Nominating committee proposes slate of candidates for annual elections

The Nominating Committee is very pleased to present the slate of proposed candidates for the UUC Board of Trustees, Nominating Committee and Endowment Committee.

      We thank all who took the time to consider serving in a leadership role and we welcome those who have agreed to serve this beloved community with their time, energy and heart.

Slate of candidates:
President Elect—Fritz Smith (3 year term)
Secretary—Joan Jurich (2 year term)
Trustee—Mark Vanmeeter (2 year term)

Treasurer—Janice Kritchevsky (2 year term)

Asst. Treasurer—Volker Thomas (2 year term)
Nominating Committee—Gale Kvam, Robin Poindexter (2 year terms)
Endowment—John Duvall (3 year term)
      Please plan on attending the Congregation meeting after church on April 22 to
vote on the slate of officers. It is important that we have a quorum to complete the vote, so please mark your calendars. 

Note: the following church leaders will continue serving in their current positions next year:

Barny Dunning—will be Past President in ’07-’08

Beverly Seese—will be President in ’07-’08

Kim Harden—Trustee

Lynn Richardson—Trustee

Nominating Committee—Lisa Pantea, Kyler Laird

Endowment Comte—Dan Lybrook, Marty Patchen
—From the Nominating Committee: Lisa Pantea, Kyler Laird, Kaye McSpadden 

 Highlights from the March Board meeting

March 11, 2007 Meeting

• Finance committee available to answer questions about revised 2007 budget.

• New form is available for service/petty cash reimbursement - see Karin.

• Approved recommendation for disposition of   year-end funds by finance committee.

• Volker and Edie Pierce-Thomas appointed treasurer of Capital Campaign funds.

• Authorized the transitions committee to spend up to $5000 for bids and moving related expenses without additional authorization required.

• Putting together long-range planning committee

• Congregational meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 22 to vote on the 2007 budget, and elect a new slate of board members.

Complete minutes can be found at https://uufolks.org/groups/board/minutes

—Dagmar Murray, UUC Board Secretary 

 This month’s church mouse award goes to Kathy Schroth.  Many of us have enjoyed food, fellowship and laughter at the Hearth Suppers that Kathy has been coordinating.  Kathy has also been a dedicated RE teacher for many years and can be counted on fill in where needed and provide stimulating and enriching lessons for our youngsters.  We greatly appreciate all Kathy does for our congregation. 

 The Transitions Council has been busy!

Greetings from the Transitions Council. March has been a busy month for us. Our focus this month was to create and implement an infrastructure for the overall transition that will be taking place at the end of the year through early next year.

      The last time the council met it was clear that one large group to take care of everything involved with moving and setting up our new home would not work. So, a smaller Steering Team met to figure out what groups were needed. We came up with a list of areas that needed attention and then created a network of teams that will focus on specific aspects of our transition. These teams will then come to Transitions Council and update the entire group, creating a hub of information and a vehicle of communication.

      The teams include: Accessibility & Renovations, Safety & Security, Aesthetics, Moving, Membership/Outreach, Sanctuary, Religious Education, Maintenance/Upkeep Needs, Exterior, Capital Campaign, 7th St. Property, Union St. Property, Grants.

      A volunteer sign up on Sunday March 18 was a great success. Currently only three teams, Membership/Outreach, Exterior, and Maintenance/Upkeep Needs are without leaders.

      Transitions Council will have monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 in the sanctuary. Our next meeting will be Tuesday April 10 at 6:30pm. Meetings are open to all.

      This is an exciting time in our congregation and there is a lot to do in the coming months. There are still many opportunities that will need volunteers and we encourage everyone to become involved in the transition. Please direct questions and comments to Alanna Steffen: chair of Transitions Council. 

Pastoral Care Workshops were very helpful

      In order to better minister to each other, a series of Pastoral Care Workshops was held every two weeks on Sunday afternoons starting on February 4 and ending on March 4.  These workshops were sponsored by the Pastoral Care Committee, were led by our minister, Hilary, and used materials first prepared by the Pastoral Associates Program of a Fremont, California, UU Church.

      These excellent materials covered such topics as a code of ethics for the giving of care, guidelines for active listening and responding, hospital and shut-in visiting, dealing with death and grief, caring for people with mental disorders, and even grief caused by the death of a beloved pet—to name just a few!

      All who attended were rewarded with fresh insight as to how we might more thoughtfully care for each other.

—Mary Ann Foley, Member of Pastoral Care Committee 

Union Street cleanup—save the date!

There will be one more clean up day to tidy up the exterior and yard of the Union Street house to ready it for sale.  Plan to come on Saturday, April 14 from 9am-noon. Please bring leaf rakes if you have them. See you there! 

Service auction follow-up

Well, the auction came and went—a good time was had by most.  Now we must remember both to supply and collect on those wonderful services.  If the good time has worn off in the winter and you need to relax with a massage, or a nice dinner, or some relaxing music...

      Just collect on those items you purchased.  If you need a reminder of what you purchased, or who you must supply, there is a binder in the church office with that information.  Collect on last year’s items before we do it all again in February!

—Amy French 

Change for Change continues to make a difference!

The March Change for Change collected $263.44 for the Lafayette Housing Authority. Thanks to Edie Pierce-Thomas for raising awareness about the need for housing in our community and for all you do to help those with housing needs!

      For the month of April, our change will be collected for a unique program called PetSafe. Keep reading to learn more...

PetSafe is a community service program offered by the Veterinary School which provides for the emergency short term care and h

ousing of animals.

      Animals are accepted from all types of families in crisis. Examples would include loss of housing due to fire, flood, or tornado, sudden catastrophic illness, and incarceration. The majority of PetSafe users are women entering the local domestic violence shelter.

      Domestic violence, child abuse, and animal cruelty are increasingly being recognized as different manifestations of a common societal problem. It is rare when one form of violence occurs in a family without one of the other forms also present.

      Families in which domestic violence occurs own pets at rates similar to the general population. These pets serve as an important source of emotional support to women and children in these situations. 

      Many women will either not leave a violent situation or will return to a dangerous household in order to care for their pet. Abusers use either the real or threatened harm to a pet as a means of ensuring the silence of victims or to modify their behavior.

      When PetSafe cares for their animal, a formidable barrier to fleeing a violent situation is removed for many women. By meeting the YWCA-DVIPP need for animal sheltering options, PetSafe enables more women to seek safe housing.

Thanks to Janice Kritchevsky for providing this information about PetSafe. 

Outdoor Group announces Earth Day activity

In celebration of Earth Day, the Outdoor Group will be picking up trash along the Heritage Trail on Saturday, April 21 from 10am-noon.

      We will meet on the pedestrian bridge over the Wabash River downtown at 10am. Please bring trash bags and gloves.

      Contact Tandy Easler with questions

 Friends and members can shop at Meijer and make money for the church!

Our church is now enrolled in the Meijer Community Rewards program. If you are a Meijer customer, you can easily participate and help raise extra funds for the church. You may enroll in the program at a Meijer store, or by going online at meijer.com/rewards, or by picking up an application form at the back of the sanctuary. If you already have a Meijer credit card, just call 1-800-962-7011 to join.

      Then simply swipe your card at the register whenever you shop at Meijer. Use it for food, clothing, toys, home accessories, and more. The church will automatically receive a percentage of your purchase totals.

      A poster and enrollment forms are in the back of the sanctuary. If you have questions, contact Julie Lahner .  

 All church retreat—Aug. 10-12

The Annual All-Church Retreat at Ross Camp will be held the weekend of Aug 10-12! Please mark your calendars!

      We will have a planning meeting after church on April 8. All are invited to help plan this fun intergenerational UU event.

      A word of explanation to those unfamiliar with the retreat or with Ross Camp. This annual event has been held for 17 years now. Ross Camp is located  in Tippecanoe County, approximately 15 minutes from West Lafayette, along the Wabash River.

      We have rented the Gordon Jones

A-frame lodge for the entire weekend, starting Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. There are two large gathering areas in the lodge, including a kitchen/dining area that seats 100.

      The other half of the lodge is sleeping quarters, 11 rooms, each with 2-9 beds/room.  Each of the 11 rooms has its own private bathroom, so there are plenty of toilet facilities. There is a campground very near the A-frame, for those who want to camp.

      We will do our own cooking.  It is important that all people pitch in and help with meals, set-up, and clean up.Workshops will be provided for adults and children and a host of other activities including hiking, sailing, fishing, golfing, birdwatching, biking and rollerblading are also available. Sat. night we will have our

traditional dance and Sunday morning there will be a worship service.

      The Annual Retreat is one of the best ways to get to know your fellow UUs, and the workshops are always a good blend of the spiritual, physical and intellectual.

      More details will follow but please come to the planning meeting on April 8 if you are interested in helping to make this a great UU weekend!        —Lisa Pantea and Mark Krivchenia

Save the date!

Annual All-Church Picnic

Sunday, May 20

After Church

Happy Hollow Park

More details later 

Your participation is crucial to UUA Peacemaking Study

Action Issue

The Peacemaking Subcommittee of the Social Justice Committee seeks your participation in the enclosed congregational survey.  The survey is part of our effort to develop programming based on congregational interests in response to the UUA Peacemaking Study Action Issue.  In order for a Study Action Issue (SIA) to become an official UUA Statement of Conscience, 75% of congregations must respond to the SAI.  It is vital that you complete the survey so that we can develop a meaningful response and ensure that the UUA can address “Peacemaking” as a national organization.  Please return the

survey to the box at the back of the Sanctuary or mail it to the church office (17 South 7th Street, Lafayette IN  47901; 765.742.0460).

      You can read more about the Peacemaking SAI at www.uua.org/csw/issues_pm_ga06 or  contact Fritz Smith at smith.fritz@insightbb.com.  

Religious Education Happenings

Religious Education Director: Michele Tomarelli

OWL schedule

We’ve had a long break – and starting in April we are on the home stretch.

• April 8—regular session  (Yes, that’s Easter.)

• April 29—meet from 12:30 to 4:00

• May 13—final meeting with parents and kids, will

  be no longer than 90 minutes  (Yes, that’s

  Mother’s Day.)

All sessions are in the sanctuary.

Note: scheduling has been difficult and may be changed.   —Kris Taylor

It takes a village, continued

Understandably, some concerns have been expressed about our new expectation that parents help in RE as teachers, aides, or in some other capacity.

      Let’s try to address them.  First, if parents are involved in service to the church in some other roles or have a difficulty such as illness, then naturally we aren’t going to pressure them to do more than they can.

      Moreover, we still have our policy of not allowing people who have not been in the church for less than a year to teach, unless they have had solid teaching experience as members of another UU congregation.  That still gives the newcomers the chance to serve as aides. Being an aide is not only a useful activity in itself, but is also the traditional RE way of finding potential new teachers.  Once a person sees how much fun it is to be an aide, teaching with an experienced teacher as one’s own aide isn’t as daunting.

      Another concern was that if we have an expectation that parents will teach, then nonparents will feel that there is no need for them to become involved in Religious Education.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  More hands make light the work.  Just as important, we want the wisdom of the elders and the energy of the young in our classrooms.  Children do not grow best if they see the same people over and over again, or only interact with a limited range of ages.

      Still, there is a practical aspect to expecting parents to help out.  When I was teaching human sexuality, it was not unusual for a young women to complain that it isn’t fair to make birth control the burden of the women. Too true, and men should certainly have more birth control options than they currently have.  Nonetheless, it is the women who have most to deal with as the the result of unintended pregnancy, and so they must be most attentive to birth control.  By the same token, while we all want well-educated UU children, it is the parents who have the greatestest investment in the children’s well-being.

      It really does take a village to rear children, however.  Parents, go ahead and invite a nonparent or two to come and see your child’s team leader or me about helping. You probably know someone in the congregation who has some facinating skills and insights to offer the children and youth.  Nonparents, come on downstairs and lend a hand. 

      The future of the Unitarian Universalist Church depends on teaching our children UU values, but as important, it means that we must make the children feel valued and a part of the whole church community, and not a subgroup, shunted off below stairs and forgotten.  Note that I said “our children.”  The children are a part of us all.

WANTED: The RE Committee is seeking an individual with a sense of the ridiculous and a love of play to direct a student production this spring.  Dates and times can be coordinated by the Theater Director in conjunction with the RE Committee.  The script is available for review if you are interested.  Please contact Amy French (amyfrench@insightbb.com or 418-2009) if you would like further information on this wonderful opportunity.

R.E.Teaching Schedule

Pre K   April: Beth Misner

K-2nd   4/1, 4/8, 4/15: Kim Hardin      4/22: Jen Caminetti-Craig   4/29:Kim Hardin

2nd-5th  April: Kathy Schroth

6th-8th (BAM!)  April: Lisa Pantea

9 & up (WUUT)  April: Greg Reynolds 

Minister’s Muse

It feels, today, like spring is in full swing.  The crocuses are up, I no longer feel the urge to tell my daughter to wear long pants instead of shorts, please, and the bustle around the church is increasing.  The Passover Seder is Sunday, April 1, a sure sign of spring time activity, when families come together and celebrate the spirit of freedom. 

      In spite of the warm weather the turnout for both the service and the potluck were great today.  The speakers, from the Indiana Save Darfur Coalition came from Fort Wayne through the hard work of Charles Coley, Jean Tyner, and the efforts of Social Justice.  In addition Sharon McKnight played for the service, which ended on a sweet a capella note as she sang “My Country’s Skies.” 

      Once again, as on an increasing number of Sundays, there is so much energy.  I could see the Darfur Dolls that our young people made with the youth of Temple Israel were selling well and raising money for Darfur relief.  The petitions were signed, and Unitarian Universalists were hard at work building justice today and for tomorrow.  As I reviewed in last week’s sermon on the transition, there is so much that this congregation has accomplished over the last number of years.  The new building will provide a strong new center from which even more positive can emerge. 

      I have grown to enjoy coffee hour over the years.  I used to dread those open-ended conversational opportunities, but now I can hardly wait to meet the new people, to check on familiar people and learn about their struggles and current events.  Today I even got to hold little Caleb Reynolds—just a handful of baby right now.  And yet, with all the activity there is hardly enough time to get around and to talk with everyone I want to connect with.  I can see someone leaving down the stairs before I have had a chance to check in.  I suppose that will be a growing challenge as the congregation grows.  It will get harder and harder to check in with every person – much as I want to and would benefit from it.

      It is my hope that you all remember that even if I don’t get to check in with you on Sunday that I am still here for you throughout the week and the year.  That I want to hear from you, to meet with you, to get to know you if we have not had a chance to connect—so, please, give me call at the office and we can make time to get together. 

      Particularly during a time of congregational change it can be a little disconcerting and you may wonder where you can put your energies, if anyone has time to listen to your concerns, if your idea is as important as some other idea.  Congregations are always hungry for ideas—well not only for ideas, but for hands to help make them realities.  There is always a place—people who would like to connect, space for welcome, and a couple hundred caring ears, including my own—no matter when. 

      And all of these concerns are magnified when you are new to a congregation. Then, it’s even more important to connect with people. Perhaps you can meet with the minister, get your questions answered, and get a sense of the church and the place you may want in it.

One of the things that I have found heartening as the transition moves forward is the involvement of new people, people who are not afraid to offer their skill or just their willing energy. 

      It is just as heartening to see the constant efforts to involve members of long standing, as well, so that the new church is not simply a new building with new people in it, but a place of heart, history, and hope—with roots in the past and branches toward the future.

      This is an important time for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette. It is a time of exploration, priority setting, looking to both the near and far future, and making sure that we are working together as a community.  All of this requires good, visionary, generous, and caring communication.  It will carry the congregation through these complicated and bustling times and make for a harvest after the bustle of spring and the warmth of summer that will sustain this congregation for many years. 

Atheism Discussion Group

The Atheism Discussion Group will meet from 6-7pm on the second and fourth Thursday of April in room 4. On April 12 we will discuss overcoming antagonistic atheism, and on April 26 we will discuss Stark’s rational choice theory of religion. Please contact JC  with any questions. 

You Too Can Sponsor Flowers!

Either sign up on the sheet in the back of the santuary or call Karin, the church secretary, to make arrangements. The cost is $20.00, and you may take the flowers home with you after the service. Please return the vase so that we can recycle it. 

SUNDAY MORNING FORUM

The Sunday Morning Forum meets at 9am in the Red Cross building across the parking lot from the church. Everyone is welcome! Childcare is provided.

Forum will devote the entire month of April to discussion of issues of particular concern to women.

April  1 “How Have 40 Years of Feminism Affected Our Society?”  Terrie Kercher.  Terrie has a Ph.D. in Family Studies and has led many conferences and retreats designed around the women’s movement.  In addition to her experience, she will draw on the new book, The Female Brain.

April 8 “You’ve Got to Have Heart” Susan McCord.  It has been well established that women reporting heart symptoms have received substantially different responses from their physicians than men reporting similar symptoms.  Susan McCord has spent a career in clinical social work and hospice care.  Most recently, she attended a conference at Mayo Clinic specifically designed for women who have cardiac problems.

April 15  “Women in the Military”  Tracy Reece. The Iraq war is the first American conflict involving large numbers of women serving in combat roles.  Tracy is a veteran of the Iraq war and will share some of her experiences and views on women in the military.

April 22  “Women in Politics”  Sheila Klinker.  Sheila Klinker has long represented our district in the House of the Indiana Legislature.  She will draw on this experience to talk about some of the accomplishments, opportunities and barriers women may face in politics.

April 29    “Issues Facing Aging Women”  Michelle Neimeir. Michelle is Executive Director of United Senior Action of Indiana with headquarters in Indianapolis. She will remind us that social security, caregiving and reform of our long-term care system have distinct implications for women and suggest that women can take action to make their voices heard. 

Book Group

• April 9—The Echo Maker by Richard Powers

• May 14—The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland

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 

LUM (Lafayette Urban Ministry) Report

Homeless Shelter  The Homeless Shelter is in need of coffee, sugar and disposable razors.

Office Needs  Used inkjet cartridges of any brand would be greatly appreciated. LUM receives money for them. Also needed are childrens DVDs for the waiting area, such as Dr. Seuss, Disney movies, Sesame St., Barney.

After school program needs  Fig Newtons, oatmeal cookies or other somewhat healthy or healthy snacks.

Tax return program   As of March 8th the volunteers at LUM have completed 550 returns, amounting to $979,000 in tax refunds for low income clients. Over $500,000 worth of Earned Income Tax Credit deductions have also been filed. The volunteers at LUM are providing a valuable service to low income workers in our community for whom every dollar is needed just to maintain a basic standard of living. Great work volunteers!

In other news The Food Pantry, located at St. John’s Episcopal Church is seeing record numbers of people needing assistance. Clients are currently allowed to visit the pantry twice a month, but St. John’s may need to reduce the number of visits to once a month due to the increased number of people needing assistance. Anyone wishing to donate food to the pantry may do so between the hours of 9:00am and 11:30am on Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, and Friday. The pantry entrance is located on sixth st under the green awning.

-Mary Finley, LUM representative. 

Caring Cans

We have been keeping busy delivering food to the LUM St. John’s Food Pantry lately.  Mary Finley and I spent approximately $150 of your Purdue work project earnings.

      I spoke to the supervisor of the Food Pantry operation and he told me to pass on their gratitude for all of our donations.  The additional food items you place in the collection box are also appreciated.

In April please continue to provide canned food items for the pantry as you are able.  The food is needed twelve months of the year.  St. John’s alone served over 22000 people last year.

      Community Responsibility plans to hold the clothing collection again in June.  Please save your clothing as you clean out closets. We’ll let you know when a date is set.

—Sue Robinson,

“All in the Same Boat: Justice for Reproductive Health and Same-Sex Love” Public Forum and Dialogue

Saturday April 14, 4:00-5:30pm

Holiday Inn Select in downtown Lafayette

A groundbreaking discussion with Mary E. Hunt,  Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, and a distinguished panel: Rev. Richard Clough, First Congregational, United Church of Christ, Indianapolis; Patricia A. Boling, Assoc. Professor Political Science, Purdue University; and  Dan Funk, Executive Director, Indiana Interfaith Coalition on Nondiscrimination

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Sponsored by Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, www.ircrc.org 

2007 Faith & Freedom Dinner

Saturday April 14, 2007—Reception at 5:45pm, Dinner & Program at 6:30pm

Holiday Inn Select, downtown Lafayette

Keynote speaker Mary E. Hunt, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, Silver Spring, Maryland: “Catholic, Pro-Choice, and Optimistic”

$30/individual, scholarships available.

Deadline for reservations: April 11.

Online reservations www.ircrc.org or call 877-441-5797

Sponsored by Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, www.ircrc.org

After Church All- Church Potluck

It’s not just about soup any more!*

The Last Sunday of the Month

^{April 29th}

Pastoral Care

Reinvents the monthly after church social gathering!

Bring a dish to share with a group – help set up tables

after the service and help clean up after the meal.

Bring your own dishes from home or we’ll provide paper plates.

Stay and enjoy feasting and friendship. 

*We’ll try this for a few months and continue if there’s strong participation and interest.

YUM One YUM All!