Our October 2003 Newsletter, the Universalist Anchor

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Parish Notes

Semi-annual Meeting

 The congregation will hold its semi-annual meeting after the worship service on Sunday, November 16, in the Romaine-Van Schaick Room. The agenda will include a report on the church's finances and other reports from officers and committees. Also, there will be final discussion and vote on the proposed By-laws amendments that were distributed and explained in the June issue of the Anchor. (These amendments could not be adopted at the Special Meeting June 15 due to lack of a quorum.) If anyone would like additional information about these By-laws amendments before the Semi-annual Meeting, please contact Board Member Vicki Pepper.

Über Fellowship of Light

Mrs. Sue Mosher

After two years of meeting under the generic name UNMC Youth Group, the youth have chosen to call themselves the Über Fellowship of Light and have chosen the following officers:

     During October, the group studied Native American religion and Unitarian Universalism, learning about the Seven Principles embraced by many member churches of the UUA and visiting the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun.

Telling Our Story

The Welcome & Membership Committee (Sue Mosher, Mary Simmons, Donna Simonton, Mary Templeton) is undertaking two efforts to "tell our story" better and more visibly — monthly bulletin boards and a church handbook. The committee has asked various church leaders to contribute to these efforts. If you have not already been contacted, please get in touch with Sue Mosher at sue@slipstick.com or (703) 241-9828. The first bulletin board went on display last month, chronicling the youth group's trip to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun and the corn maze in The Plains. A prototype of the church handbook should be available at the semi-annual meeting after worship November 16.

Chorister Returns under Spotlight

A letter from former choir member Lisa Eden

Dear Friends, I am pleased to announce that I will be making my Kennedy Center debut as soprano soloist with the Master Chorale of Washington (formerly the Paul Hill Chorale), under the direction of Donald McCullough, performing Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, with full chorus and orchestra on Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 pm in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. To obtain ticket information online go to www.masterchorale.org/boxoffice. I look forward to seeing you there.

Chancel Flowers

Leland Place Outreach

On the first and third Saturday, November 1 and 15, we are scheduled to cook and share dinner with the men of Leland Place. We meet in the church kitchen at 3:00 p.m. and serve the meal at Leland at 5:00 p.m. Volunteers share the cost of the meals usually between $10 and $20. Also, we will collect groceries and toiletry items for the men of Leland on. So please drop off your donations downstairs in the kitchen and place them on the counter by the microwave. Leland Place is a residential facility on North Capital Street for men in recovery from homelessness and addiction to alcohol and other drugs, needs your help this month. To sign up, in advance of the scheduled events, please contact Dave Skidmore at (703) 237-2145 or leland@universalist.org. Leland Place is a program of So Others May Eat, Inc. (SOME), CFC/United Way designate #8189.

Children's Religious Education

UNMC's "one room schoolhouse" for children's K-6 "Sunday School" continued through the month of October. Teacher Vicki Pepper continued working with the children on the curriculum based upon a book on teaching virtues drawn from many religious traditions that is adapted for UNMC's RE use. Ms. Pepper works with Pastor Wells each week to tie the virtue selected into themes and Bible verses addressed in the adult worship service, and to provide a copy of the material discussed each week to the parents of attendees, so parents can follow up and discuss each virtue at home in a manner that accords with their family values. In October the virtues explored were:

If you would like to get involved in UNMC's Children's RE or would like more information, please contact Vicki Pepper, the Office, or Pastor Wells.

Pastoral Notes

The Rev. Scott Wells

Please keep Jennifer Sandberg and her family in your prayer at her mother's last illness. Remember, too Greg Wigle, after the passing in death of his brother Brad.

Some good news: Shanon Loring and Tom Curteman will be joining the church on November 2. Jacob Studley will be baptized on November 23, and he and his wife, Marcie Studley will join the church (as regular and associate members respectively) thereafter. Perry King, who formally joined the church in June, will be ceremonially welcomed with the Studleys.

Baptism? you might ask. Since it is not required for membership, it is a little wonder then that this is my first adult baptism. We'll be doing it in grand style — full forward-facing, three-fold immersion — as Universalists in the South practicesd until before the Civil War. I would like as many people as possible to follow us down to First Baptist Church (16th and O Streets) for the service (thanks to them for loaning us the robes and baptistry) early that afternoon, the time to announced later.

More good news: Speaking of expectations and welcomes, our prayers go to Kathryn and Dennis Desmond as they expect the birth of their child.