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Weekly Update of the
Unitarian Universalist Society
of Black Hawk County
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Hello!
I’m back in Iowa! Yesterday was a travel day, so you get this Update a bit late this week.
It was a very productive trip. I enjoyed learning about Adaptive Leadership, and getting to know some new colleagues. This encouraged us to see leadership not so much as getting the maintenance jobs done that keep the institution going, but rather to look at the questions that emerge so that we can adapt and grow. Hopefully we can put this to good use as we engage in our Identity process.
I also got up to New Hampshire. It was good to see my mother looking so healthy. And I also got to see my sister and her nieces. Just before I left, we got a lovely snow that blankets the hills and trees. It was so beautiful! I know that most of us are getting ready for winter to be over, but seeing the snow falling on that New Hampshire landscape reminded me of childhood winters visiting my grandparents. Warm memories.
Meanwhile, I’ve been following the protests and politics at UNI. I feel sad that there is disruption, but proud that so many of you are rising up to try and protect and grow a vision of our community, of Iowa.
See you in church!
~Eva
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This Sunday 3/4/12
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8:30 am Music Rehearsal
9:30 am Service: Stewardship Sunday “The Joy of Giving”
Join Rev. Eva and Shanlee McNally for this fun conversation about growing up UU . . . and why its such a joy to have this amazing community. Don’t forget your pledge cards!
11:00 am Children’s Chapel
11:15 am Sunday School for Children & Youth (classrooms)
11:15 am Adult Religious Education
“Defining Our Identity Kick-off Discussion” Facilitator: Brittany Flokstra
In an effort to encourage growth, create community clarity, and enable a long-range visioning plan, the UUSBHC Board and Committee on Ministry have joined together to begin an in-depth process of defining our society’s identity. As part of this process, we are going to explore and discuss many topics that will engage the church community in helping to co-create an intentional identity for us as a congregation. We will kick off these discussions in this session by explaining more about what we want from these discussions and how they will be set up, as well as opening up a Q&A with participants.
4:00 - 6:00 pm Earth Based Spirituality Small Group meeting
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Calendar for this Coming Week
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Monday
7:00 pm Green Living
Wednesday
5:00 pm Festival Sunday planning meeting
5:15 pm Children’s Choir
5:45 pm Dinner: Corned Beef & Cabbage, plus beans, rice, salad & fruit
6:30 pm Adult Choir
7:30 pm Theoretical String Band
Thursday
7:30 pm Buddhist Path
Saturday
6:30 Card Club
All events are open, unless specifically stated. We invite all who are interested to attend any meeting or activity that sounds intriguing to them.
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Office Announcements
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The March newsletter is available as follows:
- for downloading UUSBHC March newsletter
- paper copies are available in the fellowship hall at church.
- Also let the office know if you would prefer to receive the newsletter by email administrator@uusbhc.org
Stay Informed/Keep Us Informed:
FYI - If you are sending something for the Weekly Update later than 10 am on a Thursday and want the notice in that week’ Update, you should copy Eva so she can add it before sending the Weekly Update out on Fridays. I leave at 12:30 pm on Thursdays and no one checks my email when I’m gone. Janet
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Pastoral Update
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A note left in the Joys and Sorrows notebook by Deblyn.
2/28 - My family is undergoing more intense health challenges. My sister-in-law Debbie has been hospitalized in ICU in Dubuque since Monday and my brother-in-law Jeff just found out today he has a large tumor on his brain and will be undergoing immediate surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in Rockford, IL. I am scheduled to leave on March 8 for 3 weeks to Sylva, NC to finish my training as a Shamanic minister and breathwork facilitator. Be well... until I return... Deblyn
∞∞∞∞§§§§§§∞∞∞∞
Sending love and hope to anyone who is hurting. Please reach out and let us know. And please, let me know of any other pastoral updates to include from week to week. People want to know, and send you love, prayers or bring you a pot of soup! ~Eva
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Church Announcements
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Photo Directories
The photo directories have arrived and will be available at the scrip table. One per family. We also have a half-sized directory for folks that want an additional copy. Also, a PDF version will be available for your computer or portable device. Contact the office and we'll email it to you.
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UU Garden
Todd Munnik has agreed to captain the effort to grow a garden this summer! If you are interested in helping out, please seem him. Look for more information in the upcoming weeks. It will take a village to grow our garden, but with a bit of leadership--we will all have some fun with it! Thanks Todd!
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Children’s Religious Education Notes
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No RE During Spring Break
There will no children’s RE on March 11th and 18th.
There is also no Children’s Chapel during this time. Enjoy your break!
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Church Events
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UU Mystery Friends in April!
Kids and Adults, would you like to develop a new multi-generational friendship at the UUSBHC? UU Mystery Friends would be a great place to start!
Participate in this fun and easy program in April where RE students ages 4-18 sign up to become a mystery friend of an adult member of the congregation who has signed up to participate as well. During each week in April, the mystery friend will provide their child letters and/or trinkets. We will have a reveal party on Sunday, May 6th.
Sign up starting Sunday and through March. You can go to http://www.uusbhc.org to print off a registration form or pick one up from Moria Brown during coffee hour.
If you have any questions, please contact Angie Stafsholt or Moria Brown.
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Family Movie Night
Mark you calendars for Friday, March 23rd for the first ever Family Movie Night! Doors open at 6:00, show begins at 6:30. The movie will be determined this Sunday. Popcorn will be served.
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Wider Faith: UU Events and Opportunities
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Installation of Quad Cities UU’s New Minister
The UU Congregation of the Quad Cities is pleased to invite you to attend the installation of their new minister, Rev. Jay Wolin on March 18th at 5pm.
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PSD Annual Conference 2012: April 13-15
Lessons from War and Peace
Wars and rumors of wars are so much a part of our lives that we often fail to consider that a truly peaceful world is possible. Prairie Star District takes up this theme, "Lessons from War and Peace; Stories of Hope, Faith and Courage," at its Annual Conference, April 13-15, in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Two challenging speakers will present the theme for the weekend. Reverend Jim Eller, who has spent many years working on issues of reconciliation will present the keynote speech on "The Glory of Courage and the Joy of Reconciliation." The Judy Memorial Lecture by Thomas Weiner is "The Toll War Takes on All Who Are Called to Serve."
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This weekend conference is a time to meet with UUs from our eight-state area to talk and share together our insights, questions and hopes. How can we apply our UU principles to the difficult questions of war and its costs, economic, physical and emotional.
Middle and high school youth will be attending their own Con within the conference -"ConScience," which will explore the way UUs make moral decisions, especially as they relate to war and peace. The conference will have many activities throughout for youth and younger children.
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Community Announcements
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The War on Drugs – Is it time to reconsider?
March 26, 2012 at 7:00 PM University Room, Maucker Union
Speaker: Major Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
Lecture followed by reaction panel of university and community experts.
The War on Drugs was initiated in the 1970s in response to a perceived national problem of increased drug usage, particularly among the young. Since then, drug enforcement efforts have cost billions of dollars in federal, state, and local funds. In addition, the rapid increase in the number of individuals convicted for drug offenses and the length of their incarceration is primarily responsible for the fact that the United States has one of the highest per capita incarceration rates of all the nations of the world. Moreover this incarceration involves grossly disproportionate numbers of people of color. Finally, a number of studies seriously question the effectiveness of the War on Drugs in reducing the rates of drug addiction in our country.
Our speaker served in law enforcement for 34 years, in the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department. During much of that time he served as a narcotics agent. His remarks should encourage us to reconsider what our country is doing to address the drug problem and will open a dialog on what new, more appropriate responses should be.
Sponsors: UNI Public Policy Program, UNI Public Policy Club, UNI Student Government, and the Citizens for Undoing Racism Task Force on the War on Drugs.
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