Thanks to Volunteers

As with most organizations like ours, volunteers do the vast majority of the work needed to keep the church and its programs running smoothly. We take some time to thank our volunteers occasionally – such as the Board recognition of a “church mouse” each month. 

But it is very true that we could do this much more – there are many volunteers who deserve recognition and sometimes offering “thanks” seems to slip through the cracks. 

A case in point is at hand as we prepare the Union Street property for sale. A number of people have donated a tremendous number of hours to maintaining and improving the Union Street property since we acquired it. 

John Wilms, Don Ferris and others worked hard to get the house in shape and keep its various parts working. Various other people have raked leaves, mowed grass, parked cars at events, and otherwise worked to make the property usable and attractive. 

Two of the most consistent Union Street workers have been Lisa Pantea and Dan Lybrook. They have handled the money end of the property – paying bills, arranging and paying for repairs when needed, and overseeing the caretakers.  Dan and Lisa definitely deserve our thanks for getting us through a difficult situation.

The house should be empty by July, and the church is now preparing to list the Union Street property for sale, which will involve more work for the dedicated group of people willing to give their time to the church. 

Next time you see anyone else doing their “normal thing” to help our congregation, give them a big “thanks.”  {or give ‘em a hand, that would be appreciated too!}.

Barny Dunning

Opportunity Knocks

Patty Wood has been the head of our Building and Grounds Group for over a year now, and would like to step down so that she can devote her “church time” to other activities. 

So we are looking for a new head of Building and Grounds. The B&G group is responsible for helping maintain the Seventh Street church. It is not a true committee (no meetings!) Instead it is a loose affiliation of people who will step up when something is needed. 

The tasks can be as small as changing a light bulb or as big as fixing the plumbing. The group also coordinates the occasional work days at the church, and does grounds work like mowing the lawn and trimming the bushes. 

The Building and Grounds Head is not expected to do all this work, instead they should be familiar enough with the group to know who to contact in a specific situation.  So it is more of a management position and doesn’t require the skills of a building contractor or professional landscaper. But it helps to be handy enough “around the house” to be able to diagnose what needs to be done (or at least, who needs to be called).

 If you are interested in heading up this group, talk to Patty or email Barny Dunning

Outdoor Group Going to France Park

With the heat you can't help but dream of floating on a big raft in a nice clean lake...so that is exactly what we're going to plan.  Saturday, July 8th we will travel to Logansport and visit France Park again

France Park is a hidden treasure around here.  Only an hour away and it provides a clear, blue swimming hole with fascinating fish to admire, great hiking, camping and biking.  You can even bring your own raft or rent one of their big inner tubes.  Bring a couple bucks for admission, your swimsuit, bike, hiking shoes and a picnic.  If you'd like to carpool, call me and we can arrange a meeting time and place.  I'll be headed that way about 9 am, but you can arrive whenever it's convenient.  Sorry, no pups allowed on the beach

See Tandy Easler for more details

And before I forget, if you'd like to help pull weeds at the church to help make it more attractive, call me and we can set up a time for that as well

Social Action Committee

Many thanks to the congregation for your generous support of CFRC the past two months.  Change for Change continues to focus on agencies that advocate for children and families in our community.

For July and August, we will spotlight Hanna Community Center, which has been serving the Hanna neighborhood since 1940 (25 years at its current location on North 18^th Street).

Initially, Hanna’s mission was to preserve the heritage of Lafayette’s black community and to provide social services that improved the quality of life for the neighborhood.

Today it ensures that health, social, recreational, and community services are provided for a multicultural population.

A variety of programs for youth are available at Hanna, including:

·      Summer camp– A 9-10 week full-day educational and recreational program for 5-12 year old campers.

·      Free summer lunch program for campers and other eligible children.

·      After school program – Provides a safe, caring environment with an educational focus for 5-12 year olds from 3– 6 p.m.

·      A music program for select students.

·      Food pantry – Provides clothing for children and food for families in need.

Additionally, there are programs for seniors.

Hanna Fest is held each summer, this year on Saturday, Aug. 12.  A community Thanksgiving dinner (serving about 350 people) is open to the public and will be held on November 12. Volunteers are needed for the large festivals/dinners, to help in the office, and occasionally in the youth programs

Religious Education

The RE Committee is excited by the prospect of working with Gary Fowler, Mark Van Meter, Mark Krivchenia and Tom Hertel, who have volunteered to form a Youth Service Group at UUC. 

They have a working model of a group which will combine service to the community, service to the church and a lot of fun. Please join us in thanking them for their efforts and in building enthusiasm for this project.

If you would like to help in this project or if you have suggestions for service activities, please contact Gary Fowler at fowlers@indy.net.  We sincerely hope the youth will be as excited about this as we are.

Old News, but Still Problematic!  Will whomever borrowed the Spring RE Attendance Count Sheet from the bulletin board for the New Building discussions, please return it to MIchele Tomarelli's mailbox?  We need the data.  Thank you.

Book Group

7 p.m., Monday, July 10, 2006
        A History of Love by Nicole Krauss

7 p.m., Monday, August 14, 2006
        Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

The Book Group meets on the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m. at Borders Bookshop in Wabash Landing in the lounge area where it joins with  Panera’s.  All are welcome to join us for discussions of books selected by participants.

Building & Grounds Coordinator Needed

Occasionally our church building needs repairs, or just a bit of attention. The Building & Grounds Coordinator would be responsible ONLY for finding or hiring people to make those repairs.  

In the past, the Building & Grounds Coordinator has kept a list of people who are willing to do small repairs.  Sometimes it has been necessary to hire experts to make certain repairs (such as the roof), and the Coordinator makes these arrangements. 

Patty Wood served as our most recent Coordinator and could give you more information about the responsibilities if you would like to talk with her.

SUNDAY FORUM

July 2. "Highlights of the General Assembly" Fresh from St Louis, John Wilms and other delegates will bring an account of what inspired them, what depressed them and what work remains to be done.

The month of July will inaugurate a series of five Forum programs examining the nature of religious beliefs.

Anthropologists have never found a society, living or dead, without evidence of a religion. Does this suggest that there is something universal in man’s quest for religious and spiritual goals, and thus a validation of our own beliefs?

Carl Van Doren, longtime professor of English at Columbia University, would think not. In a 1926 essay he proclaimed: "…I do not believe in any god that has ever been devised, in any doctrine that has ever claimed to be revealed, in any scheme of immortality that has ever been expounded."

He goes on to say: "Each was created by the imaginations and wishes of men who could not account for the behavior of the universe in any other satisfactory way." Unitarians may find their comfort zones somewhere between these two ends of the continuum. For the next five weeks, there will be ample opportunity for exploration and discussion.

July 9: Kim Harden: "The Need for Religion"

July 16: John Wilms and George Horwich "Our Endangered Values"

July 23: Keith Brown: "A Humanists View of Religious Beliefs"

July 30: John Finley: "A Scientist Perspective on Religious Beliefs

August 6: "The Language of Reverence"

Worship and Music Meets

Help By Working at Purdue University

It isn't too late to sign up for the Purdue work project. Shifts are still available July 3-6.

Caring Cans

LUM Report

LUM Camp

The Lafayette Urban Ministry is gearing up for its annual LUM Camp. This year's camp will be held at Hanging Rock Camp, from Aug. 7 - 11. This year's theme will be energy-where it comes from and how it can be conserved. Eighty campers will learn about fossil fuels as well as alternative fuel sources along with the more traditional camp activities of swimming, hiking, and crafts

Many volunteers are needed to fill roles as camp counselors. LUM needs three more junior counselors who are at least 16 years of age, and 18 more senior counselors who are at least 18 years of age. If you or someone you know would like to be a camp counselor you can contact Joe Micon at 423-2691 for an application, or you can download an application from the LUM website:www.lafayetteurbanministry.org

If you are unable to volunteer but would like to help in some way you can contribute a full or partial campership. A full campership is $125, but any amount no matter how small or large will be greatly appreciated, as LUM Camp is a major undertaking for the Lafayette Urban Ministry

Donations can be sent to: Lafayette Urban Ministry 525 N. 4th ST. Lafayette IN 47901-1004

Homeless Shelter:

Current needs

Hunger Hike

This year's Hunger Hike will be held on Sunday, Sept.17

The Hunger Hike website is ready to accept registrations from individuals and teams. Go to www.hungerhike.org for more information. There will be an organizational meeting on July 5 for anyone interested in being on the committee. Contact Patti O'Callaghan at 423-2691 for more information

-Mary Finley, Social Responsibility Committee

Please Check Lost and Found

Join the Greeting Committee

The Greeting & Membership Committee is looking for out-going, friendly people and folks who would rather work behind the scenes. The work of  this committee is vital to making visitors, new and continuing members feel welcome and a part of our fellowship. We meet the first Thursday evening of the month at 7 p.m. at the church. We need you!Call Della Willmann

Outdoor Clean-up at the church

We're planning two work days at the church to help beautify the landscaping and make it safer for the kids. 

This Thursday, June 29 at 9 a.m. we'll be meeting to spray poison ivy, rake rocks, pull weeds, etc.  And on Sunday, July 2, right after church we'll be pulling weeds again, eradicating the bats and planting perennials. 

Please come with your own tools and gloves if you can help. If you have perennials you can share, shade or sun, please dig them up and bring them along. We have plenty of purple coneflower, but if you have other plants, they would be greatly appreciated.

MINISTER’S MUSE

General Assembly was wonderful this year. Maybe because it was so close. Maybe it was because I had wanted for so long to visit St. Louis. I had passed through on the train a couple of years ago and had taken a picture of the Arch. This was an opportunity to spend 5.5 days in the Big River City.

Of course, General Assembly was pretty time-consuming. Still, later in the week I slipped away for a couple of hours and walked down through the city to the historic courthouse where the Dred Scott decision was passed down by the United States Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. The decision declared that all blacks – slaves or free -- were not and could never be citizens.

It was a sobering visit. The courthouse was beautiful with paintings depicting our nation, the spirits of education, justice, and the like. I walked up the iron staircase to the top of the courthouse – and looked down from the dizzying top balcony. If only people were able to gain height and perspective to see things as things really are instead of through our own filters – sometimes we are more successful than others.

I walked, a little shaky from the height, down to the first floor, emerged into the sunlight, and saw before me the immense arch – just across the street. The day was postcard perfect – the silver Arch gleamed against the blue sky – a vision of daring.

I was amazed at how immense it was. 930 feet! I saw two boys standing in the middle -- arms outstretched pretending that they could reach both sides. As I stood on the grass under the arch and looked up my heart flew up the sides of the arch – open, expansive, strong, welcoming. I felt as open as that Arch and as strong.

Gateway to the West, they call it. But it’s just as truly a Gateway to the East. Every gate provides an opening in two directions. It’s all a matter of perspective. The Arch is a symbol of St. Louis’ hope to be a gateway for people – rather like the Statue of Liberty was meant to be a gateway to our whole country. They are precious – these monuments to our sacred dream: that our nation be a welcoming nation.

Perhaps we’re all asked by that dream to be gateways ourselves – a gateway that goes both ways.

Every time we meet another person the gates may open and allow the expanse of that other person in to our homeland and open the frontier of our inner world to the other. We’re each gateways. It’s a dizzying and powerful feeling to stand beneath the arch and feel the frontiers meet where you stand. It’s dizzying and powerful to open to and another person. Perhaps we might each try, as an exercise in awareness, the next time we meet a new person, to imagine ourselves as an open gateway – generous and spacious, welcoming the other person in, allowing ourselves to emerge?  I’ll try.

It’s natural to extend this metaphor to our whole congregation – we are a gateway – as a congregation. Our task it to be open each Sunday, doors and hearts wide and welcoming, principle, spirit, and teaching wide and welcoming – to every person who seeks us out – tentative and wondering.

Perhaps the most important role that each one of us has is to be that gateway to each new person and to remain open to one another.

One good hour by a good river (the Wabash!) in the sunlight can remind us of the open space inside and of the promise that waits on both sides of every gateway.

Sometimes I think of what might be good names for Unitarian Universalist Churches in a town like this – names that might tell people more about who we are: River Valley UU Congregation, Wabash Valley UU, Gateway of the Heart UU, Redeemed by Reason and Love UU Church, Welcome on the Wabash UU, Circle of Life UU, Gateway of the Heart UU, Gateway Unitarian UU.