Unitarian Universalist Church -- Newsletter, Current Issue

Please join us at the Meridian Street Church on Sunday, October 1, 1:30-3:30 p.m. for a potluck dinner which will launch the Stewardship Campaign for the 2007 year. Bring a dish to share and your own table service.

Help the Publicity Committee raise the profile of our church in a way that doesn't have to use extra time or money but just doubles the effect of your other charitable/civic contributions.

Your contributions to WBAA Public Radio can count twice if you make them through the church. Not only will you get the usual tax deduction and WBAA logo gift but WBAA will acknowledge the church as an underwriting sponsor and helps make the community aware of our presence. Instead of phoning during a pledge break or mailing in your contribution, write WBAA on the memo line of your check and put it in the collection plate or mail it to the treasurer. We will cash your check and donate the entire amount to WBAA in the name of the church. If you would like one of the premium gifts the radio station offers we will gladly collect it for you. If you need to contribute directly to WBAA as in payroll deductions, please make arrangements first.

ACTION: Do NOT send your contribution or pledge to WBAA. DO make a contribution or pledge to WBAA, but THROUGH the church. RESULTS: You get the same benefits, and the church has money to spend on advertising in addition to our regular budget.

Another way to make our presence felt in the community is to volunteer to answer phones during the WBAA pledge drive. Only a few people at a time are needed for a few hours shift. Local restaurants donate great food for the workers! It is also a fun opportunity to look behind the scenes at the radio station.

ACTION: Donate a few hours to the public radio station. RESULTS: On the radio you will hear them say "The phones are being answered by members of the Unitarian Universalist Church."

Any questions or to arrange a pledge or volunteer for the phones, please call Martha Lempke.

This month's church mouse award goes to Chap Flack. Chap has donated books to the congregation. His expertise and work on the church's sound system have improved the service experience for all. Recently he kept us all comfortable by resolving issues with the thermostat and air-conditioning. Chap takes the initiative to help when he sees there is a need or problem he can fix. We greatly appreciate Chap.

Do you play the piano? The guitar? The oboe? Flute? Drums?Autoharp? Saw? Do you play an instrument? It's one of our great joys at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette to share our musical talents. We have a special music service on November 19th. Don't be shy - your gift is welcome. We are planning the service now. Contact Rev. Hilary or the Chair Elizabeth Sternke Let's make music together.

The Book Group meets on the 2nd Monday of every month at 7pm 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. For more information contact Dagmar Murray.

Work progresses on finalizing our purchase of St. Andrew United Methodist Church. The purchase agreement details a series of steps that need to be done before we can close. Several of these steps are now completed: the sellers paid for a termite inspection, and we hired a firm to do a building inspection.

The latter document was submitted to us, and the Board will look over the report. No major problems were identified. A few steps remain (such as completing the title survey) but we should be able to close in a few weeks.

In a related step, the New Building Committee met in early September and discussed the role that they should play in the process as we plan for the move.

The members present at the meeting agreed that their work as a committee is done and have reported to the Board that they are finished as a formal committee. They recommended that two new groups be formed: a Transitions task force that will help plan the move to the new building, and a Property Management group that will get our two current properties ready for sale. All members of the former New Building Committee are encouraged to join one of these two groups or parts of our church program that will be involved in the planning (especially RE, Adult RE, and Long Range Planning). It will be vital to have the experience and enthusiasm of the NBC members in the steps ahead. Of course, the new planning groups will be open to all interested members and friends.

The New Building Committee (and its predecessor, the Future Space Committee) worked for many years to reach this point and we are extremely grateful for their long effort. A more proper thank-you will be published in the newsletter once the Board can assemble a list of all NBC participants – it’s going to be a long list! Also, Dean Upshaw was notified of our decision to buy an existing building rather than continue with the plans for construction.

The negotiating team who worked this summer to conclude this deal also deserves our thanks. Hilary and I appreciate the efforts and thoughts of Nina Kirkpatrick, Kaye McSpadden, John Carlson, Alice Abbott, Andrew Gutwein, Steve Nelson, and Dianna Poindexter in working through the details of our negotiations.

~Barny Dunning, Board chair

Interested in good food and great company? The next round of Shared Hearth Suppers will be the weekend of Nov. 3,4,5.

For those who have not participated, these arranged potluck dinners take place in members' homes. They are a wonderful chance to get to know each other in a relaxed social setting. If you wish to participate for the first time you need to fill out a form at the back of the church or call or e-mail as directed below.

As always, supper hosts are needed, so please let me know if you can provide the setting. I will e-mail the current list soon. Participants should respond if they prefer a certain day. This works wonderfully if I get the information before the invitations are issued. It would be lovely to see some new faces along with the familiar ones. You can contact me, Kathy Schroth.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so our Change for Change coins will support the YWCA DVIPP (Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program) children's programs.

When women come to the women's shelter, their children are often in crisis as well. A full-time staff member works with the children to make sure that their needs are met, and she also works with the mothers to improve their parenting skills.

DVIPP also offers evening classes for adults, which deal with anger management, self-esteem building, and effective parenting. While the adults are in class, a variety of age-appropriate activities are offered their children. The DVIPP children's program director is in constant need of arts and crafts supplies, educational materials, toys, games and other items to use in the children's classes.

Also, The Women’s Shelter is stocking items to prepare for the possibility of a flu outbreak. Much appreciated are the following:

Tylenol (generic) for adults and children; Anti-diarrhea medication; Pedialtye; Gatorade (powder); Bottled Water; Any electrolyte drinks; Kleenex; Cough medicine; Cold medicine (Sudafed, etc. - generic); Antacids

Congratulations to our own Kathy Schroth, new Program Director. Best of luck, Kathy!

This year's Hunger Hike was a great success. UU Youth raised $390.75 and were awarded six passes to the Arrowhead Bowl. Congratulations! Thus far $52,000 has been raised toward the Hike's goal of $60,000. Contributions to the Hunger Hike are still being accepted at www.lafayetteurbanministry.org/hike.html.

Thanks to all UUs for helping make this year's hike a success and for your continuing support of LUM!

The next Equal Exchange (EE) coffee order will be placed October 9th. EE is a business associated with the UUA and other like-minded groups to promote the sale of fair trade coffee, cocoa and tea. We drink EE coffee during the coffee hour after service.

Coffee is sold in 12 oz, 1 lb and 2 lb bags, in caffeinated, decaf and flavored varieties. Prices are very reasonable for products that promote social justice and environmental stewardship in tropical areas. We save money if we accumulate enough orders to buy multiple cases (a case has six 12-oz bags). If you want to join our order, contact Barny Dunning.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19, 6:30-8 p.m. We will be discussing ongoing business as well as planning for our November and December services. All monthly planning meetings are open. All members and friends are welcome to attend!

The Committee on Ministry is excited about our minister’s upcoming trip to the Middle East, sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Hilary will have an opportunity to visit and dialog with Israelis and Palestinians as she learns about the problems facing both populations. After her return, she will educate those of us in the congregation so we can better understand the issues underlying this significant and tragic conflict.

Hilary’s trip will also provide us with information, ideas, and a perspective to better appreciate the UUA Study Issue on peacemaking. Our congregation will sponsor events and activities both before and after Hilary’s trip to help guide us in our growth and understanding of the conflict.

While we will miss Hilary during her two week trip, we have been assured that Sunday services will be covered in her absence and a plan will be implemented to handle ministerial and pastoral duties while she is gone.

You may also be wondering how this time away from us “counts.” Is it sabbatical, study leave, or some other leave of absence? Well, since you asked-- our minister is entitled to be absent from her normal ministerial duties for eight weeks a year--four weeks may be taken as vacation and four weeks as study leave. The minister also accrues one month a year toward a sabbatical leave. Last year Hilary took two months of sabbatical leave, and one month of study/vacation leave. However, due to events that occurred affecting the congregation back here in Lafayette during her study leave and sabbatical tine, she was not able to complete her full study and sabbatical leaves. So Hilary will use the remaining portion of her sabbatical and study leaves from last year for her Middle East trip.

Stay tuned for information about upcoming events related to Hilary’s trip. The first will be the viewing of the Israeli film, Walk on Water, co- sponsored by Adult Religious Education and the Social Justice Committee on October 22.

Social issues facing the country make it important that we be informed. Women's right to choose remains under attack. Recent books, "The Way We Eat; Why our Food Choices Matter", for example, have described an alarming trend in the way meat, poultry and food crops are produced. Al Gore's documentary film, "An Inconvenient Truth", dramatizes the growing problem of global warming. The book, "American Theocracy", raises questions about the factors shaping our nation's stance in national and international affairs. Legalized wiretapping and questionable interrogation procedures are matters of congregational debate. Coming Forum programs provide opportunities to examine and discuss each of these issues.

October 1. "The Anti Abortion Movement Wants to Stop Abortions, Right? Don't Be So Sure" Kaye McSpadden. Kaye is President of the Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She will bring an inside view of the continuing efforts to protect women's rights.

October 8. "Personal and Societal Consequences of Vegetarianism" Ted Harris. Ted is President of NICHES Land Trust, a retired printing plant supervisor and a former vegetarian. He sees the meat producing industries as having far-reaching environmental and social impacts.

October 15. "Ethics and Politics of Climate Change" Leigh Raymond. Leigh is a professor of political science with a research focus on policies related to the environment, conservation, endangered species and climate change.

October 23. "American Theocracy" Phyllis Day. Phyllis, a retired professor of sociology, will review this recent book charging that America's policies derive from religious conservatism, deficit spending and an over dependence on foreign oil.

October 29. "Fear of Terrorism and the Erosion of Civil Liberties" Norman Pearlman. Norm is a retired physicist and one of the founding fathers of the local American Civil Liberties chapter.

On Saturday, October 28th, the UU Outdoor Group will be hiking at the Clegg Botanical Gardens. We will meet in the parking lot across the road from the gardens at 10 am. If you need directions or have questions, contact Tandy Easler

In arranging this concert with Greg, I said I would also find lodging for him for the 26th and 27th. This is not an uncommon situation for traveling folk musicians, to be hosted by the venue. Greg stayed in my home on a previous visit to Lafayette and another time at Noemi's. Addie has since taken over our upstairs and we no longer have a guest room. Is anyone willing to have a trustworthy, nice guy, folk musician in their home for a couple nights? If so, call Sharon McKnight.

Our annual art sale is coming up on Friday and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd. This is a fund-raiser for our church and a chance to socialize, eat great food, and purchase art. If you've been involved in the past, let us know you want to help again, and if you are new to this experience, come join us!

We are currently getting ready to contact artists, so if you are an artist or know someone who might like to participate, please contact Jennifer Cominetti-Craig.

The Mice That Roared

For over a year now, the Board has selected a monthly Church Mouse, a person who works quietly behind the scenes doing the volunteer work around the church that makes our community live and breathe. This month’s Church Mouse, Chap Flack (see p. 2), demonstrated his role nicely this past Sunday. When the sound system began emitting a noticeable buzz, Chap quickly moved to the back of the sanctuary and helped the sound engineer eliminate the problem. A perfect example of someone who is always helping out.

Currently, the Board has two problems with the Church Mouse award. First, we have too many candidates! At the August Board meeting, at least 6 very deserving people were nominated. With only 12 Board meetings each year, we would seem to have our award winners lined up for the rest of the year. But more people were nominated at the September meeting. The solution to this problem is simple: look for multiple winners in the coming months.

The second problem is also a good one to have. In the past month, we have had at least three people who made huge contributions to our church activity. Each person was responsible – either individually or as the head of a team – for a major, successful church project. This type of contribution doesn’t seem to fit the original definition of “church mouse,” unless one thinks of the proverbial Mouse that Roared. These people definitely deserve our thanks.

In August we had a very successful annual retreat. While many, many people were involved, two should be singled out: Lisa Pantea for overseeing the whole project, and Sue Robinson for arranging all the food. Both Lisa and Sue were constantly working on their responsibilities during the retreat, but they also seemed to have fun, too. And the rest of us had a great time, largely based on the planning and advance work done by Lisa and Sue.

In September our biggest social event was the service auction. And while lots of people contributed things to be auctioned (and lots of people contributed money!), the whole project depended on the great work done by Amy French. She arranged for food, tickets, auction items, and just made the event the huge

success that it was.

We are sure that other people involved in both events deserve thanks (and we expect to see articles with such sentiments in The Lighted Chalice). But the Board wanted to make sure that a special thank you went to Lisa, Sue and Amy for their great work over the last few months.

~The Board of Trustees

Minister’s Muse

This month my family from Mark’s side - a big bunch of it - came to town. I'd been hatching this for months - a celebration for him. I sure hope he doesn't mind this article... anyway, they poured into town and we had a birthday celebration for Mark. It was fun to plan! I was reminded that the joy of making something meaningful happen for someone is a very great joy indeed. The gifts that it bestows are very great gifts.

The funny thing was that I received a gift on Sunday morning when most of the family came to church with us. I didn't want to miss them and I didn't want them to miss the power of a Spiritual Journey Sunday. Often you learn a lot about Unitarian Universalism because each person takes the effort to put into words just why they are here with us right now and what makes this faith and this congregation a powerful place to be. Between speakers Keith Dannenfelser and Rosemary Leary, the strong worship leadership of Elizabeth Sternke, and the wonderful music offered by Kaye McSpadden, my family was given a glimpse of Unitarian Universalism at its best. They were delighted and they're still talking about it by phone and email. This church has something special - an energy, a sense of center that is growing clearer all the time, a sense of purpose that is stronger every day and my family felt it. I often get to see our congregation through the eyes of newcomers - as they share their stories and hopes with me - sometimes they can read our message and sometimes they leave still wondering.

I suggest that some Sunday you come to church and pretend that you are brand new. Come with a fresh attitude. See what feels good to you. See what you learn about the people here and the possibilities. Imagine this place as though you are a guest, a newcomer. Soon we are going to circulate a questionnaire to help you do just that. What are we doing that helps newcomers? - not based upon old opinions - walk in fresh and look around! What are we doing that's exciting? What small touch or large change would make a new person understand this place better or feel more at home? I know that I have said this before: every person here is an ex officio member of the membership committee , we are all responsible for being greeters and welcomers.

The week of our Committee Fair the buzz in the sanctuary was great! Lots of talking, visiting, snacking and networking. Lots of chances for new people to get connected and learn! That week John Wilms read this excerpt in the service from Diane Bergant in America: the Catholic Weekly:

In the ancient world, hospitality was not merely a point of etiquette; it was a requirement for survival in a perilous world. There were no general stores, and travelers depended upon the goodwill of others for food, shelter and necessary supplies while they were on a journey. The custom assured strangers that they would not be exploited as long as they themselves posed no threat. Some people even believed that divine beings roamed the earth in search of examples of human graciousness: "Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some unknowingly entertained angels" (Heb 13:2).

Whether there might ever be angels come to visit us would surely be a lively argument in this place - beginning with a good definition of the word "angel" but ultimately we each know that every person who walks through our doors is a person with inherent worth and dignity - an interesting story and someone who is seeking - something of substance in a world that traffics in lots of insubstantial things. We have something substantial here. We don't have to tell people about it - we just have to welcome them here. Help them get acquainted. Help them feel at home. And remember that the joy of making something meaningful happen for someone else is a very joy indeed. In fact it is one of the best ways of making meaning for yourself.

~Hilary

Maybe that question has wandered through your mind at times. Now you can find out! At our August Board retreat, we did an exercise suggested by Ray Wilson, our facilitator from the Heartland UU District. Ray placed a series of large pieces of paper on the walls, each headed with a phrase like “Strengths” or “Competition”. We went around the room in pairs and spent two minutes at each paper, writing down the thoughts that came to our head. If you want to see the things that were in the minds of the Board members at the retreat, see the lists we generated, now posted on uufolks.org. Check them out and let us know if you agree or disagree! ~Barny Dunning, Board Chair

Change for Change is Adding Up!

Many thanks to the congregation for your generous support of Community and Family Resource Center during our Sunday services. We collected $310.04 for May and June when folks put their extra change in the collection plate.. To date, Change for Change has yielded over $1300 in a

six-month period.

Change for Change continues to focus on agencies that advocate for children and families in our community. For July and August, we are spotlighting Hanna Community Center, which has been serving the Hanna neighborhood since 1940 (25 years at its current location on N. 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 and seniors are available at Hanna, and this year’s annual Hanna Fest will be August 12.

~Jean Tyner, Social Action

Politics and the Church

In the upcoming November elections, the issue of endorsing political candidates as a religious organization has never seemed more pertinent. Currently All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California is facing possible revocation of their federal tax-exempt status due to a sermon preached at their church before the 2004 Presidential Election.

There are two vital implications that we, as a church, must consider as the elections near. The first is that we are also a tax-exempt organization. In order to maintain this status we must, as a group, adhere to the IRS code which states that churches and religious organizations are strictly prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign, on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. Exceptions include presentation of public forums and the publication of voter education guides, conducted in a non-partisan manner.

The second implication, which is important to our cohesiveness as a group, goes to membership. For membership, our church doesn't require any kind of test or declaration of belief. This goes to religious belief as well as political beliefs. Each week at the beginning of our service our worship associate emphasizes this when stating that we are an intentionally diverse congregation. Intentional diversity calls each of us to welcome a variety of perspectives and, while we as a congregation or as a national organization, may make overarching statements of faith, no one member is required to belief and support these statements. Thus we hold a balance between our calling to speak to matters of justice and ethics and our need to avoid the politics of the marketplace. We plan, we build, and we travel the course of a non-creedal religious faith together. We walk a balance beam between our calling to speak to matters of justice and ethics and our need to avoid the politics of the marketplace.

At the next Timely Unitarian Universalist Topics (TUUT) meeting , October 4, please join a lively discussion of this topic.

~Elizabeth Sternke, Chair,

Hilary Landau Krivchenia, Minister

On behalf of the Worship & Music Committee

The Sky Is the Limit!

What an exciting time this is in the UU Church right now. Following a great all-church retreat and an energizing board retreat, we mingled waters from around the world to gather us together again after our summer adventures. Hearing personal spiritual journeys has inspired us once again, and we've launched this year's RE program, creating the next generation's spiritual journeys with a foundation in our Judeo-Christian heritage-from a UU perspective.

Our Social Justice and Responsibility Committees are very busy and engaged in the community. We support local social service agencies with our jingling Change for Change offerings. We had an awesomely successful service auction, and our equally awesome annual art show and sale is yet to look forward to.

We probably have the widest variety of discussion groups and opportunities of any church in west central Indiana. The Forum has earned quite a reputation as a dynamic, vibrant group exploring significant, complex and current issues. We have Biblical scriptural study and atheism discussion groups, groups for readers, writers, music makers, as well as for more silent, meditative types. There are clusters who share outdoor activities, or indoor domestic pursuits, such as FiberArts. And there's more: WUUTs, TUUTs, UUS, MCL and neighborhood groups. We have a minister and pastoral care committee whose loving fingers are on our beloved community's pulse, and soon, another round of Hearth Suppers will further nourish the connections among us. We can also boast some of the best cooks in the community!

Each one of us has dreams, hopes and gifts to share, which grow into reality only when we bring our ideas and resources together. On October 1, we launch our annual campaign to support the many programs and operation of our church. Like our church community, it's a pot-luck, made merrier and richer with each of us who joins in. Bring a dish to share, lofty ideas and hopes to launch. Let's take our vision for our church in this community further than we ever have before. As we move up, up and away to our new church home on Meridian Street in West Lafayette, we will all rise to new heights together. Our beloved community is poised to fly.

Let us celebrate this beloved community and our journey

Up, Up and Away, together.

Join us for a potluck and the kickoff of our 2006-07 Stewardship Campaign at our new church!

Sunday, October 1, 1:30 PM, at St. Andrew Methodist Church (which will become

our new home in about a year), 333 Meridian Street, West Lafayette.

Please bring a dish to pass and your own table service.

Your Change At Work $$$

Lynn Richardson and I were invited to attend a breakfast for families at Early Head Start a couple of weeks ago to see where our money is going. I was quite impressed with the creative, inexpensive projects and materials. For example, the families were given a felt board made from a pizza box. Each month they are given a packet of materials including a book to read to their children and simple projects like water play. It was fun to see babies being massaged by their mothers and others playing with the water or taking part in other games. These children are truly getting a "head start" and our money is helping.

Since the Stopping Child Abuse Summit last fall, I have been working with a small committee focusing on increasing Developmental Assets that would be

beneficial for young, inexperienced parents and their children. The committee developed a brochure that provides practical ways that assets can be increased, for new young parents and their children. The brochure, "Now I Am A Parent..." also includes phone numbers of agencies where they may obtain help. The Social Justice Committee will provide some funds for printing. Distribution of the brochure will begin at the second summit on November 2nd. More information on this conference will be coming. See Lynn Richardson for additional information. Thank you for helping with our projects by giving your change!

CARING CANS

For the month of October, please bring canned vegetables, fruits, meat products, or other non-perishables for the St. John's LUM food pantry. Place your donations in the baskets downstairs under the rear door coat rack or upstairs at the back of the sanctuary. Thank you for your donations in September.

~Sue Robinson, Chair of the Community Responsibility Committee, sub-committee of Social Juctice

While much of the work of Religious Education can be done by our energetic volunteers without much coaching, some training can help make certain aspects of the work go more smoothly. There are two areas in RE right now in which I feel we need more training, Youth Advising, and Special Needs Shadowing.

Our youth, particularly the younger youth in 6th through 8th grades, have coalesced into a vibrant, busy group. As a group, they are involved in RE classes, social justice work, OWL, and other outside activities that they enjoy doing together. They have a fine cadre of involved parents helping them do good while having fun. The Wonderful UU Teens, while not as cohesive, have recently had a Lock-In at the Church, and have two committed adults who are willing to help them manage their own social justice project.

Managing the activities of teenagers is fraught with perils. Youth is a time when people test their abilities, and indeed, it is often the case that their self-confidence exceeds their actual abilities. They are also at an age when we give them more freedom and responsibility to try adult activities, like driving and after school jobs, that were formerly off-limits.

When our young people come together for any church-related activity, in the eyes of the law we are usually “in loco parentis.” No, it doesn’t mean that they are driving us crazy, but rather that we are “in place of the parents.” It means that we are responsible for the well being of the children and youth unless we specifically tell the parents otherwise. Trying to estimate the boundaries of what we may permit youth to do under the auspices of the church can sometimes be harder than it looks. If we fail, and our young people are put in danger, the church faces serious legal and economic liabilities. If our young people are actually injured, then we are all injured.

For these reason, we are going to have a Youth Advisor Training session here at the UU Church. I will have the details for you fairly soon, so keep an eye out for the notices. A Youth Advisor Training is a day-long “class” that will teach us how to engage our young people while still setting reasonable limits for them. It also will introduce us to the legal ins and outs of youth ministry, such as getting the required permission forms for various types of activities, as well as familiarizing us with the recommendations of the UUA and HUUD.

It would be a testament to our congregation to have more than just parents come to the training session. As the youth get older and wish to have their own

independent identities, they prefer to have their parents less involved, but they still need some supervision. In addition, there is a program called

“Coming of Age” that other churches have which we do not, that pairs each young person up with a mentor or guide to explore spiritual and mundane issues. It is a program that I would very much like to start here. As you can see, thanks to the nature of teens, parents cannot do the job of mentoring and supervising our youth by themselves. Everyone working with our teens should have Youth Advisor Training, and we hope that that class will include more than just parents.

Our second issue has to do with the difficulty of “shadowing” our special needs children. Some of the children do not have the self-discipline to participate

quietly in class and to interact appropriately with the other children. They must have a dedicated adult, sometimes called a paraprofessional or “para,”

with them who can help them with control. Undeniably, it can be very demanding. If, however, we truly mean to be a Welcoming Congregation, every effort has to be made to include all of our children in RE. Unfortunately, RE is short of classroom aides, let alone shadows for individual children.

I thought we had a solution to the problem by having college students who are studying to be special needs teachers come and shadow our kids as part of their

course work. Their professor was interested, but has since concluded that shadowing our children will not prepare her students to work in a school setting. She has to do what is best for her students, of course.

Two other possible solutions have come up, and we are going to pursue both. Unfortunately, neither one will start soon, even if both of them pay off, and an

alternative and hopefully temporary solution is to hire paras for our special needs children. This won’t be cheap: one source indicated that shadows make $6.

to $10. per hour. It has been suggested that, just as congregants sponsor weekly flowers for the service, other congregants might sponsor a para. The

parents of special needs children find respite in attending the services, so in addition to contributing to their children’s religious education, as a sponsor

you would also be ministering to the children’s parents as well. Think of it as double the religious bang for the buck.

Without the shadows, we cannot continue to offer Religious Education to some of our more energetic young congregants. They are getting older and stronger, and cannot always be handled by a teacher who is responsible for an entire class, or sometimes even by an untrained volunteer. Some very good ideas have been suggested, and as I said, we are following them up, but until then, RE must

rely, not on the kindness of strangers, but upon ourselves. Please consider sponsoring a para. For more information, thrill me to bits by sending me an e-mail

Beverly Seese will lead a workshop on “Art as Spiritual Practice, Sanctuary Aesthetics: Investigation & Creation” on the Saturdays of Nov. 4 and 11, 10:30 am-2 pm. at the UU Church.

Beverly is presenting this ARE workshop as part of requirements for a Meadville-Lombard Seminary class.