone at
571-435-7046.
Bring refreshments to
share
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WOMENSPIRIT
UUCL's women's earth-centered spirituality group will
meet at the church at 7 pm on Fri. March 21. Bring a rock to cast a
circle, snacks & beverages to
share. |
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Committee/Group
Meetings
Membership Committee Meeting
- meets at 7:00PM on the
2nd Wednesday of the month at the
church Chris King and Dene Hill are co-leading the
membership committee this year and are looking for new
members to be a part of this important committee. Come join us
to develop creative ways to reach people. All are
welcome!
Worship Committee
Peggy Fallon is chair of the worship committee
and is working on winter services. The worship committee is
open to suggestions and input, so please feel free to share
your thoughts or become involved in this committee. Contact
Peggy for more information at: mlfallon@aol.com.
Caregiver Support Group
- The caregiver support group provides an
opportunity for people who are acting as caregvers of a loved
one (parent, sibling, child, friend) to share resources or
information and find comfort in a safe and supportive
environment. For more information on the caregiver support
group, contact Bernadette Wladyka at bernwladyka@yahoo.com.
Book
Club- For up-to-date information, join the Book Club
Yahoo Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uucl-bookclub)
Religious Education Committee Meetings
-
meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM at the
church. Meetings generally last about an hour (children
welcome to play quietly while we meet). Here are some
things we are working on this fall: Curriculum
mapping, Creating a Master Calendar, Nurturing our Youth
Group(s), and initiating a Coming Of Age program. Can
you help out? If you cannot make the meetings but would
still like to be part of our discussions, join our Yahoo
group: UUCL-RE@yahoogroups.com
Board Meetings - First Thursday of the month at
the church, 7:30PM. All
welcome.
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HOSPITALITY HELP?
If you can help open or close the church, or provide
snacks onSunday mornings, please sign up at the back of
the church, or email to hospitality@uuloudoun.org.
Thank you!!
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The UU JAMMERS -
Monthly
A group of
mUUsical friends has formed to get together and play
music once a month, just for fun. Everyone who is
interested in playing, singing, or just listening is invited.
Things to bring: instruments, lyrics, songbooks, drums,
voices, snacks & beverages to share. For directions and
more information, contact Peggy Fallon at mlfallon@aol.com |
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Lisa Taylor Performs
Sat., April 12
8pm at the
church
Don't
Miss The Last Shenandoah Coffeehouse This
Season!
Come hear Lisa
Taylor's amazing voice, songs, guitar and percussion at
UUCL,
a venue that has
been described as so perfect for accoustic music that it is
like, "performing inside an instrument." Lisa is a longtime
Shenandoah favorite and
she just released
her first new studio CD in a
decade.
Tickets may be purchased at the door the night
of the show when the doors open at 7:30pm, half an hour before
showtime. Tickets are $12.
For more information about Shenandoah
Coffeehouse series, visit their web site:
http://www.shenandoahacoustics.com/
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THE WIDER COMMUNITY
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2008 JPD SPRING
CONFERENCE
Voices of Justice,
Hands of Change
2008 JPD Spring
Conference
March 28-30,
2008
Doubletree Hotel, Bethesda, MD
Join Unitarian
Universalists from DC, Maryland, Delaware, Northern Virginia,
Southern New Jersey, and Eastern
Pennsylvania (the Joseph Priestly District, JPD) for a
weekend of leadership development, UU worship,
inspiration,
and celebration.
The
conference will include Childcare, Elementary, and Middle
School programs, plus select workshops for High
School Youth and a full-length Bridging Program for
graduating high school seniors. Bring the whole
family! For more information, visit the JPD website, www.jpduua.org or contact the Joseph Priestly District Officeat 302.778.4564. UU CHURCH OF NIAGRA HOSTS "NIAGRA EXPERIENCE" Join UU's from around the country in Niagra Falls, July 20-23, 2008 with local UU friends. The UU Church of Niagrais conducting a four day UU Niagra Experience to encounter the Falls up close and from every perspective. For more information, visit their web site at www.uunex.net/ |
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UUCL BOARD MEMBERS/USEFUL
CONTACTS
President:
Glenda Parsons: gparsons@uuloudoun.org
Secretary:
Catherine Motivans: cmotivans@uuloudoun.org
Treasurer:
Leslie Wright: lwright@uuloudoun.org
At Large:
Carol Moses:
cmoses@uuloudoun.org
Minister: Rev. Amy
Kulesza DeBeck
minister@uuloudoun.org
For
an appointment, call 571-235-2021
Director of Religious Education: Karen
Ward DRE@uuloudoun.org
Newsletter:
newsletter@uuloudoun.org
Worship Committee:
worship@uuloudoun.org (Peggy Fallon, chair
person)
Hospitality: Joan Erikson joanerikson@aol.com |
UUCL's Amazing
Aliases
"Worship" and "caring " and
"finance", Oh my! When you can't
remember who is membership chair, want to suggest a
worship topic, or ask an RE question, just click
your heels 3x and use the UUCL email aliases. No
need to keep track of changes in personnel or spelling of
email addresses, just find the right alias.
Many of the aliases are already
listed on the About Us page of the UUCL web site, but
here is a complete list of Aliases. Use these in
newsletters, email correspondence, the UUCL
mailing lists, etc without fear of privacy
issues. Be assured that the mail will get to
the responsible person.
Example: To volunteer to
help close on November 11, send an email to hospitality@uuloudoun.org, and it will go right
to Bernadette W. and the hospitality committee!
UUCL Email Aliases
Group/Committee |
Alias |
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Governing
Board |
board@ |
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Building
&Grounds |
bandg@ |
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Calendar |
calendar@ |
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Caring |
caring@ |
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Comm
on Ministry |
com@ |
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Info/Technology |
infotech@ |
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Webmaster |
webmaster@ |
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General
Inquiry |
info@ |
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Leadership
Dvlpm't |
leadership@ |
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Membership |
membership@ |
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Communications |
newsletter@ |
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Hospitality |
hospitality@ |
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Public
Relations |
pr@ |
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Minister |
minister@ |
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Religious
Education |
re@ |
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Director of
RE |
dre@ |
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Social
Action |
sac@ |
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Stewardship/Finance |
finance@ |
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Welcoming |
welcoming@ |
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Worship |
worship@ | | |
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